Thursday, April 23, 2009

Need your input!













Next week's Craft Venture column on Paper N Stitch will focus on photos and descriptions that help keep traffic in your shop and helps increase acceptance into online gallerias, gift guides and exhibitions. I would love to hear from you all, sellers of handmade AND buyers of handmade!
  1. What is crucial in photographs? What appeals to you as a buyer? What appeals to you as a treasury curator? What do you look for when you're writing your own posting or column about great handmade?
  2. What is crucial in good descriptions? What turns you off from buying/curating/etc.?
  3. Who do you think is exceptional with (a) photos and/or (b) descriptions? Give us some examples! (I may use one or more in Monday's column!)


















Some incentive to participate - I will use (and give credit) for your input, with link to your blog and/or shop, in Monday's column! You might get sweet a surprise and see a photo example from your own shop!

To get the ball rolling, here are a couple of my own thoughts on the subject ...



















Photos are absolutely crucial to successful online selling.
  • The obvious "don'ts" include not using a flash, not using the date/time from your digital camera in your photo, not photographing on your dirty floor/carpet/sidewalk/bed/couch/etc. (don't laugh, I see it all the time!), not using someone's else's photo!
Descriptions are also key!
  • Please please include dimensions! Both US and metric.
  • Include fiber content, care instructions, yarn weight (and length), volume, weight, etc.
  • Connect to your potential buyer by personalizing your description - what makes it interesting? What makes YOU interesting?














I would LOVE to hear from you - add away to the comments and retweet/blog/etc.! Final draft of the column goes up Sunday night!

Some of MY favorite photos (from top down):
  1. All That Glitters Cuff, by paperhill
  2. Jolie Hoop Earrings, by urbanlegend
  3. Tascanimali Black Masked Yellow Green Cat, by YacsPocket
  4. Two Leaves, Two Sisters, by 5gardenias

No comments: