The Etsy Seller Basics: Get a Jumpstart on a Stellar Shop

littleputbooks

Story by littleputbooks

Published on Mar 18, 2010 in Seller Handbook

Photo by RozArt

Ryan, a.k.a. littleputbooks, is an old school Etsian with years of successful selling under her belt. She is sharing her top 10 tips as a sample of some of the material she covered in her workshop for I Heart Art: Portland. 

  1. Choose your business name carefully. Think of a shop name that reflects your style and reminds shoppers of who you are as an artist. Username.etsy.com is how people are going to find you and hopefully remember who you are when they need more of what you make.
  2. Create an avatar and banner that are reflective of what you sell. I love avatars and banners that are product shots — why make the customer wait to know how great your work is? Both your avatar and banner are opportune places to advertise your favorite products. (To address your questions of why I don’t have my own banner or use a product photo as my avatar, I’ve started this Forum thread.) Here’s ibwatson‘s shop banner as an example:
  3. Take great photos. Take great photos, take great photos, and take great photos. Etsy shoppers love a good picture. You always need to remember, your online customers can’t pick your products up, turn them over, try them on or see them from every angle. Etsy gives us five slots for product photos, so use as many as you can. Your pictures should show your customers what they want to know about your work.
  4. Use your shop sections. By creating specific, concise and clear shop sections you are helping your customers find what they need as quickly as possible. Think of your shop sections as a helpful customer service representative: “Can I help you find what you are looking for today?”
  5. List your location. This is really important. Etsy sellers come from around the globe. Make sure your customers know where their purchases are coming from. Providing your geographical location will give them an idea of who you are and how long it will take to get the item in the mail.
  6. Be descriptive. You don’t have to talk and talk about each product in your listing descriptions, but you should be clear. Include measurements, a little story (if you have one), materials, textures and so on. Remember, we are selling 3-D in a 2-D world, and your descriptions and your pictures are how your customers will know how much you love what you do. (And they will love it too!)
  7. Be specific. Clearly lay out your shop policies, your shipping times and anything special your customers should know about you or your work. Your profile is a great place for your artist resume and the story of who you are. Your shop policies should clear up any questions your customers have about your return policies, shipping policies and other business practices. Answer their questions before they ask, and they will be more comfortable buying from you.
  8. Use all of your tags. Put your work in the Category that fits best and use the rest of your tags to define colors and attributes your customers are looking for. Etsy Admin often look for themed products, so watch the home page and the Merchandising Desk posts for trending styles. If your work fits, tag it appropriately. 
  9. Ship internationally. Be you here, there or everywhere, Etsy customers live across the globe and your work will sell better if it is available to anyone who wants it. The Etsy Seller Handbook has some great suggestions for general and international shipping. It may be daunting to learn at first, but sending your work worldwide is a reward unto itself.
  10. Be thoughtful and creative with your packaging. We love what we make, and we love our customers more. Thoughtful packaging reminds them that their shopping dollar means something to you. Send your work in clean boxes and envelops, and include a thank you note if you have time. Additionally, putting a creative spin on your product packaging makes your work more memorable. I ship all my lucky penny pendants in a 50 cent coin roll — not only cute, and well marketed, but also already gift wrapped.

An additional note: be a great customer service rep: ship quickly, answer questions promptly and be kind and courteous. Doing a great job the first time around will increase repeat business and word of mouth sales. Make sure your products are representative of your photos and descriptions and that you send flawless work. Honest selling, good manners and attention to detail go a long way in building a solid customer base.

Want to know more about selling your work as an artist or crafter? Visit Ryan’s blog to read articles about selling, learn about taking her advanced marketing classes or how to hire her as a private consultant. You can also stay in touch with her via her Facebook fan page. 

To learn more about the I Heart Art: Portland workshops organized by the Portland Etsy Team, visit their blog.

Seller Handbook

Discuss: 451 comments

Seller's Items

Related Items

451 comments

Add a comment