by Kath Campbell

Created on: January 14, 2009   Last Updated: June 22, 2009

So, you want to sell your crafts on Etsy? You will need to rise above the crowd and put forth a professional image for your storefront. If you invest the time to show professionalism, you will notice an increase in sales. Here are several tips to help you stand out.

Take the Time to Get Great Photographs

In the world of online sales, photographs are king. They are the only way that your buyers really have any inkling of what they're purchasing. On Etsy and other craft venues it is hard to stand out above other sellers and it's a good photograph that is going to earn you clicks. How are you going to get good photographs? You will need to either invest in some equipment or find a friend who knows a thing or two about photography.

A digital SLR (DSLR) will get you much better pictures than a point-and-shoot camera - if you don't have one, you can pick up a decent used one on eBay or local sites like craigslist for about $350 for a camera body and kit lens. You are also going to need some good lighting. You can either shoot outdoors on a sunny day in the shadow or out in the open on an overcast day, or if you are like me and don't have much opportunity to get photographs early in the day, you can purchase lighting. You can buy a light specially made for photography, or you can try a cheaper setup initially and see if it will work for you.

What I did was this: I bought a few reflector dish lights at the hardware store along with natural daylight bulbs with the highest wattage the reflector fixture would accommodate. Since most items sold at Etsy or other craft sites are small, this size of lighting is adequate. I arranged my lighting around my subject to ensure it was well lit, then hung white sheets or paper in front of the lights to diffuse the lighting and eliminate harsh shadows.

Since most items for sale on Etsy are small, you will want to use the macro settings on your camera, or even invest in a macro lens. I would also suggest using a tripod as well. After you are done shooting, use a photo-editing program to ensure your colors are vibrant and true to real life. Consider looking into adjusting your computer monitor settings as well so that what you see as far as color is also what the majority of your customers see as well. There are plenty of free online resources that go much deeper into photography than I have done here; search them out if you would like to learn more.

Take the Time to Set Up Shop

On Etsy or other sites that allow you to have

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