Between 2019 and 2020 alone, Etsy doubled its number of active buyers and allowed a lot of part-time business owners to go full-time.
If you’ve been considering the switch, Etsy is a great place to start. There are a lot of options for listing products, tracking revenue, and even creating marketing plans within the website’s interactive dashboard. It’s also cheaper than maintaining your own website, and a lot easier as well.
So, what should you take into consideration when getting started? We’re here to help. Read on to learn how to sell on Etsy successfully.
1. Don’t Underestimate Listing Photos
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When it comes to having success with selling on Etsy, it’s important to remember that listing photos are the first thing that buyers are going to see. They mark a customer’s first impression of your business, and it’s important to communicate through these visuals.
Think about attending a concert: the show itself could be great, but if the visuals that come with it aren’t good then you’re not going to want to stay. The same goes for business.
People like seeing the product they’re buying. They want to know what they’re getting, right down to size, texture, color, and everything in between. If you can point these details out with your listing photos, then you’ve given yourself a much better chance at gaining a sale.
2. Focus On One Thing
It’s important to figure out what exactly you’re wanting to sell on Etsy before you even create your shop. Here are some things you should take into consideration:
- What item or service are you selling?
- Is it in high demand?
- How much does it cost to manufacture?
- How much time goes into manufacturing?
This is going to help you determine what’s worth selling and what’s best left avoided. If it takes you a long time to make a certain item that you can’t sell for a lot of money, then it’s usually best to move on to something else.
3. Track Your Expenses
This is going to matter once tax season rolls around. If you make enough money from your online business, then you’re going to have to report those earnings to the government. There are plenty of Etsy bookkeeping options out there, but there are other things to take into consideration.
You’ll have to keep track of your receipts, how much you spend on things like packaging, shipping, and manufacturing, and what you spend to sell on Etsy. These things are going to help you price your products so you can make a profit, and so you can report it all correctly.
4. Learn About the Art of SEO
Spending even a little bit of time learning about SEO for your business can help your listings get that much more traffic.
It’s important to optimize your listings to rank on the first page of Etsy. That means keywords in the title and description and learning which listing tags to use on your products.
Keyword optimization paired with great photos is the perfect way to gain traffic and sales without having to pay for advertising.
5. Create a Plan
The next best thing you can do is have a plan ready to go. That means products, costs, packing, social media, brand, potential content if you have any, and how you’re going to grow.
It’s easy to think you can simply take things day by day when you’re first getting started, but that mentality is going to eventually shine through in your business and it’s going to drive people away.
When you have a plan, it’s easier to make changes when they come. It’s also easier to problem-solve when unexpected circumstances are thrown your way.
6. Focus On Customer Service
Another key factor to gaining more customers on Etsy is getting five-star reviews, which you can gain through great customer service.
That means remaining responsive when you can, thanking your customers for their purchases, helping with any problems, and putting personal touches on orders that let your customers know they matter to your business.
Another great thing you can do is let them know the hours you’re online. Not only can this help you maintain a good work-life balance, but it’s also going to let them know when they can expect to hear back from you. It’s a great alternative to them simply waiting and guessing at whether or not you’ll respond.
7. Remain Adaptable
We’ve already touched on this, but it’s worth mentioning again. Remaining adaptable is going to help you stay successful, and it’s going to help you manage your business well. If you can’t make changes when they’re necessary, you might not see growth otherwise.
This can mean things like lost packages or needing to make returns, but it also means changes that Etsy itself might make during your time on the platform, like fees or shipping changes, listing changes, search rankings, and other criteria that you might’ve grown used to.
Being able to think quickly is a big part of being a business owner, no matter what you’re selling or where you’re selling it.
Remember How to Sell On Etsy Successfully
Now that we’ve gone over a few of the most important tips for learning how to sell on Etsy successfully, it’s time to get started. Whether this is your first time selling on the platform or you’re simply looking to revamp your processes, this guide can help you through it all. Remember, though, planning ahead and having things set up in advance is the best thing you can do to set your business up for success.
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