welcome to Folksy…you do beautiful work …I agree with someone else who said to display your items in a different way. I personally got put off by the leaves and would rather see them on a jacket or jumper or just on a plain background that doesn’t distract from your lovely work.
This is just a thought…I would move the spider down a bit as I know a lot of people who would see a spider and would be GONE…lol…
I have over 400 items in my shop with sales of over 1800 but it has taken a long time. I waited 4 months for that elusive first sale so don’t give up.
Keep adding items.
As I always say…if you see a new shop in the high street and in the window there are 10 items that you like…you go back the following week to take another look…only to find the SAME 10 items…and the same ones on the following week…and so you stop looking.
However, if each time you look there is something new, you keep looking until one day you see something that you want to buy…so list as many items as you can. It only costs a few pence to list an item…that is nothing in the scheme of things.
And YES join in on the forums.
Everyone here is lovely and will help you…come along and chat…play some of the games…let people know who you are. x
Lots of fabulous information here already. I appreciate the slow process of embroidery - I do a little as a hobby. And as a basketmaker I can’t and don’t hold a high stock level because lots of things take a day to physically make let alone the time to prepare materials. So you are unlikely to reach high stock figures for a while. Just keeping making and listing as you go - as Brenda suggested re physical shop displays - adding little and often is a good draw to potential new customers and helps to refresh your page. I have a daily routine for our shop of physically moving an item from the bottom to the top of each collection and changing the featured item on a daily basis - using the “shopkeeping” menu on your dashboard - under “your account”. Whether it makes any difference or not I don’t know but it stops the front page of your shop looking the same every day. As others have said - join in the forums - and also join in with the Folksy themes of the day and Folksy Fridays. I aim to do a Facebook post for any relevant theme to draw attention to our work. I occasionally manage to do a Folksy Friday to help promote Folksy itself as well as other makers but don’t get to do it as often as I would like. Wishing you lots of luck 
Thank you for the feedback I’m going to keeping going at it and I do believe there is always room for improvement.My initial idea was choosing to take the images on the leave to fit with my name and shop colours, but maybe I shall have another look at this.
Thanks again,
Cerys
Thank you for your comments, it will definitely take some time to build up stock but I’m going to keep at it 
This is such a helpful thread. I only started my shop a few weeks ago so I was wondering exactly the same thing.
Thank you for asking the question and for all the insights given. I haven’t really explored the community yet but looks like there is lots to learn.
What lovely advice, I have been reading throigh some of it and agree with @teabreaks about having your brooches on clothing for your photographs as at first sight I wouldn’t realise they are brooches. Also good advice from Anne @ccbandatp about swtiching items around in your shop, I will try to take some of the advice and use it myself as mine rarely change order and I never considered that people may view them more if my shop page changed.
Welcome to Folksy @ProgressCrafts
Thank you for asking this, such good advice from everyone. It’s so reassuring to hear your stories about starting up. It takes a while to build up listings and a social media following but it’s good to hear that it can pay off.
Welcome, glad this is helping others as well as myself
I will definitely have a look at taking more photos
I started my business in January 2023. My first customer was a family friend who very sweetly wanted to be my first!
It took a long time to get sales. For me it has been social media, mainly IG and craft fairs to get known. As followers built on IG I had more interest. I try to post regularly on IG with a product and add a Folksy link to take anyone directly to the page to purchase. This has brought in some sales.
Good luck with your business x
Thanks for sharing, it’s much appreciated
I had my shop for a few years before I decided to make a concerted effort to make it work for my business. I opened my Folksy shop in 2008, it just bimbled along for a few years without me really promoting it - very low sales. Then in 2010, I went for it - promoted it on social media, joined all the listing clubs and it took off from there.I was determined that I had to make it work because I didn’t want to go and get a “real” job!
Facebook was still big back then and that is where I built my customer base and I just directed everything to my Folksy shop.
Great to hear your story, thank you