Etsy Shop Evaluation

The BBA Challenge for this month is to evaluate your Etsy shop in some way--several ways possible.  I have three shops, but I have chosen to evaluate, for this challenge anyway, my Creations shop. I have evaluated my other shops, including closing one of them, but for now, I will talk about the first shop I ever opened on Etsy.

Since it opened in late November of 2008, my sales have been pretty stable each year. Evaluating every year end, and wanting more traffic in 2012 (including more sales!), I have been very diligent this year to list new items, relist items, and tweet items almost daily to get more views.  (I also occasionally list items on Facebook.)

Results have been that the ratio between Etsy views vs. Direct Traffic views this year has changed over  last year's ratio.  Meaning, I am getting a greater portion of Direct Traffic views.  I believe this is due to Twitter and this is good!

In 2013, I would like to increase my views from outside Etsy.  I will be looking for ways to accomplish this. One way, I believe is to advertise with or sponsor blogs that do some promotion of their sponsors.  I have found that tweeting draws views, so this will be my first priority for 2013--more blog sponsorship--blogs that tweet.  Just one of my plans; we will see how it results!

Got any plans for your new year!!????

Personal Creativity Goals Recap

Last week I discussed by business goals here and promised to discuss my personal creativity goals at another time. I think I will continue this discussion today, since it forces me to look at my progress or lack of it.  It also inspires me to move onward and upward toward obtaining my goals!

To quote myself, I wanted to go . . . . . extravagant this year!
I tend toward practical, utilitarian projects, like this one that I did for my granddaughter--a t-shirt rag quilt.   That is not to say that all of my projects have been like this quilt, I have done more intricate designs, but I'm trying to branch out with prettier patterns and techniques.

In my post at the first of this year:

1)  I talked about trying some new fabrics, not just cotton, for quilting.  I haven't tackled this yet. When ones stash is all cotton, it is difficult

2)  I wanted to do an appliqued quilt, getting away from lattice and square designs. I wanted to try applique, curved piecing and textured trims couched on the quilt. I have not tried the couching technique yet.  These techniques are embellishments that add interest to the quilt and I am anxious try them. But, I have done a couple of appliqued and quilted table runners.  One I liked and one that I didn't like so well.  This is just the precursor to doing an entire appliqued quilt.  I still need to decide on a particular design for the larger quilt. I found a great site, blockcentral.com, with some applique tips.  I want to save it here for my own future use and maybe you are interested too! 

Here is a couple of samples so you can see what I am heading for, although I would like a more contemporary design:



Applique with stipple quilting



Applique with Echo quilting

**Both of these examples can be found on allpeoplequilt.com on this page.  Scroll thru the gallery to find them.

3) I have been experimenting with specialty threads.  Blender threads are my first attempt.  These threads change color every 2 to 2 1/2 inches.  They come in several thread weights and the first spool that I bought was too coarse a thread for my project. I have purchased a second spool and will try again and maybe even do another post about these threads.

So far I have not been extravagant, instead I have been adventurous in trying new techniques and supplies.  I hope this leads to a more extravagant frame of mind that will lend itself to better creativity!

Goals Recap

Early in the year, I made some goals for my self, creatively and for my business.  I thought it might be time to revisit these goals and see how I am doing.

1)  I wanted to raise my ratio of Favorites vs Sales.  A quick look at this tells me that I am not doing very well, it has dropped about 5 % although my views are up!  I still have my suspicions that other Etsians are clicking favorites to get them into their activity feed as a way of promoting their friends and things that they like. This is not bad if it gets more views, but the goal is sales.  My views have been up for the first quarter and so have my sales, so that is good, but still not where I want them.

2)  I wanted a venue for unloading my existing jewelry.  I have been giving away, mostly to family, my jewelry.  I still need to approach a local craft and vendor brick and mortar shop about carrying my jewelry.  Haven't done that yet. 

3)  I wanted to add a few new coaster designs.  I have added a few, like this one in the triple patchwork design, but still need to work on something new and creative for that line.

4)  I have not done well on adding new vintage fabrics in my supply shop.  I found a contact that was interested in looking for fabrics for me, but she hasn't gotten back to me yet.  Here's hoping!

Now, after this evaluation, I need to look at my individual items and see what is being viewed and favored.  That should take a while, but worth the time in purging stock from my shop.  I may report back on this, we will see.  And for my personal goals---I'll save my personal creativity goals for another post.

 How are you doing with your goals?

Goal Progress?

I've been inspired by a blog friend, Edi of MemoriesforLifeSB to revisit my goals for 2012 to see how I am doing in the first month.  Edi's goals were all VERY specific and mine were more of a general nature. (Here's her post about her progress.) Anyway, I had to go back and read my goals, then evaluate. 



In my supply shop, I had determined to purchase more vintage fabric, if they were available.  It seems that I have not been shopping as much as I would have liked to find these at estate sales. NO shopping, you say?  Well, I think that the weather has had a little to do with that.  It hard to tramp in and out of houses where sales are with the weather dreary, cold and wet!  But I will do better! Spring is coming! :)



Madison



As to my Creations shop, I have been weeding out those items that have not been favorites, (and have been in my shop for a long time.)  Thus pruning my shop items, getting ready to add some new items to an existing line.  I have given some items away as gifts and plan to let my granddaughter, Madison, sell some of them at a school garage sale.  She is raising money for her 8th grade school trip to Washington DC. She is excited about this trip and is working very hard toward this project! (My other granddaughter, Courtney, now a senior, went on this trip in her 8th grade year.) This should clear out more items.  Then, the plan was to expand the coaster and cozy line with new types of fabrics.  I have not done this in the month of January, but once I have cleared out the old, new items will be in order!



Mostly I have been working on my own personal creativity goals.  I will save this discussion for tomorrows post.  See you then!

How have you been doing with your goals?