Thinking of turning your hobby into a business by selling items on Etsy? Congratulations, you’ve made the right decision. Starting a business on Etsy is fun, exciting, and lucrative.
In 2021, this e-commerce marketplace was ranked the 4th fastest-growing company after Apple, Chewy, and Amazon. As of 2023, there are more than four million active sellers on the platform.
Your chances of earning money are high at Etsy, as successful sellers earn between $43,000 and $46,000 annually. That’s not all. Top earners generate more than $65,000 per month. To be honest, that do-what-you-love life can be achieved by setting up your shop on Etsy rather than working 9 to 5 in a multinational firm.
In a nutshell, Etsy is a fantastic platform to lay the foundations of your business, for you never know, you might become a top seller within a few months. On that note, here are a few tips that will help you get ahead of the competition on Etsy:
1. Learn About Etsy SEO and Etsy Search Work
Creating an account and listing your inventories is a no-brainer for sellers on Etsy. What’s challenging is getting found among the zillions of sellers on the platform. Otherwise, do you think you’ll be able to make sales? Definitely, not.
Learning Etsy SEO and knowing how its search algorithm works is the most important thing. If you master these two, getting organic traffic to your Etsy store won’t be challenging.
To rank high on Etsy search, the only thing you’ll have to do is match the keywords your shoppers are inputting in the search bar with your product listing’s tag and title. Research the keywords that your target audience is using to search for the products you sell and optimize your product listing accordingly.
2. Have at Least 20 Products, to Begin With, and Add More Regularly
Do not commit the mistake of starting your Etsy shop with one or two products. Make sure to have at least 20 products because fewer products can hurt the reach of your Etsy store. The Tangerine Jewelry Shop on Etsy is a prime example, as it sells small jewelry pieces in different styles.
In the case of a smaller product line, you can increase your product listings by selling them in different sizes, colors, and so on.
Say if you decide to sell mugs made of permanent vinyl on Etsy, you can list them in an array of colors besides black. In this regard, going for Oracal 651 vinyl will be the best bet, as it’s available in a multitude of color options. Golden yellow, purple-red, dark red, light orange, soft pink, lavender, violet, turquoise blue, and imitation gold, to name a few, are popular color options in which you can sell vinyl mugs.
And if finding the right transfer tape seems like a challenge, SignWarehouse’s user guide on tape vinyl will be of great help.
3. Write High Converting Product Descriptions
Remember, your product listing descriptions can make or break customers.
A good description should be such that it convinces buyers why spending money on your products will be worthwhile. In addition to features, you should list the benefits of your products.
The product description of the pumpkin seed hair and body oil from BrownButterBeauty, a natural hair care and botanical skincare brand, deserves mention. Its product description states that the oil is organic, non-greasy, and light and doubles as a body oil.
Anyone who has been looking for such an oil is sure to add it to their cart because of how compelling the product description is.
In simple words, you need to show your target audience how adding your product can improve their lives. Also, avoid writing long product descriptions. Keep your paragraphs and sentences short and crisp so that readers don’t have a tough time deciphering them.
4. Take Photographs of Your Products in a Professional Manner
One of the most important aspects of selling your products on Etsy is to click pictures in a professional manner. Images are the only thing that will make your products stand out from the sea of sellers on the platform.
Olive Creative Co. on Etsy has made over 7,000 sales by capturing its target audience with professional-quality images of handcrafted pieces.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need an expensive camera to take good pictures. Instead of a patterned backdrop, go with a white or an off-white background. Also, try capturing images in natural lighting for the best results.
What’s Next?
If you’ve been in search of platforms where you can monetize your talent, Etsy is the perfect place. In this crowded marketplace, you can sell everything you want- jewelry, accessories, home decor items, furniture, comic books, and many more.
The good news is that people are also willing to pay more to get their hands on one-of-a-kind items, so you’re in for luck. In the beginning, things may feel a little overwhelming. But rest assured, everything will fall into place within some time with little patience and perseverance.
