Etsy Checklist – Tips To Sell More

Etsy seller and blogger Bobbie, from the shop avisiontoremember and the blog Iamonly1woman, recently published a post titled “Essentials for Etsy Selling Success and a Gardening Analogy.”

In a previous article on HandmadeMarketing.org, Bobbie shared that building a successful shop on Etsy.com is similar to starting, maintaining, and benefiting from a garden.  She was kind enough to share her tips for sellers looking to have more success selling their handmade items on Etsy.  Take a look at Bobbie’s 10-item checklist to see if you can improve your success on Etsy:

1. Sell a Winning Product. “Have a product that people want,” Bobbie suggests.  “This is the most important thing in selling anything. You need to have something others want. Maybe it is a piece of jewelry that is very unique.  Maybe it is something that is for men (because we all know that the handmade business has not focused on men).“

2. Photos, Photos, Photos. Bobbie advises Etsy sellers to take great pictures of their handmade items.  “Photos are by far my weakest thing. Blankets/car seat tents are very large and are hard to photograph and get the details without loosing what the item is. I really struggle with the photographs. I do however keep learning and keep trying. I have a point and shoot camera. Nothing fancy. It works. It takes decent photos.“  To see her before and after photos, visit her blog.  To get wonderful tips from sellers who pride themselves on outstanding item photos, visit the HandmadeMarketing.org Etsy Photography Tips article list.

3. List Items Often. “Get as many items in your Etsy shop as possible,” Bobbie tells others.  “I found that once I hit 50-60 items sales really started to do better. Then once I hit 100 I did even better. I am nearing 200 and I assure you that more is definitely better.“

4. Tag Your Items Correctly. Bobbie tells sellers how important it is to tag items correctly.  “If you don’t tag your items with the right keywords then people will not be able to find you. If you are wondering what the best keywords might be search Etsy for other similar items, or you can also use this Google keyword tool.”

5. Learn About SEO. Bobbie says Etsy sellers should take the time to learn the basics of SEO (search engine optimization).  “I have searched the Etsy Forums for SEO and have learned a ton. I attribute most of my success to learning the basics of SEO and implementing them. It works,” she says.  The HandmadeMarketing.org team recommends sellers take a peek at an article by James Dillehay, from craftermarketer.com, who shared his thoughts on how crafters can utilize search engine optimization best practices to increase sales online.  See the article here “Tips from a Pro – Improve Your Etsy Shop SEO” and comment with your SEO tips.

6. Network. “I read often in the Etsy forums of people that are not having any success and there are a few common denominators: they are not networking, or if they are networking they are not networking appropriately,” Bobbie tells other crafters.  “This topic kinda goes along with the SEO thing. The more links you have out there in the World Wide Web, the more chances you have of Google and other search engines of finding you. So place your links appropriately, don’t just throw them haphazardly around.“

7. Embrace Social Media. Bobbie tells Etsy sellers to start a Facebook fan page, begin tweeting, and create a blog. HandmadeMarketing.org readers have provided great tips for using social media for your Etsy shop, as well as advice for new and veteran bloggers alike.

8. Network Outside the Box. No one says you have to stay within the networking box.  “Try other networking places,” Bobbie suggests.  “I like theblogfrog.com, Martha Stewart groups, yahoo groups, etsy teams, and many more.“

9. Continue to Improve. “Again, it is a work in progress,” Bobbie says.  “There will never be a time that you can just sit back and watch the money roll in without much effort. Those stories are to go to be true. Your success will come after a lot of hard work.“

10. Start Now! “No time is better than the present to get going on it,” she reminds Etsy sellers.  “Remember that this will all take time. It will not happen overnight so the sooner you put in the time the sooner you will be seeing the rewards come in.”

If you would like to read more of Bobbie’s thoughts, check out her HandmadeMarketing.org article “Gardening Analogy – Essentials for Etsy.“