Art of Writing Descriptions

Picking your etsy name...

1.  Picking a name is very important because you can't just change it later if you decide you no longer like it.  You lose all your feedback and publicity when you switch over to a new name.  Preempting this problem by finding an appropriate name upfront is important.

2.  I think it is important to not to box yourself in with your name.  It's good to do something that isn't specific for a particular type of craft.  That way, you have the flexibility to sell a number of different things. 

3.   Looking ahead to the future by investigating domain name availabilities is a good idea.  Doing this helps you to pick a name that you can branch out with.  You will have continuity between webstore and etsy.  This is good because it makes it easier for customers to find you anywhere on the internet and not just etsy.

Profile

1.  Your first paragraph is very important to a successful profile.  If readers are just skimming, they are most likely to see the information earlier on in your profile, so this is a good spot for the most important details and a good first impression.

2.  People take for granted simply being able to easily read and understand text.  It's important to keep your writing professional and free of grammar errors.  It's also important to remember that that not all prospective buyers will be stateside, so you must take care not to use any regional slang that would be hard for an international customer to interpret.

3.  Finally, it's important to remember to write in a friendly and approachable way.  Ebay is a community, and buyers value friendly, approachable sellers.  This is especially important if you plan to do lots of custom work.  You don't want to scare away potential buyers by seeming too strict or overbearing.

Product Descriptions

1.  It is very important to tell your story with your products.  Connection is important, and pieces with unique or relatable backstories are often of interest to customers.  For me, backstory makes a piece have more meaning and be special. 

2.  It is also important to understand how placement of information and the structure of your descriptions are.  It is important to put important details early, so that customers who just skim are more likely to catch these.  Additionally, you should put your tags/keywords throughout the description as well, as this makes it easier for possible customers to find you on google.

3.  I appreciated the example descriptions given in this set of blog articles.  It's easy to imagine the concepts of good descriptive writing, but hard to do once you set down and try.  Examples show the ways other sellers let their own personalities show through and enhance their listings.