Etsy Card Readers issue

I ran across some very important information in the Etsy forums today that I really want to share with my readers, especially Etsy shop owners.  This is for anyone who has an Etsy card reader and plan on using it any time soon.  A lot of artists use these card readers at craft fairs and other "outside" Etsy venues to accept credit card payments.  People with Etsy shops think that by using these Etsy card readers that they will be able to keep their sales records all on Etsy and track their sales in one place, all through their Etsy shops.  It sounds perfect, right!  Wrong!

It now appears that there is a glitch with their card readers making swiped credit cards unable to fully process.  That means that people are losing not only those swiped payments, but the merchandise they sold as well.  After the transaction sits around not fully processed for seven (7) days, that money is redeposited back to the credit card account.

So until Etsy fixes this serious problem I recommend using a different card reader!

Click on this link here to read one internet article on the Etsy card readers.

Here is another article about the Etsy card readers.

How to do the thread, Favorite item from the shop above you, for THE Networking Team, Etsy

This screen shot tutorial will hopefully help our team members understand how to correctly post in the team thread, Favorite item from the shop above you.  

First of all click your mouse on that thread!  Once done, go to the last page in the thread, you will find the page numbers at the bottom of the thread's page.  Click your mouse on the highest numbered page, that page has the most recent posts.

Look at the last post in the thread, in the screen shot below I used KatrinSArt.  You will see that she posted an item from my own shop, HarrachGlass.  Now for your turn, you would click your mouse on KatrinSArt shop (NOT HarrachGlass) and you'd pick your favorite from her shop.  

In my screen shot, I picked the Moustasche Posts from Kateryna's shop.  At the top of that screen shop you will see that I highlighted with yellow, the http link for that specific item.  Once you have highlighted the http address for the specific item that you want to post, copy it...  Control C.  

Then by using your web browser, go back to the thread to where you want to post your favorite item, and click your mouse in the box next to your avatar, once done paste the http address by using your Control key and letter V.  

For the last step, don't forget to actually like that item that you just posted.  You will see a rectangle that has a heart in it which says Favorite, click your mouse on it.  Now you're done.  The next shop that comes along will pick their favorite item from your shop and post it the same way, and on and on.

The definition of THREADS, for THE Networking Team on Etsy, tutorial

Below shows a screen shot that I made showing what threads are and where to find ALL of them in the Etsy team called THE Networking Team.  

To begin with, on the team's main page you will see, towards the center of the screen, the word in bold type, Discussions.  I highlighted the word in yellow, below.  Click your mouse on that word (link) and you will then see multiple pages of more subjects which look like what I circled in red, below.  All of those subjects are links, and they are called threads.

You will see that we have many pages of threads in THE Networking Team.  You can find the page numbers by scrolling down to the very bottom of the threads page.  The higher the page number, the older the thread.  

When you click your mouse on an individual thread; the higher the page number, the more recent the post.  

Network Team on Etsy

Today I was looking at Etsy teams, (because I have an Etsy shop), and noticed that there wasn't one made for networking!  Networking is very important for all businesses (including Etsy businesses), yet it seemed to be overlooked.  So....  I made one.

Most Etsy teams are made for sellers living in certain geographical locations around the world.  Other teams are for certain types of sellers, or Treasury teams and other promotions.  I didn't see a team that would include all of the above with the intent to get more views on our shop pages and more name recognition.  Also, the Network Team not only includes sellers, but buyers too.  Now buyers can promote stores that they like!

Please follow the link below, to the Network Team.  Once you join (anyone can join), you are welcome to post, promote and advertise your Etsy shop or other's Etsy shops that you like.

Click here to view and join the Etsy, Network Team.

How to set up an Etsy shop, Part 2

Shop Profile
Public Profile
Shop Settings
Shop Title
Info & Appearance
Banner and Avatar
Facebook, Twitter
Shop Announcement
Shop Policies
Change Shop Name
Shop Languages

Once you are registered as an Etsy user, you can begin to list, market, and sell your goods online!

You will want to write up a shop profile for your customers and all shop viewers.  It seems as though a lot of buyers like to know that they are purchasing their merchandise from someone with a profile.  It gives viewers the sense that you are really operating a legitimate shop.  It doesn't have to be especially long, but it should include information as to what you make and/or sell on Etsy.

To find the shop profile section; first sign on to your shop's page, then on the top right side of the page you will see a few links, next you will need to click on the link Your Account.  From there you will find, on the left side of your page the link Public Profile.  Once you click on the link you will be able to add your profile (in the "about section"), your profile picture (your shop's avatar), and other information.

Next you will want to go back to your shop's home page, and once again on the top right hand side of the page click on the link that says "Your Shop: *********".   Once you click on that link, look on the left hand side of your page and look for the section called Shop Settings.  Click on the link,  Info & Appearance.  In the section that says Shop Title, you will want to write a very short description of what you sell in your shop.  This little section is very important since it will show up in google search results!

You will see that on this page you will be able to add your shop's banner.  For those who don't know what a shop banner is...  click on the link to our Harrach Glass Etsy shop here and you will see our banner (as shown below) at the top of our page.

On the page How to set up an Etsy shop, Part I, we have included the size and other information showing how to create your own shop banner and avatar information.

You will also be able to link your Etsy shop to Facebook and Twitter on this same page.  This is an excellent way to get people to look at your shop, especially if you have a Facebook fan page.  We feel that having your shop linked to at least one of these social networks will bring in a lot more shop views thus, possibilities of more sales!

The shop announcement section is used to give your customers added information like sales and misc, yet important info.  This section will also show up in google search results.

On the top of the page you will see a tab link to Sections.  We use our shop sections feature to break down our shop into categories.  We sell jewelry, glass art, various supplies in our shop so we have created various sections to allow customers to find our merchandise easier.  We'll get more into sections later.

Next to Sections, you will find the link to Shop Policies.  It is advised to have a written payment policy and return policy.

The Change Shop Name allows you to change your shop's name although we advise our readers to stick to their original name due to name recognition.

Last there is the Shop Languages section which will allow your shop to be conducted in more than one language.  It is an excellent way for bi lingual shop owners to get a lot more shop exposure!

How to set up an Etsy shop, Part I

Etsy Dos and Don'ts
Shop name
Banner
Business license


To begin with, make sure that Etsy will allow you to sell what you want to sell.  To find out what is allowed, check out this link, http://www.etsy.com/help/article/483.  This is their Dos and Don'ts page. 


To buy and sell on Etsy, you will need to register to use the web site, oh, and it's free of charge.  You do not have to supply your name but you'll have to supply an email address and your username (your official shop name).  

You'll need to come up with a good shop name.  If you already have an online business or brick and mortar store, it's best to use that name since you already have some name recognition.  A great name should either describe what you are selling or include your business name.  


You will see that a lot of Etsy shops have banners at the top of their home pages which usually include their shop name and other information.  Banners are nice to have but not mandatory.  Banners are easily created on programs such as Photoshop and other editing software.  Click on this link to see the information listed below, http://www.etsy.com/help/article/451.  There are businesses that charge to create banners for those that are unable to create their own.   


Look for a good avatar to represent you or your shop.  Since it is pretty small (only 75 x 75 pixels), you need to find an image that will look good at that small size.  Avatars are not necessary for people that only want to buy on Etsy although they are still fun to use!  For sellers, avatars can be used to advertise your shop and can be used quite effectively for advertising.  


Here are the expected sizes for each image type (in pixels):

Avatars: 75x75
Shop Banners: 760x100
Team Logo: 170x100
Listing Images: 570 pixels wide

Below we have included some links to some pre-made banner templates for those that need a little help:

http://www.pumpkinsandposies.com/free-etsy-shop-banners.html

http://starsunflowerstudio.blogspot.com/2011/01/40-more-awesome-free-etsy-banners.html

Finally, you will need to have a tax identification number for your business and you will need to know what sales taxes your state expects for you to collect from your customers.  Later, when you finally begin selling on Etsy, you will find when listing your products, you will need to fill in your tax information in the shop tax rate section. 

Feature Your Artsy Blog on our Blog

So I was sitting here at the computer this morning thinking about what we wanted to post about today.  And suddenly I thought, hey, why don't we give other bloggers a chance to be featured on our blog!  So that's what we are going to do!  Any interested bloggers can either send us an email at HarrachGlass@gmail.com or post a comment below with their blog address.  We'll check out your blog, and if it's good and artsy,  we'll post it to our blog, it's as simple as that.

We are looking for blogs that are about art, Etsy sellers, basically any internet artist.  We are also interested in sharing blogs about internet tools and tricks for twitter, Facebook and webpage development since we all need some help sometimes when it comes to HTML tags etc.  And, any art glass supply distributors, retailers, or manufacturers are always more than welcome!