ETSY is a popular online marketplace that offers small businesses / Manufacturers and independent creators a platform to sell their handmade, vintage, and unique items. With over 81 million active buyers, ETSY is an excellent platform to showcase and sell your products. Over the years of selling on Etsy, there are some common mistakes that I see beginner Etsy sellers make.
Making those mistakes mean leaving money on the table. It can seriously affect their shops’ profitability and longevity.
I’ve compiled 7 of the biggest mistakes from Etsy sellers and how to fix each of them to increase your sale:
1. Proper Listing:
Proper listing includes many factors like description, tags, and Title. So let me describe in detail how it affects.
"Not Optimizing Your Listing Titles"
Listing titles are an essential component of Etsy SEO. Not optimizing it reduces your chances of appearing in Etsy searches, thus diminishing your views and purchases. When writing listing titles, keep the following points in mind:
(a) Include a long tail keyword in your search.
(b) Place the most important and descriptive term first.
You can use our 13tags tool for the best title:
Not Optimizing Your Listing Tags
Product tags are another crucial aspect of Etsy SEO. Some Etsy sellers do not use all 13 tags when listing products, limiting the search terms that the products can appear in. Another thing to avoid is using single-word tags. You should strive for 2-3 word long keywords for tags because they are more targeted and will likely meet less competition.
You can also use our 13 tags tools for Tags:
Not Optimizing Your Listing Description
Etsy listing description is important to converting shoppers to paying customers. It can be the difference between a shopper clicking and buying your product, or moving on to your competitors’ listings.
To make sure you are maximizing your conversion rates, here are some best practices for writing listing descriptions:
- Focus on benefits
- Describe how your product can bring a positive change to your customers
- Keep the sentences short and easy-to-understand
- Create sections with symbols so shoppers can easily find information
3. Proper Banner:
Banners are an essential element for Etsy sellers as they play a significant role in establishing a brand identity, promoting products, and creating a professional image for the shop. A well-designed banner can help sellers stand out from the competition and increase their chances of making sales on the platform. Therefore, it is recommended that sellers invest time and effort in creating a high-quality banner that aligns with their brand and products.
- Banners are an excellent way to establish your brand and create a visual identity for your shop.
- A professional-looking banner can lend credibility to your shop and help customers trust your brand.
- This can help customers easily find what they are looking for and encourage them to explore your shop further.
- Banners are a great way to showcase seasonal or holiday themes in your shop. Updating your banner for holidays or special occasions can create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to make a purchase.
3. Under Pricing:
Underpricing your products on Etsy might seem like a good strategy to attract more customers and increase sales, but it can actually do more harm than good in the long run. Here are some reasons why it is not beneficial to underprice your products on Etsy as a seller:
- Underpricing your products means you are not making enough profit on each sale. This can significantly reduce your profit margins, leaving you with less money to invest in your business, pay yourself or cover expenses.
- Underpricing your products also means you are undervaluing your work and the time and effort that goes into creating each item. This can lead to burnout
- Customers often associate low prices with low quality. By underpricing your products, you may be giving the impression that your products are of inferior quality
- Underpricing your products can also lead to a race to the bottom, where other sellers on Etsy may follow suit and lower their prices too. This can create an unsustainable market.
4. Avoid Copyright Products:
It is important to avoid selling copyright-infringing products on Etsy as it can result in legal consequences and harm your business reputation and there are more chances that Etsy will deactivate that listing and continue doing copyright will also allow Etsy to suspend your Etsy account.. Here are some reasons why you should avoid selling copyrighted products on Etsy:
- Selling products that infringe on someone else's copyright can result in legal action against you.
- Selling copyrighted products can damage your reputation as a seller on Etsy. Customers may see your business as unethical, dishonest, and untrustworthy, leading to a loss of sales and customer loyalty.
- Selling copyrighted products goes against Etsy's policies and guidelines, and can result in your shop being suspended or permanently closed. Etsy takes intellectual property rights seriously and has strict policies in place to protect creators and their work.
5. Expectations:
It is not realistic to expect significant sales in just a few months after starting a business on Etsy. Here are some reasons why:
- Building a customer base takes time, and it can take several months or even years to establish a loyal customer base on Etsy. Customers need time to discover your products, build trust in your brand, and become repeat buyers.
- Search engine optimization is crucial for driving traffic to your Etsy shop, and it can take time to optimize your shop for search engines. This involves using relevant keywords in your product titles, descriptions, and tags, optimizing your product images, and building high-quality backlinks to your shop.
- Sales on Etsy can also vary by season, with some months being more profitable than others. For example, the holiday season is typically the busiest time of the year for Etsy sellers, while other months may be slower.
By focusing on these factors and being patient, you can gradually build a loyal customer base and grow your business over time.
6. Vacation Mode:
Running vacation mode on Etsy can have negative effects on your business. Here are some reasons why:
- Running vacation mode means that your shop will be temporarily closed, and customers will not be able to purchase your products. This can result in a loss of sales and revenue, as customers may turn to other sellers to meet their needs.
- When your shop is in vacation mode, it will not show up in search results, and your products will not be visible to customers. This can make it difficult for you to maintain visibility and brand recognition among your customers, and you may lose out to competitors who are still active on the platform.
- Running vacation mode can also harm your reputation with customers. It can create a perception that your business is unreliable, and you may lose customer trust as a result.
- Etsy's policies state that vacation mode should only be used for short-term absences, and that sellers should communicate clearly with customers regarding their availability.
8. Never Ignore customer messages:
It is essential not to lose customer messages on Etsy because these messages are valuable opportunities to engage with your customers and build relationships with them. Here are some reasons why:
- Customer messages are a direct way for customers to communicate with you and ask questions about your products or services. By responding promptly and professionally to customer messages, you can engage with your customers, build trust, and demonstrate your commitment to providing excellent customer service.
- Customer messages can also be sales opportunities. Customers may have questions about your products or may be interested in making a purchase, and responding promptly and informatively to their messages can help to close a sale and generate revenue for your business.
- Managing customer messages is an important aspect of reputation management on Etsy. Responding quickly and professionally to customer messages shows that you are a reliable seller who cares about your customers and their needs.
- Etsy has policies regarding customer communication and response times, and failing to respond to customer messages can result in disciplinary action against your shop. Etsy requires sellers to respond to customer messages within 24 hours, and failure to do so can result in warnings or suspension of your shop.
For further details, follow this link to the video:
By following the procedures outlined above, you may avoid the most common blunders made by Etsy sellers on the platform.
Watch the full Youtube video here on Top 7 Mistakes Seller Does: