Building an Etsy Store That Sells

Etsy has millions of active sellers around the world. That’s a lot of competition. While you may feel like the odds are stacked against you, the reality is that there are still many opportunities to run a successful online store. The wildly popular platform has changed over the years, namely due to the widespread adoption of print-on-demand services.

While selling online was previously only left to those who had the skills and assets, you can now get a shop up and running with very few overhead costs. In this brief guide, we’ll touch upon several of the most important factors for Etsy success. By implementing these into your business model, you’ll be able to build a store that speaks directly to your audience and grows with you.

Start Simple

You don’t need to come off as a long-established company to thrive. Etsy is a place for individual creators and artisans to share their work with the world. That’s part of its charm. Do not allow yourself to get lost in the endless spiral of to-dos that plague entrepreneurs. As an ecommerce newcomer, you really need three core elements to take off:

• A strong understanding of your target audience.
• The right products and solutions.
• Strong marketing and brand assets.

Your target audience should not be a random group of people. Try marketing anything to all adults between the ages of 20 and 50 and see where that gets you. Instead, break down your products by defining the exact type of person or people who would be interested in them. Imagine a store that wants to break into sustainable fashion. The owner has identified their audience as mothers, but they shouldn’t stop there. They can either target all moms ever or 30-something mothers who are passionate about making an impact on the environment and passing on those values to their young children.

Optimize Your Page to Drive Traffic and Sales

Good SEO allows you to grow an audience of buyers that are more than just one-time hits. With the right SEO, you can position yourself as a go-to source for the products your dream audience loves. You can review a guide on Etsy SEO tips right now to learn more. Before you start typing any product descriptions or running ads, make sure you do your research. Check out what the top-selling products in your market have in common, and figure out how you can stand out while modeling their strengths.

Take Your Own Mockup Photos

Do not settle for the default mockup templates online. Whether they’re from your supplier or edited off a site like Placeit, most are overused and can make your business come off as less authentic to your audience. While it’s okay to supplement product promotional images with mockups now and again, your Etsy shop is another story entirely. Take high-resolution, bright and clean shots of all your products so they can truly tantalize your viewer. SEO may help people discover your page, but it will be winning graphics that make them visualize the product in their own lives that convert sales.