Congratulations to Ninainameina.etsy.com for being the last shop chosen for a critique. To read more about shop critique week click here.
For the many many many of you who I could not critique I've decided to keep the service going privately. Read more here.
Now, down to business!
Nina, I love your work, it is very sweet and inviting, feminine and playful. I want to start by saying, your banner is too simple and as with WoolyBison you could do a lot to "fill" the look of your shop with 3 featured items.
Your shop announcement is perfect, why say more?
As Lindsay May pointed out in WoolyBison's critique, you could put more in your shop title (where you simply state me.nina).
Shop titles are searchable by google and a great little intro to your buyers. A simple statement of what you make is inviting and valuable.
Location: A quick little nitpicking thing, most people don't know where Modesto is, but they do know California. For all sellers, adding specifics to your location will give your international buyers (and national ones) a sense of where you are in this big land of ours.
I am going to start with your darling headband:
This is lovely! And very easily a wedding item (which as I keep saying, is a non-overcrowded category). If the headband fits, tag it!
I also like the simplicity of your descriptions. There is a sense of confidence in not writing too much.
I would add international dimensions and with hair wear, it is always nice to know if your accessories work on all styles; curly, fine and so on. Overall, your short and sweet descriptions work well for your style. A+
I want to point out:
that ^ this is a MUCH stronger listing. The simple image of a beautiful woman wearing your bobby sells the story behind the product. I think with all accessories, showing them on models is such a benefit. Your 5th photo is romantic, sweet and lets me know what my hair will look like when I buy your work.
Your pictures are clear and descriptive and I don't mind the wood background but again I want the story. If you can't use models, using different colors in your background will warm up your shop.
And everyone should keep in mind, when you sell something worn, you are selling a sentiment.
Having a sense of enchantment in your shop is going to do a lot for branding, especially if you move into the weddings category.
Again, the difference between what you have listed and what I want to see; it is night and day.
(I did crop your 5th photo a bit to highlight the flower.)
I want to go briefly into expanding your market. I mentioned weddings a few times and you have a strong line there, especially with custom accessories.
But you also have the option of focusing more on children's items.
These are darling and you could easily make bracelets to match. (Do be careful about choking hazards and your age range, you may stick to soft flowers for toddler items and keep the buttons for the 3 and up set).
Kids is a huge market and even in the tightest economy, the well photographed little darling accessory for "little darlings" is an easy sale.
So the tough part, I'd like to see you tighten up your shop a bit by picking where you want to market. Though your lines mesh, in branding it is best to pick a strong audience at first and then expand from there.
Ask yourself, do you want your shop to be the place for romance or the place for playful?
Should you choose kids as the brand image to pursue I'd like to see you make your shop a little brighter and more lively, for the adult, a little more earthy and warm.
I am leaning a bit more towards the adult work (but I don't have a daughter) but kids is a viable marketplace and it's really up to you.
Either way, my advice is to make a decision about who you want to sell to and jump in with both feet.
As your business grows, having a few items from either direction will enhance your lines and your sales. Good marketing is targeted and while your items are similar in material and design, the audience is very different.
Your work is really lovely and I think you can do well, either way.
I do hope you'll grow your shop and your products. You are on the right track and I think you have the sense and style to run with it. I really look forward to seeing your shop grow.
PS!!! If you want to do both children's and adults you could create 2 shops and stylize each one of them very differently. This will show your buyers your range of craftsmanship and it is never a bad idea in the artist business to show off :)
----Thank you all for reading and learning here with me and thank you to all the shops who volunteered for this public review. This has been truly fun for me and helped me set some of my own goals as an Artist Consultant.
I am very excited about my venture into creative business marketing and I can't wait to grow my own business along this new path.
I look forward to taking some of you with me :D