Many people join a site like Etsy thinking they can find short term success and encounter sales overnight. There is nothing further from the truth. A lot of hard work and dedication is needed to find success on Etsy. These simple five strategies will help to increase your chance for success and place you into a position to grow your business sooner than expected.
1. Think Simple
Simplicity is the key to many aspects of your business. Starting out with your shop name, remember to keep it easy to remember and short. An example may be a seller looking to offer products targeted towards a wedding. Their original thought may be to have a shop name that captures all that they plan on offering and settle on a shop name of Wedding Designs by Kate. However, a better alternative may be to have an Etsy shop name that is more simple such as Kate’s Designs. This will not only life you from long term limitations to your product offerings but also provide a more clear and crisp name for your business.
Another perspective to your business is defining policies and your about page. Your policies should be kept simple, leading you to maintain lean operations. The about page is a perfect spot to capture your fun personality and the creator that sits behind the scenes making the unique product you offer.
2. Focus On Your Photos
Photos are one of the primary ways to successfully sell your product on Etsy. Be sure not to use photos that stretch your product or bad lighting that can misrepresent the clarity of its color and style. If you use watermarks, remember not to plaster your watermark across your entire photo. Photos serve as the primary method of capturing visual appeal to make your sale. If your photos are below par, it is more likely you will not even get the shopper to click in and read your description. Your products should be featured in such a way to capture your shop and overall theme appeal. Use white space and minimize props in your images.
3. Customers are First
Customers are first in any business, however operating on a site like Etsy, you have more opportunities to connect with those customers. Be sure to network throughout Etsy communities and respond to all of your customer convo’s within a decent amount of time. Once a purchase has been made, ship as soon as possible. The quicker they receive their item, the quicker you are paid and positive feedback can be received.
4. Join Communities and Teams
Connecting with other sellers on Etsy can provide you with useful seller tools, a multitude of resources, or even just casual networking and promotion. There are hundreds of teams available on Etsy that have specific themes or areas they focus on. Whether it is to advise other sellers about craft shows in their area or to share secrets in their trade, the community on Etsy serves as one of the most unique aspects to their ecommerce site.
5. Market Online
Once you have your shop set up and initial product offerings listed, the last key to success is to market online. Reach out to various audiences on social media, blogs, and other online avenues to spread the word of your products. I would also recommend starting your own blog for your Etsy shop where you can personally reach with your prospective customers and followers, allowing them to experience some behind the scenes insight into your creative process.
These basic strategies will help to place you in a position to experience continual growth and success with your Etsy shop. By establishing a unique brand and design, running your shop lean with a simple objective, and offering quality products with great pictures, you will certainly be able to avoid failure in the long run.
