how to run a successful etsy shop...

many of us like to create in some form, right?! and wouldn't it be wonderful if we could bring in oodles of dollars for making what we love?! well, while i am not an expert in this matter,  i DO have a few opinions and ideas on how to run a successful etsy shop... [side note: yes, my own shop is empty for now but it's for a very good reason... and it will be back up by spring]

1. show off your work....

flickr is a wonderful spot to display your work and let others see the goods you offer... while you cannot put prices on your stuff within flickr or have a link on your photo page to your shop , you CAN have that link in your profile... there are TONS of groups in flickr that you can join and this will help you get your goods seen by many others... groups range from specific crafts to illustrations to specific colors to general topics [including an etsy group]

of course, you also have your blog for advertising... before you even put items in your shop, you can show what you're offering... especially if  you are going to sell one of those items [like a unique handmade skirt]... in fact, my big suggestion is making a specific date for adding a ton of goodies in your shop.... this will allow people to get their funds together and anticipate that date you will put it up... even if you have an etsy shop already up, you can do a "grand re-opening" and advertise a month in advance... everyone always enjoys going to  a store on opening day and it's no different than online...

2. but, what if you don't get much feedback or hits on your blog or flickr photos?! how will people even see your advertisement?

if you don't visit other blogs or check out photos of others, no one will know your blog exists... so that means, checking out people's links... go to popular blogs, go to average blogs, and find blogs by others who don't get much hits either... you may find some good online buddies who will inspire you and also give you a bit of confidence... after all, let's be honest- who likes keeping up with a personal blog if no one visits?! may sound superficial but it IS disappointing to find no one interested in what you do...

3.find other spots to advertise...
melissa garrett has a special spot on her blog that supports entrepreneurs... her prices are so reasonable! the first 3 months are free and after that, it's only $5 for an additional 3 months... it's a good start to advertise and it won't break your piggy bank... [note: i am sure there are other blogs and sites that small fees to advertise]

4. for those who do illustrations and like to sell them, try out illustration friday...

now, let's be respectful... if this week's theme is tales and legends, make sure whatever you are submitting really fits into the theme... by entering into such websites, you are advertising... people will discover your blog, your site, and may be interested in buying some of your works...

5. for those who do crafts or other handmade goods, you can submit your work too!
there are many contests out there that you can enter... you can submit your work if it fits... whip up has info on their submission guidelines... they also have whiplash, which is a contest... while you cannot use it to sell your work, it is A GOOD WAY TO JUST GET PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN MAKE... [again, its all about getting your work out there for others to see]... there is also craftzine, which does reviews of work... you can even suggest your site...

6. have a variety of prices and items...

pricing is always tricky when it comes to selling your handmade work... often you don't get the amount you deserve and rarely do you get paid for your time... but of course, you ARE selling to customers and NOT to big magazine clients or agencies... these are people who want your goods for personal enjoyment and not for resale or for advertising... so it's good to have a variety of items with prices ranging from high to low... you can sell your big items quite pricey... and you can have lil doo-dads for small dollar amounts...

here's my theory: there are people who are tight on cash but would love to enjoy handmade work SOMEHOW... for instance, they like my work... while, they may not be able to enjoy a custom illustration, they could afford and enjoy a mini illustrated notebook...  once they SEE how good my work is, they will WANT to save money to buy something more expensive later on... even for those  NOT tight on cash, allowing them a chance to buy something small and inexpensive will give them a chance to review your work... they see how well crafted your item is, and they WILL come back...

7. be willing to adjust your prices for a period of time...

yes,you DO deserve BIG BUCKS for your work but many people don't have extra money to buy unnecessary goods... for instance, people don't NEED a greenbeanbaby illustration... people don't NEED a handknit scarf... these are items that people use, enjoy, want, but CAN live without... however, you can ENTICE people to want your items by having a sale... you can have a one day sale where your prices are slashed by 30% or higher... you can have a buy one get one half off sale.... you can do free shipping for one weekend only... by being willing to adjust your prices momentarily, you WELCOME people of all financial status, into your shop... personally, i cannot afford to buy a $200 coat but if that coat is on sale for $10 [haha], i'll feel like a hotshot for being able to afford such a luxury and will rave about it to EVERYONE... while you don't have to have THAT extreme of a sale, a person can still feel like "wow, i got a good deal! next paycheck, i am gonna splurge at that shop"...

hint: sometimes if you start your shop with lower prices at first, it lures more people in... again, it gives people a chance to buy your work and review it [and rave about it]... you can slowly raise your prices and most people won't even complain... in fact, some may tell you "your work is worth WAY MORE than you charge!!!" and right there, it proves that people will be willing to pay the real price in time... but you have to give people a chance to know your stuff...

8. when you ship items from your etsy shop off to a customer, add on...

write a thank you note... throw in a bit of extra goodies... if you check out that person's shop or profile and see they like buttons, send them a few... or send them a wee bit of pretty ribbon... and of course, wrap your item elegantly!!!! you can buy color tissue paper at the dollar store, so it's not expensive to do this! wrap your items nicely and throw a bow on it... people love getting a chance to open up a gift [even one they bought for themselves]... the beautiful presentation will leave an imprint in their mind... they will see the time and effort you took to send out an item they paid for [and may have slightly regretted if they didn't even have the money to buy it in the first place but was enticed :)]

9. have a giveaway...
you can host your own giveaway or contest, which will help you in a number of ways... one, it brings people to your blog... it will give them a chance to view your site and take a look into your shop... it motivates people to check out your blog more frequently [especially to see if they won]... and for that person who wins, not only will they get a chance to review your work for FREE, they will [hopefully] rave about the win and tell others..

10. lastly, don't get too discouraged if you don't make many sales at first...

give yourself time... give your shop time... etsy is a big site full of thousands of crafters and their goods... while yours is unique and beautiful, it CAN get lost in the site... that is why advertising is important...  that is why it's so important to do something unique with your goodies when they are shipped off... if it takes awhile for a small business shop to succeed and get a profit, online shops are not much different... you put time, effort, sweat, and sometimes tears into your shop and having few customers CAN BE DISAPPOINTING... but don't give up... talk to other etsy sellers and ask them questions... find out what they do that makes their shop successful... again, be willing to adjust prices... be willing to take the time to meet other crafters... and when people compliment you, thank them! thank them for stopping by your blog...thank them for commenting on your flickr... if they inspire you, thank them for being an inspiration... all this will  give you and your goods a good reputation... and in time, it will give you a successful etsy shop...

note: please know that this post is NOT a 100% guarantee of 100% success in the etsy world... these are my opinions based off my experiences as a seller and as a buyer... i took the time to post this in hopes that some of this WOULD be of help :)

Comments

[Samantha]

I'm so glad CRAFT posted this in their blog - these tips will be incredibly helpful when I finally start my etsy site! =D They're really nice, thanks for posting this!

Also, I love your work! I'm going to go explore more of it, now that I'm on your site! hee hee

[Angie]

great article, thanks so much! :) I'll be posting a link in my blog to this to help other people out :D

[Patty VanHuis-Cox]

That was great information! Thanks for sharing!

[Marisa]

Wow, this was a great read for me! I am new to the world of illustration and had heard of Illustration Friday, but have never known what it was. Thanks for the information and I can't wait to look more into it!

Marisa

[Emma]

What a interesting article, thanks for the good info.

[~*56dustbunny*~]

Wow ! More great insightful information, i'll be coming back for more, especially if or when I get around to opening an Etsy store, thanks.

[Leila]

I've been wanting to get an Etsy store started but was intimidated by the whole thing. There are so many cool things from cool crafters there. After reading this, I'm thinking more seriously about starting one. Thanks so much!

[Gil Nisleit]

Thank you for taking the time to do this article. This helps.

[joyinme]

wonderful info
thanks a lot

[Naked-Jewerly]

Ellia-

This was very helpful! Thank you for taking the time to write it.

I immediately signed up on flickr to showcase some of the photos from my recently launched website: www.naked-jewelry.com as well as my new etsy site.

The world of online marketing is all new to me. I tried Google AdWords with very disappointing results. Does anyone have suggestions on advertising that works better?

(I think I will also try Melissa Garrett's blog as well)

I appreciate hearing from anyone with experience selling jewelry with online ads.

Thanks!

Sally

[ashley]

Thank you for the time you spent in posting this. I am some what new to this, and it is always great to find people who share their secrets to success. Your creations are awesome!

[natasha]

i totally agree with you. i have always put extras in my packages, a handwritten postcard or note and i wrap everything in coordinating tissue with a yarn bow, and it is one of the biggest comments i get back from them, that it made them feel special. i think a big part of getting things in the mail is opening them up.

great post! and your work is lovely, as i am sure you know, but can never hear enough!

[sue]

Thank you for a most informative article, as a new etsian it appears I have a lot to learn and do.

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Ellia,

I appreciate your comments and after an unsuccessful run with Esty I am all charged up to give it another try. As a portrait artist, who relies solely on commissioned work it is tricky to sell the idea of owning a portrait, but you have given me ideas how I might approach it from a different angle.

Thanks for the inspiration!

[Cindy]

Thank you for your great tips! They are very welcome when you are starting an Etsy shop. Now it's time to upload beautiful pics and sell my work online! Can't wait... :)
Thank you :)

[Angie]

I just posted about this on my blog :)

[Fela]

thank you so very much for these tips - common sense and illuminating ideas. very cool of you to share your advice - we will take it to heart. wish our little shop luck!

[Michelle]

This is a great info. It really help for those ppl who want to sell their brand :). Thank you~!

[Gina]

Thank you so much for all of your advice!! I need all the help I can get for my new little etsy shop. I am trying to love it and watch it grow! :-)

[Joey Ramone]

Wow! Thank you for such an inspirational article, you've given me so many tips that I want to try out! All I need is lots more time now, hahaha! Don't you think that promoting your Etsy shop takes a lot of time, how do you get around that? I work part-time (for the moment, I should be going back to working full-time soon...) and it's so difficult to fit in both MAKING things and PROMOTING your shop too! Maybe that's a blog article for me when I've worked out a good system! hahaha!

Cheers so much for the article and have a lovely Sunday!
Joey :D

[Timeless]

This is such great advice. Thanks.

[melissa]

Hey there, thanks so much for taking the time to do this. It's very appreicated, especially by us who are so green at this.

[annieb]

how kind of you to share the benefits of your experience like this - I have an etsy shop but haven't put anything in it yet, still trying to a) decide what and b) make some stuff...someday, someday...

but hints and tips like this all help with the motivation factor

[Andrea]

This is all good stuff and not overwhelming either. The advice is very doable and reasonable. I think you are right on about variety, flexible pricing and packaging. Good point about announcing new stuff prior to 'stocking'. I've made a mental note of this! Good luck with your shop, the illustrations are great.

[Nikki]

I found this thru a Storque article. This is awesome advice. I'm bookmarking this right now.

[Sheila]

Thanks for taking the time to post this!! Great tips... and encouragement!
http://asimpleimpression.etsy.com

[Jennifer]

Thanks for all of the tips! I have a new etsy shop. I'll have to put some of these ideas into practice.

[Michelle at Scribbit]

Great advice and the fact that you quoted Melissa who's a favorite of mine just makes it better.

[Gina Matarazzo]

Thanks for the tips. These are great for new Etsy shop owners. I'm an illustrator too. I love your work. Cut paper is so cool. I've been trying to license my illustrations for products for the past 3 years (with an agent and attending the Licensing Shows in NY) with little luck. So I'm hoping the Etsy thing will help prove that people will like my designs. Thanks again! - Gina

[teal chic]

This post has been so important to me. Thank you :)

[Ah! La carte...]

I so love this article! I couldn't resit to post about it on my blog. Thank you so much for such great advices! You Rules!

[Taylor]

This is great information!
Thank you so much for sharing your ideas.

[Erica]

Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together! I haven't made my first sale yet, but I am not discouraged!!! I will definitely take advantage of your wonderful advice!!!

[Beth]

Great information and so well written. Thanks, too for the links!

[Stacey-Ann]

Thanks for this post.

[Johanna Draper]

Wow! Thank you so much for this info. As an Etsy artist who is just getting started, I read every article I can find. I'm going to link this article to my blog http://etsytreasurechest.blogspot.com/ so my followers can read.

Thanks again,
Johanna

[Koren]

Thank you sooooo much for this helpful information!! :D

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=750142959]

WOW this is very important information for people like me that is juts starting to sell at etsy! you opinions are very eye catching and they will eventually help much more esty seller !! thanks

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7591338

my blog: http://zenovkascrafts.blogspot.com/

[greenbeanbaby art]

aw thank you so much daniela! i really hope the etsy post helped and i wish
you the best :)

happy creating and selling!!

On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 6:35 PM, wrote:

[JP]

Thanks for these are great tips!

[Marie]

I needed to read this almost 22 months after you wrote it. Thanks - I have been looking for this information. Where have you been the last year or so?

[Ha-wear]

Thanks so much for this. We joined etsy today so we are real newbies!

[Ha-wear]

Thanks so much for this. We just joined etsy today so we are real newbies!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Hawear

[Ha-wear]

Thanks so much for this. We just joined etsy today so we are real newbies!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Hawear

[Shannon]

Thank you for sharing your advise with me. I am certain I will hold it with me for the entire time I sell and shop on Etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heartmygeek

[Paula]

I know I'm a bit late commenting on this, but thank you for sharing! I'm currently writing up a communications plan for my Etsy shop as a Master's Thesis and your advice is quite helpful!
- Paula

[New Jordans]

It's great to hear from you and see what you've been up to. This blog makes me realize the energy of words and pictures. Keep coming up with ideas.

[Rerto Jordans]

Your blog is perfect! Very good article gives a person see admire that has a kind of feeling! Xi xi you share!

[Account Deleted]

Thanks for the great article, Ellia:)

Being so, so new to Etsy, it instantly made me feel more at ease. Your style of writing is really lovely^^

[MIMÈTIK]

Thak you very much for the advices, this will help me a lot in my Etsy shop!