4.20.2009

Terrific Tuesdays Giveaway!



Hello!

I am feeling good! Spring is here: the sun is out, the birds are singing and the ducks are back looking for food!
(Like I need more mouths to feed- my 2 boys go through 6 gallons of milk and 4 loaves of bread a week!)

Anyways, on to other matters! I feel it is time for another giveaway!

I have been working on my Etsy shop. Improving pictures, changing descriptions, etc... I want to know what YOU think!
Go to my Etsy shop (clink the title of this post and you will magically be whisked there!) Look around my shop, read a few descriptions, check out my profile, etc..

Then come back here and give me an HONEST review. I really want to know what you think.

Then 1 week from today (April 28th @ Midnight EST) I will draw a winner from all the posted comments.

The lucky winner will receive a box of assorted treats from my shop!

Thank You and Good Luck!!

41 comments:

Originals by Lauren said...

Nicole, I think you shop looks great, and your pictures are good. I like the banner too. Every picture looks delicious, which is perfect.
Lauren

marinebio_chic07 said...

Hi Niki!

I think your shop is looking great. Your banner and avatar show of some of your products. The product pictures are great - very clear. I also liked that you're a seller that took the time to fill out your policy sections (so many don't do that). I also like that you took the time to describe the ingredients in each of your listings and that your profile reflects the care and thought you put into the goodies that you make. You can contact me through my Etsy shop: http://marinebiochic07.etsy.com

I may have to get some more chocolate soon ;)

Jessi said...

Nicki, I'm in love with your white chocolate, peanut butter, and cookie bark! Yummy! I just gained five pounds browsing through your store. I think your banner is absolutely wonderful and your avatar matches it nicely. I like the way your pictures look too...crisp, clear, and bright. It especially adds to the picture when their is a consistent background adding to the cohesiveness of your shop.

New England Quilter said...

Your shop has come a long way! Congrats. One tip for pictures - I have to give Leah (Michon) credit for this one though.... Choose the main picture by what looks best as a small image, since that is all your customers will see when browsing through your shop. For example, for your peppermint chunks, the second photo would be a better main photo even though it is not well focused when enlarged; but I think that it is the best small photo for that item. Also, watch out for shadows in your photos - I am still working on avoiding them too! Have fun baking up a storm and best of luck with your sales. If I am the lucky winner, you can send me a convo through Etsy
Amy
http://newenglandquilter.etsy.com

Sue Runyon said...

Nicole, the shop is looking wonderful. I absolutely love the green placemat you use for a photo backdrop. It pulls the shop together and provides some "movement."

What I would like to see is simply more. The product shots are great, but I would love to see more shots with packaging like on the granola. I'd also love to see you set up a table display with a sampling of items to use as your last shot. I think it would tempt people to keep browsing. Take a look at this seller who puts in a shot of her booth display sometimes: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5869038

I think you are doing a great job. Keep it up!

Sue

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6143873

H20works said...

Niki,

Your shop is lovely, simple and crisp looking. You've taken great depths to brand yourself and it shows! Your banner, your avatar, your blog, your product images, your business cards & thank you notes all have this same crisp, clean, fresh style.

Your images are stunning, you can tell you take a lot of time and thought to get each to be perfect. Again they are clear, crisp, and in focus. I think that all Etsians could use them as example of what a listing image SHOULD look like.

If I was to change one thing about your shop, it would be to have more listings. And it is not necessary to have more product, just simply repeat the same listings you already have, maybe using a different product image (or even the same one) as your first image. That way you always looked really stocked! I always like to shuffle thru a couple of pages when I go into someone's shop.

If you do this relisting process 1 or 2 listings a day, it keeps your shop always coming up on searches. Hope this helps! :o)

~Kat~
H20works

Anonymous said...

Nicole - OMG! The cashew turtles are calling my name! Love the avatar and banner. Your pictures are great. They make everything so tempting. Your shipping prices are fair. The descriptions are clear. Nice profile. And I agree, it is nice that you do have shop policies. On a final note, yum yum yum!
Susan
www.yaffadreams.etsy.com

Vanessa said...

Hey Nicole! I love your pictures :D They all look lovely. I was thinking for the Homemade - Organic Energy Mix maybe the second pictures on that listing could be the first.. for some reason I am likeing the bowl angle of that one..looks artsy ha ha. It's up to you though. They are all good. For your intro maybe you could cut it in half and maybe move a litt of the info to your profile or shop policies. That way when people visit your tasty shop they will get a better view strait away of your products and wont have to scroll quite as much to see all the yummies :D Other than that.. everything looks crisp.. clean and super tasty! ~Vanessa :)

Amy said...

I think your etsy store looks great! The pictures are nice and clear and your descriptions are great. Your banner is really cute too. The only thing that I could suggest would be to shorten your intro. Unfortunately, I only see one product when your page loads and I am swamped by the text at the top. Can you shorten it any so that way the customer sees more products right away? I think your pictures are a great way to sell your yummy products, so it's a shame that the person entering your store doesn't see more right at first. Just my two cents...Everything looks great! Amy

Suburban prep said...

The pictures made me want some of each product you are selling. I think each is clear and descriptive.

Kimberly said...

I like! Honestly I like the short body of text on your shop page and the brief descriptions of each product. Your profile and shop policies seem comprehensive yet to the point. I would include some sort of excited or upbeat sentence on each product description like, "You will love these!" or "You won't be able to resist these" or "So rich and decandent". If you seem excited about the product and convinced of how good it is the shopper will get excited about the product. Of course that means more work for you because each product description should be a little different (as in, don't put the same upbeat sentence on each product).

Your products look delicious!

Kimberly said...

What exactly is "decandent"? Dunno...let's stick with "decadent" :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Nicole,
I wish I had some turtles. They look so yummy. Everything looks great except I didn't like the banner so much. I'd change that to whatever your bestseller is.
Elisabet
liveleisurely@yahoo.com

Melanie @ Whimsical Creations said...

OMG....i am drooling over those turtles!! I LOVE your photos. They are crisp and bright. Absolutely perfect!

JJ said...

Nicole, I love the candy you chose to use in the header...I'm thinking you may want to do a montage of pictures. If people see a variety of the items you make they may be more willing to browse. (what if they don't like chocolate covered pretzels?) Everything looks delicious! It might be a good idea to include shots of the candy from a bit further back. Maybe in the packaging you send it in? (like, here's what you'll see when you open the box?) I love the Dark Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods w/ Coconut and Caramel...this looks so indulgent!

Lindsey said...

An HONEST review, huh? Honestly, I absolutely love your shop! Your product pictures look great, almost too good actually. I'm getting hungry looking at them. If I had to make one suggestion, I would say you should change your avatar...if I saw you in the forums I would think that granola was the only thing you sold, and I probably wouldn't visit your shop. Chocolate, on the other hand, gets me every time...

Anonymous said...

wow is my first impression everything looks sooooooo good you so made me hungry I LOVE your shop everything is described great and looks sooo good~! the price is great as well. I am so glad I found you I sub to esty giveaways I am now a follower of yours great blog too btw~!
Vanessa
http://ohiocraftybug.blogspot.com/

Nichola said...

I had never been to your shop before. I was very impressed with the photography. It made me hungry. The pictures of the white chocolate products were not as appetizing to me though, maybe the light was off. I liked reading your profile. The main suggestion I have is to be a bit more creative with names of products. I always liked when people have funny or cute names for their products or a story of how it was created. Keep up the good work.

Sklnurse said...

This is the first time I have been to your store and I think it looks great!! I love photographs and I think you did a great job capturing how these treats look. I wanted to reach thru the pc, grab one, and eat it. Good job.
rwhaley@atlantic..k12.ia.us

denise said...

Cute shop! Everything looks scrumptious! One suggestion, for the Energy mix, maybe you should list all the things that are in it, so that people with allergies are aware.
and the chocolate dipped pretzel rods with coconut and caramel look delectable...
great photos!

playswithclay said...

Oh WOW! Your shop looks amazing! I really like the style of your shop's name is on the banner, the products look amazing and the pictures are great. I like your short intro into your shop as well. My only suggestion would be to maybe list a few more things without nuts. There are a few, but with so many nut allergies today, those people have a smaller selection from your shop. Yummy, yummy looking stuff!!

www.playswithclay.etsy.com
playswithclay3@yahoo.com

Marilyn said...

Good thing your shop is not on my corner. I would be tempted every day. It's beautiful and yummy looking too.

Unknown said...

I think your shop looks good! I like that you have a color scheme and that all of your entries are consistent. Makes it more visually appealing and easier to view. I hope I win, your treats look great!

judybrittle said...

Oh my goodness it is wonderful! Its almost as if the pictures are the real thing and I can reach out and grab a piece of great tasting candy. Your prices are really nice and shipping I could handle. I just set you to my favorites and now I know where to go when I am needing some chocolate!
Thank you for the great giveaway!

Pam said...

Your shop looks amazing. I had to stop reading the descriptions because they were so detailed that I started to drool on my computer. My only negative, and I'm not sure if you can control it or if it's an Etsy change, but I prefer to look at the photos in horizontal rows. I don't like the layout with the #of views, date posted and price horizontally with the items vertically.

melacan at hotmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Yummy! Now I'm hungry. I think your pictures look great - nice and consistent theme. I saw a couple that looks a little fuzzy (pretzel rods), but I know close ups are hard sometimes.

Amber said...

I really like your shop - the photos of your goodies are definitely good, and capture the detailed deliciousness that makes my mouth water. I know photos are so important to market edibles and you get an A+ in that department!
Thanks for the giveaway :)
hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

Jennifer Pellicone said...

What happened when I looked through your shop?...you made me hungry, that's what!! I read a few of the upper comments and agree with some of the "better pictures" comments. A couple are out of focus. The rest MADE ME HUNGRY! I liked the ingredient descriptions. I would suggest more adjectives: appetizing, delectable, heavenly, luscious, savory, scrumptious, tasteful, tasty, ambrosial, choice, dainty, darling, delightful, delish, distinctive, divine, enjoyable, enticing, exquisite, fit for king, good, gratifying, mellow, mouthwatering, nectarous, pleasant, rich, spicy, sweet, tempting, titillating, toothsome, well-prepared, well-seasoned, yummy...now I guess I'll have to go settle for some store-bought chocolate, rats!
cspmom at gmail dot com

Angel said...

I love your site and your blog (minus the music, I like to read in quiet ;0 )
Your products look delicious!

The Stewart Stuff said...

This is too good to be true! I would die if I won this giveaway! YUMMY!!! I love your shop photos, your prices, and your shipping. I find that food shops often have outrageous shipping costs!

I wish you have the peanut butter chocolate available w/o nuts. My kids are anti-nuts and they would love those without the nuts.

Thanks for the chance!!!
-10oneworld on Etsy

Anonymous said...

It looks so professional. I think you will do just fine.

Mrs. Olsen said...

I think the pictures are great. I like the white dishes and green background. I think you should give more descriptions about how delicious your food is. rebolsen at gmail dot com
www.babiesbeautiful.etsy.com

JuliaA said...

oh my GOSH. your stuff looks amazingly delicious, and i love that you have a white chocolate bark with cranberries. i'm sensitive to chocolate, but love sweets, so it's great to see alternatives that i can eat!

i was looking at yr profile... this part should be emphasized sooner:

"I am really conscious about who I purchase my products from - the majority come from local companies, farms, and shops, however if that is not possible I buy from companies that have know to be eco-friendly/green themselves."

it's well-written, but a bit long. the stuff about shelf life seems unnecessary--people know what they're getting with quality organic ingredients, and as you said, it's the kind of stuff that will be gone instantly!

i like how the green in your banner ties into the text color. nice design. it looks great.

LoveMeKnot Creations said...

maybe try a macro shot of the chocolate decorative solids?
it'd entice me more as a first/main pic I think. or even a closer shot of 3 or 4 of the chocolates. Hope that makes sense!
Lindsey
lovemeknotcreations@ gmail

minishoes1 said...

Yummy! Everything looks great!Its very appealing to the eye! I would make more candy with peanutbutter in it or candy with some kind of filling in the middle. Your prices are very fair! great giveaway! jacquecurl1@gmail.com

Shanda said...

The pictures and descriptions are making me hungry! Great shop!!
shan_da(at)hotmail(dot)com

throuthehaze said...

i like your nice clear pics...the better to see all that yummy goodness! Your shop really looks great! throuthehaze(at)gmail(dot)com

missknits said...

ooo what a yummy giveaway!

you have a great shop! the first thing though that hit me was your banner. it's not bad, buts its not real eye appealing though. i think you could totally cute it up a bit more, with more color maybe? or choose another goody to feature.

your pictures seemed very clean and clear! you use all your tags and your prices seemed very fair!!

mel_sunrise@yahoo.com

tulips_and_chimneys said...

Dearest Nicole,

Your shop is lovely, the treats look irresistible and I will most certainly be ordering some.
As for things you should fix, there aren't many, maybe some more color in the pictures, and perhaps spice up the names of the chocolates a little. But only as you see fit. Honestly, I had a hard time searching for something you should do differently.

:)
lolly_martin@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Nicole,
I really like your "Nicole's Homemade Treats" sign at the top of your shop. It's super cute, yet simple! I love the scratch and sniff comment...I wish it were true too!!

I like that you have a link to your blog...so we can better get to know you!! All the pictures look fabulous and I really like the descriptions of all the treats...especially the white chocolate peanut butter cookie bark!!! Yummy!! It might be kinda fun to go through and rename things...with snazzy fun names or something. But anyways, everything looks delicious!!!

sarsosariATgmailDOTcom

Megan said...

I actually really like your shop. Good organization, tasty looking pictures, simple format, you give enough information without being long-winded. I have given a few others constructive criticism on their Etsy shops and you seem to have already covered the main topics I tend to target. Great job!

vancy31[at]gmail[dot]com