Selling on Etsy, Algorithms, SEO etc.

[webtrekker]

I used to sell (MANY years ago!) imported oil paintings on a market stall. I did very well at the time as few were doing the same. However, as with many of these new ideas, popularity eventually dwindled and I turned my hand to selling greetings card. Now THAT was a WHOLE different ball game!

You see, everyone wants a fast buck for the minimum of effort, so I had to compete with others who were selling the same cards as me, bought from the same warehouses. The trouble was, some of these people were established sellers and had been buying large stocks over a period of years from these warehouses and some were getting 30% discount. I couldn't compete with that so, after about a year selling cards, I gave up.

So that's my point ... When I was stretching canvases and framing them no one was interesedt in competing as it involved some work and expertise. This is where I learned that it's daft flogging a dead horse trying to compete with others who can always undercut your prices. Far better to put a little thought and effort into an idea of your own that requires a little skill and is therefore not going to be immediately jumped upon by the stack-em-high-and-sell-em-low brigade.

[Justin]

Appreciate all the response folks but i think we're going a little off topic. Thread is regarding Etsy SEO etc. not quality and price of products. Apprecoate the inoput and comments though

[SubOnCotton]

Appreciate all the response folks but i think we're going a little off topic. Thread is regarding Etsy SEO etc. not quality and price of products. Apprecoate the inoput and comments though

Some use spammy titles and sell lots, and some don't, and sell lots.
Some put a load of words in their description and some don't, but both can sell well.
Quick turnaround helps, as does good reviews.
Bad reviews (justified or not) will harm your rankings.

I don't think there is any particular recipe for success, but if you can drive traffic to your Etsy shop then this will be a big advantage.
However, if you can do that, then you may as well have your own website.

Given the questionable loving of a quick buck for the shareholders which the latest CEO has, then I would suspect that Etsy has secret algorithms which it doesn't tell anyone about.

I go through periods of mass sales, then nothing, without changing a thing. A change in the algorithm is to blame I would expect.