Avatars Banners For Our Online Shops Platforms Blogs Websites

Avatars Banners For Our Online Shops Platforms Blogs Websites

Many of us do sales online as our business, and for some it is a hobby too. When we set up shop with different venues, market places, platforms, blogs, and websites we often have many questions as we set them up. Colors, do we use animated pictures, do I need a template, should I have a signature with my emails, what about my avatar, and do I need a banner? A lot of things to consider, and this is just some of it to begin with. 

A lot we can discuss, and this opens the door to many things. I am going to start this off with a simple subject now. Avatars, and banners is an issue that I see discussed quite often with different places like Etsy, Ecrater, Artfire, our blogs, and of course some of our websites too. Is there a true answer to this? I have yet to find one that is 100% correct, and says it is the law to do it. But, when we set up shop online we like to treat it like having our own brick & mortar store. Appearance can grab attention, and it can bring the customer in for a closer look. Don't get me wrong, our products definitely bring them in to look, read, learn, and hopefully purchase. As they enter sometimes appearances can reflect on you as a seller too. 

So, do we need an avatar with some of our shops? Do we need a banner with our shops as well? Is it really necessary, and does it really matter? In some ways yes it can make a difference with some shoppers. When choosing these things what do we choose? What is the best thing to use? Many have said that we should show a picture of something that we sell, or have sold. That is a good point. It is also mentioned to show a picture of ourselves with our avatars. I have also seen shared that we should not have these things to busy, don't have too much frill, and then there is also colors too. Yes, it is nice to show pictures of items you sell, give the customer a feel of what it is you do and offer, but I myself also think it is good to show a little bit of yourself. What I mean by that is show a little bit of who you are, your personality, and not only show what you sell, but let the customer feel comfortable entering your shop with a welcoming feeling of who you are too.

I know, it's a bit over whelming right? Don't let it intimidate you. Experiment with it a bit, and get some feed back from customers who buy from you, and from others within your same niche too. 

I myself like to keep things simple if I can. Yes, I use the same banner....most of the same banner pretty much everywhere I have set up shop. I try to stay with the same colors, and use the same avatar as well. I myself feel that this helps with recognition when shoppers are out searching that big old internet for things they want. Does it help? I have had some comments from past customers and acquaintances meeting up with me on Facebook, or maybe Google+ asking if it was really me, they remember me from this or that place, and it was nice meeting up with me again. Sometimes the comment I thought I recognized you which is a good feeling. 

Some like to change things every month with their avatars, and banners too. Maybe not every month, but at different times they will change. It works well for some, and others also have a different view with this. I would Love to change my avatar, and banners myself. I have often been tempted to, but at the same time I decided to stay with everything the same. I am still someone small, still trying to grow, and trying to be recognized by others as well. So, to keep things simple again, and not confuse anyone I keep the same. Eventually I will change things out, and maybe then I will have someone else design things for me. Till then I do it myself, and keep it simple being LilacsNDreams.  

I know I probably didn't give you complete answers to some of this, but I hope it gave you a little bit to think about as you venture onto your online shops. I appreciate you sharing your time with LilacsNDreams, and hope to see you again soon. Take care, and Have a Happy Day!  

Websites Blogs Venues Market Places For Online Sales

 Website, Blogs, Venues, Market Places For Online Sales

Hi! Welcome to LilacsNDreams Everyone! Ever get into one of those funks that you know you want to make a change, not sure how much change you want, and if you do change things what is maybe the best way for you to go? I, like many others, do Online Sales. Not only do I deal with different venues/platforms, but I also like some of the social networking with it too. 

I use Etsy, Ecrater, Artfire, and sometimes Ebay too. With changes that keep happening with different places, the rules, how they do things, the expenses, how visible you are in searches, and of course dealing with the search engine changes too I often wonder if I am better doing things on my own. If not completely on my own, what is it I should do? What is the equation so to speak that one should follow?

Like many others over time I have signed up with different platforms to sell with. Some have done well for me, and some is like you are non existing. Many of them take work with titles, descriptions, keywords, links, and working with SEO. Seems like you do what you know to do, what you are told to do, and then something changes. When those changes happen there go your views, the traffic gets lower, and along with that comes low sales also. So, how does one get through this?

Many of us do have, or wish to have our own websites. I know those take a lot of work, and can become spendy as well. You do more work with them with SEO, and trying to place in search engine searches than you do with some of the platforms already set up by different places. Then, if you use the free websites like weebly you can hear good, and bad about them as well. Some have websites with a blog included. There are some that use wordpress, and you often hear good about that too. For me wordpress is good I understand, but it is also kind of complicating to me. I have also seen some use blogger blog as their site, and do sales with them too.

Often people will use their blogs, show their merchandise they are offering with links back to where you can buy them. Doing this you avoid having to deal with a shopping cart on your site. At least for a little while till you build more, and move on. The same is with some of the social networks too. The popular one is Facebook of course. That is one place I have not been the most active with. Some of the social networks allow you to show your goods with the links back to the shops you have them in, or you can offer to sell right from there. One place that has been doing this, and is growing is The Vintage Village where they have also been working with another addition called Vintage Rising. Vintage Village is for those dealing with vintage, and antiques while Vintage Rising is for items that are not quite vintage, crafts, handmade, supplies, and things like that.

So, what do you think a person should do? If you deal with Online Sales what is it that you do for yourself, your business, your brand that you have found to work? I have come to kind of a stand still myself, and have been thinking things through more than I have working with my shops. I have more pieces to list, have taken pictures, have revised the pictures, etc, and etc....I have things sitting out to work on as well making some new pieces too. Unfortunately, I am being slow with it all lately. 

Would love to hear from others on what they are doing, what they have found to work for them, some ideas, some suggestions, and a lil bit of this and that. 

Thanks so much for sharing your time with LilacsNDreams. It is Wednesday, and a Happy Hump Day to all! Enjoy, and see you again soon. 

Ebay Alternatives, Other Online Selling Sites and Auctions

Ebay Alternatives, Other Online Selling Sites and Auctions

Hi! Glad to see you visiting with LilacsNDreams! Ok, I admit today I probably should have done a bit more with my growing list, but give me some credit. I did get some listings done at eBay. Special ends Saturday that I am part of, and I have more to list there, relist, revise listings, and etc. 

It's that time of year that eBay is having their spring changes, fee increases, policy changes, and the usual. We are soon going to experience having a 10% final value fee with our listings, and don't forget that crazy charge they do with shipping cost too. We are going to keep the 50 free listings a month, and I think I read after the 50 free listings it would be like a .30 fee to list. Then, there is the changes with the pictures that they are now doing, and will go into effect by July 1st. They would like us to use white backgrounds, and pictures should be 500+ for pixels. They do not want to see watermarks on the pictures, or at least have them across the items being shown. The picture rule came about since mobile users are becoming more, and more with their usage and purchases. Trying to help out with that area which I can understand. 

When I joined eBay in 2004 it was fun, enjoyable, a learning experience, but also a money maker too. As time has gone along the fees increased, the rules change, the policies change, and so on. The sellers dissatisfaction with eBay, and their strategy to drive small sellers from the site sends them out searching for other places to sell. The obvious answers we first get are Amazon, and Craigslist. Don't stop there as there are many others out there, and many other solutions that can be used too. 

• Bid Start
They have auctions here of collectibles, very strong in stamps - coins - sportcards - comics - and games. You have to visit their sites fee page for more details for some numbers. This is a successful site for stamps, and coins. They have expanded into collectibles, and seem to be growing.

• Bonanza 
They have fixed price store format with a wide range of mostly used products including vintage, and collectibles. They have free listings with low fees. 

• eBid
Here they have auctions with a variety of products. It appears they have $49.49 lifetime fee, 0 listing fees, 0 final value fees, 5 free photos, 5 free eBid stores, uploads to Google Shopping, unlimited listings, and For Life. This is a functional site with growing buyer/seller base.

• eCrater
This is also a fixed price store format with a wide range of products. They have zero selling fees, no listing fees, offer use of Paypal and Google Wallet for payment options. The is a growing site with moderate sales. They allow sellers to link to their own websites here too.  

• Etsy
This is a fixed price place with handcrafted items, art, supplies, and vintage items offered. Their listing fee is .20 which is for a 4 month listing. Final Value Fees are 3.5%. They are also a growing site with a loyal following.  

There are many many more to mention, and if you google eBay Alternatives you will see different suggestions that are made, different opinions shared, will hear the good, the bad, and you know the routine. Ruby Lane which is for vintage, collectibles, antiques, and high end products of this sort. Shopinterest is newer, and comes off of Pinterest which is a growing social bookmarking/pinning site. There is Addoway, and others that could also be mentioned too.  

None of the sites gets near the traffic of eBay, or Amazon. Therefore it could be difficult to make a living on all, or any of them. Best use for these sites is to expand your business beyond eBay by adding additional channels to sell in. Since most have either lower, or no listing fees there is no incremental cost, or risk to add any of these sites. You know that saying "don't keep all your eggs in one basket" True it is. 

These are decisions that each individual seller needs to decide on themselves. Are you happy with one venue, do you feel you need more, and if you need more how much more do you need? I have seen some stretch themselves too thin with too many shops. I have seen others have just enough that works for them, and they can manage too. It is a decision that is up to us, and what our goals are for selling online. Yes, I do still at eBay, and use the 50 free listings every month. I also use the specials that they offer for listings too. Yet, I do not limit myself to eBay either. I have a shop with Ecrater that I need to work with, and have enjoyed using. In fact, with some customers from eBay I have had them go to my eCrater shop if they want a better deal for an item that I can make the numbers work with the fees of using paypal/google wallet, and etc. I also have a small shop with Etsy too. Between eCrater, and Etsy I have done some sales along with eBay too. For me it is enough to move inventory I have, for what I do, and where I feel comfortable. 

I got a little bit winded today I see, but hope this was of some help to those who question their sales with eBay. Hope it helps others who have thoughts of moving on, or having another venue that they are considering using too. I wish you all well with your sales, your decisions, and sending you all the best of luck with this. 

Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams, and hope to see you again soon. Take care, and Happy Sales to All. 

Market Places, Venues, Ebay, Ecrater, Etsy, Artfire, Ruby Lane, and More

Market Places, Venues, Ebay, Ecrater, Etsy, Artfire, Ruby Lane, and more.

Welcome to LilacsNDreams, and Happy Hump Day to all of you visiting! Having one of them days with thoughts going through my mind, and thought I would come by here to visit with all of you. 

I, like many others, spend time surfing the internet. We do it to read, learn, catch up on things, compare, and one of my favorite things is to shop. Besides shopping I also like to sell online too. There are many places out there to shop online with, to sell with, and there is no way I can know all of them either. You have your market places with auctions, some do not do auctions, you have big venues selling online, small venues, your big businesses, and quite honestly a lot of shopping is done online with many places. Some have ventured off having their own websites, and are doing well. Others have tried websites, and found it to be more than they wanted with cost, upkeep, coding, and so on.

There is so much out there to choose from, so much to see, and of course never enough time to see it all. So, when you go shopping online where do you go to? Or, if you are a seller where is your preference to sell at? Is it Ebay with auctions there, and of course buy it nows too. Do you visit with Ecrater where you can use Paypal, or Google Wallet to check out with. At least a little more payment selection is offered. Do you go to Etsy for handmade homemade items, or maybe you visit Artfire for that too, and can use Amazon Payments there. Then, there is Ruby Lane where you can purchase your vintage antique collectibles. So many places out there, so much to see, and how does a person keep it straight, right?

I guess I am just in a slump right now with the change of the seasons. I haven't done too much lately to really make any sales with any of my shops. I do ebay periodically, I have inventory growing at Ecrater, and I have things also with Etsy too. Artfire has not done too much for me for quite some time, but I still show things there which keeps my name out there for others to find. I have family staying with us right now which off sets my schedule of things a bit too.

Sometimes a person can do too much with different market places, and then again not enough too. I was one that had things sitting everywhere. Over time I have been pulling things away, and trying to simplify by just having 2-3 places that I sell with, and shop at too. I found that I enjoy having more time to work with the shops, am able to work on more projects, can spend more time promoting items amongst 2-3 places, and I am actually getting more views with keeping it simple too.

So, for whatever reasons where do you sell at, where do you like to shop with, what are the advantages and disadvantages, and etc? Would love to hear some input with this a little bit. Always nice to have views through the eyes of others. 

Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams today. I enjoyed you stopping by, and hope to see you again soon. Take care, and have a wonderful Wednesday Hump Day!

Ruby Lane Ruby Plaza Changes Happen by End of Year

Ruby Lane and Ruby Plaza Changes are Happening by the End of the Year. 

Welcome to LilacsNDreams everyone! If you have not already heard, or maybe need a reminder  about Ruby Lane's sister sight called Ruby Plaza, it will be closing by the end of the year. At Ruby Plaza you were able to sell your items of new, and not vintage. Many sellers who do online sales enjoyed that there were 2 sights they could work with selling their items. Earlier in the year it had been announced that Ruby Lane would be closing their sister site of Ruby Plaza. The site is still active for those who are selling there, and the sellers there were also given the option of moving some of their things into Ruby Lane too. Now, for those who are still there selling, it is best that you visit the site so that during the process of my discussion there is no misinterpretations of the rules, and the changes for you too. 

Like with any other market place when this happens many questions can flood your minds. A big question especially of what do I do now? Where can I sell my items that are not considered vintage, how do I sell some of these items that are maybe new, I buy from Thrift Stores and different places to resell. So where can I sell these items at now? There are many market places out there, and you will hear all kinds of stories about them. Unfortunately, you will have to find the one that feels good for you, that works for you, and that you can agree with also. 

There is Ecrater to consider which you can sell a little bit of everything there. Paypal, and Google Wallet are both accepted there for payment processors. No listing fees, or final value fees. There is Etsy which is for handmade, supplies, aritisans, media, repurposed, upcycled, and vintage is also sold there as well. They have paypal, and a direct checkout that is offered with their payment services. Listings are .20 cents for up to 4 months, and then there is a 3.5% final value fee. Of course Ebay is still around, and still the biggest place to be selling your wares with. They offer paypal for their payment services. No listing fees, final value fees are 9%, and there is also a final value fee they charge with your shipping charges too. Each place has their own visibility, some are straight selling with a buy it now price, and like with Ebay that is auctions along with buy it now prices too.

Now, some already have a website, or maybe have websites they have been working on. These are services you can pay for along with cost of shopping cart services, or some use free website services, and use the widgets from different market places that are offered as well. They then will buy their own domains for this as well. Don't forget there are many who will also use their Blogs. With their blogs they might offer buy it now buttons, or also offer widgets to visit for different places too. With most of the people who Blog you can contact, and they would also be happy to invoice you for an item that you are interested with as well. 

Many options, many things available, but it is up to you with your choices of what can, and will work for you. I hope that this bit of information was helpful to some of you who are still deciding, or needed some ideas. Hey, don't forget you are always welcome to offer something that I have not covered, or added too. 

Thanks for sharing your time with LilacsNDreams everyone. See you again soon.

    

How Many Pictures is Enough to Use and Show

How Many Pictures is Enough to show with all that we do online?

Hi there, and Welcome to LilacsNDreams. Gonna bring up a simple topic today for ya'll. Many of us do online sales, have websites, work with blogs, and for the most part we are trying to sell our goods that we have to offer. Along with us offering different products for all to buy we include pictures with our listings. A question that gets asked sometimes is How Many Pictures is Enough?

Some people only like to do one picture, and feel it to be enough. Sometimes some sellers can offer too many pictures that you can get lost in when viewing. Better yet, too many pictures and they all start to look alike too. 

With each venue we use to sell our products with they all have a different amount that is allowed with our listings. Ecrater allows up to 10 pictures, Artfire allows up to 10 pictures, Ebay has changed and is allowing up to 12 pictures free, Etsy allows up to 5 pictures. These are ones I am familiar with, and do know that there are other venues out there used by many others too. 

For many of my products that are vintage I like to show all possible pictures that I can. Main view of an item, top, bottom, both sides if they are different, makers mark, any flaws that are visible, sometimes pictures with some possible uses to help customers consider some things, and etc. For items I repurpose upcycle I like to show all pictures possible which sometimes can include the before picture of how things looked too. When I do pictures I try to remember the customer.....they are not there to see it in person, feel it, smell it, look it all over, etc. Also, sometimes pictures can explain more of what our words cannot tell too. So, if I can use up to 10 - 12 pictures I try very hard to fill them all up. Sometimes I find that only being able to use 5 at Etsy is difficult because I think I need to show more. Then, again, only having to show 5 is sometimes enough too. 

Each item is different, each seller is different, each person has their own feelings of what should, and should not be done. But, you as a customer, what do you like to see? Do too many pictures get used sometimes in your opinion. Perhaps sometimes there are not enough pictures shown for your shopping purposes. Would love to hear some opinions with this. Share with us all what you like to do, and why you do it. 

Remember everyone, there is no right or wrong to things I talk about here. Much of it is opinions, and sometimes I share how things should be, or what research does show us. So, go ahead and share with us all here. Keep it clean, no one be nasty, and please remember everyone does have their own opinions that they are allowed to. 

Thanks for visiting with LilacsNDreams today everyone. Take care, have a wonderful day, and see you again soon.