The New Etsy Business Tips Blog!

Today I launched a brand new blog- The Etsy Business Tips Blog!

I've had a few lovely people very kindly suggest that perhaps I am addicted to blogging (and perhaps that starting another one is not going to assist with PhD completion hehe). However, this new blog is mainly to provide one place for the 'info for sellers' posts that I write, so there will be some overlap with this blog, other blogs and forum posts (so hopefully it's not going to be too much of a drain on my time). It should provide a more accessible resource for sellers looking for info.

I've also added a box on the right side bar of the new blog to allow for suggested 'Etsy Business' blog topics- please feel free to add your suggestions! If I get a lot of questions that way I will probably have regular Q&A/Tips posts as well as the more detailed information articles- I'll wait to see what the interest level is.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll also be adding a self-service critique page, based on the issues that usually come up when I do critiques for newbies on Etsy (and more experienced sellers).

So please do pop over and check it out- I hope that it will be a valuable resource for Etsy sellers! As with this blog, I've added a form so that you can subscribe by email (or there's a feed option too) if you would like to.

Today's post is specifically for international sellers and has info on how to schedule your promotion so that your buyers aren't asleep! http://etsybusinesstips.blogspot.com/2010/03/are-all-your-buyers-asleep.html

Beaded Heart Pin/Brooch by tractorgirl

Online creative business class: indie-business.com

For those who might be interested... indie-business.com is offering an online course for people running a creative business.

From the indie-business team:
Indie Business - Starting, Surviving, Succeeding is a 6 week Online Class for women and men wanting to build an online or local creative business. We'll focus on Starting, Surviving and Succeeding in small business and cover everything in between! The class runs from March 7th - April 16th and is taught by Leigh-Ann, Jill and Elsie. Hosted in a members only blog (written content), the 26 sessions, 7 DIY projects and 3 live chats are sure to give you all the tools you need to establish yourself and achieve success with your Small Business! The course also includes a printable workbook with original illustrations by Elsie Flannigan and room for all your homework, notes and ideas! Visit indie-business.com for full details and registration info. Email questions to Leigh-Ann at indieworldwide [!at] gmail.com

For the opportunity to Win a Free Registration into Indie Business, please enter your name and email address in the comments of this post and we will draw one winner on March 5th.

An outline of the course content can be found on the indie-business website. You can also find out more about the teachers and their backgrounds here.

Blogging Could Be More Effective Than You Thought- Google Analytics & Etsy Minis

A post I wrote for the Sellers Assisting Sellers Team Blog:

Brain in a Jar by YourOrganGrinder

After noticing that views from my blog were lower than they should have been in my Google Analytics stats for my Etsy store, I began to do some investigating and realized that clicks on Etsy minis show up within Google Anayltics as visits from within Etsy, rather than visits from a blog or website.

This means that some of the traffic coming from your blog or website (when people click on your Etsy mini) won't be identified as having come from that traffic source (yourblog.blogspot.com), which may lead people to underestimate the effectiveness of blogging as a promotional tool.

I Love you Blogs & Tea Print by Jeniferramos

Fortunately it is possible to find out how many views have come through Etsy minis, and also whether people have clicked on the link in the mini that leads to your shop or a specific item.

For the rest of this exciting story (ie instruction on how to see your visits via Etsy mins) please visit the Etsy Mentors Blog :)

PS don't forget to enter my geek necklace giveaway!

Quick Questions #1

Seeing as I seem to know far too many useless things about etsy and related bits and pieces, I thought I'd start a regular 'Quick Questions' blog feature. Post your questions in the comments, and I'll choose one to answer next time- it can be an etsy-related question, or you can post about other random silly things....

Question:
A question that came up today was about whether it is possible to add an etsy mini to a facebook fan page.

Answer:
The answer is yes, but it's a bit tricky and facebook can be a bit buggy (the 'boxes' tab doesn't always show up for business pages when you need it). Complete instructions can be found on Anna's blog (from TheHouseofMouse on etsy) here.

To summarise (if you already know what you're doing), add the application 'My Stuff' to your fan page and paste in your etsy mini code, then click 'add to profile'.
Next, go to your profile and find the 'boxes' tab on your profile- you may need to click on the '+' tab and look for boxes. If you can't find it, try later (this is the buggy bit).
Once you find the boxes tab, click on it and go to the 'My Stuff' application, then click on the little pencil (top right). Select 'Move To Wall Tab'. It can take a bit of stuffing around, but this should work. You can see mine here: http://www.facebook.com/morphologica

. . .

Post your questions below :) Be as silly as you like!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway of a free Zibbet premium account for life, and there's a code for a free trial as well so you can try it out for a week LINK

Leeloo- Unique Design Online

I'm sure many of you have heard of Leeloo, 'an online community and store for emerging independent Australian designers and artists'. Angela (Leeloo's director) very kindly agreed to do an interview for Australian Etsy Blog readers...

Leeloo.com.au was created to solve several ‘problems’. Firstly, I needed to remove myself from corporate ‘slavery’ and have a job that suited my skills as well as my passions. Having always loved fashion, design, art and all things gorgeous, starting a store that would provide support to young artistic types, so that they would not end up in a job they hated and ignore their creative inclinations as I had was the obvious answer, and felt right. Our online store was launched in November 2007, after several months of planning and creating the infrastructure, scouting for designers keen to take a punt on a new business and away we went!

Who is the real Leeloo and does she help you pick products for the store?
The lovely Leeloo is my dog, who was adopted from the RSPCA. She has a protein allergy, was the runt of the litter (by a big size difference) and wins the heart of whoever she meets. As she is now about 4 and a half years old (and therefore maturing) has some input on who we have in the store, but mostly just likes me to hold her paw as she sits next to me while I do my work.

What do you look for when designers are submitting their work for consideration? Any secret tips for designers hoping to become part of the Leeloo club?

Every week I receive several expressions of interest from designers who are keen to become part of the Leeloo family. I look for several things in both the product and the designer themselves. E.g. If the products fit with the Leeloo aesthetic and the overall feel of the goodies we have in store, that they’re made in Australia, and if they have already put themselves ‘out there’ on the internet, that puts the artist in good stead. In terms of the designer, it helps if they’re passionate, patient, organised and have thought about their work as a brand to some extent. They must also be friendly and keen. We only have nice people in the family.

What advice would you give to independent designers/artists and online small business owners?

I believe research and planning are integral to starting your own business, whatever field it is. In my experience, many young designers get over-excited about the fun stuff, and unfortunately there’s a lot of tedious parts to having your own business as well, but without executing these parts correctly, it can all be pointless. Still, with Leeloo we like to think we allow the team to focus on their creativity so that they don’t have to do the sales, marketing, logistics, delivery, accounts and ‘yucky stuff’, although there is an element of that in any business.

It's often quite difficult for independent creators to find affordable and effective ways of advertising- do you have any suggestions, seeing as you have a lot of experience in the area?
Social networking and the media of Web 2.0 are an independent designers best friend. Get a store on etsy, madeit, eBay or wherever suits you and your business (and is the most cost effective). Set up a Facebook Fan Page, join the Twitter community, create a Flickr page with photos of your work. Set up a blog and request link swaps with blogs you read and like. The lovely people in this community are very supportive of one another, and you have to be brave and a little bold. They can only say no, right?

. . .

Leeloo is holding an exhibition in November at aMBUSH gallery, based on the theme 'Once Upon a Time'
'Keeping with the theme, all accepted artists will be allocated a fairy tale to provide a basis for interpretation for the works which will be displayed'

Interested readers of the Australian Etsy Blog are invited to apply, but hurry because submissions are due by 18th September!!

(click on the image above for details)

. . .

You can find out more about Leeloo here:
www.Leeloo.com.au
Leeloo's Dog Blog
The Leeloo Forum
Leeloo on Facebook
Leeloo on Twitter

Have you heard about ZIBBET??!

Code for free trial of a premium account down the bottom of this post!

Zibbet is a new international site for handmade and vintage, created by two Sydneysiders ('Zibbet' comes from the word 'exhibit').

As well as the fact that it's an Aussie-based site (but for international buyers and sellers), I wanted to share it with all of you because Zibbet now allows you to set up your own store and sell items for free- with a free basic account, you can have 25 items in your shop and pay no listing fees and no commission on sales either!!!

I thought this would be fantastic for many who may have been reluctant to try out additional online venues because of the fees involved- this way you can sell for nothing :)


There are some other really cool aspects to the site as well. I have just set up a premium shop for my new scientific jewellery line Morphologica, which allowed me to customise the colour scheme and sizing of elements in my shop, and add widgets to my store including a box for my facebook fan page, an etsy button (you can add an etsy mini too and twitter feeds, blog links etc), and I'm planning to add some project wonderful ads to earn some advertising money! You can also add selected photos and a YouTube video of your crafting to your shop profile!

Premium shops have unlimited listings, and again have no listing or selling fees (subscription is $7/month). You get $1 off this monthly fee for life for each person you refer to the site who then signs up for a premium account, meaning that if you refer 7 people your premium account will be completely free forever (please note this is the current referral program- the referral info on their website regarding earning commissions hasn't been updated yet and no longer applies).

Part of my customised shop front

Facebook box and button for my etsy store on the side panel

Zibbet also plans to introduce the ability to offer discount coupon codes so that we can run promotions for our stores easily, and the option to import listings from etsy (although I found just copying and pasting very easy because the layout is very similar).

An excellent feature that's already available is that you can sort your search results so that sellers close to your location are listed first, making it easier to find items from Australian sellers!


So far I really like Zibbet. It's still developing of course, but the Zibbet team is very helpful and attentive, and it's great to see (and support) another promising handmade site to come out of Australia. I think it could be particularly good for the traffic that sellers generate by themselves using project wonderful, blogs, twitter etc.
If you're going to work hard generating the traffic yourself, why not send some of it to a shop where you don't have to pay any fees, and also where your items are more likely to stand out?

There are a few issues that do need to be addressed, such as limitations in shipping options (location and abilty to discount combined shipping), lack of a geekery section for me (hehe), the currency is not clear enough (and it would be wonderful to have the option to view it in AU$ of course, particularly as it's an Aus-based site), and of course many people are not yet aware of the site.

I think it's a great way to gain a bit more exposure and to benefit more from the effort we all put into promotion, and being able to place project wonderful advertising in our shops might mean they end up paying for their own advertising!

. . . . . . . .

Announcing a special offer:
Zibbet is offering a special 7-day free trial of a premium shop to all Australian Etsy Blog readers!!
That means you can easily copy your etsy listings over to your FREE premium customisable Zibbet store and have fun playing around with the colours, banner and photo sizes, lots of different widgets, and post a video of yourself for us to watch :)

To take advantage of this exclusive offer just for us, enter the code AUSFREE when registering for a premium account, and you'll get a 7-day free premium account trial!

There is a space to enter the coupon code on the last page when signing up for your account.

Sign up to Zibbet


Feel free to post your new zibbet shop links in the comments and I'll put them up in a blog post so we can all visit (and let me know in the comment if you're running a promotion during that period).

(Please note- links in this blog post are mainly referral links for a new store that I am thinking of setting up in addition to my Morphologica store)

PayPal and Etsy - things to consider as a seller (and buyer)

Men's Seatbelt Wallet by Interrobang

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the ins & outs of PayPal, but thought I'd post this in case it might be of use to some....

Issues for Sellers

• To be covered at all in the event of a PayPal claim, you need to send items via a method that requires signature on delivery (ie registered post, or potentially international airmail with insurance). You probably also need a copy of the documents showing that you posted the item to the address on the buyer's PayPal account- so watch out for post office people just sticking a registered label on a prepaid satchel. You need to fill out the form (although I haven't tested this out!).

• With domestic registered post, you are covered for loss of up to $100 (through Australia post). You would probably need the tracking number and a receipt showing the value of the item (eg the etsy transaction). You may also be able to claim some money back for regular post ($50?), but you might need to have proof of payment. So PayPal would refund your buyer in the case of a claim, but you should be able to get your money back (I am not sure what would happen in terms of compensation if the buyer refuses to sign a form saying that the parcel was not received- the PayPal claim for 'item not received' may be enough to resolve this though). As an aside, you might also be able to claim through AusPost for damaged items (but probably not the postage fee itself). Also, stating the correct item value on overseas packages might be relevant if you need to claim compensation for the item.
  

• Sending something registered post isn't going to help you in the event of a claim if you send it to an address other than that listed on the buyer's PayPal account. If the one on etsy is different, you can ask the buyer to change the address they have selected so that the addresses match.
  

• If you didn't send an item via registered post, but have emails indicating that the buyer did receive the item, keep these emails if the transaction isn't going well in case they file a claim that they didn't receive the item.
  

• Buyers can only file one dispute per transaction.

Issues for Buyers

• As far as I can understand from PayPal's explanation of their policies (insert roll of eyes), etsy would be covered under the Buyer Complaint Policy, not the Buyer Protection Policy (which is for ebay purchases). This means that items on etsy are only covered for claims of 'item not received', and that there is no protection for 'items not as described'.

• If an item gets lost, it is the seller's responsibility to deliver it to you (with proof of delivery) in the eyes of PayPal. You should therefore win a claim if your item does not arrive. The seller may be able to claim for compensation from the postal service. Just be aware that this can take a long time (sometimes longer than a month), so if they ask you to wait until that is sorted out, make sure you don't miss the PayPal deadline for filing a dispute (within 45 of payment). A dispute is not a claim, but begins the process and allows for communication between buyer and seller. This can then be escalated to a claim within a certain timeframe, which will mean that PayPal assesses the case and decides the outcome.
  

• I have been trying to get a straight answer out of PayPal on this one in relation to Ebay, but in the case of the Buyer Complaint Policy (relevant to Etsy), it is my understanding from the policy document that if a buyer is awarded a claim for an item not received, but the seller has removed all money from their account, you may not be able to get your money back. The seller's account would be put into the negative, so if they receive any money it would be taken by PayPal. However, if they do a runner, PayPal may not refund you all/any of your money. It's difficult to be sure about that though, so I recommend having a look at their policies.

Disclaimer: please note- all of this is just my understanding of how PayPal and AusPost work, and it may be in error. I am not responsible if you do something silly on the basis of this information ;)

....

Please take a look at my post from yesterday to see some pretty things...and a special secret discount for readers of this blog in the comments! Yay!

Custom made 'Twig' ring in sterling silver by Angelene

News from the Leeloo blog- Salon Sessions

I thought this might be of interest to all those based in Sydney (copied with permission from the Leeloo Dog Blog). Sounds interesting!

Angela from Leeloo.com.au in conjunction with Hollie, founder of Online Divas and PR specialist extraordinaire, will be holding a Salon Session.

What’s a Salon Session I hear you ask? It’s essentially a tutorial / workshop with a relaxed vibe. Sizes and spaces are limited so as to ensure group conversation and discussion on the topic, usually over coffee and nibbles.

This particular Salon Session will be held in Sydney (at Online Divas HQ in Surry Hills), at 6pm on Wednesday June 24th, and looks at the various ways that independent designers and artists can take advantage of tools available on the web to get your product out to the public, as well as how to best get noticed by retailers, such as Leeloo.

This includes information like photography sites, social networking, setting up your own mini-store and other tools you can use to your advantage, most of which are free. Yes, we’ll even discuss how to use Twitter.

If you’re interested in coming along, tickets are only $25 (available here), which is an absolute bargain price for gaining valuable knowledge and gathering worthwhile information, whilst meeting like-minded individuals and making connections with the community, both locally and online. It would be lovely to see you there and meet some of our crafty followers!

Interview with an Etsy Expert: The House Of Mouse

I recently included an article written by Anna from The House of Mouse with some excellent advice on tagging in the Etsy Tips and Tricks series, and she very kindly agreed to do an interview and share some of her etsy tips with us. Anna has over 670 sales and a successful full-time mouse-making business, so it's definitely worth taking some notes!

How and why did you start selling on Etsy, and where did the mousey inspiration come from?

The first mice that I made were Christmas presents for my family and friends back in November 2007. My grandmother owned a small shop in a tourist village called Mousehole in the UK, she made small felt mice in costumes to sell in her shop, along with a lot of other mousy themed pieces like mugs, plates and ashtrays. She and my grandfather passed away when I was only 3, so I don't have any memory of her. But my parents still have some of her mice at home, they peek out from corners and shelves all through the house.

I have always enjoyed making things and most Christmases I give my family handmade gifts. My mice are quite different from my Grandmothers ones; they are slightly larger and their shape is different, but the idea of dressing them in costumes is the same. My family and friends were so happy with their mice, and many of them said I should sell them, I can hardly believe how well they have been doing.

I knew about Etsy from an artist website community called www.deviantart.com , I had been posting my paintings (www.annagreaves.deviantart.com) there for a long time and had come across several etsy sellers shops through their deviantart galleries. So I was already aware of etsy before I started sewing my mice.

Maria The Ballerina Mouse

Do you have a favourite mouse? Do you ever get any bizarre custom requests?

Choosing a favourite mouse is always hard for me, because they feel like my children. I really do love every one of them. I have a special place in my heart for my angel mouse, because her wings were so hard to figure out how to make, and I am pleased with the solution I came up with. I love Naomi and Milo the mom and baby mouse, little Milo's huge eyes just hit the awwww factor for me every time. I also adore my Dangerous mice, especially Axel the executioner mouse with the little severed mouse head. Some people say I am sick when they see him, but there is something about the cuteness and macabre together that make me laugh.

I get custom requests all the time, most of them are normal, while a few of them have been a bit strange. One customer asked for a walrus-mouse, which was very tricky to do. What parts of the mouse did I need to keep to make it recognisably a mouse? And which bits did I need to also make him a walrus? He was a representation of an in-joke between siblings. In the end I rather liked the moulrus, as he came to be known.

Edward Scissorpaws Mouse

Can you tell us a bit about the creative process involved in making a mouse?

I have a HUGE list of ideas for mice that I want to make, I keep them in a little book. I also have a page on my blog for people to make suggestions. I literally have hundreds of mice that I want to make. Ideas for a mouse hit me all the time, while watching a movie, reading a book or flicking through channels on the TV etc. I get great suggestions from fans all the time. I don't think I will ever run out of ideas.

I try to make a new mouse every week, so on a Friday I look through all my ideas and pick a new mouse to make. I use google to find out everything I can about my chosen mouse and pick the characteristics that he or she should have to make them recognisable.

I sew up a basic mouse body, with feet, tail, nose, ears and eyes already on and then I start work on clothing him. I have a wall of ribbon that I use for the mouse clothing, so I pick out colours and fabrics to use. sometimes I don't have the right thing so a trip the supply store is needed (my favourite kind of shopping!)

If the mouse needs a tricky accessory then I spend some time deciding the best way to make it, sometimes I can do it with card or felt, rubber foam or a drinking straw. occasionally they require me to mould an accessory using polymer clay. The finishing touch is when I put their whiskers in.

Charles Darwin Mouse

You have turned your store into a highly successful business. What advice would you give to new and not-so-new etsy sellers?

There is so much to learn on Etsy. I guess my biggest piece of advice to sellers here is to read all the material available on setting up and running your store. It amazes me how few people are aware of the storque and it's almost unlimited resources to help you improve your store and get the sales you want.

When I wanted to open my store, my bank messed up my credit card application and it took them 4 months to get it to me - it was annoying at the time, but really it was a blessing - because I spent all that time reading everything I could find on taking great photos, writing store policies, customer service and loads of other things.

When my credit card finally arrived (this was back when you to get a store on Etsy you had to register a credit card with them, you can pay your bill with paypal now) I was more than ready to open my store. It got me off on a great start.

This blog post has links to some of the best resources I found for new and struggling sellers.

I regularly blog advice for sellers, you can find links to all my posts here.

Harry Potter Mouse

Is there any particular advice you have for international sellers?

Being a seller from outside the USA can be daunting here, the best way to feel part of the community is to join a team that is based in your country, you can find the whole list of Etsy teams here. The European Street Team has been wonderful for me, they gave me the advice and support I needed when I first arrived. Having friends on Etsy who can help you with problems specific to the country you are in (shipping issues for example) is really valuable. I am sure that if it was not for the EST I would have had a much harder time getting to grips with this site.

Yoda Mouse

What kind of promotion do you do? Do you promote much off Etsy, and do you have any insight into reaching new buyers (non-sellers) that you'd like to share?

I have tried a lot of different promotions. When I first started on Etsy most of my promotions were within the site. I joined a team that makes treasuries featuring their members and that resulted on my mice getting on the front page quite regularly. I also made a lot of treasuries, although I have less time to sit and wait for one to open now.

After about a year on Etsy I started to focus my marketing away from Etsy. My main places to promote are:

1) My blog http://lifecraftinessandeverythingelse.blogspot.com I blog almost every day to keep readers coming back. I also run a monthly giveaway there, which is proving to be very popular, and it helps more people from outside etsy aware of my shop.

2) I have a facebook fan page which I keep updated all the time with new mice and updates from my blog.

3) I also use twitter to expand my fan base and keep people up to date with what I am making. I can promote my giveaways, blog posts and other news through twitter too.

Both Twitter and Facebook are great free ways to promote because you can target your posts at the people most likely to be interested in what you are doing. They are also highly viral sites, in that when people comment on your posts their friends see your work. Both sites provide a linking and networking base that helps word spread about your shop very fast with a minimum amount of effort on your part.

I use flikr, myspace, deviantart and some ning networks as well to promote any new mice that I make. Setting all these things up takes time, but once they are done you don't need to spend more than 3 hours a week on promotions. (I spend about 6 because I blog about tutorials, which take time to write, and I have a second blog just for fun http://fortheloveofcute.blogspot.com)

I have stores on dawanda.com and Artfire.com , although neither site is as buyer-friendly as Etsy so my success of those sites have been minimal.

Naomi and Milo Junior- Mother and Baby Mouse

What is the next step in the 'Anna and her mice take over the world' story?

I am currently stocking up my Star Wars mice for an exhibition in Florida in July. The show is called Stitch Wars, an exhibition of handmade Star Wars Themed art - which my mice were just born to be a part of!

Once those orders are complete I am going to keep making new designs and working on my promotions. There is lots more for me to learn and improve on. I hope one day to be able to afford to pay someone to share the work load with me, or perhaps outsource the basic mouse shape so that I can produce more. I don't really know how to achieve this yet, I have more research to do. But since I found The House of Mouse I have had the constant feeling that the sky is the limit, I never know what is going to happen next!

Mr and Mrs Mouse the Bridal Pair

. . .

All mice can be found at TheHouseOfMouse.etsy.com
Visit Anna's Blog Life, Craftiness and Everything Else for more great info

IMPORTANT google analytics information for bloggers!

Oh, Frell - Coinpurse by PocketCarnival

Ever since google analytics was introduced on etsy, I had a suspicion that visits from etsy minis placed on blogs would not show up as referrals from that site, but would instead appear as views within etsy. I did a few tests, and this indeed seemed to be the case.

I contacted the etsy tech admin, and have confirmed that etsy mini referrals do not show up as visits from your blog in GA!
In my opinion, this is critical, because a lot of people probably think their blogs are not very successful promotional tools, when in fact they might be bringing in a lot of traffic.

It is possible to find out how many views have come through etsy minis, and also whether people have clicked on the link in the mini that leads to your shop or a specific item.
Instructions:
Go to the dashboard in the left panel within google analytics.
Click on 'Content'. Go to 'Top Pages' (where the results are) and 'view full report', show 500 rows.
The code for traffic from etsy minis is 'em', so do 'find' and count the hits.
If you click on the little arrow at the start of the code it will take you to your store or the item people have clicked on in your mini.
* * *

Thank you to http://bloghandmade.blogspot.com for the em coding. Other codes are also available from the code list on the blog.

In an etsy thread I started, Ferrolux kindly provided the following information:
'At the bottom of the list of URLs in the Top Content report is a small search box. In the search box, type "ref=em" and then "Go"... it shows you views from ANY mini, not just your own. If your items are in someone's "favorites" mini, they will also have the "ref=em" code attached. Also, Etsy uses the mini code in the "related" items in the Storque articles, so that might also be a source for "ref=em" views.'

Don't forget to have a read of my Etsy Tips and Tricks post for lots more useful information
(and there's still time to enter the giveaway below!).

Etsy Tips and Tricks: Part #1

MrsAppleCheeks by TheHouseOfMouse

RECOMMENDED GENERAL RESOURCES

Etsy Guru Timothy Adam's Blog
If I had to pick only one source of etsy information, this would be it! Timothy Adam's blog provides fantastic information on publicising your store and generating visits and sales. Timothy also runs Handmadeology, Etsy Secrets and Found-Handmade (where you can submit your items to be featured).

Etsy Newbies Guides
Newbies. Here's why you're not selling yet.
The Ultimate Newbie Guide

Tagging Your Items
In my opinion, this is a critical thing to get right and often overlooked (as well as trying to have at least two pages of items). If you have great products and amazing photos, it's not very helpful if people can't find you! It's important for google search results as well as etsy searches. Don't forget that if buyers are searching by category, titles won't be picked up- just tags.
There is a bit of controversy about tagging, but this is the very best resource I've seen, from an highly successful (and lovely) etsy seller, TheHouseOfMouse -> Tagging Article

There's also been a recent change in the way etsy results are detected for google in terms of your shop sections (and shop titles are also important). Have a read of this Storque article 'Optimizing Your Etsy Shop For Search Engines'.

The Etsy Seller Handbook
The Etsy Seller Handbook Produced by Etsy

ETSY TOOLS
I'm So Hardcore I've Got Tools by NotRocketSurgery

Stats
How to install Google Analytics (GA)
Understanding GA results
See search terms used within etsy searches
Exclude your ip (see 'Understanding GA above)
GA help site
GA Blog
Note: because of the way GA works on etsy, some results will show how people found etsy, and then found your store. So you might get referrals from blogs you have not been mentioned on and some strange keywords (like corn poo, or one I got: Badass Undies)

CraftCult - see stats on your hearts, visits, features
Craftopolis - Find out which treasuries you're in

Treasuries
Treasury
Treasury West
PosterSketch
How to Make a Treasury
Making front-page worthy treasuries
A tip from me- check your photos in gallery mode. This is what they will look like in a treasury, and they are less likely to be picked if bits are chopped off (which is not evident in 'list' view)

Etsy Hacks
Etsy Hacks- add-ons to make listing and forums easier, plus lots more

Pricing
Free pricing spreadsheet from Chris Parry

Shop Local
Handmade Detective - my site allowing local text searches by keyword (see announcement below though)


SPREAD THE WORD
Off the Hook Brooch Duo by LittleShopOf

Twitter
Twitter
Follow me blog buttons
Twitter Tools
TwitterFeed
Plurk (similar to twitter)
The DUST team 'Get Tweeted' game

Blogs
3-Column Blog Tutorial
Cute Blog Backgrounds
Share this button
(like the ones on this blog- allows people to stumble, email, tweet your posts easily)
Retweet this button
DUSTer blog button swap

Advertising etc.
Project wonderful
About Project Wonderful
Google Adwords
Google Keyword Tool (useful for thinking of etsy tags as well)
Business Cards (read T&C carefully)
Free Newsletter
GoogleBase
Increase your etsy shop traffic

In addition to being active on the etsy forums, and perhaps advertising on etsy-related sites, I do think it is important to 'think outside the square' and try to also target 'buyers' rather than just other etsy sellers (I think this cause frustrating when it's not successful). I suspect that 'buyers' (as opposed to sellers who buy) might be more likely to respond to advertising, and more likely to appreciate the uniqueness of an item (as opposed to etsy sellers who have seen plenty of pieces of jewellery on etsy made from the same components, for example). I'm not saying that exposure within the etsy community isn't important as well (and it does depend on what you're selling). As PocketCarnival pointed out, it can result in treasury features and being noticed by etsy admin.
An example: If I sold children's items, I might consider advertising through PW on The Australian Childcare Index with ad views of over 1000/day for $1/day, and around 70% of visitors coming from Australia (I found this by searching through PW- just an example of what I mean about thinking outside the square...rather than going for a high-traffic etsy site).


Creating your own website or online profile page
Soopsee
Google Profile Page
These are my quickly-put-together examples. Great ideas for having all your sites and online identities in one place (blogs, twitter, facebook, myspace, all your links, new item photos and blog posts imported- on Soopsee). Soopsee is still in the development stage (you can only have one etsy store featured currently), and I think the google profile page is also new.

If you want to create a website or online shop, here are some Aussies on etsy who can help:
IHeartHandmade Website Creation (my site)
Wiccked
PeenyDeeny
RedSuedeKitten

For Graphics:
GetFunked
SculleyDesign
MyMagicButton


GET FEATURED
Upcycled Chenille Pants by AngelLeaDesigns

The Great Blog List
Now I was thinking maybe I should keep this one to myself (just kidding!): This is a fantastic list of blog that you can submit your items to, from the wonderful blog, ModishBizTips.

The Australian Etsy Blog
To be a featured seller or have an item featured, just comment on the blog often so I notice you:) Sellers can also offer giveaways (convo me or post in the DUST forum thread)

Aussie Handmade Giveaway
Another great opportunity to offer a giveaway!


AUSTRALIAN SHOP LISTINGS- ADD YOURSELF
Belinda Bilby by Blubies

A-Z of Australian Etsy Sellers
Style Collective Indie Directory
Indie.com.au
DUST gift guide
How to add yourself to the DUST giftguide
Australian Etsy Sellers By Category (on this blog- being developed)
Blogs from Australians on Etsy (the sister site to this blog)


AUSSIE NEWS
WC Bathroom Decor Signs by Mooza

We are now able to search specifically for shops that will ship overseas and....drumroll....apparently we will soon be able to search by location using keywords!!!!!!
Read the Storque article here

USD now more clearly displayed

Click and Send
Australia Post now allows the preparation of international postge documentation online (I think there are still some bugs)

MadeIt
In case some newbies aren't aware of it, MadeIt is the Aussie alternative to etsy, and has recently launched their new site


One day I'll listen to my own advice and actually list something in my stores and try to publicise them instead of creating random blogs! I currently sell more frequently than I list...if I actually focused on my stores and got rid of this silly PhD thing, everything might work out quite well ;) Haha
Brain in a Jar by YourOrganGrinder

Any suggestions you have for the next post in the 'Tips and Tricks' series would be appreciated!