Okay! Now that you’ve set-up your shop with a profile, policies and some sections, it’s time to fill the pages of your shop with your wonderful products. Here’s the skinny on what you should have in each item listing.
Title
This is certainly something an area where you personal style can really shine through. For my items, I tend to create a unique title for the piece or a name instead of a more descriptive term like “Sterling Silver Labradorite Necklace”. It’s entirely up to you how you want to title your items. I would suggest though, that you try to keep it somewhat short. While you can see the whole title in the “list” mode (versus gallery”, when the items is seen in the “gallery” mode where the picture is bigger, the title tends to get cut off. Also, I really think titles that look like short paragraphs packed with ten or fifteen different keywords looks tacky – that’s what your tags are for. But again, this is definitely an area where you can personalize your shop.
Description
The description of your item is really the area where you have the best chance to SELL your item. It is also an area where you can really showcase your writing skills or personal style. No matter if you decide to write long involved stories or keep it brief and to the point, here are a few things I think all descriptions need:
1. Measurements of the items – Be sure to include measurements in the metric system as well for our international customers.
2. Materials used – It’s important to list the specific materials you use so that people understand why it is priced the way it is (you wouldn’t expect silver-plated to be priced as expensive as sterling silver pieces and vice versa).
3. Describe the use or purpose of the item – It can be as simple as stating it can be used to carry things, to wear for formal events, etc. It’s an opportunity to paint a picture for someone as to why they need your item and therefore should buy it.
Other than those three things, it’s up to you as to what to include. I would suggest though, that if the item listed is not the EXACT item they will be receiving (i.e. you’ve relisted something you’ve sold but will be making an identical piece just with variations as is the nature of handmade items), you should put a note so that they know not to expect that specific piece).
Tags
These are extremely important because this is how people will find you in the search engines. There are a few types of tags that I usually include in all of my listings. Here they are:
1. Item category – This is the category you select from Etsy for your item to appear (i.e. jewelry versus wedding). It can be a good idea to spread your listings out over a couple of different main categories to get a wider range of customers.
2. Item subcategory – This, again, is the subcategory from Etsy where your item will appear (i.e. necklace, earrings, choker, etc).
3. Color – Always, always include the color of your item. It’s a way that people shop and a way that people can find you to include you in treasuries.
4. Themes – Themes are important for treasuries and for people who are looking for a particular type of design. You can use themes such as nature, romantic, eclectic, mod, bohemian, etc.
5. Team – Always include your team tags so we can find you for treasuries and in case we have special group promotions, so that shoppers can find you.
6. Style words – I use a lot of words that tend to describe my style of jewelry and this is really helpful if customers are looking for a particular type of piece (i.e. elegant, timeless, casual, organic, etc).
No matter what tags you come up with, ALWAYS use ALL 14 of your tags. It’s what you’re paying for :)
Photos
I’ve discussed photos before in my other tutorial, but just some brief comments here. Make sure that your first picture is absolutely beautiful. It needs to be crisp, clear and showcase your item in a way that is attractive to buyers. This may vary a bit, depending on your items (i.e. supplies versus ready to wear), but in general I think that interesting close-ups are better as your first picture than ones that include a shot of the entire piece. You can always include those in one of the other pictures. Also, if you have matching products, you can use the 4th or 5th picture to include those in the listings. It’s a great way to upsell or create multiple item purchases.
That’s it! The ABCs of listing an item! Now hop to it and fill your shop with goodies!
Best of luck!
C.
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