as a buyer, i don't like thank you messages that don't add any extra content to my experience. they are just an extra email in my long days of emails. i love it when a seller tells me something interesting or funny in their thank you convo or email. stuff like: "thank you for buying this from me. last night i had a dream that i bought a rhino. he smelled bad and ate all my lucky charms." ok. who has time for that?

I love it when buyers take time to add more than a couple of words of thanks in their feedback. This is a place where the personal touch lasts for a long, long time.

There's REALLY great advice in here for everyone- Thank you for this article!

As a seller, I'm always hopin' that my customers get that my feedback includes my "Boston Chick" personality! You need to be yourself around here, I'm nawt a depahtment stowah! It's the little extras that count.....

I love this article. I know now what I need to improve on. I completely agree with turtleparktots regarding shipping costs! You can insure products and value, you can't insure shipping charges. That's always been a hot button for me. Thanks all!

This article is so helpful. Thanks.

I hope sellers will read this. I have had both good and bad experiences here as a buyer. I love the convo thanking me for my purchase and telling me when it will be shipped.

Thank you. I love hearing from a buyers perspective. I can only make my service better if people tell me what they want or expect.

Great article! Thanks for the insight into the Etsy buyer and for all the tips on differentiating the Etsy experience from that other site that shall remain nameless :)

Please, if you are going to put a "gift" in my purchase please dont put your castoffs (i.e. junk). If it is not useful to you, then it is not useful to me and I would rather not have the guilt of keeping it or throwing it away. I don't mind business related items. I know people take extra time and money to create these to promote their business.

Thanks for the insights!

fabulous.

Excellent article!

Thanks for the advice-

Not being horrible, but I hope Etsy takes this advice to heart, too. Communication, honestly, follow through (although that might be perceived as something completely different here in the UK) and a human connection would not go amiss here on the site, either...

Thank you so much for this article marymary and bethela! It's not only interesting to read, but also very educative for us relatively new sellers. Thank you for including our views! :)

Great article!

I love getting a convo acknowledging my purchase!

Great article, and great input from both buyers and sellers. Thanks!

this article makes me want to start singing an Alanis Morrisette song...

That was a great article! I think in both side we all want to feel appreciated and special either buying or selling. It was just a wonderful insight to remind us all.

Great! Thanks

great article and I've learned a lot from this.

I am kinda surprised to find buyer/sellers opinions here and no one who just purchases items on Etsy but does not sell, or did I just miss them?

Very interesting article. Unfortunately I don't have time to write a personal convo for every sale I make. If I did that I'd never get anything shipped!!! Thanks for the effort put forth for the article!

Great article and very informative! Thanks!

I concur. Great tips and info from the buyers point of view. It is most helpful. I wish that after I take the time to include a handwritten note in my cute little package, and after I have left feedback and convo'd the buyer as to the shipping details that more buyers would take the time to leave feedback for me... Or, at the very least let me know the item has arrived.

Great input from everyone. It would be nice to have an option for insurance so that it's the buyer's choice whether they want to purchase insurance or not. Many of my items are under $10 and I am sure most people wouldn't want to add the additional cost for an item that wasn't expensive. I know I wouldn't. But I would still like to be the one who makes the decision about it. Again, what a wonderful article, and very helpful input from buyers and sellers. Thanks, and have a great weekend everyone!

i agree completely with summer62!

thank you for the insights

Great article! I love to hear what buyers have to say!

As a buyer I prefer no extra little "gifts" if they are really just random "junk". It comes across as somewhat careless and impersonal... I usually dont like business cards and promotional stuff unless they are really well designed. Who really keeps business cards? Don't they just accumulate and get thrown out eventually?

Wonderful article, thank you very much! I agree with peeno 123!

Good article. Lots of good info. and food for thought. Thanks for posting it.

Thanks! Really cool to hear what buyers have to say. Totally agree with peeno & summer62 :)

These were helpful tips.

Thanks for including my input and for featuring one of my items.

Great advice. I try to follow all of these tips all ready, but I will always strive harder to make sure my customers are happy. Sometimes throwing in a free gift doesn't hurt! Who doesn't like free? I know I do!

Excellent article. I agree with peeno 123. As both a seller and a buyer it is nice to get feedback. I have bought more than I have sold and I cannot tell you how many sellers do not bother to leave feedback or even say thank you for your purchase. As a seller I always leave feedback right away, thanking the buyer and letting them know how much their business is appreciated. I also convo the buyer to let them know when their item is shipped out. I can't stand it when I have to ask a seller if my package was shipped out yet. Recently I have started to make the buyer's package extra special to let them know I care, as well as add a thank you note. It would also be nice if the buyer would leave feedback just to let you know that they received your package and are satisfied with it.

Thanks, great article. I definitely agree that good communication is the most important thing. I am starting to get in the habit of giving away extra items whenever I can, and thank you notes for sure!

Great article, very informative. I always add a free gift and a business card. If they bought your item, they liked your shop and maybe will give your card to someone. I see that some of the buyers above stated they didn't want the "free gifts" or cards. I truly believe they are in the minority. So I'll keep sending them with my sales, I enjoy getting them with my purchases.

Simple advice but very helpful. Thankyou!

Useful article. What I responded to were the buyers who expressed liking to purchase from Etsy sellers because it felt more personal and intimate than purchasing from impersonal, indifferent mega-stores. Buyers were made to feel special and cared about. Perhaps the development of bigbox stores where no one seems to be able to help you has manifested an underlying desire for human, caring contact. Maybe Etsy sellers can fill the void.

Great advice! I think it would be really helpful if there was a 'convo' button on the sold items page, so I could easily let buyers know when their item was shipped. Also, I agree with having an insurance option at the check-out... postage prices are high enough from Australia with out adding compulsory insurance. I always come out second best at the post office. My buyers generally don't leave feedback and it annoys me because I'd like to know they have received the item and are happy with it.

I do the same HomeMadeTreasures. It would be nice to hear something from the buyer. If they are happy a positive feedback would be nice, and if they aren't then I want to hear about it so I can rectify the situation. Etsy makes it so easy to leave feedback, there really is no excuse for not doing it. Thanks Etsy for all the new improvements you have done to the website. They haven't gone unnoticed!

Great article, that came out at a very good time. I've been a buyer on Etsy for over a year and I have finally decided to open my shop this weekend. Thank you very much for the informative article and everyone's comments.

I agree with making it easier to give feedback. Ya' know, I never bought from Ebay or any similar types of vendors, so when I came to Etsy I didn't realize there was a 'convention' of offering and receiving feedback. So I am guilty of not saying anything at first. I did catch on. But it wasn't obvious to a newbie that feedback was a considerate and expected thing to do.

It's great advice for me. Thanks, Iris

Thank you, thank you! What a great resource for new people like me. I appreciate your support and training. I LOVE Etsy and look forward to building our relationship. Thank you again, Kathryn

As a buyer I have been surprised at the number of sellers who never mark their item Shipped, much less convo me. They are in the minority but still fairly frequent. On the other hand, I have been really impressed with the great level of customer service of most sellers. I love the opportunity to buy handmade from such a great variety of sellers. I tell everyone I know about Etsy and what a great online shopping resource it is.

When I enter a shop in the real world I always say hi and bye and I guess because cyber space can feel a little isolated it means we rely on feedback. Free gifts or thank you cards are clearly ways of adding a personal touch and thank goodness for that because behind every little screen sits an eager little some-one.

I believe integrity is important as is an attitude of appreciation for the person on the other end whether they are a buyer or a seller.

Oops...I must have hit the button twice.

great article!! i love reading these little bits of info that help us learn to be better sellers! remembering to thank those that give you business is SO important!! thanks so much!! :o)

i devoured this! thanks for taking the time to submit the input and put the article together for us!

Great advice to all thanks! I'm new to Etsy (just a buyer for now) but my first buying experience was definitely positive (Thanks again Bayan Hippo). I would always read the feedback others have given before buying something. Also its interesting to read profiles of the sellers and know where they are located- some people don't write that.

This is a great topic. I promote etsy to family, friends and strangers and I have been disappointed and saddened when some of them made purchases, very excited about the special etsy experience, and the opposite occurs. It reflects on me, personally, and all sellers when the personal touch and/or item & service quality are lacking. My son ordered a piece of art. The seller never contacted them in any way. They save mailers for me (I recycle). It appeared as though the sale was a nuisance - right down to scrawled labeling and even a misspelled (common) first name. Feedback is a topic all its own that I plan to blog about as soon as we are settled in Austin, but I disagree with sellers leaving it before or as they ship. Feedback is a special communication resource. Leaving generic feedback negates that special purpose. As a buyer, that would leave me cold. I have had many wonderful transaction experiences with both of my shops. The personal connections are what it's all about. I appreciate everyone's comments here. Love what ByCoco said...worth seeing twice. :)

Great article, I know I treat my customers the way I expect to be treated as an Etsy buyer. Communication is key :)

I've already gone back in and updated my pages from all the helpful tips listed in this article. This is all so new to me. I launched my site last week before I was totally prepared(but if I waited for that, it would never happen). Mine's a work in progress,but I see, I'm not alone, I already feel the sense of community and I 'm looking forward to the growth from this learning experience. There is so much really positive energy at this site and that's so good for getting my creative juices flowing. The business end of it, well, that's my week point, setting prices, customer service... Glad to know you provide a source for much needed help. Thanks for the support!! faeriegood

Hey that's my Metal Craft business card up there in the related items! I'm so excited! Some very helpful advice has been given here! Thanks everyone!

There are a lot of good tips in this article, thanks to those that input their ideas/opinions! One thing I have noticed after reading over all these comments and several posts in the forums is that different people expect and want different things, from feedback to communication to free stuff- it would be impossible to make *everyone* happy. I think the best thing is to strive to have a great product, and what *you* expect to be good customer service, be professional, and be friendly. With that being said- as a devoted shopper on etsy (sending all my friends and family here too!) I have had sellers do things in all different ways, and not one was a bad experience, just different ways of running a business :) I do think if a seller has clear shop policies on any concerns a buyer might have- it would help a lot with expectations. When you leave feedback, expected shipping times, etc. etc.

awesome thanx!

Great article with some very useful advice for someone fairly new to etsy.

In my first experience as a buyer, I was extremely disappointed not to be contacted by three different sellers for four-five days. When I got in touch with them, I was fairly curtly informed by two of them of their Shop Policy shipping dates, as though it was my responsibility to shut up, sit tight, and interpret "Will ship within seven days" as "no contact will be made with buyer and buyer's contact will be interpreted as bothersome (RTFM!!) if made within said seven days". What a way to go from feeling excited about a couple of hundred dollars worth of purchases, to feeling lousy! I do the majority of my shopping online, and have come to expect, at a very minimum: 1) An email from the seller confirming that order has been received. 2) An estimated shipping date in an email. Ideally, a quick "I've shipped your item!" would be excellent also. To have received no confirmation whatsoever from the seller that they have received my order leaves me hanging in the breeze entirely -- particularly as Esty sellers are individuals. Are they in hospital? Suffering an episode of depression and ignoring the computer? Away from the keyboard because they've just fallen in love and suddenly their online shop is a low priority? The fact of the matter is that for those four days, those sellers had my money, without giving me any indication that a human being had even looked at my order. One of my purchases (a $40 purchase) was by way of a test to see whether I would go onto purchase several $180+ items (as Christmas gifts). The seller has now lost that future business and potential $800-900 sale due to her poor communication.

Thanks for the article, it's interesting knowing the buyer point of view. A seller have to think as a buyer!

Excellent article, great tips- some very good reminders on what excellent customer service- and etsy- are all about!

Great article!! Thank-You! Like HomeMadeTreasures I too am more of a buyer than a seller and it is amazing how many sellers don't leave feed back!!

I've created a little ritual I go through for each sale, and it has become habit for me to follow a few simple steps that give my transactions a human connection. It's been a great experience so far!

After three months, I've finally made my first etsy sale. I will be shipping today and found a quick review of this article helpful in making sure I haven't overlooked any part of making this a good experience for my buyer. I know I need to do more promotion of my shop and I am working on that with the help of other Storque articles. I've hesitated as I am still putting the shop together but, as noted by another, if we wait till we're "really 100% ready" - it'll never happen. I hope my shop will always be a "work in progress."

I began selling on the "other" site which is totally impersonal compared to Etsy. I always included thank you cards in the shipment and kept my shipping costs low so I wouldn't scare away my customers. It doesn't take long to personally sign a thank you note with a nice comment and it's really appreciated. I also do know that with sellers that I buy from and my feedback speaks of it. Here is one: I can't believe this customer and she even sent a thank you note! Great customer! Now that is cool. All I did with him was send him a quick email to thank him for the great service. Great service needs to be recognized on both sides of the fence. We are still waiting for our first sale here as well and we love the atmosphere here, so much so that I pulled everything I have off the other site to move here. Etsy thank you!

And I have no clue how this post was doubled! Acck!!

This was very helpful. As a one-woman business, I have always strongly believed in personalized service. This is part of the beauty of handcrafted items as opposed to manufactured goods. I'll be doing to my best to put that extra TLC in each package! I like chatting with my customers when that's possible and I love sharing who I am and what I do with those who appreciate it. This is a unique platform for this type of exchange and I'll do my best to be attentive to my customers and always offer the very best I can. Thank you for your input!

I would like my buyers to know that the shipping charges on my items for sale are the cost that Canada post charges for the weight and size of the item/items.I do not add extra to those costs.IF it should ever be less than what has been paid by the purchaser I will refund that money.It is not my intention to make money on shipping.I look forward to a future on this wonderful site I was recently told about.It is just wonderful.I have been looking for somewhere like this site to put my hand made items on. I'm sure it will be a beautiful relationship.

This articale was very helpful. I am a new seller on Etsy, and I plan on giving super customer service to all buyers. It's nice to know that a person can buy original art or reproductions from the actual artist! In addition, sellers have the chance to gain new collectors everyday, so customer service is vital...

The buyers insight is very important to the sellers. Being a "brand-newbie" on Etsy and considering that overall customer service is the key to success, I found this article to be very good.

Love this article! As a new Etsy member, seller and buyer, I like to treat my customers the same way I like to be treated. This includes feedback, FEEDBACK is so important. I agree with buyers leaving it first, or at least a convo to let us know they got their items. I do not like "ghosts" sellers, you know, the kind who does not acknowledge your purchase? Not even a Thank You note. Communication is so important, we need to learn how to become a bit more personal in this cyber world. One thing I learned here is they like to know if you smoke or have pets. Well, I do have a long hair doxie and I am going right now to make my buyers aware of the possibility of pet hair somewhere even I make sure my items are free of them :). On the packaging subject I am getting more creative with mine. I try to recycle, being green you know but, as a buyer as long as I do not get a "I do not care" type of package I just really care my items come to me in one piece. Well, so far this is all I can think of right now. Just my two cents, Now, Have a great Day! I think I am going to have a stormy one, for real, I hear the thunders and the sky is black and I just heard the first hurricane kind of rain on my windows, Bye for now.

Sorry, for some reason my post just doubled. I do not know how to delete it. :(

Very helpful indeed!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this article. I am new to ETSY and am learning quite bit. All of the information was very help full. I look forward to building relationships via ETSY.

I really enjoyed reading everyone's comments, though the article is quite enlightening in itself. Being kind to everyone really goes a long way, and so many people have brought up great points. I am a HUGE fan of feedback and communicating and establishing relationships. Thanks for all the great tips!

Excellent article! Communication to me is huge. As a seller, I really appreciate the buyer's perspective on this topic.

Those are great tips- very helpful!

Great tips. Thank you for posting this!

A really good article, there is always more to learn! I am fairly new here, and the business side is not so easy for me, but all this info and sharing is so helpful. I'll go and work more on my shop policies, more clarity... Thanks to everybody and good luck!

I appreciate the time and effort put into helpful articles such as this and for the comments posted as well. I'm just getting started on etsy and am in process of refining my Shop Policies page so reading this was especially informative and motivating. Thanks to all who put so much of themselves into etsy!

Some gentle reminders along with good suggestions... Thank you!

Great article! You're right, being a buyer and seller on Etsy really gives you a great view of both sides! You really learn from others, what you would and wouldn't do.

Wonderful info, thank you for writing this article it's very helpful.

Thanks for collecting these buyers' comments. It really helps to know what they're thinking! I just made my first sale this past week and it was a thrill to read the comment that my buyer made in the feedback section of the site. She is a long-time customer of mine from local craft fairs and I really appreciate her breaking the ice for me in my new shop.

Great info and some good things that I've been trying to get into the habit of doing. I guess really what it comes down to is the golden rule...do unto others as you would have done unto you. And really, if you expect certain things as a buyer, why wouldn't you think your customers expect the same thing of you as a seller? There is also a common saying in business that if you don't tell people what is going on, they will make something up to fill in the void. That good old, "Nature abhors a vacuum" and it's how many rumors get started. While Etsy is different from the office, it's kinda the same concept. Tell people what's going on because there are very few psychics among us. People can't read your mind and if there's no communication, generally, people will assume the worst. You really want the best so they come back again and again.

This is a great article! I have yet to sell anything but I will take all these suggestions to heart. I am also a buyer when I'm on etsy and agree with everything said. I always like a confirmation of when the item is being shipped and when it may arrive I will totally do the same. thank you!

Very informative article and comment thread! I'm a SUPER-newbie... nothing in my shop yet at all. Anyway, I have a newbie question: when you say "convo" what do you mean? I googled it, but the results were unclear. Thanks!

Thanks so much for the advice..very informative. :}

Wow this are very useful tips for the sellers like me. But I already did most of the tips above. I hope they will come back...

Great article! I'm both a buyer and seller on Etsy, and I find it very helpful to have seen things from both sides. As a buyer those little personal touches really do mean so much, and as a seller, I like to feel that connection with the person who is buying the jewelry that I put so much effort and thought into creating. Thanks Bethela and MaryMary for an informative and helpful article!

This article has been most helpful in the newby phase. Thanks!

I am currently very, very frustrated with the lack of communication from a patricular seller. I haven't heard a response to my messages in a month! I don't even know if he has started making the item or not. UGH! I feel as though this is very unreasonable. Is there anything I can do???

I do think there is a difference between buyers only, and buyers who are also sellers. Being a seller changes how you look at being a buyer, and I would have liked to see more ideas from buyers only.

I agree with you VieModerne.

Thank you! Great article :)

Great ideas! Thank you :o) http://sofisticata.etsy.com

Great ideas! Thank you! http://sofisticata.etsy.com

Excellent tips and feedback. Thank you.

Good tips! LynneKL: A convo is a message to the seller. Another tip to sellers: be sure Etsy terms translate to sellers! Buyers may not know what a convo is. I always say send message/contact seller (aka convo).

Wonderful article...just reminds us to follow the Golden Rule of "Do unto others..." I am human. I make mistakes...sometimes EMBARRASSING mistakes. But I find that if I am totally honest with a customer they are usually quite forgiving and understanding. Yeah etsy customers!

As a new seller on Etsy, this article is really great for me! As a buyer I have to say I've ben lucky till now... getting a really good experience with a personal touch :)

I think that's it's always nice to leave feedback, I always try, it's really easy to why not? I do like small personal touches from the seller, I like getting an email saying 'thank you' and when the will be shipping the item. As a buyer I dislike having to check my purchases to see if the seller has shipped the item, because I don't want to hound them with messages asking.. On another note, what happens when a seller won't allow you to leave feedback? I think she's holding out on me and it's been almost two months since I received my purchase but she has yet to respond to any of my messages and Etsy hasn't been helpful. What happens when you desperately want to leave feedback but aren't being allowed to?

Thanks for the info!

I've been wanting to get my jewelry up on Etsy for SOOO long, and this article, combined with all of your comments has given me the gumption to JUST DO IT! Thanks for the motivation and insight.

As a Etsy seller as well as buyer, i totally agree with the ideas depicted abowe. When i purchased someting and i received a warm thank you, i feel my self as "i've done a good purchase". Sevda

great info! thanks for the info!

I think, "Don't wait a few days before you decide to ship" is a bit rough. Are we that much of an instant gratification society? Other places you buy from online do that policy, like amazon books, unless you ask for fast shipping. The artist needs to balance shipping and post office trips with studio time, design time, photography, and wholesale orders. Within the week seems timely enough. I'm a big believer in great customer service and communication. I adore my customers and answer questions fast. But instant shipping and emailing about the dates? Most mail arrives in 3-5 days, so are people REALLY that worried about their packages? Do my customers really want a thank you note, shipping dates note, filling up their in box? I like to leave great feedback instead.

I'm a firm believer in service with that little extra touch - it's something I appreciate as a buyer & try my best to offer as a seller. Thanks so much for the great tips on how to provide this to my buyers. I'm still pretty new here, but one of the things I love about Etsy is that there are so many kind people willing to help each other out.

Useful tips. Thanks:)

These are great tips! I have wonderful repeat buyers because I used some of these tips! I do include a thank you note. I really do need and appreciate sales. I think so far that has worked for me.

I really appreciated this info. Great insight and tips! Thank you

Excellent article! I cannot really understand why customers don't like a FREE gift but well....My experience shows me that my customers really love my service, means I write them immediately after I receive an order to inform them about my next steps (order an item or ship immediately the same day - every day of the week!), every item is handeled with much care and attention with a unique gift wrapping and 99.9% of my customers DO appreciate the unique packaging very much. Many customers DO leave a feedback but there will be always a small percentage of clients who will not return your mails or leave any feedback. As a Seller you have to deal with this. This is sad but it is reality! Not everybody has the same education. It is all about respect and I believe from the moment you receive money from a buyer you have the duty to do everything to satisfy your customer. As buyer and seller I agree NOT to leave a feedback BEFORE receiving an item but once the item received, a feedback is a MUST as it is a respect and a way to say THANK YOU for the person with whom you dealed. (Also to be honest when there are problems) Thanks again for this great article and for everybodys feedback which is always very constructive to read.

I thought it is more appropriate to write this same feedback as SELLER! :o) Excellent article! I cannot really understand why customers don't like a FREE gift but well....My experience shows me that my customers really love my service, means I write them immediately after I receive an order to inform them about my next steps (order an item or ship immediately the same day - every day of the week!), every item is handeled with much care and attention with a unique gift wrapping and 99.9% of my customers DO appreciate the unique packaging very much. Many customers DO leave a feedback but there will be always a small percentage of clients who will not return your mails or leave any feedback. As a Seller you have to deal with this. This is sad but it is reality! Not everybody has the same education. It is all about respect and I believe from the moment you receive money from a buyer you have the duty to do everything to satisfy your customer. As buyer and seller I agree NOT to leave a feedback BEFORE receiving an item but once the item received, a feedback is a MUST as it is a respect and a way to say THANK YOU for the person with whom you dealed. (Also to be honest when there are problems) Thanks again for this great article and for everybodys feedback which is always very constructive to read.

i devoured this article (and tweaked my outgoing messages in response...) thanks etsy, you're wonderful! : )

I am in the process of selling some dolls and need all the help I can get; first time out the gate I do stumble. Info was helpful. Thank you Sandra Banfflines

Thanks! This was a really good article! I've been doing most of these things already, and have had great experiences with my customers. :)

Really informative! I feel alot more ready to get started- this seems like an amazing community

I'm so new to etsy that my shop is bare at the moment! This was very useful to read, though I think most of it is just common sense and courtesy really.

I'm a newbie on etsy, so I'm grateful for the advice, I found it to be very helpful. I want my buyers to have a good experience when they buy from my shop!

It's nice to know how customers appreciate the hard work that we sellers do. Thanks. Sometimes it's hard to know if what your doing is appreciated, too much etc. So this definitely helped. :)

Great article! As a seller, I am excited to enact some of these new tips. On a separate note: I once bought from an Etsy seller who sent me a pack of her business cards with my item and asked me to hand them out for her. I found this annoying and this invasive marketing continued as she sent me emails with special promotions in her store. It was a big turn off for me, but I had already left feedback, satisfied with my purchase, not knowing I was going to be harassed later. Let's not smother our customers. On a happier note: Recently I purchased a custom gift from another Etsy seller who went above and beyond what I had asked for and really made the transaction special. She had great communication and spoke casually, and often, keeping me in the loop about her progress on my project. This really makes me feel special as a buyer. Like I had her undivided attention. My advice to Etsy sellers with high sales volumes... Please make each customer feel like they are the most important one! I am going back to this seller for more!

MyFairyBabies says: Please, if you are going to put a "gift" in my purchase please dont put your castoffs (i.e. junk). If it is not useful to you, then it is not useful to me and I would rather not have the guilt of keeping it or throwing it away. So true...

As a seller I love getting feedback from customers. I also value special requests, they often give me good ideas for creating new products.

Thank you for all of the great info...It's so important that sellers show their appreciation to buyers..I am so touched when someone shows any interest in my items and I want to let them know that:)

I set up my shop and made my first sale before I ever learned about the culture of etsy. After everything I've learned in the last few months, I'm embarassed to say I quickly sent the package off in a manila envelope, no thank you note or anything. Thank you so much for these articles that inform us newbies of the culture of etsy! I am already focusing on better packaging and thank you ntoes for my future sales.

Important article! We take pride in our customer service because we know that's how you get return customers and buzz marketing.

Great article and great follow-up comments! ..Is there any way to ask buyers to leave feedback without badgering them??

Thank you!!! I just realized I read this article last year :) It was a good reminder!!! Great tips!!!

I loved this! So useful, I feel very grateful and happy to be here!!! :) <3

Thank you so much!!! I appreciate all of the great tips.

As both a seller and buyer, I've found the way shipping is handled is a key element of a successful transaction. As a seller, I try to be as accurate as possible in estimating how much shipping will be, and I always refund any over-payments of $1. I expect the same treatment as a buyer. I can't help but feel "scammed" when a seller overcharges me for shipping and then does not reimburse me. A sure way to have me NOT return to your shop is to overcharge me in shipping, and then tell me that you won't refund the difference, but offer me a discount next time I make a purchase from your shop. Sorry, there won't be a next time.

I have bought supplies here at Etsy for my shop so I know the feeling of being both a Buyer and a Seller. As a Buyer, I would absolutely want someone to email me specifically when my order will be sent. A geniune "Thank You" for purchasing with a touch of the seller's personality would be nice, too! You don't have to be a comedian or make me laugh, I just want to know a little more of how the person is like behind that cute Etsy avatar graphic. As a Seller, I have always given small gift items related to the buyer's purchased item (especially if he/she purchased multiple items at once!) along with a hand written Thank You Note. The gift is to thank them beyond words for thinking highly of me to help make their visions come to life. And in the Feedback, I would thank the customer for her creative input because when she came to me with an idea to modify an existing product in my shop, she was making me feel important. I want to make my customers feel like they were a part of the creation process when it involves a custom order. Because they were.

This was very helpful to me! I have learned so much in this article that I will use!

Right now I'm in that very scary limbo right before starting the race. There is a lot to read but everything I've read is worthwhile. Thank you for your support. I can't wait till the banner is designed, the costs are determined and ButtonsAndLaceOnTheGo is on line. My soul has been ministered to in all this creativity and the staging of the photos has been a wonderful experience. Jane