As of 2020, there were approximately 7.5 million sellers from 234 countries on Etsy. With so many sellers, it is essential that you stand out to be noticed. Are your sales slow and tanking? How many new and repeat customers do you have? Does any of these questions make you stop and think? If so, make sure you read this article in full to discover the top six mistakes sellers make on Etsy.
1. Not Building a Brand Identity
Etsy is an already saturated market. With the millions of sellers there, it is crucial that you have a brand identity. A clear brand identity helps you stand apart from the competition.
A unique color scheme and logo are the keys to establishing a brand identity. It helps your products be catchy and memorable to potential customers. Furthermore, it enables long-term relationships, which are very important in a small-scale market such as Etsy.
2. Not Having an About Page
Etsy doesn’t offer the standardized products that you commonly find on e-commerce websites such as Amazon and eBay. Instead, most buyers prefer Etsy for its handmade products and unique listings. They look far beyond the products and into the real person behind the products.
One of the biggest mistakes I have seen people make on Etsy is not having an About page. The About section is an excellent place for potential customers to get to know you and your creative process.
3. Not Having Enough Items in Your Shop
Unless you are selling products from a specialized niche, the chances are that there are more sellers like you with similar products.
Another common Etsy seller mistake is selling only a handful of products (say 10-20.) When you have fewer products, you tend to lose your credibility as an experienced seller. And not everyone trusts rookie sellers in the eCommerce space. You would also have fewer reviews which again doesn’t bode well for your store.
Ensure you have more than one page of products to make daily sales. Start by listing the products as and when you have them.
4. Use SEO Strategically
Another grave mistake that Etsy sellers make is not optimizing their listings. By not optimizing your listings, you are reducing the chances of your store showing up in the search results, lowering the views and potential sales. If you have never thought about SEO, it is time you learn and implement it.
Listing titles, descriptions, and product tags are vital to Etsy SEO. Ensure that you use all 13 tags for your products to increase their chances of appearing in search results. Also, avoid one keyword and aim for 2-3 word long keywords. The latter does not have as much competition.
5. Posting Subpar Photos
Photos are by far the most important thing when it comes to the aesthetic of an online store. And best-selling Etsy stores place great importance on the photo quality of the products.
Photos are the first things that catch the attention of a potential customer. And as such, they are a crucial marketing tool for any Etsy store. Therefore, ensure that your photos are of the highest quality with good lighting and precise details.
Blurry, dark, and grainy photos do not do justice to your products. Upload as many high-quality images as you can showcasing your products from every angle. And never be afraid to demonstrate your creativity.
6. Quitting Too Quickly
Quitting too quickly is by far the biggest mistake I have seen many Etsy sellers make. It takes time to get your store noticed and even more time to gain your space in the selected niche. And if it is already saturated, your work is cut out.
Selling online is difficult since there is much to learn, including SEO and the business part of running an online store. So take time out to understand how to sell on Etsy. The more time and effort you put into your store, the more you can get out of it.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to increase your online sales but are struggling to do so, take a closer look at the above list and see if you are committing any of these common mistakes sellers make on Etsy. Learning how to avoid these mistakes sellers make on Etsy can allow you to have great success with your online store.
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