How to Sell on Etsy: Open an Etsy Shop!

In this post: Have you always wanted to open an Etsy shop? How to sell on Etsy is easy if you follow these three simple tips!

This blog, On Sutton Place, is eight years old and it’s been an amazing eight years. What I’ve learned, the people I have met, and the changes that have taken place in my life are all a result of that day when I clicked on a little button that said PUBLISH BLOG. Starting this blog happened with no planning and very little thought. I didn’t even own a camera. During a kitchen update in 2011, I had been looking online for cabinet ideas and discovered shelter blogs. I jumped in with both feet and figured things out along the way. (By the way, I am NOT recommending this!)

During that first year, when my blog was very new, I made another discovery that literally stopped me in my tracks. That discovery was Etsy. At first I wasn’t sure exactly what it was…and I had no idea how to sell on Etsy. However, I soon had it figured out, and had opened my own shop. Once again, I jumped in with both feet, without much planning or thought. Once again, I learned by doing. I would like to state for the record (again) that I don’t recommend this path.

Things would have been much easier if had I saved some money and prepared a business plan. But I didn’t. Thanks to an extremely user friendly platform, I was quickly in business and at my sewing machine. I’ve learned the hard way, with many hours spent googling the ins and outs of Etsy.  I’d like to share how to sell on Etsy, with the hope that somewhere, somehow, it will help another creative person’s dream come true.

How to Sell on Etsy

*Affiliate links included. Click HERE for my disclosure statement.

Etsy Shop Tips: Marketing

• Paid Advertising: I knew when I opened my shop that I had to get the word out. Etsy is so, so big that being found is a challenge. Initially, I counted on the Etsy search engine and did get a few sales. When I had a little money put aside, I placed ads on a few of my favorite blogs. These ads, and the promotion posts that were sometimes part of the deal, were extremely helpful. 
• I also promoted my shop on my own blog. Which leads me to more marketing advice.  A blog and online creative business go hand-in-hand. I know it’s possible to have one without the other, but it’s so much easier if you have both.
• Promoted Listings: The next thing I discovered that helped my sales immensely was a feature Etsy offers called Promoted Listings. I honestly don’t understand exactly how it works…but I set a weekly budget of my choice and with that in mind, Etsy moved my listings up in their search engine results. The more you spend, the higher you get placed in their search results.
• A newsletter is also a very good marketing tool. My emails have varied over the years, but I am currently using ConvertKit. I include signup incentives at the end of every blog post I publish. My subscriber list is growing steadily.  It was a wonderful way to announce new items and sales.
• Etsy makes it very easy to offer a discount or free shipping. These are marketing must-haves…everyone loves a sale.
• Social Media is also an excellent (and free) way to promote your shop. I used Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to show off the items in my shop. Every little bit helps.

How to Sell on Etsy: Presentation

I honestly believe that this is the element that will make or break your Etsy shop. All the promotion and marketing in the world won’t do you a bit of good if you have an unorganized and poorly photographed shop. I put as much effort in my Etsy photos as I did my blog photos. Styling, lighting and editing are all extremely necessary. I invested in a background and props that I left assembled in my sewing room.

Here is the Etsy shop where I purchased my backgrounds: Ink and Elm

My photos became much more uniform and professional. An Etsy customer can’t pick up your item and look at it. You have to make that item come alive through photography. Listing descriptions are also vital in drawing the customer into your shop. I was very specific. I gave measurements, color information and any other details that I could think of. You would be surprised how many people emailed me to ask if they could throw a pillow cover in the washer. I included laundering information too!

How to Sell on Etsy: Packaging

I’ve saved the best for last. Packaging and branding were my favorite aspects of owning a creative business. I was a stickler for continuity and quality. All my packaging matched my Etsy banner. My Etsy banner matched my blog header. And so it goes. When I opened my shop, the first thing I bought was a gigantic stack of tissue paper. Next was ribbon. Lots and lots of ribbon. After that came labels, tags and business cards. Later came return address labels and postcards. 

I wanted my customers to feel as though they were receiving something very special. After all, they spent their hard-earned money in my shop. I wanted them to feel appreciated and valued. The best way to make sure that happened was to go all out on packaging. I firmly believe it was money well spent and that it made that all-important good first impression.

For the Christmas 2013 season I had special labels (pictured above) made with a holiday message. I used brown kraft paper in addition to the white tissue paper. Red and white twine was the finishing touch. It was a success, as I had many customers remark how much they appreciated it. I continued this packaging through Christmas 2015.

Packaging materials can be purchased right on Etsy, or on websites like vistaprint.com and gotprint.com.

After packaging comes shipping. My shipping station was not big or elaborate, but it served the purpose. It’s important that you invest in a good printer and a postage scale. Etsy provides everything else you need right in your shop dashboard. 

From the time my Etsy shop opened, until it closed in March of 2016, it underwent many changes. As I learned and grew, I was able get better at the three aspects of being a successful Etsy shop owner. With the help of a business partner, I branched out into selling handmade clay tags. To read more of that story, click {HERE.}

In closing, if you have ever thought about opening an Etsy shop, I want to encourage you to take that leap of faith. You have absolutely nothing to lose. Opening a shop costs nothing…the fees don’t apply until you sell something. It’s never too late to try something new! After I stopped selling handmade items, I really missed the creative outlet, so I began teaching myself graphic design. I now sell printable wall art and themed alphabets in my Etsy shop. To take a look, click {HERE.)

Click {HERE} to see my best sewing tips!