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I think I will let go of my store on eCrater...
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artinsilk



Posts: 132

PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:56 pm    Post subject: I think I will let go of my store on eCrater... Reply with quote

No traffic to my store, barely any sales. It is not worth it for me. I am considering closing in Janurary.

Meanwhile, am I allowed to include in each of my listings my other sites where I sell my artwork?
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FoxAndFish



Posts: 1585

PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 8:41 pm    Post subject: Re: I think I will let go of my store on eCrater... Reply with quote

artinsilk wrote:
No traffic to my store, barely any sales.

That has happened with many of us.

artinsilk wrote:
I am considering closing in Janurary.

That's certainly your choice. But since the store is free...what would be the purpose of closing it? All you need do is update the time stamp every few days, which takes seconds.

artinsilk wrote:
Meanwhile, am I allowed to include in each of my listings my other sites where I sell my artwork?

I don't know of any prohibition against that kind of thing in a listing, tho I could be wrong. But...if a shopper is already in your store, does it makes sense to send them to another venue? Would it make sense to put information about your other venues in the FAQ or About Us page instead of the product listings?
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maggiethehousecat



Posts: 2457

PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 9:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with Fox and Fish. This place costs nothing to maintain. Plus online sites are hairy environments. You never know when one is going to be bought out or change so drastically that you don't want to be or can't afford to be affiliated with them. I've been here almost since the beginning of eCRATER and this seems the most stable, least experimental site I have ever or am now selling on. It will be the last site I shut down.

As a point of comparison, my sales on etsy get worse every month and for a while I was doing very well there. ArtFire recently went to a mobile format and the appearance of our listings is atrocious. I have to page down five times to get to the description.

That said I have about 5000 items listed here in 5 stores and am lucky if I sell 2 items a month, down from about 30 or more a few years ago.
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elpereles



Posts: 3427

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Everybody has issues with the low sales.

Closing a store. It is each seller own decision. I will stay until it dies or I die or the end of the world or we get back to the stone age. I tested other Alternatives sites. All are the "same" because they don't have big traffic. Unless you make your own site. I consider jumping around the Alternatives opening and closing stores is non sense.
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, closing your store is your own decision, but if you are going to be open elsewhere why not leave it open as it is free and no FVF.

What kind of promotions are you doing? Do you have a Pinterest board?

I saw some things in your site that I didn't understand and that is the range of shipping costs from $5.90 up to $8.90 and I may have missed some. It seems that since most of these are lightweight silk, they sould weigh less than 13 oz which would give a much cheaper first class rate or at best most of them could be sent in a flat rate Priority envelope so I'm not sure why the postage rates jump around. Obviously you have some sort of reason for the differences but it might make a buyer hestitant if they don't understand when one looks the same as the other, but the postage is $3 higher.

The other thing I don't understand is the prices that you charge. I understand that these are made out of silk and hand done (and are lovely!), but some, when the pictures are side by side are anywhere from $10-$50 more than the other and other than color they look identical. I assume that there is a method that you use to price these things, but as a sewer that is acquainted with fabirc, your descriptions don't do justice to why one item is so much more than the other. That may very much be holding up sales. A difference in color shouldn't cause these flucuations unless the dye itself fluctuates in cost by color. But you need to let customer know WHY one is more costly or in other words WHY one scarf is worth more than another.

Just some things to think about to see if they might break the log jam of lack of sales. I just pinned a few of your scarves onto my Pinterest boards as they fit into what I have their as clothing fashion accessories. Hope that helps.
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artinsilk



Posts: 132

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 11:58 am    Post subject: You all have very good points... Reply with quote

I will try to improve each and every listing including new photos and new items.

I forgot to sign in regularly. Could that be part of the problem?
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artinsilk



Posts: 132

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:03 pm    Post subject: Why my prices... Reply with quote

Silk is delicate and takes time to sew...

Most of my silk items are either hand dyed or hand painted and in fact I should charge more but cannot unfortunately.

I include beautiful boxes when I ship as I could not imagine sending them just flat in an envelope. Furthermore, my fluffy scarves should arrive beautiful and fluffy not all bent out of shape... I am laughing as I am writing.

However, I am also going to look into selling my non fluffy scarves in cheaper presentation boxes.

Thank you for the input. I appreciate.
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artinsilk



Posts: 132

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:08 pm    Post subject: Thank you Moonwishes... Reply with quote

It is so nice of you to take the time but I prefer you take them down if that is OK with you.

I have never done any Pinterest or anything like that. Actually, some artists on Etsy avoid Pinterest as they say it is the most sure way to get your photos stolen and there is a lot of that right now.

Some artists are saying there that people just grab the photos and list the artwork as their own.
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artinsilk



Posts: 132

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:11 pm    Post subject: You are right elpereles Reply with quote

alternatives might not even work either so why waste precious time... thank you. You have excellent points and I just might revamp the whole store to at least give it a brand new try.
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artinsilk



Posts: 132

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MoonwishesStore wrote:


The other thing I don't understand is the prices that you charge. I understand that these are made out of silk and hand done (and are lovely!), but some, when the pictures are side by side are anywhere from $10-$50 more than the other and other than color they look identical. I assume that there is a method that you use to price these things, but as a sewer that is acquainted with fabirc, your descriptions don't do justice to why one item is so much more than the other. That may very much be holding up sales. A difference in color shouldn't cause these flucuations unless the dye itself fluctuates in cost by color. But you need to let customer know WHY one is more costly or in other words WHY one scarf is worth more than another.



You opened my eyes to what customers might think... I try to make my descriptions as short as possible so I do not say everything.

Some of my shawls are made with store bought pre-dyed silks in bolts. Many colors I love and use are not pre dyed in silk so I individually hand dye them myself which is extremely time consuming.

To avoid the confusion, and your post was really helpful, I will list only my pre dyed items which are way less expensive tan my solid color hand dyed.
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SammysSupplies



Posts: 1631

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just make sure you let buyers know that some are handmade, no reason to pull those. People like to buy one of a kind pieces, just note that in the description. I would think the hand made one would be perfect for Pintrest, although I know you said it wasn't for you.
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theartsandlettersofmaggiethecat



Posts: 2099

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 4:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sell vintage scarves in another store here and I can sell 2 expensive scarves for every inexpensive scarf. I haven't looked at your store in a very long time but I do think it is important to adequately describe your scarves so the naïve understand the difference in your price structure. I have sold more than one scarf here for over $300. I've run out of them now unless I start selling from my own personal collection, but I still have quite a few listed in the $50 to $75 range.
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I doubt anyone would 'steal' a picture off of Pinterest any more than they would steal one from your store (not saying they won't but the chance is slim). The two I did post would be direct links to your store where if they like them they can buy the scarves or something else in your store. It is an easy promotion. I've sold quite a few of my things by customers that started shopping at Pinterest on my different pattern boards.

If you pack the scarves in nice presentation boxes you should say so and I completely understand why the higher shipping rates. The customer needs to know there is extra effort on your part when packing. I certainly understand that you don't want the fluff squashed. I hate ironing out wrinkles and restoring fluff.

There is certainly no reason to not list your expensive scarves, but if some are hand dyed and others not, etc. that needs to be pointed out. It is the same as someone selling two bags, one made with pre-quilted fabric and the other quilted to go with the structure of the bag, etc. I know I would prefer the one that took the greater amount of time and it would be of more worth.

Those that sell crafts need to instruct our/their customers that some things are worth more because of the time, effort and creativity, unlike those items made 'homemade' in China out of slave labor. Ever see those things? Whole quilts supposedly hand quilted, for $29.99. You can't even hardly buy the fabric for that price much less pay for the labor to make and quilt them. I suppose they charge more now, but the cost of everything has gone up as well.

People have gotten so used to made in China knockoffs that they think items that are constructed by a crafter here needs to charge the same as China, but in reality they need to charge more just because of the cost of things, plus the better crafting. I know I made a quilt for my sister once and although she bought some of the fabric, I still had to buy more plus the backing and batting. It took a good 40 hours of my time. I let her pay me what she thought it was 'worth' and when she handed me a check the look on her face was she thought she was being generous and that she was giving me way too much. I think all told I got about $.50-1.00 an hour! Never again will I make something for someone that doesn't understand the time and effort and material that goes into something handcrafted. Crank up those prices. I didn't have a problem with them. Just make sure it is understood what is different about them.
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artinsilk



Posts: 132

PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:41 am    Post subject: Thank you Moonwishes. Reply with quote

I am learning a lot from you. I will rethink the Pinterest for sure.

I think I am not understanding well yet what I can do to improve my store but all of you opened my eyes to everything.

I might have questions in the next few days and if you do not mind giving me your point of view that would be really appreciated.
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The interesting thing with Pinterest is anyone can come to your store, see something or several somethings they really like and pin them to their board so they won't forget about them. Then their followers see that they pinned them and then maybe they repin one or more of them. Evenutally someone somewhere who maybe has never even heard of ecrater, sees one of your scarves that has been pinned and repinned several times (which could happen within 24 hours!), and they then click on it and are transported to your store where they proceed to look at everything and then buy something. Literally browsers or buyers in your store, by pinning even one thing are helping to promote your store to many other potential buyers. One of the things that I pinned of yours was pinned to my wedding board and it was already repinned last night which means that someone else now has it on their board and many of their followers have seen it as well. and so on and so on Smile
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