Okay guys, are you ready for this? I’m going to give you the truth right up front. It is rare for someone to launch their Etsy Shop with great success right from the beginning. Honestly, no one (well, maybe a few people) launch their Etsy Shop with huge success. It takes time, patience, and perseverance to have success on Etsy.
And, honestly, while I’m being truthful, remember this: what one person claims as “success” may not be the same “success” to another.
Okay, onto the purpose of this post…
First let me say that I want you to have success on Etsy - whatever that means to you. I want you to create something and be able to offer it to others. I want you to enjoy the feeling of creating something someone loves. I want you to enjoy the process of building your Etsy Shop and not be overwhelmed.
One way to help you is to share mistakes I’ve made through the years.
There are multiple places you can find information on how to open your Etsy Shop, how to stock your shop, ways to stage your photos, how to create your listing with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in mind, and more. I’m not here for that. I’m here to offer you a few of the mistakes I’ve made (honestly, there are more than five) so you can avoid them as you begin your Etsy Seller journey.
So, what are the 5 Mistakes I’ve Made As An Etsy Seller, you ask? Let’s get started…
1. UPDATE YOUR ETSY SHOP BANNER
One thing I didn’t do at the beginning was focus on the look and feel of my Etsy Shop Banner. For the longest time (years) I even removed it. I’m not certain why I removed it, but I did. Now I’m in the process of updating the image and adding a new one. I want our Shop Banner to reflect the vibe of our Etsy Shop. I want it to focus on the items we create and the Shop Sections we have set up.
So, the first mistake to avoid when creating your Etsy Shop is don’t overlook the importance of your Shop Banner.
2. USING KEYWORDS IN THE FIRST LINES OF MY DESCRIPTIONS
I must admit that I only recently realized that using keywords in the first few lines of your item’s descriptions gives you a little more exposure. When I first started our Etsy Shop I never thought to focus on the first few lines. Now, with over 100 items in our Etsy Shop I think going forward I will implement this.
3. UPDATING YOUR SHOP’S ANNOUNCEMENT
Honestly, I went a long time before I paid attention to our Shop’s Announcement section. This area is right at the top of your Etsy Shop and new (potential) customers see it first. It would make sense to keep it updated and looking good, right?
Don’t forget to update your Shop’s Announcement section regularly like I did. You can update it with upcoming sales, new items, an email sign up link, a special announcement, and so much more.
4. USE THE FEATURED LISTINGS TO PROMOTE YOUR SHOP SECTIONS
This is something I only recently began doing. We offer hemp fabric, tees, yarn, and more in our Etsy Shop. I updated our Featured Listings to reflect these shop sections.
Avoid this mistake I made and keep your Featured Listings up to date and reflective of your Etsy Shop items.
5. FIND YOUR NICHE
This is something that is easier said than done. It’s difficult to find your niche when you’re first starting out on Etsy. I mean, honestly, you may not know what is going to sell, right? This was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made with our Etsy Shop. I wish I could go back and change it, but it’s part of our Etsy journey. Now we know and work hard to streamline the products we offer.
When I first began our Etsy Shop I wanted to create “all the things” and offer them for sale. It took me a few years to realize this wasn’t helping our exposure (or sales). It only made our shop look like a cluttered mess. Once we decided to streamline and focus on Hemp products and yarns (with a few handmade items thrown in) our stats increased.
Finding your niche sounds like a buzzword these days, but it’s worth looking into as you begin your Etsy journey. It’s definitely a mistake I’ve made over the years and am currently working on correcting.
I hope these 5 MISTAKES I’VE MADE AS AN ETSY SELLER help you as you embark on your own Etsy Shop journey and give you a little direction on how to set up your shop. Here’s to success on Etsy…
