Are you staring a new Etsy store as a side hustle project or a new creative project?
As you may know, the Etsy market place is very crowded.
To help you stand out and have success with your Etsy store, we asked some experts for their tips for new Etsy sellers.
Read their answers below.
1. High Quality Photos
A way to stand out from other sellers is to post quality photos. A picture is worth a thousand words, and even more on Etsy.
Be sure that you’re using quality, high-resolution photos that show your products professionally. Use different angles and depths to show the detail of your items.
You don’t want to rush through this because the photos are what sells the product. So, make sure you have good lighting, a professional looking background, and a high quality camera.
It’s always a good idea to post multiple images, with at least one of those photos showing the product in action. While you don’t have to hire a professional photographer, you need to use a good camera and present your products in a good light.
This is one of the best ways to plan for success on Etsy.
submitted by Lillian Dodd, The Hobby Kraze and Jack Shepler, Ayokay
2. Check Out The Competition
Don’t neglect your competitor research, both before you launch your Etsy store and as you grow it.
Pay attention to the stores racking up reviews for successful sales and determine what they’re doing that you’re not doing.
Find the gaps between your approach and theirs and you’ll be well on your way to success.
submitted by Isaac Bullen, 3 White Hats
3. Be Smart About Pricing
When you’re ready to price your products, you need to consider more than just the cost of materials and labor.
Keep in mind that any income you make from your Etsy store is considered taxable income.
And self-employment tax comes as a shock to many people after having a side hustle like this.
So, talk with an accountant in advance to plan for your tax bill, how much you need to put aside for taxes, and so on.
Once you know the full picture, you can make smarter pricing decisions for your Etsy products.
submitted by Connor Brown, After School Finance
4. Take Control Of Your Customer Data
Create an email list so that you gather and own your customer data.
Offer a discount code for new signups and then you can market to these people regularly.
This is a great way to grow your business since you can survey these people before releasing new products.
submitted by Alex Williams, The Website Flip
5. Do Some SEO
It’s important to remember that many people use Etsy the same way that they use Google.
And that means that you need to use best SEO practices for your store (and products) to show up in the Etsy search results.
So, take your time to craft those product descriptions and names with ranking well in Etsy results as your goal.
Remember to adhere to SEO basics that work when you’re creating your store and products.
Choose words and phrases that people will use to search for products like those you intend to sell.
This way, you’ll have a better chance at showing up in the Etsy search results and making more sales.
submitted by Jeff Webster, Clicks Marketing and Kristin Young, Snorkel and Hike
6. Work On Your Branding
Take the time to really fine tune your brand and what it’s all about before you open your Etsy store.
You want customers to know exactly what to expect from your store.
This means focusing on what you do best instead of jumping on fads that don’t align with your brand.
Establishing yourself distinct from the competition is an important aspect of being successful on Etsy.
The easiest approach to achieve this is to have a strong and recognizable brand that extends from your store to your products and packaging.
Begin by deciding on a suitable name for your store.
Then design your store with a logo and banner that complement your brand by filling up your biographical About page on the site.
Make sure all of your branded photos are sized correctly using the Etsy image size cheat sheet.
submitted by Rene Langer, Pick HVAC and Charles McMillan, Stand With Main Street
7. Request Customer Reviews
Not only do reviews serve as social proof of the influence your products have on their intended customers, but they also serve as a significant ranking element for your products.
It demonstrates how successful your items are. Etsy is no exception since the majority of marketplaces include favorable user reviews in their algorithm for displaying search results.
Thus, the greater the number of good evaluations, the greater the increase in Etsy sales in 2021.
submitted by Chris Taylor, Profit Guru
8. Know The Etsy Algorithm
Learn about Etsy algorithms and work them into your business.
For example, The more listings you have, the more visible your shop is; so if you have an item that comes in three different colours, list all three individually.
Also, be sure to check out eRank.com. It is fantastic for showing you how well your listings are performing, where they are lacking tags, photos, descriptions etc.
It’s a pocket algorithm buster and a must have! Plus, it’s free to use 🙌🏻
submitted by Kika Philippou, Beauty Geek studio
9. Work On Your Customer Service Skills
Make customer service a focus of your Etsy business. We always remember both really good customer service and really bad customer service.
So make sure your customers remember you for good customer service.
One tip that I love is including a handwritten Thank You note with each order you ship. It doesn’t really cost you anything, but it offers a good customer service experience.
submitted by Garth Adams, I Know The Pilot
