Quick tip: Size matters!

Posted by Laura Kuhlmann on 3/07/10   |   Categorized as Etsy Tips,For Sellers

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A Really Bad day

A Really Bad day by Jtnee

Imagine a shopper browsing Etsy, perhaps doing a search, perhaps already in your shop. They find the perfect item. Your item. They think it will go perfectly with their wardrobe, their living room, their wedding dress, their country décor, etc.

They read your item’s description, only to find out there’s no measurements listed. Perhaps they debate for a few seconds and decide to “Convo” you to ask for the measurements, which is the best case scenario. But more often than not, your potential customer will click away and continue their search to find something else that includes measurements. You just lost a sale, and a customer.

This is one of the easiest things to fix in your Etsy shop.

Vintage Insect Pin by CoolCurios

Whether you are selling a purse, a lamp, a large stuffed chicken, or a necklace, your buyers want to know the measurements. They want to know how long the necklace will be, whether or not the lamp will fit on their sofa table, if the stuffed chicken will perch nicely on top of their kitchen cupboard, and if the small wristlet can hold all of their essential items.

Cupcake Spider by DreamBubbles

List the measurements. Include a photo of your item next to something for size comparison, like a US Quarter coin for example. Show your decorative item displayed in a hutch, your necklace hanging around a neck, a wristlet with a cell phone resting next to it. You get the idea.

Don’t get a potential customer bugged. Size matters.

Dragonfly Fairy - Contemporary Folk Art Doll by cartbeforethehorse

Hope you enjoy the bug-centric items featured here from Etsy!

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  • VKnO

    Great reading, thanks for sharing.

    Size matter and so does correct shipping information.
    As a non-US buyer I often see products on Etsy with no other shippingcost mentioned than for US – in cases like that I sometimes convo the seller and as for my country to be added in order for me to buy the product, but most of the time I just skip this seller and find a similar product with the (for me) correct shipping information.

    To add shipping cost for several country or “everywhere else” is just as easy as adding information about size, and it might be just as important if you want to “conquer the world” with your products ;)

  • Anne

    Great post! I’m crazy for that little bug in the bed! Very good reminder too!

  • http://tialeyvintage.com Cathleen

    Very good post!

    As a seller of vintage clothing, measurements are an essential part of a description. Whether vintage or modern simply stating small, medium or large just isn’t enough for a shopper to determine a proper fit. And unless I have purchased an American Apparel item in stated size just telling me this isn’t enough. At least put a size chart in your shop policies.

  • http://eightymillion.etsy.com Jennifer Schulting

    Good article and I loved the items you showcased.

  • Laura/PetScribbles

    Thanks for the feedback everyone!

    That’s a great point, VKnO, about shipping information – especially as it relates to international shipping. You’ve given us a good idea for a future article where we can cover this more fully.

    Cathleen, great point about measurements for clothing. As a seller of vintage clothing, you no doubt see first-hand how different a size 8 from thirty years ago differs from a size 8 in today’s fashions. Plus, sizes can vary from designer to designer: one label’s size 6 is another label’s size 4. Online shoppers are very savvy, and your mention of determining a “proper fit” is very important. Thanks for the tip!

  • http://samsstuff-samsstuff.blogspot.com samsstuff

    Good info! I try to add measurements for everything (but occasionally I forget). I recently purchased an item from a seller in the UK. I love the style & the fabric, but it doesn’t fit me well. It was mentioned as a ‘plus size’ & i thought at the worst, it might be a bit loose, which would be ok. When I got it though, it was a size 8 (in most cases, not thought of as plus size) & was rather small. I may do something with it & sell it with my remade clothing items, but I can’t really wear it & that’s what I wanted it for. So yes, size does matter.

    I love the bugs, by the way!

  • http://www.peanutscreations.etsy.com Karen

    This is a great reminder about making sure to list the size. I sometimes forget it on some of my listings…thanks!

    Regarding the international shipping info missing on some listings, I am sometimes guilty of that as well. Unlike Ebay, where you enter pertinent shipping info and when the item is purchased, the shipping cost is figured out for you by the buyers zip code. Etsy makes you enter a set cost and I really don’t know what to charge people outside of the US. I don’t want to overcharge customers but don’t sell high priced items and can’t afford to lose money on the shipping either.

  • Laura/PetScribbles

    Great point, samsstuff, about sizes differing among countries too, and why it is so important not to just simply list ‘small’ ‘medium’ or ‘plus size’ in descriptions. Hope you at least find a good use for the garment!

  • http://roughmagiccreations.blogspot.com Rough Magic Creations / Mollie

    Fabulous tips and well stated and illustrated! Thanks so very much! :)

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