Closing Shop

[LiveOakStudios]

Well I gave it 15 months and with so little traffic on this site I finally have to just look elsewhere.

I've come to believe that Handmade Artist is for people looking for a way to have a website to send their friends & such to, NOT a place with a lot of activity for selling to people you don't bring there yourself.

I do have my own dedicated website, so no need for the extra monthly charge & another website.

Good Luck to everyone ,
Patty
Live Oak Studios

[myeuropeantouch]

Well I gave it 15 months and with so little traffic on this site I finally have to just look elsewhere.

I've come to believe that Handmade Artist is for people looking for a way to have a website to send their friends & such to, NOT a place with a lot of activity for selling to people you don't bring there yourself.

I do have my own dedicated website, so no need for the extra monthly charge & another website.

Good Luck to everyone ,
Patty
Live Oak Studios

I think you do have a point there.

The owners used to be a lot more active in earlier years and wanted this site to become - their quote - " the Tiffany of handmade".
That seems to have come and gone sadly; and a shop seems to be just parked here. I understand I have to promote my shop and wares everywhere myself, but it used to be that the owners helped a lot to get our wares out there. It's fallen by the wayside. 

It's Ok, I seem to have to set up my own website soon too, in the meantime, it will be parked here until I am ready with my website.
Wishing you the very best in your endeavors.

[MsMartyD]

I  think,  possibly,   the  admins   have   other  jobs  and  family responsibilities like  many  on  here.   I  am  the  only  one  I  know  about  who  gets  to  sit  on  my  duff  all  day.

[chainmaille]

We do what we can do, not sure if that is good enough, but it is. Regardless of whether we post or lot, we are always involved. However when someone doesn't sell they need someone to blame, so I guess that is me or us. I'm ok with that to some extent. There are so many variables to selling online that you never really know what the issue is. Anyway, I'll just keep trudging

[trusk4u]

Selling online has changed a great deal and it is harder and harder to do. So much competition from every angle. Pointing fingers and placing blame helps no one.

[JooJoobs]

Selling online is a constant battle.


Our Etsy shop was very lucky but in a lot ways we made our own luck.


My #1 advice to shop owners who are struggling, take better pictures. Then take more, and more and more pictures.


Customers buy pictures, not products.  Don't spend 3+ hours making an amazing handcrafted item, and only spend 60 seconds taking a picture.  Bibi (my wife) will spend a full day on one listing, taking and editing the pictures.

[Larissa]

Selling online is a constant battle.


Our Etsy shop was very lucky but in a lot ways we made our own luck.


My #1 advice to shop owners who are struggling, take better pictures. Then take more, and more and more pictures.


Customers buy pictures, not products.  Don't spend 3+ hours making an amazing handcrafted item, and only spend 60 seconds taking a picture.  Bibi (my wife) will spend a full day on one listing, taking and editing the pictures.

OMG, I agree!  Agree, agree, agree!  I cringe at the photos I see going up, and want to shake half the shop owners.

[JooJoobs]

me and bibi became obsessed with taking better and better pictures.


It turned into a competition between each other that lasted 2 years. She finally won.


Relying on professional photographers might not work either. We've hired 3 'pros' to find that we like our pictures better than the ones they take for us.


Getting an entry level Canon, 1.8 product lens, set up a consist background (part of your branding) and start clicking.


When we joined Etsy, everyone in our niche took different pictures.


We were the 1st to take pictures on a rustic, wood surface.


Now 4 years later, everyone copied us, but hey, if it works, copy them.