More hints on setting up an Etsy store. Store Layout, contacts, FAQ, policies, sections, shipping, stars
Hi everyone,
It's time for some more Etsy setup hints!
Make sure that you have a banner, title, etc. at the top that look good and are distinctive. But in some sort of short announcement so they can feel they know you.
Make sure customers can contact you easily. You don't need to give out private information, but you do need to be reachable.
Put in some FAQ so the customers will get an idea of how your business works. Check out someone you like doing business with or you can check out mine. Make them fit you and what your shop carries. If anyone asks you any questions, maybe add your answer to the list.
Hopefully you have taken care of your shipping policies, payment options, return and exchange policies and privacy policies. They need to be clearly visible or you will not sell anything. Just agreeing to Etsy's default policies is probably the best idea if you are not sure. Etsy will restrict some options that they have discovered often lead to problems. Listen to them. They want you to be happy and make money because they get a percentage when you sell things. They want you to sell safely and happily, so they will protect you to a certain extent as long as you follow their rules. They are sensible rules, so follow them!
If you want to get taken seriously, as soon as is reasonable, get at least 25 items listed. That separates the more serious shops from the more casual and attracts more repeat visitors. You can arrange them in any order that you want.
If you carry more than one type of product in your shop, use sections. They make it a lot easier for people to find things when they have an idea of what they want.
When you finally make a sale!!!!!!!
Once you get comfortable, there are other things that you can add and do, but you don't need them now unless you want to.
The last quote I heard said that the average Etsy seller sells $140 a month. Some make way more, some never sell anything. Most people sell very little for several months to begin with. You need to find out what people want and display it in a way that makes them want yours and not someone else's. Be willing to adapt and change and you will gradually increase your sales. If you must do it your way, your success will not be nearly as good.
Haven't figured out what I want to write tomorrow!
It's time for some more Etsy setup hints!
Make sure that you have a banner, title, etc. at the top that look good and are distinctive. But in some sort of short announcement so they can feel they know you.
Make sure customers can contact you easily. You don't need to give out private information, but you do need to be reachable.
Put in some FAQ so the customers will get an idea of how your business works. Check out someone you like doing business with or you can check out mine. Make them fit you and what your shop carries. If anyone asks you any questions, maybe add your answer to the list.
Hopefully you have taken care of your shipping policies, payment options, return and exchange policies and privacy policies. They need to be clearly visible or you will not sell anything. Just agreeing to Etsy's default policies is probably the best idea if you are not sure. Etsy will restrict some options that they have discovered often lead to problems. Listen to them. They want you to be happy and make money because they get a percentage when you sell things. They want you to sell safely and happily, so they will protect you to a certain extent as long as you follow their rules. They are sensible rules, so follow them!
If you want to get taken seriously, as soon as is reasonable, get at least 25 items listed. That separates the more serious shops from the more casual and attracts more repeat visitors. You can arrange them in any order that you want.
If you carry more than one type of product in your shop, use sections. They make it a lot easier for people to find things when they have an idea of what they want.
When you finally make a sale!!!!!!!
- Do not ship until Etsy says that they have the money. They will tell you when it is OK. Do not get too excited and ship earlier. You may not get paid.
- Shipping - Use Etsy's shipping setup. It is really good. Don't guess, measure and weigh. Make sure that you have packing materials on hand.
Make every package look a little fancy. It should appear as a present to the buyer. Not necessarily a fancy one, but still a present.
Put in a simple business card and/or a little thank you note and maybe a little something extra.
Make sure that it is trackable and insured. That is one reason that I prefer priority mail. You don't have to worry about boxes or envelopes either because the post office will ship them to you free. Postage is more, but you pay less for shipping materials so you can take care of it in setting the price of your items. You just need to get the peanuts or other filler.
Make sure the customer gets the notifications when the order is received, when it is shipped, etc. You want to be friendly and informative but not spammy. - If you have set up your payment options properly, and it is hard to mess them up, you will receive your money once a week after the payment clears. Your part of the money just appears in your bank. By the way, if you owe any money, it just disappears from your bank or credit card, etc. but they always send you a message telling you and explaining what it is for. It is totally seamless and accurate.
- Cross your fingers and hope they leave you 5 stars. Etsy shoppers are generally nice and usually will give 5 stars if everything goes smoothly. Remember to give stars to your customers also. The higher you rate them, the more likely they are to come back.
Once you get comfortable, there are other things that you can add and do, but you don't need them now unless you want to.
The last quote I heard said that the average Etsy seller sells $140 a month. Some make way more, some never sell anything. Most people sell very little for several months to begin with. You need to find out what people want and display it in a way that makes them want yours and not someone else's. Be willing to adapt and change and you will gradually increase your sales. If you must do it your way, your success will not be nearly as good.
Haven't figured out what I want to write tomorrow!
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