If you’re an enterprising and creative type, you already know that Etsy is a great place to set up shop.
So what’s stopping you from getting your own shop? Etsy is awesome for showing the world what you’ve got. So get to it and start making yourself known!
Once you’ve done the work to get yourself set up and going, you could soon be an Etsy top seller.
Read on to learn from Etsy shop owners how to find success on this great site.
The Path to Becoming an Etsy Top Seller
Like any other worthwhile venture, getting set up on Etsy takes some time and commitment. But once you reap the rewards, you’ll see that it’s totally worth it.
The following tips and advice from seasoned Etsy top sellers will help you go into the process with more ease.
1. Commit to Branding & Design
Making a good first impression goes miles towards building consumer trust.
The most successful Etsy sellers all have profiles that look polished and professional.
So when you set up your storefront, upload a banner image and a profile picture that doesn’t look like you just sent the kids off to school and haven’t yet had your first cup of coffee. And give some thought to your storefront description.
All of these things come together to create the look and feel of your store.
Consumers who perceive a store as being of higher quality are going to be more inclined to buy from that seller. So take the necessary time to fine-tune the appearance of your storefront.
2. Use High-Quality Photos
This might seem obvious. But think about how many times you’ve looked for a specific product only to be led to a site with low-quality photos. You probably didn’t drop that product in your cart.
Whether you embroider napkins, make soft plush toys, bake peanut butter cookies or swear by a curcumin supplement, you want the customer to click your product into the cart.
And since customers can’t feel or touch (or perhaps smell or taste) your product, your photos are a huge component of how you connect with them.
So be sure to photograph your pieces in a well-lit space. And keep in mind that the quality of light earlier and later in the day is going to be different from the middle of the day.
Then give a clear description of the product as well. If someone has to guess – or email you to ask – what color it is or how big it is, you’re not going to quickly become an Etsy top seller.
3. Create Partnerships
A lesser known secret to becoming an Etsy top seller is to work in partnership with other shops.
You might be thinking, “No way. I’m doing this on my own.” And you’re certainly entitled.
But many of the top Etsy sellers have found huge success in partnering with shops selling complementary products. For instance, say you’re selling bracelets, necklaces, and earring with a cool retro look. There might be another shop selling vintage t-shirts.
You can give them a call out in your shop description – “Looking for a cool vintage t-shirt to make your look totally retro? Then go to…”. Or when you ship a pair of big old plastic hoop earring, slip in a business card from the t-shirt shop.
It’s a cross-traffic exchange that works because both you and the other Etsy seller are giving each other a stamp of approval, not competing. And this means you BOTH end up with a satisfied and trusting customer base with common interests.
You can find complementary shops by searching for other shops in your industry that aren’t in direct competition. Just be sure that you partner with someone who has a reasonable number of customers so that you both benefit from the exchange.
4. Set Clear Expectations with Customers
Once you start selling, you’ll feel that rush of excitement. But be careful!
In that dazed happiness, you may be tempted to tell your customers that you can get things to them faster or cheaper than you actually can. And when the realization returns that you’re only human and there’s no way you’ll meet those commitments, it doesn’t work out well.
For you, or your customers.
Give yourself ample time to create your product. Then be upfront about the wait time the customer can expect.
Most Etsy shoppers recognize that if what they want has yet to be made, it’s going to take time. And they’ll be far more pleased if it comes earlier than promised rather than later.
5. Add New Product Regularly
Ask almost any Etsy top seller and they’ll tell you that they make it a point to keep making and adding new items. This is especially important if you plan to be a full-time seller.
It doesn’t matter how much or how little you add – just that you add consistently and regularly.
The bottom line is that the more often you update your site and the more items you have, the better your shop will rank. And with higher rankings comes more traffic and the opportunity to make sales.
6. Play with Your Pricing
When you first start setting your prices, it can be difficult.
There are those that subscribe to the view that to sell something for too little is demeaning to yourself. And that may be.
But regardless of how much regard you have for yourself, you won’t become an Etsy top seller if your items are too expensive and nobody’s buying them.
It might take some time to figure out how much to charge. This will be based on a number of factors, including how much materials cost, how much time it takes you to make it, and how much profit you hope to make.
So plan for a little trial and error until you get to a price point that you know will sell well.
Put in the Work and the Time
Getting your own cool Etsy store isn’t going to happen overnight. It takes a lot of time to build out a full shop.
But almost any Etsy top seller will tell you that their success relied on putting in that time at the beginning and it was absolutely worth it. So go for it!
And keep checking back with us to get more great tips on successfully living the creative life.
