Clear Black Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Well, I did it. And although I still have a lot left to do, this is a start. My ETSY shop is finally here and beginning to have a cohesive look that Ive been working towards. I think I am ready to share with you folks and ask your opinions as to my progress, but I am also VERY shy and it is taking me a lot of courage built up to be able to share this with you. But, I feel I need to ask opinions that are not a family member or biased because they know me in person. SO ROAST ME ALL YOU WANT LOL!! The good, the bad and the ugly, please say how you feel. It will only help me. Ive asked how the best route to do this was and we still havnt figured it out, so instead of directly linking my shop in this thread as to not seem as though I am self-promoting, if you wish to look or leave feedback please look at my profile info for a link to the ETSY shop. Just copy/paste the link into a new browser window. Now, like I said before, I still have loads of stuff to work on. Also, try to keep in mind these few things when roasting me lol: • I have ZERO experience in product design • I am very camera shy and literally have no photos of myself to use in the "ABOUT ME" section, but I am working on it. • I am still in the infancy stages so my social media is set-up, but I need to build content for that • I am also working on some more photos to "capture" the mood of a burning candle, so I can add a few to the photo section of each item • I have more products lined up to be added, especially a larger two wick, 32oz can, a wickless tart type item, air sprays and clamshells. I just need more capitol and reassurance in the brand. Thats it for now folks, if you do have a look I thank you for taking the time. Ive learned a lot here in the years Ive spent and I am grateful for every bit of knowledge that has helped me along the way. You folks are great here. Cheers. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebleo Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Okay, @Clear Black, your product and label design is off the charts awesome looking! The Etsy page looks great. Amazing job! At first glance I can’t offer up any suggestions. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTMade Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Beautiful! I love, love your labels. Itching to see more pictures.... :-) 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 A++++++++++ 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Black Posted June 9, 2019 Author Share Posted June 9, 2019 53 minutes ago, MTMade said: Beautiful! I love, love your labels. Itching to see more pictures.... 🙂 Thanks!! The labels themselves are a silky matte vinyl that is suuuuper silky/soft to the touch, then the Lion logo/BITTERLION are both in a spot UV that makes it pop out from the rest of the matte. 1 hour ago, Sebleo said: Okay, @Clear Black, your product and label design is off the charts awesome looking! The Etsy page looks great. Amazing job! At first glance I can’t offer up any suggestions. Thanks a bunch! 41 minutes ago, TallTayl said: A++++++++++ Aww, thanks so much 😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirt Roads Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 (edited) LOVE the label! The different colors for fragrances makes your page really stand out imo. The Etsy tag says 16 ounce and you have 14 net weight oz on candle. Is 16 ounce reflective of the container? I looked and it seems some people list on Etsy by size of container. I don't sell on Etsy so I have no idea of how it should be done. Website not active yet? I like the name bitterlion and it's nice you got the .com for it. But looks great! Edited June 9, 2019 by Dirt Roads 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebleo Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Clear Black said: Thanks!! The labels themselves are a silky matte vinyl that is suuuuper silky/soft to the touch, then the Lion logo/BITTERLION are both in a spot UV that makes it pop out from the rest of the matte. Thanks a bunch! Aww, thanks so much 😊 I have the spot UV on my business cards- I love that type of finish! Edit: if you don’t mind sharing, I’d like to know where you got your labels printed. When I got my business cards in I said I would love to have labels like that. Just didn’t know it was a possibility. Edited June 9, 2019 by Sebleo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Black Posted June 9, 2019 Author Share Posted June 9, 2019 1 hour ago, Dirt Roads said: LOVE the label! The different colors for fragrances makes your page really stand out imo. The Etsy tag says 16 ounce and you have 14 net weight oz on candle. Is 16 ounce reflective of the container? I looked and it seems some people list on Etsy by size of container. I don't sell on Etsy so I have no idea of how it should be done. Website not active yet? I like the name bitterlion and it's nice you got the .com for it. But looks great! The 14 oz net wt is the weight of wax inside the 16 fluid ounce container even though its closer to 14.5 ounces of wax. Its listed as a 16 ounce because the container holds 16 fluid ounces. Go search some of the more popular 8 oz candles and even though it says 8 ounces, the actual wax weight is in the 7 ounce range. Not sure how to describe it really, I just put 14 ounces on the front even though the customer gets more than the 14 ounces 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Black Posted June 9, 2019 Author Share Posted June 9, 2019 (edited) 27 minutes ago, Sebleo said: I have the spot UV on my business cards- I love that type of finish! Edit: if you don’t mind sharing, I’d like to know where you got your labels printed. When I got my business cards in I said I would love to have labels like that. Just didn’t know it was a possibility. https://www.consolidatedlabel.com/ Very good quality, little slow on turn around time but Im a small business and they tend to focus on orders in the 10's of thousands. I usually order 3,000 labels at a time to keep costs down. You will need to upload any artwork in .ai format, so a basic understanding and access to Illustrator would be needed EDIT: Just to add to that, its a one time $75 plate charge for the Spot gloss, $10 per version charge. Also, the instant quote feature wont have any Spot gloss option I believe and you would just have to call them and get an account setup, speak with your rep on what your needs are and they will work with you. Edited June 9, 2019 by Clear Black 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebleo Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Thank you so much! I will check them out. And I know nothing about the different file formats. Good thing I have someone to help with that! Was it just a slow turn around on your first order or is it slow with every order? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Black Posted June 9, 2019 Author Share Posted June 9, 2019 9 minutes ago, Sebleo said: Thank you so much! I will check them out. And I know nothing about the different file formats. Good thing I have someone to help with that! Was it just a slow turn around on your first order or is it slow with every order? I would just expect at minimum 4-5 weeks for your order to arrive at door once you submit. It never seems like they are in a rush but their quality is worth the wait. Also, most, if not all product labels are created in Adobe Illustrator which has the file extension .ai There are other similar programs out there but you cannot match AI in its functionality and ease of use. Look into getting Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) It will give you access to all their software for a monthly subscription. You can cancel at any time, so work on your artwork for a few months, then unsub. Easy peasy. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleRush Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Congrats! I love the whole pkg.! The containers, your color choices, the logo, so professional looking. I bet You'll have your first order soon!😀 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebleo Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 One thing you could add to the About Me section is the story behind your business name! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Black Posted June 9, 2019 Author Share Posted June 9, 2019 42 minutes ago, Sebleo said: One thing you could add to the About Me section is the story behind your business name! Lol, thats the funny bit. There is no story. Sometimes its just a name. I was just dabbling in illustrator making some logo designs, made that one and set it aside for about 6 months. Came back to it and had a fresh look at it again, then noticed that to me anyways, the lion looked really bitter looking. Like he was squinting or mad lol. Then I said out loud, dam that looks like one bitter lion. VOILA, it stuck. 🤣 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Black Posted June 9, 2019 Author Share Posted June 9, 2019 1 hour ago, CandleRush said: Congrats! I love the whole pkg.! The containers, your color choices, the logo, so professional looking. I bet You'll have your first order soon!😀 Thanks CR! I'm going into this not having any expectations, just enjoying the ride is all. I have a well paying full time job that I cannot walk away from any time soon, so any sales, if any...will just be that little extra. I do festivals and fairs all year, and do rather well at them. But not sure if that success will ever translate into the digital world. Only time will tell 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 I think your website looks neat, professional, and easy to navigate to find what you need. The only critique I could possibly comment on is your candle description using the word "industrial". I get that you use paint type cans as your candle containers but they are on the elegant side with your unique and lovely labeling. Industrial just does not seem fitting a descriptor and conjures up a whole different image to me other than candle. If it were me, I would change it out to "unique" or something similar or just drop it altogether. This is a very winded post for such a small point. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Very nice! I have nothing to add. You've done a outstanding job. Here's wishing you many, many sales! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Black Posted June 9, 2019 Author Share Posted June 9, 2019 23 minutes ago, Candybee said: I think your website looks neat, professional, and easy to navigate to find what you need. The only critique I could possibly comment on is your candle description using the word "industrial". I get that you use paint type cans as your candle containers but they are on the elegant side with your unique and lovely labeling. Industrial just does not seem fitting a descriptor and conjures up a whole different image to me other than candle. If it were me, I would change it out to "unique" or something similar or just drop it altogether. This is a very winded post for such a small point. Thats not a description though, those are the SEO tags. Search Engine Optimization. Etsy gives you 13 "tags" and they are supposed to be keywords that someone might type into the Etsy search bar. So, if someone types in "Industrial gift" I have a better chance of showing up in their searches. There are only so many keywords I can think of without being repetitive, so I thought INDUSTRIAL would be an ok tag. Im still working on my SEO keywords, so I was going to try to find a better one to replace that soon. I just am mind stuck lol Thanks for the feedback!! Any suggestions on SEO keywords are more than welcome! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 11 minutes ago, Clear Black said: Thats not a description though, those are the SEO tags. Search Engine Optimization. Etsy gives you 13 "tags" and they are supposed to be keywords that someone might type into the Etsy search bar. So, if someone types in "Industrial gift" I have a better chance of showing up in their searches. There are only so many keywords I can think of without being repetitive, so I thought INDUSTRIAL would be an ok tag. Im still working on my SEO keywords, so I was going to try to find a better one to replace that soon. I just am mind stuck lol Thanks for the feedback!! Any suggestions on SEO keywords are more than welcome! Got it. I guess you have to pick and choose your keywords as the website design includes them on the website itself. Seems a bit odd to me but all righty then. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Very nice all around, you have a look that is all your own. Well done. 👍 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Black Posted June 9, 2019 Author Share Posted June 9, 2019 32 minutes ago, Laura C said: Very nice all around, you have a look that is all your own. Well done. 👍 Thank you! 😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quentin Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 I see nothing to worry about. It's as good most Etsy shops and better than most. Very impressive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClassicModern Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 I love everything about it! The label design is awesome, but what stands out to me the most is your "ABOUT" section, it's real, it's you, and people can relate, that's the best way to build your brand. Photography is great as well. As an Etsy seller myself, I would say change a tag or two to something like "Birthday Gift" or "Eco Friendly" and always reserve a flexible tag that can be changed with every season or holiday. I wish you nothing but the best! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah S Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 It looks awesome! I love the industrial feel of the containers with a strikingly modern and colorful label. Outstanding job! The shop is visually appealing with a sense of modesty that I find refreshing. My only critique, more of suggestion really, is think of some unique or special names for your fragrances that resonate with your story or your brand. For example, I was immediately drawn to the Maine Blueberry candle because I know you are from Maine and I thought that was cool. Same with the campfire one. Not that they all have to be Maine-related. With the Bitter Lion name, they could be mane-related. Badump-Ching!!!😂😂 Ok, bad jokes aside, something to think about that will help set you apart. Overall I am super impressed, you have been working hard and it shows!! Great job!!! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebleo Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 @Sarah S mane related! 😂 I love it!! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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