Whether you want to sell your art on Etsy, produce a craft, or provide anything else – establishing an Etsy store is the first step.
Do you have an idea or product in mind? Are you thinking of starting your very own Etsy shop? If so, you’re in the right place. According to recent data, nearly 1.9 million people have shops on Etsy.
That’s a lot of competition (not to mention handmade goods for sale), so it’s important to do everything you can to set yourself up for success.
Check out these tips and tricks to get started.
1. Do Your Research
Before starting any business doing your homework is the most crucial step.
A building is as strong as its foundation, and that is also true when you are starting your Etsy shop.
Before becoming a seller on the site, familiarise yourself with it and learn how it works. There are hundreds of thousands of shops on Etsy, try to find out what kind of shop you are interested in setting up.
Do due diligence on what kind of shops are popular and what kind of stuff they are selling. This will help you figure out what niche is working and what kind of competition is there.
To do well, you need to do better and be unique than the competition in the niche.
If there is no demand for a product, it will not sell, no matter how good it is, so it’s better to take inspiration from shops that are already doing well.
Take inspiration but don’t copy them. Make unique and better quality products to beat the competition.
2. Choose a Memorable Brand Name
Your shop name is important; it’s one of the first things potential customers will see, so you want to make sure it’s catchy and memorable.
After deciding on the niche and what kind of products you want to sell, choosing a brand name is the next logical step.
The name doesn’t have to be exactly the name of the product you are going to sell, but it should be simple and at least give an idea about what your shop is about.
Here are a few tips to help you choose a brand name for your Etsy shop:
Keep it short and sweet
Shorter names are easy to remember and type, and they have more probability of being shared in group discussions than longer names.
Make it unique
There is a sea of Etsy shops, and if you want to stand out, try to take a name that is both unique and easy to pronounce.
Brainstorm with friends and family
You might like a name in your head, but in the actual world, that may not be apt for your shop. Once you select a name, keep it in your head and discuss it with your friends and family. After a few days, if you still like it, then that is your shop name.
Do some research
Then look on the Etsy platform to see if that name is available or not.
Trust your gut
Ultimately, you’ll know what feels suitable for your Etsy shop.
3. Learn How Etsy SEO Works
If you want to rank for some words on any platform, then you need to understand SEO. Be it google, Youtube or Instagram; you need to use keywords to be found by users in the search engines.
Etsy is no different, and you have to rank for keywords your users are searching on the Etsy website.
Your goal is to get your listings to rank as high as possible in Etsy’s search results.
For that, you need to understand how Etsy SEO works and how to target keywords you can rank for so that your shop reaches more audience.
There are a few things you can do to optimize your listings for Etsy SEO. Choose keywords wisely. When potential customers search for items on Etsy, they’ll enter keywords or phrases into the search bar.
You want to include relevant keywords in your listing titles and tags so that your listing will show up in the search results.
Write compelling descriptions. Your product descriptions should be clear and concise, but they should also be keyword-rich to appear in the search results. Following these tips can give your Etsy shop the best chance of success.
Etsy’s Search Engine Optimization Guide is the best place to start, which covers everything from choosing the right keywords to using proper tags.
4. Take Great Product Photos
Figure out what kind of images you want to use for your shop. If you wish to use any type of props and if you want to use indoor or outdoor settings.
Find out what kind of images do well on your competitor’s Etsy shops.
If you want to sell well on Etsy, you need to figure out how to take quality photos. That is the first and most important thing a potential customer knows about your product.
Make sure you convey your product well with clear and interesting images.
Remember a few things when taking product photos for your Etsy shop.
Try to use natural lighting to make your product look more inviting.
Make sure that the background of your photos is clean and clutter-free. This will help draw attention to the product and make it look more professional.
You can use background and props to highlight your product.
You can also include images of how the product will look when used, like jewelry on yourself or a model.
Take multiple photos of each product from different angles so shoppers can get a good idea of what they are purchasing.
By taking the time to prepare well-crafted product photos, you will be more likely to attract shoppers and sell more items through your Etsy shop.
Try to use bright, natural lighting and avoid using filters or editing your photos too much. Etsy also recommends using close-up shots that show off your product in detail.
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5. Create High Converting Product Listings
If you’re thinking about starting an Etsy shop, one of the most important things you can do is create high-converting product listings.
Potential customers will find your products in a search, so it’s important to take the time to create quality listings.
Your listing is what will convince shoppers to buy from you, so you must take the time to craft listings that are compelling and attention-grabbing.
Here are a few tips for how to create high-converting product listings for your Etsy shop:
Write persuasive product descriptions. Your descriptions should be clear and concise, highlighting your product’s unique features and benefits.
Don’t forget to use keywords throughout your listing so shoppers can easily find your products while searching on Etsy.
6. Offer Unique Products
If you want to do well on Etsy, you need to sell good quality and unique products.
You can look for inspiration from the other Etsy shops, but to do well, you need to go a step ahead of the competition and create products that ooze class and are unique.
Give your personal touches to increase the value.
People on Etsy are looking for crafts that are unique and beautiful.
Everyone wants something unique that you can’t find in typical retail stores. To stand out from others, you must create products that appeal to the masses and are still unique in design.
Offering unique products can bring in repeat customers and help you get started in this new business.
Also, highlight in your listings how your products are unique and showcase this in the images.
7. Price Your Products Competitively
When anyone decides to purchase an item, if they like it, the next thing they consider is price.
Price can highly impact whether a user will convert into a buyer or not.
That is why it is important to ensure that the price of items you are selling is just right, not that high, and not too low.
If you price the items too high, potential buyers might abandon your site. On the other hand, you need to make sure you are getting paid your time and are able to cover up the cost of the material.
If your prices are too low, you may sell the things, but you will be out of business unless you have enough capital to keep making products without profits. This can help grow your customer base, who might become regular buyers if they love your products.
To get the pricing right, consider your production, shipping, and other related costs. Make sure to price in all your costs before deciding on pricing.
Looking at your competitor’s pricing can be a good starting point.
Read also: Different ways to make money from home!
8. Promote Your Etsy Shop
One of the most important things when setting up your business is promoting it, but it is also the most ignored one.
When you are starting your Etsy shop, no one knows you, and there is no SEO working in your favor. There is no way users are going to find you organically in the starting.
In this phase, you need to heavily promote yourself to get going.
You need a strategy to promote your shop on different platforms regularly.
Create business accounts on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, to name a few.
Make an engaging profile with your business details and add click-worthy images of your products.
Start commenting on others and join groups where your target audience is.
You can also promote your shop in the Etsy community, which is quite large in itself.
Other than reaching your target audience, you can also connect with your fellow shop owners can make a supportive group of people who help each other’s business grow.
9. Build Your Email List
SEO is important to get new customers organically, but it is equally important to get repeat customers.
Building an Email list is the best way to get repeat customers.
Repeat customers usually have higher conversion rates. Only a user interested in your product will sign up for your email list.
If they are already interested in your products, they are more likely to go through purchase than a casual browsing individual looking for different options.
That is why people say that money is in the list. You can send the emails at your wish and market your products whenever you list new ones.
An email list is your direct communication line with your customers, you can pitch new ideas, sell items or ask for feedback or do polls on what they would like to purchase.
There are so many things you can do with a healthy email list.
Building that healthy email list will take a lot of effort and time. But when you have it, it will be worth your efforts.
Integrate a signup form on your Etsy shop.
The best way to get people to sign up is by offering them something of value. It is generally a cheat sheet, a printable, or anything you can find that your audience will love.
Offer that value for free in return for their emails.
Read also: How to make money online for beginners!
10. Provide Excellent Customer Service
Starting an Etsy shop is a great way to sell your handmade items, vintage finds, or craft supplies. However, success on Etsy requires more than just listing some products for sale.
Excellent customer service is essential for building a positive reputation and ensuring repeat customers. There are a few key ways to provide excellent customer service on Etsy.
Respond to messages promptly and courteously. Buyers appreciate prompt communication, and it shows that you value their business.
Package items carefully and ship them out quickly. Buyers want their purchases to arrive safely and promptly.
Go the extra mile to make sure buyers are happy with their purchases. If a buyer is not satisfied, offer a refund or replacement. By providing excellent customer service, you can create a successful Etsy shop.
11. Stay Active on Etsy
It’s important to remember that success on Etsy requires more than just setting up a shop. You also need to be active on the site to drive traffic to your store and make sales. There are a few things you can do to stay active on Etsy:
List new items regularly
This will help you attract new buyers and keep existing customers coming back for more.
Stay involved in the community
There are many ways to do this, such as joining conversations in the forums, participating in Etsy teams, and leaving feedback for other sellers.
Promote your items offline
Tell family and friends about your shop, and consider passing out business cards or flyers in your local area.
By taking these steps, you’ll be well on your way to success on Etsy.
Technical Steps To Open an Etsy Shop
Follow this easy-to-understand video to open your Etsy shop. She explained everything about setting up your Etsy shop in a step-by-step manner.
Start Your Etsy Shop Now
If you have been cooking an idea for years in your mind about selling something on Etsy.
Now is the time to get that idea out of your mind and convert it into reality.
If you follow the process, you can easily set up your Etsy shop for success. Initially, you need to put in a lot of work in promoting yourself, but once the ball starts rolling, it will get much easier and rewarding.
Do you have any tips for starting a successful Etsy shop? Share them in the comments below.
Additional Resources
If you’re serious about starting an Etsy shop, you’ll find the following resources helpful:
Sumeet is founder of MoneyFromSideHustle and an experienced side hustler who replaced his full-time income with side hustles. His work has been quoted on major finance websites like CNBC, Yahoo! Finance, GOBankingRates, MSN, Nasdaq, AOL, and more. He has helped thousands of people find side hustles and is here to help you find your extra source of income. More about him.