We see a lot of posts in our Facebook group asking
for help in establishing or enhancing Etsy stores. We thought this would be
a great topic for the next entry in our “Boutiques Basics” series! Click on the
links to access the previous Boutique Basic posts if you want to catch up:
OPENING YOUR STORE
Etsy is very affordable to use as a platform for selling
your products. There is no membership fee. You pay $0.20 for each listing per 4
months. Once you sell, Etsy takes a 3.5% transaction fee on the item's
sale price.
So, let’s start at the very beginning- a very good place to
start (anyone get that reference? Lol). Opening an Etsy store is not nearly as
difficult as one would think! They really have it laid out well and walk you
step-by-step through the process. Here is a good basic tutorial with links that
will help you: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/246
SHOP NAME
You need a shop name- something catchy that is NOT already
taken! That is a lot harder than one would think. It’s good not to pigeon hole
yourself – think in broader terms just in case you want to expand your product
later down the line. Try to keep spelling as simple and logical as possible so
people can easily
find you.
SHOP ANNOUNCEMENT
This is a
good place to state your turn around time. It’s at the top of your store where
many people look. When writing your Item Description, make sure to refer them
here to find the current turn around time.
LISTING YOUR ITEMS
Now you are ready to start listing your items. This is the
MOST important part of selling (after creating great products, of course). There
are a few major points: photos, SEO, and pricing.
First of all, let’s discuss the photos of your items. We all
know how important first impressions are, and this is the first (and perhaps
only) impression you give of your business. You don’t want to spend hours
researching the perfect fabric and pattern, preparing, and creating, only to be
passed up because of your photo. Basically, you need to make sure you have good
lighting, a clutter-free background, a clear picture, multiple angles, and good
editing. That’s right; you can’t just finish sewing, plop it on a hanger, and
take 3 quick shots. This step takes planning and timing. If you are going to
shoot your product on a model (a dress on a girl, for example), take time to
get accessories, fix her hair, explain to her what you are going to be doing
and what you expect from her (bribery works well here!!), and most of all, make
sure she is having fun!! Trading with a photographer or using a boutique modeling agency is always an option, if you want live shots but don't feel comfortable putting your own child in such a worldwide setting. Don't forget to include a watermark- unfortunately boutique photos are stolen all too often. We have a few blogs explaining the more technical
aspects of photography, including lighting and setting. “How to Take Great
Photos” can be found here,
“Photography Tips and Tricks” can be found here,
and “What Makes a Good Boutique Picture” can be found here.
Next, let’s get into SEO- search engine optimization. Some
people have gorgeous work and amazing photos, but they don’t have a lot of
sales, and they can’t figure out why! One reason could be because they are not
being found. Etsy is a HUGE marketplace with thousands of people trying to sell
exactly what you are selling. You need to make sure that when someone searches
for a “3t Christmas dress,” your listing pops up near the top. And the way you
do that is by utilizing key phrases in key locations to make that happen. I could talk on this topic for days (former
librarian here!), but for now I’ll give you a brief overview and a couple
of great resources.
The first place to concentrate on is your Item Title. This
is limited to a set number of characters. Here is where I see a lot of errors.
People want to put “New beautiful handmade dress for spring!” That is
waaaaaayyyyy too generic. You need to think like your target market. What are
they going to enter into the search field? They usually have something specific
in mind, so they are going to use specific words. You need to do the same-
describe your item. Something like, “Red and green Christmas halter dress for
girls sizes 6 months, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6” is not very appealing, but guess
what?? It WORKS. You are smooshing as many key words as you can in one little
box. People are going to search by occasion, by size, by colors, by style, etc,
and you’ve just covered it all.
The Item Description can be a little more lyrical, but
again, you need to use as many key words as you can. The first 160 characters
are the most important, as Etsy pulls from here to create your meta
description. That basically means that search engines look more closely through
those words to find good matches for searches. It’s important to make sure you
repeat the words you used in the Item Title here in the Item Description. This
repetition makes you look even more qualified to search engines. So, using the
example given above, I would probably say something like, “It’s Christmas time,
and every girl needs a special handmade red and green dress. This halter dress,
available in sizes 6 months, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6,” and then I would go on to
describe the dress. See how I repeated all of the same key words, just in a
more conversational fashion?
Also here is where I enter size information. It’s always
best for customers to make sure they are getting the right size, and the best
way for them to do that is to measure. I list finished measurements provided in
the pattern here- chest, waist, length, inseam, etc. This helps the customer
figure out the correct size and hopefully prevents those “It doesn’t fit”
messages! And if it doesn’t fit- it’s not your fault- you did what you could.
At the end of every Item Description I added information
about my garments. “The designer cotton fabric is prewashed and dried with
earth friendly products to prevent shrinkage. Hand washing is best, but you can
wash with cold water in the gentle cycle. Dry flat. All seams are serged and
top stitched. All items are handmade by me in my smoke free and pet free home.
Each item is made when ordered, so please see shop
announcement for current turnaround time.
Thank you for looking, and I look forward to doing business
with you soon!”
The last thing I am going to discuss is tags. In the tag
box, you are going to enter the exact words (or short phrases) your target
market would enter in the search bar. You only have 13, so choose wisely!!
Also, it’s important not to use the same 13 words every time- switch it up to
gain more customers.
In my previous example, I would use Christmas, dress, halter, girls clothing,
outfit, 6 months, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (all together as one term), red and green,
Christmas dress, toddler Christmas, holiday, clothing, baby girl dress. Or
something to those effects. Honestly, when I was selling, I would think of how
I would search for that dress. For example, if I were a customer, I would
search “Christmas dress.” So, I searched using those terms, and then I looked
at the tags of the first 15 or so items that popped up. Find the tags they have
in common, or ones that would work for your listing, and go from there!
Here are a couple of great resources on SEOs:
Whether you are selling on Etsy, Facebook, or just through
friends, DO NOT START UNTIL YOU ARE PAID!! Don’t start sewing, don’t order
fabrics, don’t put them in your schedule. On Etsy you can choose to be paid
through direct checkout, PayPal, and/or check or money order. I personally left
all 3 as options to bring in more buyers. However, I put in my shop policies
that I would not start on an item until the echeck has cleared.
GRAPHICS
You need to create, or have created for you, a shop banner
and avatar. I personally paid someone to do this- there are Etsy shops set up
for graphic designers to sell these items. You need something professional and
cohesive. I also used this image as part of my business card.
SHOP POLICIES
Unfortunately, shop policies are often overlooked, but this
is a VERY important part of your business. Here you can lay out your position
on many things so that if there is ever a question, the information was
provided in black and white before the purchase was made.
Payment Policy: Obviously this is where you spell out what
forms of payment you take. I also explained how customers can use Paypal
without an account. Here is also where I stated that items paid by check or
money order would not be started until the payment cleared.
Shipping Policy: Here is where you spell out what type of
shipping you use. For example, “Most orders are shipped via USPS First Class
Mail with delivery confirmation which usually arrives within 2-5 days, U.S.
orders only, holidays not included. I am NOT
responsible for packages that are lost, stolen or delayed if you have not
contacted me to purchase shipping insurance prior to paying.
I ship to the address listed on your PayPal account so please make sure your
shipping address on your PayPal account is correct before placing an order.
Your order may be delayed if your account address is different. I cannot be
held responsible if your order has been shipped to the wrong address due to
your PayPal address being incorrect.
International buyers- please be aware that there are quite
often custom fees and taxes; you are solely responsible for these charges.
RUSH ORDERS: Please contact me PRIOR to purchase if you require a rush
order. A custom listing will be setup to include all rush fees. The custom
listing will include the requested need date, and orders will be shipped in
time to be delivered ON the requested need date. Please note that I am not
responsible for USPS mail delays.”
Refund Policy: Here is where you need to think long and
hard. There is no right or wrong policy, and honestly I worked with my (few)
customers who brought up a refund. But this is what I stated in mine: “You are
a valued customer at CocosCuteCreations, and I want you to be happy with your
purchase. If for some reason you are not satisfied, please let me know, and I
will work with you to find a solution. There are no refunds or exchanges with
personalized or custom items unless there is a defect or a mistake made on my
part.
Return requests are accepted within 3 days of delivered
shipment. I will not take return requests after this time. Items must be
returned within 5 days of request and must arrive in the same condition in
which they were received. I will refund the cost of the item minus shipping
charges. Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer.
If there is a defect or mistake on my part, I will pay for
you to ship it back and refund you 100% or send you a correct item, based on
your preference.”
Additional Information: This is where I explained how to
correctly measure different body parts for the correct fit.
RUNNING YOUR STORE
As with selling boutique clothing anywhere, make sure you are legally compliant. You can start at www.cpsc.gov/gettingstarted. You can also find a helpful overview of resources at www.cpsc.gov/desktopguide (pdf). Here is information for being compliant with children's products: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpc. And finally, here's a great Etsy team to join to help you learn more about these topics: https://www.etsy.com/teams/6861/keeping-up-with-cpsia
Once you have everything set up, it’s time to sell!! There
are things you can do to help gain customers. First of all, the more items you
have listed, the more ways there are for people to find you! Often times
customers don’t purchase the outfit that brought them into your store. The more
listings you have, the more searches you pop up in, so give yourself a fighting
change by offering as many items as you can. In the beginning I would take the
profit I made from one transaction to purchase fabric for the next listing.
Secondly- be patient! Yes, you want to have great sales and
offer many items, but both of these take time. I read somewhere that a
successful business usually takes a year before it starts making money!
Hopefully it won’t take this long, but it is a long process when you are using
any income to build your store. The good news is that hopefully you are sewing because
you love it, so you’re still having fun through this period!!
When listing new items or renewing items, timing is important. At the bottom of the Etsy homepage there is a constantly changing "Recently Listed Items" banner. Customer are able to look at more recent listings by clicking the "see more" button. Spread your listings out to increase your chances of being seen by different people here. Also try to list items during peak shopping times- generally early morning, around lunchtime, and after the kids are in bed.
We discussed earlier how important SEOs are for being found
and being in the top of the searches. Another way to be at the top of searches
is to renew your listings. It seems that the newer an item is, the higher up in
the Etsy search result it is placed. This is great when you are selling, as you
renew an item once it’s purchased. If you are not selling, it can be a good
idea to renew listings yourself just to keep them more relevant according to
Etsy.
Now that you are up and running, you need to market! You can
market through Etsy using Teams. Join a few teams and become active with them!
Often times people who make handmade also buy handmade, or they know lots of
people who do. Make a Facebook page for your business- we have a blog coming
soon about that. Utilize Twitter; get a blog; use Instagram and GooglePlus. You can also go to local craft
fairs, boutiques, etc.
Finally, give OUTSTANDING customer service. Always. Be quick
to answer, flexible, and understanding. Be professional at all times- proofread
what you write and be as nice as you can be, even when customers are not.
QUESTIONS
Q #1: How do you get a buyer to leave positive feedback?
Well, you can’t make a buyer do this, but there are ways
to suggest it. Some new buyers don’t realize that leaving feedback is an
option, while other buyers just don’t take the time to do it. Under Info&Appearance, there is a place to
leave a Message to Buyers. This is sent to them directly after they make the
purchase. Here I would reiterate my current turn around time. I would also
thank the customer for their purchase, and state that if they enjoy their item,
I always appreciate positive feedback! Another great place to suggest positive
feedback is in your thank you card. I sent a personal thank you card and
business cards with each item. I would follow up on any conversations we had
about this order, thank them, and again ask for positive feedback if they enjoy
their item.
Q#2: How do you figure shipping on an Item of unknown
weight. What about shipping multiple items. How can you figure that cost?
I personally shipped items in a polymailer with first
class as a default. Poly mailers are pretty inexpensive and water and puncture
resistant- you can find good deals on EBay. In this manner a shipping scale is
a MUST! Make your sample, and package it up. Stick it on the scale to see how
much it weighs. Then go to the USPS Web site to figure cost of shipping! I
usually give a half price discount for each item after one. So if one is going
to cost $5 to ship, I charge $2-3 for each item after that. Not the most
technical way, but it worked for me! Mailing this way enables you to keep the
price of shipping down for your customer.
Other people only ship with Flat Rate poly bubble
mailers. These are free to you- just order them online from usps.com, and the post office will
deliver them to you. This is a little more expensive for your customer, but there is no guess work at the shipping cost!
Q#3:
How do you do coupon codes? Like if you want to give a good customer a one time
20% off discount. How does that work?
Here’s
a great article on that! https://www.etsy.com/help/article/349
Hope you enjoyed this installment in Boutique Basics!! If you have any questions on selling through Etsy, please don't hesitate to email us createkidscouture@gmail.com
Happy sewing (and selling!!)
Courtney
