My little shop is approaching year two and I've grown so much as a business owner. I wanted to share a little bit of what got me to where I am now and give back to those just starting or trying to find growth, specifically on Etsy. Here are some of the strategies that helped me get my listings featured on Etsy's editor picks page, a best seller listing badge, multiple 5 figure monthly revenue and 2,600+ sales in less than 2 years (and 1,000 of those coming just from the last three months!). And how YOU can implement these strategies to help your sales growth.
1. Pictures are king. I cannot emphasize this enough. I know not all my listings are perfect and there are a bunch I need to update, but as soon as I do, sales soon follow. My champagne glass photo has gotten featured on sites such as Brit + Co., as well as an Etsy editor pick for a few months. If you suck behind the lense, hire a photographer. If you can't afford one, find one that is looking to develop their portfolio and needs the experience.
2. Service, service, service! I respond to messages and questions as SOON as possible, within minutes if I can. This helps secure the sale as the buyer is likely still shopping. If I don't get to it immediately, I respond within 24 hours.
3. GOOD reviews are crucial. This is obvious but I do what I need to secure a good review. This usually happens naturally with good product/service but sometimes, mistakes happen. If they do, I apologize right away, get the issue fixed and sent out next day (or same day if possible). Also, karma!
4. Be open to change. Keep up on the trends in your category. Most of my top Etsy listings are wedding related. So I'm always scoping out the latest products and trends. My #1 seller last year is not at all my best seller this year. Things change, trends change, you need to change.
5. Quick turnaround. While my turnaround times are NOT what I want them to be at the moment (yay for lots of orders!), I think what helped me get momentum my first year was my quicker turnaround times. I may not have been someone's first choice, but the more popular shops tend to have longer turnaround times due to their volume. While I'm experiencing that now, I'm trying my best to get my turnaround times back to what they used to be. We live in a world of Amazon prime customers, and we need to do our best to adjust to the way people are used to buying these days.
I'll be spreading some more knowledge bombs and education this year! You can follow me over at @amanda.adamcheck for more content!
UPDATE! I've since had over 6,000 Etsy orders and have focused now on growing my apparel brand (@kilohandco) off Etsy! If you're looking for more on how to succeed on Etsy or off, I'm your girl!
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What do you want to hear from me? Tips/tricks? Questions you may have? Leave a comment or email me at adamcheck.amanda@gmail.com, I'd love to hear from you!
cheers! xo
amanda