Shop of the week:

This week's shop is from one of our most active members here on the etsy twitter team. FoxyGknits, owned and created by Lois Stifel, is a beautiful shop. Within the shop you can find hand-knit one-of-a-kind shawls, wraps, and scarves that are fashioned by combining diverse yarn textures and color palettes. Designed for today’s woman, all items encompass both style and comfort. You can tell that Lois's world is truly inspired from colors and textures in the which she describes as the "everyday world around me". From everything Lois lists in her shop you can tell that she believes, "Knitting was my avocation long before it was my vocation, and each item is hand knit with love. I take great pride in my workmanship, and if something isn’t up to my standards, it doesn’t go into my shop. "

Lois is always on twitter, tweeting about many amazing things such as: her fellow teammates on ETT, her newest items she or her mama Fox has made, Her Art from the Heart feature on her blog, or beautiful quotes/saying about those who are in her life. When asked about her twitter tricks of the trade Lois shared with me the following:

"I am not sure that this is a “trick of the trade,” but I don’t tweet anything I wouldn’t mind seeing on the front page of the New York Times! On a serious note, I work at building relationships on twitter. I do this by sharing valuable information, retweeting friends’ and colleagues’ sales and promotions and not boring people with what I had for lunch or letting them know when I am leaving for the post office. And I unequivocally never beg for sales, talk about how many followers I have or don’t have or how many shop hearts I have or don’t have."

From February 1st -7th Lois is offering the following discount in her shop:

FREE U.S. SHIPPING on all purchases totaling $40 or more. Put LOVEISINTHEAIR in the Note to Seller. Shipping fees will be refunded via PayPal after
payment has been made.em>

This year FoxyGknit's goal is to make more items that you will all love! She has told me the following about this goal:

"I would have to say that one of my business resolutions is finding my niche. What I think will sell does not always. And what I think might never sell sells quickly. While I have the demographics on etsy shoppers, I do not yet have a good handle on the demographics on Foxy G. Knits shoppers."

To learn more about Lois and her amazing shop please use the links below:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/foxygknits
Facebook biz page: http://www.facebook.com/foxygknits
Blog: Foxy G’s Den of i-KNIT-quity: http://foxygknits.com/

Thank You Lois for sharing this information with us. We love you, your shop and all the beautiful things you do for the ETT.

Please note that there is only shipping to the United States at this time.*

Written by: Jen

Head of Etsy twitter team

http://www.jenco13.etsy.com/

Happy Etsy-versary, Foxy G Knits!

Lois, from FoxyGKnits.etsy.com, was kind enough to share her stats for her first year on Etsy. She has accomplished a lot this year - more than mere numbers can convey. She has connected people and created community through her business. She is truly one of those kind souls many are lucky to know, myself included.

Today (9/29/09) is one year to the day that I signed up on Etsy, although I didn't list my first items until October 15th. Anniversaries cause me to be reflective; here is a wrap-up of my first 365 days in 371 words:

Sales: 59 sales (actually more because I bundled some orders for customer convenience)


Most unusual sale: In August, an art director who was filming a Georgia Lottery commercial featuring Atlanta Falcons contacted me by convo and Facebook 36 hours before I was leaving for California and asked me to call her as she wanted to purchase a red and black scarf. This might not have been unusual, but it was between 11:30 p.m. and midnight. She e-mailed me the next day to let me know which scarves she wanted to see and then came by my house at 7 p.m. that evening and purchased two. BTW, I did not let her in my house, but met her in front!

In August, I also had a shawl purchased by a playhouse costume shop.

Hearts: 300 shop hearts

Number of visitors to site: About 1,300 visitors last month and again this month

Made front page of Etsy on September 18th netting 294 visits and 19 shop hearts

The top five states from where my visitors come (GA, CA, NY, TX and FL) account for 49% of the visits.

I have been honored to be included in about 25 Treasuries, most put together by colleagues, a few by sellers I did not know.

I have been featured on various blogs with mentions on others. Written up most about Paying it Forward.

Started Foxy G.’s Den of i-KNIT-quity blog as part of marketing mix. Most viewers on one day: 119

Built Facebook biz page: 439 fans; established myself on Twitter. At #3 traffic source to my shop, Twitter appears to account for 13%. At #4 traffic source, Facebook accounts for 7.25% - for a combine total of 20%+.

Not being a numbers person, I have no idea how to put these facts and figures into context. I do know, however, that that most meaningful to me is my association with the EtsyTwitter Team and the wonderful, supportive people I am honored to call my friends.

- Lois

Thanks for sharing your numbers and your beautiful heart with us, Lois!! You are truly a valued member of this community and we all love you very much! We wish you much success as you head into year two!

- The Whole Etsy Twitter Team