July/August Update – It's Not You, It's Them

falcieridesigns

Aug 15

Every time I get a spike in sales or increased traffic in my Etsy store, I think I must be doing something right. I've written a couple of times recently about spikes and troughs of traffic. Although customer visits have dropped a lot the last month or so, which I put down to the holiday slump, my sales haven't eased off. It's turning out to be an averagely good month and I'm glad about that.

I thought, well, maybe all that dedication to Hootsuite and regularly posting on Instagram and Facebook, and adding new listings is starting to pay off. And then Kara Buntin's channel revealed that I'm not the only one enjoying the vibes. Apparently, Etsy has been tweaking its algorithms again, and we're all seeing this unusual behaviour.

It's frustrating because I hope that the search and sales figures I see are genuine and as a result of something I have control over, that it's because people like what I do, and it's something I am doing right, rather than because Etsy decides I need a lift or a knock back. I guess we are all Etsy's little experiment.

It means that in some respects I have no control over my income, and it's why you shouldn't put all your eggs into the ecommerce basket. The truth is that you are not in charge of your shop. That's the price you pay for using an ecommerce platform. Even so, I still think it's better than trying to build my own website, the skills for which I don't possess or have any interest in mastering.

August has been a busy month for my shop so far, and I have listed lots of new items. When I work, I have a habit of either making lots or making nothing. I have been completing five new dresses, slowed down because of the heat waves we've had this past month, which has made it impossible to work at home. I have also had a slight move around in my front room, so I have had to reconfigure my photographic space for full length garments. It isn't easy in a small two-bed apartment with no empty wall space, to take photographs which don't suck!

At the same time, I had also been working on lots of new jewellery items to ensure I can offer plenty of low price point item. As recession bites and the news continues to scare the life out of people with financial horror stories, I need to keep money coming in. Offering items at the lower end gives me and my visitors more options. It also means I get to stay creative on a more manageable scale.

A recent bout of inspiration meant I have been able to add to my designs, offering plenty of ideas to potential customers whilst sticking to my theme. I acquired lots of seed beads a few months ago, but hadn't found the inspiration to get to work. And then suddenly, I found it. All in all it's been a busy four weeks which feels very satisfying.

Now I just need to get those dresses finished and photographed in between mini heat waves! I managed to get one completed and online, and I opted for another of those fantastic asymmetric designs I have become so fond of. I still have plenty of fabric to work with, however, and once the warm weather has relented, I'll be back behind the sewing machine, creating new pieces.