I was right. . .I don't like it.

I had concerns about the format changes to Etsy shops, I didn't like the look of the previews and I was right I'm not a fan of the new layout at all.  Apparently, the look of the layout was only part of the recent changes, there have been other changes internally as to how search ranking functions and how keywords and tagging work.  Also whatever they have done on the servers behind the scenes seems to have affected search engine searches like Google too, so all the server bots will have to re-crawl and that means for a while nobody's stuff is getting results they used to get.

RainbowMaille has not had the same level of views since the change, my average is even lower than usual.  It's kind of super annoying because I had worked pretty hard at keywords and tagging and the Facebook page and this blog to promote the shop and my views had previously been on an upward trend.  This month they have dropped by half so I am working my way through all my listings checking and adjusting the tags, changing titles, re-wording descriptions, basically having to re-do the whole damn thing.  As if I have hours and hours to spend doing that stuff AGAIN, when I should be crafting cool new stuff.  

At least I am not alone in my annoyance and frustrations, I've been reading the forums on Etsy and plenty of other people have suffered drastically reduced views and sales, while some have had significant increases.  I think these shifts are a by product of the shifts in keyword/tagging and search rankings, it's helped a handful of shops while killing others.  My biggest problem is I'm now unsure of what exactly will correct it for my shop because it's new it will take everyone time to figure out how to manipulate it.  
 

Finally listed. . . .

Ok so I finally got more than a dozen of the embellished chokers finished. ~yay~   Yesterday I listed them in the leather section of the Etsy shop.  New Embellished Suede Chokers

 I didn't get all the new braided stuff listed but that's ok there is always more to be done.

Stars and more. . .

I have this growing pile of finished stuff that I'm not ready to list yet.  There are 6 of the decorated chokers which would normally be enough to list but I want more than 2 colors before I create a listing for these.  I'm not sure at all about the extra wide braided cuffs though, they are kind of cool but they don't lay flat they look weird in photos.  I think I may make a few but I'm not sure they will get listed on the Etsy shop.

not braided just decorated. . .

I got these fabulous star shaped spots and they are supper cute and fun but they have a lot of prongs and the prongs seem to be super flexible and kind of sharp. . . So to prevent the prongs from snagging or scratching I laminated a second layer of suede on the backside making it double thick with the prongs totally captured.  I think they are great and I'm not sure I want to try to slit or braid them once they are double thick.  However, I am considering making the decorations go all the way around, in the mean time I have discovered that the smaller stars fit inside the larger hollow ones. . .  

 Which is awesome I think.  The layered effect and the 3 dimensional look are really cool as the larger stars are flat and the smaller stars are kind of domed up.  Plus I have plenty of snaps to make as many variations as I want.  ☺
 

listings update. . .

In light of the fact that Etsy charges you a small fee for each listing, I decided to add the new items to the existing listings instead of making new ones.  I added new photos and expanded the options in the color selection and description sections, that way each item still has a full description with measurements and details but the listing itself is the same title and all the tag keywords and stuff are intact.  I think it will work ok.  

 The original photos are all still there but if you scroll through them 

 you get to the new photos with expanded selections available.

For the braided bracelets and chokers I added photos of just the new ones instead of trying to get them all in one photo.  I did make sure to keep the numbering correct and sequential in the photos and the descriptions.

 

I don't like change. . .

I am not a big fan of change in any form, so when I logged into Etsy and found the announcement that they are overhaulin' the site I cringed.  Now I've got to get a new header photo and write a new description, editing, re-arranging, updating.  ~sigh~  I was fine with it the way it was now I've got to adjust to a whole new format.  :-/

From the "preview" and tour I'm not sure I'm going to like the new look either.  Why do they have to do crap like this?  There was nothing wrong with the original so why change it?  

Anyway I've got new leather listings to work on and a custom chainmaille choker to make.  

 

Snappy snaps. . .

Well my order of new snaps finally arrived this past week and due to a slight size difference that I have overlooked or underestimated or miscalculated or whatever it took some adjusting of tools and techniques to set them properly and consistently.   However, I am stubborn, creative, and very ingenuit-ive. ~LOL~  I figured it out and finished up all the bracelets, anklets and necklaces I had cut and ready.  

I have yet to work out how I'm going to list them, though so they are not in the store yet.  I am thinking about sorting them by length, so one listing for bracelets, one listing for anklets, and one listing for necklaces.  But then I thought maybe I should just add the plain ones to the existing listings and make just one new listing for the embellished necklaces.  ~IDK~  I'll have to think on that.