Etsy as a Full-Time Job: Not Impossible

I have been selling for Etsy for 5 yrs now as a hobby. A few months ago I lost my job and Etsy became my sole source of income. I had a hard time finding a job that paid more than daycare cost so I hired myself. My job description goes like this:

Ideal candidate must be computer literate, a photographer, creative writer, somewhat talented, a marketing genius, extremely organized, makes lunches, dinners, and good coffee and stays up late into the night researching, advertising, and brainstorming.

In just a few months with some minor changes to my Etsy page my sales have increased dramatically, enough to eat, buy gas, and pay the bills. I thought I would share the things that have contributed to my success of late.

1. I treat this as a job now. I give myself about 6-8 hrs a day to work on Etsy related things. Usually between the three hours my son is napping and the time after he goes to bed I have the time without sacrificing family time.

2. Set up a photo studio. When I compared my shop to shops with more sales I noticed that they all have clean plain white backgrounds. My solution to this dilemma was to buy a $1.50 white sheet at a thrift store and thumb tack it to the brightest wall in my house. I photograph everything against it now then photoshop it to get the white as bright as possible without changing the color of the item for sale.

3. Join teams and participate in their discussions. Now that I don’t have contact with (annoying) coworkers it’s nice to have dialogue with like minded people. I joined a single parent team and a tattooed vintage sellers team because they were the most relevant to my situation. Pick about 2-3 teams you feel strongly about, it can be overwhelming otherwise.

4. Refine your store. Currently I have figured out who my target market is so I’m in the process of eliminating items that don’t fit in with their interests and tastes. Instead of just listing everything I am thinking of myself as a museum curator with a focus. I’m no longer renewing items that don’t quite fit in with where my shop is headed.

5. Don’t limit yourself too much. If you only sell jewelry maybe you could make a line of wedding jewelry to put in the wedding category or if you’re an artist paint on something vintage you can put in the vintage category. It’s like cross-promotion and anything that brings your store more traffic is a great thing. Of course be honest, list in the right categories. Of course, use all 14 tags available to describe your item.

6. Take your Etsy page off of Etsy. Create a fan page for your store on Facebook, Twitter, blog. Free media is at your fingertips and marketing is part of this gig.

7. Before I list an item or if I have an idea for a new item I do some market research. Look at the prices, the number of views, the number of hearts. Can you sell this item for the same price or less and still profit? How many are already for sale? I make hats because I love to and I accept that they rarely sell because there are thousands of hats for sale. How will your item be different or exceptional?

8. Repeat sales. If a customer has a great experience they will come back for more. Do all you can to exceed your customers expectations. Ship A.S.A.P. in the prettiest packaging you can afford even if that just means tying a ribbon around the item. Sometimes for large orders I include a free “gift” like a hat I haven’t been able to sell or some cool earrings I bought for next to nothing. It helps the buyer have a pleasant lasting memory. Happy buyers equal positive feedback which is priceless.

Please ask if you have any questions and check out my Etsy store and some of my favorites for some eye-candy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/shannondzikas?ref=si_shop

Selling on Etsy for Beginners

Selling on Etsy for Beginners

Have you crocheted more hats than you can wear? Do you trip over paintings you have stacked up against the wall? Is your closet bursting at the seams with vintage clothes? This is how it all starts. I had too much in my small apartment so the night I found Etsy and realized there was actually a market for this stuff I got to work. It’s been five years now and due to recently being fired, my full time job is making, selling and marketing my crafts and vintage clothing.

In this post are some of the things I have learned in my time selling. I made so many mistakes in the beginning that could easily have been avoided with the tiniest bit of research.

I’ll put this in a Do’s and Do Not’s format to make it easy to understand and to prevent me from rambling.

First, DO take the time to read the rules and guidelines. On Etsy you can only sell handmade or vintage items.

Do not waste your money on anything you don’t need in the beginning like avatars, fancy mannequins, a huge inventory etc. Start with what you have and make do until you know if this is a long-term or short-term project. Just start and go from there.

Do take interesting, bright photos on the lightest background in your home at the brightest time of day. Photoshop the photos if necessary, study the photos that get your attention. A good photo is over half the battle. Etsy gives you 5 photo spots, use them all. Take a picture of the back of what you’re selling too.

Do not screw yourself by not charging enough. I used to guess on postage and often guessed wrong. The post office website is very easy to use and very accurate, use it! If you’re trying to figure out how much to charge for a handmade item a good formula is $10/hr + the cost of supplies. I sell hand crocheted hats for $24-$28 because they take about two hours to make and the yarn is between $4 and $8.

Do take advantage of the community forums and blogs. They are chock full of valuable information. Comment on the blogs daily if possible. Join teams of like-minded people. Support others and they’ll support you. There is the concept of “Etsy Karma” I believe in.

Do research your target market. Are you selling to high-end designers or poor college kids? Make sure your prices fit within their budget and that they will be interested in your photos. This concept is key to your success!

Do not make your avatar photo lame! Sorry, this is the first thing people see often and it has to reflect the spirit and quality of your shop. Make it bright, unique, and think about the branding direction you want to go in. Walk 10 ft. away from your computer and see if it stands out to test it.

Do tell the truth in your descriptions. When selling vintage items this is even more important. You want positive feedback from every customer. If a dress has been repaired or you replaced a button, say so.

Do not list items all at once because you’re excited. You will get more exposure if you list one thing a day or so. List your items when your target market is home and awake. I sell to mostly 20 somethings who are awake at night like I am. Weekends are obviously better for sales and listings than weekdays.

Do not worry if you sell in more than one category. You do not need to open multiple Etsy shops. In fact, the opposite is true. It is a good idea to have items listed in different categories because it brings in more traffic. I sell art, knits, and vintage clothing and just have my one shop divided into logical sections.

Do not get discouraged. It can be an emotional roller-coaster online. One day you may set a new sales record and then you might go a month without a sale. Look at the overall picture and not the minute details. It will be slow at first for most people, be patient.

Do your best to make every customer happy but do know that you cannot make everyone happy all of the time. There are cranky and crazy people out there! Accept it.

I am continually learning new things and improving my Etsy shop still.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/shannondzikas?ref=si_shop

Find me on Facebook too, ShannondzikasArtYarnVintage

Be your own boss, secretary, and janitor!