This month we received a heartfelt call for help from Bindhurani of Bindu Designs. She opened her Etsy shop in 2011 and has been trying very hard to market it. However, sales have stayed low. As soon as we opened her Etsy shop, we realized this was a wonderful opportunity to help not just her but so many of you who sent in your shop for our free critique. We know you’re going to love this one! You can follow along at Bindu Designs.
- First off, your banner is very fun and sets the stage for your work.
- Your Etsy about page is beautifully written and really makes viewers feel connected to you.
- Photographs SELL your product. Hands down, that’s what helps a customer make up their mind. We would really recommend that you look at the product photos of the top-selling crochet artists on Etsy like Baby in the Hat. This will give you a good comparison of what your photographs could look like to be compelling to your customers.
- White balance is the biggest thing to fix with your photographs. They all appear a bit dark and that’s because the white balance on your camera isn’t set correctly. It’s a really easy thing to fix; it just takes a quick look at your camera manual or a Google search for your manual if you don’t have yours.
- Bring in some models. Especially when it comes to your hats, nothing will help sell it like a photo of someone wearing it. Your customers need to be able to imagine themselves wearing your product in order for them to want to buy it. Ditch the doll and the stuffed animal and have a friend, or yourself, pose for you. Ask around and see who has a little one that would put on your hat for a quick photo or two.
- Details, details, details. A lot of your product descriptions lack the crucial details customers want to know. How big is the circumference of the hat? (This is really important when it comes to kids.) What ages is it appropriate for in terms of size?
- Triple your prices. We know that you’re making piddley from your sales after you subtract materials, labor, and time spent marketing. Look at the high end of the crochet market to get a sense of just how high you can go then shoot for the middle. People are put off by really low prices because they assume it’s poorly made and cheap.
- If you style your photos to look high-end and make your prices high-end, you will get the high-end customers. It’s as simple as that. Right now you’re attracting people who are new to Etsy who haven’t yet discovered the top sellers with magazine-worthy photos and prices they’re used to seeing in retail stores. So raise those prices and show off how valuable your work is! We know you love what you do and others will too if you give them reason to.
We hope this critique helped Bindhurani as well as you. Tell us what light bulbs went on for you and what you might be tweaking in your own shop! And, as always, thank you for entering the contest. There will be another one next month.
Thanks for the very valuable suggestions. I am working hard to find a model for my caps. I will fix the white balance soon. Once I have the real model, I will sure consider increasing the prices. Right now it is a catch 22 situation. I need money to hire a professional photographer to get sales. To have money I need sales.
Your suggestion about white balance really make sense. Working on. Thank you
Yes, but remember that if you’re not getting sales at the current prices, it could be because they’re turning customers away. Just like $0.99 stores don’t attract a lot of people. So why not try doubling your prices for a week and see what happens. Also, I would recommend looking at this e-book for product photography. You absolutely don’t need to hire someone yet. https://createhype.com/50-dollar-studio-by-mister-scheimpflug/
The raising your prices advice REALLY DOES WORK! I tried this on my own about a year ago and as soon as I bumped up the prices, my sales went higher. People want to pay for quality items and they will value your work higher if YOU value it higher.
Photographs always can be improved, but little steps will make a BIG difference. Good luck, everyone!
I would not hire a photographer for hats. Hats are fun! I would take photos outside and let them have fun and shoot photos. If there is snow, the camera may adjust the white balance and turn it to 19% gray. I would also take your camera to a camera store and let them know what you are needing. They can show you what you have and show you some other models, even if you are not going to get another camera. You can learn what to do from them. I would take the photos into a photoshop program. I love photography and tweeking them. My friend is also a professional photographer. Feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Hope this helps!
I am working on the white balance on my camera. The book purchase will need to wait for now. Doubling the price can be done now. Thanks for the suggestion.
I am going through all of your posts to find other ideas.
Don’t tell me I missed entering Shop Critique! Well, more luck next time, right?
I too opened my shop back in 2011 and I’m struggling to make any sales. Thank you for sharing, those Shop Critiques are always helpful.
One a bit off topic question if I may. What exactly does tweaking mean? (English is not my mother language).