Creating your own shop on Etsy may feel a bit intimidating but the good news is that following some simple tips can make the process more manageable. Whether you want to sell handmade crafts, vintage goods, or craft supplies, you can start off small and grow with time. From creating your brand to taking photos to pricing, here are some tips to help your shop stand out.
Create a cohesive, recognizable brand identity
A cohesive, recognizable brand identity will help your shop to stand out on Etsy. Take some time to prepare and plan before you launch. This starts with the name you choose for your shop and it’s best to have a few options ready in case your name is already taken. A good shop name should be easy for people to remember. You will also need to choose the colors, fonts and photographic style that reflect your brand best.
Digital artists are often aware of the difficulty of selling their products online, even when they have a recognizable brand. A good way to make a living as a digital artist is turning digital art into physical art and selling it on Etsy. People have a natural bias towards tangible products and by using a print-on-demand supplier, you can test the waters without investing too much too soon.
Price your products correctly
Pricing is really important when you’re first starting out and you can’t just offer low prices that sell your products short just to attract customers. You won’t be creating the kind of profit you need to grow your business.
Your prices can’t be too high either or you may not sell. Pricing your items reasonably is essential for converting views into sales. You need to include in your calculations how much you spend on packaging, labels, printing, boxes, shipping etc., for each item.
Use the right keywords
People who shop on Etsy will type words or phrases into the search bar to find specific products. You need to establish which descriptive keywords your prospective customers are likely to use when searching for your products. Once you have a list of possibilities, narrow it down to the strongest ones. You can then go to the listing editor and put them into your product titles, tags and at the beginning of your product description. In your shop statistics, you can see which keywords are working and replace those that aren’t with better ones.
Take sharp, captivating photos of your products
If you want your shop to be successful, you need to take good product photos. Learning how to do this should be at the top of your list if you aren’t a good photographer. You don’t necessarily need sophisticated equipment and you can even use a smartphone but you do need to experiment until you find the time of day, settings, and camera angles that work best.
Photos often play a critical role in the purchase decisions of shoppers and high-resolution, clear, stylized photos are essential. Your beautiful product photos will help you to stand out from your competitors.
Carefully curate and design your shop
A shop that’s thoughtfully designed has more appeal, especially if you group together products that relate to each other. Offer a variety of price points to appeal to different customers. Even if you only sell one product, sell it in different colors and materials. Make sure your banner matches your brand and compliments the design of your products.
Start spreading the word
There are many ways you can draw attention to your Etsy shop, such as planning a smart social media strategy. You can also advertise on Etsy for a minimal amount. Positive reviews can often make a big difference to your sales so look for ways to encourage buyers to leave them. When people buy your products, like them, and leave reviews, it increases your brand’s credibility.
Be flexible
Etsy’s platform algorithms and market trends change so you need to stay flexible and be open to making changes and responding to customer feedback. Keep an eye on seasonal trends and keep track of what’s selling and what isn’t selling in your shop so you can keep giving your customers what they want.
