Friday, November 30, 2012

Poll results

Well...I've closed the poll...
"Which Online Shopping Sites do  you prefer?"
and these are the results I've gotten.

Mind you it can't be considered a scientific poll by
any means...it was for my own benefit
to help me decide on my options.
I was very surprised to see only 1 vote each for
ArtFire and Zazzle.

I included 'Brick and Mortar'...realizing that is not an online shopping site 
but,
some folks just do not shop online
so I thought I needed to include it...
it too only got 1 vote.

So..Etsy wins out by far.
Guess I'll see what I need to do
to make Etsy work for me once again.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Getting it all sorted out.


Apparently a job is not in my future...I don't know how many
applications I filled out online...since that is apparently how things
are 'done' now...
and I've only had 1 response...and that was a 'no'.

I have so many ideas 'floating around in my head' that I want
to commit to paintings (either digital or acrylic)
in the coming months...
perhaps I just need to get better at marketing.

I've got approximately 250+ pieces listed...between all of my shops...
but still making very few sales.
I know that I have relied so much on site driven traffic...
and that has pretty much gone away...
now I just need to figure out what I need to do
to drive my own traffic.

And...I'm working on it.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving


I hope you enjoy family, friends and 'feasting'...
have a very
"Happy Thanksgiving"

Monday, November 12, 2012

Art Business Update III



Well...once bitten, twice shy...as the saying goes...
still worried my Etsy Shop could close
at anytime.
In spite of all of my 'upset' with the recent
changes...I think I've decided I don't want to 'voluntarily' close this shop...
I've had it for five years and have built a loyal customer base...
 
But, I have come to realize that I need 
to expand my online art business to other sites.
I was under the mistaken impression that it was
necessary to devote all of my time and resources
to one shop and make it the best shop I could
possibly make it.

And while I have made some very nice sales and
built a loyal following on Etsy, I also put myself
and my business in the hands of a single site that I had
very little control of.
So...here I am, at what should be my busiest time of
year, starting once again...from scratch.

I am not complaining, mind you, it's just a "lesson
learned".  "Don't put ALL of your eggs in one 'basket'."
For one thing, I am having to learn a whole new set
of do's and don'ts...what works and what doesn't
on the new sites I have recently joined.
 
I plan on staying with all of the shops I currently have
and

as and, if, they are...until after the first of the year.

I know it is mostly duplicates offered on all three sites...
the reason being...
I wanted to see which site I thought would
best suite my needs.

All of the sites are now based on 'relevancy' rather than 'recency'...
which basically means...
I have to learn and implement a lot of SEO...and do a lot
of promoting to get any of my sites seen.

But..since all these sites are owned by someone else...
(I just basically 'rent' space there)
I made the ultimate decision to open expand my current website
to include a small 'shop'
in early 2013.
 
It's too late in the season to have to worry about trying to
bring customers to a brand new website...
and besides..
I need to concentrate on the shops  I currently have
if I have any kind of business this holiday season...
but
I want to 'CONTROL' my own online destiny
and I think the best place to do that would have to be
my OWN Shop on my own website.

So...decision made...hope everyone has a great holiday season...
especially my fellow online sellers!!
          

Friday, November 9, 2012

Art Business Update II


With the changes on Etsy...my shops on Artfire and Zibbet...
it has become apparent that I am now left to
drive Most...if not ALL...traffic to my sites.

The biggest problem with this is...
How to do it...
without seeming spammy or repeating
myself over and over on the
social media sites I currently do most of
my marketing through?
 
I check my meager stats on Etsy and found that I had
one search term 'whimsical landscape' that
had come in through Google the day
after the election...
try as I might...
I tried that search term in Google
and never did find any of my art.
 
Sooo...
I've recently joined
and added new 'boards' on
and really need to update my
as these are all sites that
have posting buttons in one or more of my shops.

I'm not a stranger to social media or marketing
my own art...I just think that I'm not very good at it.
So...rather than work on new creations...
as I have a lot of new pieces that are getting much 'love'
at this time...
I've decided to learn much more than I know now
about social media and marketing.

So...while the job search still continues....
I will also be learning more about
how to increase my online presence and hopefully
grow my business to even more than
it was
when Etsy pulled the rug.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

A very quick Poll


In helping me to make decisions concerning
my online Art business...
I would sooo appreciate it if you could
take a few seconds to answer this poll...



Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Art Business Update 1

Things have really taken a 'turn' with my online
art business.
Unfortunately the turn isn't a good one either.

Suffice it to say that I should have known better
than to place all of my 'eggs in one basket'.
Since I can't control what site owners do or don't do...
it was rather foolish of me to have only one
'real' online shop and promote only that shop.

So...now, here I am, in what should be my
busiest time of year...
trying to grow 2 Brand New shops...
and it is more than a little time
consuming...
and somewhat 'disheartening'...

For the first time in 8 years...I've had to
try to find a job...
and that is no easy task.

Every place I've applied wants the application
submitted online...and thus far...I've only heard back from
one of the dozens upon dozens of places I've applied...
to tell me I wasn't qualified for their position.

I've done a lot of  'soul-searching' this past month
and...
I still haven't come to any firm decisions.

I really do NOT want to let my online art business go...
but the decision may not be mine.
Since I still have to pay my bills...
and they are beginning to pile up...
I may end up flipping burgers at McDonalds.