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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query business tools. Sort by date Show all posts
Friday, January 15, 2010
ETSY BUSINESS TOOLS YOU NEVER HEARD OF :PART 2!

We got such a great response to our first popular post Etsy Business Tools :PART 1 , that we have added some other tools as a follow up that we think may be useful to all of you sellers.


Favors Me: is a beta site that is similar to Soopsee where you can essentially "make your own one page website". I must admit that the Favors Me site is very slick and chic, with modern fonts to choose from as well as easy to use, its the basic point and drop method. They have a gallery of users work to inspire you and show you what can be done as well as demo video to see what you can do with the site. It is also free to use as well, just sign up with your email address ( invitation code=" etsy"). Some of the negatives is that it only works with certain sites,Flikr, Facebook, Tumblr, Vimeo and Twitter (they seem to be adding more , but no date as of now). The Flikr, Facebook and Twitter service is great, but if you have a blog other than Tumblr, which alot of people do (Wordpress, Blogspot to name the bigger ones) then you will not be able to incorporate them like the others. There is no "domain hosting" here, so if you have a domain name you can of course direct it to this site as your "Front Page" but the Favors Me URL will be up top. Just note that this is a new tool, so you will have to promote just like you would with any other website.

Banner Fans-is a web based banner maker . When I first came across this I was a little skeptical, but since everyone knows how against Microsoft Paint I am (especially to make a banner) I must say this is a decent alternative. This site makes it easy for people who want a DIY banner and it literally is the point and click method.They have selections for "common banner sizes" or you can even custom your size if you need a banner for an odd place. Some of the best features are that the font selection is large, you can upload your own pictures as well as they let you add several effects from shadows, gradients and different borders . In addition, they also let you change colors for all elements easily as well. You can even move the elements around with your mouse in the "preview" section while you edit.
One of the best features is that you can save it in one or all of the three formats suitable for web viewing (jpeg, gif, png) and lastly you can get codes for about 13 different social and web outlets once your banner is the way you want. That means not only Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, but also some other formats you may never have thought of. We suggest you sign up (for free) to save the different banners that you use.


Flikr2Twitter: is a service by Flikr that lets you tweet your Flikr photos with one click.It may essentially eliminate your need for the Twitpic Service provided by Twitter. Once you install the add on button and link your accounts, a little "FT" icon will be displayed on all your pics in your flikr account (next to the tools like "all sizes" and "add to favorites"). This will let you add automatically to your Twitter account just by clicking on the button. You can even use from your mobile. There are setting on it, so look them over and make any changes before you start to use.

Qwitter: is a little stalker tool that lets you know if someone is a "Twitter Quitter". It is rather funny, but after you put in your username and email, it will let you know who has stopped following you, when and why. The craziest thing is that it tells you the actual post that they "quit you".

Craft Count: Every wonder about those who are the best sellers in your category? Or in any category? This site ranks the top etsy sellers (1-50) by several groups , from overall to shop category, country and several others. Now some of them have been sellers for several years, which can factor into the large amount of sales, but this is a good tool to see top sellers.

Craft Gawker: is a gallery where anyone can showcase their art, crafting and photography skills. It's a place for you to discover new artists and handmade goods that you may never have known about. They also have a sister site called "Food Gawker", which is essentially the same concept , but with food. Even though it is free to submit to site, as everyone knows, not everyone gets picked. There are some that submit over 10 times and are not accepted and there are some that are accepted the first time they enter. Though there are several requirements to submit photos (one is you must be registered, its free) I have found that the main one that can decide acceptance is your photos. Make sure the lighting/exposure of your photograph is good or else don't bother submitting as you will be rejected. It can sometimes be frustrating if you are constantly being declined, but they do send you and email as to why, so before you submit, take a look at the "About" page for other requirements.

Pictaculous: is a color generator for your pics. If you have ever wondered what colors match your pictures, then just upload the pic and it will give you suggested color palettes that match your photo, they even give you the color codes. This tool is good if you are looking to make some backgrounds, frames or other color blocking designs to make your pictures pop.



And of course the first part of our post Etsy Business Tools :PART 1
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Friday, July 23, 2010
COMPANY UPGRADE:WAYS TO MAKE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS MORE PROFESSIONAL

I constantly get emails asking about our website or how to make a business more professional. Most people think that you need an extensive knowledge of HTML/CSS, though this is helpful, it is not necessary to make your business more professional.
There are little things that you can do that can make a big impact on the look of your business.If you cannot "hire" someone to do your site for you or are on a limited budget, the following are some things that you can do yourself to very inexpensively "upgrade" the business.
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1.PURCHASE A DOMAIN
This is the one thing that I feel is necessary, even if you don't do anything else. When you have a domain you can then forward all of your shops , whether its your etsy, artfire, ebay, blog or other site to it. There are several important reasons to get your own domain:


  • The ".COM" instantly makes your business look more professional , especially on the business card.

  • The domain protects your business name. If you have a sucessful online( etsy, artfire, etc) business and then someone else has your business name in a domain you could be loosing business.
There are several places that you can get a domain name,some of the more popular ones are Go Daddy and Yahoo. There are several others, but these are great because they are known for easily interfacing with alot of servers ( website host and etc). For new users,Go Daddy usually has specials for a few dollars per yer, right now for the actual ".com" it is $10/yr. They do offer the option of purchasing a ".net, .info, .org" and etc that is cheaper than the ".com" , but we don't recommend that. Info and Org are usually for organizations and the Net looks subpar ( you have to think about the international buyers who come to your site), we suggest paying the extra for the ".COM". Also note that GO Daddy usually offers a "one web page" when you buy a domain name. This allows you to make the link to send to your various places (you do need to know the code to link pictures...its easy). Just remember that the Go Daddy Advert is on top, but you can pay extra to remove.
Yahoo is another good place for domain purchases. They also offer the $2/yr for new users or there rate normally is $9.95/yr. One thing to note with the "First Time Rates" that both of these have, if you only purchase a year at a time, then after the first year the price goes up to what every is the company going rate. But if you purchase several years when you first sign up, you can get all of the years for the same intro rate. This is especially the case with Yahoo, just make sure to read all the policies and restrictions before purchasing.

TIPS: If your domain name is already gone and the service you purchased from doesn't automatically give you alternates for your name, then try Nameboy. This site lets you put in your domain name and it comes up with a list of alternatives that you might be happy with.

2.GET A WEBSITE...SORTA
A website is something that everyone wants but doesn't think they can afford or have. There are several cheap place to get a website, especially easy for the "First Timer". The following offer "drag and drop" interfaces, that allow you to just point and click to change things.We suggest you try out services for free before you upgrade and pay the low fees...just to see if they work for you.




  • FAVORS ME offers a simple one page site, that lets you add 4 data sources for free. Anymore links than that you have to pay the low price of $20/per year. The great thing is that they can easily link to 20 different popular sites, like your blogger, wordpress, twitter, facebook, flikr, picasa and a whole lot more. Take a look at there directory to see what others have done using this site.

  • SOOPSEE literally turns your Etsy Site into a website. The good thing is this site is FREE and if you already have your own domain name you can easily use this site as well. For examples of how other Etsy members are using this site just go to there Gallery. Another good thing about this site is that it offers a more "user friendly" site analytic for those who are totally overwhelmed or confused by Google Analytics ( though you can easily use Google Analytics with this program)

  • WEEBLY is a free "Drag and Drop" website that lets you either buy the domain from them or you can easily integrate your own with the site. This beta site lets you easily change things, have unlimited pages and incorporate your blog or they even offer you the option of haveing your own "Weebly " Blog if you don't want to sign up for Blogger, Wordpress or etc. They do have a variety of templates that you can choose from and easily customize ( color , layout and etc) They also interface with alot of sites, like paypal, flikr and etc.

  • WEBS is another site similiar to Weebly. It has the same "drag and drop" system, but I think that they dont have as many templates to choose from as Weebly.
TIPS: USE YOUR BLOG AS A WEBSITE. If you have a blog already like Blogger , Wordpress or TypePad, this can be used as a website , forwarding your domain (if you have one) to this site. By using your blog as a website, you can easily use the sidebars(depending on your layout that you use) for your company items (link to your shop,gift certificates, etsy mini, company ads/announcements and etc).Just remember that the "minimal" templates (the white basic ones) are the most easily customizable for your needs.3.SIGN UP FOR AN ONLINE PHOTO SHARING ACCOUNTHaving a photo sharing account is good for several reasons. If you have a blog, the photo sharing account lets you upload large size images to use on your blog, essentially eliminating file restrictions since they are on a separate site. Also these sites gives you another outlet to get your product out there...basically free advertising (as long as you mark the photos "public").
There are several sites that offer this service and the following are the more popular ones that work with a large variety of sites easily:

TIP: just remember that though these are free to use, the free accounts have limited storage, so if you find that you need more then you will have to pay the low storage fees..usually not more than $20/yr.
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Just remember that you don't have to do everything at once, try them out and then decide if you want to commit(as well as pay the fees associated ).
Now that you have all of that together you can start to customize your company with certain Business Tools. We have several post and links that can be used for your website (from above) or if you are not ready to take the website plunge, they are great for your blog or general business.The following are links of interest that may help:

Etsy Business Tools You May Not Have Known
Business Tool To help your Company
Customizing Paypal for your business
Company Gift Certificates Made Easy
Basic HTML Codes
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Thursday, March 17, 2011
PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVES: SOME OF THE BEST FREE PROGRAMS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

I can't live without photoshop ! Not just for my business, but for my life as well. I know that there are alot of people out there who either can't afford the ever rising price of Adobe Photoshop or who just dont have time nor patience to learn who to use it....Sometimes you need tools such as layers, filters, and other effects and apps such as Picnik and Picasa just don't cut it. So we've rounded up some PHOTO EDITOR ALTERNATIVES TO PHOTOSHOP that pack the punch of Photoshop's bells and whistles without the price. They are easy to use and each program has it's own pros and cons with some having a more "photoshop-like" look to their appearance.

Picnik: arguably the most popular web-based photo editor and now it’s now integrated with Flickr. We know we stated that "sometimes you need more than this program can offer" , but we would be remiss , if we didn't add this popular program to the list.
Pros: web based with new Flikr integration makes it easier to host and edit photos
Cons: sometimes they have problems with server overload which makes uploading pics longer

Photofiltre: is a downloaded app that is very reminicent of photoshop.This app eliminates layers and some user controls for certain tools but leaves plenty of tools for color, saturation, and effects.
Pros: has lots of tools for color, color correction and effects
Cons: missing layer tools and certain "advance settings" for tools for better control

Paint.Net: is a downloaded app that is very similar of photoshop.DON'T LET THE NAME FOOL YOU...THIS IS NOT THE "PAINT" PROGRAM THAT IS INSTALLED FREE WITH WINDOWS.
Pros: has tools for layers, curves and other "photoshop" similar goodies
Cons: multi step download process , lacks sophisticated color correction/alteration and selection tools


Aviary: is one of the newer sites on the block that combines illustrator like vector features with photoshop image editor features. Also has a cool "music editor" tool and just added a "HTML editor" as well that lets you edit pictures directly on your web site/blog.

Pros: has multiple tools/effects on one site with easy "point and click" interface.
Cons: lacks the previews of many filters/effects on the site, so if you don't know what each tool does, it can be time consuming to "try it out"


Splashup: is a online web app that is one of the closes "knock off" of photoshop I have seen in appearance as well as tools.It has a sleek modern appearance that interfaces with flikr, picasa and facebook.
Pros: if Photoshop was a 10 then Splashup would be an 8
Cons: lacks curves, levels and several other lesser used photoshop tools.



Photoshop Express: is actually from Adobe and has finally gotten on the web app bandwagon. You do have to create an account to use the site, but if you want a "true" photoshop image editor without the price, this is the app for you.
Pros: has 2G of storage space with every account and able to share your albums like Flikr
Cons: lacks the ability to layer or manipulate images like photoshop.It also has even less tools than the pared down "photoshop elements"


flauntR: is a online web app that is sectioned by image use. From a section to create online profile pictures for your blog or social media account to a section that has dozens of fancy fonts and effects for all sorts of photos and backgrounds .One of the more interesting sections is the one that can instantly bring the essence of world famous paintings onto your photos in one click.


Pros: has an abundance of image tools, something for everyone and easy "point click" usage
Cons: is more about "photo manipulation" and less about "photo editing"...if you want your photo to have different effects (painting, mosaic, puzzle or backgrounds) then this is the app to use.
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Friday, May 14, 2010
BUSINESS CARDS:MARKETING FOR UPCOMING CRAFT SEASON

When we hosted the "Business Card Giveaway" last year, we posted some sources for making your own Business Cards. Since the 2010 Craft Season has just started we thought we would revisit the post for as a refresher for those of you who are about to begin your craft season or are about to do your first show.
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Alot of times I have bought items and received business cards and have been somewhat surprised. Here are these great products and then when it comes to the business card or marketing material, the same thought wasn't put into them. I have seen countless business cards made of that thin office supply store cardstock or the "pre scored" packaged cardstock with some skewed resized banner placed on it .

Business cards are important as they display your company brand and are a representation of you . Great business cards will leave an impression on the buyer, making them remember you and your product, which is what you are ultimately aiming for. But, sometimes sellers forget to put as much thought into them as they do their actual products ,which may leave you forgotten by the buyer.

There are a number of different programs that you can use to create business cards (we do not suggest Microsoft Word or Paint) but setting up the layout properly and getting it ready to print can be the most challenging part.
If you are not crafty , your home printer is not "up to par" or just don't know where to start. You can contact one of the many sellers and buy a premade design that you can just add your information to. Or you can buy a "design file" which can then be printed as many times as you want, either at home or you can take to one of the many online business card printing services.
The following are a few, just remember to research , read the fine print and ask around if unsure about feedback from these sites...don't forget to troll the Forums as well for reviews.
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{BUSINESS AND MARKETING PRINTING SERVICES}

Moo Cards- Home of the popular "Mini Card", are based out of the UK but with the popularity
increasing in the USA, they have now opened up a USA branch and website. This is good for premades as they have alot of cute designs and you are sure to find something for all types of designers. Also they interface with Etsy, Facebook and Flikr, so if you have pictures of your work on those sites, you can easily upload from them. The downside is that the cards run a little high, (50 for $22 plus shipping). They also sell postcards as well as holiday cards and people tend to have good feedback and positive experiences ordering from them.

Vista Print- One of the more popular online printing services. Reviews for this site have been mixed, some having great experiences with customer service and products and some not. One of the benefits is it is a one stop marketing shop. They produce postcards, greeting card, posters, bags, hats, banners, books and a whole lot more. Also they usually have sales or discounts, so you can wait to buy different sets of materials.

Overnight Prints-Another popular online printing service. Generally positive reviews and they have competitive prices as well. The sell a variety of different sized cards (postcards, rack cards, fliers and etc) as well as magnates and bookmarks. One of the great things about them is that they consistently have great discounts , like now, everything is 20% off. The discounts are splayed across the front page so that you cannot miss them. They also have a variety of printing processes as well as paper and finishes , some of which are free.

123 Print- This site also has mixed reviews, but they do have some products not found at other sites, like the pens and Post-it notes. The Post-It notes are good when you are at craft shows and maybe need to write something down like a product for the buyer to purchase later. You can write them on your own company official 3M Post-It Notes, so that way they can see your company info at the bottom when they look at it.

Got Print- They have a large selection of promotional materials and alot of price tiers for business cards. One promo I do like is the Notepads and the Event Tickets that you can do for your business. These would be great tools to use for Upcoming Promos or sales that you may have..

48 Hour Print- This is an option if you are in a pinch, since like the name indicated, its 48 hour guaranteed printing and processing of your order at no extra charge.Reviews have been mixed as well, but they do produce nice glossy booklets, great for those of you who want a wholesale or holiday catalog.

PS Print- In addition to the standard letterhead items, the do event tickets with the foil stamping as well as the CD jewel cases which are nice if you are sending files or images on cd....you can have your company logo on them.Reviews are also mixed for this site.

My 1 Stop- They really have a small selection of products which includes the business cards. But what they do have are gift cards as well as luggage tags and key tags, so if you were always interested in offering these items, but didn't know where to get them, this is one of the places.

*If you are unsure about quality, printing and etc, RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. You can easily find feedback via google or forums on these companies. Also all of these companies have samples, so if you are still in questions, just request the samples of the product you wish to see.
*In addition , alot of these sites have ongoing promotions and discounts. VistaPrint , Moo and Overnight Prints constantly have specials ( 25% off business cards, free postcards, etc). Just Google the company name and put "coupon" or " discount" after it and any "specials" will come up.
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Saturday, August 24, 2013
8 MISTAKES THAT CAN HURT YOUR BUSINESS



Have you every said to yourself  “If I had known then what I know now, I would have done things a lot differently.” ?

The following are a few that I wish I could go back in time and tell myself!

  1. WRONG PRICING: If the price is too high then no one buys, if the price is too low  then you don’t make money. Almost everyone prices low. If you think you’re priced high, you’re probably just lower than you ought to be. I would suggest to reevaluate bi-annulaly or annually as material cost can change.
  2. MARKETING ( WHORING OUT THE GOODS): If people don’t know about your products, they won’t buy them. Alot of time, first time "crafters" think it is enough to produce a great ( sometimes not-so-great) product and just put it online. You  have to ge the word out! An easy way to do this is by participating in a craft show or fairs.
    Create a sign-up sheet and begin developing an e-mail list immediately. These are the people that have already expressed an interest in your work, so they are the most likely to buy from you.
  3.  KNOW YOUR ROLE: Spend your time doing the things you are good at, not struggling at the things you don’t do well. If you are lacking in a particular area, then try to consider hiring someone  or outsourcing to someone who is strong in the areas you are weak.  If you can’t afford to do so yet, tap into your network of friends, family or crafting network ( trust me, the crafting network is big and mighty!).
  4. RIPPING OFF THE GOVERMENT: Pay your taxes. All of them.Don’t cut corners with the government. File what you need to file. Even when you may think that you have gotten away with something, trust me.....you haven't! They will lay in wait  ( sometimes for years) and just when you are waiting for a refund check ,  maybe a lotto scratch-off or notice a freeze on your bank account...you get a letter stating that it is being with held for an outstanding tax balance.
  5. NOT SEEKING ADVICE: If you are the smartest person in your circle....then get a bigger circle!  There is a whole group of smart people around you: personal friends, craft business associates, local business connections, parents, siblings, children, or a spouse. All of them have something to offer, and may see things you’re going to miss.
  6. DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB:  Even if you feel like your product is in high demand, most small businesses are not profitable within their first year or two. You should have a reliable source of income from something other than your new business to sustain yourself during your intial start-up period.
  7. SPENDING TOO MUCH: Many small businesses spend too much money "setting up shop," That inclues buying to much material, inventory, website, brochures and etc.  There are alot of ways to have a professional presence without spending alot of money.  Take a look at our different articles for Business Tools, that provide low cost ways for "upgrading" your business!
  8. FOCUSING YOUR PRODUCT: If your business isn't doing as well as you'd like it to, it's very easy to become impatient and try to shake things up with a new product.
    Businesses that do well stick with what they do best.  Several years ago , I have a variety of products, but realized that my best sellers were the  funny cards. This led me to really evaluate my products and focus my line....hence my brands called Glib Greetings and Courtesy Cards. Think about it...when you want a Frappachino you know exactly where to go right? The same should be said for what every your product is....when they want it, they should know to go to you to get it.

 What advise do you think can hurt a business?


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Saturday, December 5, 2009
ETSY BUSINESS TOOLS: YOU MAY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF

It amazes me sometimes, when I talk to sellers and mention a new tool or some promotion going on , to only find out that they have no idea what I am talking about . Or they just haven't signed up for the company updates. As as seller you want to do everything you can to promote and make your business profitable. I don't know about you, but I am waiting for the day when my smiling mug is featured on teh "Quit Your Day Job".Also I already have my "FU" speech prepared for my boss, lol....no really, I am going out in a blaze of glory!
So there are several tools which I think are helpful , some you may have heard of or are using and some you maybe are on the fence about or don't know how to use.

ESellersAds: One of the newest on the block and very nice. The idea behind ESellerAds is that your customers should be able to shop anywhere and buy your products on Etsy.We actually use it (you can see our add in our blog side bar). They are touted as being a "step up from etsy minis", it links directly to your shop, comes in different sizes which is better than that standard etsy mini and doesn't carry the logo. Just go to site, put in your username/shop name and they generate the add for you. To keep it, just put in your email address and they send you the html code to put on any of your websites, social media or etc. No signup required.

Cr8tivity-is a very interesting site as it is a mixture of Google Analytics and Craft Cult and Etsy Mini. Once you put in your shop ID, your head appears at the top and you can choose between several buttons, from your own "company widget" (like the etsy mini) to hearts by item and also "Shop Statistics" that is broken down into easy to read pie charts. For those of you confused about how to use Google Analytics, this may be a way to "ease" yourself into it. Just remember it does not take the place of Google Analytics.
One button that is very good is the "Shop Helper". This tool makes either a single Product Flyer or a Multi Product Flyer. The flyer maker is a PDF download that contains your shop banner, images and information about of your product that you can print and use as a marketing material. All of the items in your shop are in the drop down menu, so all you have to do is select an Etsy Listing ID and click on the download button you can even put your own info in or just use what is in the ad. This nifty little tool is great for line sheets for your press kit or wholesale sheets. Go ahead and try it out!

Statsy: is another tracker similar to Craft Cult but has some other features such as "The Locator" which you put a listing # in (the 8 digit number above the "add to cart" button on the right side of your item) and it tells you on which page and what place it is. There is also the "Biggest Fan" where you can see who hearts your items the most (good if you want to offer your stalker a little private discount), The "Featurator" , which you put in your email address and anytime you are featured it will notify you, so no more searching and googling your shop name.

Craft Cult: Everyone is familar with, tracks your hearts, features and treasury mentions. Its a standard if you have a shop.

Where Am I: by EtsyHacks shows where your shop is ranked when a user types in a tag. Just put in the tag that you have labeled one of your items with and then put in your username and it will show you where you are ranked. The only downside is that it only searches the first 25 pages. So if you do not show up, then that means that you are not in the first 25 pages of search.

SoopSee: Turns your etsy site into a website. This is good for those who are web design challenged, and an easy cheaper alternative to the involvement and coding an actual website requires. The pros are that it is free, incorporates your existing blogs , etsy site and some photos sites together.The downside are the templates are not that extensive and that you have to manually update it, like you would a blog or website, no auto setting.

Craft Weasel: Is another common site, but there are a couple of things that are good with this site. If you are confused by Google Analytics and just need everything simplified, this is a good alternative. Under "Shop Stat" you can put your shop name and it breaks down, with a bar graph by day, the views and tags. Also, it gives you a list of most tags used and searched for in your shop by day. Another great feature is the "Tag Finder" , if you have ever had a problem finding the right tag for your item, just put in the main descriptive word like "knitted scarf" and it gives you all the tags associated with that...neat huh? No more guessing and pulling tags out of your backside. There are also other great features there as well.

Sellit: Is similar to EsellerAds, but you need to register. The Pro is that you can do this for more than just etsy, works with other selling sites. The downside is that there is only one large rectangular size for the ad

Yammi Handmade: Sounds crazy but is a cute little tool for not only states, but buttons to display your hearts , sales and other little things that you can place on your blog or other social media sites.....This is just one of them


Etsy Front Pagers: If you been on the front page and would like a nice screen shot to promote or for your press page, then this group pool from Flikr has every screen shot of the Etsy Front Page for you. You can also check to see if you have made front page or a treasury by typing in your shop name in the search bar.

Website Grader: Ever wondered how you stack up to the competition, this site gives you marketing info for your site , products and tags. It is free, you just put in the URL of the site you want and it gives you your grade out of 100 then goes into detail about your SEO. Also gives you a feature to put in your competitors url to see how you compare. Great tool to see where you may need improvement.

Etsy Tag Fractal: Lets you put in a tag and all shops that are tagged with that name come up.

Social Mention: is not an official etsy tool , but really is a great business tool. Like "Goggling " your company name , this site lets you input your website or company name and any place your name comes up in the world wide web appears with a link to view it. It is seperated by catagories, like Blogs, Network, News and more. But you should just check "All" to pick up everything.

There of course are other Etsy Developers, just go to link for a list of the Featured Etsy Developers

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT PART TWO OF THIS POST:
ETSY BUSINESS TOOLS YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD OF : PART 2
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Sunday, October 10, 2010
WE ARE TAKING A BREAK FOR CRAFTS IN CHELSEA

It is gearing up to be a great holiday season and we are trying to prepare for our holiday craft shows so we will be taking a break this week to gear up for our "Crafts in Chelsea Holiday Show".That means no more new post until October 18th!
Please feel free to look thru our archives, we have oldies, but goodies!

The following are out most popular post that you should check out :



AND DON'T FORGET TO Come Join us for the 3rd Annual Crafts in Chelsea – October 16th 2010 from 10am – 5pm on 21st street between 8th and 9th avenue in Manhattan. RAIN OR SHINE.We will be unveiling new products as well as some special "fair only deals"! Come by and say hello, we would love hearing from you!
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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Due to overwhelming response, we have decided to make the "Etsy Business Tool You May Never Have Heard Of" and ongoing series. If you haven't seen the previous posts ,there is now a link in the right side bar under Shop Busines Tools in the "Little Secrets" section.

UPDATE: Certificate Buddy is no more :( They company is no longer there, but you can still make Gift Certificates thru paypal. Just take a look at our posting "Company Gift Certificates" for info on how to make yours.

Certificate Buddy: is an website that lets you print and track gift certificates for your shop. One of the main questions always asked is how to offer gift certificates from an online store. The designers of this site tried to make it as easy as possible for the user, so the site automatically generates unique codes for your gift certificates, keeps track of which ones have been redeemed and has some gift certificate templates for you to use. It is free to sign up, BUT there are limitations. You can only issue 3 certificates a month, not more than $20 value and you can only use the free templates provided. There are two other price tiers ( Paid $25 and Premium $50) a month that offer 50 and unlimited certificates and both are able to use your own certificate designs.
If you don't know how the gift certificates will be recieved, we suggest signing up for a free account and test them out. If the average prices of your items is above the $20 maximum for the free account, why not use the gift certificates as "coupons", offering $5 discounts for certain products as a promo.

Web Resizer: is a nifty web based tool that resizes your photos for the web. One of the biggest annoyances that shop owners have is when you have spent your time creating an image only to find out that its "too big" or "wrong dimensions" for wherever you are uploading it to. This tool will take your image and save it in the requires size that you input. You are also able to make some simple photo edits like exposure,contrast, saturation and more.

WhosTalkin: is a site to find out who is "talking" about your shop in blogs. Much like Social Mention, you put your shop name, or url in the search box and every blog mention will show up.
The downside to this site is that it is only blog mentions, I prefer just putting the name in the Google Search Bar. At least there you can filter the results by date posted ( 24 hours, week, year, etc). Or with Social Mention , its not just blogs, but websites as well.
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Sunday, April 15, 2012
Whoring Your Business Out: 39 Sites To Advertise Your Products

Though by no means am I an expert in marketing , but since I started my business I am constantly looking for new ways to advertise or some might say "whore out " my business . Advertising is really "Trial and Error" and some of these methods work better than others. It is really up to you to decide what works best for your company, budget and structure...but of course that is the great thing about advertising, if something doesn't work, then you can easily change it.


The following are a list of ways and places to promote your business...
  1. Flikr: Online Photo Sharing Website ( great to store photos for your own website & share)


  2. Indie Public: Independent Art & Design community that is a place to share your items as well as speak with other artist in your field or elsewhere. You can sign up with your Google account and it includes options to "customize" your page.


  3. Kaboodle: is a social shopping community where people discover, recommend and share products. You can create groups and share your products or others and hit a wide audience.


  4. Craigslist: is not just for perverts and theives, it is actually a good place to advertise your products and for free under "services". You do not have to meet anyone, just direct them to your website or email.


  5. Postaroo: is an online classifed ad community similar to Craigslist . Though currently it is "invite only" if you add your email to the list they will update you when it will be open.


  6. Stumbleupon: is site that members (free to join) can recommend or "Stumble Upon" web pages that interest them. You can then discover and review/rate web pages, photos, and videos,"like or dislike" pages so that they can tailor what they find for you.


  7. Bust.com: is an online as well as paper magazine that celebrates handmade. They sponser there own "Craftaculars" which are craft shows around the U.S and London but they also are a good place to advertise. Just be prepared to pay a little extra for it.


  8. Craft Juice: is basically a social networking site for all things handmade. You can submit any item that you would like and the item goes out to a community of 5, 000+ . The way that you become "popular" and seen by more people thru votes. The more the community votes for your item, the more its seen......it is essentially a giant popularity contest.


  9. Craft Stylish: is an online (free member only) community where you can create a public profile of your work, promote your blog, tutorials or share photos of your work.


  10. Crafty Tips: is similar to Craft Stylish where a person can share thier work or crafting tips/tricks with other members.


  11. Designs to Love: is similar to Kaboodle, where members (free to sign up) can share with others products that they love.


  12. Try Handmade: is great handmade blog that sellers can submit pics to the gallery and if picked a possible write up will ensue. Also great resource to chat and discover other artist.


  13. Cool Mom Picks: is a blog that is geared towards products for mothers and kids. There is a section to submit your picks for review as well.


  14. Craft Gawker: is a photo gallery that allows you to visually search and discover handmade arts and crafts to inspire your own projects. They publish photography submitted by craft bloggers from around the world and the editors review submissions daily and choose the highest quality, coolest images to showcase. Though you can submit any handmade item (within the rules) they do have other sites such as Food Gawker, Wedding Gawker and Dwelling Gawker that are obviously catagory specific. I have personally recieved alot of traffic from the site and any one can submit to them, even your customers.


  15. Etsy Lush: is a picture based advertising site similar to Craft Gawker , that only accepts handmade submits from Etsy stores. Any Etsy seller of handmade goods can submit an item ( url) and upon approval it will be placed on the site with the link to the product. There are a list of Do's and Don'ts , so make sure to read the FAQ's thoroughly. Also you are only allowed to submit 1 picture within a 24 hour period and if you "abuse" that rule you could be blocked from the site.


  16. Pintrest: is a website that you can essentially make online "pin" boards in a similar fashion like Etsy Treasuries from anything/picture found on the web. In addition , you can browse other "Pin" boards that other people have made so that you can discover new things. Because it encompasses the whole web, you can make a "pin board" about anything, but the most popular are pin boards about weddings, home decor and food.


  17. Squidoo: is basically webpages or "lens" about what ever you would like to say/promote similar to a Facebook Page. You can find a variety of "lens" about things such as cooking and technology to shopping and how-to's. The best thing is that you can create as many "len's" as you would like. You can also make money from the site when someone clicks on your page ad. This is a great site if you have a variety of interest that may not specifically pertain to your company, but you can link your products to.


  18. 100 Craft Links: is exactly as it sounds, a site where you can list your shop with a "text" link.


  19. tumblr.com : Join and add items from your shop. People can follow you and you can follow them. Also can act as an inexpensive web page


  20. Wanelo: Social store similar to Kaboodle, where users post, collect and organize products and follow people and stores they like. You can sign in with an existing facebook account or via email.


  21. We Heart It: is similar to Pintrest , where users share images and products from the web.


  22. Artchain.com : A free directory that list your shop. Just add your shope where it says "Submit Artist Listing"


  23. Thefind.com : is a site similar to Kaboodle, where a user can find and recommend sites to other users. You can sign in with your existing Facebook or email, just go to the bottom where it says "submit a site" and put your shop or website in.


  24. Ravelry : is a community based site specifically for crocheters,knitters or anything that has to do with fibers and yarn.


  25. things people make: Is a sight to upload and promote your products as well as tutorials or blog. You can sign in using Facebook.


  26. My handmade Registry: Allows you to list items from your shop


  27. Craftcult: Though this is know to be have tools for Etsy users, they do have advertising options that can bring traffic


  28. Indiepublic: Is a community based site where you can create your own page with your products, share ideas and etc


  29. Pearl Trees : is similiar to We heart It or Pintrest , where you can collect ,organize and share interesting things on the web.


  30. Wist: is similiar to We heart It or Pintrest , where you can collect ,organize and share interesting things on the web as well as make a slideshow for your blog )


  31. Snipi: is also similiar to the above, but you can also share video as well, so if you have a video tutorial, it is easy to add.


  32. Crafters Buzz: will only link to your shop, but can advertise single items


  33. Unanimouscraft: is a directory for crafter to submit links to shop


  34. Etsy Shops Directory: Is a site specifically for Etsy Shop Owners that are allowed to add your shop to their directory.


  35. Etsy Love: Is similiar to Indipublic where users can set up a page for their Etsy Shop.


  36. Bloglovin': Is a central site for those of you who have a blog as a promotional tool. Just add it to Bloglovin' to get followers

  37. Indie Quarter: A site similar to Craft Gawker where you can submit your site to be featured.
  38. Indie Spotting: submit a find to get featured or you can just advertise with them.
  39. This Next: is similar to Kaboodle where users can recommend products.
Don't forget to check out our other post " Social Media For Your Business:Whoring Out Your Facebook and Twitter"
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Sunday, September 4, 2011
WE ARE ON VACATION!

We are taking a much needed Vacation!
It has been a long time coming and the time is finally now.! We will be back on September 15th, bright eyed and bushy tailed with new blog content and post as well as new totally inappropriate designs.
While we are away, catch up on some of our popular posts or take a gander at our new company website that we have be whoring out lately and hopefully I will see ya in 2 weeks ...that is if I dont cause an international incident with my rampant inappropriatness ;)

{SOME OF OUR MOST POPULAR POST}

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Friday, May 6, 2011
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Etsy Fee Calculator -This tool allows Etsy Sellers to determine what to charge for each product or service listed. In addition to estimating those pesky little Etsy and PayPal fees, it also allows you to enter information about shippingand handling, postage, and material costs.








Outright- Automates your small-business accounting tasks by pulling all of your accounts into one place and organizing them. You can keep track of customers and their orders effectively and know exactly how much profit you are making after subtracting the overhead costs, labor, taxes and etc.


Pros: Great for small business accounting solutions and easy to use


Cons: $10/ a month fee, but does have a free 30 day trial.


Share -A-Sale - help product sellers set up a simple affiliate program where anyone who helps you get a sale through their special web link gets a commission on the earnings. You can do this for as little as 2-5% of your sale price or go further for downloadble products by offering 10-50%. Try starting out by asking existing customers to consider becoming affiliates or put up the information on your website and allow anyone to join. All in all, it’s not that hard to gain customer referrals if you sit down and map out a simple plan for getting there. Use the tips in this post to get out there and make it happen!Pros: Great for small business accounting solutions and easy to use Cons: $10/ a month fee, but does have a free 30 day trial.















































































Etsy Fee Calculator-























































































































































ETSYNC-Display your Etsy profile, shop or listings in a signature banner (image) which you can use on Forums, Emails, Websites, Blogs ... This dynamic signature will update automatically when you change your profile or shop info, or if you add new items to your shop ! You can also create a banner for your Etsy shop.
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011
IS ETSY STOPPING YOU FROM GROWING YOUR BUSINESS?

I have a love/hate relationship with Etsy....they have brought me exposure to a wider audience, but in some aspects they have also hindered me from gaining new customers.
The community is large and for the most part extremely helpful, but I have found that some customers are put off by having to go to Etsy and join the site just to buy my or others products. Also it stands to reason that while a customer may go on Etsy intending to buy from a particular seller, there is a strong likely hood that they will stray from the intended purchase by searching thru the site ( I have done that many times). One seller brought up a good point....when someone asks you "Where did you get that?"...do you say the store name , like" Gramkin Paper Studio" or do you just say "I got it on Etsy, or Ebay or Artfire...." More than likely you stated Etsy or the selling site as opposed to the actual name of the company who makes the item.
Now there are people who do "Quit Their Day Job" and I like others, read those featured sellers, but the majority of people who sell on etsy, have a "back up plan" in the form of a full time working partner or a job themselves. I am a big promoter of not putting all your eggs in one basket, having income from various sources and because Etsy doesn't really have the easy "social media" integration that a website gives you, it makes it difficult to cross promote your brand. You really cant add a blog, twitter or an other site that you might have that the customer might like to see. There is no mailing list for your specific store, just Etsy in general and the customer has to sign up to be part of the marketplace to purchase items from you. There are definitely customers that I have lost because of this last option.

What am I doing about it? Well, my business has expanded beyond what Etsy solely can do for me so I have decided to do a company overhaul. We now have a brand new site "Gramkin Paper Studio" and market outside of Etsy.This allows me to not only sell my merchandise, but also integrate all the other branding tools that I need. Now I still have love for Etsy, but now I love it like a mistress as opposed to my website that I love like a spouse. Etsy will now be a secondary option for those of my customers that still shop there..... basically a giant promotional tool for my business.



HAVE YOU GROWN BEYOND ETSY?










pictures courtesy of BearandRobot
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Tuesday, May 4, 2010
PHOTO EDITING TOOLS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

The number one question always asked by crafters is about photos. For those of you who may not be Photoshop savvy , here are two tools that may make your photo editing quest a little easier.


Fotosizer:
This tool resizes your photos in just 3 easy steps - 1. Photo selection, 2. select resize settings, then 3. Start the resize.
You can also shrink JPEG image files, along with other supported formats, and dramatically reduce internet transfer times, enabling you to quickly and easily prepare your image collections to be published on the web.

Irfanview:
This is a free way and easy way to watermark all your images to discourage their unauthorized use on other websites or blogs. It can actually watermark entire sets of images at one time and it can also resize images as well, so you dont have to use more than one program. You do have to download this to your computer, but the good thing is that it is only about 1 MB in size, so it takes up the same amount of space that a regular document would on your computer.
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Monday, August 13, 2012
Free Landing Page with Kickoff Labs

Planning on launching a website? Need to generate buzz for your brand while you are finalizing your options? Try Kickoff Labs , a service that allows the user to create a beautiful custom landing page plus access to social and email marketing tools.
This custom landing page can then direct your customers to your various social media sites, other websites, links and even a newsletter sign-up sheet. The best thing is that it can all be done in less than a minute, though customizing can take a little longer.

Creating a basic landing page is free and allows you to sign-up 50 people max to your newsletter. Paying customers , starting at $15 a month, get more options, like the ability to tweak SEO settings, add widgets, send email newsletters, and more.




All in all, Kickoff Labs is a great and affordable option to make your small business more professional.

Pros: Affordable options, easy to use beta interface, sleek designs. Also users are able to add a newsletter, Facebook, Twitter and a variety of other social media links.
Cons: Free page only allows you to do one thing....create a page with the Kickoff Labs logo splayed at the top.
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Monday, November 22, 2010
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Anyone who owns an Android or I-phone knows how addictive the apps can be...there are applications for everything ( my personal favorite is the "Starbucks Finder") and it looks like Etsy has finally gotten on the bandwagon. For those of you who have an Etsy shop, you can now take advantage of Etsy App Gallery. These applications are from developers who have tapped into the Etsy community, building their own apps for the web, desktop and mobile devices. Just as with most applications, some are more "useful" than others. The following are some of my favorites:

1. Etsy Catalog- Let's you create a PDF catalog with all the listings in your shop. You can then use your PDF catalog at trade shows, craft fairs ,in emails or with your company newsletter (if you have one).
PROS: Very easy to use beta interface to easily create the catalog. You can also change the listing easily before pushing the "button" to make the pdf catalog
CONS: Limited in design and color theme but if you are Illustrator savvy, you can alter pdf catalog easily in Adobe Illustrator and save as pdf.




2. Clock Bot- Let's you automatically renew your listings by setting the date and the time. This app is brought to you by Statsy, which ( for those of you who are not familiar with) is similar to Craft Cult.

Pros: Can set it to automatically renew your most popular items so you don't loose sales when something sells during an "off peak time"

Cons: Taking the time to set your listings, which can be time consuming if you have alot of items in your shop






3.Etsy Text- Sends you a notification text when you sell somthing in your shop. For those of you who do not have an smart phone with easily accesible email options.

Pros: easy to get an update when you need a quick notice. free to install and use

Cons: this is the only thing this app does and standard phone messaging rate apply.














Do you know of any etsy apps that are useful?
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