Starting a new Etsy company can be overwhelming. If you are a new Etsy Seller and wondering how to be successful on Etsy then follow a few easy tips to make your selling journey more profitable (and enjoyable!).
Starting your first online store on Etsy can feel like a first trip to a foreign country, with new ideas, tactics, and terminology to learn. It can be beneficial to plan ahead and get a sense of how things work before you start selling on Etsy for the first few months. If you’re new to online sale or want to open your own Etsy shop someday, follow these 7 steps.
Guide to How to be successful on Etsy:
1. Gather the Essentials
Putting together the main components of your new business ahead of time makes the process of opening your shop simple, convenient, and stress-free. Prepare everything you’ll need, including pictures, product costs, and your bank’s routing number, by using this Etsy Quick Start Checklist.
Etsy Seller Quick-Start Checklist
To ensure that you can open your shop in one sitting, have the following things ready to go when you begin.
1. GO TO ETSY.COM AND SIGN UP
You’ll need to build an Etsy account if you don’t already have one. Go to www.etsy.com and press the Sign Up button.
To create a username and password, log in and then press Register.
2. SET UP YOUR ETSY STORE
To start your store, you’ll need a name. Prepare a few alternatives in case your first option is already taken.
3. CREATE PRODUCT LISTINGS
- Create at least one item for sale.
- Make sure you have digital product images of your product (800-1000 pixels wide).
- Make a list of terms that describe your product and include them in tags and titles.
- Decide on a price for your item.
- Estimate the cost of shipping your products.
4. OPEN AN ETSY STORE
While it is free to open a store, Etsy does need billing details in order to set up and assist you.
To get paid you’ll need a Debit/credit card and Verify account information (account and routing number)
Poppin Font SIze:16 Black Color
2. Choose a Name for Your Etsy Shop
New sellers sometimes make mistakes when it comes to choosing a name for their store. I know it’s frustrating when the shop name you want isn’t available, but don’t let it stop you from starting your Etsy shop.
If you’re facing this issue, try adding suffix to your desired name with the words “store” or “boutique,” your place, or even your initials. Know, this isn’t the last chance to set the perfect name. Until you open your store, you can change your shop name as many times as you like by going to Your Shop > Shop Name and entering the desired name. You can change the shop name once after it has been opened.
3. Setting Specific and Attainable Goals
You’re not alone if you have big plans for your store. Christina Lembo opened her Etsy store, Franny & Franky Designs, in Saint Petersburg, Florida, last year with the aim of one day expanding it into a wholesale operation. Christina recalls her initial to-do list and says, “I live in a dream world where I want to do everything.” “I don’t have time to do anything in the real world!”
Christina decided it was time to take a new approach to set up her store, which sells wedding decor and art prints, off the ground, in order to prevent burnout.
Christina described small goals that would lead her to her long-term goal in a manageable and logical manner, rather than making task lists based on her long-term goal.
She set a goal for herself to make her first sale in three months. Her task list becomes much more manageable with a strong emphasis on achieving this smaller goal. She set a goal for herself to plan, print, photograph, and list at least two new things per week.
She says, “It just kept me on track and got me into the habit of taking small steps toward greater goals.” She achieved her initial target and has since made over 480 sales.
4. Think about Keywords
When people go shopping on Etsy with a particular item in mind, they typically start by typing words and phrases into the search bar.
As a vendor, you must consider yourself a customer in order to decide which of these descriptive keywords your potential customers would most likely use to locate your products.
- Start by brainstorming terms or phrases that consumers might use to find your products to make the most of keywords.
- After you’ve compiled a long list of possibilities, circle the most promising ones.
- Plug those words and phrases into your product tags, item titles, and the beginning of your item descriptions in the listings editor.
- Check your Shop Stats (under Your Shop> Stats) once a week to see which keywords are doing well and replace those that aren’t with one that could.
5. Take Eye-Catching Product Photographs
The majority of Etsy sellers are not good at photography. In that scenario, you’ll almost certainly need to read. Melissa Hile, the creator of Prairiefunk, had only ever taken snapshots before starting her online jewelry company from her home in Brooklyn, New York.
Melissa, who opened her shop in 2012, says, “The first pictures were certainly less than wonderful.” “However, everyone must begin somewhere.” Taking sharp, quick, and illustrative photos is critical to selling success.
And Melissa advises new sellers to prioritise photography research and practise at the top of their to-do lists. She claims that “sophisticated equipment” is not needed. Then play around with different settings, camera angles, and times of day before you decide what works best for you.
6. Consider yourself a Brick-and-mortar Store
Have you ever stepped into a store that was so beautifully curated and built that you wanted to buy everything?
When you fill out your store, try to achieve that impact with your target customers. Offer a variety of items that seem to go well together. Sell products at a range of prices to cater to a wide range of buyers, promote frequent transactions, and encourage repeat business.
And if you only produce one form of product, consider offering it in a variety of colors and materials. To cater to gift-givers, you may also sell a range of items.
Finally, when you’re ready to add a banner, make sure it complements your product design and suits your brand.
7. Remember getting things done is better than waiting for perfection
In the artistic Etsy world, perfectionists are still in good company. However, as seller Alexandra Ferguson explained in her blog post Why Done is Better Than Perfect, our need to get it just right can often be detrimental to the trial-and-error learning process.
When you feel like you’re waiting for the perfect moment to sell, remember that selling is an experimental phase, and you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t start somewhere.
If you are an experienced Etsy Seller, please share your best advice for new Etsy Sellers and add some tips to how to be successful on Etsy.
Stop dreaming and start doing.
