Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Is Poaching Too Strong of a Word?

Just a quick warning, This particular post is meant more for documenting how Etsy has changed incoming traffic to listings.  I wanted to show other shop owners what is happening, and why their shops may have slowed down.
I just stumbled across a change Etsy made to incoming search results.  I often perform searches on google, to see if my items are showing up.  I am showing up on a number of google searches, but my views on Etsy have been plummeting.   If you are an Etsy shop owner that has built your business, only to find yourself struggling this may be the reason.

Here is the google shopping results for snow cone necklace today October 22, 2013.  My snow cone necklace is in the first slot top left.


 Once you click through to see the item this picture of the screen below is where you are taken.  An Etsy listing page.  The top is very different though, Notice that you don't even see the item.  You are shown other "similar" items.  Then you see the shop name next to some thumbnails of shop items.  You actually have to scroll down in order to find the item you clicked on.

How many people clicking through to find your item, will know to scroll down?
Sorry they are photos guys...  There were errors when I tried to post with actual screen shots
Heather

Here is another way Etsy is directing traffic away from your shop
 I search for chocolate cupcake charm then click on images.  Mine is the 6th in on the top
 Here is the screen after I click on the image.  Instead of saying my business name on Etsy, It says Popular items for cupcake charm on etsy
Then when you click on  to Etsy you are taken to a search page of many items.  The one you clicked on may or may not even be there

I deactivated my listings. My item was in the top row in the third slot.  There have been reports by other sellers that their item did but appear on the page at all, or it was towards the bottom of the page.

I don't want my images to lure people to directly competing items.  Amazon at least shows competing items on the bottom of the page.  This is not fair to the shops that spend countless hours researching SEO, taking the best pictures they can, only to have it used to promote their direct competitors items. 

To my wonderful buyers..  You can still contact me through Etsy for the time being, or find me here
This along with the allowing factory mass produced items to be called "hand made"  was the reason I took all my listings down on etsy.

6 comments:

  1. I sent you a few etsy convos :)

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    1. Thank you :)
      I hope things pick back up for you. I hope etsy is able to find a way to let non mass produced items find a way to show again..
      I don't think I will be going back though :(

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    2. What they are doing is terrible.. Please feel free to add links to the comment section here, to the threads or search result that are leading your customers to competitors

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    3. I agree and just found this out for myself... I am Really upset about it, I spend countless hours working on SEO and my items that are directing traffic to Etsy
      are not on the page at all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Etsy need to change this ASAP!!!!

      I guess I will switch to ARTFIRE is is only $14 a month with no listing or Re listing Fee NO Commission on Sales! You simply pay the monthly Fee

      when I click one of my Artiire Items in Google I am taken Directly to MY Page!

      How dare Etsy do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      I have stood up for Etsy many times, but this has me Feeling used and Cheated by them!

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  2. I'm wondering if Etsy may have gone too far with this one. It's one thing to allow Chinese mass produced items, it's something quite different to use my shop's photos as advertising for other shops.

    Isn't this like that Florida model suing Match.com?

    It may be only a matter of time before some of the Etsy sellers band together and bring a lawsuit.

    Even ebay isn't this bad.

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    Replies
    1. I was just thinking earlier today that etsy users who have paid their 20 cents per listing have standing for a class action lawsuit, if anything, simply because they are being sold a bill of goods and then not allowed to use the services they paid for due to etsy's constant changes to the site.

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