The Etsy marketplace has made it easier for artisans and crafters to profit from their creativity. But in order to be a successful Etsy seller, you must do more than just set up your shop. You need to practice the entrepreneurial skills that all small business owners must learn if you want to stand out from your competitors.

So, we’ve put together a list of ten essential Etsy selling tips to help make your business a hit.

 

Become a Part of the Community

The Etsy community is vast, and it’s in your best interest to join it. Try participating in the site’s forums by providing feedback to other sellers and reaching out to your favorite Etsy sellers for advice. To build in-person outreach, search for local events in your community to participate in. Attending events within your own community, such as meetups and pop-up shops, are opportunities to spread awareness and network with other sellers and potential buyers.

 

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.

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.

 

Know Your SEO

Many of your potential customers will come from internet searches. It is important to make your Etsy shop SEO-optimized. Doing so will help your shop and products rank near the top in web searches.

Be sure to consider everything from your business name to the product titles and descriptions. When writing product details, every aspect of the product should be addressed (size, color, condition, uses, shipping, etc.) to minimize any concerns from a customer while satisfying the search engines. Additionally, keeping your shop updated by adding new content will also help those optimize search results.

 

Start a Blog

Even if your products are unique, there will likely be other sellers that offer similar items. What sets your products apart relies on how well you promote your shop beyond the Etsy website. Starting a blog to share information about your products is one way to increase visibility apart from Etsy. Consider including details about yourself and your products (how they are manufactured, etc.), and be sure to use relevant keywords for SEO. Another great idea is to write about topics that your shoppers are interested in. For example, if you sell eco-friendly products, write blog posts about how your shopper can be eco-friendlier in their day-to-day lives.

 

Provide the Best Customer Service

Shoppers are more likely to buy from shops where they receive great service. Provide customers with the option to contact you by email, phone or chat. Keep your customers happy by replying quickly to any questions and feedback. Make sure to respond favorably to your customers if any problems arise, even if you feel that the issue wasn’t your fault. When on social media, be sure to reply to any comments or inquiries. Throughout the buyer’s journey, follow up with your customers to ensure that they’re enjoying their purchase. Sending out thank you emails or asking about their shopping experience shows customers your dedication to providing excellent service. Your best marketing efforts will come from happy, satisfied customers that recommend your products to their friends through word-of-mouth marketing tactics.

 

Build Your Brand

Branding isn’t just about your shop and your products. It’s also about you.

Launching your Etsy shop, creating unique products, providing outstanding service, and establishing yourself as an expert through blogging are all ways to establish your brand. Consider creating a distinctive logo for your shop. Use your new logo on your shop, ads, business cards, and packaging. This will help establish trust and confidence with your customers, indicating the quality of your products and brand.

 

Research Successful Etsy Sellers

Not only do you need to perform research about your particular product – to determine how it might sell, who your competition is, and how to price it appropriately – but you also need to take the time to research what other successful Etsy sellers are doing.

Take a look at the shops that appear frequently in the search results. Ask yourself, what are they doing right? What would you change to make it better? After observing other Etsy shops, start performing research to enhance your seller skillset. Finding blog articles, eBooks and podcasts from your favorite ecommerce platforms are a few ways to get started.

 

Market Your Brand on Social Media

Social media plays a huge part in today’s marketing strategies and in order to build a loyal following, strategic communication strategies are a must. To start, create profiles for your store on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at the least, and on other social media networks if you have the time to manage them. With social media, you can develop a relationship with your customers. Interacting with followers is a popular source of engagement that shows how personable your brand is. Something as simple as liking and responding to comments lets customers know that you appreciate their support. These platforms are also a good source for influencers to discover your brand and share it with their followers on social media.

Utilizing the story or live feature on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is a quick way to announce new products or any upcoming news about the company. If customers happen to post pictures with your products, feature them on your page (with their permission, of course) or story to increase engagement. This strategy increases your visibility and provides completely free marketing opportunities. You can promote your blog, products, sales, and discounts – and doesn’t cost anything more than your time.

Related: Here are some social media marketing tips to help you boost ecommerce revenue.

 

Create a Mailing List

Emails are a fast way to reach customers. By sending email campaigns, you can keep customers in the know of any new products, changes, or sales your business is holding. It’s also a great way to assist customers and seek feedback. This action helps maintain brand awareness by appearing in the shopper’s inbox every week. Creating a campaign may seem like a workload, but using email automation systems, such as Constant Contact, makes designing emails easy.

 

Be Creative with Packaging

Customers are always excited to receive their Etsy purchases, and you can make it even more exciting by providing creative, quality packaging. Not only will it delight your customers, it shows that you’re professional and appreciate their business. Add some unexpected personality to your packaging – something beyond boxes and envelopes. Include business cards with the product for customers to give to family and friends. The Etsy community is full of creative shoppers and sellers, so exceed that reputation with beautiful and creative packaging.

 

Conclusion

The key to selling on Etsy is to be credible. Focus your marketing efforts on customer service and how you’ll present your company to the public. Stay up to date on trends and continue to seek new tips through research. By establishing your business in every aspect (outreach, SEO, product quality), these actions will help build your brand and reputation on a great marketplace.

 

What do you think of our tips? Do you know how to sell on Etsy successfully? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments below!

 

Curious About Etsy Inventory Management?

If you’re concerned about managing inventory on Etsy, consider using an automated inventory management system like ecomdash. These types of tools will sync your Etsy store to your other ecommerce channels, ensuring sales are accurate and consolidated.