First Impressions

Yesterday I was flattered to find my items included in these two stunning treasury selections on Etsy's front page ...
(Double click on each image if you want to see it larger).

I've read a lot of divided opinion about the Etsy front page and the items chosen for it, but it's rare that I see a front page I don't find interesting and well put-together and super selections like these make for a fantastic first impression that has much more impact (I think) than the more random selections on other crafty sales sites.

DaWanda has recently changed its front page set-up and it's much improved, and though I think it's a bit busy and still lacks that POW that Etsy's often has the navigation guides are much clearer. Similarly, the navigation bits on the Folksy front page are fab, lovely and simple tabbed sections and a nice big clear search bar... but that wow factor is currently still lacking. It will be interesting to see what changes are made as the site develops!

Front Page Goodness

I got a lovely message on Etsy this morning from PamGlew letting me know that one of my poppy hairbands had made it onto the Etsy front page - she even took a screenshot for me:
Thanks Pam! I did actually manage to catch that one in all its autumnal glory, but normally I miss my front page moments so it's always nice when people take the time to give me a heads up. Luckily these days there's always the excellent Etsy Front Pagers flickr pool to check if your views go up unexpectedly.

The Front Pagers group is the brainchild of an anonymous Etsy member who uploads dozens of front page screenshots a day to make a unique archive. It's great to check if you miss your own item on the front page but it's also a fantastic resource for seeing the variety of items that show up on the Etsy front page and the sorts of themes and colours that make a successful treasury (if you fancy trying your hand at making one yourself). For example, at the moment autumnal themes, Halloween, leaves and orangey tones are making a strong showing along with lots of selections in soft and muted tones. Additionally it's a great at a glance guide to the quality of photography & types of images that are most popular - great inspiration if you're working on improving your images, which we all need to do from time to time!