Hi all.
Thanks for the interesting threads - I’ve found some of them very helpful.
I’m Fee of Redrags and I opened my Folksy shop at the start of December. I opened it because I initially assumed any UK market for my product would be on here - I doubted the wisdom of starting on the other place, because there are so many makers of my type of product there, I thought I’d be swamped. But, having listed my first two items here, I thought I might as well open up on the American site beginning with ‘E’ and just give it ago.
So I copied my items over to the other place, and opened up shop, about 7 weeks ago. Immediately I started getting views and made my first sale there the next day. So I listed all my other items there and put my efforts into that shop. My views are high there and I’m selling enough to get me a welcome bit of extra money. I’m not putting any effort at all into advertising, the views are just coming, and some items have sold almost as soon as I list. I can tell that if I step up my listing (I haven’t been making and listing intensively), I can sell a bit more, but I won’t step it up more than I can cope with.
I never listed any more items on here after the first two - the fees being considerably higher made it seem little worth it. In addition, I’m just not getting the views on here anyway.
So tell me, is there a benefit to sticking around here, and putting a little more effort into my Folksy shop? Or should I just give it up as a bad job and close up, before I waste more listing fees on items that won’t sell here but will sell quickly on the other site?
Sorry for the mammoth post and thank you in advance for your thoughts.
Folksy is a very small site compared to the other, and mostly has fairly mainstream craft items for sale. I’m not sure that many customers would come here to look for your kind of product as up till now there hasn’t been any for sale. So unless you direct your customers here there wouldn’t be much trade.
As you say there is an established market for your product on the other site, so customers looking will find your shop, and UK customers are probably more likely to shop from you than from an overseas seller.
Good luck, I hope you do well where ever you decide to be.
I am all for supporting Folksy. But for your items you may be better off sticking with E. There is certainly a demand in the US (particularly) for alternatives and customers are more proactive. (you should advertise on US based blogs and forum too)
You have to put more time into promoting to get views on Folksy. Especially if you are a niche within a niche.
Thanks for your comments. What puzzles me is that the greatest percentage of my views on the other site, and 50% of my orders, come from UK customers. There is a big UK market for my items, they’re just going to the other place, not here.
There did used to be one or two other pad sellers on here. Maybe they’ve given up for the same reason. It’s a shame, because I wanted to support Folksy too.
I personally would be interested with a bigger range? I get mine from ‘that place’ but only because I require longer/thicker sizes etc. I looked at a few shops when I first took the plunge, but in the end went for those that were ready to post and had a range of sizes. Hope that helps, good luck
I’ve recently posted this on the Folksy Shop Facebook Group which I think is just as valid here:
Folksy is all about how you promote your shop and tell potential customers where they can buy from you online. If your FB page points people towards your Etsy shop, that is where people will go. If you run both and Etsy and Folksy shops, and promote equally, people will pick the one they are familiar with; Folksy is not as well known as Etsy. But Folksy has fewer shops, fewer sellers, is UK based for UK sellers (rather than competing with international sellers whose costs are cheaper!), and I think has a great community. [I chose Folksy only as I wanted to support a British company supporting and promoting British craft but that was my personal preference.]
At the end of the day it is choosing what is best for your business, but I have to say the ethos of Folksy swung me towards them.
ALthough beautifully made I don;t know anyone who would want to buy your products…most people I know are from the “throw away” and “disposable” era.
In the US they like different things. When I was crocheting and knitting a lot of my US friends would send me knitted dish cloths…I showed my friends and none of them were interested in them. You say that you have had sales to the UK so there must be a market out there but I personally don’t know of anyone who would want them…bad enough washing undies !
Your work is so beautiful so perhaps you could sew other things as well and then people would come and look at your shop and maybe, just maybe want some of your liners as well.
The trick is to get them to look in your shop first…like “lost leaders” in high street shops.
Hope that hasn’t upset you but I am just trying to look at things as an “outsider” would.
Personally i think it would be worth you staying here as well as on the other side, because, like you say there arent any sellers on folksy selling them so you have no competition here. I would like to see a bigger range of your stock here. Good luck xx
The question is, I suppose, just why are all these British shoppers going to the other place, and not coming to Folksy? Don’t they know Folksy exists, or is it the lack of pad sellers here that makes it less attractive?
I wanted to support Folksy because it’s a British site and like the poster above, I liked the ethos. I’ve bought here myself in the past. But now I’m finding I don’t need to promote my shop at all over there, and the fees are much lower.
I will let my current listings run until they end. Hazardious, thanks for saying you want to see more - I may list a few more, but I’m afraid you’ll be the only person looking!
Hi, not offended, thanks - but actually the British market is really big! I’ve had 900 British views in the past 7 weeks at the other place, with no effort whatsoever, and nothing in my shop but pads. I’m not listing quickly enough - the things I listed the other day sold out straight away. Many women with health problems want to use them, and there’s also been a growth in popularity because of the eco-friendly aspect, and people find that they can be much comfier.
They aren’t more difficult to wash than washing undies! Though if you do find washing undies difficult, that’s your prerogative and these won’t be for you
Maybe put a card in with UK orders with your Folksy site address on as well as the other one and put an offer on for peoples 1st Folksy order (10% off or free p&p)
As I said, many people just don’t know about Folksy. Some other selling sites have huge advertising budgets and so can afford TV campaigns and are better known, so people will naturally graduate to those websites as they tend to trust brands (particularly with their financial details!) they are familiar with. However I tend to promote when I buy via Folksy too, because I want people to know if they buy via Folksy they are supporting a British designer/maker and a British company, and we know the people behind Folksy like Camilla. Other places tend to be a bit “faceless”; Folksy isn’t.
thanks Red rags…I hope you do really well because your sewing is awesome…I think Folksy isn;'t as well known as the other side and thereby is the problem I think…
No I don’t find washing undies any more difficult than anything else but as a carer and a pensioner with arthritis I find all housework difficult…I was just giving my point of view…
I hope you do well x
Sorry, I honestly wasn’t meaning to be sarcastic (is there an emoticon for ‘not sarcastic’ or something?) I just meant to acknowledge that it’s not for everyone, and it’s good that we can all take the option that suits us, whatever that is.
Sorry about your arthritis.
Ok, decision taken, and it’s not the one I hoped I would take, but I’m not going to list anything more here, I’m going to let my current two listings run out and then put my shop on holiday for a long time. Mainly because two more orders for multiple items each came in on my other shop last night, my stock is running down, I’m going to have to spend a lot more time sewing, and don’t think I’ve got time to run two shops.
I wish it were otherwise because I agree with the people who said they like the ethos of Folksy, but I’ve just had a look at my stats and the difference is really so stark - 20 or so views at Folksy when I had 1800 at the other place in the same timeframe. I think DeborahJones has spoken sense, unfortunately, although I did want this to work - but I hadn’t expected the difference to be as marked as it clearly is.
Maybe I’ll reconsider when I’m a bit more established. I’ll still browse and buy when I can. Thanks everyone who gave views, it’s helped me formulate what I think. Hope you all sell lots.
Goodbye Folksy and everyone here.
I am inclined to agree. I first posted in 2014, then didn’t do much until a couple of months before Xmas when I listed quite a few items. So far, although I get a few views but only ever when a new listing goes on, I haven’t sold anything. Maybe people just don’t like my items!
Interesting to hear you have done well on the other site, think I may have to have a go as well
Really interesting post, I’ve got both and although I seem to get more interest from the other, I always choose to shop here personally! I find the community is much friendlier and I love the outlay here. However, I am considering going to the other entirely too. They have TV adverts etc so people know about them, not many people outside the craft world know about Folksy so you have to do a lot more work getting them to the site and some people will only buy from sites they are familiar with! Good luck xxx
I closed my shop in December, just to see if I could cope without making to sell or selling and all that involves. I must say I have discovered that I don’t miss making to sell. I now do my patchwork when I like and I am really enjoying it. I can’t live without sewing, but I can live without the pressure of making to sell, taking photos, listing, accounting etc.
I am registered so that I can buy from the lovely people on Folksy and shall continue to do that.
Good luck to you all…it is often difficult to know what to do when you make items that you love and enjoy doing.
No offence taken at all…I was just trying to put a different perspective on your items RedRags…
I am sure there are people out there that would just love your products and I accept that perhaps my age has something to do with my thoughts…memories of soaking nappies in buckets and having no washing machine…so I for one LOVE the throw aways of today, although I also appreciate that a lot of it is bad for the environment. I messaged a few friends with your shop link and sadly they all shared my views…although to be fair they were all of my generation…one of them said “Holy Moses, that is going back to the middle ages!”.
There are probably thousands maybe more who would shout me down for how I see your items and as I said before they are absolutely Beautifully made and lovely fabrics. I DO hope you find success…I want ALL crafters to be successful and I certainly wouldn’t put your shop in holiday mode…I would love you to prove me wrong…
Good luck and well done with your sales so far x
