CreateCrochet Team 48 Hour Crochet-a-Thon!

Voting is closed for the 48 Hour Crochet-a-Thon, and the winners are posted below. Please be sure to check out their lovely shops!

Category 1: Easter and Spring Holiday

In first place, with 28% of the vote: Crochet Spring Dress by BallofYarnToo.

In second place, with 14% of the vote: Set of 5 Crocheted Easter Eggs by HoneyBee69.

Category 2: Whimsical

In first place with 16% of the vote, the Amigurumi Jellyfish by Barbiloulou



In second place, with 14% of the vote: Crochet Baseball Cap by TaraDuff

Category # 3: Bright and Bold

In first place, with 23 % of the vote: Crocheted Lace Butterfly Shawl, by CrochetGal

In second place, with 21% of the vote: One of a Kind Spring Dress by CrochetTLC

Category #4: FLORAL

In first place, with 26% of the vote: Spring Gemstone Like Fancy Ribbon Headband byMcLeodHandCraftGifts

In second place, with 13% of the vote: Purple Newsboy Cap by PunteBella.

Tag You're It!!!!!!

Tagging is perhaps the most important Key in getting people to find your shop. The hard part is being just specific enough to optimize search results. It is very easy to be too specific, as well as being too general. Then is definitely a proper way to tag.

I first make sure I describe what the item is. Is it a hat? Well good luck finding yours in 131,677 other items that come up with that tag; be a little more specific here, is it  a beanie,  slouchie, newsboy, top-hat, fez, etc?  Now, it is possible to be too specific. If you name your items great, but when tagging leave that out, people aren’t going to search for Giggles McFlannery (unless this happens to be a popular thing in certain cultures.)

My next step is listing color, use what I call the “Crayola Conscience”; can you find this color name in a 48 pack of crayons? No, use a different name for it (as long as it is still the same color). Be specific at times, is it blue or is it turquoise? Is it pink or is it magenta? Etc etc etc… Be aware of trending colors (look at my previous post for ideas or visit Pantone.com).

Now comes the fun part, or at least I think so, some people find this part to be the hardest and most frustrating part of the listing process. “I’ve only used 6 tags, what could I possibly do with the remaining 8?” I am glad you asked! Instead of just floundering around, think about what the item feels like, smells like (if applicable), etc. These are the physical attributes of the item. Something that not many people think about is the use emotive words; happy, comfy, whimsical, etc. What emotion or feeling should people have when viewing/buying your item? These are very important!

Another thing that people don’t always think about is if their item fits a theme. Etsy often creates front page lists by using seemingly random words. Just a few weeks ago “Woodland” was used. If it fits a theme, use it!

Does your item resemble something in pop culture? Fingerless mitts from twilight? Afghan from a tv show? Hat from a movie? Tag it! Think about your buyers, not yourself when tagging, this will give you an idea of how people think when looking for an item!

A numbers game:

There are 14 tags that you can use on your item, 1 of them is practically chosen for you (the preliminary tag) and 13 others to be filled as you wish. Think of these tags as targets in a shooting range, the more you have the better chance of a “marksmen” (buyer) of “hitting” (landing) on one of your “targets” (tags). They can then mosy around the targets they hit and perhaps shoot more at the targets and find your item!

Now for business: Please please please make sure you are using the proper Team tag:

  ‘CreateCrochet Team’

Since we are an official team on etsy, it is very important we tag it with team so if they are doing a team search, then our items have a high chance of being found. Also, this helps your resident treasury makers find you for their beautiful treasuries!

If you have any questions, shoot me a convo or an email! (BCKrudwig@gmail.com)

New Team Contest! March 19-21

ANNOUNCING our team 48 HOUR CONTEST

for next weekend March 19 and 20

48 hours to START and COMPLETE a crochet project.

THEME: "SPRING"

RULES:
-start and complete your project within the 48hrs (FRIDAY 8AM to SUNDAY 8AM)
-crocheted items only
-have it listed in your shop by Sunday AM (21st of MARCH)
--TAG item "48 hr CONTEST"

We will have all entries posted for a VOTE here on the blog

from the 22nd till 24th (MondayAM -WednesdayPM).

PLEASE CONTACT Ballofyarntoo.etsy.com to enter the contest!

Inspiration;
-Sunshine
-New growth
-Bright Colors
-Start Anew

March and April Holiday Ideas:

-Spring Begins
-Palm Sunday
-Passover
-April Fools Day
-Good Friday
-Easter

"After Sale" Tips for Etsy Sellers

by Davy from

Expressions of the Soul Crocheting

(http://www.etsy.com/shop/davyn0707)

a lovely Etsy shop.

Here are some tips to help improve your customer satisfaction and retention. I have tried these with my customers and have gotten a couple of return customers by following these tips!

1. Communication is Key! Once you've made a sale, convo your buyer immediately and thank them! Let them know when you have received their payment and when you will be shipping their item(s). Most buyers pay using Paypal which is usually instant.

2. Package your items neatly and uniquely! You have taken pride and great skill in the creation of your item, so show those same qualities in the packaging and shipping of your items. Here ara few suggestions: Use a new package! Nobody wants a recycled cracker box.

3. Make sure your item is clean! Many of us, including myself, own pets and it is difficult to keep their hair off of everything, but make sure your items are free of pet hair, carpet fibers, and other debris before shipping. It will send a bad message to buyers and you risk getting bad feedback if your items are dirty upon arrival.

4. Wrap your items in something beautiful! Take the time to wrap your work in something pretty and protective, like tissue paper. Don't just throw your items in a box with a bunch of old crumbled newspaper clippings or magazine pages.

5. Include something unique! You want your customers to remember you so they will tell their friends about you and come back for more! Include something unique like a thank you card or an inexpensive but awesome bonus gift as well as a business card or info sheet so they can contact you again.

6. Don't delay shipping! Many of us lead busy lives and cannot always make it to the post office right away after an order comes in, but do ship ASAP. If you must delay shipping for whatever reason, convo your customer and let them know why. Otherwise, the customer will likely feel irritated and left out of the loop.

7. Offer special incentives to keep a new customer! This is an easy way to turn a new customer into a return customer, as well as to gain more new customers through word of mouth since a new customer will likely tell their friends about what you're offering. You could offer a special discount or sale for return customers or referred customers, such as a percentage off their next purchase or a buy-one-get-one type of deal.

8. Explain to the customer that you can do custom orders (if you're up for it)! Many times, customers like a shop item so much that they want additional ones in other colors or styles. However, customers are not always forthcoming about their wishes and it is a good opportunity for us as sellers to drag it out of them. So when a customer orders an item, make it clear that you can make similar things for them...or something completely different if they desire.

With these tips you can make the post-sale process just as complete as the pre-sale process! Your customers will appreciate you for all that you've put into their order just as much as they appreciate the work you've done to complete an item!