"Why aren't my abandoned cart emails converting to sales?" So, this question popped up a few days ago in a small business boss group I'm in and I felt compelled to write about it.
Let's first address WHY people are adding products to their cart.
I know for myself, I like to "window shop". I like to go to websites, look at all the pretty things, add them to my cart {you know, just in case... for later} and I jump ship, because A.) I don't currently have the funds to purchase, B.) Don't NEED what I'm shopping for at the moment, or C.) I'm going to wait for a sale or discount (which is why having an email list is so important, so people can subscribe to your sales, etc. Read more about that HERE). You see, someone like me greatly appreciates those abandoned cart emails, so don't feel discouraged. I love when I get a little reminder that pops up because, if we're being honest, I window shop A LOT -- on several different sites. Aside from leaving 1,000 tabs open on my phone or computer, those emails are the only thing connecting me back to what I wanted to purchase {at a later date}. It's not so important to look at the number of sales missed that are tracked by abandoned cart emails, because people WILL come back when they are ready to make that purchase and it might not be by clicking the abandoned cart email, but that email may have reminded them, if that makes sense. 
How exactly do we get a higher conversion rate on abandoned carts?
The secret is simple. You raise the prices on your product and offer a more enticing incentive to come back, like a higher percentage discount or dollar amount off per sale. "But I can't raise my prices, I will out price my product and no one will buy." WRONG. This is the biggest misconception among small business owners. They are always so afraid to take this leap, but want to know where the sweet spot is. Well, this is it. This is the sweet spot. This is the difference between a business owner and a crafter. All too often I see small business owners with the crafter mentality. We all know what that is... They slash their prices in an attempt to undercut the competition, but end up underpricing themselves so badly they end up out of business in 5 years or less because they didn't understand how to "business".... or how to "math", for that matter. If you are making money with your craft, you are a business, therefore, a business owner, and you have to start thinking like one. If you are a handmade small business, you have even more of a reason to have higher prices being that you don't just buy and resell -- you actually make your own products. You have a lot more time invested than typical retailers. Not only is raising your prices going to raise your abandoned cart conversion rate, but it's going to increase your sales overall because now you have the flexibility to offer sales more frequently. What do buyers like? Buyers like a deal, even if they just think they are getting a deal, and we are all guilty of it. "I don't like playing mind games with my customers." Umm, OK. You do you, Rhonda, but this IS what works. It isn't a mind game, it is strategy based on extensive research and human habits. Your buyer wants what you're selling, but they want to think they received a deal, so you give it to them. Imagine going into your favorite brick and mortar store. I don't know if you do this, but I definitely do. I find something I love, check the price tag, walk around with it in my cart, then go put it back at the very end because my kids need the things more than I do, BUT -- if that product is on sale -- you've got me, and the higher the sale, the more likely I'm going to buy, because "What if these mauve sequin PINK Victoria's Secret joggers aren't here tomorrow in my size?" or "What if this sale ends tomorrow?". The sense of urgency has been created. Your virtual abandoned cart is no different. In addition to raising your prices, sweet spot #2 is: Create a sense of urgency. Your abandoned cart email should contain 2 things: an enticing discount {25% or higher} and a sense of urgency, like, "Complete your purchase now and use code 'XYZ' for a limited time, while supplies last!" OR make an expiration for your code. Make sense? A rule of thumb for retailers is to price products 4x or higher than the original price they purchased wholesale for. They bank off the few that pay full price during their initial release, have a 25% off sale a few weeks later, where they will still make a great profit, then at the end of season, they'll hold a 50% off sale, where they will still make double the money that they spent, so why in the world should your small business not be doing the same?
Did this blog post help you? Did you raise your prices and offer higher discounts to more effectively convert sales? I want to hear about what works for you in the comments below!
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If you need assistance opening your Etsy shop, designing an amazing logo, sale graphics, tips on running a small business and much more, find Liv & Co. Consulting on Facebook HERE. Full disclosure: We blog about an array of topics from recipes and our favorite products to small business advice and tutorials. We may receive a small commission from links in our posts to keep this blog running, however, we do not represent any companies or products that we do not absolutely love and stand by 110% because that's not how we roll. The opinions expressed are our own. Our blog is for informational purposes only and any information found on this site is not substitute for professional advice. Visit Liv & Co. to shop our baby, toddler and mama apparel and accessories and The Matriarchy Matters for our collection of apparel and accessories that celebrates women. Follow on social media: Liv & Co. Facebook Liv & Co. Instagram Liv & Co. Pinterest Liv & Co. Twitter The Matriarchy Matters Instagram Subscribe to our YouTube Channel HERE.
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Customers want to see your products in action and that's where Brand Fans, Brand Enthusiasts, Brand Reps, Brand Ambassadors, and Influencers come in. All levels typically require a contract of some sort; the most common being a 3 month term on a team with an option to leave, stay, or level up at the end of that term. A Brand Fan typically gets a small percentage off to promote a brand on social media. Brand Fans do not have purchase requirements. They are not required to send photos, but often do because, let's face it, if you're a Brand Fan, it's normally because you already shop with that brand, so why not take pictures, right?
A Brand Enthusiast is someone that gets a hefty discount from a brand in exchange for photos. Enthusiast photos aren't required to be professional quality, but they must be submitted whenever their discount code is used and posted to social media pages, tagging the brand. A Brand Rep gets free product in exchange for bright, well styled, professional quality photos. Brand Ambassadors are similar to Reps, but typically are known as the face of a company, and therefore, are not allowed to rep for other companies within that niche until their contract is up to avoid brand confusion. An Ambassador typically has a longer contract; most are 6 months to 1 year. Influencers receive free product and payment in exchange for social media posts. They generally have a large following and high engagement ON TO THE FUN STUFF It's been called to my attention that many shop owners are struggling to find reputable reps. Time after time I land in a small shop or rep group with owners complaining that their "reps" have ghosted them. I've been around the rep scene for 6 years now. I can honestly say I've only been ghosted once and that person will not make this list. Thus, this post was born. I decided to compose a list of highly reputable reps that will get you professional pictures of your products with quick turnaround. Most reps are versatile and can get you amazing photos for just about any product including, but not limited to, clothing, home decor, toys, shoes, etc. In this post I'm also going to include influencers. Influencers are paid and sent product in exchange for social media promotion, etc. Some influencers will rep for free for small shops because they love to support small businesses. If a rep listed below is also an influencer, I will note that next to their Instagram account so you are aware that you may be charged a fee to work with them. If you are a rep or influencer and would like to be included in this list, have no fear -- simply remit $5 (to maintain your spot on this list) to Liv & Co. on PayPal HERE (because I spend a lot of time maintaining and editing this list), then email your Instagram account along with 3 shop owners that will vouch for you, by emailing me HERE. If you are an influencer, you must include your media kit with your entry email. Note: these are all Instagram accounts.
Let's get down to business!
Kids: @elleryblake @miss_byanka_anastasia @londonkarter @ireland_and_colton @thedisplacedyankees @annistyn.and.rosalie @modernfarmhousefamily (influencer)
@ourlifeinasquare
@daphnie.pearl @njcruz_ @mrsjuliemunro @_ruffryder_ @hunterandsky @gleafulchildhood @a.sister.story @dear.november.days (influencer) 
@brittneyknudsen
@griffin.kovie.and.josie.too @juliegladki @mrslizlombard @texaswildfires @the.beebe.bunch @suzieqqq27
@ashley_hindt
@tyler.and.emma @kensington_elizabeth (influencer) @coop.and.pip @lexxajean @seven_wild_hearts
@the.becktriplets (influencers)
@boys_plus_triplets (influencers) @crayonsandcashmere (influencer) @ourlifeinrosegold @goodstuffhunters
@sarhopper
@rosiemaxhimer (influencer) @gracefulmommy (influencer) @candied_chocolate @ashliweatherby 
Adults:
@dear.november.days (influencer)
@mrsjennacide @texaswildfires @lexgleasonphotography (influencer) @___love.liv___ 
@onceupontwins
@bump.tobaby (influencer) @kensington_elizabeth @boys_plus_triplets (influencers) @oliviachronicles
@t.beaston (influencer)
@danettestoll @yolakin (influencer - Formerly Al on Step By Step. Current host of Moms In Cars & Worst Podcast Ever podcasts. Actress/Director/Choreographer/Producer.) @elevate.emily @crayonsandcashmere
@ourlifeinrosegold
@everydaywithember (influencer) @a.sister.story @hipmomma007 @rosiemaxhimer (influencer)
@mindyann1985
@candied_chocolate @bringinguptheburns @redwineandbluemom @mrslizlombard (influencer) 
Join us where content creators / photographers and small businesses collide: Brand Repping / Collabs / Affiliates / Influencers Central. Learn how to earn an income brand repping and tips and tricks for running your small business.
I periodically go through to see which accounts are no longer active and update this list accordingly. If you want to be removed from the list or you need to update any info, contact me HERE. Never miss a post or sale. Subscribe to our emails HERE
If you aren't ready to send apparel products out to Reps and Influencers yet, check out my blog post on how to make mock-ups online in under 3 minutes HERE. 
If you need assistance opening your Etsy shop, designing an amazing logo, sale graphics, and much more, find Liv & Co. Consulting on Facebook HERE.
Full disclosure: We blog about an array of topics from recipes and our favorite products to small business advice and tutorials. We may receive a small commission from links in our posts to keep this blog running, however, we do not represent any companies or products that we do not absolutely love and stand by 110% because that's not how we roll. The opinions expressed are our own. Our blog is for informational purposes only and any information found on this site is not substitute for professional advice. Shop the apparel in this blog post at: Liv & Co. Follow on social media: Liv & Co. Facebook Liv & Co. Instagram Liv & Co. Pinterest Liv & Co. Twitter The Matriarchy Matters Instagram Subscribe to our YouTube Channel HERE.  Setting up a business can be stressful. Investing capital with without guaranteed ROI (return on investment) is one of the biggest concerns for small business owners when launching a website. Well, lucky for us, Etsy takes that risk out of the equation and eliminates that burden for you with their 40 FREE listings offer. Now you can open an Etsy shop and earn us both 40 free product listings completely free by clicking HERE. Score! BEFORE YOU OPEN If you are considering opening an Etsy shop there are a couple things you need to have handy prior to clicking that 40 free listings link. Here is a rundown of the basics that will be required of you to open an Etsy shop:
If you need assistance opening your Etsy shop, designing an amazing logo, sale graphics, tips on running a small business and much more, find Liv & Co. Consulting on Facebook HERE. Full disclosure: We blog about an array of topics from recipes and our favorite products to small business advice and tutorials. We may receive a small commission from links in our posts to keep this blog running, however, we do not represent any companies or products that we do not absolutely love and stand by 110% because that's not how we roll. The opinions expressed are our own. Our blog is for informational purposes only and any information found on this site is not substitute for professional advice. Check out Liv & Co. and The Matriarchy Matters . Follow on social media: Liv & Co. Facebook Liv & Co. Instagram Liv & Co. Pinterest Liv & Co. Twitter The Matriarchy Matters Instagram Subscribe to our YouTube Channel HERE.  This day and age it is super important for consumers to know where and whom they are buying from. We are living in an era where people seem to want more things, but not regard the conditions or environments in which those things are made in (think Wish app).  In an "ISO" world where consumers are unknowingly soliciting crafters to knock off branded small businesses, and these online pop up boutiques that see a picture of a shirt design they like on Pinterest, send it to a China manufacturer, and have them mass produce it for pennies on the dollar (often times cheaper than an ethically based U.S. business can get their wholesale blanks for), it's more important now than ever to know, not only where your clothes are coming from, but where anything you purchase comes from. To most, a t shirt is just a t shirt, right? You have your run of the mill typical t shirt companies slinging all kinds of shirts with sayings, but then, there are your hidden gems. Then, there are your companies that are forging movements, your companies that have a unique message to send, and I don't know about you, but those are the companies I want to support. That's where Blue November comes in.   Blue November celebrates motherhood. Not just the fun, "pretty" parts of motherhood, either. They celebrate every mom, regardless of how she births, and every "flaw" that comes along with her.  Blue November isn't just selling t shirts, they are leading the virtual march to Normalize Motherhood with their #RockYourMotherhood and #NormalizeMotherhood campaigns on Instagram and Facebook.  What does it mean to Normalize Motherhood? Allow me. Each year, we as women waste millions of dollars on creams, lotions, and cosmetics that often times, don't work. We are targeted by huge companies, that prey on our weaknesses, that don't give a sh*t about us, to buy their products that don't work, that often contain cancer causing ingredients, for the sake of lining their pockets, when we could fix the "problem" for free by LOVING OURSELVES. Side note: Don't get me wrong. I love me some make-up, but I love it for ME, not because I want to cover me up because society told me I have flaws that I need to hide. The Normalize Motherhood campaign is a movement to normalize everything about motherhood that society tried to tell us was ugly. It is about reversing the thought process that we are flawed, about embracing your motherhood and encouraging all other mom's to do the same.  Embrace your c-section scar,  embrace your stretch marks,  and embrace your belly pouch.  Don't just embrace those "flaws" - OWN them. Love them. They made you a mom. "I have no idea how society turned these into ugly things over the years. We are an ever changing and evolving people, so why is it so hard to accept the changes with our bodies that come from housing human life? Why? Everything about growing another human being is like, superhuman-ish, if you ask me." -Liv; Blue November "We want every mom to feel comfortable with and love the skin they are in; to enjoy life as they are. It's OK to set goals and strive to be 'better'. In fact, we encourage it, but our main concern has always been being healthy and strong, both mentally and physically, and being strong doesn't always come flaw free. Actually, it seldom does, and being "skinny" does not equal being healthy. " - Blue November   Blue November shirts spark a conversation, and every time that door opens to a new conversation, it is another opportunity for one mom to pass this important message along to another mom. "The goal is to create a domino effect, so to speak. To empower. To not only make women feel empowered, but to KNOW they are."  If all that wasn't reason enough to love Blue November, you should also know that they are a handmade company, and I mean really handmade. A lot of consumers more than likely don't know that t shirt makers can purchase what are called, transfers, which are pre-made designs by someone else, iron them on a shirt, and still be called handmade. T shirt shops can have people design for them, order transfers made with those designs, press them on a shirt, and still be called handmade -OR- they can even design their designs and have a 3rd party company print and dropship their shirts for them and still be considered a handmade company. While I wholeheartedly support many companies that do this (those that support and spread positive messages), you should know that, at Blue November, everything is literally handmade by the company from start to finish, from their trendy t shirts to their rad snapbacks and everything in between.  You should also know that Blue November isn't just for mom's. It's not even just for women. They offer a lot of coordinating pieces for men and dad's, even kids.  If you love to support small businesses, if you love to support women owned businesses, if you love to support moms and you want to subscribe to receive occasional emails regarding new item releases, giveaways, and exclusive sale information for Blue November click HERE. If you want to shop the sweetest mom shirts and more, click HERE and use code IAMWOMAN at checkout to save! Blue November offers free shipping in the United States site wide. Not ready to shop? Pin this post to Pinterest for later. Don't forget to hashtag #rockyourmotherhood and #normalizemotherhood in your Blue November gear and tag them on Facebook and Instagram! How are you rocking your motherhood? What are your momlife struggles? Tell us in the comments below! Full disclosure: We blog about an array of topics from recipes and our favorite products to small business advice and tutorials. We may receive a small commission from links in our posts to keep this blog running, however, we do not represent any companies or products that we do not absolutely love and stand by 110% because that's not how we roll. The opinions expressed are our own. Our blog is for informational purposes only and any information found on this site is not substitute for professional advice.
So picture this: You open your Etsy shop and everything is going great. You're power seller status. This is your full time income, then BOOM -- light's out. Etsy shuts your shop down. What is your first thought? Probably, "How am I going to keep in touch with all of my previous customers that loved my shop? You'd probably scramble to update your profile page on Etsy so people will flood to your social media or to your standalone website, but the fact of the matter is, they aren't going to come. That's too much work to hunt a shop down.
Now, that is just a worst case scenario example of why you NEED an email list, but it is a very real reality. You can be shut down at any moment on Etsy and you need to prepare yourself for that from the get-go.
There are plenty of other reasons you need an email list. An email list is a direct line between you and your customers that love your shop the most. You have to capitalize on that. It takes far more effort to gain a new customer than it does to gain repetitive sales from an existing customer. 
Lucky for us, there's Aweber. Aweber is the best email marketing tool out there, in my opinion. They currently have over 100,000 small business clients worldwide and are growing. What's even better is you can integrate Aweber to your Etsy shop almost effortlessly. Aweber is SO easy to use! I run 9+ social media platforms, 2 standalone websites, 2 Etsy shops, I design and manufacture all of my own products, and on top of all that, I'm a mom and a partner. I needed something that was going to be easy to learn and easy to implement because obviously, I don't have a lot of time to burn (haha!).
Aweber isn't just for Etsy shops, it's an essential tool for all types of websites, including ecommerce and blogs. Basically, if you want to stay in touch with your following - you need an Aweber email list. What can you do with Aweber?
You'll be able to track the results of your emails and even zero in on specific email addresses and the content that makes them click so you can optimize further emails geared just towards their clicking habits to optimize conversions.
Perhaps the greatest thing of all about Aweber is that you can try it for free for 30 days. I started with the free trial myself and noticed it's worth almost instantly. You can try it for free HERE.
If you've been on the fence about opening your Etsy shop because of the listing fees, you can use my referral link HERE to receive 40 FREE listings so you're not out anything to try it.
In addition to our apparel & accessories, we also offer small business services. If you need help setting up your shop, flatlays & photography, product reviews, shop critiques, and more, you can find our services HERE.
Disclaimer: We blog about an array of topics from recipes and our favorite products to small business advice and tutorials. We may receive a small commission from links in this post, however, we do not represent any companies or products that we do not absolutely love and stand by 110% because that's not how we roll. The opinions expressed are our own. Our blog is for informational purposes only and any information found on this site is not substitute for professional advice.
Love our tees? Follow us on social media everywhere to keep up on the latest Liv & Co. and Blue November new releases, sales, and giveaways!
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 So, I've always used Brand Reps and YouTuber's for my business. I've worked with the best in the industry and I love them dearly. There is definitely still very good reason to work work with Brand Reps and Ambassadors because they do things that mock-ups can't, like promote your brand and help drive traffic and bring awareness to small shops that otherwise drown in a sea of big corporations. You can view some of the Brand Reps that I've worked with on my Liv & Co. Instagram page. On the flip side of that, I have spent TONS of money purchasing blank products for my Brand Reps making my products, paying for postage, and waiting to get pictures in return. To help ease the burden of cost and speed up time to get new releases out, I went on the search for other ways to creatively express my t shirts, because I'm not the type of girl that likes regular ole photos. That's when I came across PlaceIt. Be ready to take your small business to a whole new level! Not only does PlaceIt have the best mock-ups for t shirts, they also have mock-ups for hoodies, long sleeve tees, muscle tanks, tank tops, hats, coffee mugs, beer mugs, cell phone cases, bags, pillows, Facebook Ad videos, sale templates, computer screen mock-ups, presentation mock-ups, and much more. There are mock-up options that have people modeling your products or plain mock-ups with just a shirt or cell phone screen, etc., like the one below with our "Darlin' go make it happen." tee.  You may be thinking "Mock-ups? Ewe.", because originally, I did, too. I'd see these HORRIBLE mock-ups that just laid a word over top of a shirt that was all wrinkled up and you could tell the design wasn't really on it. Not with PlaceIt. Your designs flow with the template you apply them to. Like t shirts, for example. If the t shirt the model is wearing has wrinkles or is pulled a certain way, the design is applied to flow with it seamlessly. See below with these two girls in our Girl Power and Hippie Heart tees.  In addition to the financial aspect of having Brand Reps, I had a hard time diversifying my social media platforms and my website photos because I never had POC apply to be on my rep teams, even when I'd put a heavy emphasis on specifically looking for diversity each time I'd launch a search. PlaceIt has made this a non issue for me! There are people of all ethnicities, ages, styles, and sizes in all sorts of settings to choose from. If you need to add some diversity to your social media and/or product photos for your website, you need to get addicted to PlaceIt like I am!  At first I just ordered my photos individually, which was silly, because I was ordering so many and the monthly subscription is only $29 to download UNLIMITED mock-up photos AND mock-up videos (see the one below of our Girl Power tee!)! I was paying $8/ photo. After downloading just 4 photos I would have been at the membership cost. Since purchasing the membership I've downloaded hundreds of pictures in a matter of days for just $29/month! This way I can keep my social media flowing at a steady pace, filling in with these mock-ups while I'm awaiting Brand Rep pictures to come in! I bet you thought you needed Silhouette for Business to do amazing mock-ups for product photo's, but the good news is - you don't! Below I'm going to show you the 3 step process that takes less than 3 minutes to convert your files! This link will convert your .studio3 file from your Silhouette Cameo to an .svg file. Once you've uploaded your Silhouette design and converted it to a .svg file you will need to convert it to a .png so it will have a transparent background. You will need to visit this link to upload your .svg files (you can upload and convert multiple at a time), then select what you want want to convert them to, which will be .png. It will ask you an email address to send your converted images to. From there, you'll download those to your computer, go to PlaceIt, select one of the mock-ups you like and click "upload image". Size it to fit the way you need it to and explore the site options! Once you download your finished mock-up, it will email you when it is ready. From there you can download the photos to your computer or phone and share all over the place! Haha! Did you use PlaceIt? If so, tell us what you think in the comments below! Check out my other blog posts for small business tips and more! Love our tees? Follow us on social media everywhere to keep up on the latest Liv & Co. and Blue November new releases, sales, and giveaways! Blue November Facebook Liv & Co. Facebook Blue November Instagram Liv & Co. Instagram Liv & Co. Pinterest Liv & Co. Twitter Disclaimer: We blog about an array of topics from recipes and our favorite products to small business advice and tutorials. We may receive a small commission from links in this post, however, we do not represent any companies or products that we do not absolutely love and stand by 110%. The opinions expressed are our own. Our blog is for informational purposes only and any information found on this site is not substitute for professional advice.
 I've heard it time and time again since Etsy went public, shops that were once super busy had suddenly hit the skids with no hope of revival in site. They've done everything they did in the beginning to ramp up business again and nothing was working. I know because I was one of them. A 6 figure a year shop, suddenly halted. Etsy wanted to give every seller a piece of the pie, regardless of effort, rather than keeping those shops that had put their dues in, where they rightfully deserved to be. People who spent 12-16 hours a day on their shop, studying SEO until their eyes bled, bringing new products to the platform everyday, and social media-ing the hell out of their shops had been stopped dead in their tracks. Instead of being a person to Etsy, like it used to be before they became a publicly traded company, you are now just a hiccup in their algorithm. So, then the question becomes, "How do I fix this and work with the algorithm now that it is working against me?" Have no fear, I have implemented the following strategies and tested these theories to prove their accuracy and they work. #1. Use shop updates. I have no idea what the relevancy is to shop updates. Honestly, I find them quite silly, but the more I update, the more sales come flooding in. Then, I share them to my business Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts tag @Etsy and #Etsy in each post. I would think that shop updates would be photo's of you making your product or new releases you are working on that you haven't listed yet that you want to give people a sneak peak at, but you have to tag a photo from your shop, which leaves you limited on what type of updates you can actually post. Either way- use them. #2. Get your orders out before their ship by date. This may seem like a no - brainer, but to some, it is totally a thing. They ship their item's out way past their ship by date or wait right up to the ship by date to ship their orders. Not only does this hurt your ranking in a major way, Etsy can, and most likely, eventually will, put your shop on suspend should you become a repeat offender of shipping your orders out on or past your stated turnaround time. See, now you are just part of an algorithm, so it doesn't matter if you're a busy shop or not. If your orders ship late and the algorithm picks up on it, you're getting bumped down in relevancy. Even though I have a 1 -2 week turnaround on my personalized birthday outfit sets, I start noticing my shop dip after orders for them were open past a week. Sad to say, since my items are handmade, and it should be understood that they'll take time, the absolute fastest you can get your orders out, the better. It's like Etsy is trying to compete with Amazon and eBay now, except their uniqueness came from the fact that the site is supposed to be all handmade. #3. Respond to your messages within 24 hours, 48 hours - max. I have tested this theory on purpose and by accident. I do not work weekends - I have business hours, just as every other reputable business does. I also have a family, therefore, I do not respond to messages on the weekends and that hasn't proven to be an issue with ranking. During the week, I make sure to respond to messages in 1-2 business days. Being that I like to have a focus on manufacturing my products and getting them out quickly, I tend to put the messages that ask questions that are already answered in my FAQ and my listing descriptions, on the back burner. However, if I let them go too long, I notice a dip in sales. 48 hours seems to be the magic number. #4. Make sure you do not have any listings in your shop that violate copyright or trademark laws. Not just a scare tactic, it's actually true. If you're a shop that is flagged for infringement, you're going to take a hit in ranking. If you get flagged too many times, you'll eventually get shut down. Don't ever make the assumption that you're too small to be found out, either. There are all kinds of trademarks that people wouldn't expect, and with the Silhouette Cameo and Cricut SVG. files on the rise, people have been selling copied designs for some time now and the original owner's are really starting to crack down. Research your designs and products to make sure there isn't anything else out there like it and any sayings you use, run them through the TESS trademark database HERE. And for the love, if you are still using the term "onesies" or selling knockoff Disney products - just STOP. Because of the power of the Internet and Facebook groups, you should probably know by now that those are 2 of the biggest infringements reported on Etsy and if you take your business seriously, you don't need to be selling other's intellectual property anyway. #5. 5 star feedback. I know that feedback can be out of our control at times. Sometimes our products are just not everyone's cup of tea, and that's o.k. One 1 star feedback rating every so often isn't going to kill your ranking, but several at a time or several over time will. Strive for 5 star feedback. Encourage your buyers to leave feedback. It is against Etsy's terms of use to message people asking for feedback or offering a discount code in exchange for feedback (which is silly to me, because as long as the code is offered to everyone regardless of how many stars are left, I think it should be allowed), but you can put on the back of your business card or postcard that you include in the shipment of your package, a friendly little reminder on how to leave feedback for your shop. #6. Renew your listings. Anything and everything to stay relevant works and that includes renewing your listings. I have almost 300 items in my shop. Obviously, some of them are going to get lost in the pool of baby bodysuits and tee shirts and this should be considered in every product category. Just because you list an item once, doesn't mean it is going to take off, and the longer it sits there stagnant, the more it loses it's position in rank. Renewing the item brings life to it again, in a way. It puts it back in front of more viewers that have yet to see it. If an item sits from the time you list it for 4 months until it expires without being sold one time in between, how do you think anyone else has seen it if you aren't renewing it or advertising it? If you are one of those people that say you shouldn't have to renew your listings or, my personal faves, that you shouldn't have to pay for advertising, A.) It's $0.20 for crying out loud. You can renew 5 listings a day for $1. I hope you have a $1 a day to invest in your business, otherwise, running a business may not be right for you and B.) It takes money to make money. You need to either renew it, revise the listing, take better pictures, or evaluate the product's likability altogether. #7. Avoid having cases opened against your shop. I think we can all agree that we don't want any cases opened against our shops. Things happen and customers don't always come to us first with their issues, which sucks, but it happens. Stay proactive. I am human and have had cases opened against me. The longer a case stays open, the more I notice my shop dipping in relevancy, which can be quite discouraging in cases that you literally cannot do anything about. One time, I had someone open a case against me claiming her baby bodysuit arrived and that it wasn't boy colors. The listing photo was literally a purple and green design. She even included a photo of the bodysuit in her case and it was side by side with my listing photo, looking identical. She never responded to the case and it took some time for it to close. In the event that a case should be opened against your shop, resolve it quickly and professionally. There are my 7 tips to revive your existing Etsy shop or jump start your new one. Did this post help you? Let me know what you think or any tips you've implemented since the new algorithm in the comments below! If you haven't yet opened an Etsy shop yet and you'd like to try it out for free, use my link HERE to get us both 40 free listings. If you need help with your small business, head over to my Small Business Blog Posts where I help you with The Power of Pinterest, How To Come Up With A Name For Your Business That Will Withstand Time and Trends, Why Your Abandoned Carts Aren't Converting To Sales, and so much more. I also offer paid services for small business owners HERE. Whether you are a business or a small business shopper, come join us for some networking in our Facebook group for content creators, Brand Repping / Collabs / Affiliates / Influencers Central Want to advertise on the right column of this blog where thousands drop in to check out our apparel, crafts, small business tips, and more every single day? Click HERE to purchase space. We have single photo and slideshow ad space for as little as $10!  Disclaimer: We blog about an array of topics from recipes and our favorite products to small business advice and tutorials. We may receive a small commission from links in this post, however, we do not represent any companies or products that we do not absolutely love and stand by 110% because that's not how we roll. The opinions expressed are our own. Our blog is for informational purposes only and any information found on this site is not substitute for professional advice. Love our tees? Follow us on social media everywhere to keep up on the latest Liv & Co. and Blue November new releases, sales, and giveaways! Blue November Facebook Liv & Co. Facebook Blue November Instagram Liv & Co. Instagram Liv & Co. Pinterest Liv & Co. Twitter If you'd like to keep up with our blog posts, you may sign up via the sign up form directly below this paragraph. The sign up form at the bottom of the page is for our Liv & Co. t-shirts & accessories.  When beginning a small business, we all know the must - do's. The legal stuff, the tax stuff, etc. Being completely prepared to start an online business (or any other business, for that matter) is an area most small business owners lack knowledge in. We tend to jump in feet first and use a 'learn as you go' approach. Today, I'm going to outline 4 things you NEED to do before opening your shop or upon opening your shop that most don't normally think to do right away.  1.) Start an email list. This is completely essential to your business for so many reasons. I was already 10,000 sales in before I realized this (fail). If you are using a selling platform like Etsy or eBay, chances are strong, with all of the trademark and copyright hype going on right now, that your shop will more than likely be closed down at one time or another, and if that happens, you'll want backup. (To view a list of commonly used words/phrases/designs that are actually trademarked/copyrighted, view my post HERE.) Even if that doesn't happen, you will utilize your email list to stay in touch with customers that are interested in your product with a monthly newsletter, discount codes, sales, and more. I use Aweber for my email list and they've been amazing. They even let you try it free for 30 days. Etsy and many other website hosts allow a sign up form to be integrated into their site so your customers may opt in to your email list.  2.) Have your own website. No matter what, you will want your own domain name, at the very least. I recommend having your own website on top of any other platforms you're using to sell on so you always have somewhere to turn if things go sour. You can re-route your domain name to your Etsy shop or any other selling platform. I use Weebly because it is kind of fool - proof, very user friendly, and inexpensive, but there are several other options out there for you if you don't have a lot of start up funds to go big with a web designer right out of the gate. Your domain name is the link you want to advertise everywhere; your business cards, networking with others, etc. This way, if you were to ever be shut down or restricted on a selling platform, you will have advertised your domain name to your customers, so you can start your own shop with that domain name or re-route it to another platform if you have to move. Etsy advertises for Etsy. If your SEO is on par and your photo's rock (if you need help with your photos, see my tutorial HERE), you should have no problem being found on Etsy organically through their search. Etsy also advertises for you with Google. You need to focus on advertising YOU and YOUR business. If you are interested in opening at Etsy shop, but haven't done so and would like to try it out for free, use my link HERE and you and I both receive 40 free listings.  3.) Start accounts on all forms of social media. So, once you've picked out your business name (if you need help with selecting a business name, see my post HERE about choosing a business name that withstands time and trends) and you are sure about it, you need to start your social media accounts. Don't delay this or think that you'll just start once you get busy. You want to start your social media interaction from the get go to drive traffic as quickly as possible. I mean, all the social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, & Pinterest. Those are my top 5. Instagram rocks because you can link your Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr accounts to it and share every Instagram post to all of those accounts simultaneously, making managing your social media almost effortless when you're starting out. The down side to Instagram is that they've become like Facebook. Rather than having an organic feed they have an algorithm driven feed and it's hard to be found when you're a newbie. Thank goodness for hash tags. To find out 11 hash tags Etsy sellers should be using on Instagram see my post HERE. You can follow me on Instagram HERE. Pinterest is an amazing tool for small businesses because of group boards. If you aren't familiar with group boards, check out my post HERE about the power of Pinterest, how group boards work, and a link to my 2 small business group boards. Follow me on Pinterest HERE. Facebook is not even a question. You have to have it. I have a Facebook group, a Facebook business page, and I belong to hundreds of Buy/Sell/Trade groups that allow small business advertising. You can advertise for free on Facebook and Facebook's paid marketing ads are like no other. There isn't another social media platform out there that can even come close to comparing to Facebook Ads. Follow me on Facebook HERE. I use Tumblr simply because I can link it to my Instagram and I can pin my posts. I just let it run itself. Sometimes, the key to Tumblr isn't the amount of followers, but using the right hash tags. I often notice that Wanelo users often save my Tumblr photo's. Follow me on Tumblr HERE. Twitter is a little trickier when it comes to business, but no doubt- it's important. If you have the time to dedicate to Twitter it can be extremely lucrative. Twitter is more of a live feed type of social media. I've noticed you've got to post several times throughout the day to gain traction with interaction and if this is the platform you choose to go heavy on, be prepared to do so. I just began a new Twitter account for my business. You can follow me HERE.  4.) Have 2 businesses (or more). I know what you're thinking; "TWO businesses? It's hard enough with one!" This is why: When one business is down, you have the other to focus on. Any business can fall on hard times at any point in time and yes, every small business owner should know how to revive their business or give it a boost, but for the times that you simply cannot help it, you have another business to drive. They say the key to being financially secure and independent is having multiple streams of income, this is why. It doesn't have to be random, though. For instance, someone that makes headbands could also have a headband supply shop and become a wholesale supplier. The same with fabric. If you sew, a good second business would be becoming a fabric supplier. Was this post helpful? Feel free to share your small business tips below. How did you get started? What do you wish you would have known when you first started your small business? Join us on Facebook in our "MADE in the Midwest" group HERE.   Join us on Facebook in our "I Own A Small Business" group HERE. Shop Liv & Co. HERE for our latest tee shirt styles and accessories for boys and girls of all ages.
Disclaimer: We blog about an array of topics from recipes and our favorite products to small business advice and tutorials. We may receive a small commission from links in this post, however, we do not represent any companies or products that we do not absolutely love and stand by 110% because that's not how we roll. The opinions expressed are our own. Our blog is for informational purposes only and any information found on this site is not substitute for professional advice. Love our tees? Follow us on social media everywhere to keep up on the latest Liv & Co. and Blue November new releases, sales, and giveaways! Blue November Facebook Liv & Co. Facebook Blue November Instagram Liv & Co. Instagram Liv & Co. Pinterest Liv & Co. Twitter If you'd like to keep up with our blog posts, you may sign up via the sign up form directly below this paragraph. The sign up form at the bottom of the page is for our Liv & Co. t-shirts & accessories.  A movement is underway. A handmade movement. Every day more and more people are becoming privy to shopping handmade, and with good reason. When you purchase something handmade, you support a persons dream. When you shop handmade in the USA, you keep money in your community, or at least in your country. You allow a parent to do what they love all while being able to stay at home with their kiddo's. By purchasing from a small, handmade shop you are receiving a product that has had every attention to detail paid to it. Something that someone has literally, made with love. With China ripping off small shop products and designs, and mass manufacturing them in their sweat shops, they are literally putting American businesses under and it must be stopped. We must be aware. We must shop conscientiously. After discovering that eBay and the Wish app have been allowing shops that rip off my designs and many other handmade shop products that we have literally poured our blood, sweat, and tears into designing, producing, and photographing, to sell on their sites, I decided to compile this guide. I have spent 4 entire days scouring the internet to produce this list to get you started on your way to shopping ethically, shopping handmade for babies & kids. Everything from clothing and shoes to soaps and toys - I've got you covered. Please, when you are shopping for products- please buy from the original maker. It is truly so important that we are not encouraging one another to illegally reproduce someone else's hard work.  Handmade Tee Shirt Shops: Sibling tees, birthday shirts, baby shower gift sets, personalized apparel, & baby coming home outfits. Whatever the occasion, these shops have you covered on all of your t-shirt needs! Liv & Co. - Tees are where it all started for Liv & Co. This small shop mama has since expanded to other various apparel & accessories and Liv & Co. is known for their baby and children's outfit sets, but also make adult tees & accessories. Follow Liv & Co. on Instagram HERE.
The Pickle Popsicle - Faith based and inspirational apparel for everyone. Follow them on Instagram HERE.  The Sweet Bee Company - Graphic tees handmade in the Midwest! Follow them on Instagram HERE.  Imagine Mint - Home of the Mom² Tee and other LGBT family friendly designs. Follow them on Instagram HERE.   Hazzard Lane Clothing - Trendy tees for kids & adults. Home of the "What is this thing called SLEEP"™ shirt. Follow them on Instagram HERE.  Handmade Headbands & Hair Accessories: Liv & Co. - Everything from obnoxiously large bows, floppy bows, personalized headbands to dainty bow headbands. Follow Liv & Co. on Instagram HERE. Ava's Flower Crowns - Seriously, these crowns are uh-mazing! What's better? They make them in newborn through adult sizes! Follow them on Instagram HERE. Modern Munro - Known for their headwraps & bibdanas! Follow Modern Munro on Instagram HERE. One Tot Mess - What stands out most to me about this shop is their fabulous, high waisted bottoms for girls, but they also carry an array of flutter sleeve girls rompers and fabulous hair accessories! Follow them on Instagram HERE.   Fitch & Stitch - Home of the original jersey flowers headwrap! Follow them on Instagram HERE. Prairie Blooms Boutique - That sparkly bow, though! Fabulous headbands and hair accessories out of Minnesota! Follow them on Instagram HERE.  Handmade Toys:  Red Barn Collective - Impressed doesn't even begin to describe what I feel about this shop. Toys for newborns to toddlers! Red Barn Collective began as an expression of love. The more they created these gifts for family and friends, the more they realized how much they enjoy handcrafting timeless, heirloom-quality pieces. What began as a husband and wife team has bloomed into a family adventure. They pride themselves on their unique talents and skills, knowing that what they create will be passed on for generations to come. Follow them on Instagram HERE.
  Handmade Dresses + Skirts + Tutus: Liv & Co. - Handmade skirts that are limited releases. Once they are sold out, they're sold out. Get them while you can! Follow them on Instagram HERE. Jazzy G Designs - possibly my favorite thing about this tutu shop is that they make up to adult sizes! Follow them on Instagram HERE.   Caroline Kate Clothing - Can we please take a moment to admire the timeless beauty that is Caroline Kate Clothing? Because seriously, if I had a little girl- I'd be broke! New releases every Friday. Follow them on Instagram HERE.  Picture Perfect Couture - Too cute tutu's! Flowermill Dresses - "Paying homage to the timeless creations of the 20s-50s. Utilizing today's modern fabrics and yesterday's classic designs, Flowermill brings you modern milled dresses you'll be passing on for generations to come. All items handmade in the USA." Follow them on Instagram HERE.  Best Dress Ever - Self explanatory, right?! How precious are these dresses?! Follow them on Instagram HERE.
 Handmade Rompers: Random Rompers - Random Rompers is a well known in the handmade community for their ultra comfy rompers! I can personally attest to this as I own a few myself! This company is unique in the fact that they only release a limited amount of rompers in certain fabrics, so once they are gone, they are gone. This handmade mama has 2-3 releases a month and when they post, they go FAST! Another great way to follow this shop is on Instagram. Rylee & Roscoe - I'm not going to lie, I love when shops have a focus and this mama certainly does! She does rompers like nobody's business! Follow them on Instagram for their latest designs and product releases HERE. One Tot Mess - What stands out most to me about this shop is their fabulous, high waisted bottoms for girls, but they also carry an array of flutter sleeve girls rompers and fabulous hair accessories! Follow them on Instagram HERE.
 Hazel & Holly - I love, love, love this shop. They have a little bit of everything! We own their "Farmers Market" romper and absolutely adore it. Follow them on Instagram HERE.  Handmade/ Distressed Jeans + Pants + Shorts: Gray Stitch - This shop has a little of everything. Harems, bummies, tunics, dresses, & bibdanas. Follow Gray Stitch on Instagram HERE. One Tot Mess - What stands out most to me about this shop is their fabulous, high waisted bottoms for girls, but they also carry an array of flutter sleeve girls rompers and fabulous hair accessories! Follow them on Instagram HERE.  Born Royal Denim - Custom hand distressed denim with fun fabrics! Follow them on Instagram HERE.  Hazel & Holly - I love, love, love this shop. They have a little bit of everything! We own their "Farmers Market" romper, but these pants are another favorite! Follow them on Instagram HERE. Boho Babes Denim - How fab are these jeans?! Size newborn up to 14 in kids custom hand-distressed denim for your rad babes. Follow them on Instagram HERE.
 Funny Baby One Pieces + Bodysuits + Layettes: Liv & Co. - Tees & baby bodysuits are where it all started for Liv & Co. This small shop mama has since expanded to other various apparel & accessories and is known for their outfit sets. Follow Liv & Co. on Instagram HERE. E & LuLu - E & LuLu is located in Belleville, IL and they also own Local Lucy's, a local shop that houses the art and products of over 90 local vendors. They are known for their hand-stitched name baby gowns, but also make burp cloths (that I personally used when my son was a baby), blankets, teething rings, and more! Follow them on Instagram HERE.   Bibs & Burp Cloths: Billy Bibs - Hands down, bibs do not get any classier than this. This company redesigned the bib to be beautiful & functional. They are like nothing you've ever seen before and I recommend one in the baby shower gift basket of every little girl! Follow Billy Bibs on Instagram HERE. E & LuLu - E & LuLu is located in Belleville, IL and they also own Local Lucy's, a local shop that houses the art and products of over 90 local vendors. They are known for their hand-stitched name baby gowns, but also make burp cloths (that I personally used when my son was a baby), blankets, teething rings, and more! Follow them on Instagram HERE Modern Munro - Known for their headwraps & bibdanas! Follow Modern Munro on Instagram HERE. Gray Stitch - This shop has a little of everything. Harems, bummies, tunics, dresses, & bibdanas. Follow Gray Stitch on Instagram HERE. NOXX - I can personally speak for the quality of this shops products! We love their beanies, but they also carry a variety of gender neutral baby blankets, bibs, & burp cloths. Keep up with their latest releases on Instagram HERE.  Shoes + Booties: SheSheMarie Boutique - This day and age it's getting harder and harder to find truly handmade moccs and baby shoe shops. Everywhere you turn you see your regular faux leather, run of the mill, made in China moccs. NOT here! I fell in love with this shop the instant I saw it! This mama picks the most awesome fabrics for her Bootie Boots! Follow SheSheMarie on Instagram HERE.  Free Range Mama - You cannot do an article on baby moccs and shoes and not include Free Range Mama! These hand painted moccs are some of the most unique baby shoes I've EVER seen! Follow Free Range Mama on Instagram HERE.
 Hats + Beanies: NOXX - I can personally speak for the quality of this shops products! We love their beanies, but they also carry a variety of gender neutral baby blankets, bibs, & burp cloths. Keep up with their latest releases on Instagram HERE. Gray Stitch - This shop has a little of everything. Harems, bummies, beanies, tunics, dresses, & bibdanas. Follow Gray Stitch on Instagram HERE. Hazel & Holly - I love, love, love this shop. They have a little bit of everything! We own their "Farmers Market" romper. This hat is to die for, though! Follow them on Instagram HERE.   Blankets, Scarves, Leg Warmers, & Misc. Baby & Kid Accessories: NOXX - I can personally speak for the quality of this shops products! We love their beanies, but they also carry a variety of gender neutral baby blankets, bibs, & burp cloths. Keep up with their latest releases on Instagram HERE. Snugars - I am in love with the leg warmers this shop makes! "Each Snugar accessory is thoughtfully designed with comfort and whimsical style, then carefully handcrafted with love in the USA!" Follow Snugars on Instagram HERE.  Handmade Soaps:  Tighty Whitey Soap Co. - Looking for a bar of soap gentle enough for a baby? Look no further than Tighty Whitey's Buttermilk Baby Bar. Crafted with only a few all-natural ingredients, this bar is ideal for giving your little one a moisturizing, gentle cleanse. This soap is made with 85% olive oil (known for its moisturizing properties) and 15% coconut oil (known for its cleansing power) to create a conditioning bar with a gentle cleanse that won't irritate even the softest of skins. In place of water, they've substituted rich buttermilk for even greater conditioning. If your baby could talk, they'd thank you for using this Buttermilk Baby Bar! Follow them on Facebook HERE.  Meadowlark Botanical - Organic + Ethical Treatments for Body + Home + Baby. Handcrafted in harmony with nature. Follow them on Instagram HERE. To find more small businesses, join our Facebook shopping groups! "I Own A Small Business" & "Made in the Midwest".
What other handmade shops do you enjoy shopping with? Tell us in the comments below! Sign up for our email list and get the newest releases and sales to your inbox! (We don't spam you!) Want to advertise your small business on the right column of the Liv & Co. blog? Click HERE. If you love reading our blog, visit our small business blog posts for tips and tricks of owning a small, handmade business HERE. Disclaimer: I was not paid by any of these shops, nor was I provided products in exchange for these reviews. These are my honest reviews.
Keywords: Etsy, Handmade, Small Businesses, Online Shopping, Baby Clothes, Kids Clothes, Baby Toys, Toddler Toys, Baby Soaps, Handmade Shops, Etsy, Ebay, Amazon  Do you have a small business? Do you love to shop small business? Do you love to shop local businesses? If you answered yes to one or all of the questions above, you NEED to join this FACEBOOK GROUP. Join the group and add any friends that you believe would love this type of group. There are so many talented artists in the United States and we are bringing all of the Midwest handmade artists to you in one single place. If you are a shop, this is why you want to be a part of this group: I will be advertising this group in front of over 17,000+ people on my Facebook page with ads geared towards those that love to shop small + people in these regions only. This group will be posted on Pinterest in front of my 9,000+ followers and on all of the group boards I belong to. I will also be posting this on Instagram where I have 4,000+ followers and this blog that receives 1,500+ views/day. If you are a buyer, this is why you will want to be a part of this group: We will have vendors from all different categories ranging in baby clothing and accessories + women's apparel + men's apparel + home décor + jewelry + gifts + much more, that can offer you one of a kind, personalized items. Throughout time, I will compile a list for these shops and list them here so check back here from time to time to see if there is anything you may be interested in from our artists! I manage 5 websites and several groups and group Pinterest boards, so bare with me on getting the lists updated! -Liv  |
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AuthorProud Mom of 3 beautiful children. Creator, designer, & owner of Liv & Co. 
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