Changes At Etsy and Other Thoughts
It's been a long time since I posted a rant, so I'm good and ready to get my teeth into this one! It seems the forums are all buzzing about the new changes at Etsy.com where so many of us have shops. I've heard the whole range from, "I hate it!" to "I love it" to everything in between! Nothing like a little change to stir people up! I actually found it rather amusing. When you think about it, it's an ideal time to implement some changes - well ahead of the holiday shopping rush so any tweaking can be done with a minimum of inconvenience to sellers and buyers. So many were moping that their "Shop Announcement" box was abbreviated to 3 lines and then put into a drop-down box but speaking as a buyer, it's sure tidied up the appearances of ALL the shops! Buyers don't come to read paragraphs and paragraphs about your latest exploits, they've come to browse and drool (hopefully) over the pictures and maybe give in to the temptation to buy something. Anything that facilitates that, in my book, is a good thing. Besides, there's already a Shop Policies section where you can put all that info and there's lots of room on the profile page (or elsewhere) to put where you're teaching your latest class or selling at a Farmer's Market or Fiber Festival.
I mean, just what is it with people and change, anyways? I would go so far as to say the majority of opinions I read didn't like the changes, yet the reasons, when you actually read them, really revolved around their inability to accept having to adjust. No one actually had any legitimate criticism, like, "such and such doesn't work properly now" or " such and such was a better was to do that" etc. it was all just emotional verbiage.
Before I get going, just let me say, I work on the internet full time. I have built and maintain several websites and run a full-time online e-commerce shop, as well as my hobby shop on Etsy, blogging, and a bit of selling on Amazon.ca and eBay. I don't begin to say that my html is up to snuff but I manage to get by. If there's one thing I KNOW about the internet it's that the only constant is change! Bigger, better, faster, are the mantras so you'd better keep your joggers on if you want to stay current and sell. If change is a problem then you might as well get off the information super-highway before you get run over because there is no bus lane here. Every time Google makes an announcement about upgrades and improvements to their Search engines you'd better be ready to rumble and get your keyboard smokin'. These whining Etsy sellers don't realize how easy they've got it - someone else is doing the optimizing for them. Someone else is doing the html-based search engine-friendly changes that keep customers coming to the shops. Good grief girls, that's why you pay fees to have a shop - and believe me - selling on Etsy is cheaper than selling on eBay (even though eBay has implemented cheaper listing fees with conditions) PLUS you get more appropriate prices for your goods and that's no small thing!
I've heard eBay described as the world's largest online flea market and I heartily agree - but - the millions of users means pretty dang good exposure, if you don't mind selling for bargain basement prices. Etsy is all about respect for handmade goods and paying more for uniqueness as well as quality. I don't care which venue you sell on, the bottom line is the same - you want to make some money selling. Just how much money depends as much on what you're selling as where. The simple reality is that every time you turn around there are going to be changes, all the time, everywhere. Those are the facts of life when selling on the internet, pure and simple. So stop sniveling and grow up a bit! Okay.... I'm done
I wanted to end on a much lighter note so I'll show you some pictures of my latest drugstore find - of all things - a llama! I just couldn't resist those provocative heavy lashed eyes!! LOL!! Cheers all!
I mean, just what is it with people and change, anyways? I would go so far as to say the majority of opinions I read didn't like the changes, yet the reasons, when you actually read them, really revolved around their inability to accept having to adjust. No one actually had any legitimate criticism, like, "such and such doesn't work properly now" or " such and such was a better was to do that" etc. it was all just emotional verbiage.
Before I get going, just let me say, I work on the internet full time. I have built and maintain several websites and run a full-time online e-commerce shop, as well as my hobby shop on Etsy, blogging, and a bit of selling on Amazon.ca and eBay. I don't begin to say that my html is up to snuff but I manage to get by. If there's one thing I KNOW about the internet it's that the only constant is change! Bigger, better, faster, are the mantras so you'd better keep your joggers on if you want to stay current and sell. If change is a problem then you might as well get off the information super-highway before you get run over because there is no bus lane here. Every time Google makes an announcement about upgrades and improvements to their Search engines you'd better be ready to rumble and get your keyboard smokin'. These whining Etsy sellers don't realize how easy they've got it - someone else is doing the optimizing for them. Someone else is doing the html-based search engine-friendly changes that keep customers coming to the shops. Good grief girls, that's why you pay fees to have a shop - and believe me - selling on Etsy is cheaper than selling on eBay (even though eBay has implemented cheaper listing fees with conditions) PLUS you get more appropriate prices for your goods and that's no small thing!
I've heard eBay described as the world's largest online flea market and I heartily agree - but - the millions of users means pretty dang good exposure, if you don't mind selling for bargain basement prices. Etsy is all about respect for handmade goods and paying more for uniqueness as well as quality. I don't care which venue you sell on, the bottom line is the same - you want to make some money selling. Just how much money depends as much on what you're selling as where. The simple reality is that every time you turn around there are going to be changes, all the time, everywhere. Those are the facts of life when selling on the internet, pure and simple. So stop sniveling and grow up a bit! Okay.... I'm done
I wanted to end on a much lighter note so I'll show you some pictures of my latest drugstore find - of all things - a llama! I just couldn't resist those provocative heavy lashed eyes!! LOL!! Cheers all!
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