6 Tips and Tricks for Starting an Etsy Shop

3. Take Your Time Taking Images of Your Products

According to a survey by Etsy, product photos are the most important factor that customers consider when they’re deciding whether to buy a product or not.

They claim it’s even more important than customer reviews, shipping costs, or even the price of the product itself. In other words, on Etsy, photography is key, but how do you decide if a product photo is acceptable? Well, to start with, you don’t—the customers would, but while that may be the case, you can at least make sure it’s presentable.

With that said, rather than taking a quick photo of the product, make sure you actually take your time. Here are the different types of images you can take of your products:

• A studio shot is when you place the product in a plain background with plenty of lighting. It highlights the product, allowing the customer to see its every detail.
• A lifestyle shot puts the product in a scene. For example, you can put a handmade bird nest in a tree. It helps the customers get an accurate image of how the product would look when they use it for its intended purpose.
• A detail shot is often a close-up shot of the product. Similar to a studio shot, it aims to highlight every detail of the product, from its material to its texture.
• A group shot is great if you have a bunch of products that go with each other. If you sell crafting supplies, for example, you can take a photo of them together.
• A package shot is ideal if the packaging of the item is part of the product itself. It’s the perfect type of photo for items that people often buy to give to someone else.

Choose the type of photography that you think is most suitable for your product.

4. Include Prevalent Keywords on Product Descriptions

When a customer wants to buy something, they usually enter keywords on the Etsy search bar. Unless they already have a shop they typically go to, they won’t enter a shop name right away. To reach these customers, you have to make sure your product can be searched through the platform’s search bar. An excellent way to do that is by including prevalent, relevant keywords when writing product descriptions.

If you’re selling a handmade necklace, for instance, you may want to search for relevant keywords through tools like the Etsy keyword tool to see what keywords you can use.

5. Add New Items Regularly

When the sales of an existing product are going well, you may be tempted to just keep making that item. Though that can work in the short term, eventually, you’ll run out of customers that have yet to get the product unless, of course, the product is disposable or consumable. When that time comes, your product sales will most likely plummet.

To avoid that, you might want to add new items to your store every few months or so. That way, your customers have something to look forward to when visiting your shop.

6. Reply to Messages from Customers

When you sell on Etsy, you’ll eventually stumble upon the eCommerce giants that are prominent on Amazon or eBay. While their pricing for the same product you sell on the platform might be better than yours, they most likely struggle to provide personalized responses to their customers, what with the countless numbers of messages they receive. 

Since that’s the case, you can easily provide better customer service. With personalized replies, people who value customer service highly will naturally flock to your store.

Closing Thoughts

The beauty of Etsy is that the community is welcoming and appreciative. If you manage to convince customers that your product is unique and that you value your customers, they’ll be more than happy to choose your brand over others with better pricing. But of course, you cannot make a good impression with a half-heartedly made shop, so you must use everything at your disposal, including these tips and tricks, to create your Etsy shop.