Hints And Tips

iswish/easygreenliving/sustainable/eco/green

Hints and Tips

Suggestions on how to enhance your swishing...

Sorting out your wardrobe

Identify clothes, shoes and accessories that you have not worn for over a year
Be brave and include those items "that if I lose 3 stone I can wear " as well as those impulse buys that you still have not got round to wearing.
Sort into piles:

those that are damaged, stained or torn.
those items that you can swap on iSwish.

Preparing your items to Photograph

Wash (dry clean if necessary) and iron your clothes before photographing - they will photograph a lot better. This will also save you time later once you have swished it.

Photographing your items

A picture is worth a thousand words... ensure it is a good one!
If you are one of our gold members, utilize as many of the 8 accessible photos as possible to best display your item.

To get the best out of your photos:

Check the lighting - do not use flash if your item is reflective. Use medium resolution - 1024 X 768 pixels.
Remove background clutter to avoid confusion over what item is being swished.
Take a picture from an angle and use scale when appropriate
Look for contrasting colours for background; white looks great for dark and coloured items and contrasting black or wooden floors look great against light or white items.
Zoom in on the item so it is the main feature of the photo, with no extra space or other detail.
Take close ups of any wear, flaws or repairs as well as unique or subtle design features.

A mirror match clothing item:
If the item is a mirror match item and still fits you well, get someone to take a photo of you in the item. This will show other mirror match friends how the item will look on them too!

Not a mirror match clothing item:
If the item is not a mirror match item and does not fit you well, the item can be best photographed on a mannequin of the right size, or a friend/relative of the right size. Alternatively you can photograph an item on a clothes hanger.

Photographing shoes and accessories:
Shoes or accessories can be photographed well when laid down flat on a white towel or sheet.

Our pictures are limited to 2 megabytes file size and are required in a JPEG format (.jpeg). Do not copy photos without permission first.

Increasing the number of views for your item

Preparing your items before listing by washing, ironing and following the tips on how to photograph items can help attract members. Further tips include:

Make the title of the item stand out by:

Using descriptive key words that clearly specify what the item is
Including its unique features
E.g. Vintage inspired floral tunic or Crimson Karen Walker smock.
Don't worry if this repeats what is written in the category.
Stating the colour, brand name or the designer in the title
Avoiding words such as "amazing", "fantastic" and "look at" as people do not use these words to search for items.

Make the item easy to find:
Ensure that other members can find your item easily by carefully filling out all of the categories correctly when listing your item on iSwish.

Check it's a good photograph
Check that the photo is a good representation of the item and that it is facing the right way round. If you are a gold member make full use of the photo quota and display the item from all sides and angles to give other members a real feel for the item.

Value your item competitively
If you are swapping with credits:

Look for other similar items listed on iSwish to see how many credits they have aligned to their item so you can decide how many credits to assign your item.
If you are keen to swish away your item quickly then you can lower the credit value.
If it is a sought after overseas brand it may attract a higher credit value.

Increasing the quantity and quality of offers (swap- ability) for your item

Write a great description. Be as thorough as you can be and don't worry if this is repeating what is in the category listings. This can include:

The items' unique features
Repairs or flaws the item has
Material
Condition it is in
Brand or designer
Dimensions / size of the item
What you like about the item
A story about the history of the item - where it is from, when it was made etc
How it can be worn
Who the item may appeal to and for what occasion

Write only accurate information

This may be where you choose to state details of considered drop off locations and postage

Do not attempt any keyword spamming (see Terms and Conditions)

It is against our Terms and conditions to write inaccurate information to promote your item - "If you like Gucci you will love this"

Spell check the description afterwards

Communicating with other members effectively

Swishing is all about swapping items and having fun!

With this in mind ensure that you are keeping in contact with your fellow members especially just before and after accepting a swish as delays in communication can be frustrating for others.

Look to answer other members questions promptly even if you are still considering the answer so that everyone knows where they stand!
You are able to ask questions about an item before suggesting a swap should you wish.
When offering a swap - you can add a message to say whether you are open to negotiation of other items you have listed or a different combination of credits and items.
When considering an offer you can message back before accepting or declining with other questions or suggestions if there is something else you would prefer.
Be sure to answer other members offers promptly to avoid them cancelling their offer.
When accepting a swap ensure that you communicate with the other member quickly in terms of postage or areas you would consider to drop off.

Sometimes you will have your offer declined this should not be taken personally. Merely suggest an alternative offer or look for another item.

Occasionally you will find on receipt of the item it is not quite right in some way. Just like when you are shopping you can exchange your item by merely listing and swishing again!

Speeding up the swap process

One of the great things about iSwish is its versatility - you have the option of offering a straight item for item swap, as a gold member swap with credits or a combination of both!

In addition to this if you have not accumulated enough credits so far you can simply "top up" your account and purchase the credits.

Make your offer as appealing as possible but if its not accepted keep talking and negotiating its fun and all in the name of swishing!

Protect your feedback

It is important that after you have completed a swap you write prompt and honest feedback on how the process went. This acts as an incentive to do the right thing as well an award of excellence for those members who are fair, trustworthy and respectful.

To make Swishy smile you need to have more than 80 percent success record. Under 80 percent will give Swishy a neutral face. This will give members an easy and instant way of recognizing who the best swishers are!