mLee Fine Art

Mermaid with Flowing Hair
Originally uploaded by m.Lee.

Mermaid with Flowing Hair

Etsy's upgrade to Version 2 has completely killed my sales. All the tools that browsers used to stumble onto my site are gone. Featured sellers, top sellers, recently listed item ticker on the bottom of the homepage are all gone (for now they tell us). But the big one for me is the main categories page. It used to be a listing of main categories on the lefthand side with recently listed items on the right. Now that the pictures are gone people aren't finding me. It shows me just how much casual etsy browsers meant to my sales. People don't come to Etsy much looking for art, so if they don't see it right off the bat they aren't going to click the Art category.

I am pretty depressed about all this but I am using the time to regroup and consider other, offline options. Today I contacted two local galleries and left a message about stopping by with my portfolio. I have also been carbing a 20"x30" that I have neglected, with plans for another grand scale carving on the other side. I think large work is the way for me to go. I might make an order of large pieces of wood today. Having Etsy like this during the holiday season stinks, but I am starting to think that it is time for me to move on to other venues. It is time for me to focus on more challenging work. This may mean that I have less money for awhile but it could be a really good thing in the end.