How To get started selling on etsy

Recently, one of my girlfriends was asking me how she could start an Etsy shop. Immediately, I started rambling off a slew of tips and tricks As I was in my stream of consciousness a thought popped in my head, "Other people might benefit from these tips!" rang through my brain. I've been selling on Etsy since 2017, and during my time as an artist on Etsy I've stumbled forward in making sales. Today I am going to share with you a few things I have learned. I hope these tips can serve you well and help you just as much as they helped me! 

Tip #1 - Research Your Competition 
When I was first getting started on Etsy, the most helpful thing I did was look at my competitors. When looking at the profiles of other artists selling on Etsy, I looked at a few key areas of their page. This included...

1. their product photos,
2. tags they are using,
3. keywords they are using,
4. their branding,
5. and what they included in their product description.

It's important to understand how you stack up to your competitors. What do they offer that you do not? What do you like about how they have their store set up? What will you do to distinguish yourself from others? Etsy is a saturated marketplace, so it's VERY important to understand what is already out there and how you can set up your shop to standout in the crowd! 

Tip #2 - Take Good Product Photos
This seems obvious, right? But taking quality product photos can be HARD. Especially as an artist. You want to have good lighting (preferably natural lighting) and a good setting. It's also important to have photos of your product from multiple angles. Even if you don't have a professional grade camera, you can still get quality photos using the lens on your phone. There are also some great photo editing apps on the market that can help make your photos look professional. I use AfterLight to edit photos on my phone and post them to my social media and etsy accounts. 

Tip #3 - Select Your Name 
Another obvious step is setting up an Etsy shop, but don't over think it. Some people can really get stuck on trying to create a fun and catchy name for their store. It's important to remember that your name is part of your brand, but it should also indicate to the customer what you offer. For example, my shop name is simply ' Kelsey Meyer Art' this indicates to the customer that they will be purchasing original art by Kelsey Meyer. You can take some time to get creative with your name, look at the shop names of your competitors, but don't overthink it. At the end of the day, keep it simple. 

Tip #4 - Create Your Branding 
It is important to have consistent branding. Choose a few select colors that you want to be part of your brand, and begin creating your Etsy header and Logo Icon. A great platform to create branding is Canva. They have free templates that you can use and download. 
Remember - Keep your branding consistent across all social media platforms. You will wan to use the same logo or header on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and even Tiktok! 

Tip #5 - Research SEO Tags
Etsy functions like a google search engine, so it's important to select tags for which people are searching. When selecting your tags and keywords, again, look at your competitors. Are they making sales? If so, how? What tags are they using? What keywords are they using? A great way to see how your items rank in the Etsy search engine is by linking your Etsy account with an app like Marmalead. Marmalead will help rate your listing as they stand up to Etsy best-practices. This allows you to see which listings need better tags, titles, and keywords and helps to optimize your searchabiity. 

Tip #6 - Build Your Inventory
Before you officially launch you Etsy store and social media accounts, you want to make sure that you have your inventory ready to go! Have at least 20 items in your inventory for which you have quality product photos. The more items you have in your inventory, the better the chances are that your items will be found. In the Etsy search engine, shops with more items are pushed to the top, so get your items ready! The more the merrier! 
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Tip #7 - Tell People!
Last but not least, tell people! People want to buy items from someone they know. Once your Etys site is live and your have built your social media accounts, be sure to link them on you personal pages so that your friends, family, and colleagues have the chance to support you in your dreams. People love to see others flourish!