It was 8:00 am & I leapt from bed (something that quite literally, *never* happens in my house). “Did I just hear what I think I heard?”
YEP I SURE DID.
I checked my phone and found a notification that was new to me. From the Etsy Sellers App, it said “New order from…”
I MADE MY FIRST SALE. I proceeded to call my husband, mom, and best friend. We celebrated over the phone (which is something we’re getting pretty good at these days), and I got right into figuring out how to ship my product.
I 100% understand the frustration of wondering how to get sales on Etsy & waiting for it to happen. Sometimes it can take days, sometimes it takes months. My first sale came in 5 weeks after I hit publish on my first listing. & I checked my listing stats every single day between my first day and my first Cha-Ching.
You hit “publish”. You refresh your statistics page. & then you refresh again. Fifty refreshes and two days later and you start to wonder… “Will my item ever sell?”
Hi, YES, it will sell. BUT you have to have the right tactics in place to get your listings seen, build trust with buyers, and eventually hear that “Cha-Ching”. If you’re in limbo, don’t worry. After reading this post you will feel large and in charge because it will teach you how to get your first sale on Etsy which will allow you to take your Etsy shop idea to a thriving, full-time business one day!
So let’s get into it.. first thing’s first:
1: You Have to Have an Etsy Shop Before You Can Get Sales on Etsy
This may go without saying but I had to include it: you have to actually have an etsy shop to get sales on etsy.
If you’re reading this and you haven’t yet started your etsy shop I want you to hear this: the hardest part for some of us can be overcoming the mindset shift in order to *just start*.
If you’re worried your first sale may never come, think again. Meaning: if you love your products there *is* someone out there who is willing to pay you to receive it. It’s just a matter of finding those people (like through your shop marketing and visibility tactics) and landing that sale (with some great listing conversion tactics).
2: Vet Your Product
Before you spend tons of time wondering how to get sales on Etsy and creating the perfect photos, titles, tags, and agonizing over your listings it can’t hurt to reach out to some close friends and family to pick their brain. Make sure they like your product and think it’s sell-able on Etsy.
Caveat: remember these people might not be your target customer. Even if they aren’t supportive of your product, someone out there might still like to purchase it. Survey several people about your product and take their thoughts collectively as a whole. Use it to market your product better.
3: Tags, Titles, Categories, Photography..
Are your listings getting views? Are they getting visits? Favorites?
As this traffic information starts to trickle in over the week or two (found in your Etsy stats page) after you post your listing, make sure your item is being found and liked. If it’s not, consider making changes to your titles, tags, and listing photos to boost your listings in search rank.
The key here is to look critically at your statistics. For instance, if your listing is getting a lot of views (being found in Etsy search) but it isn’t getting visits (people aren’t clicking on your listing to learn more), then this might mean there is a problem with your title or main listing photo. Think critically about these numbers.
& don’t try to edit them too much. Etsy’s search bar needs a little time to catch up to what people are liking, clicking, etc. Set them and forget them for at least 3-4 weeks.
4: Make Your Shop Look Like It’s Been Around a While
Make sure everything is filled in on your shop page. Make it easy for your potential buyers to find information about you when they need and want to, and it will give them peace of mind about purchasing from you.
Some ideas for how you can do this:
- Post an announcement
- Detail your policies – buyers love to know return and cancellation policies ahead of time
- Fill out your about page – include pictures of yourself & anyone who helps you make products
- Use a photo of you as your main shop photo
- Add some more listings – of course, if you want to that is
5: Market Your Product
Use the time you have right now to get started on what your marketing process will look like.
Outline a marketing strategy for your shop now. Will you have a blog? Pinterest? Email list? Instagram? This is what will set you apart from other Etsy sellers, promise.
Hint: If you’re just starting out and don’t know where to go for this – you should definitely look into pinterest!
Solidifying a marketing plan for your Etsy shop will:
- Make your shop look legitimate to potential customers.
- Get more eyes on your listings and shop.
- Make you feel on top of the world because you aren’t wondering how to get sales on etsy, you’re actually taking action and doing everything you can to support your growing business.
Following these five will eventually lead to your first sale, but know that patience is a virtue. You’ll never make a sale if you give up on your shop after posting one listing. You have to be consistent and bring some light-hearted energy to all of this Etsy talk.
Remember: your products are unique and amazing because they were made by you and you love them. Others will too. Now let’s get to work getting eyes on your listings! Want to get free, Etsy success trainings on Instagram every Thursday? Join my Close Friends list over on my Instagram Profile, just click the pink circle.
