You've seen those big sellers on Etsy who seem to be making sales left and right. You have to wonder how they've made it to where they are: can they actually be FOR REAL? What's their recipe for success? And just how do they do it?

This week's installment of our Etsy Success Stories series features Allyson of AllysonHill.  Allyson is a 29 year old mother form upstate New York working on a degree in woodworking and furniture design from the School for American Crafts. She proclaims to love her son much more than her sewing machine (to which he apparently drops his jaw at the thought of that much love).  She is famous on Etsy for her signature car litter bags (I use my own every single day) and in little over two years of selling on Etsy has made more than 2,700 sales!  She runs a tight ship and was very generous to share her story of success with us.

How did you first hear about Etsy, and what made you decide to open a shop on the site?
I first heard about Etsy through the Indie Collective back in 2006. At the time I was selling on eBay and was exhausted from a combination of high fees and the bargain-hunting outlook. I was searching the internet in hopes of figuring out whether I could ever make a living off my handmades. I was searching for other people, success stories, anything to give me some direction and hope. When I found Etsy, I figured I'd give it a try. The fees were so low, what did I have to lose?

What do you think your key to success for selling on Etsy has been?
Before opening up a shop, I did spend hours on Etsy doing some market research. I wanted to see if there were other people selling the same products that I was planning to sell. If so, what price were they selling them for and were they selling any at all? To my excitement, I found that I would be introducing some new products to Etsy. Some other important factors were listing frequently and occasionally creating items that I could list in other categories to attract different people. When I first started on Etsy, my photos were HORRIBLE but I still made sales! I do believe that improving my photos has helped increase my sales. I also think it's good to keep shipping prices as low as possible. I think it's better to mark up the product a smidge than the shipping.

How do you promote your shop?
I promote my shop by listing frequently, listing in other categories when possible, and by blogging. I wouldn't say that I purposely promote my shop to my fellow bloggers or blog readers. I actually get really shy about mentioning new additions to my shop. My goal through blogging is to share my life, to find inspiration, to encourage others and to feel connected to other artsy-crafty people. Blogging does end up promoting my shop because it helps people find me through internet searches. Whether they are searching for me or for something I've blogged about, it's a way to allow people to stumble upon me.

How do you handle such a large volume of sales in your shop? What systems have you created to manage the orders?
As soon as I get sold transaction e-mail I flag it for follow-up, both the Etsy and the Paypal e-mails. That way I'm sure nobody is ever missed. Then I fill the info onto my clipboard. I love using a clipboard. Not only do I feel smart and important, but I can travel from computer to sewing table to packaging table with all my important information. On the very left I put a check-mark to indicate that I've contacted the customer and gave my thanks. If the customer paid with an e-check I also write EC next to the checkmark. That way I can quickly find the transaction details when the EC clears. Then I fill in what was ordered. If their Paypal name is different from their Etsy name I indicate it in the next box. Then I put their Etsy name and then their Etsy username. Next I check whether they needed a gift tag or baggies on a roll (for the litter bags). The most important box is where I indicate whether or not their Paypal address is the same as their Etsy address. If their address is the same, but the name just needs to be changed, I write CNY (Change Name but Yes the address is correct). After that, I write in how many ounces/lbs the package weighs. Then I'm set to go to the computer and use Paypal's Multi-order Shipping. I have all the information needed right on my clipboard, no going back and forth from e-mail to e-mail. I also recently made the best purchase ever, adhesive shipping labels which work perfectly for Paypal labels (eBay keywords — shipping labels paypal). One main bonus to shipping through Paypal is that customers get an automated e-mail with a delivery confirmation number. This gives a sense of security to both the customer and myself. Well worth it!

 
Are your orders mostly from repeat buyers or new buyers? What do you do to gain repeat buyers?
I would say most orders are from new buyers, though I do get a lot of repeat buyers. To gain repeat buyers, I communicate with the buyer as soon as I can to say thank you and to tell them when their package will ship. I also make sure they know that they can contact me if there are any problems with their orders. I try to ship things out as quickly as I can. I've recently been trying to take Saturdays off from the post office, but I'm so eager to get packages out that it's very, very hard for me to make my customers wait until Monday. I'm working on feeling ok about this. : ) I also make sure to add in a tiny thank you treat with each package. Something besides a business card or a coupon. Other than that, I just hope that they will be happy with their purchase.

How do you stay motivated? Does it come naturally?
I stay motivated by setting goals for my business. I love the process of improvement and I'm always thinking about how I can operate more efficiently and grow. It can be hard to get motivated sometimes though, especially working from home. I always make sure to shower, get dressed and put shoes on before I start working each day. Ideally I like to get a little exercise before the shower, too.

Do you "Etsy" full time or do you have another job too?  If you "Etsy" full time, were you able to quit your day job due to your success selling on Etsy?
I Etsy Full Time! That's the other way I stay motivated.  I'm very determined to keep my dream going.  Before Etsy, I was working from home as a medical transcriptionist.  I quickly got certified for that job when I became a single mother.  I did Etsy on the side until I started selling enough that I knew I had to make the leap and go full-time.  I explained my plan to my boss and she said if it didn't work out that I was welcome back.  Thankfully, that wasn't necessary.

What is your favorite current Etsy Feature?
My current favorite Etsy feature is the "Last" button that has been recently added while in edit mode.

What features do you use most on Etsy?
I use the "Relist" feature the most, if that's even considered a feature?

What goals do you have for your Etsy shop 1 year from now?
I'd love to still have 100% positive feedback, but that might be hard to accomplish! Other than that, I just hope to be going strong with sales.

 
What piece of advice would you give to a new seller on Etsy who might be feeling discouraged? Do you have a quick tip or trick that you have learned over time you would be willing to share?
Advice to a new seller would be not to expect overnight success. I remember at one point feeling frustrated with lack of sales until it struck me that I was being impatient and expecting everything to work out right away. If sales aren't coming for you, it's time to reevaluate your products. Try your products in different colors or fabric choices before giving up on it. Make your photos interesting. If that still doesn't work, then start adding some new items to your shop. Find a hole. Figure out what's missing on Etsy and make it. Make sure you are listing frequently. If you have a wide variety of items in your shop, I recommend giving your shop an organized look by keeping photos consistent. If you have a lot of pages, keeping photos consistent will make it less exhausting for customers to browse your store. People don't always want to use categories. So you want your customer to be able to easily identify what they're looking at. If they have a particular product they're interested in, you want them to be able to quickly skim your images to find more of the same product but in different colors/fabrics. For example, keeping all wallets photographed at the same angle will allow them to quickly scan for more wallets, etc. Or, it will allow them to quickly dismiss wallets because that's not what they're looking for.

If this is your dream, then keep working at it and don't give up!

See some of Allyson's top picks on Etsy in the gallery below: