12 Tips from an Etsy Seller

Things to Know When Selling on Etsy

Well, 2014 has come and gone.  It was a good year!  No seriously...it was great!  I mean, not everything was "sunshine and roses" but I had a TON of "Ah-Ha" moments.  So many lessons learned to help grow my little Etsy biz.  Here's my 2014 evolution:

1. Set Goals

Really???  REALLY!!!  Without a goal in mind, how do you know where you're going???  Goals help you stay focused.  Make sure to set goals of all sizes.  This is KEY!  I have daily, weekly, monthly, & yearly goals...I even have a 5-year plan!  Dream big, dream often, jot it down, & don't hold back!

2. Have Due Dates

Now take your {amazing} goals and set a date of completion.  This will keep you accountable, focused, and make your goals a reality.  Just remember that some, if not most, goals require steps in order to complete.  I know my larger, long-term goals can only be accomplish by completing a lot of smaller goals.

3. Stay Organized

First off, let me start this section with a preface:  Organization and I are {naturally} not friends!  Can anyone else relate?  It takes a lot of effort on my part to stay organized.  Though I defiantly was not super organized at certain times last year, I did learn one thing...when I was organized my business thrived.  It's as simple as that.  When all aspects of my business were organized (i.e. calendar, packaging materials, listings, social media, bookkeeping) I had a game plan and knew EXACTLY what I needed to do to find success.  I find that when I'm not as organized, I lose focus on my goals and overall plan.  Yikes!

4. Manage your Time

If you're like me, your Etsy shop is your business AND your outlet.  I {Love} my business and consider it my 3rd child.  However, my business is not as important as my actual children, my husband, my family, or my faith.  It's a balancing act.  I've had the pleasure to experience being an Etsy shop owner wearing two hats...being an Etsy shop owner while having a full-time job VS. being a stay-at-home mom.  Ironically, it's actually harder to run an Etsy shop while staying at home.  This is due to time management.  When I was teaching 4th grade full-time, I was forced to follow a ridge schedule.  This schedule relied on molding my time based on other peoples timeframes.  Now that I stay-at-home, it's up to me to manage my time for myself, my family (specifically the kids), and my business.  It requires me to be intensely focused, but more importantly, realistic.

5. Offer a Great Product AND Great Service

I've been very lucky to see several business models in action.  One model that has NEVER let me down is this: Offer a great product and great service.  Having a product that is well made and that you are passionate about is where it all begins.  Without a great product, you have no business.  However, great service is just as important as your product.  It will also take up MOST of your time.  That's something you probably never imagined when opening your Etsy shop.  A lot of your time will require you to answer Etsy convos and emails (in a timely fashion, of course)...everything from product questions, custom orders, sending proofs, shipping information, and  "not-so-great" customer satisfaction...product errors and product damage.  Gotta love human error and the USPS!  It's very important to have a customer service policy, even if it's not advertised.  This is especially true on Etsy since each product purchased can be reviewed.  My personal customer service policy is very simple.  If the customer is unhappy, make it right.  I find that very little online retail companies follow through after a purchase has been made.  That's crazy!!!  As an Etsy shop owner, you rely heavily on returning customers, as well as customer referrals.  Here's an example: Last month I had a customer who received a digital print with a spelling error.  It was completely my fault, as the customer had clearly listed their information when ordering.  So what did I do?  I gladly made another print and had it shipped the next day.  I made it a major priority.  Even though the error was my fault, the customer gave me a five-star review on Etsy.  All because I answered their email quickly, admitted to my mistake, and made a wrong, right...& on my dime.  I've since had the same customer order additional prints from me, as well as share my Etsy shop with friends.  All because of customer service!

6.  Build your Brand

Ever heard of branding???  If not, start doing your research, because this is how the entire world will perceive you.  If seeing is believing, then branding is where it begins.  It's the first impression that people will get when visiting your shop.  Being cohesive is best.  Your shop header, icons, business cards, packaging, and other marketing materials should all complement each other, as well as show off your style.  Remember, your Etsy shop is not a physical shop.  Imagine, if you will, that it was.  What would it look like?  Would it have an inviting feel to it?  Would the signage be appealing enough that people wanted to come inside your shop?  Now apply these questions to your Etsy shop.  Moral of the Story: You have to have people walk in the front door before you can sell anything.

7.  Be Realistic

This is the HARDEST lesson for me to get through my thick, sassy scull.  Why?  Because I'm a dreamer.  Always have been.  It's very easy for me to image all the things I want to do with my business.  And I want them to all happen NOW!  However, being realistic means being one with reality...how annoying!  Reality can get in the way, huh?!?  Limited budgets, limited time...the list could go on!  BUT, you have to be real with yourself.  You CAN (and will) be able to meet all your goals...but maybe not all at once.  Take things day-by-day and one-at-a-time.  This helps.  Still annoying though.

8.  Try Multiple Marketplaces

I've been an Etsy shop owner for two years now.  Just a little fish in the big, blue sea.  Year #1 I only sold {exclusively} on Etsy.  Year #2 I made a goal to sell in other outlets.  I need to add a side note here.  I still consider all the business I do as an extension of my Etsy shop.  I focus on choosing other market places that help me make sales AND promote my Etsy shop.  Ok...now where was I...oh yes...in Year #2 I decided to sell items periodically on a daily discount site as well as participate in a local trunk show.  Both have been amazing opportunities to help grow my business!  But for very different reasons.  I find that daily discount sites (I prefer jane.com) is a great way to build traffic to your Etsy shop.  Whenever I feature a deal on a daily discount site, my traffic skyrockets AND I get more followers.  However, it can be hard to make a huge profit from daily discount sites due to the fact that you have to sell your items at 40-70% off...PLUS most sites keep 25% of your sales.   Local trunk shows, on the otherhand, are great for making connections within your community.  I only participated in one trunk show this year.  It was so fun!  I enjoyed meeting people and gaining my clientele.  The added bonus was meeting other local sellers...a group of small business owners to discuss, encourage, and help my business grow.

9.  Choose to Be Best Friends with Bookkeeping

Whether you like it or not, accounting is a must.  You have a choice: love it or hate it...and for me, I mostly hate it.  I've had to trick myself into pretending to somewhat like it.  Mostly due to the fact that when you dislike something, you avoid it.  And avoiding your business bookkeeping can equal disaster!  The funny thing is when you train your mind to be best friends with bookkeeping, you may actually {genuinely} learn to like it!  AND get a lot of valuable information in the process.

10. Social Media: Friend or Foe?

Oh, social media!  You are so complex!  With several platforms to choose from -- Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Bloglovin', & more -- it can get a bit overwhelming and time consuming.  My advice.  When getting started, pick only one platform.  Yup, you heard me.  One.  And get good at it.  I mean really, really good at it.  Why?  Because, for now, social media is the best way to get people to your Etsy shop.  It not only helps you get a following on the platform of your choice, but also helps get you to the top of Google searches.  AND SEO and keyword searches...that will have to be a whole separate blog post!

11. Stay in the Know

I was an elementary teacher for 9 years.  The one thing I learned within that time: we ALL are lifelong learners.  Learning never stops.  So when it comes to your Etsy shop, remember to continue your "Etsy Education".  Not sure where to start?  Pinterest & Google.  There are a zillion people (including myself) that LOVE to share their "wealth of knowledge" online...and mostly for free!  Also, don't forget about Etsy Teams...a wealth of knowledge & a great community of people just like you.  So get out there, do your research, and stay in the know!

12. Celebrate (even small) Success

After all is said and done, just remember, you are AWESOME!  You put yourself, your ideas, your talent, and your dreams out there for the world to see.  You are braver than most.  So celebrate (even the smallest) milestones.  Did you make your first sale?  Celebrate!  Did you hit 100 followers?  Celebrate!  Did you reach a personal goal?  Celebrate!  You are doing an amazing job!  You've taken a leap of faith & are doing it!  You're on the path to completing your goals and making your small business dreams come true.




Are you an Etsy shop owner? If so, please share a link to your shop in the comments below.  Also, ask me about "Feature Friday".  Each Friday, a creative/handmade small business will be featured on my blog.  It's completely free!  Posts will also be featured on my social media pages as well.  Thanks for reading!!!