In 2016, $2.84 billion worth of goods were sold on Etsy. That's a lot of money! The earning potential can be huge on Etsy if a business understands how to properly leverage their goods with attractive images, positive reviews and more. Etsy can help artisans realize their dreams of turning a hobby into a full-blown, successful business. Unfortunately, without a proper understanding of e-commerce, dreams can remain little more than wishful thinking. It isn't easy to turn hobbies into side hustles or full-time profit machines. It requires research, connection and a feast of visuals.
If you want to start an Etsy store but aren't sure what to do, this article should give you a good starting point. Let's go!
Prepare your Store
Enticing Photography
Make sure you have attractive pictures of your products. Aim to have crisp, well lit, and intriguing photography in your listings.
Although it's possible for stores to do well without professional pictures, it's important to draw in your customers with enticing images. Usually, shops with unattractive or few photos do well because their prices are quite low. This doesn't need to be you!
You can and should get fair prices for your work.
Compelling Copy
Copywriting is the art of communicating benefits to your customers.
Here are some ways to create great copy:
- Give exact details about what you are selling
- Share the benefits of your item – give shoppers a reason to want your product
- Mention any guarantees or point out a generous return policy
- Say who you are and how much experience you have
If you aren't sure how to write your listings, it might be worth investing in a professional from Upwork or Fiverr. Compelling copy sells!
Connect
An Ever Expanding Circle of Friends
“I call it the idea of tribes. What tribes are, is a very simple concept that goes back 50,000 years. It's about leading and connecting people and ideas. And it's something that people have wanted forever.” -Seth Godin
Be the one bringing business to Etsy. It is satisfying and reliable.
How to Start Connecting
Tell everyone you know that you have opened an Etsy store.
We live in a world that often tells us not to be too excited about our own creations, and that is the wrong mindset to have about your business. Maybe you're lucky enough to not have any anxiety about talking to people about your store. But chances are, this step is scary for you (it is terrifying for a lot of people).
Don't feel comfortable opening up about your product/service yet? Tell your close friends and family! They can help by telling people about your new side hustle.
Pay close attention to how your loved ones describe your store. Let the excitement of the people around you be catchy! Nothing invites success into your life like the support of the people around you. And they can't do that if they don't know anything about your new venture.
Always ask people to spread the word for you. Next, seek out communities, hashtags, and events where you can get the word out.
Mailing List
When is too soon for a mailing list? It's never too soon. Do it now. Do it yesterday.
A great tool is MailerLite, it's free to use for up to 1000 subscribers and is extremely user friendly.
Make sure to ask for people's names and general contact information when they sign up. A big mistake that many young businesses make is they often forget to get enough information. The more detailed the information, the more you can cater to your subscribers.
Research
Have you become a little green eyed monster while you check out similar Etsy storefronts? That's ok – turn that energy into FUEL. No more jealous clicking, click for research purposes only.
This might sound crazy but it's good advice, trust us: don't look at competition as competition. Thinking of it that way assumes that there are a limited number of people buying handmade products. While that might be true, Etsy shops are a long way from running out of customers- in fact, the number of online customers is growing at a tremendous rate.
What the other vendors are doing is bringing more people to the party, and that's a good thing. It's like more bands bringing more fans to a music festival.
So check out what the other vendors are doing. One day, they'll be checking you out.
How did you search for them? Those are your tags.
Etsy gives you a limited number of tags to use, use them.
Your Business is Your Baby
This is your business, and it will need to be treated like one. If you treat your Etsy store with little care, your results will be less-than-promising. Starting a business, even a side hustle, isn't easy.
Here are some tips for taking good care of your Etsy shop:
- Take time to learn about starting, managing and growing a business
- Study, study, study!
- Never hesitate to ask for the sale
What are you waiting for? Sign up and start selling today!
Want to learn more?
If you are looking for books, try the goal setting workbook by Leonie Dawson and this planner by Lisa Jacobs.
Have you tried selling on Etsy? Share your experience in the comments section below!
This article was written by Abigail Miller.
