5 Critical Steps to Becoming a Top Seller on Etsy

I knew someone who opened up a shop selling personalized crocheted items on Etsy to help cover the day-to-day expenses while she waited for her husband’s business to pick up. Jumping into the Etsy business had its learning curves, but the end result was enough income to keep their household running smoothly during a tight financial time.

That’s what Etsy sellers want. They want the hard work that goes into making the items they sell to be liked and purchased, thus making them a successful Etsy shop owner.

But becoming a top seller on Etsy isn’t easy. It’s critical to take deliberate steps to make your site successful. So many Etsy sellers will open up shop and receive very little traffic and revenue to their shop. The most successful Etsy sellers apply the following five Etsy shop tips.

1. Use great photography.

Nothing is more powerful than a well-taken photo of your Etsy products. The words and descriptions are secondary to the pictures you upload of the product. Pictures appeal to the senses. My friend I mentioned above told me that the better the pictures on her site were, the better sales she had of that particular product. Techniques like getting a close-up shot show more texture and help the user picture the product in their own hands. Using appropriate photo editing to brighten the colors will also make the product stand out from competitor pictures.

2. Be active on social media.

Being active on social media is a must when selling on Etsy. The more you can get your friends and consumers buying your products to share your shop, the faster you’ll grow your clientele. The best social media channels for Etsy shop owners are Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

3. Solicit product reviews.

Reach out to the people you sell to and get them to write positive product reviews. Buying online can be a risk for so many people. They want to know what they’re getting into when buying from your shop. They need to know what the product will be like once it arrives in the mail. They want to know if you’ll get it to them on time, and if you’re willing to work with them when issues arise. All these things are best communicated through reviews of other consumers who’ve actually purchased from you. People trust online reviews. In fact, 88% of consumers trust online product reviews as much as a friend giving them a personal recommendation.

4. Type in keywords and tags.

This technique helps make your Etsy shop come up in a list before other Etsy members selling the same items you’re selling. If the search engine tools Google has can’t find you, then nobody else will be able to. Tagging your photos helps Google recognize the pictures. Being specific with the keywords in your product text also helps. And one of the best and easiest ways to come up with the right keywords is asking yourself, “What would consumers ask Google if they were trying to find my product online?”

5. Be flexible.

Certain products lose their popularity as time passes. Especially with Etsy, you need to keep on top of what’s trending in terms of the product. Adapt or switch out products with the seasons to match the things the most popular sellers are getting lots of business from. So if you make jewelery, match colors with seasonal and trending colors and styles of necklaces, earrings, etc., with what people are wearing right now. If you do, you’ll see your sales increase.