Who's had a sale this week?

No sales for me either.
I only had 4views yesterday.

@hobbitgirlie1880 and @Amberlilly - first up sorry if this doesn’t sound very supportive but you are both competing in very crowded sections of folksy (and with each other and with me to a degree). If you have a quick look there are almost 12000 pairs of earrings listed under Ā£15, 7000 bracelets under Ā£15 so the folksy users have plenty to choose from. (and there is almost certainly more than that on the other side) So what is your unique selling point? What is different about your work to everyone elses? If I am planning on making something I often have a trawl through folksy to see how many similar items there are already listed. That doesn’t always put me off making it but it might put me off listing it (some of my stock doesn’t appear here it just goes to craft fairs and gets sold there)
When you do your promoting how far does it reach? Does it go beyond your friends and friends of friends? Do you direct your traffic just to your Folksy site? or could the people who seen the promoting end up viewing your work but via one of your other outlets? I do this as a business (I won’t call it a living as its not yet) and I know that I have to do fairs/ events to make any sort of money - I can sell more at one of those than I have in 20 months of being on folksy. I know that my customers look on my folksy website and if they like what they see they come and find me at one of my fairs/ events, I also know that people who have previously seen my work at an event will then buy via the website. I have a folksy shop instead of my own website because it works out cheaper, easier and I do get some passing trade.
My plus account only makes financial sense because I have so many listings - you need to list over 250 items per year for it to work out financially. Folksy have previously stressed that a plus account doesn’t get you preferential treatment with respect to getting featured or in gift guides.
I’m not sure what your motivation is for selling your work but I get the feeling that this (folksy) isn’t working for you. Would the time you currently spend promoting be better spent taking your work to a local craft event once a month? You then have the chance of picking up commissions as well as selling the stuff you already have made up. I have used Stallfinder.com for finding local events.
Sorry if this offends in anyway, that is certainly not my intention, and I hope you find some of it in someway helpful.
Sasha

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Hi Sasha, no you are right, but what I don’t get with this site is how little advertising they do generally. I don’t really have the time these days to do fairs, this is why I opted for the plus account, I have done loads of promoting on Pinterest, fb, twitter, but for some odd reason I don’t get views, if I do the same on the other side and on a fb page site, I get loads! Any idea why?? I haven’t a clue! I have a website that gets more views than here, just bazaar! I started with such motivation, then it disappeared!

@Amberlilly Have you tried interogating google analytics? Maybe the promoting is getting people to your shop front but not onto specific listings and as such it wouldn’t show up on the shop views here on folksy. Maybe the promoting is raising awareness of your brand and when people search for that they end up on one of your other sites. GA would also allow you to see which site (FB/ pinterest/ twitter) is directing most traffic here.
I don’t know what folksy’s advertising stratergy is - I know how many emails I get from the other side plugging their various sellers yet even though I’m signed up for weekly emails from Folksy they don’t seem to materialise and that feels like a missed oppotunity. I suspect that they focus on getting sellers featured somewhere to raise the profile of them and by inference folksy rather than just raising the general awareness of the site.
I know what you mean about fairs - I choose my fairs very carefully so that I don’t end up wasting my time at ones I won’t perform well at. The price point I sell at rules out some whilst the style of my work rules out others but a well choosen one is worth doing for example stall in the lobby of a largish company took 9 hours of my time (not that local) but I sold 28 items and took Ā£350, the one I did there in the run up to christmas was significantly better (apparently men like to do their shopping fairly last minute and like it if you gift wrap so they don’t have to). So if I spent 9 hours taking photos, tweeking photos, writing listings and promoting here how many sales might I achieve? I guess its all down to whether you can give up an entire day or just a little bit of a day.
Have you looked down the back of the sofa for your motivation? Its amazing what can be found down there.
Sasha

I don’t understand ga very well. I can see in real time, but when i look for, say, yesterdays figures, I can’t figure out how to view them. But go to folksy and see, its usually, 2 or 3 and well, thats me. On the other side, this is totally different, you get it analysed to a degree, but its so quiet here, no one is seen promoting anywhere! There is folksy page set up but its not by them! I have listed a few things today, but will duplicate them elsewhere, where i have also paid for a years fee at a fraction of folksy cost, wish i had known sooner! And I did look down the back of the sofa, all i found was a spoon, my motivation has gone on holiday! LOL.x

My GA matches the views Folksy says I’m getting. The other side always said I was getting way more views. GA also tells me I’m getting returner viewers which is good.

I’d love to do a craft fair occasionally, but it’s not practical to take crates of yarn on a bus anywhere. That’s why I chose an online shop instead. I’d actually prefer to rent shelf space in someone else’s shop, but no one near me is willing to do that at the moment.

Since #FolksyHour started I’ve noticed that the visitor number on Folksy’s home page is generally slightly higher than it had been before, but still rarely over the 600 mark.

Don’t worry I’m not offended.
Was just pointing out that iv not had a sale and only got 4 views.
I do craft fairs ect and i have said it a few times.
Even put posters of the event I am doing on here.

Not safe putting my hand down the back of the sofa. There’s all sort of glass chippings down there !

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Ouch. Sounds pokey

but it’s not really the people on here you need to poster. The majority of sales on Folksy come from outside.
A significant number of my Folksy sales are driven here, by me, via my Facebook page and my own website.
If I had a little shop down a side street of a big town then there would be no use standing at the door handing out leaflets to the occasional passerby.
I would be putting my leaflets in the local press and on lampposts in the main part of town.
It’s the same here. There are a lot of shops here and a lot of things for sale. And there are a lot of other shops on the internet too.
People will only find your things if you put them in a shop window where they can see them.

Hope this hastily written bit of advice makes sense. Got to go - dinner awaits. xxx

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Don’t worry I promote else were too.

My local wool shop would probably stock your yarns (its where I go to get my mum interesting yarns) but I’m in Cambridge so not local to you. Its called The Sheep Shop in case you want to check it out.
I normally do my craft fairs by bike, I have a trailer and a range of about 10 miles each way. Thankfully Cambridge is flat, I’m young and fit, my work is small and light but we do get very funny looks (especially as we rattle over speed bumps). I also do a few by train and bike if I need to go further eg Stevenage or Royston which are on the commuter line into london.

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Only 600 visitors @silvapagan thats not many.

Hi, I’m pretty new to Folksy November to be exact and I haven’t sold anything so far, but I’m hopeful. I have just reduced an item ā€˜Lucy Locket’ babies quilt, I felt that I might have put it on at to high a price. But then I have put a lot of hour into making it and any other baby quilts that I make. If anyone would like to take a look at my shop and comment I would appreciate it. I look forward to getting involved with discussions.

I know. I mentioned it before, but no one at Folksy seemed that bothered by such a low number. I also asked if that number included sellers but didn’t get a straight answer to that either.

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Yup, considered a bike too, but living in a flat with no outside storage space limits even that option.

Something will work out eventually though :slight_smile:

Hi GillieB, it’s so difficult to be found on Folksy but maybe I have a couple of points for you.
Titles are important for the search system on folksy and the most important words need to be at the beginning of your titles. For instance the word ā€˜quilt’ is at the end of your title. We then need to repeat those, most important, key words in the first 100 words of our descriptions.
Another point is photos, I would try to have one photo showing your beautiful quilt in it’s entirety and also a ā€˜lifestyle’ shot of it on a cot or crib ao buyers can see it ā€˜in action’. As well as those I would try to get a close-up of your detailed hand embroidery.
If you have photos of the other quilts you have made I might use them to make listings that are ā€˜made to order’. This would allow potential buyers to see other examples of your work without having to contact you. We want to make the decision making & buying process as easy as possible because most buyers are busy & want ā€˜fast & easy’ transactions. Good luck, your work is lovely!

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Thank you so much for this, I will take this great advise on board. I didn’t think of putting images of my other quilts on. I am going to have to get busy now and get this sorted.
Gillian. :smile:

I hardly ever sell anything any more, after having once been a best seller. On the bright side, though, my fees are very low… :slight_smile:

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Sorry if I sounded really negative. I’m trying to plan a promotion strategy for the coming months, given that I would rather be crafting than on the computer. Much as I would prefer to give my business to a UK based site I also have to look at what is cost effective for me.

I do craft fairs from April to December, and my business cards have my folksy shop on them. I also generally do lots of other types of promotion too, day after day, week after week, but I have noticed a huge drop in views and sales here.

This particular week I have done no promotion at all for any of my sites, so it’s a fair comparison of stats over the last 7 days: Folksy 25 views , 0 sales. Other shop 284 views, Ā£30 sales.

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