Wednesday, June 17

Some thoughts about Handmade




In the middle of this situation of SEO/metatags/keywords on etsy, I had some thoughts about handmade I wanted to share. I think this was also fueled by the fact that while my etsy shop came to a standstill, my website kept humming along.




Handmade is NOT what people search for. It is the lovely by product of well made, beautiful, meaningful items. Inherently, most of those items are handmade, so it's not a key word most people, except one perhaps artists look for.




I unscientifically keep track of my work with a google search of key words. Compass jewelry, maps, levels, I'm usually 1, 2, or 3. Cool. So, a search of "compass necklace" now has my etsy shop on page 3. Are you going to find me? Of course not..




A lot of what I sell is subtly marketed as jewelry with meaning. Levels, to put your life in balance, compasses to change direction, maps of honeymoon destinations, adoptions, weddings....It's obviously handmade.




So, I suppose what I am asking for is a paradigm shift in perception. And in reality, it will showcase our work as insightful, unique, well crafted art, and not just handmade. Then, watch the buyers flow in.




I wrote my thoughts to someone I respect, who is far more experienced than I. He's traveling this week, and hope he'll share his thoughts when he returns.




In the meantime, I'd love to know what you think.

15 comments:

RedMarionette said...

Spot on! I love reading your posts as they always make so much sense and are reasonable!
I think the SEO will be a problem for a while. This will be the true test in teaching myself more about marketing! :)

Beadin By The Sea said...

You have a great point, Sherry. Most of the keywords used to find my shop do not have handmade in them. I don't think that's the goal of the average shopper. I must confess, I don't totally understand the metatag/SEO issue.

My views from search engines have not decreased recently and I'm having one of my best months for sales (for me). Maybe I need to buy one of those "SEO for Dummies" books but maybe for now it might be better to not fully understand it all and be frustrated like so many others!

Beadin By The Sea said...

Me again... I just visited your website and it's beautiful, easy to navigate and professionally done all at the same time!

Anonymous said...

I didn't know there was an SEO problem on etsy, but I totally agree with your thoughts.

I haven't spent a lot of time in google adwords, but I probably should.

I've also found that I got more clicks to my own website, than to my etsy shop. I wonder if that .etsy.com part is a turnoff for people who don't know what etsy is?

High Desert Diva said...

Metatags make my eyes glaze over.

I do like your thoughts on paradigm shifts in perception though...

Ann Renee Lighter said...

You make some excellent points Sherry.
And I love the way you describe your jewelry pieces, adding balance to your life, changing directions and such. So clever.
I'm going to re-think the 'handmade' tag, I think you are right.

Kathy said...

I saw a thread in the forums about it. I confess also...I have no idea what this is all about. Guess I need to find some time to do some research.

Cthings said...

Sherri that is great thought!! You put that so well and does make people think of other alternatives that we need to do different. Makes us figure different ways to approach people on advertising. I need to check out your website too.

Cthings said...

Wow, I really like your website, so clean, clear, crisp a very fresh look. Great job on it!!

Judy said...

I am a work in progress..learning everyday...thanks for the information and I look forward to your future posts.

Anonymous said...

You've got an award on my blog!

Pretty Things said...

No one finds my shop by using "handmade" as a keyword. Alas, I DO share the name of a porn star (shakes head) so I get some really, uh, random search terms. But for the most part they're looking for something specific, like diabetes awareness jewelry.

Waterrose said...

I've read most of the SEO threads and they do make your head spin. I'm in the middle of moving and am hoping that it sorts itself out a bit by the time I come back to it full time. I like your thoughts on this subject...certainly a good way to think about our creations.

Kim said...

good word :)

Firelily Jewelry said...

Yes! I keep a close eye on GA, and seeing the word "handmade" in my keywords is rare.

Pple just want to buy something interesting. Most of them have barely noticed this "hand-made movement" that Etsians get so excited about.

And really, "interesting" is the only thing that'll set your items apart from the other bazillion shops on the Internet.