Underpants & Viking Hats

I like to play amateur photographer a lot, and Sam is always my muse!

Viking hat from CuddlePie Crochet

Who knew you could have so much fun hangin' with a barely-three year old!?

♥♥♥

The CSI Project...

...Has featured us as this week's giveaway!

I'm so excited to be part of such a great blog where creative people can go for their weekly inspiration.


Visit CSI Project for details on how to enter the giveaway!

♥♥♥

Junk in the Trunk Booth Pictures

I am LATE on this post!

As some of you know, On May 5th I participated in a big vintage/handmade market in Scottsdale Arizona called Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market. If you live in Arizona, I recommend you bookmark their site- it's an amazing event with tons of cool vendors.

Unfortuntaley I didn't get a lot of pictures of other booths but I DID buy a couch on a whim! (More pics on that later.) 

Here are some shots of my booth...

 Being that it was my first year at this event, I shared a booth so I could get a feel of the space and how much stuff I needed to have for next year.

 Candy jars were a cute touch and they doubled as a sugar boost :)

 Notice her? That's Jenni!

This was the line forming before the event even opened. There was so much awesome vintage furniture there so if you go to the next one go early!

Happy weekend everybody! I'm officially on summer break, which I have dubbed "Mom & Sam Summer Extravaganza 2012!!!"

Comparison: Etsy//Big Cartel//StorEnvy//Shopify

This post is looonnng overdue. And loooong in length {and information}!

You may have noticed that about 2 months ago I switched the URL on whimsy-lane.com to direct not to my Etsy store, but to a new store hosted by Big Cartel.
Since a lot of handmade shop owners grapple with this very big decision, I decided to write a post detailing the comparisons I've found between these two as well as two other front-runners: Storenvy and Shopify. Feel free to share this post with anyone in the midst of this debate right now!


After much thought, I've decided to link my Big Cartel shop to my blog as my official store, while keeping my Etsy shop open as a way to increase my networking. A lot of magazines and websites find handmade shops via Etsy (Pregnancy & newborn magazine, Brides.com for me) and I wanted to still have that line open.


Keep in mind these are only my opinions!
First lets look at some screen shot comparisons then I'll break them down below...

 Screenshot of what a storefront looks like on Etsy
That banner and icon photo are all the customization you get.

Screenshot of what a product page looks like on Etsy

 Screenshot of my BigCartel shop banner. This can be any size.
I also added a large intro photo with some CSS coding.

Screenshot of Big Cartel storefront
Photo sizes are available in small, medium and large. I have mine in medium so I can fit 4 across. 

Screenshot of a product page on Big Cartel

First things first, your storefront is your branding. Etsy allows you to upload a small banner and the rest is a cookie-cutter layout every other Etsy shop has. Think of it as a store in a mall versus a bricks physical boutique where you can paint the outside and put flowers in the windows. The plus side is that this makes Etsy very user-friendly for shop owners who aren't techno savvy.  The downside is an amateur look and and a forgettable shop.

With BigCartel you can customize until your heart's content but it will require some knowledge of HTML and/pr CSS and it can be really confusing for novice web designers, hence why my shop is pretty dismal (I'm still a novice too!)

Contact form on Big Cartel

I really like the Contact form on BigCartel. Unlike Etsy, which uses an intranet-like communication system called "convo"s, Communication through BC goes straight to your email inbox which streamlines your business and makes for one less log-in since you need to log in to Etsy to respond. Big pain in the butt if you work from your phone. 

Screenshot of Storenvy storefront

This is an example of a Storenvy store. In my opinion Storenvy looks like Etsy and BigCartel's love child. It's a bit of both. It has more customization capablities like BC but still has an owner photo and visible links like Etsy...

Screenshot of Storenvy product page

This shop is Doxy Dame

What I don't like about Storenvy are those links above the photo. That was really the deal breaker for me. Why? Because those link to other shops who also share those tags. Therefor, should your customer click the one that says "ring" they will be directed to other stores also selling rings. One big complaint of Etsy store owners is how easy it is to search other stores. I feel like Store Envy took this one step further by providing quick links in plain view. No bueno.
**Update** Storenvy now has customization capability to hide those pesky tags**

This is a screenshot of a Shopify store

This store is called Tattly

I actually really like Shopify's layouts and I like them better than BigCartel in the way that they offer lots of FREE layouts to use that are actually really great. BUT their packages are expensive. 

Now let's look at plans...

 Screenshot of Shopify pricing plans

Shopify is awesome. The layouts are great, even the free ones, but they're expensive.  The cheapest plan is $29 AND they charge 2.% of your sales.Whaaaaa?!

Screenshot of BigCartel pricing plans

BC offers more wiggleroom for start-up companies. They even have a free option. BC's plans are based around how many products you want to list and how many photos you want of those products- 1, 3 or 5. The free option is great for shop owners just starting out who want to reserve their brand name early in the game without having to make a commitment. At the very beginning I started a BC account under WhimsyLane just to reserve the name. I didn't actually list a product for another year but because of the GOLD package I was able to have the "shop" waiting for me when I did decide to go with them, and my name was kept for me.

I don't have a pricing plan screenshot for Etsy and StoreEnvy because they're free of flat rates. 

Etsy charges 3.5% of each sale plus 20 cents per listing, and Store Envy charges nothing. 

Now let's compare...
Here a list of Pros and Cons for each site. Then below that I'll compare them by feature.

::ETSY::

PROS:

1. Etsy does a lot of the legwork for you. You can get a lot of sales on Etsy just from people finding you through the search bar.

2. Publications cruise Etsy for handmade products to put in their pages. I see Etsy shops in major magazines all the time. 

3. Community feel. There's a sense of guidance through Etsy since there's a forum for everything and other shop owners are just a click away. 

4. Customers and fellow shop owners can "Favorite" your shop and products which helps make them visible since those products and shops will show up in other user's activity feed. Big for exposure.

5. Treasuries also up your exposure. A user on Etsy will create a "treasury" list of items such as "Yellow Summer"  then add a bunch of items that are yellow. If your item is one of them, anyone who sees that Treasury list will see your item.

6. Etsy has a local feature that makes it easy to connect with vendors in your area.

7. Etsy has the capability to link your shop up to your Facebook page.
8. Five photos per listing.
9. Vacation mode available. You put your shop in vacation mode when you'll be selling at an event in order to avoid double-selling of the same product.
10. Treasuries are groupings of items that share something similar such as color, theme or use. Shop owners create treasury lists then select other shop's items for those lists. This creates a lot of exposure to both the fellow shop owners in the treasury, and visitors who may see the list on the homepage.

CONS:

1. Etsy shows everybody how many sales you've had. If you're a new shop it's obviously going to be a while before you rack up the sales. It can be a redflag to customers if your shop only has a couple sales since not all of them will compare that number against your shop's opening date.

2. Etsy also shows every item ever sold to anyone who wants to look. So as your ability and style evolves, your older (possibly less cohesive) items are forever documented.

3. Etsy shops look novice. They're great for the casual craft-seller but if you really want to look legit, having ".etsy.com" at the end of your URL can tarnish that.

4. The banner is all you have to show your unique branding and it's only 760x100 pixels big. 

5. Etsy's listing process is loooong. It takes forever to list one item, as you have to add 13 tags to it (making products easy to find for those browsing keywords), the year it was made (who cares), WHO made it (again- who cares) and many other steps before you can finally list the item.

6. Etsy doesn't offer any checkout options. So if you're buying a t-shirt, instead of simply clicking small, medium or large you have to indicate it in a note to the seller. Just one more hoop that some customers wont jump through. 

7. Explanation. When I primarily used my Etsy store, I would get so sick of having to explain what Etsy was to people just wanting to know about my shop. I would say "It's on Etsy... it's like a virtual mall with thousands of stores..." With BC it's just more store.

8. Confusing navigation. Are you on your bio, your store or your admin? Can be confusing. 

9. Making changes to your shop, such as marking a product as "freatured" can be confusing too and hard to find if you're in the wrong page.

10. Customers have to create an Etsy account to purchase from your store which is a huge roadblock for some, especially men who just want to purchase a gift.

11. Checkout confuses some because customers wanting to pay with a credit card must first click to pay with a Paypal account. They are later directed on how to pay with a credit card, but first they must click Paypal which is confusing for those who don't have a paypal account and aren't familiar with Etsy.


In Conclusion: Etsy is a necessary stepping stone for most shop owners but probably wont be your final store. Etsy feels like a virtual mall. Some stores stay in the mall others eventually branch out- it's up to you. Etsy is great for part-time crafters and those who are more interested in selling than branding.

::BIG CARTEL::

PROS:

1. Easy monthly plans which is great for people who sell high-priced items since you're not being charged a percentage. 

2. Free price package option.

3. Fully customizable storefronts.

4. Contact form is professional and it gets sent straight to your email inbox. No middleman to log into like with Etsy.

5. Looks like a legitimate website.

6. Because BC is fully customizable you can add whatever links/buttons/photos you want to your sidebar that link wherever you want them to go. This is a great feature for shop owners with blogs.

7. BC has the ability to link your store up with Facebook so people can purchase straight from your Facebook page.

8. Easy dashboard navigation. Everything is streamlined and organized.

9. Listing products is quick and easy.

10. Product options available. For example, I use this to allow customers to choose ruffle colors. Instead of having to make a note in the seller box like on Etsy, on BC they simply select their color choice from a drop-down bar and when  it's sold out the option is no longer visable as an option.

11. BC has an easier checkout system and customers can pay with Paypal or a credit card.
12. Option to have your own .com URL.
13. Maintenance mode available. Sort of like vacation mode in Etsy, maintenance mode allows you to make changes to your shop behind the scenes while a notice shows up to your visitors.

CONS:

1. Customization while limitless, is confusing to novice web designers and often times the help of a professional is needed if you really want to take your shop to the next level and don't have a lot of time to spend learning HTML and CSS.
2. Flat-rate plans can be more expensive than Etsy if your items are low-cost.
3. BC does absolutely NO advertising for you (unlike Etsy which allows customers to search items and provides visitors with photos in the welcome page) That means your sales are 100% your own marketing efforts.
4. No Search bar. This is a pro and a con. While a search bar can take customers from your store to another, it can also take customers to yours.
5. Drop in sales. If you are switching to BigCartel or Shopify you need to be okay with losing some sales. There is no way for people to stumble on those shops as they can with Etsy or Storenvy. If the bottom dollar is your number one goal, I'd say stick with Etsy or Storenvy. But if branding is your top priority then BC or Shopify are your thing.


In Conclusion: Big Cartel is great for those who have other ways of marketing their shop and place more importance on a professional-looking store than on direct sales.

::STORENVY::

**I'm not very familiar with Storenvy so additional tips are welcome in the comments!**

PROS:

1. FREE!

2. Marketplace-type feel. So customers can find you via links and tags you give your products, similar to Etsy.

3. Customizable storefront.
4. Your own domain available for $4.99 a month
5. Unlimited product listings- still free.
6. Has maintenance mode (or as Etsy calls it, "Vacation" Mode.)

CONS:

1. Giving products tags can lead customers to other stores selling similarly-tagged items.

2. Bio page is separate from actual store. Unfamiliar customers can find this confusing and an inability to find your products can hinder sales.

In Conclusion: From my limited familiarity of StorEnvy, it's a great option for those who want to sell from a nice-looking storefront without the hassle of monthly plans.

::SHOPIFY::

**I'm not very familiar with Shopify so additional tips are welcome in the comments!**

PROS:
1. Tons of free layouts
2. Customizable shop
3. Sleek, professional look.
4. Easy navigation


CONS:
1. Expensive plans (Cheapest one is $29.99)
2. No free plan options means full commitment (although they do offer a free 30-day trial but I'm not sure if it requires commitment.)
3. Marketing reliant on shop owner.


In Conclusion: From my {even more limited} familiarity of Shopify, it's a great option for established brands/stores whom already have the clientele. A great choice for bricks & mortar stores expanding to the internet.

Now let's break it down in features (because this post wasn't long enough, right?!)

Fees:

Etsy- 20 cents per listing plus 3.5% of sales

BigCartel- Optional price plans starting at $0.00

StorEnvy- free

Shopify- Optional price plans starting at $29.99

Visability:

Etsy- Lots

BigCartel- Completely up to you

StorEnvy- Some

Shopify- Completely up to you

Curb Appeal:

 Etsy- Fair

BigCartel- Great (if design savvy)

StorEnvy- Great (if design savvy)

Shopigy- Great (if design savvy)

I hope I was able to provide some insight into this overwhelming but inevitable choice for shop owners! If you're thinking of opening up a shop but are on the fence... DO IT! Start out with Etsy, build a name for your brand and go from there :)

♥♥♥

**Update** Since writing this post I have actually made the switch over to Storenvy. I have found that through customization I was able to build a storefront as nice as BigCartel's, but for free. And you can't beat that :)