When I opened my Etsy shop, I thought that listing products was enough, and the sales would eventually pour in. However, little did I know that there were certain things unique to this online marketplace. Unless you follow these invisible rules, you might struggle with sales. If you do your own research, you will find that most of the successful Etsy sellers have learned and applied these rules to reach where they are.
A new individual Etsy seller typically lacks this market-related experience. When you start selling, you might observe these unspoken rules over time. In order to save you time and money, I have shared 3 big lessons in this article that I wish I had known before opening an Etsy store:
Lesson 1. Customization is the key
The more customization you offer, the greater the chance of making a sale. Buyers look towards Etsy because they cannot get highly customized products on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. In fact, on Etsy, you can contact the seller directly and give them your specifications. For instance, you can ask a watercolor artist to make a custom illustration for an agreed-upon fee.
Another example is a shop selling wedding stamps. They not only offer a variety of logos and calligraphy styles but also provide the option to send your own wedding logo for customization. Similarly, one of the best-selling jars on Etsy offers more than 50 lid designs. You can imagine the extent of customization offered for these products.
If you are selling physical products, you should offer a wide range of colors, print designs, sizes, and other product-specific aspects. In the case of digital products, such as business cards, resumes, and wedding templates, you want to make sure that all aspects of the template, including graphics, are customizable.
Many buyers seek products that complement their home decor’s color theme. For this reason, a customer might like a product design but not the color. Similarly, a potential buyer might like a wedding invitation template but may not buy it because the graphics are not color-adjustable to complement their wedding’s color theme.
Lesson 2. Listing photos are make-or-break
If you have ever analyzed the best-selling products on Etsy, you will find one thing in common: excellent listing photos. Etsy buyers seek unique products. A product depicted in an aesthetic setting exudes the sought-after uniqueness.
Furthermore, good listing photos are not only about aesthetics on Etsy but also about the informational value. The Etsy interface is such that it is difficult to identify key details from the description section. Therefore, it is better to include key details in the listing photos themselves. Good listing photos depict a product from different angles and cover all the important details, including dimensions, color options, usage instructions, customization options, and any other product-specific information.
If you are missing key details in your listing photos, you can hurt your sales because customers often find the lack of information frustrating and may switch to competing products.
In addition to photos, Etsy also provides the option to add a 3- to 15-second-long video. You can share the creation process and product demonstration in these videos to make a genuine connection with potential buyers. According to Etsy’s own research findings, a listing video increases transparency, boosts buyer confidence, and conveys valuable information that photos can’t offer. If you want to read more about this topic, here is the link to a useful article on Etsy’s website: 3 Types of Listing Videos That Online Shoppers Love.
Lesson 3. A 4-star rating and below makes sales harder
Etsy has high standards when it comes to ratings. The majority of successful Etsy sellers, if not all, have store ratings ranging from 4.5 to 5 stars. When the bar is so high, a 4-star rating and below can make rating-sensitive Etsy buyers suspicious. They might scrutinize your online reviews more. Even if they like a product, they might want to know more about any potential issues they can face with your product or store.
I still remember when my initial store rating dropped to 4 stars because a buyer left a 3-star rating on one of my products. It was painful because after this drop in the rating, I struggled to make new sales despite a good amount of views. This is the harsh truth that I discovered as an Etsy seller. The Etsy rating system treats new stores unfavorably due to fewer reviews, and even a single average review can bring down the overall store rating. This is the reason you should try to get as many positive reviews as possible for your new store, so that a single negative review cannot make a big dent in your shop’s reputation.
One of the ways to prevent this situation is to send the recent buyer a humble note to reach out directly before leaving an unsatisfactory rating. If your sales stagnate due to negative or average reviews, you should take certain steps to overcome this. I have discussed various ways to approach this situation in greater detail in reason 11 of the article 18 Reasons Why Your Etsy Shop is Not Selling and Solutions.