Question about online sales ( maybe a couple )

[BadBob]

 

I spend a lot of time studying numbers and figuring out what works and what doesn't work. I try to review each listing as it renews. Rewrite the description if needed, and it usually does at least need a bit of tweaking. If the item has not been promoted on social media, I do that if time is available.

I pack and ship orders before 9a, if at all possible. My regular mail runs between noon and 4p but once in a while, I get a different mail carrier, and I have learned that it is best to get it out earlier. I save and reuse packing materials. My volume is not so great that I need to stock new boxes, but it's getting there. Reusing packaging makes it take more time to pack, but I don't need to buy anything.

Daily I review my Etsy analytics to keep an eye on what is going on. I track 30 days stats in a spreadsheet. I can see patterns in the rows and columns that I can't see just looking at Etsy's analytics. I also track the views of my top 20 listings. Tracking views helps me to see if social media postings are having an impact.

I do all of the above on a typical day. Notice shop time isn't mentioned.

I have sold more in my shop than 82% of the Etsy shops. I have yet to make a profit. However, The shop is covering all of its costs and then some. I've had my shop for about five years but only started working on it a year ago.

I'm still new at this, but I have an advantage over many sellers. I have extensive computer skills and experience—about 40 years' worth.

Being successful is a lot of work and you market changes all the time.

[amazingkevin]

On 9/17/2020 at 9:32 AM, kmmcrafts said:

Still a lot of work... Last year in the first week of Dec. I sold $10,000 in products... don't forget.. you have to package those up and get them in the mail.. Considering that most of what I sell is priced below $80 and a big portion is just Christmas ornaments at $15-20 range.. It's still a lot of work.. Just sayin.. If you have the inventory you're good to go.. You'll also find about 50 emails a day of people asking if you can make this or that.. can this be personalized with a name etc etc etc.. Any selling of crafts you do.. be it shows or online.. it's going to be busy from Oct. through the holidays.. That's when I make my money to live off of for the next year.. I try keep around $60,000 in sell-able inventory through the season.. I also try to fulfill those custom request that come in..

My biggest complaint I think is... Customers messaging me for detail that are in the listing description.. When you create a listing.. use many paragraphs and double space them.. It's easier to read them and it'll help your customer read more of the listing which will reduce the amount of questions you'll get.. I used to get a lot of questions about how big a piece is.. I'm now starting to use some photos with my ruler to show in pictures... you'll find many do not READ the description and are QUICK to ask what is in your description if they would READ IT, Hahahaha..  Breaking descriptions up in a lot of paragraphs helps a lot too. rather than bunching it all up in one paragraph..

It gets pretty hectic in Nov - Dec. trying to keep up with things as inventory starts getting depleted by the first couple weeks of Nov. but you can't make enough of the hot seller before hand because you really don't know what that hot seller is until it's too late..Hahahaha..  I'm usually ready for the slow down in Mid January.. but then it's time to get busy with my tax info..  

That's incredible!!! Can we see you factory shop please???

[kmmcrafts]

13 hours ago, amazingkevin said:

That's incredible!!! Can we see you factory shop please???

Don't really have any recent photos and don't have any photos of my upstairs / loft where the inventory sets along with a few more woodworking tools..  These photos are just some random shot I have stored on my computer..

 

This is 2012 when the shop was being built

 

 

This is the back corner of the shop where most of the work is done.. 

 

Other back corner showing the star way to the loft where the lumber and inventory stays

 

Some cherry logs getting ready to be cut up on my new bandsaw back a few years ago like 2014 ish

 

The new bandsaw with riser kit etc,

 

This is a couple hours work done in the morning.. wife messaged me from work if I could run to the store to pick up a few things.. I said no I'm busy... she said what you so busy doing that you can't run to the store for a hour or two..so I took these photos showing how I been packing orders for two hours and this is all I got done so far and the photo below shows several more boxes of ornaments that needed to be packaged.. This is just the orders I received overnight while i was sleeping.. I do most my packaging in the house as I have no heat in the shop.. The chest freezer makes for a nice packaging station..  

 

  

 

This still needs packed

 

Future Shop race car, Hahahaha 

 

Clunker chevy that refused to run on a cold day taking up shop space.. that space is no longer there as the CNC and a big sandblasting cabinet set there now.. 

 

My old truck I've had for years needed spruced up as it's now my shop lumber hauler... why I needed the sandblast cabinet.. I just finished up a full frame off restoration of it this spring. 

 

Maybe went a little overboard for a lumber wagon.... Just a cheap business truck

 

Every workplace has a snack machine.. When you're the only employee you don't need any variety in the machine so you just choose one thing a go all out with it...   They lasted a whole 4 days... so I decided snacks in my own shop are unnecessary..  

Edited September 20, 2020 by kmmcrafts

[amazingkevin]

I see where you get your get up an go from those akles me want to unload cookies !!! I also see your finely tuned set up shop!!! Makes me want to unload stuff so I can get to machines I have and never use.too much came in too fast when I moved. I need to find a match so I can ignite the kindling under my ars!!!

[kmmcrafts]

Here is some pictures of the loft inventory area. 
 

packing supplies and lumber 

 

Inventory storage bins on wheels with more totes in behind these. 

 

Another shot of supplies 

 

Ornament bin that I try to keep fully stocked. Holds 24 ornaments per stack

 

Clock inventory bins

Edited September 20, 2020 by kmmcrafts