How to Beat the Etsy Sale Addiction (and Make More Money!)

...Great article, and especially timely during the summer slow-down! And so true-- it's so much more productive to focus on the big picture than the lulls. Something that's been effective for me during a lull, rather than a "panic sale" is to focus on improving customer service. At least a third of my sales now are repeat buyers... If they get stellar service and a quality product with their first purchase, they usually come back for multiple items, often on a regular basis!

Thank you for sharing such wonderful points! I've learned, in some similiar ways, and when I started to look at the overall worth, I started to make some more valuable goals.

This is such good advice. As an added incentive, when times are tighter, I think buyers tend to cut down on the impulse buys and make more thoughtful, meaningful purchases. That's great for hand makers and a higher price point makes it easier for us to make each item extra special without driving ourselves crazy.

I think this is a problem for a lot of us -- thank you, Danielle! Very good advice here.

Good advice! :)

Great advise about not setting your prices too low! Something I am working on.

Thanks for the thoughtful (and timely!) words, Danielle. They are very much appreciated.

Thanks Danielle - very important to remember to focus on the big picture. I find I have to fight the continual urge to keep refreshing the Today stats to see what is happening right this moment for an instant lift. It is the the sustained satisfaction that you get from the big picture successes that make for a more peaceful, content life. Ok, now to resist the urge to refresh to see who has just favorited one of my items - tee hee!

Great advice. I know the feeling.

Totally agree - I upped the quality of my materials (and my prices) after the holiday rush last year - Best decision I ever made!

Awesome advice!! Thanks, Danielle!

Thanks for sharing!

At this point, I have yet to see that 1st sale and do the dance. Anyone who would like to check out my shop and give me a critique to help improve my chances of getting noticed?

Perfect timing - I'm working on restructuring some of my biz & focusing on restructuring*better* goals seems to be a big part of it. Thanks for this :)

It was right in front of you/me/us all this time! Why'd it take us so long to notice it? Great piece, thank you!

After experimenting for three years, it's time to get serious. Thanks for the kick in the pants. Great advice.

This is the pep talk I needed!

The Etsy paradigm!!!

What a great article! It is very good advice!

Focusing on goals is a great way to make positive use of the down times that come along in every business. I use the time to plan, recharge & restock for the coming months. Great post.

great advice!!

Wow, this came right in the nick of time. I was just ready to offer a huge discount. Thank you so much!!!

Great info!! Thanks for sharing some Etsy wisdom!!

This is great! Thank you. Just what I needed on a day like today.

Great advice! :)

Thank you for posting! There's so many threads going around right now about low views and slow sales but there's so many other things they could be doing during the slow months of summer. Thank you for sending a reminder of that!

Wise words from a wise woman!

Great advice! Thanks!

This is a very good article! I have "the addiction" lol

Your article made me go straight to the heart is exactements the feelings I have, to make a sale and shout loudly "ETSY TRANSACTION!!!" and 'seeing that I have won only 11 € on a photo to 30 numbered copies :/ thank you for your good advice, you are a great Etsian

Terrific advice Danielle...thanks so much ♥

Wonderful advice! My shop has been slow, so I've been focusing more on redoing my product pictures and descriptions. This article gave me some more to think about for sure.

I wholeheartedly agree! Sometimes it's best to walk away instead of reducing profit per sale.

Super advice!

Amen sister! Focusing on the big picture leaves us open to observe our surroundings. And I really appreciate you speaking about sustainability.

This is such a great post! Thank you! In the end, no small business can ultimately succeed if this is not balanced out. With no profits it will be difficult to grow your business, and burnout is just around the corner if your not getting paid for your hard work. The value of quality handmade and the small business person has to be recognized by us (the artist/crafters/owners) if we want others to value what we are doing. I love your point about focusing on big picture goals- thanks again!

Thank you for this post! I AM THERE! I'm a new seller as of about a month ago, and can completely relate to what you wrote! Each time I get a payment notification from paypal I flip over excitement. I even got so pumped about my number of sales that I didn't even realize a month went by and I hadn't transferred any of my paypal money into my business account, but you better believe I could tell you I had 11 sales! Anyways, Thanks! My biggest struggle lately is how much to charge for shipping. I've lost money on nearly every sale because of shipping fees that I don't expect. I worry also that customers wont purchase with a higher shipping fee...

Exactly! Thanks, Danielle!

Yep... this was a mirror image of me starting out and it hurts your longevity and sanity looking at that sales "ticker" I know set my focus on one or two seasons ahead and this has made all the difference. Instead of lowering and pondering prices and why things aren't selling I have my sights set for the next fashion season. Thanks for sharing!

Great info here!

This is so absolutely perfect for my shop right now. I am new to this and still trying to figure out all the ins and outs of this whole thing. I'm really trying to stop myself from doing EXACTLY what you just described. (I so love that "high") Thanks for this article.

Great blogpost, thanks for the straight talk about what most of us go through. I'm new to Etsy and learning all the time. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much for the fresh air presented here! It's always a good reminder to take a step back and see what's going on before jumping to conclusions... if we all did that, we'd just be like the big box retail stores with their constantly falling prices instead of being proud to be handmade.

As always fab article Danielle. I'm trying to stick to my plan and work on strategy instead of being pulled like a yo-yo according to the stats. I'm more motivated now than ever! Thank you. xx

Very important message! Thanks Danielle for writing about a topic that is of particular relevance to Etsy sellers during the slow summer months.

Extremely helpful blogpost while we're re-evaluating our shop goals. THANKS!

Rachael, just charge what it costs to ship! You have to either cover shipping in the price of the item or in the price of shipping. Price of shipping is not charged a percentage by Etsy so better to cover shipping in the actual shipping section. You worry people will not pay actual shipping? SOunds like you haven't even tried. There are very few Etsy vendors that do not charge the full cost of shipping in shipping, so if it works for everyone else, it should work for you. (Ebay charges a percentage on all fees including shipping which is why you see more vendors giving free shipping there but Ebay also has some of the worst shipping gougers I have ever seen as well!) Another thing to look at is cost of item vs shipping. If the item is inexpensive, I send via the least expensive shipping method. If it's only a few bucks, I can always easily replace it anyway and they are not going to want to pay priority shipping on a 3 dollar item. For pricy items, I send via more expensive shipping with insurance, tracking, etc. If someone can afford a $150 item, they can afford to have it shipped in the safest manner. You can also just explain in the item details something like "Because this item is rare and irreplaceable, it will ship priority mail with full insurance." Or, "Please be advised, because this item is much heavier than normal at 15 pounds, shipping costs are higher than my other items." Most customers do not understand the details of shipping so if you are worried they won't understand, just explain it to them.

Exactly what I needed to hear right now :) I've been struggling with the ever present doubts of "is there something wrong with my shop?" and "will I ever get another sale?" to the point where it started to affect my creativity. Reading this article has helped me to realize that I need to re-examine my goals and re-focus my efforts. Thank you!

I completely agree. I've been resisting having a sale, just to get sales. Don't want to cheapen my items. You have confirmed my feelings. I'm working on things for my busiest season... fall. Need to be prepared for local shows when the season comes... it'll be here in the blink of an eye. :)

Great advice. I always have some items on sale. You may sell six necklaces at $20 each, I prefer one necklace sale at $120. It's less work.

I'm also new to Etsy and only made one sale .... and to be honest am also wondering if anything is wrong with my shop ...still not sure how to proceed ... do I need to add more items ... improve the photos and the descriptions. .... what to do next. I love how friendly and helpful everyone is and would appreciate any advice that anyone can offer .... would also love some guidance on the blogs and other Etsy activities and events. Thanks in advance.

Thank you so much for your article. It is very helpful to me as I still tend to price my items lower than I should. (That's what my family keeps telling me.) I am working on that though and am spending more of my time now making items with much more thought and energy put into them. I find that I am enjoying what I am doing much more as well.

Excellent advice!!

Wonderful advice, Danielle! Thanks for posting this!

Thank you Danielle for this Great advice!!! It really helped to see this today of all days...got to love synchronicity! ;)

Really Great article. So many of us will relate to it. I was so worried about raising my prices to the levels they had to be for this to be a proper buisiness.But I did it ,and it worked out.

Thank you, Danielle. I am so happy to read your post and just re-afirm what I have been thinking all along. Focusing on views and even individual sales doesn't make real progress. And reducing prices isn't good business for you and defeats the market of healthy competition of Etsy sellers on the whole. Real work gets results. Tightening up on branding, photos, descriptions, tags, having enough items in your shop, etc. It really is the never-ending task, but if you love your shop, love what you make to sell there and are not just selling to make sales, it should be a labor of love.

A most welcome article for a newbie who has so much to learn around here! :) Thank you for the advice - and the encouragement :)

I have been debating raising my prices, now I am just going to do it! My time and talent is worth it, the buyer should realize this too! Suzanne

Danielle, it is always a pleasure to read one of your articles...Well done on this one---again!...Lina

Thank you! It's so true that stats can be an addiction.

This has been on my mind too. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

Danielle - thank you so much! Your wisdom is always well appreciated! I think for many creative types we prefer the abstract over the financial. Thanks for pointing this out and encouraging us to change the way we plan!

ive been thinking about this my sales and the high I get from a sale a lot during these last few days so i thoguht it was funny that this was todays topic. Thank you so much for this, it was well needed today.

Awesome stuff! When I adjusted my prices a few years ago so they were higher(and more appropriate for my work), my sales went up.

I yet have to experience my first sale!!! But I will keep your advice in mind ;). Thanks a lot!

Great post! I wished I had learned all these in the beginning, LOL! But that is what the last 9 months has taught me. I agree that quality is better than quantity when it comes to stats and sales. It does not matter if your item had 100 views the first day but then it doesn't sell for months. I do get a high when I list an item and within an hour and a few views, it is sold. I still have lots to learn so I look forward to more such posts from you Danielle!

Great advice, Danielle!

Good Job to everyone! Happy Guam Liberation Day, July 21st, marks the 68th Year of Liberation! Whoa! Mary Camacho-Untalan

Great article -some things to consider. Thank you.

It's definitely a learning process, almost a speeded up growing period from childhood to maturity (in the business outlook sense).

A very good lesson. Not having made sales for awhile, I began to lose confidence: maybe my prices were too high, maybe my items are not in demand, maybe I didn't describe them well, etc. Thank you.

Great advise! Don't sell yourself short. I am still pretty new to Etsy and still waiting for that first sale.

wow...soooo true. We always love that sale!! I've upped my prices since starting, I may have to do it again soon! Thanks for the information.

Thank you so much for sharing your advise. I could almost see myself when you were writing about the "first sale dance" and checking up Shop Stats for how many views and favorites happened that day. More substantial goals, thinking about the "big picture" of your business rather than individual items will help grow your audience and business in the future.

Great insightful blog post, thanks for writing this.

This is SO true. I experienced the same thing as a new seller- I wanted to sell something so badly that I I realized I was paying myself far less than minimum wage! Once I took the plunge and raised my prices, not only was I selling more (perceived value, plus I was improving my shop in other ways), but I was actually making money. Great post!

Fabulous article. I was just posted in one of the teams that I belong to. I think that we could all relate. Regarding pricing a member of my team received a wholesale inquiry from another web site. They were willing to purchase their items at their Etsy price because they "knew that they were already low" They felt that they could make a profit off them.. It speaks to your comment about pricing.

As a newbie I really appreciate this, any feedback via convos on my shop and prices are really welcomed by other experienced sellers :-)

Also ties in with the working smarter, not harder, trope - expenditure of effort being balanced in both cases.

Thank you! I've been on that addiction bandwagon lately and needed a talk off the ledge!

best article ever danielle!

Thank you so much for sharing this! It is wonderful, extremely helpful advice!

That was very well written! Great advice and great insight into making a solid business. Thanks!

Great, information Danielle! Very helpful advice!

interesting stuff, thank you!

Thank you for the good advice!

Great advice, Danielle. We Etsians much too often underprice our talent and time. Sooner or later, we need to be realistic about the hours required in every step of our work and charge enough to make more than minimum wage. I definitely agree with your point about not overreacting when we hit sales doldrums too. It took a long time for me to figure this out, that sales can rush in when a bit of unexpected exposure hits, working you like a tiger by the tail, then settle down to slow and steady or, seeminlgly for no reason whatsoever, barely trickle in. Then take off again. Seeing this unpredictable ebb and flow over time has helped me learn to prepare for both extremes. I embrace the doldrums as a time to experiment, create new patterns, and build inventory for the next inevitable storm.

Thanks for this info--I'm new to Etsy and still working on getting my shop out there--and definitely have the "addition" when I sell an item. I've seen a lot of sale items and was questioning trying it myself--but I like what you said about letting it go and planning for the future. =)

Good advice! Thank you Danielle!

I don't want to give up the thrill of each little sale. But I am thinking long term, and working at making higher priced items. I also don't let the lows get me down. Seeing the big picture is so important, being able to do that while being thankful for the small joys is even better.

words of wisdom! thank you :)

Great advice. I'll have to read this again. What resonates the most with me was don't react to a sale positively or negatively...be proactive!

I have been planting my seeds for about a month and feeling pretty good about it. This morning I came across a seller's sales promotion that had me second guessing my strategy. Long story short, I landed on your post and now I feel better. I'll will ignore those previous thoughts and continue scattering my little seeds ;) Thanks, Danielle!

Yes, hang in there everyone! This post is a good place to start: http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/prep-for-the-holidays-during-the-seasonal-slowdown/

to explain a little about my comment: I felt like if I had a similar sales promotion, I would be doing it more for a sale and not profit.

I hear you! Excellent, level-headed business advice - words of sanity in the sea of underpriced work!

This is a great article. It's hard not to worry when things slow down. But using the slow time to work on stock is a good idea. Then you will be ready for any craft show opportunity or for Holiday time here on Etsy.

Haha thank you for this humorous, and very helpful, article :-) You are so right!

wow! so usefull post! thanx for sharring!

Had our first international sale TODAY! A lady from Israel wanted one of our unique rings! Had a moment of celebration...your article is right on target!

I love this blog because it helped me to commit to what I feel my products are worth. Also, I did do the dance when I made my first sale and I do check every minute whether a person fav my items. Now I know what and what not to do. Thank you so much!

Makes you think, thanks for the article! It's good to get a different perspective when you're doing the "sale dance". ha

Loved the wisdom from someone who has been there. After setting up a separate web site and paying a monthly service fee for six months with absolutely no sales, I too had to reevaluate how I was spending my money. At a recent craft fair, a fellow vendor told me about etsy.com, which I am embarrassed to say, I had never heard of. After crunching a few numbers I discovered I can list as many items for four months as I had been previously for just one month. Also with Etsy, I have the advantage of people already coming to the sight, I no longer had to try so hard to generate traffic individually to my sight. It was a no-brainer. I opened a shop on etsy, complete with avatar and banner from an Etsy vendor, listed several of my pieces and took down the other web site. I am not looking back. Thank you for the reminder to keep looking at the big picture and to not short-sell myself, my art or my talents.

Got had my first sale!! WOOO HOOO! I'm escatic!

Great advice !!!

Thank you for your honesty! I'm glad I'm not the only one who has been guilty of this! I think, when your shop is new, that 'number of sales' make you look credible to buyers and 'today's views' give some validity to all your effort--being a new shop owner is an emotional rollercoaster! I really appreciate your article -- allowing me to reflect on how my shop and I really have grown and developed over time. Thank you!

Great advice! Thanks for sharing your personal experience with us!

Great article! Thanks for sharing!

Wow, great and timely (for me!) advice, thanks Danielle!

Great advice! I think this is trrue!

Lol! Danielle, you are so funny and right on target. I definitely did the first sale dance and the high I get when I see that someone has favorited one of my items is incredible. But yes, then the stat-addiction kicks in and I find myself feeling the need to create more and more types of pieces instead of looking at what my buyers have really liked, user higher quality supplies, charging a bit more, and planning how I can reach some longer-term goals. While I'm pretty sure that the sale I had around the 4th of July kicked off my sales (I only joined in June), I know now that sales and discounts need to be carefully planned. I lost a decent chunk of money in my sale because I had no idea I'd get all of my sales within 1 week. I'm going to be a little more discriminate with any future sales and also take your advice on the "Plan for the Holidays" article. Great advice, thank you! : )

I used to feel so bad that my sale number was kind of low and I would get so excited when I did get a sale. After I raised my prices I realized the high was even better when I sold the same item at the price it was actually worth!

That was so me, the # of items sold has been my addiction. lol Wonderful advice, Thank you so much Danielle

Absolutely a good point.Not paying too much attention to your sold items and as well as your views and instead focus on creating new items or checking on rearranging listing ,editing tags,descriptions can actually be more productive. Thanks Danielle for this lovely article:)

So, according to this article, do we just sit and wait??? I try to plan for my next listing and stuff, but if you are not selling, what do you do??? I tried the shoptimizer and it gave me "A's" in all the sections with just a couple of "B's" within the main sections, but I am not as successful as I would like.

Thank you Danielle for such useful advice! :-)

definitely a very true article :)

I'm new to etsy, so thanks for the advice.

Thank you much for the advice. You just made my day!

Great advice :)

This is a really good one, Danielle!! And I think I needed it few years ago, but for the newbys, take it to heart♥

Great article, the euphoria of a sale can bring you down.

I am a newby, and I can't beleive how frustrating it can be! Please tell me that things get better with time. Is summer really the slow season? I have been feeling a little bit down. I thought that things would move much more quickly and that I would have several sales by now. It helps to know that there are people who have been in my place.

Thank you Danielle. I really appreciate the reminder to value my time so I can create the best in ALL aspects of life.

Thanks that was great advice. It is nice to reach milestones, but so much nicer when it was a goal first. I am working on looking ahead more, this was helpful.

Thanks Danielle ... puts things in perspective ... most appreciated.

Great advice, I sometimes get really worried about my sales but sometimes a slow time isnt a bad thing! It allows you to take stock and decide where best to direct yourself before the busy festive season

Thank you for this post. It's easy to get caught up in the hype and forget your real goals. Thanks for the perspective.

It's hard for me to consider raising prices given that the shipping costs from the UK have risen astronomically recently (http://www.etsy.com/teams/7332/etsys-uk-ireland-seller-support-team/discuss/10032348/), but thanks, I do need to give my prices a review.

Great article, it encourages me to stay. With literary no sales in 4 years. I can not begin to tell you how extremly excited I was to get my first this year. Granted my store was not all it should havebeen but with these kind of articles it is getting better Thank you........

Oh Danielle yay you made it a blog post . My favorite thread ever. I am so sad you are leaving I am so teary eyed. I wish I had know when I was in this week and I would have taken you for drinks girl! I wish you much success in all your new adventures!

Great post and so true! Thanks for the advice Danielle!

Timely,relevant and perfect advice!I will surely miss your insights into a running a business on Etsy.Now,off to take your words to heart and get planning!ALOHA KA KOU :)

Very timely post. Very. Hit a nerve for sure - smile" Also, I am sure the next phase of your journey will be as rewarding and insightful as your time with Etsy. CJ

I've been doing this for almost 10 years (only 2 on etsy though) and you gave great advice. I look at the monthly sales and compare them to the years previous to see how it's going. I also only have one sale (usually 20% off) once a year. And when I have a slow day I usually give a bit of a fist pump and do something fun LOL. When I'm having a really slow period of weeks I start to design and take better photos.

SO true! Thanks for all your posts and advise. Good luck!

Such great advice!! Thank you Danielle! I just started out not too long ago and I have definitely fallen into some of these! Here's to the future!! Good Luck Danielle! Cheers!!

Thanks! That's actually a very interesting point that was never raised before.

Great advice, I see myself making that mistake daily! Time to start the wheels of change!

Thanks so much for this! I have a lot to work on! :)

Thanks! I've got lots to work on! :)

This is such fabulous advice and at THE perfect time for my shop!!! Thanks so much for the tips.

I really enjoyed this article! Perfect timing! I was feeling down and out because I had not made a sale! But guess what, last night, I made my first sale! So exciting, but I also know that I must keep a level head and hope for more business! But I have to admit, convos with customers about their custom orders for their weddings is addictive! I hope to have more sales in the very near future! *Fingers crossed*!

Thank you, perfect timing and just want I needed to read right now. We are in the middle of a "summer sales slump". Instead of stressing over it, I am preparing my fall line and stock for the holiday season. Though its hard not to stress when bills need to be paid. LOL.

You just show me my very mistake. Thank you so much. And I love the "first sale dance" too. I just made it some couple days ago <3

I am where you were. I did just up my price on my name/date pillows. Only by $5, but since they sort of time-consuming to make from scratch, I always felt a bit sad at the time it took to create 1 custom pillow, and the return I got.

Thank you!! Such a great article and so true. Time to stop obsessing and get back to planning!

good stuff, danielle, as always. best to you and thank you for everything! words to live by! :D xo

Thanks for reminding me to take a look at the "big picture" and not react to individual sales, or returns :(

Nice advice, I'm up to 12 sales; but they are all low price items. No one is biting at the higher priced items. Yes, I need to work on getting my Halloween and Christmas items up. Someone just used the key words, "Christmas potholders" as they sit in my tote and not on listed on Etsy.

Thank you so much for your valuable insight. Great article. Wishing you success in your new ventures.

Thank you for sharing wise advice with candor.

Great info to take into consideration.

Boy oh boy! Needed this now! Thanks Danielle!

Thanks for sharing your experience, I'm starting and feeling lost... Feeling better reading your post!

I am learning! I have heard about raising prices 3 times in the last month or so. Come Sept 1st we'll have a price increase. what do you thinK? Send an email to all my contacts 30 days before? Sounds like you set goals and are attaining them, congrats!

Great advice :) thank you x

Pretty article! Thanks Danielle! :)

Thanks, for this. I am new since January and sales are very slow. I sell paintings and have been told it is hard to sell art for what it's worth on Etsy. My prices are low but in line with what other artists with the same sort of work and materials sell for, or even a little higher. I have made 5 sales so far and have had great feedback and encouragement from other artists but being new and now the summer slump on top of it I have been considering what to do, thanks for reminding me a sale is not the answer. I believe this to be true. I think I'll go on a painting holiday and make work instead and see what happens in the fall.

Wonderful advice! Thank you for sharing, Danielle.

Very good article and inspiring, but I have had very few sales. I have gone up and down with pricing, added items and variety (all crocheted), I receive very nice reviews but again, I am not getting sales.....not sure what the answer is except lack of appeal....

Amen. I hear angels singing .......

Thank you for this blog post. Articles about low pricing are so much needed for Etsy sellers, and artists and craftspersons in general who undervalue their talents and time. Fighting low pricing and sales has been one of my personal missions on Etsy for the past 4 years, including this forum thread about the negative effects of low pricing from 2-1/2 years ago: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6375334 .

Yeah! Thanks. I've been using this month's precipitous slow-down in orders from my shop to actually RAISE my prices, and I'd been second-guessing that, but this article helps bolster my confidence. I realized last month that if order rates kept increasing as they have since I opened 7 months ago, my fingers would fall off from all the stitching -- and I still wouldn't have made anything near what I'd need to pay for the finger reattachment surgery. ; ) I've also been adding more cross stitch patterns to my shop during the lull, which allows me both to reach the DIYers Etsy is so good at attracting, and to allow me to set price points higher for stitching that people can now SEE takes hours and hours to complete. My hands get a break, and my creative brain gets a workout! It's a win-win. And as Danielle points out, that's long-term thinking that's only really possible when you're not killing yourself with orders -- even if the space to think and create comes at the cost of a lull in sales, if you use your time wisely, it will increase sales and profit in the future.

:D:D So True! Great article.

A wise and wonderful farewell article! Thank you, Danielle, for this and for everything you've done for us over the years. We'll miss you. May fortune smile on you as you embark on your next adventure. :)

Thanks so much for this advice! It's all too easy to get caught up in the number of past sales, or the lack, rather than seeing the bigger picture and thinking of things strategically. Great reminder!

Excellent advice. Thanks so much and I wish you the best of luck as you move on and continue to reach for the stars.

Thanks for the insight. Started January 11th of this year. I had the same gut reaction with my first sale, 3 weeks later. My sales are slow. Reading some of the responses, I see that the Summer months tends to be slow. That makes me feel hopeful, that things will improve. I have been told that my prices are a little low. I will reevaluate and see what I need to do from this point forward. I have been making fall/winter items for a month or so. Getting ready for the holidays. Still no sales. So I appreciate your article and hope this is the start of a new view point on how to run my shop. Also, my renewed hope for success. It had kind of hit bottom ... So Thanks and good luck to you.

Great article.

A great article and good advice! However I find that the "under 25$" (or whatever price) that Etsy promotes in their Finds and Fashion is quite a paradox, if this is article represents Etsy's philosophy.

Phew...I'm not crazy! And, I'm getting rid of that coupon code NOW! Thanks

Thank you so much! You nailed it down!

I love how my PayPal balance and Etsy revenue total look, but I also have a file folder of receipts for expenses that I have yet to tally up out of fear that it will be too depressing. Thanks for the reminder to be really clear-eyed about valuing my time and work appropriately.

Wonderful words of wisdom, Danielle. So sorry to hear you that you are leaving, but I'm sure you'll have many more great adventures to come. Stay in touch if you can. Best wishes to you!

Thanks! Great article.

What perfect timing...thank you!

Quality over quantity is always a better intention for me because my works take so long to do, and there are really no short-cuts for saving time, etc..., and I only use the best quality materials available because I feel so happy using beautiful paints and ink and cotton boards and sable brushes and kohinoor tech pens, etc.... I know that no matter how many I sell, nobody who has bought one will ever see it fade or disintegrate during his/her lifetime, and that makes me happy too. :) On the other hand, it really drives the price up, making my audience potentially smaller than it could be if I used lower quality materials and sold more. My work sold in galleries before I started my shop just recently on Etsy, and right now, I am looking forward to my first InkPaintings sale. Thanks for this article. :)

It's way true, I've made more money this year and sold half as much. I don't worry about how many sales I have anymore. That being said, I'd still love more sales...

Danielle, thanks for writing this. We have discussed this before, and I have spent a great deal of time advocating for this very subject; often falling on deaf ears amongst the encouragement of people to lower prices or have constant discount sales. There needs to be a sea change of education on value over price, and it has to start with the sellers. Namely charging what they are worth, and educating our customers on value, time, skill, craft and everything that goes into creating an item and bringing it to market. Learning that price isn't the only consideration when making a purchase, and differentiating between handmade and mass produced. Keep up the good fight, and best of luck on your next adventures! xo, kirsten

I might be experiencing the opposite. Signed up on Etsy in 2010. Finally began to set up shop in 2011. Still no sale!. My paintings are a little expensive, I know, but I try to include the many hours spent on each one. HOWEVER, I notice with others that smaller, lower priced paintings and prints seem to sell better. I am now planning some smaller pieces at more reasonable prices. Hope that helps. Thanks for a great article. I have sold several paintings on another internet platform, but I like the comaraderie on Etsy.

Thank you Danielle, Great article!! truer words have never been spoken ..lol or however you say it and Best Wishes! :)

I am sorry to see you go! As a newbie I had a question and you replied so promptly and were so helpful that I have never forgotten that! You made a big impression! Best wishes on your new ventures, Lynne

Great article, thank you!

great goals that I intend to capitalize! Now, for every 10.00 vintage item I list, I counter it with a 100.00 item and find my happy selling medium in the 20 to 40 dollar range.

Thank you for great advice and encouragement, and best wishes to you in your new endeavors. We will miss you, Danielle!

Thanks so much Danielle; best of luck to you!

I'm bummed you're leaving. I have learned so much for your tutorials, so thank you! Before starting my shop I didn't understand why prices on items like the accessories I sell appeared high, but now that I've done my homework and been doing this for a few months I see that their prices are reasonable and worth it for the hard work people do to make them. Thank you for the tips about pricing and goal setting. Good luck in your new endeavers!

Very good advice. Thank you!

Thank you, great advice !!!

Danielle, this is exactly what I needed to hear! The sales are nice to see tick up, but in reality only if they are doing what I need them to do for my bottom line and not my emotional gratification. I loved the goal projecting and forecasting and working on creating a better sales environment for my shop instead of being an ambulance chaser of sorts for the next sale. Great article!

I agree with you whole heartedly about pricing a product. Too many people are selling things way below their value. It not only hurts them but it hurts the people that price their products honestly. Well said. Cheryl

"Time, a valuable resource?" Yes, I see that now. So I charge twice as much for my product, compared to what I used to, but only work a few hours. My # of views and sales are getting better each day. I have learned a lot with you Danielle over the past year. Thank you so much, and have fun on your new journey!

Lots of wisdom in your words, I will try to remember them from now on.

I wondered if it was just me, but Susan Faye noticed the summer slowdown as well. I've found Danielle's advise easy to understand and very workable. While I haven't had a lot of sales, and my # of views are down, I know that what Danielle has attempted to teach us came from her experience, knowledge and wisdom. Danielle, I wish you the very best of success wherever you go, whatever you do.

Thanks for the departure article, boy how I can relate all too well to what your saying about addictions. I have been slow in building my business, and still just have so much to learn about just what I'm going to need to do or where to focus the majority of my attention. Thanks for sharing such valuable tips about business. Good luck to you! HanieB.

Great advise, Danielle! Thanks! I too am falling into the same trap. I check stats several times a day. I'm getting a lot of views but not as many "likes" as I would hope for. And the sales slump has me questioning if something is wrong with my shop. I would love for some of you to critique my shop and let me know your thoughts. It's hard for me to think that it's just the summer slow down. In the mean time, I will take your advise and work on improving marketing and seasonal products. Good luck to you Danielle in your future endeavors. I have appreciated your words of wisdom along the way. Best Wishes!

Thanks for posting Danielle. This is very encouraging information especially now in this slow summer. I wish you the very best . I am hoping for a much better Fall and Holiday sales Your advice I will treasure it is very practical, we sometimes feel that we are struggling to be original alone in this world that is so competitive in creating Art.

I must say this is a problem for so many jewelers here on etsy...Not so much myself, cause I did raise my prices, and I used to be the same way ...but I see so many jewelers giving away there items for $20, and though Im jealous they have more sales then me, I know Im probably making a better profit....How can a sterling silver necklace be $20? The materials alone exlcuding shipping, boxes, time, labor, would be $10-15...

What a great article!!!! Thank you :)

This was some very good and helpful information for me. Thanks you so much.

Thanks for the encouragement and instruction. Much success and smiles to you. Time for me to remake my shop and prepare for the holidays.

Thank you Danielle...great advice. Focus on what counts, got it! Ciao bella Creative Carmelina

Great article! Thanks for sharing!

Good advice. Thanks. A friend of mine who made high end sterling silver jewelry once told me that if an item didn't sell one year she raised the price a lot and then it would sell! I always remembered that, but alas I've never been able to put it to use.

I'm still waiting for my first sale. Check out my shop and give me feedback if you will. Thanks!

Excellent advice! I'd much rather have 1 $100 sale than 10 sales at $10 each as its ends up with more money in my pocket.

OMG, too many comments to finish reading here. To Rachel Currie and others - get a PayPal debit card and you'll never have to wait to transfer money to a bank checking account again if you don't want/need to. As for prices long ago and far away I learned to make and sell high priced buffalo moccasins at renaissance festivals (back in the Reagan/Bush41 years) and, having grown up lower middle class without a lot of extra money, it was difficult for me to sell $700 footwear. My mentor helped me out to realize that there ARE people out there that have money and will spend it, and reading "Money is My Friend" and "The One Minute Salesman" helped a lot. In recent years - doing what I do now - I've become a victim of these hard economic times along with thousands of others and find myself often falling into that same old pricing trap. The Accounting will make sure you don't do business by selling cheap unless you have another source of income. Me, it's all I've ever done (artist/crafter at shows) so I have to learn to sell at a profitable margin or die.

SO Wise! Everyone should read this when they start out- so well said.

Such great advice... and something I am still learning for myself and my shop. I have been raising prices on my items as I start to realize their value more, but some items I am still holding onto some of the prices because part of me thinks people will freak out or something. Goal-setting for the big picture always keeps me from have anxiety over the issue with sales, no matter if I am having many sold items, are a gap of no sales. Awesome article and I wish you the best on moving forward, Danielle! Your place on Etsy will always be remembered fondly!

Danielle, I got to know you through Etsy and came in to HQ to meet with you for more insights. You are a doll and such a positive force at Etsy. Thanks for the wealth of information and good luck wherever you go.

Wise words for us all to place above our office door!

Danielle...I too have learned a lot from you. I wish you the best of luck. I have spent the last couple of months watching the tutorials. My staple item I used to sell for $24 I raised to $30...they keep selling...I added a "custom" order for $40...and they're still selling. So setting a fair price for your talent is okay. I still may be charging too low. Since the addition of credit cards being accepted, I've had better sales. Not everyone wants to use PayPal. I too am a stats addict...I refresh that page 50x a day. Now I've learned that my own friends are looking at my site and sometimes hitting the favorite button...so I'm going to not be so obsessive. ugh. And...something that may be helpful...I ordered USPS flat rate boxes and Regional Rate boxes free from USPS.com. I figure out what it costs to ship my item to NY...farthest from AZ...and set that up as a shipping profile. I too was losing money on shipping. I recycle bubble wrap...so my only additional expense is tape and ink/paper to print out the shipping label. and again, danielle and the etsy team...thank you for helping us to try and be successful...we do appreciate you! merritt

Thanks for the great article! I've been busting my butt on Christmas in July sales and offering way too much discount. Result: great views (until today) and zero sales. My winter stock is some of my best and proudest creations and here I am willing to let them go for 20% off just to get one lousy sale. I'm definitely rethinking my etsy philosophy! Thanks so much!

Thanks for such a great post! I'm SOOOOO guilty of this number of sales addiction and have put much thought into it. I've always been more interested in the sale instead of paying myself for my time. I think I need to make some price changes. :) Good luck in your future endeavors!

Brilliant gems of advice! I love articles like this that get straight to the point and provide an injection of perspective. Thank. You. Very. Much.

Dannielle you just opened my eyes thank you so much my prices are low not because I need the Sale but I love people and so I make it cheap . I am a fool. I will adjust my prices to what they are worth. thank you very much.

Thank you for the great advice and from all the comments seems like WE all needed to read it. Going back to designing for Fall and do some photo retakes for my shop and not worry about having sales that truly don't seem to have accomplished much. Most of all Best to all of you on Etsy this Holiday season. Best to you also Danielle in all you do!

thank you Danielle you have been an inspiration good luck where ever you go

wow, this is just exactly what I do. Thanks for showing us the bigger picture!

Danielle, Thanks to you for kindling some thoughts on this matter of sales, slumps, and successes. If I may, I would like to make a point that Art and Crafts sell at different times and for different reasons. In some mentions, it has been said by vendors, that a sale can trigger more repeat buying. From my experience as an artist, and painter, .. that just because an artist sells one piece of work doesn't necessarily mean the customer is going to spring back for more, as in .. a piece of jewelry or stationary. Art is purchased for entirely different reasons than crafts. Its elusive, and not always understood even to the buyer, why they must have it. It moves one on a more internal wavelength. Something clicks, on a subliminal scale, that fills something of an internal need, and not so much on a utilitarian scale. Weird as it may seem, when craft sales are at a stand still and a low point, .. that has been some of my best times for sales in my art. Go figure eh? With crafts, its more calculable, and with art,.. more of an enigma, a mystery, sometimes with no rhyme or reason. (aside from... it matches my bathroom rationale.) That said, I keep my irons in the fire at all times, and make sure I'm there for that elusive buyer, .. wandering around in the right place at the wrong buying season.

Halleluja to this post! If everyone could get on board it might actually change perceptions from the general public. Stop working for free my friends! Best of luck and all the best DanielleXO!

Great article!

This was great to read and I will be taking this advice. Thank you! Have a great day!

Amazing article. It came just in time for me. Thank you

Thanks for your postings and time Danielle!

Thank you Danielle for addressing such important points! I very often find myself wanting to drop my prices to compete with similar products just to get a sale. But I know this doesn't make sense because I won't recover my costs and what's the point of running a business then?! So I have settled for fewer sales on Etsy, but I am proud of the quality and craftsmanship of my work and the fact that I have happy customers .

Thank you so much Danielle! You make a lot of sense. I appreciate all you do for us to help us see what's important and how to work towards it.

It's good to set some number of sales goals, but you can't stop there. Number of sales, profit on each sale, finding lower supply costs, figuring out ways to work faster and more efficiently, etc. are all important, too. It never stops. You keep learning and tweaking and growing and that is what makes the process fun! Excellent advice!! Thank you for sharing!

Wow. I love these forums. You can learn so much. I identify With so many of the comments. I also have had pricing Issues. I am designing some holiday designs that I plan to Be brave and price correctly because I will Be using high fabrics etc. but I must admit It is a bit scary But I better do it or starve. :). I've only been with Etsy since November. Good luck Danielle on your new Adventure in life.

Wow. I needed to read this so badly! All of the things you have mentioned are me to a tee! Thank you so much for opening my eyes. I think I need to raise my prices too.

Great advise! Now I know I'm not alone wading in low sales.

Great advice and article. Already feel better knowing, that other shop owners go through the exact same situation. You gave me a new boost and I will plan for the next season fall/winter. Thank you for sharing your experience.

great advice thanks

AMAZING article and really got me thinking. It's easy to fall into that trap and I have found myself there before. I love the forward thinking and suggestions. THANK YOU!

Great words of wisdom! Thank you!!! :))

Thank you Danielle. I'll miss you!

Wow! Great article and very timely for me! Thank you!!!

Tough thing to do but I think it's necessary and good advice... thanks!

THANKYOU DANIELLE Excellent advice! You have just confirmed my own feelings and I am just a newbie. Wonderful advice! Don't ever undersell yourself. anita

Another great blog post! Thank you!

Thanks soooo much for these insights. I am new to this game and I have battled with myself over the issue of pricing, views, sales, etc etc etc. It is good to hear that my "gut feeling". is on target. Keep the good info coming. I am learning so much from everyone out there in EtsyLand.

Great post, thanks!

Wow, part of that was a kind of wake up call. Thank you for your great tips and all the best to you in your future endeavors!

Gosh - I'm guilty of the sale addiction. Didn't notice till this article. Thank you!! Love the suggestions for reframing my focus on where it can make a difference. Thanks, Danielle!

Great advice! Thanks so much!

Very good article on this sensitive subject! Take care, Danielle, it whatever your next venture is!

Thanks for such a great inspiring article. I am new to Etsy and made my first sale within days, did the dance, and then nothing. I learned a big lesson with the postage. I did the bookmark up all pretty with extra little gifts etc and it cost me $6.00 to post. My first consideration was to rush to the post office and find the cheapest but still nice way to post the bookmarks. I could then lower the postage price to a comparable level with other sellers. I live in Australia so postage is much higher than the northern hemisphere. There have not been many views since and I was considering lowering my prices, thanks to your article, I will keep my prices where they are but add more products. Thanks and sorry you are leaving, I wish you all the best in the future. Von.

Brilliant advice in this article. I make for the love of the crafting, sales are the bonus. I know I make within a flooded market and difficult to promote without spending a fortune and deleting any profit. Thank you for sharing your advice.

Thank you Danielle, I am new to Etsy and have been doing just what you have said. Watching the views and waiting for that first sale etc, at the same time wandering what I am doing wrong pricing?presentation? etc. Great advice for a newbie and everyone, keep focussed and don't undersell yourself.

Thanks for your post! I have had a 'day' job...well a 'half-day job'...since I retired. Now I am fully retired and ready to devote more time to my Etsy Shop! Which BTW, I love my Etsy shop experience. Your post was timely. I now have more info on how to proceed!

This could have not come at a better time. I just had my first sale on Etsy today. Thanks for your advice.

Timely advice. I seem to have busy times where I get several orders and then a lull. I always worry that maybe my prices are too high, but then I wouldn't make a profit. Good thought - plan ahead! :)

Thank you for this post - sometimes it's easy to get off track, so a reminder about getting back onto the right path is much appreciated!

thanks for the wonderful advice! ive fallen into a few of these traps, and its so good to hear how i should spend my time in more effective ways. cheers!

There’s nothing like staying positive and true to what your believe! Thanks for the reminder!

Well said. I wish more sellers would heed this advice, especially when it comes to pricing. I see so many items being sold at very minimal profit, or even a loss. As artisans and Etsy shop owners, we need to place a higher value on our time and our work, and price accordingly. If we do, buyers will value our goods more, and even though we may not sell as many items, we make more profit. Isn't that what business is all about?

How insightful... Thank you for sharing this great advise. I will definitely give a second, and third!, look to my shop and adjut accordingly. :)

Your info was so timely. I'm a "newbie" and I've been thinking if perhaps I should drop my prices and how to I get sales and yada, yada. Thanks to your experience, I think I'll start thinking ahead and not worry so much about where the next sale will come from.

Thanks, Danielle!

Such a good article. I really enjoyed reading this. My shop just started and in a way I was feeling less hopeful that it would actually go anywhere. After reading this my faith in my shop is renewed and I know now not to panic. Thanks so much for the insight. I was truly helpful. : )

Great Advice: As of the start of July, I decided to bring something new to my shop to spice things up and made my first plush toy. It has become a trend because I have made three in just the past few days in time for the holidays. Much of my time was spent looking constantly at my stats to see how many views I got that day and most of the time, I was disappointed. Now I just want to focus on making my holiday items and pray that this year will be better than the last. Thank you for opening my eyes Danielle and good luck to you.

Guilty! Oh, I've make all the same mistakes, glad to hear there is a road to recovery. From here on out I'm focusing on the big picture. Thanks for sharing this Danielle.

Thanks Danielle, so much of what you said sounds familiar! I promise to refrain from checking Craftopolis so much!

I enjoyed reading the good advice but I also have not made any sales. I would love for someone to help me along this trip.

longer vision is good advice

Danielle moving on? I just caught that. Best of success wherever you may be! :)

Great article! I know that I have lowered a price on something just to sell. Now I got great advice to not do that if it doesn't add up. Thanks!

Thanks to all you I'm new at this and reading you comments is very helpful

I just started selling on Etsy. I started my prices low and even considered dropping my prices further. I made two salea just in time to decide against that. This article has helped me to see that I don't want to fall into bad business habits. After all, I'm just getting started!

Danielle, We are truly the product of what others have given us and then some. Pass it on. Your epitomize this saying with your heartfelt creative thrust. You have touch many lives & we are all enriched by the unique encounter. Thanks!!!

I am fairly new to Etsy with my 1st sale and this is the perfect articule for me at this time! Your information in this article, as well as others is so valuable. Thank you, thank you!

I was gonna either have a sale or light some things on fire. I did both and it worked out pretty well.

Great article!! As I am new to esty also and I too try to price my items to sell (because it's so very exciting when they do!!!) but I also need to make it worth my time and effert ($) ~even though I feel the need to create always... it's nice to "share" it with others!

What I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it. Thank you!

there are some very smart ideas up there to think about, thank u for this article. :) <<< <3

Danielle, great article. We will miss you!!! Lots of success!!!

Thanks for the inspiring words Danielle.

Such an insightful post. It's like it was written just for me. :) Thanks for the blig!

Thanks for this! I have already started focusing on Halloween, to stop from freaking over no sales in a while...

Thanks So Much For this Great Advice :)

This has been my favorite helpful post.

Have been updating my item info and trying not to look at Stats, so thanks for keeping us acting like business people.

It's as if you were in my mind these past few weeks!! All of the advice you gave in this article are what I was tossing back in forth in my heart and in my mind. My heart wants to practically GIVE things away and my mind says, no, you have supplies to pay for, time to pay yourself for, things you want to buy!!! I would ask advice and always get the same from family members, "what do you think it's worth"? So like Maris said, this has been my favorite helpful post too!! Now I can let out a breath of relief and concentrate on creativity and..... raising my prices!!

I've just finished my little dance and whoopee's for my first sale then I read your email...so now I know I'm not unique and that I have such a lot to learn about Etsy! Thanks for such solid good advice! ;D

Talk about timing. Just had my first sale after my shop went live about a mth ago. My current obsession is driving traffic to my shop! Yes, I check my stats a 100 times a day - and there are definitely days when I tell myself - "I could be using this time to create - stop obsessing!" So, thanks for the reminder. I will try : )

Danielle, I saw myself in every one of your paragraphs. I smiled and realized I wasn't alone. There seems to be phases you go through with Etsy, newborn, toddler, adolescent, and mature. I love watching your labs you are so bubbly and enthusiastic. Thank you for all your great advice. Sincerely Lisa Marie

Wonderful words of wisdom!

Danielle ~ Thank you for the great advice. Good luck in your new endeavors!

Well said and sooo true! Thanks, just the reminder I needed.

Thank you for the advice. I have been reworking my products and my prices. I think it's going to work out well.

This was particularly helpful. I feel like I am undercharging for my art, but since my views are dwindling I have kept my prices low(maybe from summer). I am thinking that maybe I am right in feeling I am undercharging. I love the guidance you offer from these articles. Thank you for giving us the positive motivation.

It's so true! Lol I read that and laughed in my head of the video recall of myself

This was a great advice from the expert, Danielle! Everything you mentioned here is the advice I just needed! Best wishes on your new endeavors! We'll miss you!

still a novice and learning little by little. your advice was a welcome breath of fresh air that i will surely put it into practice. thank you.

Thank you Danielle, for your precious advice! I will take from that... Let life happen more often, instead of grinding the Etsy shop?...and... When we stop looking, it turns up? Now I just need to KEEP reminding myself.

Seems like it is human nature to try to get high on or get addicted to something in your life ;) I am also guilty for being an Etsy sales addict. It does feel great but only for a short time. Will spend endless hours checking my Etsy shop and rearranging the items. I even tried to limit my etsy visit to just 15 minutes a day but this restriction made me even more curious. ;) Thank you for sharing your wisdom. Feels much better to know that you are not along. If you are planning to open an etsy sales addicts rehab,let me know I will be the first to sign in. ;) Good luck to everyone and Cheers !

Thank you so much, I really needed this! :) I just opened my shop this week & I have one sale. I am a little discouraged but I also don't really know what to expect. If anyone would like to stop by my shop & give me any advice/ideas/feedback, please convo me - I would love it! Thanks!

Great reminder Danielle, huge thanks! I had taken a step back from the business over the last few months whilst focusing on other things but timely advice as I embark on re-energising merino angel and with the holiday season in mind :-) All the best with your new phase of life and thanks for all your hard work with Etsy....holiday boot camp did wonders for my new business mind!

I am very new to this so I REALLY appreciate the words of wisdom!

Excellent article! Very thoughtful and filled with very good advice. I know I'm not the only seller to get obsessed with every individual sale. I will look to step back and get the bigger picture about my small business. Thank you, and best of luck to you as you move on to new projects!

I love the tone and message in this article. Though I've had my etsy shop up and running for a couple of years, I find I'm always searching for ways to make it better and more cohesive. Though my sales are relitively low for the amount of time my shop's been open, I love that I get sales of the lower priced items, as well as the higher ticket custom, made to order items. So, I feel I'm doing something right, and somehow managing to connect the dots. No mater how long it takes, and how some days the process may seem futile, when we spread our interests across the board, it shows. I will miss you, Daniellexo x, Val

Thanks for the article, and yes, I agree! I have a tendency to "celebrate the sale," which is good, but I also have to make sure I'm really getting my prices right, too. Thanks for true advice, and best wishes!

You will be missed! Embrace your new change(s) and Challenges. Thanks for all the great advice throughout the years!

Thank you very much for your sharing:)

I am not addicted to sales (because I dont' have many) but I am addicted to views and favorites! It's been 4 months with 4 sales... I am trying hard and my views are increasing, but my sales are......ummm...not so much :). Thanks for the great advice - I have been learning a lot on these forums! If anyone wants to critique my shop I would love. love, love it! Cheers!

Wow I really was feeling all those same things as sales were coming in... Great read...You hit the nail on the head with everything you said.

Thank you for the very good advice. I had lowered the prices of my portraits because I saw others making more sales than me. Then I got messages from other Etsians, telling me that my prices are too low for my work. I think I just need to learn different ways to promote my work. Working on some new ideas too. Thanks for keeping us on track.

Danielle, Wonderful words of wisdom! Thank you so much... Best wishes in your new venture and the lives you'll touch everywhere you go.

Danielle, Thank you for this post.. You sure got it right! I've made the mistake of lowering prices hoping for sales. I'm off now to fix those prices and concentrate on the bigger goal. Thank you

Great advice. And I need all the advice I can get being new to Etsy. I too have had the feeling of just lowering my prices to generate some sales to generate that feedback. Sometimes I wonder if I haven't sold anything and don't have any seller feedback does that scare people from doing business with me? I think I will hold tight on my prices. I would feel better giving stuff to my family and friends as gifts rather than selling myself short, to make a profit, albeit small.

I needed to read your article along with some of the comments,eye opener.I realized that I had to change my way of thinking ,and know and believe,this is an abundant universe and that we should think big rather than small.

Great advise! It's funny I was doing just that tonight before reading this, sat down thought up new designs, jotted them down on paper then made myself a calendar as to when I would be releasing these new designs. I told myself to list at least 3 new items per week every month and wrote down exactly what I want to list and when, this way you avoid panicking on what to create and list to keep the business flowing smoothly.

Thank you so much for sharing!

Great words of wisdom!...now to knock that all into my head:)

Great post, and soo true! I struggle with this on a daily basis.

great thoughts and advice! i am still learning!

Thanks! I needed to hear that. Big time. Was getting close to throwing in the towel because I hear all these posts about people lamenting because they haven't made 100 sales in a few months. I've been selling on Etsy for almost 2 years and have just broke the 50 mark. In the "real" world, advisors always say it takes at least 5 years to build up a new business to be fully profitable, so why do we expecct it overnight on the internet. Keep calm and creat on, plan on, and sell on. Thanks Danielle!!!

...been there ... done that. Thank you Danielle, very appreciated article!

Really great article. Thank you:)

I wish it was that simple (plotting out your weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly goals, work on your holiday marketing plan...... how do i go about doing all that?)

WOW!!!!!! I'm aproaching my 1st year anniverssary as an Etsy seller; my goal was to have 175 sales by August 30, 2012. Well, after reading your wise advice, I don't care how many sales I have made in one year. After reading your so true article, what's more important for me now is: how much have I learned in one year!!!! How happy am I? doing what I'm doing? How much confidence?, experience?, how many friends?, and money have I made? I love Etsy, I love you all, Sandra, New Bride Co.

I completely agree with you... I have made the same mistakes too.... now I am concentrating on making a ' PROFIT', not the amount of sales.... Very nicely writen.

Few! Comforting advice ....as a new seller on etsy I was beginning to doubt my ability to attract a sale ! I am a great believer in quality not quantity and would never under estimate "HANDMADE". I shall sew on happily now !!! ✂

Thanks! read article, read comments, all the time I endure because of small number of works in my shop, but I understand that behind quantity to aspire silly, let it will be quality.let's wait for a season of sales, we will aspire to them, thanks for a valuable advice which you give!

Amazing advice Danielle! And if anyone out there needs help you get on top of those schedules, you should make Google Calendar your best friend. :) x

Thank you, great advice and good luck

thank you sooooooooooo much for sharing your knowledge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great article! Thanks!

Thank you so much!

I very much agree! I am not making much at all on any of my items and am seriously considering opening a whole other shop and just ditching the 139 items still listed! I really think I am setting my goals to low and happy to hear that I am not the only one that has done this!

I know that feeling! lol I just started creeping my prices up when I realised that my wedding cake toppers were a lot cheaper then most other sellers doing similar things I was scared it would hurt my sales but it hasn't so I have put all my prices up to a more reasonable level. I read an article somewhere that said if you put your prices up by just 10% then you can afford to lose 25% of your buyers before you feel an impact to your profits... now I'm lousy at maths but less work for the same money seems like a good thing to me! Plus I feel I am finally making what I feel I am worth... next stop global domination! *;p

To Danielle, many thanks to you, for being a guiding light to this village of artisans and shopkeepers. That sort of helping hand is simply invaluable, and the legacy remains for all who come after ♥. I also appreciate so many other perspectives that came up in this thread. It's nice to have each other to share the neuroses with ;-).

Danielle - an excellent important post....a true wake up call for me... Thx a lot for sharing. Will miss you ! Good luck :)

This is very interesting! I have had quite a number of sales recently but I actually do NOT know how much profit there is behind the sales. And I don't think it is much. Furthermore I have an 'apologetic' approach to my customers. Sort of 'I don't know why you bought something from me but thank you so much'. So I give too many free samples and stuff my packages with so many extras that shipping charges double (and shipping from Italy is very expensive) so I probably lose all the profit I had. I will be going on holiday soon but changing my attitude will definitely be my September goal!

It took a while for me to get this too! Read this how many times it takes to get it! Thanks for sharing~

I only do 1 small sale per year. I don't find them to be an effective way to grow your business. Just a method to give away your product.

A Great Article and I am a beginner at this, so it was very informative. Thank You

I'm still a newbie here and that 1st sale high is still very fresh in my mind. It is very addictive so thank you for writing this article and shutting it down before it could get out of hand!

Great advice!

This is such a great post, after being on Etsy for a while now and still not made a sale it can be a bit disheartening. . . .you start to think that your products are not as good as you thought they were and naturally have a sense of failure. But this has helped me put it in perspective a little bit, to not worry so much and to focus on my unique selling point - my creative voice and what gives me the most pleasure: creating beautiful things:) All the best for your new venture Danielle, you will be missed. Jess x

Thank you! I've taken a similar path and learned many of the same things. A great reminder that many of us started the same way and to always re-evaluate and plan for the bigger picture!

Great advice, though not applicable to me since I never sell anything anyway and thus have nothing to be addicted to.

Great advice!!!! Sorry to see you leave Etsy DanielleI have enjoyed reading your posts and learned quite a bit -Best Wishes on your new venture!!!

I am sorry to hear that you will be leaving Danielle. I remember you emailed me way back when I first started out on etsy because we were both doing photo etching (a technique I have moved on from) but I remember it, and remember that it was nice to connect with you. Thanks for your kind words and advice for the etsy community at large over the years. I hope you are moving on to more creative and exciting things! all the best! ~Sheena

All the best to you Danielle and thank you so much for all of the amazing advise and helpful tips you've given us all!!! I can relate to so much of what is said in this article : )

Still waiting for my first sale (I want to do the happy dance!!!). Love the advice posted here!

Well, you really need to calculate how much it costs you to produce one item, the cost of materials, time spent making, listing and posting it, Etsy's fees are also should be included - THEN on top of all that you add what you'd like to earn. That will be your profit. if you make 10 necklaces and sell them for $20 - its a bit of waste of time. maybe it worth reading some books on marketing too before starting your own business....

Pricing is dicey biz but oh so important!

I think that this blog post gave some much needed advice, seeing that there have been so many thankful comments. I started four months ago, and trust me, I did a major happy dance when I got my first sale within two hours of opening shop. Well, I also have had lulls (one being a month long) and I noticed myself cutting down prices and creating sales in hope to generate more sales. I see now how fruitless those actions were, and its simply the hard work of creating the items, pricing them fairly to both myself and the consumer and enhancing my listings that ultimately lead to success.

Wonderful information, and a HUGE wake-up call (for me)! Thank You!

Thank you for the info. Also thank you to the people who posted. I am just begining and it was reassuring to hear that #1 There is a summer slow down, and #2 Don't panic! Keep my stock high quality and my prices in the ball park with those of you who have been around for a while. It will not pay to cut prices and then have a $2.00 profit for the month! I also want to say that all the people I have "met" through Etsy have been very helpful and give good advice. None of the "oh no, more competition, I don't want to help her succeed." Thank you.

A huge "Thank you" to Danielle Maveal for sharing her wonderful example of support with ideas and encouragement over the years to the Etsy family. I'm still learning and changing the way I do things because of excellent advice from her, from the Etsy Handbook, comments from other Etsy Sellers, and the support team. I wish Daniellexo well in her future endeavors and adventures. Best of everything to you. Sincerely, Julie

Great article! I'm going to look at the big picture as you suggested.

Hi, My name is Cory and i'm addicted......

Great information. I think most of us can say we have undervalued our work at one time or another. In my real work life I am the owner of an accounting and bookkeeping firm that services small businesses. Most businesses do not keep an accurate account of the costs of doing the business to accurately calculate the correct pricing for their product. It is also easy for some of us with our creative endeavors to treat them more like a hobby than a business. Again,, great information, much appreciated.

This is SO true!! We all just want to that "sales" number flying higher. But what really matters is if your making money. To those of us that care about making money. Need money :) Some people seem like they are just having fun. Which is fine for them, not for me.

Great article, especially with the influx of new sellers I've been seeing in the forums. We'll miss you Danielle!

Thank you so much for this huge eye-opener. As a stay-at-home mother of 5 I find that any spare time that I have to utilize in my fiber art business definitely has to be utilized more efficiently if I want my business to work. You're a gem!

Wonderful read... and exactly what I needed right now. Thanks so much Danielle!!

really great! Definitely something for me to think about once I re-open

Thanks SO much for this article and your words of wisdom, Danielle..They really hit home with me and have given me a positive outlook ...Good luck with your future endeavors...

Just what I needed to hear to keep me from slipping into a hole of gloom. Now I am planning how to scale the mountain in front of me!

Thank you for this! I have been obsessing about the lack of sales lately, and this article has given me a push to add to my store instead of wondering why people aren't buying what is already there. I think I can use my time best by improving the selection and reworking my bio.

I loved this article being a new seller I can relate I have been working hard to change the beginner mistakes I have already made with my account. I started creating because I love decorating and design hoping that I could find my true calling throughout my designs I hope to one day be able to look back at my shop and provide such great advice !!

Interesting prospective. Good advise. Fairly new to Etsy and have a lot to learn. Thanks.

Thanks that was great advice.

Love all your articles of wisdom. If one believes in their creativity one will get results. It takes time and I tell myself to be patient when I don't see sales. Instead I try to focus on my next line of products. I try to avail myself to your training articles and any advice I can get from other entrepreneurs who have gone before me. It's still a learning process for me and I am finding it exciting. Thank you again for all your article contributors.

Thanks Danielle, I've learned a lot from you. I wish you luck and great success on your new journey. You will be missed.

What an aha moment! I love the concept of "perceived value." I need to pay attention to my own perceptions as an Etsy shopper, and see my own shop in the same way. When I am impressed with a shop or an item, what is it about it that wooed me? How much did the price impact my impressions? I'm always glad to get a deal at the grocery store, but do I want art that I buy to be on sale? I think I'd rather the artist sold the piece for what they felt they are worth. I want to spend my money on something with a perceived value.

Good advice, but I don't think that we should entirely forget about each sale. I've posted a rebuttal here: http://irishlanders.blogspot.com/2012/07/sometimes-you-need-little-boost.html

Thanks Danielle, Great artical, I agree.

Thanks for the reminder :) I still think its wonderful to get happy about a sale. If not, why are we selling? I love the things I sell and am happy when I can make someone else smile.

Dear etsy support friend, thank you so very much for such a great insight and advice. Big THANK YOU to you.

Thank you so much for posting this Danielle! I needed this reminder and completely relate to what you have described. This article really helps to redirect energy in a positive direction. Thank you!!!

Such a great article! Thank you! I'm 100% in this situation right now, and just wanting things to fly off my "shelves" but you're so right: patience & planning is at the heart of this work. I don't want to devalue my trade by discounting my entire shop to meet goals based on the high. Thank you for this message at this perfect time!

Thank you for the encouragement! I also noticed the addiction to sale numbers...

This was really helpful information - thanks! I am new to etsy and have had only 3 sales so far. I was really excited and couldn't wait to tell anyone who would listen! But that was short lived and I decided I should try to figure out what else to do while I'm waiting. I spend a lot of time looking at fabulous shops and I have been trying to check out all the information out there. This has led me to redo a lot of my pictures, change some wording and use up all the tags. I still have lots of questions and would love advice from the "veterans" out there!

I think I've thankfully gotten through this part of the process, and have learned that when sales are slow it's time to "invest my time" in another area. Right now I'm working on creating a website while summer sales are slow. I know that in time things will pick back up, and then I'll be glad I spent my down time working on another productive facet of my business! Every sale, though, does still make me quite giddy.

Thank you for taking the time and sharing so openly your learnings. May you have continued & happy success in all your life aspects! Cheers

Thanks Danielle, great article!

Thanks Danielle!

I just opened my shop in April and sales have just started to pick up (yay). When sales were slow, I considered lowering my prices. Then I watched Etsy's "Pricing for Profit" lab and decided my time and efforts are worth what I am charging. I left my prices where they were, and guess what? Its the more expensive items in my shop that are selling.

I'm having a hard time too but how does one make sure they don't out-price themselves? I don't want to give my items away but at the same time I don't want to overcharge. I welcome all opinions, thank you!

I totally had to go search out your first sale after reading this and I did find it. How funny! Totally the opposite of what you have been teaching us. You learned so much and so graciously shared that knowledge with us. Thanks so much and you will be missed :)

Oh, Danielle, I can see you are right. What am I doing over here discounting my art again. I need to take a big step back and get clear. I don't want to succumb to creating lesser work and that is just what will happen if I don't get reimbursed for what I do.

Amazing article! As a new shop owner I related to so many mistakes mentioned and got a new outlook on what to do next. Thanks Danielle!

So funny! I just made my first "single item promoton" twit and read this article 10 minutes after:D imagine how much laugh I had;)

Great article, sometimes we all have to be reminded of this kind of info!

Your hard-won experience will be my encouragement today as I weather my first summer with Etsy. All the best Danielle.

Everything you said is exactly what happened...is happening .It's like you read my mind! Okay, must remember to keep in mind what you said and hopefully my shop will flourish.

Thank you so much! Simple and enlightening! Thanks for sharing that!

Great advice, Danielle! I read that your moving on? Well, Good Luck on your new adventure...we will miss you! :-)

Best of luck to you! I've read all your articles and took your advice. Even though i have been on Etsy for a few years, I'm still learning. Pricing vintage, setting proper postage is a challenge. Thanks to Etsy and workers like you, it is an enjoyable place to do business!

Thanks for the advice Danielle. I opened my shop last week and already have been doubting the prices I set since I haven't had a sale. When I think of all the time involved to make them, it makes me sad to lower them. Would love any advice people have.

This hits me close to home right now. I was so excited after my first sell, and now = nothing. I have been working diligently to keep adding to my shop. I will try to re-focus. Thank you!

I think the problem I have is that when I get no views, I worry that it's because I'm not tagging my items right or something. I could focus better on the big picture if I had confidence that I'd already done all the little details right, but to my mind, no views = something's wrong that I need to fix.

I am still to make my first sale. Trying very hard, doing etsy helpful hints every email. I am trying to do teh right by the prices for me. But am still a no sale gal. tahnks for the help. i will keep at it. read the other day to have a wow piece in my shop so it will bring shoppers in. Im working on that now. I kinds just have stuff you would wear all the time. Its wow time this week end. Got some amazing beads to work with yesterday op shopping. xx thankyou

I am just coming aboard and your words are very positive. I took notes to stick on my wall. Thank you.

Great advice. It helps a lot to follow the online labs -- Danielle covers this in some of the them. I'm finding it best to concentrate on getting my shop in tip top shape, because I know it takes time to attract and build a following. Key words are so important, yet so hard to master. Danielle's advice and support is soothing -- knowing that she was once in our shoes.

Wonderful advice for sure and many points to consider.

Great Article Danielle! Crunch the numbers - that's exactly what I did and you know what I realized? Year-to-date I'm ahead of last year -- a 15% increase in # of sales (yes, I know # of sales doesn't matter) ~AND~ a 29% increase in Dollars. No more seasonal slowdown blues for me. xo, MJ

This is a great article! I can so relate to that high. I did the same thing with my Facebook likes... Until I felt a part of me being lost to what my initial goal was...share my art...share my soul...and give something magical to people in similar places on their journey. When I stepped back, I came back to where I wanted to be.

Thank you so much for sharing, very important words for us the new comers...!

Such wonderful advice! A great reminder!

Great Advice got to get busy and post some more items! Thanks.

Thanks for re-confirming the importance of this - I recently purchased an e-book that speaks directly to this same theme - the author is Kate Gatski who has a shop on Etsy - you can find the book via: http://www.thesteelfork.com/wordpress/all-craft-a-recipe-to-make-it-pay/

SOOOO TRUE.... I remember my wife and I doing jewelry shows years back and having trouble selling a certian piece at $20. Then my wife would mark it up to $30 and then $50 and then she would sell it. It seems that many times no matter how well made the piece is, if we as artists do not have a high perceived value of its worth, how can we expect a stranger to.....

I can use all the fresh perspective I can get right now. I appreciate you sharing what you have learned with me so much!

Thanks. You are so right on. I have been experimenting with coupons, and anything else that pops in my # oriented brain, and I have found that just good old honest pricing is the best marketing strategy. I am in the process now of changing all my prices and getting rid of all the gimmicks. I don't think people even look for the coupons and sales. When they want a discount, they usually ask for it. I know how far they can twist my arm, and I think it makes the transaction that more interesting. It's the art of making a good deal. No gimmicks needed.

Thanks for sharing! Great advise! :)

Great advice!!! I thought you were talking about me for a minute! lol That's exactly what I've been doing, never mind the whole house, happy dance when there is a repeat customer. Thanks for sharing.

I am glad I read this because it helps to keep grounded now and again

Though difficult lessons to learn, these are necessary when looking at the big, long-term picture. Thank you for hitting the nail on the head, per say.

You have some interesting points here :) Thank you Danielle!!

Thank you! I so needed to hear this today!!!!!

I want to read more, please Danielle educate us some more :)

it's all true, and gives food for thought :-) Thank you!!

Great advice! I had my first sale experience 2 days after opening my Etsy shop and then.............nothing, so disappointing and so tempting to keep prices low! But I will take your advice on board! Thank you

Thanks so much for sharing!

Thank you very much for this great and inspiring advice!!

Very good post!

I'm glad I read this, very helpful. Thank you!

Love this article. I have two shops, one has had several sales sporadically over the past year and my newest shop just sold its first item yesterday (after I had marked it down). I had seen advice (on one of the online labs several months ago) to make sure you price your items to make sure you are paid for your time and materials and make this your wholesale price. Then double that price for your listings. This way you will have a lot of wiggle room and won't lose money on discounts.....because I just gave everyone who will read it a 50% off discount code, lol!

Funny for me to read this. I had a awesome customer who purchases quite a few things from me. I told her I would give her a discount next time she purchased. She replied and I quote "Are you Crazy girl? Your prices are to low now." I was shocked. I have prided myself on being reasonable because I know what I would want to buy something for. But apparently I must be to low in some areas. So I am happy to have read your article and will take a lot of what you said into account in the near future.

Great article! Very insightful.

I've actually increased the price on a few of my items, and the shipping in some cases where I knew I hadn't charged enough. Been burned a few times by that :-( Instead I have focused on being active on Etsy, getting more listings up, and of course... great customer service! I have had more sales this month than in a long time, and consistently have more views/favorites.

Just read every single comment here! So glad this made an impact with many, and I can't wait to see those prices & profits go up! I'll miss all of you, but will still be around shopping and perhaps selling. xo Danielle

Amazing article and so relevant! Thank you for sharing your wisdom! :)

Great advice, long-term goals are definitely the bigger focus...I would be happy for that first sale at this point too, but I also realize it is summer and I am trying to focus on getting set up for fall...patience is never an easy thing, so thanks for the reminder!

Very interesting advice, thank you for this :-)

Fantastic article! I'm new to Etsy. New to selling my jewelry and other beaded items on-line completely. These are wonderful tips to use on those days when I feel like tweeking everything to see if I can gain more interest.

Very nice motivational article and good advice. Now I am working on my business plan for the fall!

Great advice!

Great article & very sound advice. Thank you so much for sharing this with us, I know that it's definitely helped steer me (and I'm sure countless others) in the right direction. Take care! :o)

Great article! It has made me refocus! Thank you so much for sharing!

Dear Danielle: Excellent advice. Time is money and each and every time you run to the Post Office it is time and money and gas. It takes a lot of work to package up breakable pieces right. You should be paid for your efforts. Pricing too low people think things are not as valuable. Silly, but true. If you have quality items your prices should reflect that in your pricing and you should not be afraid to price them right. Thanks again for your lovely article. So important to set goals for your business all the time. xoxo ♥, Darlene. thepinkpoodlecottage

Wonderful advice, I am new to etsy and haven't had the pleasure of my first sale as yet but I will keep your advice in mind.

Very helpful article. Thanks Danielle.

completely agree. thanks for the reminder ♥

Best blog post ever

<3 thank you!

Ahhhh, thanks I needed that...especially being "1 month old "on Etsy!!

Another great article that brings things into perspective. THANK YOU!

This is exactly what I needed right now. Thank you!

Oh my gosh this is so me right now. I just posted a thread about it too. lol! Thanks for the article it's good to know I'm not alone. :)

just what i needeed!!! our shop is in the doldrums right now!! no sales for a week!!! i have been obsessed with the "views" to my shame!! :-( ~ monica

thank you i needed to read this!

This will always be an important article. There are many presures to lower prices, but a higher price can communicate better quality to the consumer (think back to high school economics). It is hard to convince someone that you spent several days on something, if you are willing to give it away. I think all of our hand made items and carefully selected vintage selections cost our time, effort, skill, and money. The consumers communicate their appreciation by paying a fair price.

Very insightful and inspirational article, thanks Danielle!

Wow! This was so helpful and a huge eye opener because I am in the same boat of having that "first sale" high, but now after reading this it's really making me rethink how I'm running my shop and listing my items :)

I read this article with interest. I am guilty on all counts!! I have been repeatedly told that I need to raise my prices. I finally did for 1 month and it was my first month without a sale, so I dropped them back again. Big mistake? I started my business in part because the kits that became treasured heirlooms in our family were no longer being manufactured. More importantly, it really angered me that the same kit I purchased 35 years ago (yikes) for $19.99 now sells for over $300! I am very torn between feeling I am being greedy if I raise my prices vs. really, REALLY wanting to offer a product that EVERYONE can afford. I guess I am going for job satisfaction in lieu of a great paycheck... Nevertheless, I think this was a superb article!!

I'm new and haven't received that first sale high yet....Can't wait till I do...Looks like I'm going to have to review pricing, descriptions, etc...Maybe pop in a discount coupon too.

Thank you for sharing, your article is very helpful. I just start selling handmade jewelry last month and sold 1 item now, I feel very happy, exactly same as you told. Now, Etsy is my night job, I enjoy making new items and listing them to my shop everyday, with reasonable price! Hopefully, someday I can quit my day job :)

Great article to read as a newbie. I really appreciate it. It would be great to have feedback via convos on my shop and prices are welcomed by other experienced sellers. Just opened 3 days ago so I am reading as much as I can. Hugs

Great advice thanks for sharing-:)

This is great advice. Thanks Danielle for sharing it!

Thank You Danielle!!! I was reading about myself!!!

Hi everyone, I opened a shop today. I read a good part of this thread and it gave me good insight. I can relate to many comments made. My work has always involved private selling and it was always nice to hear honest people tell me that I should charge more for what I make. But I'm an old person living in the dark ages and I'm always experimenting with things. I see this as a new experiment. I price everything realistically based on my time and my time is not valued very high. Being minimalist gives me some advantage as my living cost is as low as I can make it (low consumption of everything). It's my credo to help the planet, but we need the mainstream consumers. It's a balance for me so I price what I make at what I would pay. I'm happy to join your community and wish everyone the success you deserve.

I can so relate to this.

I have just opened my shop. I think I priced properly, but I have not sold anything. Sort of wondering if I should price lower to get my first sale...Help wanted!

I felt like I was reading this about myself...this sounds just like me! Thank you for the good advice!!

I was looking for an article to put my jewelry on sale and hit this forum. I'll think about that sale again. Thank you!

Very valuable advice! I know that it gets frustrating for me to hear about so many sellers having such success that they leave their day job (don't worry, Boss, I'm staying put) while I'm waiting for my next customer.

This was incredibly helpful.. you have no idea!

I too get frustrated to hear that others are getting sale when I'm not . I have done all those things you wrote about ! The single Tweeting , just so I can see that someone sees my merchandise and I finally made my first 2 sales and it was on the same day! Wow I was so happy. Then the same old thing again. I have almost closed shop a few times except that I do love what I am doing. I do the FB thing too and I am sure that all my Friends and Family are real tired of seeing the same things over and over . I hate that I just can't figure it all out ! But you have clarified a lot for me. Will my shop ever work ? ~ ( I have done well in Private sales . )

Great info and great advice! Thank you.

Just had my first sale a few days ago, and I've been pulling my hairs waiting to see if I'll get a second sale! Thanks for the advice!

Great article! It was fun to read about your progress over time. I think a lot of shop owners go through that.