Monday, May 10, 2010

Etsy Suggested Shops: Stats 101, not Abnormal Psychology

Ohmigawd the new Etsy "Suggested Shops" feature is going to punch puppies and lock your grandmother in a cage! All the "Suggested Shops" on my list have tons of sales! Etsy is trying to widen the classist divide between the haves (sales) and the have nots!

Bull.

When other sites' algorithms suggest books and movies, the more popular movies will show up more often on more people's lists, because by their very nature of being more popular, more people have read/seen them and liked them so they have more crossover with other books/movies that more people have seen, etc. etc. etc.

Go look through your own favorite shops. Odds are (and I really mean ODDS are, as in statistically more likely) the majority those shops have way more sales than 1) the average Etsy shop 2) you.
It's not because you value sales when choosing a shop to like, it's because shops that have made it across your screen and into your hearts are making it across other people's screens and into their mailboxes.

It's not evil or suspicious, it's human nature and Stats 101.

Go send promo packages to the big-name bloggers and get yourself more hearts.

Statistical Baby Burp Cloths by NausicaaDistribution


Addendum: Perfect explanation by Etsy Admin stefankarpinski (thank you Ookami Snow)!

2 comments:

Ookami Snow said...

You can read more about the algorithm for picking the Suggested Shops here:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6517441&page=34#post-50626823

Basically, right now only the popular shops are being selected (which can be argued if that is good or not). But in the near future it will switch to a heart per view sort of system that will allow new shops to be on the same "footing" and the old big shops. That seems like a very good move to improve the method.

But like what you say, don't complain about not being listed, instead get out there and be awesome!

Full disclosure: My wife runs Nausciaa Distribution, and I too have a Statistics degree... so this kind of stuff interest me. I know, I know, I'm a nerd. :)

JillHannah said...

A million "thank yous" for that link! I wrote this post in response to much of the forum discussion, but I'd read nowhere near everything.
That stefankarpinski post is perfect. I hope everyone sees it and understands before rounding up the posse.