How to sell on Etsy successfully in 10 steps – Ultimate guide

If you are searching for how to sell on Etsy successfully then you came to the right place. When it comes to e-commerce platforms, few let you showcase your creativity as well as Etsy does. The platform was launched in 2005 but it still holds a unique place for sellers who want to turn their passion for creative and unique crafts into a profitable business.

With so many e-commerce websites being introduced, what makes Etsy such a preferable choice? Why is the platform growing even in such crazy times?

Well, nothing speaks louder than statistics. Let’s take a look at some numbers which show why Etsy is so popular amongst the users.

Etsy – By the Numbers

Data shows that Etsy has over 60 million buyers which means that if you have a store on Etsy, your product has a potential client base of around 60 million.
When it comes to the range of products, the platform boasts a massive collection of over 60 million products.
Its revenue is expected to see strong positive growth of 22% from 2019 to 2021.
Top sellers on Etsy can earn up to $10,000 annually.
Etsy is operational in 234 countries and people can find products at a different range of prices. So there is something for everyone on the platform.
The platform’s mobile app boasts a remarkable number of over 32 million active monthly users.

These are just some of the statistical highlights that show how profitable selling on Etsy can be for your business. Even though Etsy is a very user-friendly platform, you still need to know a few basics before you can start selling your crafts.

Let’s take a look at the 10 most important steps that can help you sell successfully on Etsy in the most efficient and profitable way.

Table of Contents

10 steps on how to sell on Etsy

1. Create your own Etsy store

First and foremost, you need to have a seller account if you want to start selling on the platform. Starting a store on Etsy is completely free however once you start listing products on it, you have to pay $0.20 per product.

Some people considered this a deal-breaker as it can take some time before you can start selling a product. However, people who have been using Etsy for a long time know that the real profit lies in the long run.

If you spend $0.20 on a single product and it sells after two or three months then you are bound to feel a little disappointed, however, if you stay in there and keep trying, then the platform can really do wonders for you. Patience is the name of the game. Like in any other business, you shouldn’t expect to get large amounts of profits right away.

A single product listing can stay in your store for about four months. After that, you will have to pay the $0.20 again to get the product listed again.

This means that you will have to double your cost which is why many new sellers try to get their products sold before four months. If you are someone who is having trouble in trying to sell your products then this article can be of great help to you.

In the beginning, you should try to set up multiple items in your store. Just keep the range to a reasonable number that is good for starters i.e. 3 to 4 items. This would give you an idea about the popularity of your products right at the start of your business.

You should always be confident about selling your products, however, if you have doubts then it is better to start slow with just 1 or 2 items as you will pay a lower listing cost.

In addition to the $0.20 per product listing, Etsy also charges 5% of the total transaction from the seller.

Once you have created your store don’t forget to add an authentic bio section about yourself and your store. Buyers would be more inclined to buy from a store where they can see the picture of the seller and read a bit about the seller before they can make a purchase.

A culture of trust can make all the difference when selling in Etsy as people are wary of profiles that do not have an image of the seller.

Next, use keywords relevant to your store and your products in your bio so that clients can easily search and find your store on the platform.

Once you have made your mind about selling your crafts on Etsy, you can then move forward to the next important steps.

Visit the Etsy website and then click on Sell on Etsy. After that, you have to click on Open Your Etsy Shop.

2. Set up your shop

Once you click on Open Your Etsy Shop, you have to personalize the settings of your shop as per your preferences. You have to provide all the important details about your shop including the products.

You will have to add the location where you are based on your profile. As Etsy is operational in more than 200 countries, you also need to provide the currency you want to trade-in.

Once you do all the above-mentioned things, you then have to come up with a name for your shop. The name of the shop is more important than many new sellers tend to think. It should be a very catchy name that resonates with the products you are planning to offer in your shop.

A name can make or break your business. An attractive name can also help you build a loyal customer base by attracting regular customers. It is natural for people to remember unique shop names as compared to a generic name that sounds like every other store on the platform.

3. Get the products rolling

The next step in the process is to add products to your shop. Add the product name, give authentic yet interesting information in the description of the product, and make sure to upload multiple quality photographs of your product.

Make sure to upload clear photographs from different angles so that the potential buyers can have a clear view of the product. This will help improve your store’s credibility which will lead to more and more people buying your products.

The background of the photographs is also very important. You don’t want the background to disrupt your high-quality product photographs.

When taking pictures of your product, try to have a plain background with color that contrasts with the color of your product.

Using a plain background will help to better highlight the main features of your product. Put more focus on the picture you are going to use as a thumbnail as that will act as the main source for most of the traffic to your store. People searching for similar products might click on your store just on the basis of your clean and elegant thumbnail photographs.

4. Set the Pricing and Other Relevant Aspect

After you have added the products to your store, it’s now time to add other important information related to your product. First and foremost you need to add the quantity of your stock. Add the remaining stock for each product available on your Etsy store.

Information about different variants of your product like colors, shape, size, etc. should also be mentioned. Make sure to set a price that covers all your costs and other charges that you may incur on the platform itself.

In addition to setting up the price of the product, you also have to set the shipping fee. The shipping fee may vary based on the buyer’s country and the number of things the buyer is planning to purchase.

Another part related to pricing is the payment options. You can offer a wide range of payment options ranging from PayPal to Etsy gift cards, store credits, credit cards, and other payment options.

You can offer your buyers different types of payment methods to make it easy for them to buy from you. Offering a range of payment methods will also ensure that you get more customers.

After these steps, you have to fill in your billing information on the platform. Once all these steps have been completed, your store becomes operational and ready for new orders.

5. Market your store

No matter what business you are involved in, if you aren’t marketing it well, you will never be able to target all your potential customer base. So in order to maximize profits, you need to market your store. As it is an online store, the first thing you have to do is perform killer SEO.

Search engine optimization is the lifeline of all online businesses. Search for the right keywords and tags and mention them in the descriptions of the product will help in generating target traffic for your store.

6. Make use of social media

In this day and age of technology, the most powerful marketing tools can be found using social media. There are so many social media platforms out there such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram that can help you promote your store to billions of people.

The best part about using social media is that you don’t always have to spend money on advertisements due to organic social media reach, however, spending money on advertisements would definitely yield better results.

Etsy also offers specialized Etsy marketing tools that can help you promote your store in an easy and efficient manner.

In addition to sharing your store on social media platforms, you should also try to create your own page on other social media networks as well. You can then add the link to your Etsy store on these social media pages.

Another important form of marketing these days is influencer marketing. You can collaborate with any influencer who has a large fan following on social media.

It is best to find people who have a profile that resonates with your store. So a YouTube influencer that does craft videos would be great to collaborate with.

YouTube has billions of active users, which means that if you collaborate with a YouTuber, not only will you get exposure in front of that respective YouTuber’s subscribers, but you may also get exposure in front of millions and even billions of potential customers.

In addition to the above-mentioned steps, you need to be patient and preservative as well. Success in Etsy may take time, so make sure you build a strong brand with quality products and be patient as this will help you build and run your store in a more professional and efficient way.

Tips: Pinterest is a fantastic social media platform recommended to promote and sell Etsy products and to build organic traffic just as well as with SEO on search engines. Pinterest is very popular in the U.S so the traffic you will get is mostly from the U.S which is the type of audience that best converts on Etsy.

7. Be patient

One thing to keep in mind is that you will not sell your products on the first day of your store launch. Once you have created the store and listed your products, you have to market them, and again, be patient.

Once your store gains popularity, it would become easy to sell your products, but till that time you have to stay very patient and try to keep marketing your products in the best way you can.

8. Be Professional or hire an expert

If you feel that you are lacking the “it” factor in some aspects of your store then it is better to hire a professional to take care of that respective aspect of your store for you.

Whether it is getting high-quality photographs for your products or research the right keywords for your products and store, a professional service provider can really do wonders for your business.

9. Have an organized store

Try to keep your store organized. Place your products in proper order. And again, use the same high-quality thumbnail style photographs for your products.

It is also recommended to use a similar structure for writing descriptions for the products uploaded on your store. You have to keep your entire store organized if you want your store to make a good impression.

10. Check the trends in the market

Design your products to resonate with the current market trends. It is very important to identify the products that are high in demand at any given moment. Offering such products will attract more people to your store, especially if the price is competitive.

Final thoughts

If you feel that you have a special skill to create unique crafts or great products you want to sell, then Etsy could trully be the best platform for you. You can use your skills to turn some profit. And remember, not trying is worse than failing.

Don’t be reluctant, start the store, and even if you fail, you learn something from your experience. Failing is part of the road to success. Always believe in your skills and crafts and with time, patient, and perseverance you will build a successful and profitable Etsy store.