The wonderful world of Etsy. Over the years I have managed to do very well as a seller on Etsy. In fact, Etsy is one of my main sources of selling my work. I know that it is though starting out, and have been asked many times for any advice on a successful shop. So here some of the main things I would focus on if you are just starting out (at least these are the things that worked for me) and hopefully they are helpful to those of you dipping in.
First of all you have to have patience. Honestly, it took a while for my shop to get going. It was months before my first sale, and then the sales gradually started picking up from there. Even now there are slow times and busy times.
I noticed the biggest increase in sales when I reached over 80 items in my shop. This makes sense as the more items you have, the more chances your work to be found in searches.
Your listings... Not all listings are equal, and if you have searched around you will know the three important aspects of a good item listing are photos, descriptions and tags.
Photos: Take focused, well lit images of your work. Try different angles, like close ups, the item being worn or the item in your packaging. Make an effort to use all five photos, as buyers want to see what there getting.
A background theme is a nice touch for any shop. I am always updating and working to improve my photos, because they are so important.
Descriptions: These are my biggest struggle, but also a very important part. I have read numerous different tactics for writing product descriptions, such as, sound excited or tell a story. For me, I describe the materials, finish and size. I might also include processing time and care instructions. I like to keep mine a little more simple.
Someone may write you with a questions about an item. Often this will prompt me to go back to the listing and add that detail in the description.
Tags: At the bottom page when you are creating new listing you are asked for tags. Use all of them! This is a major way people find your product. Try using multi word descriptions instead of just one word. They will be more specific and will help someone looking for something like a "shiny silver ring", to find a "shiny silver ring".
Be creative and switch the tags up throughout all your listings. But make sure that they still describe your item, general tags will get lost in the shuffle.
Here is my shop now KellyLimbergJewelry
What tip have you found helpful with running your Etsy shop?
One of my very first items listed on Etsy...
