I thought I'd try Etsy's Showcase feature and see if it brings some attention to my shop. I had never done it before, and I don't know anyone who has, so I didn't have a clue how this was going to turn out.
I thought it might be a good idea to blog about it for the sake of other Etsy sellers, to see if it's worth doing.
The Showcase, basically, puts one item from your shop at the top of a selected category page, hopefully resulting in more views to that item, and perhaps to other items in your shop, and if you're lucky, maybe even a sale. For example: if you sell jewelry in your shop, you book a slot (you can choose the date depending on how many slots are remaining) in Etsy's Jewelry category. You can choose one item to be showcased, and if that item sells Etsy will bump your next choice up into the showcase slot. The idea is to be featured on the first page of that category's search, instead of getting lost in the shuffle of the hundreds of new entries per day; the showcase keeps your item at the top of the page so that people viewing that category can see it at the top, regardless of where it is in the listings. It sounds like a good way to get buyers' attention, since Etsy is overloaded with new items every day, and it's easy to get overlooked.
So I booked a showcase for the crochet category for today (I chose one of my Boho soft multi-colored lamb's wool scarves that take me 18 hours to make as my featured item. The price of the scarf was $21.20, 20 cents covers my listing fee, and the cost to make the item is 11$, and I am putting 18 hours into each scarf, so I am technically getting paid $1.63 an hour for my work. And then, postage hits. But my item didn't sell, so at least I don't have to fork money out to buy packing materials.
I was curious to see whether the showcase resulted in more hits to my shop (or any evidence of my item being noticed), and I was paying close attention to the numbers- all day long.
I checked early on into the showcase, about 6 hours in, and the showcase only provided me with 2 clicks.
I edited the listing so that my blue Boho children's scarf was listed- because on further thought it occurred to me that people might be more willing to look closer at something that's priced cheaper. Result: 3 more clicks.
I started to realize in the late evening that I had gotten exactly 6 views through the showcase feature. Which means, not only is Etsy charging me a listing fee of 20 cents, plus a commission of course, but now I have been charged $1.16 a click (equating to the $7 showcase fee.)
What a waste! A waste of time, money, and energy. I didn't have a single sale today while being showcased. Not even my cheapest item, a $3.20 lanyard that I crochet with expensive multicolor yarn.
I had already booked a slot for the 15th of this month to showcase some very high-end art. I wish I hadn't done that- but once you book a slot, you can't change your mind.
Today's experiment of Etsy's showcase... On a scale of 5 stars, ZERO of 5 stars.
Here is what Etsy promises it's sellers about showcasing:
"Why get a showcase spot?
The Etsy Showcase is a great way to bring buyers to your shop. By getting a spot in a showcase, you're advertising directly to Etsy buyers looking to purchase great handmade items.
Increased Exposure
Showcases are placed in prominent, well-trafficked locations on the site, where Etsy buyers are looking to buy. Most sellers experienced increased views to their items and shops as a result of purchasing a Showcase spot.
Minimal Investment
Showcase spots start at $7 and don't require any lengthy or expensive commitments. You can try it out without breaking the bank.
Long-term Benefits
The perks of being in a Showcase don't end once your timeslot is up. Sellers in the Showcase have more people mark their shop as a favorite, leading to more sales down the road as buyers return to their favorites and share them with friends."
Whatever...That's how they pull you in- with that "Increased Exposure". You can get increased exposure by using free website submission sites, and using hashtags on Twitter. Save your $7... And the hassle.
No comments:
Post a Comment