One of the questions I get a lot is, “How do I sell items that I make?”, which ultimately results in talking about selling on Etsy.  Today, I’m going to tell you tips that I’ve observed from using Etsy. I’m a woodworker so some of my advice may not apply if you are selling a different type of item. Please remember, every business has to be mindful of its business plan.  Some or all of these tips may not be best for your business. But it doesn’t hurt to hear from someone who uses Etsy on a daily basis. My shop is in the top 15% of sales compared to other Etsy sellers. This takes in account EVERYTHING on Etsy, not just woodworking items. I feel pretty good about that ranking since I’ve only sold on Etsy for approximately 1.5 years.  In that time, here’s what I learned and how it may help out your shop.

Personalization

According to eRank, Etsy is 4th in terms of online reach to people, ahead of other popular sites like Walmart.  What Etsy shoppers get over their experience when using other online marketplaces is Personalization.  What I mean by Personalization is custom engraving, and custom created items.  A shopper can buy a cutting board at any store.  What she may not be able to get is a cutting board built to a specific size and engraved with her name on it. 

If you cannot provide engraving on items then that’s fine, just know that you will be at a disadvantage compared to sellers who do provide that service. Engraving could be limited to a few select fonts types or designs, or maybe you want to give a world of options.  Either way, if you can provide engraving then you have a leg up on sellers who can’t or won’t. Also ensure that you have clear instructions on how someone can order something engraved.

I would say that about a quarter of my sales are custom items, built to specific dimensions.  A lot of times, a customer has a direct need, such as a box that holds a particular item.  The important takeaway is that you do not have to preemptively offer a world of sizes for your products.  If your item has the look that they want and you offer a few options already, customers will reach out and ask if you can change the size to meet their needs.

Know the Trends

Nothing is more frustrating than spending time making something and no one wants to buy it. Every Esty seller has experienced this at some point.  Take the time to review your shop and notice what sells and what doesn’t. When it comes to woodworking items, I always recommend dark wood.  From my experience, most customers don’t know wood species.  While you should definitely list the wood type in the description, know that many customers will simply want “dark wood”, whether that’s naturally dark or stained.  Within my shop, walnut items dwarf all other species in terms of sales.  This is more of a guideline than a rule.  For example, walnut boxes are a big seller.  Walnut live edge serving boards also sell really well, while I can’t give away either of those products in maple.  However, in the Fall, cherry seems to make a comeback in terms of sales. 

If you are looking at introducing a new item, take the time to search for specific items on Etsy and see how many results you get. What is it about those products that entice people? Consider this when trying to identify items that are trending. Sometimes, you can’t figure out what’s going to be popular until you put a few listings up and see what people like.  Pay attention to not just sales, but also when people favorite your item.  If your item isn’t getting favorited then somethings up that you need to address.

Under $100

From my experience, items priced under $100 always sell better.  I’m a woodworker so if you are selling other types of items, this may or may not apply to you.  Etsy has a range of items from really really cheap to very expensive.  But know that the majority of those items are more in the cheaper price range.  As a person who makes things, you’ve probably encountered someone who exclaims, “You should totally sell that on Etsy!”  Next time they do, ask how much would they be willing to pay for it on Etsy and watch how that grin changes. Everyone wants to push people to sell items to Etsy, but pricing those items is a whole lot harder.  From my experience items under $100 outsell everything else over that amount 100:1.    

This $100 range should also consider shipping.  If you do not offer free shipping then the customer may get second thoughts once they put the item in their cart and calculate shipping and they see that three digit price tag. This doesn’t mean that you should undersell your items.  It means that if you are offering products in the three digit range, don’t expect to get as many sales because you are significantly reducing your buyer pool.

Price Low, Raise Your Prices

The biggest challenge to an Etsy seller is competition.  You can easily scope out the competition by searching for the item that you plan to sell.  Look at the prices.  Do those prices include shipping or free engraving?  How many people are selling that item? How many reviews do the other sellers have?

When starting off, know that you are at a disadvantage unless you are providing a unique item or have proven yourself a trusted seller.  If a buyer is comparing an item in your shop to a similar item in another shop, the buyer is going to be more likely to go with the shop with the most positive reviews.  You will see shops with literally thousands of reviews.  And note, those are only customers who left a review, not the total sales of that shop.  This means you are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to convincing that potential buyer to buy your item instead of that of the other store.  It’s sort of like the old adage that you need credit to build credit.

But don’t be discouraged because there are some things that you can do to overcome this.  Build up your sales and reviews by selling lower priced items.  This may mean that you price your items a little cheaper than you want until you build traction.  If your item is consistently selling out then you know that you can potentially raise the price to meet the market demands.  Once you get some positive reviews under your belt, then you may be able to start listing items at a higher price point.

Another trick is you can make packaged deals.  Offer free engraving or discounts on more items.  You can give customers coupons to entice them to come back to your shop. Customers want to feel like they are getting a deal so try to give them that experience.

Be Unique

Etsy is dominated by a few sellers who get massive amounts of sales because they specialize in one item.  Whether you want to specialize in one product or create multiple items, try to set yourself apart.  What I’ve noticed is that many of the large sellers do not actually make their own products.  For example, they buy bulk loads of cutting boards from overseas and then specialize in engraving graphics onto them.  They buy mugs and specialize in printing pictures on them.  The obstacle that woodworkers face is that they often want to make their own items, which causes a massive increase in costs and labor.

I urge you to be the alternative.  If a host of people are selling 14x11” cutting boards, then offer something that’s a different size.  If you’re seeing small boxes selling a lot on Etsy, perhaps try your own box but in an exotic wood.  If you plan to make your own items and mimic what these large sellers are doing, you’ll quickly realize that you just can’t compete.  If you can provide something unique then that buyer may think that your product is so cool that it’s worth the extra money.

I hate to even say this but no one copy someone’s product or design.  It’s just not cool. 

Marketing

Movies need to make approximately double their film budget in order to break even.  That’s because marketing and publicity costs as much as it takes to make the movie itself.  Marketing and presenting your items are as important as the quality of the product itself.

I’m not referring to paying for ads and promotion.  There are ways to market your products for free and that’s by making sure you have great pictures with a clear description.  It sounds like a no-brainer, but you may be surprised at the amount of work that can go into these things.  Simply taking a picture of your item on the kitchen counter will not generate the same amount of sales as staged and edited photographs.  And that’s because your shop will look amateurish compared to others, which give the customer more of a professional business vibe.

Great lighting with clear pictures is key.  Don’t be afraid to put decorative graphics and text on your pictures to describe the items.  Show the item from different angles, by itself and in a staged setting.  When in doubt, look at pictures of products on your favorite shopping website.  Ask yourself, what aspects do you like about the pictures showing those items? Another option is to pull up an item being sold by two different stores.  Does one store have nicer pictures than the other?  If so, what makes them look so good? 

Just as important, is making sure that your description is clearly written and explains the item.  The materials used and dimensions are important, but so are words that will help to entice the buyer.  When you hear the word “steak” your mouth may water.  When you hear the words “savory steak” it paints a more vivid picture for your taste buds.  Do that with your items too. 

There’s also another reason why you want to write a good product description and that’s SEO.  I’m not going to get into all the nuances of SEO, but know that it’s the process of making sure your items are found when people search for them online.  For example, if you are selling a wooden box, by writing a detailed description of your item, you will likely repeat key words like “box” “wood box” “wooden box”.  All of this helps search engines to find your product listing and serve that to the customer who is Googling “wooden box”.  Customers do not just go to Etsy to shop.  Most of the time, they go to a search engine like Google and type in the item they want.  That then leads them to an online marketplace like Etsy.  

I hope that these tips help you with your sales on Etsy. I know that I struggled when I first started, but by focusing on these areas I was able to make it where I have constant sales on Etsy.