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.

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.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you enjoy family, friends and 'feasting'...

have a very

"Happy Thanksgiving"

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

Etsy

ArtFire

and

Zibbet

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!!

          

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

Wanelo

Ownza

and added new 'boards' on

Pinterest

and really need to update my

Kaboodle...

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.

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...

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.