Craft Fair Extraordinaire Feature Interview #5

Today, I am excited to feature a very talented artist, Colorfly Studio, who works with a lovely mix of different media. She paints canvases with beautiful, bright colors. Her work really makes me smile! I love how bright it is, and how eye-catching it is. Her setup is very nice - it has clean lines, and really draws all of the viewers' attention to the work itself! The bright white background is a nice contrast to her colorful work.

She was nice enough to take the time to answer a few of my questions about her successes at shows and such...


1.) Please tell us a bit about yourself:
Name/Company Name: My name is Jennifer DeDonato and my company name is Colorfly Studio. The reason Colorfly Studio came about is because people had a very hard time saying my last name so I felt I needed to come up with a easy memorable company name. My husband came up with Colorfly because of my love for color and I am crazy about dragonflies and butterflies.
General Location if you want: Houston, Texas
Website or Contact Info: www.colorflystudio.com takes you to my site and my etsy shop is www.colorflystudio.etsy.com
See her on Flickr here.

2.) What form of art/craft do you make? I used to use only paper but in the past years I have added acrylic paints and dye ink into the mix. So I would officially call myself a mixed media artist.



3.) When did you start vending at Craft Fairs? I started about two years ago. Were you successful at first? My very first show was wonderful and I couldn't have asked for a better response to my work. I thought it might be a fluke so I kind of blew it off as such but then I had another big show and it went really great.

4.) What is/was your favorite Art/Craft Fair you have ever
attended/vended at and why? My favorite art fair is the First Saturday Arts Market in the Heights area of Houston. I am lucky to live in a city that has a wonderful art scene! I love it because the artists that attend are so amazingly talented and friendly. It's also great because the market happens the first Saturday of very month so if you attend on a regular basis it becomes like a little store front.

5.) What was your least favorite Fair to attend/vend at? I did a local craft show and it was not good.
Why? The main reason was it wasn't the right audience. The people attending were mostly consultants for other companies like Mary Kay, Stampin Up!, Taste of Home. I didn't know this ahead of time and now I think it's important to check to see what other vendors will be attending.



6.) What tends to be your target audience? Young couples with children and women.

7.) Do you ever do marketing for your upcoming shows, or do
you leave it to the Show Coordinators? If you do promotions,
how do you do them, and do they seem to work well? Do you
ever do giveaways at shows? Give out lots of business cards,
etc... I have a blog that I promote my upcoming shows on. I have had several people come out to meet me because of that. I end up giving out a lot of business cards. I am working on a email newsletter that will go out to my past customers to let them know where I will be and what work will be available.

8.) Have you ever helped put a show together or run a show?
Which one(s)? Goodness NO...that is so much work and I have my hands full just getting my EZ Up canopy in place.



9.) How have Flickr, Etsy, Facebook, etc helped you expand
your crafty business? I have all three of these accounts. The only way Facebook helps me is it lets my family and friends know where I am going to be. I think the account that has helped me the most is Flickr. So many people are able to see my work because you can join specific groups geared toward your work. For example Mixed Media, Quote Art Group or Cut Paper Artwork just to name a few. You join these groups and then you can put your work in the group pool. This is great because Flickr will let you know when new work is added to the groups you have joined. I found on Etsy that you just get lost and it's hard to advertise. I say that because when I have gone to promote, the ad spaces have always been sold out. I think if Etsy decides to promote you as a featured seller then you're golden but to try to promote yourself is really challenging.

10.) What do you think the difference is between an Art
Show and a Craft Fair? If there is any difference...I think the main difference is the prices. At an art show you will have original artwork or one of a kind jewelry that can cost some big bucks, At a craft fair you are going to find items sold in multiples.

11.) If you wish, please list your upcoming shows for 2010
and beyond. Vox Culture (Feb 19), First Saturday Artist Market Houston Heights (March 6) CITYCENTRE Spring Market 2010 (March 27, 28), Midtown Art In The Park (April 10) , Cross Creek Ranch Arts Festival in (April)



12.) Any words of advice for people who do not think their
setup is as good as it could be? What is your most
successful layout for a table or booth. Be as general or
specific as you want. I have had my booth every way possible! I have noticed that as patrons are walking and looking they usually want to be left alone to take your booth in. I put my table off to the side so the artwork can be seen and where I am not intimidating buyers. Nothing worse than a person thinking they are going to get pounced on. If someone comes in I greet them and leave them to look. However, after a few minutes striking up a small conversation is always good. Something like..."All my work is made using paper and paint. Oh, and I make my own frames." That usually leads to other questions and the longer they stay in your space the odds of them buying increase. Always say hello to kids and pets ALWAYS! I have little things for small children to keep like (goldfish, lollipops, etc). One market I attend has SO many dogs owners so we started giving little treats for them. I think having a small table with some goods on it right outside your booth is key. I put less expensive items there like cards, magnets, prints. It gets their attention and then they come in and look.

13.) Any closing remarks? Best of luck!

An Unofficial Guide to Etsy from Piddix

The latest "Quit Your Day Job" artist on etsy is PIDDIX. See this Website for her tipsHERE. And see this Etsy Storque Article HERE.

Some advice from this site...
"Here's some of my favorite advice that I've kept as a text file on my computer over the past few months (yes, I know, may sound a little lame but it's worth it). Big thanks to my mom for her expertise in EBay that's also applicable to Etsy!:

* List as frequently as you can so you'll always have something for a person to click through to in the first several pages of your category.
* Always use Flat Shipping boxes if you're sending things to Alaska or Hawaii.
* Always use Delivery Confirmation on packages, period. You can skip the cost of it if you print out the shipping label through the USPS Site and then bring it to the Post Office rather than waiting in line.
* Overseas rates are reduced through the USPS site, as well. Direct from the site: "You'll receive a 10% online discount on Global Express Guaranteed, and 8% discount for Express Mail International, or a 5% discount on Priority Mail International shipments when printing and paying for postage online using Click-N-Ship®!"
* Try unconventional marketing. While actual internet ads are always fantastic means of driving hits to your store, consider supplementing it with profiles on networking spaces like MySpace, Indiepublic, and Facebook. Blogging and exchanging links are also great alternative marketing strategies. It may seem a little more obvious, but many people also forget that local Etsy Street Teams and groups related around crafting or your specific business are a great way to get your name out there."

Ok, I am off in cyber space finding out what turns buyers on and off. More to report later...

Shop Makeover Series: Google PageRank Tips for Your Etsy Shop

I am quoting this article directly from the Etsy Shop Makeover Series Found HERE... I smiled when I read this because I have previously reported on TimothyAdam's advice on Better and more complete titles for your etsy shop and items.

"The following article on Google PageRank was originally written by Aprilrobin for TimothyAdamDesigns' blog (a great resource for Etsy sellers!).

I've seen the question so many times on the Etsy forums, "Why isn't my Etsy shop showing up in Google when I search for XYZ?" While that is actually a very complex question, in a nutshell: to get seen, you need to optimize your Etsy shop for Google and increase your "PageRank".

Google's PageRank is the designation from 1 - 10 of an algorithm that assesses how important your website is (10 being the most important). Here's the kicker: it’s machines making this determination. You may have heard these machines referred to as "spiders" or "robots". I prefer to think of them as robot spiders merely because it amuses me. These robot spiders crawl the web hunting for information and bring it back to the Googleplex. This is known as indexing. If your information is good and full of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the robot spiders will come back often and give you a higher PageRank, therefore greatly increasing your chances of top search results.

PageRank for any website can easily be viewed by installing the Google's Toolbar. How do you get this PageRank?

If you search the web for SEO techniques you'll find plenty of them — too many. Unfortunately, a lot of the information you'll find is either not applicable to current versions of the algorithm, spam techniques, or not applicable to Etsy. Etsy is not the same as your regular personal website and I'm not going to suggest you obtain a personal website today either. Baby steps.



Inside Your Etsy Shop

The best thing you can do on Etsy is provide good titles and descriptions and use all of your tags. When writing your titles and descriptions, think of key terms. “Key terms” in this sense simply means that you are using descriptive language that includes words and terms buyers might use to find products like the ones in this listing.

If you were searching for items such as yours in Google, what kind of language would you use? Put yourself in the mind set of the searcher and write accordingly. Keep in mind that Google likes change. If you re-list the same items again and again, change your titles and descriptions up every once in a while. Try some slightly different verbiage and new key terms each time.



Outside of Your Etsy Shop

Link, link, link! As in, get people to link to you (inbound links/ IBL). To start, use links to your Etsy store in your signature on any blogs, forums or message boards you belong to.

One of the biggest factors in boosting your rank is inbound links from sites with a high PageRank. Not only is Google more likely to index these high ranked sites quickly and repeatedly, but you're more likely to get click though traffic to your site and more people linking to you. Site click through rate (the people following these IBL to visit your shop/CTR), is another important factor to determining your PageRank. Inbound links from a low ranked site won't necessarily hurt you, so don’t freak out on your friend for linking you from his low ranked site. Ignore reciprocal link services and engines that litter the web. These are spam and Google hates spam.

Relevant Links

There is some argument among web developers on the topic, but many, myself included, agree that your IBL should be “relevant” whenever possible. Relevant refers to the relevancy of your IBL to your store.
An example of relevant IBL: If your Etsy shop containing crocheted face scrubbies is linked to by a cage fighting website, Google is going to see that and be sort of “Ok, what the...?” If your Etsy shop containing crocheted face scrubbies is linked to by Martha Stewart, Google is going to see that and be all “WORD!” Your store is now associated with high-ranked information on crafts and handmade goods. You’re also bound to attract higher click through traffic. Consider how relevant IBLs are to your shop before investing time pursuing them or paying to advertise.

Hyperlinks

A hyperlink is when you use words to link to your Etsy store instead of graphics, or in addition to graphics. Remember, the robot spiders can’t see pictures, so do not rely solely on graphics when you link to your shop. Use descriptive key terms in your hyperlinks. Creating a link to your shop that says “buy handmade crocheted face scrubbies” is going to be more valuable than a link that‘s your shop’s name. “Daisydoodle’s Boutique” might be the perfect shop name for you, but how the heck is Google supposed to figure out that has anything to do with handmade crocheted face scrubbies?

Tips

1. Don't try to trick Google.
Google’s main purpose is to weed out spam and garbage content and organize legitimate content. Google also carries a grudge. Even though we’re dealing with robot spiders here, they’re a lot smarter than you may think. Filling descriptions and links with nothing but irrelevant key words and trash can get you on the blacklist or “sandboxed”.

2. Be realistic and don't obsess.
Get this through your head right now. Say it out loud… “I WILL NEVER RANK A 10”. Say it again and believe it. PageRank is global compared to all other websites in the world. At the time I’m writing this, Etsy’s homepage has a PageRank of 7 and Amazon ranks a 9. Those would have to be some very magical face scrubbies for your shop to have a PageRank like that!

Find other Etsy shops to look up to and compare yourself to those. Figure out what it is that they’re doing right. Your ultimate goal might be a 4. That’s completely OK and likely very appropriate. As part of my business — I run very popular statewide real estate websites — if I can rank a 5, I’m over the moon.

3. Be patient.

New shops might take a while to be indexed at all and jumping an entire number is an enormous job.
Keep up with ethical SEO: write organically, be thoughtful, network for relative IBL, DO NOT SPAM, and in time you’ll get there. The cream always rises to the top.

4. Keep your eye on PageRanks.

Download Google's Toolbar to find out the PageRank of any site your browsing (including your own!)"

Etsy Success Tips n Tricks : Poor Economy a Stewin'

I found this article from an etsy email I got. I am quoting th earticle I found HERE.
"After wrapping up a very busy and sometimes lackluster holiday craft show season, I have come to a few grand conclusions about the economy at the moment, and – no surprise – it sucks! Though the jury is still out on how the craft community will be impacted by our nation’s (and world's!) crashing markets, it's always good to prepare for tough times when in the midst of uncertain ones. As independent artists and crafters with scarcely a safety net in sight, we are vulnerable in many ways, and I sometimes worry that we may be hit the hardest. Sadly, many customers are now opting for the lower quality, cheaper priced, large chain store gifts over our handmade masterpieces. While sitting there for hours at my booth at various craft shows contemplating this fact, I dwelt on what I could do better next time in order to combat the holiday season of lookie-loos...

1. Be flexible: It might be time to think outside the box with special promotions, painstakingly hunt for a cheaper supplier, or work on a fresh new idea that you may have been stewing over. The more items you carry and the more price points you have, the wider audience you can appeal to and the more sales you will make.
2. Learn to tighten your own belt: Do not under estimate the smaller, more local craft shows, such as the ones run by craft mafias or Etsy Teams. Since many of these shows are well-run and attract a specific audience, they are some of the best and cheapest ways for you to get your items out there. The simple fact is that the more money you spend traveling and paying for tabling, the more money you need to make in order to break even.
3. Network, network, network: Get to know other crafters, and listen to the wisdom they have to share about specific craft shows, cities, and markets. Why waste your time sewing purses for craft show in a city that is really into housewares and already flooded with handbags? You are just wasting your time and supplies. I know it takes time and can be tedious, but check out the Etsy forums, Craftster.org forums and the switchboards for some real talk about the business end of things. It does not cost anything to be friendly!
4. Promote intelligently: I think I find this the hardest part of this business, because I tend to just sit around and think the customers are going to come to me. However, in these tough times, we all know that is not the case. Stop just giving everyone a plain boring business card or an elaborate promotional item that costs way more to make than you have to comfortably spend. This year I started giving people buttons, magnets, and pencils with cute images of items in my shop. Not only do the customers love to get free gifts, but when I got home, I had tons of new hearts and orders from people who got my promo items at a show. These promo items were cheap and easy to get and got me a much better response than a plan business card. Also, get creative and friendly with your local print shop – you will save money doing the printing yourself.
5. Be realistic: Although some of us (like myself) really depend on the money made from crafting to live, it's time to get realistic about potential changes that you may need to undertake in order to stay afloat during these lean times. If buyers are thinking twice about their purchases, then you need to think twice about the best, most cost effective way to run your business. Be smart and in the true spirit of D.I.Y., do it your damn self…it is cheaper anyway ; )
6. Don’t underestimate the quality of your own work: Many people might not understand the time-consuming process or expensive materials that go into producing your items. However, once made aware of the time, effort, and love you put in, buyers will be more apt to fork out the cash. I noticed this a lot at craft shows. A person would pick up a yarn from me and admire it, but when I told them about the almost 6 hour process that goes into making every one, I think they felt more comfortable paying almost triple what they would for it at a large chain store. Don’t be afraid to market your process. Describe it in your Etsy listing and profile; include it on the back of your price tag, or chronicle it on your blog.