Before I proceed with this post I do want to make it clear, Etsy SUCCESS does not happen overnight. You will need to do countless hours of research, optimize your profile and shop, create products to sell, design a logo, brand your store, build listings, market your shop and all of this before making a sell.
Let’s begin discussing how you can also have a thriving Etsy shop. Join Etsy today and receive 40 FREE listings! Click here to get started!
Tips for Starting An Etsy Shop
1. Defining Your Niche: Before you open your Etsy shop, it is essential to identify your niche. I recommend choosing a niche that will set you apart from other Etsy shops. If you use a niche that has been used many times before, it will be a hard one to win. A profitable niche is one that is in high demand. You can use Google Adwords keyword planner and start by searching words or phrases related to your products or services. The keyword planner tool works to find the keywords to help you develop a profitable shop. Basically, Google Adwords will help you identify which keywords you should focus on and give you an overall idea of the competition for that particular niche.
Things to keep in mind when defining your niche:
- Make sure to pick a niche that has a high-demand, not too broad, or too narrow.
- Are you tackling a competitive niche but you don’t have sufficient time to dedicate to it?
- Treat your online business like any other business.
- Invest all the necessary time to find the best niche concept for your Etsy shop.
- Research other Etsy shops that have been open for a minimum of one year and measured their success.
My favorite tool that I currently used to research competitors, keywords, and help me grow my Etsy business is EtsyRank.com. The best part is FREE! This tool will help you gain insight into the marketplace and save yourself many hours of time.
2. Quick-Start Checklist: Great job so far! You’ve completed your research and picked out your niche. It’s time to go over the checklist of things you’ll need to do to open up shop. Before you can even open up your Etsy shop you will need to follow the Quickstart-Etsy Checklist.
3. Name Your Etsy Shop: You’ll need to come up with a creative name for the shop. You’re joining the 1.7 million stores that are already on Etsy so your shop name might be taken. You can try adding words such as “shop” or “boutique” to the end of your desired name.
Make sure your shop name matches your niche. For example, if you plan to sell Wedding Designs you can name your shop, “Wedding Designs Boutique” or “Wedding Designs by Mila.” I personally prefer adding the keywords to my shop name so when potential customers are browsing the Etsy feed could be more tempted to click on my name since it matches what they are looking for. For instance, if your selling stationery items a great name would be, “Everything Stationery.”
The sign-up process to open your shop can be pretty long so make sure to take your time and don’t rush to open the store until you have chosen a wisely name and uploaded at least one listing.
4. Etsy Banner: You will want to differentiate your shop by adding an Etsy Banner. It’s not a deal breaker, by any means if you don’t have a banner. I personally like to incorporate a banner for branding purposes. Also, keep in mind that your banner should tie into the aesthetics of your shop. I have also seen top stores who change their Etsy banner based on the seasons and specials. And other stores use the banners as a way to showcase their handmade products or digital prints.
If you’re in need of a banner, you can find many stores on Etsy who sell already pre-made banners. You can also create your own banners using free tools such as Canva.com
5. About Us Page: The about us page is one of the most significant components of your Etsy shop. The about should include a brief description of your store, products, and services. The about us page helps build credibility and increases trust with your customers. In the about us section, you can even upload pictures of your studio where you create your items or images of your products. The about me page and pictures will help create a story behind your business.
It can also lead to unexpected collaborations and opportunities including press coverage. Many shops have been featured on sites such as BuzzFeed as a result of having their shop optimized and having an awesome about us page.
The about us section is divided into different sections:
- Shop Story: How you got started?
- Story Headline: Sum up your shop in one sentence.
- Story: You have up to 5,000 characters to share how your business was founded.
- Shop Video: Many Etsy sellers upload videos of their workspace. You can be creative as you like.
- Photos: You can upload pictures of your workspace or products.
- Shop Members: You can list anyone directly employed by you with helping you run the shop.
- Production Partners: You can list production partners who help physically produce your items but who’s not a part of your Etsy shop.
- Links: You can add a link to your website/blog and social media platforms.
6. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): If you’re committed to building a successful Etsy business, you have to focus on finding profitable keywords by utilizing SEO. What does SEO stand for? Search engine optimization. If you want your product or services to be found by Etsy search engine and Google, then you must spend the necessary time researching keywords.
EtsyRank is a great way tool to help you find low competition keywords which will in return be a high return on your investment and time. The most significant mistake you can make is trying to optimize your store with keywords that have too much competition.
* Pro Tip * A rule of thumb is to find keywords with low competition but high searches.
How to research for keywords using Etsy Rank?
1. Log into EtsyRank.com
2. Click on “Tools” on the left-hand side of the menu, then select “Keyword Tool.”
3. Type the keyword you’re researching for example, “Wedding Invitations” and click on “Get Keyword Ideas.”
4. The EtsyRank Keyword Tool gives you access to alternative keyword and tag ideas for your listings.
EtsyRank uses color coding to help users determine how much competition each keyword has.
Etsy Seller Handbook
Make sure to get yourself familiarize with Etsy by reading their seller handbook which gives you best practices for successfully running your Etsy shop. I also suggest to joining Etsy success newsletter. You will receive weekly tips from top Etsy sellers on how to grow your shop.
The handbook is divided into different sections:
- Photography
- Shipping
- Legal
- Productivity
- Community
- Getting found
- Branding and marketing
- Prices, taxes, and finance
- Growth strategies
- Seasonal tips
How Much Does It Cost to Sell On Etsy?
Etsy has three selling fees:
- Listing fee
- Transition fee
- Payment processing fee
It cost .20 cents to publish a listing in your shop. The fee covers four months or until the product is sold. When you make a sale on your Etsy, you will be charged a transaction fee of 3.5% of the item price and the listing fee to renew your product or service. These transaction fees are added to your Etsy bill.
Click to view the entire list of Etsy fees which include listing fees, advertising fees, shipping fees, payment processing fees, currency, and conversions I suggest you check out this Etsy fee and profits calculator to save yourself time and potential headaches.
Here is a quick overview of setting up your shop:
- Setting your store name
- Setting your banner
- Product shots
- Products description
- Creating an engaging about us page
- Creating store policies
- Getting social
Click here to view Etsy resource page!
I hope this tutorial comes in handy when opening up your Etsy shop. I know right now it feels like there are so many things to do to open your Etsy shop but I promise it will get better as you go. I will be adding more tutorials to guide you through the process. In the meanwhile, if you have any questions, please leave them below in the comment section.
Hi Nancy.
Your post is really detailed, useful and informative. Your Post covers all the parameters required to Setup and run a successful Etsy Shop.
Thanks for Sharing.
Cool Nancy. My girlfriend and I are thinking about opening an Etsy store. Now I’m at the stage of learning everything there is to know before jumping in.
Hi,
Yay! Let me know when you’re ready to open. I can give you a promo code to receive 40 free listings. Thanks for stopping by and the feedback.
Very helpful article. Thanks for publishing it.