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 success story is that of Ashley Goldberg, more familiarly known for her famous Etsy shop, ashleyg.  In just over 2 years selling on the site, Ashley has been able to quit her day job, make over 4,650 sales, and recruit her boyfriend, Drew, into the business full time.  Ashley describes her works as "tending to be simple, but with a sophisticated or stark color palette. I believe great emotion can be conveyed in a simple gesture or look. The characters I create, whether monsters or little girls, are simple, humorous, empathetic, and a little bit pathetic."  She is definitely an inspiration to many on and off of Etsy and has kindly pulled  back the curtain of ashleyg so we can take a peek inside and see what it takes to run such a successful shop from the ground up.

 
On to the questions we've all wondered but never got the chance to ask...

How did you first hear about Etsy, and what made you decide to open a shop on the site?
I first discovered Etsy in September of 2005.  Etsy was just a baby, but I had no idea just how new it was.  This is the part where I say Etsy and my best friend in the world have the same birthday, June 18! So, I think I was bound to love Etsy. I was frustrated with my job and a lack of a craft/art scene where I live (maybe I wasn't looking hard enough) and was browsing online for some sort of connection or community. I found that craft and art blogs existed and one random blog mentioned Etsy. I joined immediately. It was well designed, user friendly, and attractive to look at, which meant "legitimate" to me. Although I opened a shop that night, I didn't list any art or prints until almost 8 months later. And then one sold! And then another!

What do you think your key to success for selling on Etsy has been?
I think some of the key things that make my Etsy shop successful are very obvious things such as listing frequently, having a recognizable look and product, coming out with new items frequently, having a blog, and being, well, nice.  But also I write each and every customer as soon as possible after a purchase letting them know EXACTLY when their order will ship, answering any questions they have, or asking about a conflict with their PayPal and Etsy addresses. At this point that's nearing about 5000 e-mails and frequently there are follow up e-mails. Does that take a big effort? Yes. But it's that important to make a personal connection with my buyer. This is the key: every print I sell I imagine if that were MY $20 I was spending. What customer service would I expect? What quality would I expect? But another reason to e-mail everyone benefits me. My motto is basically, "I never ever trust that Ashley of tomorrow will remember what Ashley of today knows right now."

I have a lot of orders. It can be difficult to stay organized, so it's easier for me to let the customer know when the order will be shipped instead of letting them know when it was shipped. Just a personal preference there.  Also, it begins to create an e-mail trail, both for my and my customer's protection and benefit. If in the future there are questions or conflicts (which thankfully, I really haven't had any of) I have every exchange saved. For instance, after a period of time if a customer hasn't paid I send a friendly reminder about the situation and if they never end up paying I have a record of my attempt to contact them. It's a safety net that would allow me to simply copy and paste everything into a handy e-mail to the Etsy admin.

How do you promote your shop?
Kitty Genius, of course! But I have been quite fortunate with amazing blogs such as Design*Sponge and Poppytalk and so many others promoting my work for me. I try to do most interviews I am offered, which have included some really great publications, blogs and even a podcast. I do illustration work for publications. I have two illustrations in the Brooklyn Rail this month. They're a nonprofit, so I wasn't "paid," but  my name, Etsy shop, and blog were all right there under the illustrations. Basically, I don't do much traditional advertising, but  if something worthwhile (like an interview) and I have to stop everything else because they need it by the end of the day, consider it done. I hate to waste an opportunity. 

And of course, never underestimate word of mouth.  Another incentive to be nice to everyone (even though you need no incentive for that) is that you never know who your customer is. Maybe a shop or gallery owner, maybe a book editor, maybe an art director, or maybe just someone having a tough day who's cheering themselves up with something from your shop (how great is that?). So be nice. To customers, to fellow sellers, to the admins, to anyone and everyone until there is an actual problem — and usually that can still be solved in a civil manner.

How do you handle such a large volume of sales in your shop? What systems have you created to manage the orders?
Learning to manage sales can be quite a challenge if you don't get on top of it immediately and stay on top of it. I have a system that has evolved to near perfection for me. (And although I run an online business, it is completely old school.)

I have what I call "the book." I hand write every print sold, along with the buyer's name, if has been paid, and if the Etsy and PayPal addresses match. I also include notes to myself or instructions from the buyer. The time I write down the order is when I send the buyer a confirmation e-mail. I have my own shorthand for orders that is easy for Drew (who does the packaging) and me to recognize. For instance, I put a star next to all international orders so it's easy to know if you have to grab a customs form when packaging. I usually ship twice a week (sometimes more when it's holiday time or super busy), and for each shipping date we use a different color highlighter to X out sent orders, and an orange box for unpaid orders. It's important that I can very quickly visually see things. Writing down a seller's name is like a little memory exercise. It's far easier to remember a repeat buyer, even if their last purchase was months ago, when I have physically written down their name before.

Keeping and archiving e-mail is crucial so I can pull up that "e-mail trail" whenever I'm confused about something.  Also, I am a messy person by nature but my shipping and print supplies are exceptionally organized on a shelf all on their own, like a kindergarten classroom. Everything in its zone.  Lastly, printing and shipping days must be super organized. Often I am also shipping wholesale orders or work off to galleries. So everything must happen in stages and then like an assembly line or I would lose my mind.

Are your orders mostly from repeat buyers or new buyers? What do you do to gain repeat buyers?
Both, actually. I have new buyers every day and often times they have just joined Etsy that very day! But I also LOVE my repeat customers, several of whom have become friends. All of my customers are exceptionally kind people. ( And no, I'm not just saying that.) I don't know if it's who Etsy attracts or who my shop does, but they are sweet and generous and appreciative. I am the one that should be appreciative! And believe me, I am.  To gain repeat buyers, I think it's all about customer service, quality, and making a product that they like. Every package includes a thank you note and a little something extra. And again, acknowledging the sale!

How do you stay motivated? Does it come naturally?
Well, deadlines are EXTREMELY motivating! But of course, I enjoy what I do. Right now I am balancing a lot of projects. This is a seven-day-a-week job for me, and usually long hours, but if you treat it like a career, I think it's easier to make that actually happen. And seven days a week at a job I love is far better than four at one I hate.

Do you "Etsy" full time or do you have another job too?
Selling and making art is my full time job and Etsy is a LARGE part of that. Etsy is absolutely what got my work noticed by anyone. Now, thanks in large part to Etsy, I have had gallery shows (in LA, Seattle, and New Hampshire) and some coming up in awesome galleries around the country. I sell in shops both in the US and overseas. I sell in many online shops and galleries such as Velocity, Little Paper Planes, Art Star Philly, The Shiny Squirrel, and several others.  I also just finished a series of e-cards for a large card company that I will be able to reveal VERY soon. I have a REALLY exciting project to announce in the beginning of 2008. I did the album cover art for Keith Kenniff's (Helios) latest album, Ayres, and my work is featured in the book Plush You. I have a few other projects in the works as well and am always looking for new exciting ones, including (and perhaps especially) licensing.

If you "Etsy" full time, were you able to quit your day job due to your success selling on Etsy?
Etsy is the sole thing that let me quit my job in July of 2006, which also allowed my boyfriend/creative partner in crime, Drew, to quit his job in March of 2007. We are now an LLC. We both have health insurance. We have an accountant and pay quarterly taxes, and with the "HELLO" series we give to a charity each and every month. So, yeah, we feel pretty legitimate! (Thanks, Etsy!) 

Obviously, this did not ALL happen over night. It was an evolution, but it felt natural. We've taken baby steps with some things and jumped into others, but only when the time felt right for us. And unfortunately, no one can answer that for any one else.

 
What is your favorite current Etsy Feature?
This year I am buying all handmade or vintage gifts for the holidays, so I have been using the Time Machine 2 like never before. And I LOVE it!!

What features do you use most on Etsy?
The search button in the forums to get questions answered or to procrastinate from working, or just to get a handle on the collective atmosphere of Etsy at the moment.  Also, I get A LOT of convos, so I use that feature quite frequently. However, this would be a great time to say I tend to answer e-mails a bit faster so feel free to shoot me an e-mail when you feel like sending a convo. :)

What goals do you have for your Etsy shop one year from now?
To still be here, enjoying it and, if 2007 is double the sales of 2006, I would LOVE to see 2008 be double 2007! To expand both our business and artistically is always my goal.

Anything else you want to add?
I just always like to add a big thank you to anyone who reads my blog, browses or purchases from my shop, has hearted one of my items, has taken the time to e-mail me, is patient with me for being slooow at leaving feedback (my one Etsy flaw), and overall embracing me and my work on Etsy. And to Etsy admins for giving me some chances to shine (like this interview!) and for running the site you do.

Check out some of Ashley's favorite picks on Etsy in the gallery below: