Many of you have read them: the stories of Etsy shop owners being able to quit their day jobs to solely focus on their successful shops. Sounds great right? But how do you get your shop to that level of success? Here are a few tips to help you along the way:
1. Focus on Photography
Consumers are constantly comparing your items to similar products on Etsy. The simplest way to stand out is to invest in good photography. Make sure that your main photo is crisp and attention grabbing. Utilize photo backdrops, models or show the product in use. Just make sure the photos accurately reflect and highlight the item you’re selling.
This is a work in progress for me. Even though I invested in a great camera, I don’t have the time (or the talent) to take great photos. So I’ve started outsourcing so I can focus more on what I’m good at: making products. Consider hiring a photographer to take photos of your products, or edit photos that you’ve taken. Some photographers may even be willing to barter for items in your shop!
2. Tags and Search Ads
The key to showing up in Etsy searches is knowing how to tag your items. You are able to use 13 tags for each item you list. How can you utilize all the tags, but make them relevant? Try asking yourself these questions:
- Who would your item appeal to?
- What occasion is your item for?
- What types of words would a consumer use to look for your item?
- What materials, colors or patterns are used?
Create tags that cover a wide variety of keywords that a consumer would use to search for your specific item. Also think of keywords that would allow your item to pop up in a more generic search.
But even the best tagger can end up several pages deep in the search results. That’s where Search Ads come in. Etsy searches can yield thousands of results. Consumers are likely to focus on the first few pages, or even the first few listings. Search Ads allow you to promote your listings at the top of search pages when a consumer searches for a keyword related to that listing. The budget you set for your Search Ads will determine the number of impressions (views) that your ad will receive.
I decided to try out the Search Ads halfway through the holiday season last year. I had such a great experience that I’ve continued to run ads every week. Every $10 I’ve spent on Search Ads has resulted in $100 worth the sales. As a result, I’ve had consistent sales throughout the year.
3. Product Reviews
Successful shops think outside the box to make sales. In this case, think outside of Etsy altogether. Product reviews are a great way to get your products in front of your target audience. Think of successful blogs that target the demographic you’d like to sell to, and then ask if that blogger would be willing to review your product(s).
Have you been contacted by a blogger to review your products? Product reviews can sometimes be hit or miss, so be sure to research the blog to see if it would be a good fit for your shop. Ask for the following information:
- Traffic (unique visitor and page views)
- Number of subscribers or followers
- Demographics of audience
- Examples of past reviews
- Does the reviewer contribute to other publications?
You will need to determine which of these criteria is most important to you and your shop. In my experience, not all of these criteria have to align. For instance, I was recently contacted by a blog that didn’t have a high level of traffic. However, the blogger mentioned that she was a contributor for Lucky Magazine’s blog, so I decided to take a chance. My product was not only reviewed on her personal blog, but was also included in a monogram feature on Lucky Magazine’s blog! This was great exposure for my shop and lead to a spike in my sales!
Do you have any tips for taking your Etsy shop to the next level? I would love to hear your success stories below!
All week we will be featuring Vend Raleigh Etsy shop owners in a blog series! See yesterday’s blog and check back through the week!
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