(Art Sign Through Viewfinder by ScarletBeautiful2)

After selling on Etsy for several years, I learned a lot of things that I wish I had known when I first started.

So I’ve compiled a list of those things that might help the beginner, and perhaps everyone else too.

1: Get your shop policies and profile filled out first. I think it’s best if this is done before you even start listing items. If you’ve already listed items don’t worry, you can still do this.
If you are not sure what to put in your policies, it might be helpful to look at other’s who have theirs filled out to get some ideas.

Some things  you should put in your policies are information regarding shipping methods and times, how long your handling times are before the items are shipped, how soon you get back to convos, payments methods you accept, allergy information if you are making bath and body, cosmetic, food, etc. whether or not pets are in your home and may effect your products, whether or not you do custom orders, etc. anything else about your shop that customers may be interested in knowing.
Your shop will look much more professional with these details in your policies.

The majority of customers I have spoken too state they appreciate profiles that are filled out. You don’t have to share personal information that you don’t want people knowing, but it’s nice to give a few details about yourself, what inspires you to create, etc.

2: Fill in your shop announcement. Many customers have said they do not like to have to scroll down long shop announcements to get to the products, so keep it brief.
Give a few brief details about your shop and what you sell. This is also where you can mention if you are having a sale or special discounts.

3: Optimize your shop for the search engines. Your shop announcement is a great opportunity for search engine optimization. This means you put important keywords and key phrases that people would use to perform google searches for what you sell.
A good way to determine the best key phrases for your products is to imagine what phrases you would use to search for what you are selling. If you include these details, google will be more likely to pick up your shop later on in the future.

4: Once you start listing your items, make sure you give good descriptions, It’s tempting to make it brief and super simple, and while brief shop announcements are good, not so much with item descriptions.

(Crocheted Football Bookmark for men and boys by Joyous Treasures)

Item descriptions are where you need to include important information about your item.
Customers cannot see or feel your item in person, so you need to include every detail you can think of to help your customer determine whether or not this item is right for them.
Include details about color, size, materials, functions, etc.

I also recommend including both inches and cm in the measurement details, so people all around the world can understand what size your item is.

Make sure you include key phrases for google to pick up. People often use search strings that include color and style, so make sure you include those details in your product descriptions.

For example “This beautiful handmade lariat necklace is made with light bronze glass pearls and golden topaz gemstones, and completed with a sterling silver magnetic clasp.”
When someone searches for a necklace of lariat design and golden or bronze colors, your item is much more likely to be found with details like that.

5: Tagging. Oh yes, tagging! Start with the most important tags first. First choose your top level category. In my case, crochet. Next I start tagging, using the most important tags (which are usually also the broadest). With my bookmarks the first tag is of course, bookmark, then flower, and then I start using “detail” tags, colors, shapes, purposes, etc.

These tags will help you be found even more, because people often use detailed search terms to help them find exactly what they want.

6: Photos are important. I won’t go into detail about taking a good photo with good lighting in this post, but I will tell you your photos are key in helping your customers understand what your item will be like in real life.
Your first photo should be the most appealing one, as this is the one that will be used as a thumbnail when customers are browsing Etsy.

Additional photos should show more details, different angles, and perhaps one photo could be used to help the customer determine what the size will be like. I like to use a book to display my bookmarks, this works really well for me.
Others like to use objects such as a quarter, tape measure, mannequin etc.

(Paige Bloomin’ Button Pendant Necklace by Kats Jewelry Box)

7: Brand yourself! Branding yourself involves making yourself recognizable. There are many things that involve branding but a few of those things are revolving your shop around a theme, taking photos that have a common theme, your shop name, a logo, etc.

A great example is the shop, Clock Work Jungles. Clock Work Jungle’s shop is very easy to recognize. I love how everything seems to revolve around a clockwork theme. One might come across one of these items in the search engine and say, “I bet I know who made that! That looks like something Clock Work Jungles would make!”

Another good example is the shop, A Common Thread. I love how everything coordinates with this shop. The items and photos all share a common theme, making this shop easy to recognize.

If you make a variety of items, and therefore cannot revolve around a common theme, try using similar backgrounds and photography style for them all. Also creating a logo for your shop can be very helpful to branding. People will often recognize you by the logo you use.

And there you have it! Those are the things I wish I knew when I first started. I hope this post helps you if you are new to selling online, and if you’re not new, I hope it helps you anyway!