Etsy is a simple and safe way to create an online shop for almost any product, from hand-crafted items to vintage homewares and clothing. But with over 60 million items for sale on the platform, you need to do everything you can to stand out from the rest and attract your customers.
Below are a few ways for beginners to get the most out of selling on the Etsy platform and nurture your new store. Often those first few sales are the hardest! But make sure you are ready for them.
Finalize your shop name before you open up for business
Choosing a name is an essential part of starting your business, but be sure you have settled on the right one before opening your Etsy shop up to the public. According to Etsy, when creating a shop, you can change the name as many times as you like, however once opened, you can only change it once more. That’s quite a lot of pressure!
Invest in good product photography
Etsy has millions of products, so make sure yours stand out from the crowd with captivating product shots. They don’t need to be taken by a professional, but some good photography lights and a backdrop make all the difference. If you have a friend that is good at taking photographs, talk to them and see what they might recommend. Maybe you could offer a swap of goods or cook them a meal in return for some help setting up a small photography area in your studio. Or, if you have the budget, hire a professional studio photographer for the main shots. It will get you the best-looking photographs but is only feasible if you have a fewer items and not a lot of one-offs.Â
Find a niche for your items
Find out what makes your products different or special and use this to your advantage in photography, product descriptions, shop description, and marketing material. On a platform where so many other sellers can be selling similar products, showcasing your product's uniqueness will mean it quickly stands out to the right person.
Work Out Your Pricing
Before creating your online store you will need to do a clear budget to work out how much you can sell your items for. Make sure to factor in all the additional extras including current Etsy fees and additional marketing costs.
Brand your products before selling
Your customer might forget where exactly they bought something, so make sure they can find it again with a brand name on the inside of your products. If you're selling clothing or textile goods, you will probably want a custom clothing label as they can be quickly sewn or ironed onto most fabrics. Another seller's must-have is a hang tag. They are ideal for adding more information about your brand like your website and Etsy URL and can also be tied directly to products like jewelry, homewares, or ceramics.
Start an online presence for your Etsy store
Put your products out there by starting an Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or TikTok account that links back to your Etsy store. Try to keep the name and branding cohesive amongst these different platforms so that customers can recognize your brand quickly. Brand recognition is huge in marketing.Â
Do keyword research
You don't need to be an SEO (search engine optimization) genius to help your Etsy shop. Making sure to include specific keywords and phrases within your product and shop descriptions that reflect your product and attract your audience is all you need for your Etsy shop. You can use special tools to help find keywords for your industry, or else start with a list of your products and brainstorm any similar terms or location-specific names. You shouldn't just list the keywords on your shop as they need to be written into the descriptions as organically as possible. Etsy uses these keywords to decide whether your shop should appear when someone types into the search bar, so think like a customer.
Etsy marketing
If your brand is, well, brand new, and you want to get traffic to your Etsy shop, have a look into setting up an Etsy ad campaign. You can set a budget, and they will promote your store to your target audience. Getting people to your store and shopping will get the Etsy algorithm to notice your store, then they are more likely to organically (without you paying for an ad) push your store to the top of relevant searches.
Read The Etsy Sellers Handbook
Etsy has created an invaluable resource on its website called the Seller Handbook. It has guides on setting up and managing your online shop and includes specific guides to photography, branding and marketing, business growth, pricing, and even legal matters. They also use it to keep sellers updated on any new changes to the site that might impact their shop.
Did we miss out on something important? Let us know your must-dos for a new Etsy seller on our Dutch Label Shop Facebook Page.
