All Moved In!

Well... kinda. Most of our stuff is still in boxes, which is really frustrating. Especially since I come home from work and the last thing I want to do is work some more. But, today we bucked down and got our "studio" organized. I was able to take some photos and post a new item. That's my favorite part! :)

So, I'm hoping this is the last move we make in a veeeeerrrry long time. It's looking like a bonus, our neighbors are really nice. So, we might be able to make some friends out here in Sunny Las Vegas!

We're still truckin' away with the site, posting new items, and trying to figure out that "promote, promote, promote" goodness. (I hate that advice, but it seems to be the only thing to do.)

Other than that, there is not a whole lot new going on. I'm working on improving my photos to be able to present our work better. The photo is the first thing the customer sees, so I know it's very important to get a good image. I'd like to make a flyer advertisement to pass around to our neighbors and co-workers. I also have plans on making a newsletter to send out. All things that I want to do, but for which I have neither the time or energy to put into place right now.

I think the newsletter will be the first thing I'll do. I can include coupons, tips, tutorials, photos...

If you'd like to be put on a KelleyAccents newsletter mailing list, comment your email to this post. I'll get something cool set up. As long as the Mrs. approves it, of course...

Getting a Web Promotion

Here's the hard part about having an online business. How do I promote it? I need to get some ads out there, some publicity, somewhere where there is a high concentration of buyers. On Etsy they say, participate in the forum, etc. The thing is, all the OTHER buyers are there as well, so I think it gets a little confusing for any potential buyers.

Promotion is one reason why I keep this blog. It gets our name out there, it's something that the search engines are liable to crawl through. I have yet to see a sale generated through it, but I'm not going to stop blogging.

I did have a banner exchange for awhile, but I never saw any sales, and that company didn't even give me the promised information, such as, seeing where my ad was showing. They didn't even have a support email, so I stopped that a little bit ago. It would be nice to find another banner exchange. We are looking for free advertising methods. There has got to be something out there that will provide more results than what we've had so far.

Our Etsy shop is growing. We're up to 54 items for sale. That's a good number, but not high enough. We'll get there someday. The more time we spend on making jewelry, the more pieces we can sell. If we can figure out how to sell them.

So... we'll keep hoping and looking for ways to get that promotion!

Branching Out

So, Karla did some other crafty type stuff while in Mexico and we decided, she didn't need to keep it all. She did some cool stuff to some handmade palm leave bags. I'm getting pictures taken of them and listing them on our site, one by one. They're a really good deal, and very sturdy. And, they look really cool! Go check'em out! I've posted a picture of the first one here. Just click on it to go to the Etsy listing!

D

Home Jewelry Party

Karla and I just got back from our very first Home Jewelry Party! It was very much a success. Only 4 people came, but they came to buy, so it turned out really well. If they happen to be reading this (does anyone read this?) I would like to send a huge hello and thank you!

If you weren't there, but would like to schedule a Home Jewelry Party, just send an email to kelleyaccents@gmail.com. Of course, you'll need to be in the Kansas City area. If you're too far away from here, you can always follow the Etsy link to the right and see some of our choice items!

I was a little nervous at first about how it would turn out. We were there for a couple hours and came out with a little bit more money in our pockets when we came out. Success is such a good feeling. We have another scheduled for tomorrow night. Yeah!