I know this was posted a while ago but I will be making Small updates to this list since Many Etsy owners still visit here to read my tips New tips will have a RED mark next to them.They are not in any specific order,some you may not have thought worked but they do, Here not even a year later I have hit 210+ sales & 700+ Hearts on my etsy store,Don't give up hope. You CAN do it too.
Helpful Hints:
1.
This hint is more like a rule,Promotion is KEY. You might ask,well what are some ways I can promote my shop?
A.) Myspace,Facebook,Twitter,blogs,ect
B.) Any time you see someone who has a "fill this out to be picked to be featured","free promotion",or anything along the lines of that fill it out,it can't hurt anything
C.) Make business cards,many sellers will include your cards with their orders as a kind of "Please have a look at these shops also" gift package
D.) If possible make a flier or two,hang them up at local community colleges,or malls that get a lot of traffic always remember to make sure it is okay with them first
E.) Family & friends may come of help to you here,If they truly like your products let them wear it around,give them a business card or two for when someone asks about where to buy one
F.) I have found twitter really does work I have not received any sales from it yet(That i know of) but on the days that I do tweet my store traffic goes up by 100-300 views so it does help Boost your store traffic.
G.) Buying AD space can really boost your views,sales,fans & site traffic
2.
When listing your items: Make sure to keep an eye on what time of day it is,if its too early not as many people will be on,If listing more than one item space them apart by at least an hour more people will see your shop this way.
A.) Renewing your items, You don't have to go crazy & renew your products ten times a day to get looks,Once maybe twice a week would be just fine relisting isn't the key promotion is.Plus whats the point of spending $3-$6 relisting an item your only going to sell for $5,I have found that Renewing hardly helps at all if your Lucky you will get 2-15 new views
3.
Host a giveaway You might be thinking why? Who doesn't love a giveaway,a chance to win a free hand made item? Weather you host a give away on your blog or on the etsy forums it Will draw people to your shop,it will give you an Increase in traffic,it will give you hearts & possibly some sales.
A.) Would you like me to host a giveaway for your store on my blog? Leave a comment here with contact info,Message me on my Etsy or my Email Burningmoonproducts@yahoo.com (Please make title line Blog Giveaway)
4.
Make a blog You might have been like me in saying "Ah who needs a blog?", Blogs actually do help bring interest to your shop. If a teenage female is browsing blogs & spots a pretty set of earrings she likes & reads about a give away on etsy but didn't know what etsy was before reading your blog,Then right there it is bringing in out side members to view your products.Always remember you can't expect people to find your blog out of thin air you Also need to visit other blogs if you follow them & comment them most will follow or comment you back.
5.
Chat Chat & Chat some more, Yes it sounds silly at first but it works,if you hang out in the chat rooms or the forums you will meet many new friends,& future costumers if they like what they see.You may not think this works but it in fact does I have received a custom order from participating in a thread called "Would you buy from the store above you?",Also check out the Alchemy section for products you might be able to make
6.
Photographs are very important to your customers, If they photo distracts them from the item they may want to leave,If you have a very natural color say a pebble or rock pendant I would not suggest placing them on other rocks to photograph them instead try a nice background or maybe grass. If you have a bright product don't make the customer over whelmed by adding a bunch of other colorful items to the photo it will draw their attention away from what you want it to be on.
7.
Join a BNR - A BNR stands for Buy n Replace I know your thinking why should I buy to be able to sell? BNR's are actually very helpful let's say you spend $5 on someone's shop then you will get any where from 3-5 points (most uses stars or hearts to show points),Each point is One person who will buy from your shop,so not only will you get the $5 you spent back but you will also get more back from the other sales you have made,ALWAYS remember to look for the newest list of stores to shop from they are usually on the last few pages of the BNR thread chat in the thread you have entered.BNR's will get you sales,hearts,views & make you new friends.
* Be sure to talk to a few of the members BEFORE you join some BNR's can really screw you over if your not careful look for a trust worthy bnr*
8.
Product Description, Although your Product description Doesn't need to sound like a magazine ad there are a few Key points that should be added to your Item description Always remember to list the measurements of the item no matter what it is,it will have a Height & Length & Width.If your product is shown on a model & its NOT the same item your customer will be getting let them know that the item on the model is for modeling purposes only & they will be getting one that has never been worn.Some of the items other do Not like seeing worn by others before they buy them are Earrings & Hair accessories Usually everything else is fine on a model.
9.
Place an Ad or two ,Most blogs will offer Ad space for little or no money if you can find someone who is offering free slots take your chance & Seize it they are usually hard to come by.I find it easiest to post an ad or two on blogs that offer cheap add space,the more followers the better views your shop will get.Want to place an ad on my blog? You can put up your 125 x 125 ad on my blog
*Please visit the Promotional Information section for Details,I get over 4100+ Unique visitors a month
*. Limited slots open each week please message me for more info.Profits go towards Buying more items for Giveaways on my blog & covering shipping.
****10. When shipping your products,I would suggest getting Delivery Confirmation for your packages that are worth $20 or over this will help both you & your customer feel more secure about getting their items,Tracking Confirmation costs $0.80 But remember you can not get Delivery Confirmation for certain countries.
A.) I have heard that if you know your customers FULL zip code it helps the postal service sort the mail faster & it will help your package reach its destination faster I have just recently began doing this & it seems to help. You can use the following website to find out their full Zip code:
http://zip4.usps.com/***11.
Product Review*** ,98% of the time a Product review will bring you Tons of views & some sales to your shop from which ever blog you decide to do a product review with(My blog is Product Review friendly),What is a Product Review? A product review is where you would send a item or items from your shop to Me for me to review,I give my opinion with 100% Honesty about my thoughts on the Product(s) sent in to review.Some of the information that will be included in the Review are: Shipping speed,Packaging (If its in something fancy such as a gift box or cute bag it will be mentioned),The experience I had working with you,Things about the actual item will include Texture,Feel,Smell,Colors(Vibrant,Dull,ect),Materials used & What I think about the item.Some information on your Shop/Site will also be included in the review along with Pictures of the item I reviewed,Extra links to your products. *Products for a Review are supplied from the seller Free of charge
*Looking for cheap,but nice business cards? If you look at vistaprint.com you can get free business cards,address labels,stamps,magnets ect as long as your pay shipping (No it doesn't cost an arm & a leg). I use vistaprint & have not been disappointed yet.
I hope this helps some of you out there,Leave me a comment with your feedback please.Selling on Etsy takes time,patience & money in at the start but it will all pay itself off in the end.
If anyone is interested I like making Promo packs for other stores on Etsy I am Always looking for Business cards & samples to include in these., If you would like me to include your business cards & or samples please contact me either on etsy,my email or my blog & I will let you know where to send them please include "Promo" in the subject title,I use these to pass out at Craft Fairs,With orders,At crafting parties & More its great exposure & helps You gain sales.I wish you ALL the best luck in the world,You all have a great seller in you now its time to release them.
Etsy: www.Burningmoon.etsy.com
Supply Shop: www,BMsupplies.etsy.com
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/Burningmoonprod
Email: burningmoonproducts.com
