My Etsy shop
Well, it's up an running. I opened my Etsy shop a week ago. I decided to try to sell some crocheted afghans. I couldn't think of anything more clever so I picked the generic shop name "Sara's Afghan Shoppe." You like how I spelled it 'shoppe'? It seems more quaint that way...
I've had no luck selling so far, but I only have 2 items up for sale in my shop, and people say not to get discouraged but to give it time before my shop takes off.
It's unbelievable how much time I've poured into setting up my Etsy webpage and the listings of the two blankets I've made so far. And it still doesn't look as polished as some of the more established shop webpages I've been using as models. It's a lot more work than I realized. I guess I have to decide just how seriously I will take this and how much time and effort to put into making it look professional. I really just want to do the fun part of making the blankets and not go through the hassle of putting together my shop.
But if these are actually going to sell, I think I'll need to do more of the not-fun stuff. And maybe make a Facebook page or do something on Instagram.
I could start selling baby blankets in addition to adult-sized blankets. Those are smaller (i.e. quicker to make) and people might actually buy those as gifts and stuff. And some of the patterns are so irresistibly cute; who could say no to buying something so adorable?
Another difficult thing to figure out is how to sell made-to-order. I want to keep inventory low and just make afghans as people order them, in the color(s) they request. But to make a listing, I need at least one photo of the product, which requires me to make it ahead of time, defeating the purpose of having people order and making them upon request.
It's also tough to get really good photographs. I'm not a professional photographer. And I don't have particularly beautiful furniture on which to display the afghans--no classy modern armchair by a fireplace or wooden bench in a flower garden... Getting enough natural light so you can accurately see the colors has proven difficult. Check out these pics and see what you think:
I've had no luck selling so far, but I only have 2 items up for sale in my shop, and people say not to get discouraged but to give it time before my shop takes off.
It's unbelievable how much time I've poured into setting up my Etsy webpage and the listings of the two blankets I've made so far. And it still doesn't look as polished as some of the more established shop webpages I've been using as models. It's a lot more work than I realized. I guess I have to decide just how seriously I will take this and how much time and effort to put into making it look professional. I really just want to do the fun part of making the blankets and not go through the hassle of putting together my shop.
But if these are actually going to sell, I think I'll need to do more of the not-fun stuff. And maybe make a Facebook page or do something on Instagram.
I could start selling baby blankets in addition to adult-sized blankets. Those are smaller (i.e. quicker to make) and people might actually buy those as gifts and stuff. And some of the patterns are so irresistibly cute; who could say no to buying something so adorable?
Another difficult thing to figure out is how to sell made-to-order. I want to keep inventory low and just make afghans as people order them, in the color(s) they request. But to make a listing, I need at least one photo of the product, which requires me to make it ahead of time, defeating the purpose of having people order and making them upon request.
It's also tough to get really good photographs. I'm not a professional photographer. And I don't have particularly beautiful furniture on which to display the afghans--no classy modern armchair by a fireplace or wooden bench in a flower garden... Getting enough natural light so you can accurately see the colors has proven difficult. Check out these pics and see what you think:
Here's a link to my shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SarasAfghanShoppe?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Hopefully it becomes more developed over time, and hopefully I can eventually have a success story of my first sale!
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