Sales pathetically low, what am I doing wrong?

girlishcharm2004 said:

My turn?

www.theolivealley.etsy.com

Will you be brutally honest about what I need to change? (This is such a vulnerable feeling!) :shock:

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Would you mind making a separate thread with your critique request in it? That way we don't have to jumble up the current one


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I'm going to be blunt here, but my intent is not to upset anyone, but sometimes brutal honesty is the best way. If you want to make serious money selling soap, you need to get off your duff and start booking into markets and shows throughout the entire year. Putting up a shop on a site like Etsy etc obviously isn't working for you. If people don't know you exist, they can't buy from you.

Once you have developed a loyal customer base then the online sales will pick up. I currently average $2500-$3500 per month of in person sales. The online sales have been growing and still only account for another 10% of my sales. Add in that 90% of those online sales are from people who have bought from me in person and it tells you just how difficult online sales can be.

People want to see and meet who is behind the products they're buying - especially handcrafted ones. Sitting around expecting customers to just magically find your products and spend their money is ridiculous. Don't be afraid to break a sweat. It will pay off!

Sihir said:

Would you mind making a separate thread with your critique request in it? That way we don't have to jumble up the current one


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Oops. My apologies, you are absolutely right. I got caught up in the moment.

There have been so many replies I'll read them in another window and answer each point below:

About Etsy, I am paying for "search ads" but it's only costing me about $2 per week and not bringing in any sales.

How does it work to get into craft shows and markets? I've never even been to a craft show.

About the "wood grain" background, it's actually sand. What would you recommend I use to make a better background?

I know my descriptions are very plain and boring, I'll work on improving them.

Thanks for the light tent idea, I was looking for a solution for more consistent lighting, I'll make one soon.

About me selling mostly salt soaps, I will be adding several normal soaps to the website in the near future, but am wondering if I should shift to mostly regular soaps with a few salt soaps instead of the opposite? If so, should I consider a new domain/website name?

I have a good camera, just no proper lighting setup, I'll definitely be making or buying a light tent.

100%Natural: $2500-3500 of in person sales is amazing, is that all through shows and markets? How do you find those places and do you have to pay to be there? What are the costs?

By the way I've also sold a lot more in person than online to family, friends, neighbors, etc.

Thanks everyone that replied!

If you're thinking of adding new "regular" soaps I'd be tempted to change names entirely and do a complete re-launch.

Definitely better pics! The exposure is all off on every photo. You need to change the settings on your camera somewhere or get a new camera. Use a plain background - white is best. Bright and light.

What's your Etsy shop?? If your tags and descriptions/titles aren't top notch on Etsy then purchasing search ads is like throwing money out the window. They don't work unless you have proper tags! I'd be happy to take a look if you provide your shop address.

And yes please get a better website. There are tons out there that are free or cheap that will be a million times better.

What's your branding like? Do you have a logo? Branding is everything!

For craft shows, just google it. Join handmade groups around you etc. Maybe start with doing a small church sale? Tables vary depending on show. I've found most church sales are $25 for a table on average. Larger multi-day shows are $600+. But definitely get into a couple shows!

About me selling mostly salt soaps, I will be adding several normal soaps to the website in the near future, but am wondering if I should shift to mostly regular soaps with a few salt soaps instead of the opposite? If so, should I consider a new domain/website name?

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If this is in response to my comments, let me clarify. My comments we not about what types of soap you are selling, but solely about your name. If you want to be a niche Salt Soap seller, that's fine (this is not my area of expertise, so I am really not recommending one way or the other), i am solely commenting on the generic aspect of you name. Salt Soaps. It's a description of a product. It's not a company name. It doesn't stand out and won't show up in searches. It's too generic. You can still sell solely salt soaps if that is what you want to do (again not recommending one way or the other), just have a more original name than Salt Soaps.com. Sacha's Salt Bars, Salty Sea Soap, Sacha's Salt Bars, Sacha's Soap Bar, Calgary Salt Soap Company, Sacha's Alberta Soaps, etc. Whatever - it just needs to be more original. Salt Soaps or Salt Soaps.com just doesn't stand out and will not show up in internet searches. You have to remember - most internet searches do not start with the domain name. People search key words. Salt Soaps will bring back way to many results. Same on Etsy or Ebay or any other way you are planning to sell online. But If I met you at a party and you told me you sold soap and then I go look for you - I will have better results finding you with a name like "Sacha's Salt Bars" than with "Salt Soaps".

Let me give you a non soap example. Say I decided to brew homemade beer and decided my specialty would be Lager. So I decided to name my company Lager Beer and bought the domain www.lagerbeer.com. Go ahead - google that - "lager beer" and see what you come up with. A million, non-descript articles and other crap about lager beer but you won't find my specific site because it's too generic. Not a beer drinker? Okay - how about caramels? Let's say I make caramel and want to specialize in Sea Salt Caramel. Very popular right now. But If I name my company ""Sea Salt Caramels, how am I standing out? I'm not. A million other people make sea salt caramels too (just like many other soap makers make salt soaps). So if people are looking for me they aren't going to find me - my company name is the same as the product description hundreds of other sellers make. I am just naming my company after the description of my product. It's not a smart marketing strategy. A simple name change to ShayShay's Sea Salt Caramels increases the chance of finding me (still not a great name, but you get the point).

Last week I did actually buy caramel and toffee at a craft show. It was so good I think I might buy them as christmas presents. Luckily their name is more unique than just Sea Salt Caramels, and I found them online in less than 10 seconds. If they called themselves just "Sea Salt Caramels" or "Caramel and Toffee", I would have given up looking after 30 seconds.

I am sorry if this seems harsh. I am relatively new to the soap world, but I have worked in internet marketing and advertising for over a decade. It's all about driving traffic to your site. You want to show up in searches. Generic names do not work in today's global internet economy (neither does the old school philosophy of naming your company with double A's at the beginning because the yellow pages barely exist anymore and it doesn't matter if you are first alphabetically). It's all about being unique and driving traffic to your site. With your website name or your domain name (Salt Soaps or Saltsoaps.com)- people will never find your site.

So - should you consider a new website and domain name? Yes. Absolutely. 100%. I will be blunt - the name stinks because it's not a name, it's a description. But that doesn't mean I think you need to change you product line. It also doesn't mean you shouldn't consider it. Again, I am focusing solely on the name.

One more disclaimer. I am also not saying this is the be all end all of your overall marketing strategy. As others have said - craft show, farmers markets, networking, etc. It all ties in. But IMHO, your first strategy should be a name change to something more unique.

Afterthoughts -
I realized as I was just walking my dog, that I left out a really key idea here. And that is BRAND. Salt Soaps is not a Brand. Again, not to beat a dead horse, but Salt Soaps is a description. It's not a Brand. You need to come up with your Brand and build that. Market that. Your niche can still be salt soaps (if the business warrants), but that is not your brand. Going back to my original example of a soap seller whose site I liked - Rocky Top Soap - his niche is vega, unscented, uncolored soap (okay yes, he uses ingredients that do color soap, but that is not their main purpose in the soap). But his brand and name -"Rocky Top" doesn't spell out the vegan, unscented aspect. It gives him leeway to branch out should he feel the need. So you need to differentiate your Brand from your niche product. Because your niche could change over time, but you want to establish your brand and keep it growing and evolving. I will use another, more main stream example - Banana Republic. Banana Republic started out as a niche catalog clothing company that emphasized the jungle/safari theme. Their first retail stores also focused on that theme. Now it's a global mainstream upscale clothing retailer. Their niche changed but their name didn't and their Brand evolved over time.
I think you are confusing your name with your niche product line and you need to differentiate the two. Come up with a unique Brand and then evolve from there.

In my opinion, and it is just my opinion, you should put the online sales on the back burner. (Spruce up your website and take off the pricing--that way you charge what is appropriate to your sales venue. For now, its only purpose is to provide reference and credibility. You can always come back and activate it when you have demand.)

Identify your target markets--the type of people who would be interested in your soaps, the people who could benefit if they knew about your soaps, etc. Figure out where they shop and socialize locally and find a way to develop a presence there. You already have a product, you need to make sure it's packaged attractively and that you have some well written and designed sales materials (mini-brochures, sell cards, etc.) that will resonate with your target audience. Then...get your assets out there and make some friends--the sales will follow.

Visit managemymarket.com, set-up a profile and check out some farmer's markets in your region. Not all markets and fairs are soaper friendly, but there are enough for you to find one. And with the holidays coming up, there will be all kinds of gift fairs, craft fairs, etc. Seek them out. There are several online craft show calendars--just google craft show calendar. Check every church, civic association, non-profit, school, convention, conference, hootenanny you can. If they have crafter vendor spaces for $50 or less, take it. You'll sell and you'll get yourself out there.

I once cleaned up at a retirement village holiday shopping event; a table was $25 and I sold almost $1000 worth in one day. I chatted with the elder folks about learning soap making from my grandmother and listened to their tales of helping to make soap and candles when they were children. I also took PAPER order forms, with large print. By the time it was done, I was almost out of soap and candles and I had more custom orders than ever (people really wanted 100% lard soap). Their families also started contacting me too. There were some net savvy seniors there, but they weren't interested in shopping on Etsy. Had online sales been my only path, I would have missed an entire segment of the population who had a special appreciation for my product.

Long story short, you have a good product that no one knows about. You have to garner some direct attention. Online sales are the final frontier, there are so many more frontiers you can conquer first.

I wish you all the best!

It is very hard to sell soap online from Canada, our shipping is ridiculous. I looked for shops and customers to wholesale too, that works the best for me imho.. It takes years to build up your business..

This is all great advice, and experience, thank you everyone!


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Yes, that is from in person shows and markets. During the summer months I was averaging $3500 - $5000 per month. I worked my tail off and spent a minimum of 12 hours a day working whether it be selling, building inventory, developing products etc. It has paid off in a huge way! Blood, sweat and tears is the only way to build a successful business IMO.

Craft shows and markets are easy to find. Google craft shows and farmers markets for your area. You can also go onto tourism websites that post events and festivals. Fees can range from $10 all the way up to $700 depending on the show and the length. Just start sending out emails inquiring about the shows and you'd be surprised how quickly your calendar fills up. I'm a bit of a gambler so I entered some big shows and it paid off! Huge pressure, competition and stress kept me going and once I got to the shows I realized I had nothing to worry about. My booth holds its own against other ones of a similar nature.

When doing in person sales be sure to look the part. Appearance is everything! There are some sellers I come across that don't even look like they know how to use a bar of soap let alone make one. Having an attractive display and your appearance looking tip top will go a long, long way to boosting your confidence for selling and your customer's confidence in buying from you.

The most important thing to remember - know your stuff and your products inside and out. People ask all sorts of odd questions and having the answers for them sells. If you're not a natural born seller, then consider asking a good friend that can sell to help you out.

Know your competition before you even go to a show. I always ask for a vendor listing of businesses in my category and start researching. There is always something that sets me apart from them and I use that without bashing their business.

Break that sweat and you won't regret it!

This has been great for me! Someone had told me I needed to get a professional photographer in order to put pictures on the web. . WEll I couldn't afford that so I recently made a light tent out of box. Found the info on the internet. I took better pictures with my cell phone than my camera. I don't sell on line, but at craft shows when time permits. I also sell to friends who keep coming back. Now that I've retired, I plan on putting more time into looking for venues. As I'm just starting to CP. I can take my time. I think planning is everything and getting mentored is another. Slow down and digest all this great information that's been presented here. I looked at your website also. It's a lot of information coming at you all at once. Browsing a good website is like browsing the ladies department at Macy's. Good luck.

Sihir said:

Just as a clarification, more megapixels does not really mean a better picture or camera - in short, it just means that you can make a larger print of your image (or crop in closer on your image on the computer and still have it be as sharp as the original.)

Since most of us soap makers are wanting to use our pictures online, a large number of megapixels isn't important since we won't be making 20x24 inch prints of our soaps. (Or maybe you are!)

I'd look for other qualities in a digital camera such as an excellent macro feature to get close-ups of your details on your soap, a better sensor, ability to adjust exposure - really the best camera is the one that has the features you need! If you go to an actual local camera store the people there can give you great advice and many of them offer secondhand or refurbished cameras for a discount. (Again - local - not one of the chain camera stores or big retailers. They often don't know nearly as much as they should about what they are selling.)

One of my favorite cameras ever was a Panasonic Lumix (amazing macro) but I currently shoot with a Canon T1i

Hope this helps!

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Thanks for the clarification! I sure hated to give out wrong camera info
My ex was as clueless as me searching for cameras. You would think that we were born in the 30's!!

Sorry for the long delay in replying I've been really busy.

I definitely want to change names and relaunch as I don't think selling only salt soaps is helping the business. My initial plan was to sell only salt soaps, then I thought of doing maybe 75% salt soaps and 25% regular, I'm now thinking of renaming the business and having about half regular and half salt soaps and I can adjust from there based on sales of each type.

I'm aware my photos are absolutely horrible and have already bought everything to make a light box and it's almost done. The problem wasn't my camera but my horrible lighting conditions.

What do you recommend I use as a background for the soaps?

My etsy shop is https://www.etsy.com/shop/ActualHealthInfo (I will rename it once I decide on my new name)

About the etsy tags, it seems like they decide what the tags will be for search ads so I'm not sure how I could change that.

About the website, I programmed the entire store myself so that it would work like I want. I know the visual design is bad, but once the business starts running I'll pay someone to do a "facelift" as I prefer to keep the store software I designed myself.

I do not yet have a logo, I will need to decide on a new name first.

My reason for wanting to change the name is not because of the comments that it's too generic, it's because I think selling only salt soaps will not result in the most sales and I want to also sell regular soaps.

However, about salt soaps not showing up in internet searches, I was on page 1 for "salt soaps" within a week or so of launching the website and on page 3 for "salt soap" (without the "s"), in fact that's why I chose that name, I knew it would easily appear on page 1 for "salt soaps", I might even keep that website running alongside whatever new website I start.

About shipping being expensive in Canada, that's true but for items under 20mm thickness the cost is dramatically cheaper (from about half to a tenth the cost, even at the same weight), and I luckily found molds that make soaps that are just over 19mm thick, I can ship these for just over $1 for 1 bar.

My next step was to bring my soaps to stores to get them to sell it, however I had a major issue with my salt soaps sweating like pigs, in even just slightly humid weather they get absolutely drenched, almost wetter than if they had been soaked in water. All the ones that were labeled had the labels ruined as they got soaked. I have since found shrink wrap so I can hermetically seal them to solve this issue. However now I will want to find a new name before I ask stores to sell them, I don't want to show them under the saltsoaps.com name and a few weeks later tell them I'm changing names.

Thanks everyone for the help

Wow! Congratulations of coming up with a plan! Definitely get the name first and then the logo. Package and label design is next! Once you have a fully designed product, it's time to hit those stores and start making money!

May I add something to all of the excellent advice you've gotten? This isn't fact or based on any scientific findings -just my personal opinion, but when I see a soap selling for $1.99 (no matter the size) I think "cheap". And I see the price before I see the size and go "Ah, small bar; that's why". I'm not saying you should charge $12 just because you can - but I"d up your bar size and charge appropriately. Seriously, just my opinion. Good luck with your new plan!

Name logo, packaging etc ... great! All things that need to be done!

As for your Etsy shop ... STOP THE ADS NOW!!!

The only tags you have for your soaps are Bath and Beauty Soap Vegan. That's it!! You're allowed 13 tags - USE THEM.
I've had great success with Etsy so anytime someone complains about no views or low sales on Etsy I always ask about tags. 99% of the time they're not using all 13 or the tags aren't relevant.

I know it's not soap, but look at this listing - https://www.etsy.com/listing/77724154/vintage-perfume-label-wedding?ref=shop_home_feat
Scroll to the bottom and you'll see a section that says "related to this item". Those are the tags I used to describe the invite. It's always best to use multiple words too. Don't say "soap" say "salt soap", "handmade soap", natural soap". Use terms people will search for!

Right now with only 3 tags used, you're throwing money at Etsy - and they're laughing. No one will find you on only 3 tags, plus you're doing search ads which won't work unless you have the proper tags.

Sorry if I'm harsh at all, but it all comes down to tags and yours aren't nearly good enough.

pamielynn said:

May I add something to all of the excellent advice you've gotten? This isn't fact or based on any scientific findings -just my personal opinion, but when I see a soap selling for $1.99 (no matter the size) I think "cheap". And I see the price before I see the size and go "Ah, small bar; that's why". I'm not saying you should charge $12 just because you can - but I"d up your bar size and charge appropriately. Seriously, just my opinion. Good luck with your new plan!

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The reason I made the smaller bars is that because in Canada shipping an item that is under 20 mm thick literally costs about ten times less than an item of the same weight that is over 20mm thick. I also have larger bars on the website, but the small ones allow me to offer shipping that is nearly 10 times cheaper.

Thank you

hellogorgeous: Thanks, I didn't know that, I'm an eBay guy and on eBay there's no tags so I didn't think anything of it when I saw the tags field on Etsy, and I didn't add those 3 tags, when I go to edit a listing none of the 13 tags are filled in, I will fill them in now for each listing.

Will letting the Search Ads run once the tags are updated be worth it?

It's only costing me something like $2 a month anyway.

Thanks

aab1 said:

hellogorgeous: Thanks, I didn't know that, I'm an eBay guy and on eBay there's no tags so I didn't think anything of it when I saw the tags field on Etsy, and I didn't add those 3 tags, when I go to edit a listing none of the 13 tags are filled in, I will fill them in now for each listing.

Will letting the Search Ads run once the tags are updated be worth it?

It's only costing me something like $2 a month anyway.

Thanks

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Yes you'll have a million times better results with search ads once your tags are fixed. Right now, I can't see anyone finding you. How many views are you getting per day and from search ads?

I was getting 0-4 views per day, I don't know if it updated already or is a coincidence, but I already added tags and today I had 10 views, an all time record.

I only added about 8-10 tags for most items as I couldn't think of other terms, do you have any suggestions?

So does Etsy searches not work based on words in the item title like eBay does? Or does it use a combination of the title and tags?

Thanks