Are you thinking about opening an Etsy Shop? Before I opened my shop I had tons of anxiety about it. I stressed over the possibility of screwing up the shipping, getting my pricing right, the possibility of an unhappy customer and so on. It seemed so frightening to actually "open" my shop for business. I spent 2 months getting it ready, and lessening my learning curve. At a certain point you just have to take the plunge and learn as you go.
Here's 10 things you should do BEFORE you open though!
1) Make sure the username you choose for etsy is the name you would want for your shop. You can’t change it later if you want to use the same email address.
2) Try to have at least 10-15 items in your shop before you “open”. Potential customers want to see a store. (Especially when to the right of the page they will see 0 sales and 0 feedback - there's nothing to yet prove you're reputable).
3) Make sure you fill in your profile and your policies. Research other successful stores to see what they say. (This is even more crucial due to above mentioned lack of proof that you're reputable just yet).
4) Offer at least 3 shipping prices. I do US, UK and Canada – However, I have never sent to the UK or Canada. I have however, sent to Australia many times and have been starting to add it to my items and getting quotes for it each time I send something to get an idea on prices. Etsy shoppers are all over the world and your shop is automatically a global one when it's on Etsy. Take your items to the post office (in final packaging) and ask them to quote them.
5) PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES - it's all about the pictures on Etsy. Pictures of your products are the ONLY connection buyers have to it. They can't touch it, or see it in person. Plus, the better the pictures, the more likely you are to get lots of Etsy publicity. Everytime you take a picture ask yourself, "Would this ever make it to the front page?"
6) FORUMS! Spend time in the forums. When I first started on Etsy I spent A LOT of time in the forums. You will get to know the site, the other sellers and your learning curve will lessen.
7) Join a team - Teams are a great way to meet other shop owners whether it's a local team and you go to meet ups, or if it's a team based upon a commonality like being an Etsy Mom or a Felter and more than likely those teams are only virtual. Teams run promotions, they have craft fairs off line, they put their team name in tags to help promote each other, they do team treasuries and more.
8) Use ALL 14 tags for each item listing. These key words are the only way they can find you if they are searching (plus your description), but these words are key. Use colors, gender, descriptors, adjectives, holidays, occasions etc.
9) Do some competitive analysis. Check out who else is listing items like yours. Who are your competitors within Etsy? Don't feel you have to price based on the other items, but know who's out there. The key to pricing is that you're making money after overhead and fees! Someone else may be selling a similar item for dollars less - more power to them, but do what's best for your shop.
10) HAVE FUN! Try not to get too overwhelmed. If you do - take a break and come back later.
If you need any help with your shop or would like a critique once you're open contact me.
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