You have probably seen my posts about SEO, Branding, and a few other tidbits of information in random posts. Today I am going to touch on other areas of Etsy that you need to be aware of. (I could write a book about all of this really!) Those areas are as follows: Photos, Descriptions, New Listings, Renewing, and Having X Amount of Items.
I will be going more in depth on Photography, but let me just mention a few things today. Photos are what catches people eyes. Ever been window shopping and a display in a window catch your eye? Your photos need to do the same thing. You need to grab a potential customer's eye and draw them into your shop! There is some mechanics involved in taking good photos and I will be discussing this next week. In the meantime, do a little research and see how you can improve your photos. I use a cell phone and I can catch some good pictures. So, I know you can too!
Descriptions are a "yay or nay" for a potential buyer. If the description doesn't have "what they need", then a buyer might not hit that purchase button. In my humble opinion, you will need at least these three major things in your description: Measurement, Materials, and Solution.
Measurement is the size of the item. For example, Size - 32 inch waist. This gives potential buyers the information they need to whether the item will fit their person or not. Also, it is a good rule of thumb, if you make your items in a variety of sizes, to make sure you have that in the "variation" portion with the drop down menu. It gives a potential buyer the option of selecting their size and getting you a sale.
Materials is another big one. People want to know what it is made of. Some have allergies and want to know if said item will harm them in some way. Also, you can brag here about using certain materials. Such as silver or rose gold or even certain gemstones.
Solution to a problem makes people want to buy. Ever seen some infomercials? They show you a problem and how their product is the solution. If your product can be a solution, people are more likely to want to buy it. For example, "This eco-friendly dust mop will catch dust and allergens in your home! Best off all... it is machine wash safe and will last for several uses!". Give people a reason to purchase your product.
Next topic is making more product. If you can, make more product and start posting 1-2 two listing per day or every other day. You will find this keeps you relevant in Etsy search. While Etsy did change some things with their search, you can start doing this to help keep you in the pages. IF you can't come up with any more products or you have 100s of items all ready, there is another way you can stay relevant.
Renewing your products is another way to stay relevant. It costs a measly 20 cents per item and you can take your under performing items, renew them and stay in good standing on Etsy. This helps you in searches and keeps you active on Etsy. This is no secret on Etsy and it is a must if you want to get found and sell your products. I would suggest doing this at least once to twice a week until you start getting in loyal customers and selling your products on a regular basis.
Another thing that hurts you is having to few items. No one wants to stop in a store with 20 or less items. There isn't enough variety. So, no matter how good your SEO, photos, etc. if you don't have enough product.. this might be why you are not getting found or getting sales. There is no magical number out there that says "have this and get buyers", but a good rule of thumb is to have around 80-100 different products.
By different I mean varied or items with different uses, etc. I make jewelry. So, I do product lines. Recently I finished a line of memory wire bracelets. I made about 12 different bracelets, but they were all on memory wire. Doing this allows people a variety to choose from and this way they can pick their favorite and make a purchase. So, having a good variety of items is key and so is having a LOT of items.
Don't get discouraged! Use your down time, your off days, and/or your vacation time to make more product! Then take good photos, use your SEO skills, etc. and get more items in your shop! More variety equals more sales!
Oh and one more thing! Do research in your area of products. Make sure you get a feel for prices. Then price accordingly. Of course don't sell yourself short! Make sure you take into effect your labor, materials, and fees (this includes shipping and shipping materials)! Then stand behind your prices. ;)
Remember, next week I will be discussing photography. Until then, happy sales!
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