Etsy is a peer-to-peer e-commerce for entrepreneurs who want to sell handmade or vintage goods online without the hassle of doing everything themselves. There are many types of stores 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 stores that do well on Etsy, including those that sell apparel, jewelry, digital prints, baby products, ship supplies, wedding items and technical accessories.
In fact, Etsy has more than 1.7 million active sellers worldwide with more than 40 million items for sale. So, you could say there’s something for everyone on Etsy. That’s good, 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 an Etsy store and sell? The tips and resources below will help you get started.
8 tips for starting an Etsy business
Let’s take a look at a few Etsy best practices before you dive into your first Etsy store. Go through the tips below to prepare yourself before you start your business. This will increase your ability to compete and rise above the competition.
Develop a Moneymaking Product.
A mistake many independent moneymakers make is thinking that just because they can make something pretty cool by hand, they can easily sell it on Etsy.
But that’s not always true; every product on Etsy doesn’t have the same potential for profit. While developing your product line can certainly start with one or two items that you’ve created and truly love, success will only come if you do the right research on the market and in your Etsy contest.
These tips for creating a winning Etsy product line will help you get started by square one, and then review these Etsy pricing tips to set the best price for your products.
Take captivating product photos.
It may seem cliché, but a picture really is worth a thousand words. All of your product photos should be interesting and fully represent the product you are selling. In each photo, you should let your potential customer know exactly what they can expect from their purchase. Review these four basic products you need for each item, and then use the product photography tips to start creating your online catalog. Keep in mind that you don’t need expensive equipment to get great product photos. You can get the right pictures with your smartphone.
Take your time with the product description
Once you have a plan for your product photos, it’s time to further enthuse potential customers with an attractive and engaging product description. This is where you can truly personalize your product by talking about how you created it, how the process was for you, and what you hope the customer will get out of it. Make sure you use keyword tags, so your product can be found when someone searches Etsy, and remember these simple SEO tips, so they can be found when someone searches Google.
Brand your store
A big part of success on Etsy is being different from the competition, and the best way to do that is to create a strong and unique brand that carries over from your store to your products for your packaging. Start with the right name for your store. Then make sure you fill out an “About” page and set up your store with a logo and banner that supports your brand. Read these Etsy branding tips, and this Etsy size cheat code will help you make sure all of your brand images are the right size.
Customer Connection
Your customers are the lifeblood of your Etsy business; it’s important to make them feel valued so they buy from you repeatedly. There are several ways to do this. Share your experiences and information about your products with your customers so they get to know you (and trust you).
Then, be sure to ask your customers for their feedback (and testimonials!) After purchase and include their suggestions in your products and keep them where they need to be. And remember, a good experience with your store can go a long way, so think about packaging, presentation and delivery as part of your product and customer experience.
Promote with a mix of SEO, social media and Word of Mouth
Promoting an Etsy business doesn’t have to be expensive. With a little time dedicated to marketing, you can increase traffic to your store and hopefully increase sales. Start by using these SEO techniques to help your store rise to the top of Etsy and Google searches. Then add in some social media advertising using these engaging product photos that you have to create interest in your products. Finally, as you continually connect with your customers and build a happy customer base, they will be encouraged to share their experiences with friends and family, creating word-of-mouth marketing for your store.
Use store announcements
A store announcement is an area at the top of your store page. You can use this to announce sales, special offers, low inventory items and more. This is the perfect area to add links to new or new products or even an About page. Use search engine optimized content here for an extra boost that can help your store find it in searches. This article has more ideas on how to use store listings on Etsy.
Don’t put all your eggs in the Etsy shopping cart
Just because you have an Etsy store, it doesn’t mean you don’t need a separate stand-alone website. In fact, there are a number of reasons why Etsy sellers should have their own site in addition to the Etsy store.Perhaps the biggest advantage is that you have full control over the site you build yourself, giving you the ability to scale your e-commerce store as your sales and customers grow. At the very least, your site can become an information hub linked to your Etsy store, generating search traffic and creating another way to attract visitors to your Etsy store to make a purchase.
Etsy’s resources to make your store successful
One very useful thing about Etsy as a shopping platform is that the site provides tremendous help to new sellers. There are many resources created by Etsy available for you to learn how to do this, get questions answered, and improve your products. Explore the seven resources below as you get started with your Etsy business.