Monday, June 21, 2010

HELPFUL TIPS

I am always struggling to find ways to get my Etsy shop out there on the net.....so I do a LOT of reading! I found this information about Ebay sites, and thought it would be helpful to those in tha Handmade world! We do everything when it comes to listing, re-listing,promoting......and buying adds on the net is so expensive! this just may be a small thing...but, maybe it will help someone somewhere!If you have time when you're done reading this....stop by my Etsy shop, and take a relaxing browse around....
http://www.etsy.com/shop/superioragates

Your eBay listing is your salesperson. Most sales people look smart and professional. Your eBay listing must also look smart and professional and give the appearance of a legitimate business. This will instil confidence in your buyers.




If you are selling the same item as someone else on eBay, but your listing is more professional and gives the impression of a legitimate business (whereas your competitor’s does not) then people will be more likely to buy from you. They may even be willing to pay more to buy the same item from you than from your competitor – because they have more confidence in you.



Make your eBay listing attractive and professional but avoid flashy gimmicks that distract. Just because you can add blinking images and flash video and music doesn’t mean you should. Whilst clever, they won’t increase your sales. They will just distract. If it doesn’t directly help you to sell your item, don’t use it.



A simple audio or video message in your eBay listing WILL increase sales.



Make your eBay listing EASY ON THE EYE. Some of your potential buyers may have poor eyesight. You don’t want to lose them because they can’t read your listing. But even if they have 20:20 vision, you are more likely to grab and hold their attention if reading your eBay listing is EFFORTLESS.



Dark text on a light background is the easiest to read. Black text on a white background is best and should be used in most cases. Different coloured text can be used sparingly to draw attention to a few key words and phrases.



Use a font that is appropriate to what you are selling. If you are selling children’s toys, “Comic Sans MS” might be an appropriate font to use. But this would create the wrong impression if you were selling something more “high-brow” such as a business course for which “Times New Roman” would be more appropriate. If in doubt, use an easy to read font such as “Verdana”, “Calibri” or “Arial”. Avoid difficult to read fancy fonts such as “Monotype Corsiva.”



SOME PEOPLE WRITE THEIR LISTINGS USING JUST CAPITALS. THIS IS A MISTAKE. IT IS ACTUALLY HARDER TO READ THAN LOWER CASE TEXT.



Capitals can be used SPARINGLY to draw attention to a few KEY WORDS and PHRASES.



Most people will skim through your listing to see if it’s of interest before they decide whether to read it fully or move on to the next listing. You want them to notice the most important words and phrases – the ones that describe your product’s major benefits – as they skim read.



So emphasise these important words and phrases by using a combination of CAPITALS, bold text, underlined text, high-lighted text or by using different font colours. But don’t over-use these as your listing will look messy and what you want to emphasise will no longer stand out.



These emphasised words and phrases must build sufficient interest in the skim-reader to encourage them to read your eBay listing properly.



A big block of un-broken text, many lines deep, is daunting. Break it up into several smaller paragraphs that are only a few rows deep. Don’t worry if this grammatically in-correct.



You are NOT writing a piece of prose for your English exam. You are writing a sales letter. Your style should be CONVERSATIONAL and EASY TO READ. Use SHORT sentences and SHORT paragraphs with SPACE between each paragraph. This breaks your text into small bite sized pieces which are easier to digest.



Whilst you don’t need perfect grammar (because you are using a conversational style), you DO need perfect spelling. Poor spelling is VERY unprofessional. Compose your listing in a word processing software program such as Microsoft Word with the spellchecker on and correct any errors. If spelling isn’t your strongpoint, get someone else to proof-read your eBay listing.



Write everything in a logical order such as headline, description, guarantee, shipping terms, payment terms. Break up the text with sub-headings such as Guarantee, Shipping Terms, Payment Terms, etc so that it is easy to follow.



You can use brand awareness to enhance your credibility on eBay. If all your eBay listings look the same, people who haven’t bought from you yet will soon become familiar with your listings. They may eventually buy from you instead of a competitor because this familiarity breeds confidence.



Consider having a logo made and used in all your listings to make you look more professional, differentiate you from your competitors and help build brand awareness.



Most salespeople dress conservatively, i.e. a business suit and sensible shoes. They don’t dress to “express themselves” and stand out. This would distract from their sales message. They just want to look professional so that customers will have confidence in them. Your logo and your listing design should do the same.



You can make your listings completely bespoke and unique by using HTML (which stands for Hyper Text Markup Language and is the code used to design webpages) even if you don’t know how to use HTML! You can use “What You See Is What You Get” (”WYSIWYG”) software such as Frontpage or Dreamweaver.



The way this software works is you design your webpage in a similar way that you would write a Word document, without using any HTML code. The program automatically converts your design into HTML for you. You then copy and paste the HTML code into eBay’s Sell Your Item or Turbo Lister templates. You can download a FREE WYSIWYG software program called NVu.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Superior Agates Handmade Wire Wrapped Pendants by superioragates

Oh the beauty of stone! Last week, because I am not in a position to make my own cabs right now, I ordered some awesome stones from my good friend Jo......If you are in need of cabochons, make sure you check out her website, and her Etsy shop!

http://jewelry-artistry.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jewelryartistry

So, I ordered a few cabs from Jo....WOW! I recieved some of the most beautiful stones to wire wrap! Already have several of them made, like a beautiful Blue Mule Chrysocolla, a gorgeous Brazillian agate,and the most wonderful Jelly Opal! There are just so many, it's hard to name them all, but I can assure you, there are plenty of them to be found in my shop! I still have a bunch of Lake Superior Agates, and many many other stones, all hand wire wrapped by me, in sterling silver wire.
Come and check out my Etsy shop! You are sure to find something for your gift giving needs!

Superior Agates Handmade Wire Wrapped Pendants by superioragates

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Jewelry to suit your Lifestyle

Gemstone Jewelry That Suits Your Lifestyle




Author: Gen Wright



Many different kinds of jewelry have been used for decades as a way of adding more color and detail to the body and the outfits we wear every day. As well as choosing from hundreds of different colors, styles and sizes, you can find all kinds of gems and jewels which adorn the jewelry and make them available for either everyday, evening or occasional wear. Wearing the right piece of jewelry can change an entire outfit by bringing out certain colors or aspects of clothing which can enhance or play down specific features. For example, if you take an ordinary plain black top, you can create many different styles and looks through the simple use of adding different combinations of gemstone jewelry that bring color and interest to a simple look. The use of gemstones and semi precious stones means that you need not break the bank in order to accumulate a fine collection of jewelry items that allow you the freedom to create your own style depending on your mood or the occasion. Affordable jewelry is now widely available and the colors and textures of different gemstones allow you to choose items that enhance your natural style and suit your personal likes and desires. Of course, gemstones such as diamonds, sapphires and rubies will always be an expensive choice for anyone to consider, though, now we are seeing a lot of the less expensive stones such as aquamarines, quartz and jade being used in jewelry and these create stunning and interesting pieces that people can wear more frequently. As well as being diverse and interesting, these stones can be kept for many years as they retain their brilliance and gleam over long periods and are able to mask scratches and abrasions well. Unlike gold and silver, these stones are less susceptible to becoming tarnished and discoloured which allows them to remain brilliant and attractive for much longer. Another attractive feature of these stones is the fact that just one item of jewelry can be worn with so many different styles and bring out a variety of different aspects of the outfit. A nice bright teardrop necklace and a pair of earrings can be worn with jeans and t-shirt or can be worn with a little lack dress on an evening out, this kind of range and versatility makes the jewelry a brilliant investment and well worth the money. Gemstone jewelry is one of the most popular styles of accessory in fashion in current trends and this allows for people to branch out and find lots of varied and exotic styles to try as well as adapting new old features to all elements of jewelry. The range in price, color, size, style and design creates a chance to become unique, and individual in ones style throughout all lifestyles, ages and genders.



Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/clothing-articles/gemstone-jewelry-that-suits-your-lifestyle-902256.html



About the AuthorShop from over 6000 colored gemstone rings, pendants, earrings at leading online discount gemstone jewelry store - Livapo

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Home (Handcrafted Gemstone Pendants)

New google sites page! Come check it out!




Home (Handcrafted Gemstone Pendants)

An Alternative to Diamonds?

Original Gemstone Jewelry As A Diamond Alternative










Author: Pierre Perissel







Stop someone in the hallway and ask them, "What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say the word jewelry," and they will probably reply with, "diamonds." Diamonds have become so synonymous with fine jewelry that people often do not even think of one of the most marvelous alternatives, original gemstone jewelry.







Diamond jewelry is wonderful. However, I think you will agree that despite its allure and popularity, diamonds are just a tad on the colorless side.







Gemstones, on the other hand, come in the most wonderful and spectacular colors. In addition to the different colors, gemstones also often contain unusual visual phenomena inside the stone, as well as attention-grabbing features such as a fossil rarified in the gemstone.







You probably wouldn't treasure an item of jewelry as much when you know that thousands of other women are wearing the same or very similar items. No, for something to be truly treasured, it has to be unique. This is exactly what an original gemstone gives you, a truly unique jewelry item.







Such a unique jewelry item can bring joy way beyond your own lifetime. Think about it. How often do you see children and grandchildren wearing diamond jewelry that they inherited? Or, is it far more likely that they are wearing colorful gemstone jewelry that was passed down to them by their parents or grandparents?







So, even though you might pay a little more for unique gemstone jewelry, you are buying something that will not only give you tremendous joy, but will also give your children and your grandchildren joy. Fifty years from now, picture your granddaughter proudly explaining at a grand evening ball that the unique emerald gemstone necklace she is wearing was her grandmother's. Yes, the exact same one that you are wondering if you should buy now.







Kick your imagination into high gear for a minute or two and imagine how spectacular you will look with an original piece of ruby gemstone jewelry to go with that provocative red suit of yours. Or imagine yourself glowing with beauty in your classy blue gown with that unique star sapphire perfectly rounding off your tasteful elegance.







It is time to express your distinctiveness as a person, and there is no better way than to invest in a few choice pieces of unique gemstone jewelry.







Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/womens-issues-articles/original-gemstone-jewelry-as-a-diamond-alternative-120484.html







About the AuthorPierre Perissel recommends unique gemstone jewelry to express your distinctiveness and beauty as a woman. Pierre has an informative fashion column on TheFashionPro.com.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/48359125/handcrafted-large-amethyst-sterling