How to get noticed?

[Denette]

This week I smashed the champagne bottle on the side of a new Etsy store.  See?

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DenetteWoodworks?ref=hdr_shop_menu

If you see anything on there that looks good or bad or whatever, please let me know!  I'm new to this.

But the real trouble, I think, is that I'm having trouble thinking of good ways to direct people to it.  I've had a Facebook page for my woodworking projects for about a year now, and it's got just over 200 followers, but that's not nearly enough.  I can promote it through Facebook, which is pretty good, but does anyone know the best way to go about getting my stuff out there to a lot of people in my area?  Are there other sites besides Facebook and Etsy that I should be posting to?  I know it's a slow business getting online revenue started, but is there anything I'm doing particularly right or wrong?

 

Thanks for any help, guys.  Y'all are the best.  

[Guest]

I think you have to tap into the pinterest crowd.  Since we have mostly a bunch of dudes here, you are asking the wrong group .  I would imagine the etsy shopper skews heavily female.  

 

[Woodenskye]

I looked at your Etsy store, and although I don't have experience selling on this platform, I would make the following suggestions, hopefully I'm not being to harsh.

1) Clean up your logo or change completely, it is difficult to read/decipher the D.  Simple is best, you want it to be read and remembered.

2) I would think about changing "Custom Fine Woodworking" to either Custom Woodworking or Fine Woodworking.  

As for getting more notice, I agree with Mike about the Pinterest crowd, my girlfriend looks at sites similar all the time.  You may also offer the people that follow you on Facebook a referral discount if they refer new people to your store.  Also I think you really need an increased social media presence.

Hope it is a successful endeavor. 

[Guest]

Agreed on the logo.  It looks like RW to me, not DW.  

[gee-dub]

Another random person who see RD.  Don't become sentimental about your logo.  If it doesn't work, change it.

[drzaius]

I'm gonna dump on your logo too. I see RW & it looks more like something you'd put on a rustic Anna White type piece..

[Denette]

Got it!  Logo needs to change.  I didn't have one at all until a few days ago, so I can change it if necessary.  And Pinterest is a great idea!  How exactly do you build a business there, though?  I'm not super familiar with it.  Is it not just basically an image-sharing site?  Would I just post a picture of my project with a link to the Etsy shop?

[Llama]

yeah yeah, the logo... People have to know who you are, and how to find you. RW tells me nothing about who you are. And the style it was done in, is rustic at best. The signature looks rushed, and gives the same impression on your furniture. People see your logo first... If I were a  buyer, I'd skip passed you because of the logo.

"Custom Fine Woodworking".. too long... Custom or Fine. 

I have done absolutely no advertising, and have close to 1200 people following my page. I have no idea why... 

A problem you are going to run into, is that some woodworkers will follow your page to get ideas on what to make... If they see something selling, they will start making those things too.

The chair and bench look nice, but are not offered in your "store". Most people will not email you asking about how to get them. The best advice I was given was from Marcs wife. She said things have to be easy to purchase. There has to be a button to but the item now. This has proven itself over time. With my reindeer for instance, small item that is easy to ship. I didn't have a buy now button, now I do. My sales have increased from absolutely zero to selling as many Reindeer as I want to.

 

 

[Denette]

Thanks for all the input guys! Another question I have is pricing - does it seem fair? Too high? Too low? Is it a bad idea to start out selling things for less money than you think they are worth just for the sake of making a few sales and building up ratings & reviews, or should I stick to my guns and hold firm on the prices I've got set?

[Llama]

12 minutes ago, Arrdenet said:

Is it a bad idea to start out selling things for less money than you think they are worth just for the sake of making a few sales and building up ratings & reviews,

yes

Especially with the internet. It will be difficult to raise your list prices later. Now, if someone wants to haggle a bit... That is on you... I would suggest that if you see sales lacking, offer a coupon or something... Christmas in July, or something of that nature.

 

[BonPacific]

Think about any kind of "sideways" marketing you could do to drive traffic, or get a little name recognition. Maybe do a simple YouTube video of making one of the band-saw boxes? Even just a quick tour of your products could catch a few folks. The idea is to get your name out there, more than just driving people to Etsy. Matt Cremona probably wouldn't sell as many cutting boards if he just dropped them on Etsy without his name/brand.

As mentioned, put some images up on Pinterest.

The more frequently your content shows up on the web, the more likely it will turn up in someone's Google search. Google image search in particular can be a great traffic driver. Look into SEO optimization of images, and make sure to post anything you make in various "Project Showcase" forums around the web.

[Denette]

Still haven't gotten to Pinterest yet, but I whipped this up today:

Just some good old-fashioned computer-faked marquetry I made with photoshop from a picture I took in the garage.  Sharper, right?

[Eric.]

I personally think your items are grossly under-priced, but then again, that's why I don't take commissions.

Take this item for example...

 

It's nice.  Can you make it in an hour or so, start to finish?  If not, you're under-priced.  I'm guessing it takes at least half a day to make it, and there's cost of materials too.  Which means you're making minimum wage, at best.  I haven't worked for minimum wage since I was 16.

My advice would be to focus on the highest quality possible, make the nicest items you're capable of making, price your items WAY higher, and sell WAY fewer.  If you priced that box at $250, you'll probably only make 20% of the sales you'd make at $50, but you'd also do 20% of the work and make the same amount of money.

If you can't sell it for $250, try making something else that will.  If that doesn't sell for $250, stick to IT and keep woodworking a hobby.

[Denette]

2 hours ago, Eric. said:

I personally think your items are grossly under-priced, but then again, that's why I don't take commissions.

Take this item for example...

 

It's nice.  Can you make it in an hour or so, start to finish?  If not, you're under-priced.  I'm guessing it takes at least half a day to make it, and there's cost of materials too.  Which means you're making minimum wage, at best.  I haven't worked for minimum wage since I was 16.

My advice would be to focus on the highest quality possible, make the nicest items you're capable of making, price your items WAY higher, and sell WAY fewer.  If you priced that box at $250, you'll probably only make 20% of the sales you'd make at $50, but you'd also do 20% of the work and make the same amount of money.

If you can't sell it for $250, try making something else that will.  If that doesn't sell for $250, stick to IT and keep woodworking a hobby.

Wow, thanks!  I'd never have thought to sell for that much.  I guess it's really all about making connections with the kind of buyers you want to connect with, huh?  Like when you're a kid and you trick-or-treat in the ritzy rich neighborhoods that give out whole candy bars.  I need to find the whole-candy-bar woodworking buyers and figure out how to tap into that market...

 

Also, logo revision!  Didn't plan on working on a logo all day, but hey!  I'm enjoying it.

[Eric.]

Just now, Arrdenet said:

Wow, thanks!  I'd never have thought to sell for that much.  I guess it's really all about making connections with the kind of buyers you want to connect with, huh?  Like when you're a kid and you trick-or-treat in the ritzy rich neighborhoods that give out whole candy bars.  I need to find the whole-candy-bar woodworking buyers and figure out how to tap into that market...

Yeah I think so.  It's all about how you market yourself.  Look into craft fairs, galleries, etc in the higher-end neighborhoods in your area.  Build high-quality pieces, have confidence and ask high prices.  Stand tall and look them dead in the eye.  Whether or not you can get $250 for that piece...eh, I don't know...that's probably a stretch.  But I was just making a point.

Iceballs will appreciate this one.

 

 

[Woodenskye]

For the logo, I sort of like the 2nd version, but without the coffee cup.  The other option could be designing a box with 2 drawers with your name, since you are selling boxes on the site.  

[wtnhighlander]

Definitely raise the prices, quick, before anyone notices! As for traffic drives, settle on a name that works on your web domain, youtube, pinterest, instagram, facebook, twitter, snapchat, ... and milk it. The more times your name appears on the internet, the more pictures of your stuff appear, the more likely Goovke, Bing, Yahoo or whatever will push you to the top if their list.

[puffball]

On July 20, 2016 at 6:03 PM, Eric. said:

I personally think your items are grossly under-priced, but then again, that's why I don't take commissions.

Take this item for example...

 

It's nice.  Can you make it in an hour or so, start to finish?  If not, you're under-priced.  I'm guessing it takes at least half a day to make it, and there's cost of materials too.  Which means you're making minimum wage, at best.  I haven't worked for minimum wage since I was 16.

My advice would be to focus on the highest quality possible, make the nicest items you're capable of making, price your items WAY higher, and sell WAY fewer.  If you priced that box at $250, you'll probably only make 20% of the sales you'd make at $50, but you'd also do 20% of the work and make the same amount of money.

If you can't sell it for $250, try making something else that will.  If that doesn't sell for $250, stick to IT and keep woodworking a hobby.

We sell on Etsy.  At the end of the day you need to price it at what is worth to you to make and sell.  But as the other commenters have said, price with confidence and stand firm.   None of our Etsy stuff is priced anywhere close to what it costs us in time and effort to make, but at the same time we price our stuff where we feel good about selling it as we know that whomever buys will really appreciate the item.   Shipping stuff that you sell on Etsy can be a pain and expensive if you aren't careful.  So make sure you account properly for the shipping.  This includes the cost of the box and packing material.  

Not sure there is any magic to getting more views and sales on Etsy, but what I do think that helps is

1. 9 or more items in your shop to fill the whole page.  Etsy buyers are window shoppers, so the more things that you have to keep their attention the better.
2. I think you need more descriptive descriptions.  In the Etsy forums there are some pointers.  But basically tell a top-down story about the piece.  
3. Instagram - Tell your story view Instagram
4. Pininterest - The same Etsy window shoppers are also clippers.  
5. Twitter - Most everytime we tweet, we get a bump in views.  Not sure those ever turn into sales
6. Make something unique - There is lots of competition so make sure you differentiate, clearly market what makes yours special and unique.  I would imagine there must some marketing angle to leverage Arkansas.

Have fun, our Etsy sales come in little spurts.  I haven't figured out any pattern to any of it.  So I have quit trying to figure it out and I just enjoy making the stuff and if it sells great!

[legenddc]

Logo wise I would use the saw with Denette and that's it. Simple is better.

 

I don't have an etsy site and I don't sell things I make currently, but my career is in marketing. I'd remove the chairs at the top unless you want to sell them, not being in stock seems odd to me. Pricing, many different ways you can decide on it. I found a pricing guide online a while ago and used it to see what I should be charging if I decide to sell something. This one has you put in your materials, how long it took you, what you want to make an hour, adds 15% for for consumables (glue, sandpaper, saw blades, etc.). Don't forget to add the Etsy fees in. I believe I got the spreadsheet from here - http://lumberjocks.com/topics/2561

More on pricing here - http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/pricing-your-work/

Now on the getting noticed front, don't spread yourself too thin. Better to focus on a few key areas than every new social media site out there. If you're trying to grow this to become your full time job, get a social media manager program. You can schedule your tweet, facebook posts etc. 

If you have a friend who does anything similar work together. Even if they stage houses or bake and put pics up online. Let them have a cutting board to display their cupcakes on.

Sometimes its just pure luck. We had some guys over to give us an estimate to put in a bathroom, they saw something I build, asked my wife if I did it for a living and then told her they want me to do work for them. They subsequently never sent me a quote for the bathroom, but you get the idea.

[Guest]

Here is my advice on pricing.  Do not use cost + pricing for the items you are selling.  Your cost structure has nothing to do with the market value of an item.  Look for similar items and see how they are priced.  Then figure out if you can profitably build it at that price, then constantly find ways to get your cost down without sacrificing your quality.   By using cost+ pricing, you are guaranteeing yourself a low return (whatever the mark up is).   Just my 2c.

Mel's reindeer are the perfect example (http://www.woodtalkonline.com/topic/12328-reindeer/) of the right way to price.  Too many people think of woodworking as a construction job.  You are not building a deck or installing crown molding.... these are jobs that are traditionally priced as T&M.  You are providing a finished product.  GM doesn't tell you how much it costs to make a car, and trust me they determine their price point first, then back into production methods and materials that will make them profitable at that price point.

 

Looking at your items, I think the cut-off wall shelves have the most potential (just my opinion).  Clean them up a little bit (the saw marks don't look rustic, they look lazy).   Offer them in different species.  Do some paint versions. Women are your customers and (in general) respond to color.  Show them merchandised different ways (i.e. holding votive candles, coffee mugs, cut flowers, tiny stuffed animals, stuff women like.  Perhaps show it holding an iphone dock and call it a charging station).  You could sell them for $25 each or more.  

The cutting boards look cool, too and fit with the wall shelves.  Small, relatively affordable, easy to ship.  However, to most people the two cutting boards you show will look identical and they won't understand why one is $90 and the other is $70.   I'd relabel them "big cutting board" and "smaller cutting board" to make it move obvious they are different sizes.  

 

 

 

 

[mat60]

13 minutes ago, Mike. said:

Here is my advice on pricing.  Do not use cost + pricing for the items you are selling.  Your cost structure has nothing to do with the market value of an item.  Look for similar items and see how they are priced.  Then figure out if you can profitably build it at that price, then constantly find ways to get your cost down without sacrificing your quality.   By using cost+ pricing, you are guaranteeing yourself a low return (whatever the mark up is).   Just my 2c.

 

 

 

 

Well Mike...There may be the reason some of my things dont sell .I do good work but some things Im lucky to cover my cost because I half to drop the price to get them to sell ...I think this has been  the problem for me...New ideas and the market value in mind may be the ticket for me..Thanks

[legenddc]

Yes, sorry, I should have expanded on my comment with the pricing calculator. Part of the reason I realized I didn't want to list things on Etsy was I realized what I would make per hour would be really low if I priced the products at market value rates on Etsy. Use the tool to figure out what you would be paying yourself per hour for certain items. Some things might not be worth your time, others may pay a bit less, but if you really enjoy making them it's worth it.

Not saying you can't succeed on Etsy, clearly lots of people do. I hope to try at some point in the future, just not now.

[Unknown craftsman]

I have a Etsy store front.I open it for the holidays and close it after New Years.

I don't sell very much my work is more art then anything.

I don't advertise that helps to keep my sells down.I do use it to direct people to that want to see what new that I've made.

My opinion is if you want to sell a lot on etsy or local you have to make stuff that anyone can afford,without thought,and they might use everyday.Its very difficult to not turn a simple project into a art project.

One example I used to carve these little mouses.I got pretty fast them.But it was hard to get 5 dollars for one.And I got board with no challenge for me.

 

[Denette]

3 hours ago, Mike. said:

Looking at your items, I think the cut-off wall shelves have the most potential (just my opinion).  Clean them up a little bit (the saw marks don't look rustic, they look lazy).   Offer them in different species.  Do some paint versions. Women are your customers and (in general) respond to color.  Show them merchandised different ways (i.e. holding votive candles, coffee mugs, cut flowers, tiny stuffed animals, stuff women like.  Perhaps show it holding an iphone dock and call it a charging station).  You could sell them for $25 each or more.  

The cutting boards look cool, too and fit with the wall shelves.  Small, relatively affordable, easy to ship.  However, to most people the two cutting boards you show will look identical and they won't understand why one is $90 and the other is $70.   I'd relabel them "big cutting board" and "smaller cutting board" to make it move obvious they are different sizes.  

Well that's just hilarious, because to be honest I put that cutoff shelf as a joke just to see if I could get 5 bucks for it.  It is literally the jagged end of what turned into the nice cherry and red oak bandsaw box that's for sale on the etsy.  I literally spent 5 minutes with a keyhole bit to turn it into a "shelf."  But that's the business, I guess.  People will buy a Snuggie, but not a cashmere sweater.  

Thanks for the tip on the cutting boards!  I've changed it so that the more expensive one is labelled "Extra-thick."

[Denette]

OK, I took some more advice!  I created very thorough descriptions for a few items I can make on commission - this adirondack chair: https://www.etsy.com/listing/455769166/greene-greene-adirondack-chair?ref=shop_home_active_3

And this adirondack bench: https://www.etsy.com/listing/469258747/greene-and-greene-adirondack-bench?ref=shop_home_active_2

And I also added a bit to the "About Me" Page.  Does anybody read those?  But it's there if anyone looks for it, I guess: https://www.etsy.com/people/RDenette

And I reworked the logo - I'd have needed to do it eventually anyway, because a multicolor image can't be turned into a branding iron.  I feel like custom branding would be just what it takes to push my products from quality hobbyist work to professional-looking work.  I'm keeping the coffee mug.  Anyone who knows me knows I'm always covered in either sawdust or coffee grounds.  Plus the dream is to someday open up a business with my wife where she'll have a coffee shop and I'll have  a woodworking studio, with a plexiglass wall between (sound deadening, of course) so people can sit and sip coffee and watch woodworking.  It may be a pipe dream, but it'd be awesome if we ever make it happen!  

So, how's it looking now?