10 Tips for Running a Successful Etsy Shop
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If you read my The Beginner’s Guide to Selling on Etsy then you know how much I love Etsy. I’ve been an Etsy seller for years and I’ve made a list of the top 10 tips to succeed on Etsy. I’ve tried a lot of different things with my shop that didn’t turn out great, but the ones I listed below have made a huge difference.
Add new items daily or weekly
Adding new items frequently to your shop is the #1 best thing you can do. When I first started my shop I listed 10 items at once and then waited for something to happen. I didn’t get any sales until I started to add new listings regularly. It made a big difference and I finally started getting orders. I’m not sure if Etsy prioritizes shops that do this, but it sure feels like it!
Market your shop
Don’t rely exclusively on people finding your shop through the Etsy website. The best way to get eyes on your shop is to share your items on social media.
I no longer sell on Etsy I have a virtual vintage interior design consult business so that’s what I share on my Instagram. But I used to frequently share when I have new products and behind the scenes photos on my Instagram. Whenever I shared an item on my Instagram account I got a bunch of orders.
Participate in Etsy social media trends
Etsy does a great job marketing for its sellers on social media. Etsy loves creating special hashtags for sellers to participate in, especially during the holiday season. When you use their hashtags you could be noticed by the Etsy social team and you’ll be noticed by buyers following the hashtags. It’s a win-win!
Learn about Etsy trends
Etsy sends out emails to sellers about upcoming trends and what holiday shoppers will be looking for. They’ll even give you a heads up on what tags are popular right now. I love listening to the Etsy Success podcast and learning about what shoppers are buying.
Adding a business card inside every order
I had custom business cards made for my Etsy shop on Vistaprint that include my Instagram account, Etsy shop name and website. Adding a business card might seem trivial and unimportant but it’s gotten me tons of orders. A popular TikTok star purchased some of my charm packs and did an unboxing video and she showed my business card. She tagged my Instagram account and all of a sudden I sold out of everything in my shop! If my business card wasn’t in the package she wouldn’t have been able to easily share my shop with her followers and I would have missed out on all those orders.
Write a hand written note for every order
When I first started my shop I bought greeting card packs at the dollar store and I would include a thank you card for every order. Now that I have business cards I write a note on the back of it thanking them for their order. Customers love seeing you go the extra mile and showing your appreciation. Plus, it shows customers that shopping on Etsy is making a difference to regular people and small businesses (As opposed to buying on Walmart and Amazon). When you write about your gratitude to a customer you could convert them into a lifetime Etsy shopper!
Respond quickly to customer questions
Be sure to download the Etsy app on your phone so you can receive Etsy messages. No matter what I’m doing, if an Etsy customer messages me I respond as soon as I can. If it’s a difficult question and I’m away from home I’ll respond with “I’m not home at the moment but I’ll be sure to answer your question tonight. Thanks so much for checking out my shop!”. Responding quickly shows great customer service and that you take your shop very seriously. How often do you get a quick response from a big box store? Never! That’s what makes Etsy special.
Good product photography
Nothing kills a sale like bad photographs. If your photos have distracting backgrounds or there’s bad lighting that can make a customer look elsewhere. I buy whiteboards at Dollar Tree to use as my photo background to eliminate distractions. It’s cheap and I can take photos right in front of my slider to get natural light.
Fast shipping times
My shipping time is set at 1-2 business days. I frequently receive positive reviews that say “Items arrived quickly” which is always appreciated! I know my customers love getting their products fast and I love getting positive reviews.
Pay attention to your stats
Etsy sellers can take a deep dive into their stats and find out what brings people to their shop. You can see what key words people use frequently to find your shop. For instance, I sell vintage sheet products but one of the terms people searched for is also “vintage fabric”. Now I include “vintage sheet fabric” in my tags and listing title so I show up in searches.
Let me know if you found this helpful in the comments below or on my Instagram. If you’re looking for more inspiration check out my post on The Best Resources for Pursuing a Creative Vintage Business.
