Etsy has been a boon to crafters and artisans who are seeking a larger market for their work. Anyone can set up a shop at Etsy, but that’s just the beginning. You have a lot to think about, including order management software and online inventory management, SEO, building an attractive website, and so much more. With that in mind, here are a few tips that can help you achieve success marketing your products at Etsy.
Don’t Neglect Market Research
Think about the kind of shops you prefer, be they online or actual “brick and mortar” stores. What is it that they’re doing right? Is there a way you could do it even better? You want to make your own mark, but that doesn’t mean you have to re-invent the wheel. Look at your competitors, too. See what they’re selling that’s similar to what you offer, and check out their price point. You want to know, realistically, what sort of prices your items will command.
Use Quality Photos
If at all possible, hire a professional photographer. If you can’t afford one, then use the best amateur available. Failing that, do it yourself, but make sure you’re presenting your goods effectively. You want to make sure that colors are accurate, lighting is good, and there’s no background clutter. Few things turn buyers off more quickly than sloppy photography. You want to present yourself as a quality seller, so make sure that your photos give that impression.
Take Care of Your Customers
When customers ask you questions, answer them in a timely fashion. Try to respond to all feedback. Be especially vigilant about responding to bad feedback – if you have to, offer an apology or perhaps a discount. If you leave the customer dissatisfied, you won’t be the only person they tell about their bad experience, so take the opportunity to convert an unhappy customer into a happy one.
Keep in touch with your customers, too. Reach out to them from time to time with special offers, information about new products, holiday greetings, and so on. Your shipping management software can be mined for names and addresses of people who’ve bought from you, so you’ll have no difficulty staying in touch.
Advertise
Once you’ve got your Etsy shop built, advertise. You can probably start small, and feel free to experiment with different methods to find out what results in generating the most leads. Try Facebook ads, Google AdWords, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Try different headlines, and different ways of describing your products, until you discover what works best. Then you can optimize your ads and target them according to what your customers want.
Don’t neglect SEO – remember, most of your customers are going to come your way because of online search results, so neglecting SEO would be a huge mistake. Everything, from your product descriptions to you section titles and even the name of your shop should be created with SEO in mind. You can also maximize SEO by seeking out reviewers for your products, or by blogging. Social media posts are also great ways to improve SEO, and the more frequently you post, the better the results. Keep your content new and fresh in order to improve your search engine rankings.
Also, don’t discount the importance of the traditional business card – have several printed off to take to trade and craft shows.
Congratulations – you’re on your way! With creativity, common sense, a modicum of hard work, and of course, quality order management software, you can join the many craftspeople and artisans who have become successful Etsypreneurs!
SUMMARY: Many entrepreneurs have found a home selling their wares at Etsy. It’s much like any other marketplace, in that sellers need to build a store, advertise, sell their wares and ship orders, but it’s geared toward crafters and artisans. It’s easy to get started, and can be a satisfying way of earning an income.
Sources:
www.dailydot.com/business/12-tips-etsy-small-business-success/
www.handmadeology.com/10-real-tips-for-successfully-selling-on-etsy/