Etsy is a peer-to-peer e-commerce powerhouse for entrepreneurs who want to sell handmade or vintage items online without the hassle of doing it all themselves. There are many types of shops that do well on Etsy including those that sell clothing, jewelry, digital prints, baby products, craft supplies, wedding items and tech accessories. There are many types of shops that do well on Etsy including those that sell clothing, jewelry, digital prints, baby products, craft supplies, wedding items and tech accessories.
In fact, Etsy has more than 1.7 million active sellers worldwide who have more than 40 million items for sale. So, you could certainly say that there is something for everyone on Etsy. Which is a good thing, because with 27 million buyers, the market is huge. Do you have a product that fills a gap in the growing Etsy market? Are you ready to open up an Etsy shop and get selling? The tips and resources below will help get you started.
10 Tips for Starting an Etsy Business
Let’s review a few Etsy best practices before you dive headfirst into your first Etsy shop. Walk through the tips below to get prepared before opening your business. This will increase your ability to compete and rise above the competition.
1. Develop a Moneymaking Product
A mistake made by many independent crafters is thinking that just because they can make something pretty cool by hand, they will be able to sell it easily on Etsy.
But this isn’t always the case; every product on Etsy does not have the same potential for bringing in profit. While the development of your product line can certainly start with an item or two that you have made and truly love, success will only come if you do the proper research into the market and into your competition on Etsy.
These tips for creating a winning Etsy product line will help you get started from square one, then review these Etsy pricing tips to set the best possible price for your products.
2. Branding, branding, branding.
Brand your shop. There is a plethora of designers on Etsy offering pre-made or even custom Etsy graphic kits. Be sure that your banner, avatar, custom listing photo, as well as you business cards all have the same look. Make your packaging match the ‘theme’ of your shop as well. When people see your logo, you want them to say, “Hey that’s so-and-so’s shop, I love her work”!
3. Post the best photos that you can.
Etsy allows you space for up to five pictures — try to use as many as possible. But if you only have a few good ones, only use those and leave off the not so great pictures. The saying that first impressions are everything holds true on Etsy!! This is because Etsy is an image-driven site, shoppers make quick visual decisions based on needs, personal taste, and the quality of your shop’s images. Try to create clean, clear, clutter-free product photography. Use similar backgrounds and lighting when you photograph your items. For example, I tend to use wooden backdrops inside of a light box and you will never catch me taking a photo without my tripod.
Want me to help you open your shop for success? I’m running a challenge to help you open your Etsy shop in just 7 days. I’ll show you step by step how to set up a profitable Etsy shop from scratch. Click here to sign up for the FREE challenge!
4. Think as if you were the customer.
When listing an item, try to put yourself in your buyers shoes. Remember that when a customer is viewing your item, they will be relying solely on the item’s description and photographs to truly understand what they are purchasing. What keywords will they use to search for your products? Is your product personalizable? Is it for a specific person or occasion? Include this information in your item titles, descriptions, as well as you 13 tags.
5. Don’t list every single item at once, spread them out!
I recommend when first posting items, list only a few things the first day. Then, every single day following, list a new item until all of your items are listed. By using this strategy, your newest items will be higher up in Etsy searches. This helps keep you more visible to shoppers for a longer period of time.
6. Connect with an Etsy Team.
Etsy has a wonderful thing available called Teams. These are groups of Etsy sellers who are connected by some common thread. It could be that you’re all stay at home mommies, that you sell similar items, or even that all of your names are Christine. I can almost guarantee that you’ll find a team that fits you perfectly. If you can’t seem to find an Etsy team, start looking at different Facebook groups. They have thousands of those as well. Once I joined in a team, I felt such a sense community and I learned so much from my fellow teamies. So much to the point that I actually refer to them as my friends and honestly can’t picture owning my shop without their support!
7. Provide stellar customer service.
This one is one of the most important things to provide as a business owner. Treat your buyers like youd expect to be treated.. and then go beyond that! Don’t hide anything from your buyers. Be direct about shipping turnaround time, whether you offer refunds or exchanges, how you handle customs and duty fees, and the types of payments you accept. Answer convos and emails as quickly as possible. If you wait over the recommended time of 24 hours, chances are your customer has moved onto a new item to purchase.. And chances are it wont be from your shop.
8. Use Shop Announcements
The shop announcement is the area at the top of your shop page. You can use this to announce sales, special offers, low-inventory items and more. This is the perfect area to add links to featured or new products, or even to your About page. Use search engine optimized content here for an added boost that can help your shop get found in search. This article has more ideas on how to use shop announcements on Etsy.
9. Promote With a Mix of SEO, Social Media and Word of Mouth
Promoting an Etsy business doesn’t have to cost much. With a little time dedicated to marketing, you can increase traffic to your shop and, hopefully, increase sales, too. Start by using these SEO techniques to help your shop rise to the top of Etsy and Google searches. Then, add in some social media promotion, using those captivating product photos you have to build interest in your products. Lastly, as you continuously connect with your customers and create a happy client base, they will be encouraged to share their experience with friends and family, creating word of mouth marketing for your shop.
10. Be patient.
As much as you want to dive right in to your new creative business, keep in mind that it most likely wont take off immediately. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Keep making improvements to your shop, this is the never ending task of a successful Etsy shop owner. Sales can go up and down for no reason at all.. Stay positive during slow times and work on creating more or bettering your shop image or listings!
