For those who are not aware- you can also find my blog designs sold on ETSY. I’ve started my Etsy shop in March, 2013 and for the first two years, I primarily focussed on selling my designs there. I’ve since redirected my focus to my own website, but Etsy still remains as one of my income sources to this day. Many of you have asked about my Etsy strategies and in this post, I decided to share some of the things you should keep in mind if you want to lunch a successful Etsy shop. Let’s get to it!

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Your Shop’s Name Is Important

You can change your name as often as you like before you open your shop by going to Your Shop > Shop Name. However, after you’ve finally launched your shop, you can change the shop name only once. Make sure you make the right decision then! Keep it short & let it represent your products for you. I added a word ‘design’ to my shop’s name as I wanted my customers to know what I’m selling straight for my shop’s title and as I build my own personal brand, I decided to stick to using my own name. You see, something like Mash & Peas might sound fun, but it wouldn’t really work if you’re trying to sell classy jewellery, am I right?

Do Your Research Before You Dive In

Many of awesome creatives might be trying to push the same product idea on Etsy, so you should make sure to do your research before you begin. If you can’t decide on the price you’d like to charge or are simply not sure what people are buying, simply find a few shops that you can get inspired by. It doesn’t mean that you should blind copy their products or product description, not at all! However, check out their most recent sales & how well certain products are doing can help you realise what products are currently trending. This can save you loads and loads of time on creating items that sell!

You Do You

Keep your original idea straight and make sure to stick to your guns. You see, I could have easily set my prices down or keep adding hundreds of blog designs to get more sales, but I still prefer quality over quantity. For this reason, I choose to charge more for my items but provide free installation & customer support services. My clients love it as they feel like they can rely on me and don’t have to worry about all the technical things for themselves. Find out what works for you and your audience without replicating strategy from other sellers. You do you, my friend!

Customer Service Is SO Important

As in any other business- your customers are always right. Yes, even if they might be playing on your nerves, you have to make sure to keep them happy. Make sure to reply as soon as possible, include any extra info that you think might be helpful & feel free to offer a cheeky discount for your returning customers. You don’t have to make huge gestures to be appreciated. It’s all about the little things!

Low Prices Do Not Guarantee Sales

I see this all the time- new ETSY sellers start their shop with lowest prices thinking they will beat all of their competitors this way. The truth is, Etsy buyers prefer quality items after all. To them, the higher price sometimes might even mean better item & I don’t blame them! I definitely see a point in paying more as then you can expect more. For this reason, the last time I raised my prices, I included extra free installation services as well as pimped my themes with more functionality. Low prices cannot guarantee you a success, make sure to value your work and you’ll get noticed!

Don’t Forget To Grow

Once you launch your shop and start getting your first sales, you should start investing back into your brand. Introduce new products or improve the current ones & you will see your customers coming back for more! I have quite a few regular clients coming back for updates and they’re usually very happy to find a new selection of themes ready for them. I try to reorganize my shop every quarter at least. During those times, I design new products and get rid or improve the ones that are not doing that well. If the item doesn’t sell it might not be what your audience needs, just giving it a quick update might turn things around tho.

Try Renewing Your Listings If Things Are Going Slow

Yes, that’s a little secret I’ve been using for years now. This happened to me hundreds of times: I’d go days without receiving even a single sale and once someone purchases one of my designs, I’d get three more orders in the next half an hour. Magical, right? Not at all, the thing is when bought, your listings move to ‘most recent’ area. Sometimes, this helps your products to be discovered way easier, so don’t forget to renew your items manually from time to time if you’re not getting any sales. I’m not saying this would work 100%, but some extra exposure is always a great thing, right? Every little bit helps, right?

Promote, Promote, Promote

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! You can’t expect Etsy to do all of the work for you.Don’t forget to let your people know about a new shop. Share the link to your social media accounts, e-mail your newsletter subscribers or simply share the link with your Facebook friends. Be proud of your new business & even if there’s someone out there that will comment negatively- it’s not necessarily a bad thing. You see, receiving some honest feedback can really help determine your audience, grow & improve!

Hope this post gave you a better understanding of selling on Etsy! Let me know if have just launched your shop and need any advice at all, I’d love to check it out!