Are you a craftsperson, craft supplier, or artist who is interested in using Etsy as a virtual storefront for your small business? Have you been looking for a one-stop resource that details the most important aspects of how to market your business on Etsy? If so, then this guide to how to be successful on Etsy is for you.
1. How To
Be Successful on
On Etsy
The Ultimate Guide
2. Selling on Etsy
Is selling on Etsy a good choice for you and your business?
Making sales on Etsy requires consistent effort, so before diving
in it’s important to make sure Etsy is right for you and your
business.
3. Here are the questions
you should ask yourself
1. Do I have the necessary technological
skills to succeed on Etsy?
2. Do my products/handmade items fit
Etsy’s most productive price-point?
3. Am I willing to take the time to do all
of the preparation, communicating,
and packaging/shipping Etsy
requires?
4. 1. Technological Skill
It is absolutely essential to have at least a
basic working knowledge concerning
uploading/editing photos, receiving/
sending emails, and navigating web pages
and drop-down menus. Once you have
decided to take the plunge, be sure to
check out Etsy’s Forums and
Seller’s Handbook Blog.
5. 2. Productive Price-Point
Although there are successful Etsy shops
whose average item sells for $50 or more,
the majority of top Etsy sellers have an
average item price of $50 or below. In
fact, out of 15 of the top Etsy sites in
2013, 13 had an average price-point of
$50 or less.
6. 3. Willing To Take The Time
The N.Y. Times ran an article
in 2009 featuring interviews
with several full-time Etsy
sellers who revealed that
being a success on Etsy
comes with a price. Of the
sellers interviewed, none
worked less than 13 hours a
day and several reported
working even longer hours.
8. 1. Creating a Connection
With Your Client
People buy handmade items because
they want to invest in someone’s story.
They could get a commercial mug that
is just as useful for $5 at any chain
store. But that mug would not have a
story or face behind it. Tell your story,
make a connection, and Etsy customers
will respond.
9. Your ‘‘About’’ Section
Your “about” section is one
of the main ways a customer
gets to know you. A well-developed
“about” section
should give the customer a
window into who you are, not
just what you do.
10. Be Personal In Your Customer Interactions
Customer service is important for many reasons. Here, I just wanted to add
that messages, shipping updates, etc. can be a great opportunity to develop
a deeper connection with your customers. Instead of simply answering
questions, tell them about yourself as well.
12. High-Quality Photographs
When Etsy asked 5 full-time Etsy sellers for their top 10 marketing tips,
“Make Your Photo’s ‘Drool-Worthy’” topped the list. This advice is not
surprising. Photographs are one of the only ways a potential customer has
to gauge the quality of your products.
13. Use Your Pictures To
Highlight Your Brand/Style
When deciding how to photograph your product, think of the picture as a tool
by which to highlight your brand/style. If your “about” section paints you as
edgy, make sure your picture does as well. The goal is to convey a consistent
message throughout your shop.
14. Do-It-Yourself
If you choose to take photographs yourself, expect an initial trial-and-error
period. Good pictures take work. However, if you have the time,
taking the photos yourself can allow for much more flexibility and
experimentation. If you do not like the lighting, you can tweak it.
15. Cost
If purchasing equipment to
take high-quality pictures
yourself, expect to spend a
minimum of $200 for a point-and-
shoot setup, to around
$600-$1000 plus for
higher-end DSLR setups.
16. Hiring A Professional
Hiring a professional ensures high-quality photographs of your work.
With professional lighting equipment and a studio setting, your photos
will look great and be consistent from batch to batch.
Hiring a professional frees you up
to focus on other
aspects of your
business such as
production and
sales.
17. Costs & Resources
Professional photographer costs can vary significantly,
from around $7-$10 a shot in areas with a higher
living wage, to $2-5 a shot elsewhere.
!
If you need a crash course, Fanchimp Blog has
a great piece on hiring professional photographers
which can be found here.
19. Item Descriptions
Your item description is the place where you verbally engage potential
customers. Approach your descriptions as informative conversation. You
want to provide basic information, while at the same time maintaining an
engaging and interesting tone.
20. Provide Specific Information
Customers want to know what size of product they are purchasing.
Pictures can often be deceiving in scale. For this reason, it is important to
include basic information such as height, width, length, holding capacity
etc . . . in your posts.
21. Demonstrate your product’s versatility
Most items have some obvious use or function attached to them. However,
many items have multiple uses, many of which your potential buyer may
not think of without your guidance. The more things your item can be used
for, the more perceived value it holds in the mind of a customer.
22. Tagging Items Effectively
Etsy’s search system used to feature those items related to the search
keywords that had been most recently added. However, Etsy has now
switched their system to highlight items which are most relevant to the
keywords or phrases searched, regardless of how recently they have been
posted.
23. What this means…
Is that the days of posting/relisting items in
order to appear higher in Etsy search are no
more. Instead, it is more important than ever
to have item tags that relate to what buyers
are searching for.
24. Repeat keywords in your item title
to increase SEO potential
The more a word is repeated in your listing, the more chance someone
searching that word on Etsy will end up at your page. Etsy pages also show
up in good searches. For instance, if my item title is “Stoneware Mug with
Rueger Pottery’s Variegated Blue Glaze,” I might want to include tags such
as “Stoneware Mug,” “Blue Mug,” Blue Stoneware Mug,” etc . . .
26. Now that you have built your brand and presented
your product at its best
It is time to focus on customer satisfaction and service. The truth is, positive
reviews drive sales. You may have a compelling brand and great product
presentation, but if your customer is unsatisfied with your communication or
feels that you are being insensitive to their needs, they will rarely leave a
positive review, recommend you to others, or buy from you again.
27. Prompt, Polite, and
Engaging Communication
Customers are going to send you messages
with various questions, offers, and requests.
It is important, whenever possible, to
respond to these messages within one
business day or less. This promptness
conveys a sense of professionalism and also
assures the customer that you value their
time and potential business.
28. There will inevitably be
customers that are
demanding or rude.
It just comes with the territory.
However, responding in kind is never
helpful. Instead, assure them that you
are doing your best to make their
experience positive. Be polite, even if
you have to refuse a request or say
“no” to some custom order.
29. Following Up with Customers
A completed and shipped sale does
not necessarily mean your job is
done. Following up with customers
can be a good way to stay
connected and receive some
valuable feedback. Several days
after I know my product should
have arrived.
30. If a customer is satisfied with your
product and service
You may ask them if they are willing to submit a shop review for their
transaction. Etsy sends messages to remind buyers to leave feedback, but
often for me, it is the personal interaction which actually prompts the buyer
to follow through and submit a review. However, it is important not to come
across as pushy.
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