YOU CAN CRITIQUE YOUR OWN SHOP

I hope you find this useful. I have included suggestions for members of teams in this latest version, an issue of dimensions, and, now that there is an Etsy page for shop policies, I include that.

1. Look at the avatar.
Is it an attractive piece from the shop?
Is the color bright?
Is the Image easy to make out?
Is the image cropped enough so nothing is wasted on
background?

2. Look at the banner.
Is it color coordinated with the avatar?
If there are words, are they useful; easy to read?
Does the banner suggest the products sold or contain
some of them? Even the avatar.

3. Look at the images of the items being sold.
Are the thumbnails bright, easy to make out, and is
the color good? The thumbnail is the first thing the viewer sees.

Is the main image the best one of the item? Do all
the other ones add information? Team members may put the Team logo in as the fifth image.

Here is advice on how to deal with the problem of thumbnails that do not show off the actual images well because the thumbnail is a square crop. It comes up in two situations.

First, an artist does not always paint or draw square pictures, but would like the thumbnail to show the whole painting or drawing. Second, people who have photographed 3-D items may want an image that will have an attractive thumbnail that shows the whole item (which means cropping away unneeded background), but the original image cannot crop square and still show the whole item.

a. Be sure to crop the original image to make it as square and tight as possible first, because if there is too much background to start, that issue will not be solved, and a close look at the item is lost. (This does not apply to images of 2-D art that are usually cropped to the exact image of the piece; no background.)

b. Take the original image (or the cropped image). If it is not square, go to Photoshop Elements or a similar program and open the image. Click on RESIZE IMAGE, and then click CANVAS SIZE. That opens a page where the width and height are given. Make them both the same size, always using the higher number (or else the image is cut).

c. Then go back to RESIZE IMAGE and select IMAGE SIZE. Make it 1000 x 1000. (The resolution can be up to 300.)

d. The result will be a thumbnail with the entire image, and white where the program filled in to make the image square.

4. Look at the item descriptions. Do they fully describe the item in terms of materials, dimensions, and any special information? With dimensions, do you give them in inches and centimeters? An international market expects this. 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters; 1 centimeter = 0.393700787 inch.

5. Use all 14 tags you are entitled to, selecting tags that you think will be the words your potential buyer will use to search. If you are a member of a Team, use the Team tag, and all Team members will be able to be found in a search; I also include my shop name.

6. Look at the section names. Do they reflect what you sell in language that anyone could understand?

Do they include sections for anything special that
you might want to show together?

Do they cover everything? Remember that an item can go into only one section.

7. Are you using the option to have three items featured on your home page? They get to appear twice, and give you a chance to represent pieces that are seasonal, or best, or represent three of your sections, or are not on your first page.

SHOP ANNOUNCEMENT, PROFILE, AND POLICIES

Look at the Shop Announcement, the Profile page and the Policies page. Read through to see where there is repetition, defensiveness, too much intimate information, or any self-deprecation. Edit to remove these, without making the parts read as totally impersonal.

SUGGESTED SHOP ANNOUNCEMENT

Most people think that the Shop Announcement should not be so long that the viewer has to scroll to see the images. But there are things that the viewer needs to know, so a compromise may be needed. Say hello and/or welcome the reader into the shop. Use the first person "I," or "we" if there is more than one person running the shop.

Tell the reader what is for sale and if there is anything special in the way you make it, or what it is for, or what it is made of---that makes it stand out--say that right away. Here is where to stress hand-made as a special characteristic, and whether made in a smoke free, or pet free environment.

Do not say the shop is new, unless you want to revise when it is not so new. How long are you able to claim you are new, anyway? Same goes for naming holidays.

You can say you hope they enjoy the shop or like what they see.

Invite the viewer to convo with you so you can get them just what they want.

If you offer free shipping or a lay-away plan, you may want to announce that here and direct the viewer to the Policies link on the right. Otherwise, tell the viewer to click on your profile (the link on the right) to read more about you,,and the policies link on the right to see your store policies, including any Lay-Away options.

Thank them again for coming by; if you add new things often, tell that, and encourage the viewer to come by again to see new things.

If you have a website, blog, or other store, give the links here, but not to sites where you sell outside of Etsy. You might also announce your Team membership here.
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SUGGESTED PROFILE

Here you can be more personal about what you do, what led you to do it, how you feel about the work, or how you make it. You can mention the Team if you are a member of a Team. I do not advise telling how your spouse or sister is an inspiration or details on your pets or children. What do you want to know from a seller when you buy?

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SHOP POLICIES

The policies section is now offered as a separate page.

Etsy writes: "You may provide shop policies to help your customers make a more informed purchase. Etsy encourages all sellers to post shop policies. Before writing your own policies, be sure to familiarize yourself with Etsy's policies: The DO's and DON'T's and Terms of Use. Your shop policies must not contradict Etsy's site-wide policies.

We have listed examples of common policy considerations for each category below. For ideas on writing shop policies, see this Storque article."

"Welcome
e.g., general information, philosophy."

Tell about your overall policy or simply welcome the viewer to see your policies.

"Payment
e.g., methods, terms, deadlines, taxes, cancellation policy."

What Payment Is Accepted?

Describe any Lay-Away plans you offer.

What does shipping cost?

Put in the prices found at the bottom of your item descriptions. That includes multiple item prices.

Where do you ship to?

Who do you use for shipping?

Tell whether you charge sales tax for any State. And whether Paypal will do that during the payment process.

You can offer alternative, faster shipping and prices.

You can mention insurance and make a disclaimer about responsibility for damage in transit.

Add anything about International orders. This might be where you indicate that when you ship, you check "other" for customs. (People ask for "Gift" but this IS a purchase.)

You can give information on when you ship. I suggest you use this, adjusted for what payment you accept:

I ship within ___ days after I have been notified of receipt of payment by Paypal or when the check or money order has been cleared and deposited into my account.

You can say how items are packaged and how you send gifts, if you wish.

"Refunds and Exchanges
e.g., terms, eligible items, damages, losses."

State your policy on acceptable reasons for returns, how they are treated, who pays for shipping, and anything on repair or exchange, as appropriate.


" Additional Information
e.g., additional policies, FAQ's, Alchemy & custom orders, wholesale & consignment, guarantees."

Invite the reader to contact you with ANY questions.