My Etsy Website, Critique And Feedback Needed

[danboy295]

Hi All,

I just recently went live with my Etsy store called "Axis Leatherworks". I just recently got into the leatherworking and have spent the last few months learning and crafting Nerf holsters and accessories. My target market is for the LARPer and cosplayers as well as Nerf enthusiasts of all ages. I utilized many of the resources posted by others here on the forums as well as the many Etsy store resources available online to get the store up and running.

https://www.etsy.com...xisLeatherworks

I would appreciate any input and feedback you could provide in regards to the stores’ layout, item descriptions, photos , policy descriptions, tag usage, etc. I want make sure the website looks and feels as professional as possible to a user.

Thanks ahead for the help!

- Dan

[DavidL]

For websites like etsy not much is needed to make your store presentable. Everything looks fine to me and the only thing I would do differently is take the picture of the cases in places people would use the guns ( by a river, in a forest, ect). In all honesty, the nerf gun holster is a niche market and I'm unsure how many people are in that specific market. I would market the holster/sheath for actual guns and knifes. Its up to you if you want to market to actual gun users, but I would expect that your sales would go up.

Also if there are any forums for nerf guns or local small family own toy shops that would be where I would go, as well as ebay.

[danboy295]

Thanks David, I appreciate the feedback.

From what I have found, the difference presentation qulaity in Etsy stores has been the photos and information. Even though all users are using the same template, many owners don't provide enough information (policy sections that are blank, no info on shipping , not enough detail in listings, etc). I want to want to make sure that my store comes across as professional and a user would feel comfortable enough with the information I have provided to make a purchase from it from it.

I will definitely try to take some action and outdoor pics of the holsters for future listings. The issue is I live right outside Manhattan so my natural elements are limited to parks. But I could certainly make the most out urban backgrounds.

I didn't think about the small toy shops and Nerf blogs, those are great ideas! I will have to look into those.

[mlapaglia]

Loooks good but I have 2 suggestion. This sentence "Only ships to United States from Jersey City, New Jersey." I saw it on the last item on the page, reads poorly. it implies you have more than one point you do business from but you only ship from Jersey. Maybe try something like.

"Located in Jersey City, New Jersey.:

"Sorry but at this time we only ship to the United States"

Make it 2 different bullet points. Just being picky

Edited February 13, 2014 by mlapaglia

[danboy295]

Thanks for the heads up mlapaglia. The text you are describing is in the "Overview" section of all the items. This is automatically generated and formatted by Etsy using profile info. I don't have any control over how that looks, but I can play with the data that it is pulling to generate that line to hopefully make it read better.

[mitkomont]

I've got an Etsy shop as well https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeLeather

What do you think about my stuff, the items I make? How about the quality and the setup of the photos?

I wish I had some more sales

[jayjay]

What program are you using to build the banner on your page with company name?<br /><br />

[danboy295]

Hi Jayjay,

The banner was outsourced to a friend who is a freelance graphic designer. He used Adobe Illustrator. The logo and design of the banner were created by him with input and guidance from myself along the way. If you are interested in his work and services, shoot me a PM and I can get you his contact info.

Since a banner and logo are essentially the face of your business in an online world, I thought it best to outsource my logo and design to a graphic designer who knew what he was doing. Sure, I could have tried to figure it out as I went using templates and tutorials but the finished result wouldn't have looked nearly as good as. I wanted it to look clean and professional. And besides, I want to work with leather, not Illustrator, so hiring a freelancer was the best option for me.

[mitkomont]

I made my banner myself using Adobe Illustrator. My logic was maybe a bit the opposite - let the things I make speak for themselves. No need for a professional logo, which also costs a lot. But I guess it depends on what scale you are trying to succeed, a skillfully made logo can probably make a world of difference.

[Horseshoe]

Hey mikomont your site looks pretty good. The design of your leatherwork is nice but the edges on many of your projects are not finished. Finished edges are a must IMO.

[mitkomont]

Hi Horseshoe, I give the edges some "Edge Kote" Fiebling's and then use the edge slicker. I want the edges to have the right look, how do you think is the best way to do it? Thanks

[Horseshoe]

The strap on the green bag looked like nothing was done to it, maybe it was just the picture making it look that way. I sand the edges with a fine grit sand paper first.