Top 10 Tips For Your Shop to Succeed

It is time for another installment of the Top 10!

1. A Picture is Worth 1000 Words- Always strive to have the best photo that you can take. It might mean retaking your photos if you get a new camera. It might mean retaking your photos for seasonal or holiday settings. If some of your items are not making it into treasuries and you think they should be, inspect your photos. What is causing people to overlook them. Try and change the angle or the lighting.

2. Title Relevancy- Titles may need to be changed to stay on top of the game. Remember your first three words are the most important. Be sure that the first three words are what you want to optimize. Make sure that the first three words are the most popular search phrase for your item.

3. Check Your Tags- Do you still have some one word tags lingering after your relevancy makeover? There is no time like right now to go and check. Remember that tags are keyword phrases that people type to find your items. Using the keyword "red" probably won't help anyone to find your product. "Red Glass Beads" may be exactly what needs to be there for someone to find you. 20 characters may not be a lot, but it is better than just using three characters.

4. Use What is Given to You- Use all five photo slots. Use your shop sections. Use all 13 tags. Use the Recipient, Occasion and Style sections in your listing. Use your materials. The more complete your listing the less likely that there will be questions.

5. Ask For Help- Everyone starts out like a newbie. There, I said it, experts are not born they are taught. Try to learn from the mistakes of others so you can make new fresh mistakes of your very own. Teams are a great way to find help. Just be polite and ask for help. Remember, the only stupid question is the one that is never asked.

6. Read Everything- There is so much information on how to do anything that you'd want to do that is might be impossible to read it all. Tutorials on how to use your exact camera. How to start a Twitter account. How to market through Facebook. If you have a question there are tons of answers. Google can help you find the answers.

7. Change Your Plan of Attack- Is something you are doing not working? Switch gears. Reassess what you are doing and why it isn't working and try something different. It is as simple as that. With all the info out there, you'll find more than a few ways to do just about anything from photos to coming up with good tags.

8. Take a Break- Getting frustrated? Take a break from what is frustrating you and do something different. If your photos are giving you a hard time move to tags. If the computer is making you want to pull your hair out, go to the studio. If nothing is going right, go for a walk. Do not let anything cause you too much stress, it isn't worth it.

9. Try New Things- It is just fine to try new things but do not completely redesign your shop on a whim. Try working on a section at a time. Do 10 listings and see how it goes. If it works, try 10 more. If it doesn't work try something different with the first 10. If you change your entire shop and it does not work, now you have to change your entire shop again.

10. Be Yourself- Whether you are on a team forum, Facebook, Twitter or at a show, be yourself. When you are writing your descriptions be yourself. You are your Brand. Make sure you are selling yourself in every item. One great thing about making handmade items is people love to hear the stories behind why you are doing what you are doing. Selling yourself helps to sell your items.

I hope these tips will help to make you even more successful. Do not get discouraged, the fact that you opened your shop puts you above all those people who never will have a shop. If you have questions feel free to ask. I am always looking for great tips so please be sure to let me know if you have a tip or suggestion.