If you’re an independent creator, vintage seller or craft supplier then Etsy is a great place to sell your unique products. It’s a huge
online marketplace for creative people and currently has over 2.5 million active users. With this kind
of traffic, there is the potential for massive earnings, but there is also a lot of competition from other
sellers. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re setting yourself up for success from the
start of your Etsy journey.
How to Research an Etsy Store
It can be tempting to jump straight in to creating an Etsy store but it’s worth taking a step back and
creating a plan of action beforehand. The first thing you’ll need to do is decide what kind of products
you’d like to sell. The best course of action here is to pick something that you’re already comfortable
with making, as well as something you’ll be happy to make repeatedly. Don’t forget that this is a
long-term venture, so there’s no point selling something you don’t enjoy creating.
Once you’ve decided on the products you want to sell, it’s time to do some research into the
competition. Have a look on Etsy from a buyer’s perspective and see what other successful stores
are doing to generate interest. You’ll want to make a note of average pricings for similar products to
yours, the way products are described, and how they’re presented photographically. The key to
success with Etsy is understanding what techniques you can use to attract potential buyers to your
store.
Don’t forget to calculate the cost of your materials, the time it takes to create each product, postage
and packaging costs, and Etsy fees into your prices.
Currently, Etsy charge £0.16 to list a product for 4 months, a 5% transaction fee, and a 4% plus £0.20
payment processing fee. Etsy is only worth your time if you’re earning enough money from each
product to cover these expenses.
How to Set Up an Etsy Store
Setting up an account on Etsy is a straightforward process:
1. Go to the Etsy homepage and select ‘Sell on Etsy’ from the top right.
2. Click on ‘Open Your Etsy Shop’.
3. Choose your language, country, and currency and then click ‘Save and Continue’.
4. Enter your shop name and then click ‘Save and Continue’ again.
Once you’ve registered, it’s time to get serious. To give yourself the best chance of success, you’ll
want to present your products to the best of your abilities. That means adding as many items as
possible to create a full and varied Etsy store. However, don’t forget to factor in how long it takes to
create each product. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin.
Each product should have a high-quality image to attract potential buyers. This is important because
people will just skip over your store if the products don’t look good.
You’ll also want to make sure that the description for each product is detailed. Tell the world about
all the amazing features your product has to offer. This is a great opportunity to make use of top-
quality SEO so do a little research into the keywords that competitors are ranking for (and any
they’ve forgotten) and blend them into your description, tags, and titles.
For a comprehensive step-by-step guide to Etsy success then it’s worth taking the time to read the
How to Be Successful on Etsy E-Book. It’s also worth noting here that you don’t have to sell
handmade products when following this blueprint.
How to Market an Etsy Store
There are loads of ways to advertise your Etsy store to people. Firstly, you could consider making use
of Etsy’s offsite ads, but you’ll need to factor these costs into your prices. Currently, Etsy charge a
15% fee to advertise your store offsite.
However, if you’re just starting out then it’s worth considering ways to advertise your Etsy store for
free. Social media is a great way to get your name out there. Don’t forget that people tend to
gravitate towards shops that they believe match their morals. For this reason, it’s worth allowing
your amazing personality to shine through by engaging with other people about your products on
your social media accounts.
Setting up an Etsy store is a simple process but there are several things you need to get right in the
background to be successful. Of these, perhaps the most important are product research, top-quality
listing practices, and exposure.
If you can get this right, then you’ll give yourself a great chance to be
successful on Etsy.
To carry on reading a full step by step guide and give yourself a great chance of building and growing a successful Etsy store, click HERE to purchase my How To Be Successful On Etsy Ebook!
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