Hi all I have had my shop here now for a year and my plus account has run out can anyone give me truthful comments about my shop as its not doing as well as I thought it would and I can’t knit enough for my 2 shops I do love it on here but are my products just not right or is it my listings am also moving soon so decisions need to be made.
With thanks Kate
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What did you base your performance expectations on? There is a misconception (propagated I’m sure in part by the numerous selling platforms) that if you list items people will find them and buy them but in honesty it takes a lot of promotion on our part to achieve regular sales. How much promotion do you do? I didn’t see any social media links on your shop front. Your egg cosies are lovely so its not your product (although I can’t remember the last time I ate a boiled egg to actually need an egg cosy), some of your photos could be sharper, I like the styling though as it makes it more obvious that they are egg cosies not finger puppets and your shop has a cohesive look to it.
With regard to the plus account, that is only worth having if you have lots of listings (its equivalent to 250 pay as you go listings in terms of price). Since the egg cosy market isn’t very large (a search turned up 140 in the site, a generous share of which are yours) there is no need for you to be relisting before the listing expires so a quick calculation of 43 listings @18 p each (15p +vat) renewed 3 times in a year comes to £23.22 (129 listings/ relistings) so you really don’t need a plus account. Even if you listed new designs and had to relist/ restock sold items I think you are going to struggle to get the plus account to pay for itself so you would be better off with pay-as-you-go.
Not sure if this will help you with the decision but good luck with it (and the move).
Sasha
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I agree with @SashaGarrett with the above comments. Promotion is the key to selling on Folksy. I promote my Folksy shop on Facebook and Twitter most days, plus Pinterest, Google+ and Craftjuice from time to time.
Also, just making egg cosies could be rather limiting…could you add new lines? Maybe start with adding some Tea cosies?
It’s a bit like me just making oven gloves…it would limit my market considerably.
Hope this is helpful…
Kim
x
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Hi Kate!
I love your egg cosies and you have sold enough of them to more than cover the costs of your Plus Account this year, so you could call that honours even.
From my experience, my children tend to get egg cosies given to them mainly at Easter. Is this where the majority of your sales happened? If so, you could keep your costs low by only opening your shop around February or March and creating new listings for your egg cosies then. They would then get a slot on the front page when you listed them, at the right time of year to sell them, and you could let them expire after Easter. You might even get them into an Easter Gift Guide by listing them at that time of year. Check out the Gift Guide threads on the Forum!
If you want to sell throughout the year, you should diversify into other items, soft toys, for example. You would need to get them certified to sell them, but I’m told this is not a difficult process provided you are using the right methods and materials. Once again, there is lots of help here on the Forum with other people who have been through these things before.
Maybe leave it until after the move and see how you feel about it then. If you are not renewing your listings you shop won’t be costing you anything. You could always put it into holiday mode so you don’t sell anything while you are too busy with the move.
Hope this helps,
Sam x
I disagree with this.
I also love the egg cosies but by the time you take off 6% commission fees and 3% Paypal fees, plus cost of materials etc Cosy Eggs has probably just covered costs, which effetively means working for no profit as they are low cost items.
I would suggest not renewing the plus account and going ‘‘Pay As You Go’’ for a while, as the plus account is not cost effective for everyone.
Sarah x
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I had another thought which might help you out - Paypal used to (they may well still do I haven’t checked) offer a micro payments account aimed at people who’s sales were generally under £5. It had a higher % commission but no fixed fee that the normal account has so worked out cheaper for those who transactions were for small amounts. Wouldn’t help generate more sales but might help get more money into your pocket, you should be able to find details on their website.
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I still think it was OK to start off with the Plus Account to see if it worked for you. I don’t think you should punish yourself (or other people tut) about it when, in the end, if you lost money I suspect it wasn’t that much. 6% of not very much = even less… Not everybody is here to make their fortune, or needs their crafting to pay their rent, after all.
Sam x
I don’t think anyone’s tutting, just pointing out other options to the plus account.
I have had the plus account for years, do sell regularly, but have this year reverted back to pay-as-you-go as it was a better option for me at this time.
As it may be for others.
Definitely not tutting.
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I didn’t say she should renew it! I thought she should consider just listing at Easter-just to be absolutely clear.
Sam
Thanks guys for all your replies i will do pay as you go for now then after the move put all my social media back on my shop and close my other shop on the other side and just concentrate on this one as I will have a lot more time to devote to my shop I will also look into designing some tea cosies as well.
I love it on here and don’t want to leave just had my doubts about my products but thanks to you all I feel a lot better and will carry on.
THANKS EVERYONE xxx
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Your egg cosies are lovely, I think it might be an idea to develop them into small toys if you have the time to research the CE stuff, a little stuffing and a pair of legs on your teddy egg cosy for instance and it would make an ideal bag charm or small toy. I have a tiny teddy which I always take on holiday with me he’s about 2" tall, and I’m in my 60’s, you’re never too old for a little toy. Good luck with whatever you decide.
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