Building Your Handmade Online Empire {A Five Part Series} Tip #2

Welcome to my five tip series to help get the web on your side, a little bit at a time.  Each month I will provide a new tip to get you inspired!

My last Tip #2, "Harness The Power Of Stats" gave you a crash course in approaching stats for your various websites, social networks and shops. I hope you cracked open a few stats pages and got excited about the wealth of information there. Did you find my article helpful? If you missed it, please be sure to read it here!

 If you missed the first tip, be sure to read it here!

Tip #2. Harness The Power Of Stats

Once you have tried creating some new online places such as a Facebook or Twitter account, a Pinterest page or maybe a YouTube Channel, it is time to determine what is working, and try to figure out why! The power of stats will make your online presence drive traffic and sales to your shop!

This article is not a detailed course in specific stat applications, but rather a crash course in recognizing the importance of watching your stats (even if only once a month!), and a resource guide to get you started and keep you learning about what stats can do for you.  So..let's get started!

WHAT ARE STATS? Stats are collections of data that provide information about activity on the web. You can find stats almost anywhere you create an account, including Craft Cafe, Etsy, Big Cartel, Facebook, Twitter, and of course, the great Google Analytics, which allows you to see your website traffic in lots of great visual ways. 

Start Simple: Ask these three questions, and look for the answers in your stats:

1. Where is my traffic coming from? (search engines? referrals? links from your facebook posts? outside links?)

Here is a sample of my website stats that shows where my traffic came from during a 7 day period last month.

2. What do people click on? (most popular pages, posts, items in your shops)

3. Are those clicks turning into sales? (example: if you get 1000 clicks to your necklace and earring set, but no sales...you might reconsider your pricing, or see if you need to make a more alluring or informative description)

QUICK TIP: Look in your "admin", your "dashboard" or "shop tools" for stats. Click around and get familiar with what each account looks like!

From the simplest numbers (how many clicked your link, visited your site) to complex and visual information sliced and diced (so you can see exactly how people reacted to your link, post, sale, campaign), stats enlighten what goes on after you post a listing, a sale announcement and so on. Don’t ignore stats! Look around at all the different places where you have stats available. Do you see any trends? Do you see anything unexpected? 

Facebook Shares, Likes, Comments

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK: Stats give you information about WHAT people react to, and as you observe your stats, you might begin to see trends that tell you which things you posted that brought customers, fans and sales to your shops, pages and accounts.

The screen grab of my facebook post illustrates a very simple version of stats you can see right on your facebook page. Every time you post, facebook shows you how many people saw the post (lower left corner of the image), how many likes, comments and shares. Note the posts that get a great reaction and keep up the good work!

Something to think about: You might see that nobody clicks when you simply post a link to your listing, but when you talked about a new technique you used to create your product (and yes, add your link to it in your shop), you got a lot of clicks and a couple of new fans. That example is actually one I learned about in my stats. When I first created my Facebook fan page for M Design Boutique, I used to post links to my items for sale in my shop. I got very few clicks on those posts. When I began posting about orders I was making or new ideas I was looking for feedback about...I got a lot more clicks, more comments, questions and that lead to more sales.

What makes you interesting? Think about each post as a potential conversation, and when you get a click...you’re being a good conversationalist. Handmade small business owners are interesting. What makes you interesting? Think about that every time you post. This works to attract bloggers and fans who might decide to share what you posted! That is the definition of viral activity! Be so interesting that everybody wants to share what you have to say. It all links back to your page!

Think like a customer: As a customer, I am more likely to click and see your link if you tell me something I didn’t know before. I am more likely to find you interesting and want to know more. I am more likely to become your customer because you’re not selling to me, you’re inviting me to learn more about something I’m interested in. You are an expert! Be interesting! It sounds a little touchy-feely, but it works. Just watch your stats to see it working!

What to watch for: Spikes in traffic can indicate that somebody on the internet has linked into your shop or page! That is exciting! 

                                                                                                                     

READER CONTRIBUTION: Carrie Foster of Frawgz Dezignz submitted this example of her Craft Cafe Stats page, which shows the direct correlation between her facebook fan page posts and the traffic into her Craft Cafe shop.

 "I check every day. I know the days I post new items on groups or my fan page, the days I even post at all on my fan page with a link to my shop, my stats go up. The occasions I'm featured somewhere, my stats go up." -- Carrie Foster, Frawgz Dezignz

                                                                                                                      

Etsy Stats from M Design Boutique on Etsy

Here is an example from my Etsy shop stats. Last June there was a major spike in traffic to one of my listings. I was in the midst of my busiest season for filling orders, so I didn't look till later to see why. I ended up figuring out that a VERY beloved website "Regretsy" listed one of my products in a post they made. Look at that traffic! Without looking at stats, I would never have known why so many clicks happened all at once. Especially since I don't promote my Etsy shop on my social network sites.  

Notice also that I get a good amount of clicks coming from other places where my products are showing up in search queries. I'll talk about it in another post, but well-written KEY WORDS, TITLES and DESCRIPTIONS all help with those rankings and click-throughs.

This is a good time to stop, breath and go brave those stats. You're armed with some basics...and before you know it you'll be excited every week or day or month...to go see what your stats have to offer you.

Thanks for taking the time to read! Watch next month for Tip #3: Ask Yourself The Hard Questions

Please do leave comments and questions here! I will be sure to respond to everyone. I know that many of you are experts. I welcome your input, as I am speaking only from my experience. What works for one works for many. Increase the expertise! Add your advice to the discussion!

Thanks!
Melissa Machowski
Owner, Designer, Maker at Spoiled Cowgirl by MDB, M Design Boutique, MDB Weddings and Events and Spoiled Cowgirl by MDB at Craft Cafe

Why listen to my advice? I believe in getting perspectives from all over the place. I have learned from other people succeeding at what I am trying to do. I’ve tried a lot, read a lot, failed a lot, and ultimately found some real success at running an online handmade business. My lessons learned can be yours too...at least, I hope so! ----> next tip coming in one month! Follow Craft Cafe and Spoiled Cowgirl to get the announcement!

Building Your Handmade Online Empire {A Five Part Series} Tip #1

Welcome to my five tip series to help get the web on your side, a little bit at a time.  Each month I will provide a new tip to get you inspired!

Album Release Custom Promotional Favor Candles

Over six years of selling online, I have grown my three shops to generate a stable, steady income. The flow of customers into my shops is not by accident or luck. My customers come from lots of places I have created online to get my products seen. By building my web presence over time, I’ve gone from hoping for one sale per week to accommodating a peak volume of over twelve hundred candles in a single month. With that experience, I hope to give you inspiration and knowledge to build a powerful online presence that supports your growing business.

Tip #1. Just Try It (and not all in one day!)

Building a web presence means generating ideas, content and relationships that lead potential customers to your handmade products.

Spoiled Cowgirl is my newest Craft Cafe Shop

I didn’t get to three shops and a steady flow of orders to fill without my share of despair, stress, major growing pains and yes, even self-doubt. I didn’t always know where I was going or how to get there, but I did, and still do know that if I work hard, create superior products and try new things, I will go somewhere.

Whatever it is...if you’re wondering how it works, whether it will work for you...or why other people do it, then (say it with me) JUST TRY IT! If it works, keep doing it. If it doesn’t (or you hate it...that is okay too), now you know. You can get somewhere without a huge advertising budget. I know because I did it! But first I had to (you guessed it) JUST TRY IT!

Overwhelmed? Too busy? Trade out just one hour of television per week and try simply researching or signing up for something new. Hey, try it while you watch TV or wait for water to boil! Whatever works to fit new things into your schedule. Keep an inspiration notebook near you at all times. Anytime you have an idea write it down. Then when you need something to work on later, you can look at all those ideas for inspiration.

A Newsletter Keeps Your Fans Connected

Try Twitter or facebook, comment on another business's page with words of encouragement or a question, try making a YouTube channel and post a video or set up a blog. Then on your next slow sales day, go back and start writing up your first blog post. Chip away at new things and see what works for you. After a month of trying new things, look around your stats....are you seeing links into your shop from the places you’ve created to support your shop? No? Keep trying stuff! Check back after a month and see what happens. If you're a little overwhelmed with stats, be sure to watch for Tip #2 next month. I'll be talking about the importance of stats, and providing some great resources for making sense of them.

Like I mentioned before, I didn’t get where I am by hoping for sales (although I surely do that). I got there by trying new ideas and then following through on what works best for me, for my customers and for my market. The search results and customers take awhile, but they will come.

Be prepared for ideas! Keep a notebook handy.

Over time we can create something big out of little lists, day-dreamy cups of coffee, time taken reading about people who do what you do, ideas written down, barriers broken one by one. Each step taken is a brick. Build your empire one brick at a time with an open mind and your core gift at the helm....your creativity! Let the life you lead on the web bring your customers to you while you do the fun part...make what you make, filling all those orders.

Thanks for taking the time to read! Watch next month for Tip #2: The Power Behind Stats

If you'd like to see examples from my "online empire", take a look at some of these ideas and links. Maybe something will speak to you for your next slow sales day! Stop by and say hello if you get a chance!

Social networks:  

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Polyvore

Articles and Blogs:  

Craft Foxes, Published Articles, YouTube Channel , Flickr, Photo Documentaries

Communities: 

 Promotions & Celebrity or Custom Work

Private Groups:
 The Sampler Village, Craft Cafe Social, Card Swaps
Various:  

Newsletter, Craft Cafe Shop, Full Website, Big Cartel

Thanks!
Melissa Machowski
Owner, Designer, Maker at Spoiled Cowgirl by MDB, M Design Boutique, MDB Weddings and Events

Why listen to my advice? I believe in getting perspectives from all over the place. I have learned from other people succeeding at what I am trying to do. I’ve tried a lot, read a lot, failed a lot, and ultimately found some real success at running an online handmade business. My lessons learned can be yours too...at least, I hope so! ----> next tip coming in one month! Follow Craft Cafe and Spoiled Cowgirl to get the anouncement!