Etsy continues to grow exponentially. If your main business relies on Etsy as your showcase and shopping cart, consider the following tips to put you ahead of your Etsy competition. This article covers item quantities and shop organization. This is the first of an ongoing series, so please come back for more Etsy Marketing advice.
The 100 item Etsy tipping point
My first tip is to put over 100 items in your shop. I know this is a challenge, especially for artists just getting started with Etsy. Having a large amount of items in your shop separates you from the pack by giving you credibility. Your dedication to your shop means that for you, Etsy is part of your business strategy–not just a hobby. With 100 items you're offering more variety to your clientele, and you are reinforcing your brand as a leader in your market.
How to get from 6 items to 100
One word: diligence. This takes time, I know. Make a best practice of photographing every item you make, in 5 different ways. Create a visual setup “organized system” that is unique to your items, and reinforces your brand.
Organize for your shopper's experience. This means for every item in your shop you have the 1 – front image (like a closeup or in a scene), 2 and 3-several closeups, and 4 and 5 – perhaps a model using the item or the item on a plain white background. When you upload the photos, make it consistent, 1-5 whichever works best for you. This means when a shopper browses, they get that to see a closeup of the item, they will click the second photo. For instance, if you sell vintage hankies, you may want to have a display with select vintage items, maybe a vase with flowers, the hanky draped over a leather bound book. Keep your photography consistent in theme and experiment with props, lighting and times of day you take the photos. There is a ton of information on how to make photographic improvements to your Etsy photos. Remember the clientele Etsy serves is quite different than that of other platforms like eBay, so you want to appeal to that clientele with your lead photo. Items that get selected for treasuries typically have clean, simple, stunning, in focus photographs.
“S” is for Sections and “S” is for SALE
Along with systemizing your visuals, do the same with clearcut shop section titles. This keeps your shop easy to navigate. Think like a visitor to your shop and focus on key words that make sense for your section titles. Experiment over a month with your section titles, and test out what is right for your shop, your brand. Don't be afraid to add a new section to your shop, focusing on a particular time of year if your items are seasonal, or an upcoming holiday.
Everyone loves a great sale. Think about incorporating a SALE section in your shop and keep several items in that section. For these items remember to use the word SALE in your title and in your tags. (I will cover the art of titles and tags in an upcoming article.) There are literally countless opportunities each month to promote your shop with Etsy's monthly theme, highlighted in the Etsy Blog Merch Desk. Try it out by tagging some items with the theme and track your statistics for a month to see if you had more views and sales with this strategy.
To Thine Self, Be Kind
Building a business beyond a hobby takes time, effort, and experimentation. It can sometime feel like trying to bake a cake without knowing the ingredients or recipe. Etsy can be a key ingredient to your success and help you create a following of admirers and buyers of your work. Your hard will can pay off, get you to the tipping point, if you stay consistent. Constancy will help you outlast the competition.
