Etsy for Everyone

Raising prices?

Based on South Pacific Body's thread on a Storque article, I just got thinking about the underpricing apparent on Etsy.

Funny enough I just had that discussion with my best friend yesterday. Her mom knits socks. And while she is extremely fast with knitting, she only makes a tad above materials.

My friend said "That's normal for handmade." No, it's not.

Her mom is not able to convince buyers that her socks are worth a higher price, even if the competition might be priced lower.

Much of that is marketing and has to do with the whole package. Look at my own shop - my prices are high. But the quality and product is worth it.

My critters have woven labels, great photos, and are definitely different. My banner, business cards, and packaging match. And the workmanship is perfect - the stripes align, all seams are hand-stitched and hidden, and I have perfected my critters... before starting to sell them.

Not everyone can just raise their prices - but sometimes changing everything but your product (photos, banner, descriptions, profile) will be enough to suddenly charge more.

People don't buy Gucci bags because of the product quality, but because of the marketing behind it.

How to get the most out of MOO

What, you haven't heard of Moo cards yet? Almost impossible... they are awesome. Pricey, but awesome. Here's the deal:

What are Moo cards
Moo cards are business cards sliced in half (vertically) with your own image or design on one side, and text (name, address, domain, Etsy shop, e-mail, whatever) on the other. And the best part - you can choose up to 100 different designs.

They are more expensive than regular cards (100 cost app. 19€/ $27), but remember - they are a lot less likely to be thrown away, so they are worth every cent, in my opinion.

Where do I use them
I always carry some on me, in case I meet someone who is interested. Plus, I include 1-2 cards in every order. And - I have actually just mailed a bunch to a fellow Etsian (Panjo) to include in her orders, I will do the same for her - our products fit each other, we thought.

More stuff to do with them
I have just come up with a brilliant addition - I have ordered tiny earth magnets to glue onto the text side. That way, people can use the image as a magnet and one of my critters greets them every time they look at their fridge.

You can use them as tags, bookmarks, magnets - Moo has some more suggestions.

My initial mistakes
Now I got really excited about just uploading your own images when I ordered my first batch - and it would have paid off to prepare a tad better. Here are my mistakes:

• German tag line and phone number
• Busy photos (with background)
• A little dull outcome due to matte finish

Had I been prepared, I would have thought long and hard about the text. And I have since started extracting my images, which look a lot better on the Moo cards as well. And I would have increased the brightness and contrast, to counter some of the dulling that occurs through the matte finish (which gives them a really nice, silky feel, though.)

My second order
When re-ordering, I was prepared - and I downloaded their template beforehand. They have a prepared Photoshop file (or JPG for any other graphic program) that has the correct resolution (300dpi) and indicates the safe area (where they will never cut) and the bleed (where they will certainly cut.)

Now all I had to do was take that file and start adding my own extracted images and my domain name on the back - much better than a simple, busy image. I made sure that my images are a tad too bright, so that they will not dull that much with the finishing.

I am currently working on creating memorable Moo cards for another Etsian who also got her banner through me - it's an extra investment, but well worth the trouble if you really want to get the best out of your Moo cards.

Here are all my new card images:

Fireworks 101

Like I said, I gave up on Photoshop - but I'm good with Macromedia Fireworks. Here's how I extract my own critters. Please note that the menu names might be slightly different, since I am working with a German version... but you'll get the point.

This is how my photo looked first, next to it is the end result:

All I actually did was extract the monkey, added a tad sharpness, and then adjusted the lightness and contrast.

Finding the edges
Some programs have a so-called "magic wand". I never use that one, because it will only get you ugly edges. When I want to extract something from the background, I work with the pen tool

Every time you click on a spot, you start a new edge for a vector form. It takes some time, but it doesn't have to be perfect, because we need to do some more anyways. Here's the first vector form:

Each of the blue blocks indicates where I clicked with my little quill. It's still very rough, but we'll work on that.

Smoothing
With the vector selected, I go to Modify -> Change path -> Simplify. I usually stick with 4 for the simplification, but you can try different settings.

Adjusting the vector
The vector still needs to be adjusted, because it isn't quite covering the edges yet - this is easiest done without fill and a 2px line. When smoothing, you automatically added those little handles that curve the vector. To adjust the curving, hold Alt while clicking on the end point and moving it.
Play around with this, it is actually really easy once you get used to it.

Extracting the image
Once you are happy with the vector, go to Modify -> Convert path to selection mask. You can then cut out the image and paste it again. It is now separate from the background, which you can hide or delete. If the canvas is white, you are almost done.

Sharpen it
Is it a tad blurry? Then you can sharpen it with the filter window in the right corner. Sharpen some or more, depending on the size of your image.

Adjust highlight/ color
Usually, it is also helpful to adjust the lightness and contrast. Again, this is done through the Filter option -> Adjust color. Play around with it till the image looks like it does in real life.

Drop shadow
I usually add a shadow (again through the Filter) if I have a light image on a white background.

Photoshop 101

Okay, here it goes - I'm giving up on the Photoshop tutorial. I haven't worked with it in ages (I'm a Fireworks girl, myself) and my computer is too slow.

But!

In order to extract a background, there are different ways to do it - and they are all mentioned right here. So, use that awesome tutorial to play around with it?

I know that I usually used the Extract filter if the images were clear (i.e. with a lightbox), and added a vector mask when they weren't.

Gimp is still coming, as is Fireworks - my own playground.

________________________________________

Susan - looks like they moved the site. I have updated the link according to their new site. Hope this helps!

What is coming....

I need to find the time to write a tutorial on doing basic image editing with Gimp and Photoshop. Have started, but since it also requires step-by-step photos, it will take me a couple of days - I hope to have it up and running on Tuesday.

Other than that, I'll be building bird houses on Sunday with our local nature/ animal preservation society.

Plus, I will need to list my new toilet paper covers (yes, made from socks). And... I'm getting ready to have some of my art scanned and printed. But, knowing my printer, it might take a couple of weeks before we are both happy with the result.

Since there are so many awesome artists on Etsy, I am a little hesitant to even attempt selling prints. But I love painting, so we'll see.

Want to see some of my favorite Etsy artists? I am currently working on an art wall for my apartment, and have curated a Treasury displaying all the artists that I love - some of their prints are already at home, framed and ready to go up.

Labels: Internal

Strumpfkunst on Toy Safety

If you are curious, I just published an article on Toy Safety on my own blog - and good reasons to do your Christmas shopping on Etsy!

Stop on by?

Website template

Okay, I will try to give you an easy website template. In order to use this, you will either need to have hosting, or forward your domain to someone else who is hosting this page for you.

I'm assuming that you have no webdesign software, so we will be using Notepad.

And you will need to change some things around, but I will explain how to do this, step by step.

1. First of all, click here to download the folder (or right-click and select "save target as".)
2. Save the file to your computer, then unpack it (you will probably need WinRAR for that)
3. You will now have a folder consisting of one Index HTML file and some images.
4. Go to where you have your Etsy banner stored, either as GIF or JPG.
5. Copy the banner, then paste it into the folder.
6. Remember what the banner is called!
7. Right-click on the Index-file, Open with - then select Notepad.
8. Now Do not Panic! It looks worse than it is. 
9. In the sixth line, you will see < title>Strumpfkunst.de< /title>
   
10. Delete Strumpfkunst.de, add your own website name. The <>< /title> needs to remain before and after your website name. This will show up in the top browser window.
11. Press Ctrl+F and enter "banner_etsy_halloween.gif".
    
12. That is what MY banner is called. You have just copied your own Etsy banner into the same folder. Remember what it was called?
13. Instead of my banner file, type in your own banner file - it needs to be either .gif or .jpg
14. Press Ctrl+F (Find), enter "http://strumpfkunst.etsy.com" in the field, press okay.
15. It will now jump to where you find my shop address.
16. Replace "strumpfkunst" with your shop name - it still needs to look like it does, with "http://".
17. Two lines below, you will see "http://www.etsyforeveryone.com". That is my blog address - replace it with your own blog address.
18. You do not have a blog? Then delete all of this:
    < href="http://www.etsyforeveryone.com/" target="_blank">< src="http://www.blogger.com/blog.gif" alt="blog" border="0" height="40" width="150">
19. Right afterwards, you can see my e-mail address: "mailto:info@strumpfkunst.de"
20. Leave the "mailto:" intact, just write your own address instead of mine.
21. Press Ctrl+F again, write "5224498" in the field and press enter.
22. Delete this number (and only this number), and write your own shop ID instead.
    
23. Your shop ID are the last digits in your shop URL - just click on your shop and copy those numbers at the end.
24. SAVE in Notepad (Ctrl+S)
25. Test the page by going to the folder, right-click on index.html, Open with - Internet Explorer or Firefox (or whatevery browser you are using)
26. You should see your own banner, your own items should be visible, your shop should open in a new window when clicking, just as your blog, and "contact" will open a mail window with your address.
    

Now get yourself a drink, because you deserve it. :)

Getting it online
The page works great on your computer, but you need to get it online. This really depends on your provider and where you will host that page.

Is it going to a friend's web space? Then send him all files (HTML plus images, without my banner) and ask him to place these in ONE folder, named after your business. Once he has done that, he needs to send you the URL. This is what you need to fill in in your domain forwarding.

Do you have your own hosting? Then this needs to go into your main folder, either through FTP or however else your provider asks you to upload files.

Example
I just did this for a fellow Etsian... Ira Grant. She bought the domain name (and only the domain) at GoDaddy. The site itself is on my hosting, and I just forwarded her domain to that tiny space on my server.

The Etsy products will update automatically when she adds something to her store, and she doesn't have to worry about updates... Easy!

Website basics

I will try and keep this tech-free... I will really, really try.

Professionalism
When you start printing business cards, you will probably notice that strumpfkunst.etsy.com looks kind of weird. Wouldn't www.strumpfkunst.com look so much cooler? Yes, it would!

In addition, you are keeping your options open. If you ever decide to leave Etsy, you don't have to throw away all those business cards either.

Choosing your domain name
Yes, having your regular business name as a .com domain sounds great... but often, those are already taken. I would stick to .com or your country domain (in my case .de for Germany), because .info, .net, and .org aren't really meant for commercial use, and only confuse people looking for you.

If you are looking for variations on your name, go to NameBoy - they are awesome.

Some tech stuff
Okay, here it goes. In order to have a website, there are different components that you need to be familiar with. And no, you don't need them all. But here is what most providers will mention:

• Domain
  Registering the name itself costs an annual fee, some countries only register for 2 years. The difference in costs is usually due to the country's registration office. .AG is one of the most expensive ones, and did you know that .CC actually stands for Coconut Islands?
• Hosting/ webspace
  A website consists of images and HTML pages. These need to be stored somewhere - hence the hosting space. But... a website is actually rather tiny, so all those 1,000MB offers are pretty much worthless  - you will probably use no more than 1MB.
• Traffic
  Remember that a website consist of images and HTML? That means when someone opens a page, they are in fact downloading those files to their computer to view them. Traffic means the amount of KB that can be downloaded. And remember that a site actually consists of just a couple of KB? That means that traffic is not important, unless you are expecting app. 15,000-50,000 visitors a month.
• Subdomains
  Your Etsy shop is actually a subdomain - meaning, whatever comes before the dot in front of the actual domain. (http://xxx.etsy.com)  Will you need this? Most probably not.
• E-Mail
  Are they offering 500 e-mail addresses? Great. Are you going to need those? Nope. Actually, you only need one - and it's not called info, but "catchall". Any e-mail sent to that domain will end up in your inbox.
• Forwarding
  Now this is something that matters. Do they allow you to forward the domain name to hosting outside, or just straight to your Etsy store? Will they forward the e-mail to your own address?
• FTP
  Actually, this sounds more difficult than it is. When you move files around on your computer, you are most likely using Windows Explorer. An FTP program (i.e. WS_FTP) is the same kind of program, but it moves files from your computer to your website. But - not every provider offers FTP access. If they don't, probably stay away.
• Website Builder
  Every provider will call this differently, but basically, they are telling you that you need to know nothing to have a good looking website. Well... it's not quite that easy. The website builder usually uses templates (like my blog template), which means you cannot easily add things like your Etsy Mini.

Choosing a provider
Most companies will offer you great prices to lure you in... but the second year is much more expensive. So here is what you will need to check when choosing a provider:

• Price first year vs. price next year
• Contract period (automatic renewal?)
  
• Don't fall for huge hosting or traffic
• Domain forwarding could replace any hosting

Forwarding to Etsy
Now, if all you want to do for now is forward to your Etsy, that is easiest. When you register your domain and get your log-in data, you can set your forwarding info somewhere - just forward it to your Etsy shop.
I do that for this Blog - when you type in www.etsyforeveryone.com, you are forwarded to Blogspot.

Forwarding to a single page elsewhere
Do you have friends with a website and therefore hosting? Then ask them if they could store a single page, and forward your domain to that page. It saves you the hosting costs, and you can keep it simple. Here's a simple template that you could use.

Building your own website
If you have chosen hosting along with your domain, go for it and build your website... You can use the provider's website builders, Frontpage, Word, or Dreamweaver - or pretty much anything else that takes your fancy. :)

The Storque

Launched in September 2007, The Storque replaced Etsy's regular blog. It's an e-zine, newsletter, and blog all rolled into one. You will find anything from tech news, contests, PR, articles, and events here.

The Storque is written by Etsy employees as well as users, which makes for interesting reading.

If you are looking for some additional exposure and have an interesting topic in mind, contact them to see if you can write an article as well. It's great fun, but requires some preparation - you will need the article, relevant photos, the banner and additional info.

Lightbox & good photos

On Etsy, great photos are key to stand out from the crowd. You are more likely to end up in Treasuries, which then means more chance of a front page spot. And when browsing the categories, outstanding pictures just lure buyers in.

The best pictures are always taken in natural light. Which is a bummer if you are living in a rainy city like Hamburg, let me tell you.

The solution seems to be a lightbox. Since all walls are white nylon, even less than perfect lighting conditions are distributed evenly. Strobist has a great tutorial on how to build one yourself, for next to nothing.

Now, I have been procrastinating on building this. Yes, it's easy, but I need a huge one (my critters are 20" tall), and I just don't have the space to store it.

So, I took the easy way out... and bought a $35 model in 32"... which is ready-made and folds!

I'll give an update once it arrives... and I'll see if I need additional lighting, or if it works without.

__________________________________

Sunday, October 14th.

No, I haven't really done much with it yet. I still need to try how it works with bright morning sun (outside), and what kind of lights I can use indoors.

All I did today was place the lightbox in front of a window, turn on my regular lights, and try two pictures - one without, one with flash.  Yep, these pictures are kinda messy - but definitely better than what I would have gotten without the box. So I will keep you updated once I had some time to fiddle around with the tent and my camera.... But please meet my childhood tiger. Actually, he has also been my mother's childhood tiger: