I have a confession to make.
I don't wear earrings.
I make them and sell them, but I don't wear them.
I know, you're shocked and horrified. Please try to forgive me.
And let me explain ...
For a long time, I refused to make earrings, for two reasons. Firstly, I felt that since I don't wear earrings, I wouldn't know the difference between a good, comfortable pair and a clumsy, uncomfortable pair. Secondly, I felt that earrings were too small. Yes, too small. If you were a painter, and you could choose between a big canvas and a little one, which would you choose? I'd choose the big one. You can do more on a big canvas; you can say more and express more, because you have more space. So I felt that, artistically speaking, I could say more with a necklace or a bracelet than I could with a little pair of earrings.
But I kept getting requests for custom earrings. People would ask for earrings to match the necklace that they had bought, or because their disposable income was small and they could afford $20.00 for a pair of earrings but not $40.00 for a necklace. Every pair that I made was well received, so evidently I wasn't bad at making them, even though I didn't wear them.
Then I got to a point where I needed some lower price points in my shop. There's a recession on: people admired my jewellery but couldn't always afford it; plus, when you're new to purchasing online, paying a stranger $15-20 over the Internet feels a lot safer than paying $50-100.
So I decided to make a few pairs of earrings and see what happened. And lo and behold - it was fun! I had easily as much fun making earrings as I did making necklaces or bracelets. The joy of making something small but perfectly formed was just as much of a thrill as making something larger and more complex. And they were so quick to make! For instant gratification, you can't go far past earrings. I was surprised. (And slightly mortified that it had taken me so long to figure this out.)
Moreover, speed of production equals efficiency: in one hour, I can churn out four to ten pairs of earrings, compared with one to four necklaces or bracelets in the same amount of time. More product naturally means more items to list online, which means more chances of getting seen online, which equals more sales. FAB. Pair this (pun intended) with the fact that people are more likely to buy earrings and you have a win/win situation.
And now I sell more earrings than everything else put together.
Most of you jewellery artists will be shaking your heads, raising your eyebrows and thinking, 'How long did it take you to figure that out, silly? I've been making earrings forever!'
If you are, just remember this: everything is obvious AFTER you've figured it out.
Remember, if you will, all those online shops you see and think, 'There are so many things that are wrong with this shop, it's not even funny'. The photographs are poor and unprofessional, the shop feels thoughtless and thrown together, the spelling and grammar are terrible, the descriptions are barely there, the banner is blurry, the tagging is minimal, branding - what branding? ... The list goes on and on. The reasons why the owners of those shops are not making any sales are obvious to us - but not to them.
I have many, many stories - more than I care to relate or even to think about - of times when the obvious in my life remained bafflingly obscure.
So here is today's little lesson:
Every now and then, look at what is already under your nose.
It may answer all your questions.
