Getting Started
Etsy is an incredible place for people who have homemade products they’d like to sell. Especially now, when going out and opening a physical store is not the most lucrative decision. Etsy makes it easy to curate a shop and reach so many new customers, rather than starting an independent website. With tools to help market, Etsy allows the seller to grow their business quickly and efficiently.
A lot of us have more free time than usual during quarantine, which is why it is a perfect time to start your business! With no startup fees, there’s almost nothing to lose! If you have a creative hobby that you think you could turn into sales, follow these steps to get your business up and running.
Creating your Shop
- Create Your Account
Relatively self-explanatory, the initial step is to create your business account on Etsy.com. Don’t worry about your products or marketing just yet; at first, all you need is some basic personal information and a username. Add a photo and a short bio, which can be changed at a later date. - Choose Your Shop Name
This might sound daunting, but don’t worry! Refrain from thinking too much into it and pick a name that you like the sound of. Shop names can be changed in the future, but that might not be the best idea especially after you’ve already built a customer base. To change your shop name, you will also need approval from Etsy which is tricky. The name is important, but it’s not the most important aspect of your shop. Something short and catchy is always good, and so are names with personal meanings to you. Relating the name to what you’re selling is also smart, but if you’re having a hard time coming up with anything, take a peek at this potential shop name generator. - Create Shop Settings and Upload Products
Once that you’ve decided on a name, the hard part is over! Now it’s time to head into the Shop Manager and create some different settings for your business. This includes adding a cover and profile photo, some information about yourself, your shop, and its policies, and a few more pieces. Etsy makes this process easy and straightforward, so don’t worry. After you’ve done that, you can start to upload some of your products! Take photos of your product and give them each a title and description, then you’re ready to list. This process is also painful thanks to Etsy’s layout. - Choose Prices and Open Up!
Put a price on your products as well as a shipping price. It’s essential to take into account how much money you put into each product and give it a fair price for yourself as well as for your customer. It could also be good to consider offering customers a discount on their next purchase for the first few weeks of being open. Once you’ve done this, Etsy will allow you to open your shop to the public which means getting ready for your first sale!
Marketing Your Business
Once you’ve open up shop, it’s imperative to do some form of marketing to make sales. It’s possible that your shop could be discovered through curious searches, but to increase sales, it’s better to put the word out that you are now open. There are quite a few ways to do this.
- Use Social Media
By marketing your business on your social media, you can potentially reach a wide range of customers. It also could be a good idea to create an Instagram or Twitter page specifically for your shop. By doing this, you can offer customers behind the scenes shots of your process and let them know when new products will be launching. It’s completely free to market on social media which makes it perfect for someone who isn’t making Etsy their full-time job. Remember to add your shop’s social media into your bio on Etsy so customers know where to follow you. They might even feel inclined to reach out to you on socials with updates about their purchase! - Brand your Shop
Establishing a brand that will be familiar to customers is very important. There are many different apps and sites to create shop header photos, but one that makes it particularly easy and free is Canva. They even have specific Etsy shop options. Play around and create a brand style that you love, that relates to your product, and that will catch the eye of potential buyers. - Do Etsy SEO
SEO, or search engine optimization, allows for your products to be discovered through searches. That is why it’s important to be direct with the names of your products so that they can be found by the average buyer. Listings with complicated names will be harder to be discovered. It’s also a good idea to tag your item bluntly. The more straight to the point tags you have, the better. For example, if you’re selling resin art, simply tag it “resin art,” rather than something elaborate like “beautifully handcrafted resin container for food and other things.” - Online Ads
If you are interested in paying for marketing, online ads are great. Etsy offers their own online ads but you can also look at Google. Advertising in this way allows your products to reach a specific audience which could prove great for your sales. For more info on Etsy’s own offsite ads, check this out.
Keep Updating Your Shop!
Once you’ve followed these steps, the next is to keep up with demand and watch sales roll in. Keep coming up with new ideas for products to entice your buyers. Stay on top of marketing and shift your focus if certain strategies don’t seem to be working.
Etsy is a great place for business owners to plant their shop. With no initial costs for startup, there’s virtually nothing to lose! If you have a great idea for a product, why not start an Etsy shop today?
