It's December 8th. What Can I Possibly Do Now to Boost Sales?

Vintage Marcasite Bow by popgoesmyvintage

I am an all year holiday shopper. I despise malls and I prefer to find unique items. Etsy was a dream come true when the site launched. I pay attention to what family and friends are into and try to find one of kind gifts for each one.

My brother is the opposite. He wakes up from an over work induced fog around Dec 20. He then madly rushes around getting gifts-ordering them off the web and paying for the high last minute shipping.

My family asks for lists each year from us. We oblige, searching for things we need. (We really don't need much-except for more chicken, dog and cat food, a farm hand and snow chains-unique, but not very fun to gifts to give!)

No matter what kind of shoppers are looking, our Etsy vintage stores should make it easy for them.

20% off Sale on Opera Glasses by hautecountryvintage

1. Keep listing. Make sure the shop is fresh. Yes, renewing your items counts a bit. But for those shoppers that know your listings and are just hoping for that awesome-amazing-out-of-this-world find, you need new things.

2. Rotate your item photos. A secret to a fresh shop isn't just moving items around. It's also switching your photos. Hopefully you have more than 1 photo that would look great as a thumbnail worthy of a treasury. Change them around. Amazing how our eyes gloss over things and then notice the littlest changes.

3. Advertise. Make treasuries. The more I've made, the more I've been featured in. Get your store name out there. Use the Circles that are under the Activity Feed link at the top. People are finding other shops and items based on who their circle members are looking at. This is viral marketing at its best-use it to your advantage.

Silver Lipstick Case by tippleandsnack

4. Stick with a consistent avatar during the holiday season. While it's tempting to replace your standard store logo with a cute holiday decoration, I don't recommend it. You want your shop to look familiar to buyers. There have been so many shops this season that I don't recognize. (why did I mark them for a favorite? I don't remember them!)  Buyers want to buy from shops they trust-especially since it's now December 7 and people are starting to get nervous about shipping.

5. Reach out to your Twitter & Facebook fans. Offer them a deal: free or discounted shipping, free shipping upgrades, free gift wrap, a store discount, etc. You have a captive audience. Capitalize on it.

Vintage Dollhouse by vintagegoodness

6. Include advertising in your packages. Never forget-right after Christmas and January are big shopping times. It's chilly outside and people are indoors. A warm computer screen is so cozy, isn't it? Remind this season's shoppers that you'll be around in January to help them find the gift they really wanted to get.

Whatever you do or don't do,  I hope you have a wonderful Holiday season filled with bubble wrap, packing peanuts and the frequent hunt for just the right sized box to ship in!