I hate to sound like a moaning mini but what does a gal have to do to get on the front page?
Ive sold here for years and had 1 item on the front page once, and I ve seen the same items featured twice in a week.
Do I have to sell lots from my shop or is it just random sellers that are featured?
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On the smorgasbord there are a few slots that show newly listed, newly liked and newly sold , so we all have an even chance at those - the rest are picked by Folksy.
You have an even chance of getting on the pinterest board as that is compiled by you and me - you can compile a pinterest board and add one of your own items too, and that may get picked for the fp.
The Folksy choices rely on really good photography supposedly - although that doesn’t seem to always be the case.
There are 120 items at any time in the favourite finds on the home page. We add to the selection every day, so when new items come in, others go. A different selection of these 120 items is shown whenever you load or refresh the page, so sometimes you will see the same items in the same week, but one item won’t be on the front page for that whole time and the items seen on the homepage won’t be the same for every visitor.
As Deborah says, there are also other ways of being seen on the front page - so recently listed, sold, favourited, plus the Pinterest boards.
Generally, as well as original, interesting, well-made or beautiful products, we look for good product photography and photos that fit the space well. There is a blog post about what we look for here…
If it helps, Brenda @teabreaks, it would be easier to feature your work in our favourite finds if your product shots filled the frame better. You could either just let the work fill the entire frame like Kitty Cooper does https://folksy.com/shops/KittyCooper - or maybe try some simple lifestyle shots, which I think would work well for your pieces. It might be worth looking at the product shots Emma uses in her shop, which show how her pieces look when framed https://folksy.com/shops/BilletDoux
There’s more advice about what we look for when featuring items or shops here…
https://folksy.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/57283-how-can-i-be-featured-on-folksy
I hope that helps.
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Personally I don’t think it matters if the edges are cut off the painting in the preview square because people can click through to see the whole work. I think it look would better if your work either filled the whole preview square or if you styled the shot by using a frame.
Heidi @Textiletreasure might be able to give you some advice? I know she’s worked really hard on her photos and they look brilliant… https://folksy.com/shops/Textiletreasure/collections/226221
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Brenda, I think the way Emma has taken her photos gives a good example of what is possible, you don’t need a fancy camera. Have a look at how Hazel or Stephie take their photos, as they have to deal with the oblong nature of ACEOs too. I’m sure there’s a way of overcoming the issue.
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I wish I knew too, I’ve just stopped adding words to my photos as I know Folksy doesn’t like this, im not going to think too much about it though, if it happens ill be happy if it doesn’t - oh well. I think like others have said pinterest boards are good, I need to do some more myself . Maybe my photos are too busy, but I think it adds to the feeling/theme of what im selling.
Suzanne :o)
The only time i get on the front page is when i list something lol 
I really want to get on the Best sellers list !!!
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Hello Brenda (@teabreaks) - I’ve only just logged in so sorry for the delay. And sorry in advance for the length of the post!!!
I wrote a blog at http://textiletreasuresbyheidimeier.wordpress.com/2014/02/07/improving-my-product-photography/ which set out what had helped me. Some of the points I know are obvious, but for me, I really needed to look at the basics, and as the Pony Picture showed, it made a really big difference to my pictures.
Re the ACEOs being oblong, my limited edition prints are also rectangular, so I face the same issue. But what helped me was to make sure the edges of the print were always in the square frame, with a little wall space showing so it didn’t look too cramped. Then I set the picture itself at a consistent point in the ‘square’ so that there was consistency between how much space was showing both above and below the painting. With the image being square, this means I always have a bit of cream shelf showing beneath the picture and a bit of cream wall showing above the picture.
That all helped to make the photos easier to view on the eye when viewed en mass on the shop page. As you can see from my shop, I haven’t got it right on every picture, but it does look a lot better than it did before! Personally, I think that’s all you need to do ‘technically’ as I think the quality of your photos are very good. They aren’t blurry or wonky or anything like that.
For what worth, and I appreciate that personal tastes does account for a lot of how people style their pictures, and because of this, there is no Right and no Wrong way, but I like images with a pale background. I downloaded one of your images from Folksy and recentred it as I said above, and then placed it on a white background.
This is how it looks now (I will delete as soon as you have seen it!!)
Paste this into your browser - http://folksy.com/items/6490060-Sample-painting
and fingers crossed you will see the picture. If not, I can take a screenshot and email to you!
So from my point of view, I just think recentering the ACEOs and placing them on a pale background is probably all you’d need to do, as your pics are pretty good to begin with. And your paintings are beautiful, which is the main point!
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Hi Brenda, I don’t have photoshop either, I just crop the images via Paint.
If it helps, I think your painting are lovely and once someone has got to your store, I’m sure what you have is enough to clinch a sale. I don’t have masses of sales either, so my next challenge is to improve traffic to my shop (a whole new set of problems!!) Don’t give up - you are obviously very talented. xx
@teabreaks Brenda please don’t lose heart. If it helps I paid for professional photos and still don’t ever get picked for Gift Guide’s, never featured etc. I have square, lifestyle, white background - I have tried really hard and tbh I don’t even look at the front page now.
On the plus side I just gave you a shout out on British Crafters https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=342916715860023&set=a.156966937788336.37489.156796784472018&type=1&theater Not the same as the front page I know but it might bring you some shoppers 
Dottie x
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I know what you mean when you say all you want is to paint! All the other stuff is pretty challenging… I still think your work stands by itself though, it is lovely and I’m sure there’ll be the opportunity to be included in say a Pinterest board, which can get you on the front page. I’m going to do one, and I’ll make sure one of your lovely painting is included!
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that is sooooo kind…thank you for that…one of my other problems is that hubby hates the internet with a vengeance and would flip if he thought I was doing twitter or anything like that…so I have to keep as quiet as I can…he is always asking me what I am typing and who to…sigh…
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I’m really sorry you’re having such a bad day Brenda. I wouldn’t worry about your photos or the front page, it’s not worth the stress. Hope tomorrow is a better day for you and enjoy your painting!
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You are not alone The Grimm Exhibition I also don’t seem to get picked for the front page, think it might be my pictures but have tried so hard with them and still trying to improve them all the time I also don’t have Photoshop and would not have a clue how to use it.
I have done a couple of pinterest boards but no luck with them yet.
You all have lovely shops and wish you all lots of luck with sales. Debbie x
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It’s probably just me then, but I quite like the way Brenda’s got her pics of her art. with the black borders they look like film stills.
Jo
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I’m on the iPad and just deleted my post in error. It says I have 12 hours unless it’s flagged. Does anyone know how to get it back??
Edit - found the undo button. Panic over. (iPad touchscreen keeps freezing and then going into spasms!!)
Hi Camilla,
I sell handmade greeting cards and would appreciate some advice on my photos. I am not sure if they would look better with a background. Thank you, Esterina.
Hi Brenda - @teabreaks - your lovely ballerina cartoon is on the front page today - http://folksy.com/items/6491789-Ballerina-cartoon-original-painting-art-7x5-comic-dancer-107
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Thanks for this useful information.
I’ve been wondering if I’m going daft the last 3 days.
I had a pretty big sale on top of several smaller ones and had every expectation of being somewhere in the best seller list.
No. Not there.
I’ve checked again the last 2 days wondering if those above me might have slipped but… the list looks exactly the same as it did 3 days ago - same shop at the top, at the bottom.
Have to admit I couldn’t work out how one in the middle with not many sales in total could possibly have more sales than my 7 days worth.
Is it possible the list isn’t being updated ?
Joy
PS: I really don’t mind, it’s good to be there when I am but not worrying about it, just curious really
@sianfolksy ?
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