3 Years Of Etsy Knowledge In 13 Minutes

Summary

The speaker shares seven key takeaways from three years of Etsy sales experience, emphasizing the importance of making sales with products in high demand and good design. Product images are crucial for attracting clicks and converting them into sales. Reviews boost trust and conversions, while Etsy ads provide valuable data for optimizing listings. Email marketing is highlighted as a dependable tool for driving sales, especially with Etsy's share and save feature. Planning for the heavy Q4 sales period is advised, and staying focused on creating customer-centric products is essential for long-term success.

Takeaways

• 💰 Etsy Rewards Sales: The platform favors sellers who make sales, emphasizing the importance of good demand and appealing designs to attract customers.
• 📸 Importance of Product Images: High-quality images are crucial for driving traffic and converting clicks into sales, as they allow potential buyers to visualize the product in detail.
• 🔑 Role of Reviews: Positive reviews are vital for building trust and increasing the likelihood of sales conversion, acting as social proof for potential customers.
• 🎯 Utilize Etsy Ads: Investing in Etsy ads can provide valuable business insights and accelerate sales, which in turn can boost organic traffic through SEO.
• 📧 Power of Email Marketing: Building and maintaining an email list is essential for consistent sales throughout the year, allowing for direct communication and promotions to customers.
• 🚀 Q4 Sales Surge: Prepare for a significant increase in sales during the fourth quarter, which can account for a large portion of annual revenue, by planning and ramping up inventory and operations.
• 🔍 Focus on Customer-Centric Products: Stay focused on creating and offering products that cater to the needs and interests of your customer base to foster repeat business and customer loyalty.
• 🛠️ Continuous Product Development: Dedicate time to product research and development to ensure a steady stream of new and engaging products that keep customers interested and coming back.
• 📈 SEO and Organic Traffic: Understand that driving early clicks and sales through ads can contribute to long-term SEO benefits, leading to increased organic traffic.
• 📝 Encourage Customer Reviews: Actively seek out customer feedback and reviews, as they serve as a powerful tool for enhancing credibility and influencing purchasing decisions.
• 🎯 Strategic Planning: Plan for the busy Q4 season by preparing in advance to manage the increased workload and capitalize on the heightened consumer activity.

Q & A

What does the speaker emphasize as the first key takeaway for success on Etsy?

The speaker emphasizes that Etsy rewards sellers who make sales, highlighting the importance of having products with good demand and good designs to attract traffic and potential buyers.

Why are product images crucial for sales on Etsy according to the speaker?

Product images are crucial because they are the first thing potential customers see, influencing whether they click on the listing. Additionally, high-quality images can showcase the product's features and benefits, which can help convert clicks into sales.

What role do reviews play in Etsy sales, and how can sellers encourage more reviews?

Reviews play a significant role in building trust and social proof, which can help convert clicks into sales. Sellers can encourage more reviews by reaching out to customers, checking in on their satisfaction, and politely asking for feedback and reviews on Etsy.

How do Etsy ads benefit sellers in terms of customer acquisition and data insights?

Etsy ads help with customer acquisition by driving clicks and potential sales upfront. They also provide valuable business data, such as keyword performance and customer engagement, which can help sellers optimize their listings and understand product performance more quickly than waiting for organic data.

What is the significance of email marketing in the context of the speaker's experience with Etsy?

Email marketing is highlighted as a powerful tool for driving sales consistently throughout the year. It allows sellers to build a customer list and market directly to them, increasing the chances of repeat purchases and customer retention.

What is the importance of the Q4 season for Etsy sellers, and how should they prepare for it?

The Q4 season is crucial for Etsy sellers as it accounts for a significant portion of annual sales. Sellers should prepare by planning ahead, building inventory, and ensuring they can manage the increased sales volume, which may involve scaling operations or considering customer service strategies.

What advice does the speaker give regarding staying focused on product creation for Etsy sellers?

The speaker advises staying focused on creating products that cater to the customer's needs and interests. This involves resisting distractions and concentrating on product research, design, and listing optimization to build a strong product portfolio that appeals to the target audience.

How does the speaker describe the process of revising and improving product designs based on sales performance?

The speaker suggests that sellers should be honest with themselves about the quality of their designs. If products with good demand are not selling, it might be an indication that the designs need revision. Sellers should be willing to make changes and improvements to enhance the appeal of their products.

What is the 'share and save' link mentioned by the speaker, and how can it be used for email marketing?

The 'share and save' link is a feature provided by Etsy that allows sellers to share their products with customers who can then save them for later. This link can be used in email marketing campaigns to drive traffic back to the Etsy platform, provided that the customers have given permission to be contacted.

Why is it important for Etsy sellers to focus on building an email list, and how can they do it ethically?

Building an email list is important for creating a direct line of communication with customers, allowing for personalized marketing and increased sales opportunities. Sellers can ethically build their list by offering value, such as a VIP club or exclusive offers, in exchange for customers opting in to receive emails.

What is the speaker's perspective on the importance of product titles and thumbnail images in attracting clicks on Etsy?

The speaker considers product titles and thumbnail images as essential elements for attracting clicks on Etsy. These elements work together to pique the interest of potential customers and encourage them to explore the product listing further.

Outlines

00:00

🛍️ Etsy Sales and Design Importance

The speaker emphasizes the importance of making sales on Etsy and having products with good demand and designs. Etsy rewards sellers with sales, and it's crucial to understand what products are in demand and have the potential for sales. The speaker also mentions the need for self-assessment of one's designs and the importance of revising them if they aren't selling well. The conversation includes a discussion with Chris Schaefer about the significance of product images in attracting traffic and converting clicks into sales.

05:00

📸 The Power of Product Images

Chris Schaefer explains the critical role of product images in the sales process on Etsy. Good images are essential for attracting traffic to the listing and for showcasing the product's features and benefits, which can't be physically experienced online. The images and product videos are the primary tools for demonstrating the product's value to potential customers. The speaker also discusses the importance of high-quality images in turning clicks into sales and the impact of poor images on the sales process.

10:01

🔑 The Impact of Reviews on Sales

Reviews are highlighted as a key factor in converting clicks into sales. A lack of reviews can lead to skepticism among potential buyers, making it difficult to achieve sales. The speaker suggests that increasing the number of reviews acts as social proof and can lead to higher sales volumes. They also share a personal anecdote about seeking out reviews for services, illustrating the importance of reviews from a consumer's perspective and offering advice on how to encourage customers to leave reviews.

🎯 Etsy Ads for Customer Acquisition

The speaker and Chris Schaefer discuss the benefits of using Etsy ads for customer acquisition and building a customer list. Etsy ads provide valuable business data that would otherwise take much longer to gather organically. This data includes information on keyword performance, customer click-through rates, and purchase behavior. The investment in ads not only accelerates the acquisition of this data but also helps in driving early clicks and sales, which can boost organic traffic in the long run.

✉️ The Role of Email Marketing

Email marketing is presented as a powerful tool for adding sales throughout the year, especially for new Etsy sellers. The speaker shares a personal experience where a few emails generated significant sales, demonstrating the effectiveness of email marketing. They also discuss the importance of building an email list with customer permission and using platforms like Everb to manage email campaigns. The speaker stresses the reliability of email marketing as a long-term asset for any business.

🎄 Planning for Peak Q4 Sales

The speaker reveals that Q4 can account for 60 to 80% of annual sales on Etsy, making it a critical period for sellers. They advise planning for this peak sales season well in advance, ensuring that inventory and operations are ready to handle the increased demand. The speaker also shares personal insights about the stress of managing high sales volumes and the importance of preparation to avoid burnout.

🚀 Staying Focused on Customer-Centric Product Creation

The final lesson from the speaker's three years of experience is the importance of staying focused on creating products that cater to the customer's needs. They warn against the distractions of 'shiny objects' and suggest concentrating on Etsy for the first 12 to 24 months. The emphasis is on product research, design, and inventory management, as well as using the email list to drive traffic and sales. The speaker encourages sellers to keep the momentum going by continuously focusing on product development and customer satisfaction.

Keywords

💡Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. It is central to the video's theme as the platform where the speaker's wife sells products. The speaker emphasizes that 'Etsy will reward you if you make sales,' highlighting the importance of sales performance on the platform.

💡Sales

Sales are the core of any business and are repeatedly mentioned as a key factor in the success of an Etsy shop. The video discusses how Etsy rewards sales and how having products with good demand can lead to more sales.

💡Product Images

High-quality product images are crucial for attracting potential buyers and converting clicks into sales. The script explains that images are the first thing that draws traffic to a listing and are essential for showcasing the product's features and benefits.

💡Reviews

Reviews are highlighted as a significant factor in building trust and converting clicks into sales. The video mentions that having more reviews acts as social proof, which can encourage customers to make a purchase.

💡Etsy Ads

Etsy Ads are a form of paid promotion within the platform. The script discusses how they can be used for customer acquisition and building a customer list, as well as providing valuable business data to understand product performance.

💡Email Marketing

Email marketing is presented as a powerful tool for building a customer base and driving sales throughout the year. The video shares a personal example of how email marketing generated significant sales for the speaker's wife's Etsy shop.

💡Q4

Q4, or the fourth quarter of the year, is identified as the busiest time for sales on Etsy. The video advises planning for this peak sales period and emphasizes the importance of being prepared for the increased demand.

💡Customer Focus

Staying focused on creating products for the customer is a recurring theme in the video. It suggests that sellers should concentrate on product research and development to meet customer needs, rather than getting distracted by other marketing tactics.

💡SEO Traffic

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is implied in the context of organic traffic on Etsy. The video mentions using Etsy Ads to drive early clicks and sales, which can help in achieving higher organic search rankings on the platform.

💡Product Demand

Product demand is a critical concept in the video, indicating the popularity and market interest in certain products. The speaker advises focusing on products with good demand to increase the likelihood of making sales.

💡Designs

The quality of product designs is discussed in relation to their market performance. The video suggests that designs need to be evaluated and revised if they are not selling well, emphasizing the importance of design in product success.

Highlights

Etsy rewards sellers with good demand and designs, emphasizing the importance of making sales.

Product demand is crucial for sales; sellers must ensure their products are searched for and purchased regularly.

Design quality is scrutinized, with the suggestion to revise or move on if products aren't selling well.

Product images are pivotal for attracting clicks and converting them into sales, showcasing the product effectively.

The role of product videos alongside images to demonstrate product features and benefits.

Reviews are vital for conversion rates, building trust with potential customers.

Strategies for increasing reviews, such as reaching out to customers for feedback and reviews.

Etsy ads are effective for customer acquisition and provide valuable business data for understanding product performance.

The use of Etsy ads to shortcut the process of gaining organic traffic through early clicks and sales.

Email marketing is highlighted as a powerful tool for adding sales throughout the year.

The importance of building an email list and obtaining customer permission for marketing.

Q4 is identified as the peak sales period on Etsy, accounting for a significant portion of annual sales.

Planning for the intense sales period of Q4 is crucial to manage the workload and maintain business operations.

The need to stay focused on creating products for the customer to avoid distractions from 'shiny objects'.

Product research and development should be the primary focus for new Etsy sellers in their initial years.

The importance of launching products and using email marketing to drive traffic to the Etsy shop.

Maintaining a customer-centric approach and building a roadmap for product offerings to meet customer needs.

Transcripts

after three years of selling on Etsy

helping my wife what have I learned are

there some takeaways and there are

there's actually seven and I've actually

listed them out so I'm going to go and

uh well I'm going to share this and I've

got my uh good friend Mr Chris Schaefer

here with me and we are going to walk

through these um the very first one is

Etsy will reward you if you make sales

good demand and good designs what do I

mean by all that well here's the deal

Etsy wants sales I've said that before

I'm going to say it again and I'm going

to say it again and I'm going to say it

again Etsy will reward you if you make

sales and I know the question is gonna

be well how do you make sales we'll get

into that but if you have products that

have good demand there's a good chance

you're G to make some sales all right

because you're getting enough traffic

and you have the opportunity to get

sales a lot of times people are trying

to get sales on products that just

aren't being searched for or people

aren't buying on a regular basis and

then they wonder why no sales not good

demand so we have to fix that problem

the other thing is is sometimes people

just think that their their their

designs are awesome and let me just say

we've looked at some of our old designs

and it's like you know what they're not

selling why maybe they weren't good

enough so you have to revise and you

have to move on but you have to also be

real with yourself and say are my

designs good or do they need work all

right and so sometimes getting clicks

and then not getting sales that can tell

you uh why that's not not the case or

you're not getting sales um so that's

the first one okay the very very first

one is is Etsy will reward you uh when

you make sales the second one is product

images okay this is a big one okay this

can make or break your sales and Chris

why is that why is a product image so

important please can you can you help me

with this so two reasons the first thing

is in order to get sales you have to get

traffic to the listing the very first

step in getting traffic is showing up

but when we show up what makes somebody

click it's going to be the title and

that thumb nail image once we get them

to the listing they can't pick up the

product they can't flip it over they

can't do any of those kinds of things we

have to show them as much of the product

all of the benefits all of the features

all of the things that they'd be able to

do if they could pick it up turn it over

play with it a little bit in the store

the only way that we can do that Scott

is with the little bit of text in the

description but more importantly the

images and potentially the product video

right that's the only place where we can

show all of those things off so not only

is it important for getting the clicks

but it's important for turning those

clicks into sales yeah no it's it's it's

a big one and uh I think if you are uh

you know struggling uh and again we've

looked at this images are the thing

that's going to allow you to show your

product in its realist form I mean it's

it's a it's an image but you can make it

come to life so product image images are

are extremely important the third okay

and again the these are things that I

have learned over the years and these

three years for Etsy but I've been

learning this even when I was selling on

Amazon for years um reviews are so

important and if you are low on reviews

you should be focusing on reviews

because that's going to help you convert

just like Chris said let's say you're

getting clicks but you're not getting

sales well the image did its job it got

the click but why didn't you sell why

didn't you convert that person into a

sale now there's a bunch of different

reasons but one of them can be that

you've only got one review and they're

like a little skeptical and someone else

has a similar product they're going to

buy from the one that they trust more so

the review is super important and if you

increase your reviews it's like anything

it's social proof you're probably going

to sell more think about yourself if

you're I just recently did this I was

looking to uh um to get my sh

uh trimmed and so what do I do I'm going

to go and look at people's reviews and

see what people said about them are they

prompt are they did they do a good job

are they friendly were they on time you

know all of these different things I'm

going to be looking at so it's it's

extremely important that we uh that we

look at the reviews if you're struggling

to get reviews one simple way of doing

this is reach out to your customers and

say hey just checking in we're a small

business we want to make sure you're

happy can you let us know how we did go

ahead and leave us a review on Etsy like

ask people and they'll probably leave a

review you'll probably get more than if

you didn't so definitely uh make sure

that you're getting those reviews the

fourth Etsy ads work great for customer

acquisition building a customer list

Chris I know you love Etsy ads I know

you love ads in general why is this one

a big one and what do you think people

need to understand about this here

because I think this is something that

gets overlooked it's something that in

the beginning we didn't even really

consider as powerful as it is three

years later we know how powerful it is

what what's what's your take on this

over and above anything else Scott Etsy

ads give us the business data that we

need to understand what's actually going

on with the product it can take three

six 12 months to get this kind of data

back on the organic side what am I

talking about here what keywords are we

showing up for what does Etsy think that

this listing is relevant for when we're

showing up how many people are clicking

over and when they're clicking over how

many people are buying we can get that

data back very quickly and very

inexpensively relatively right because

we're investing a little bit of money to

save a whole lot of time to understand

that data once we have that data it

makes our lives a lot easier as a

business owner to be able to say hey

when I'm showing up for this it's

working when I'm showing up for that

it's not let me rework my listing a

little bit so that when I show up for

this I can be sure that I'm going to

maximize the opportunity to sell the

other sneaky hidden thing here Scott and

this is something I know you're a huge

advocate of is that we're not just

spending money on Etsy ads to get that

data back the real reason that we're

doing that is because we're going to get

those clicks and sales up front we're

going to get those clicks and sales a

lot faster and if we want to get that

Holy Grail of SEO traffic right the

organic traffic which is the majority of

traffic on the site then the way we can

shortcut getting that traffic is by

driving what Etsy wants from the very

beginning using something like ETS ads

at just a few dollars a day those early

clicks those early visits and those

early sales that come in from ety ads

are going to pay dividends in the long

term on the organic side of things yeah

100% I mean it's it's huge and uh again

I think that's a huge takeaway uh that

we've we've learned uh and I think it

really can help an Etsy seller uh in the

beginning but also as they're building

out um the business all right the fifth

thing which goes hand inand with what

you just said and what we just talked

about is email marketing helps add sales

throughout the year so you should be

always building your list and if you're

brand new to Etsy brand new to online

business email marketing is probably one

of the most powerful things that I've

learned over the years and I've been

doing this for over 20 years built

multiple businesses in the e-commerce in

digital products everything and uh even

brick and mortar and email marketing by

far is going to be a very dependable

asset for you um we recently did this

for my wife's shop as a test because I

was teaching it and I was like I want to

show you I want to prove to you that

email works I sent out a handful of

emails and generated over $1,100 in

sales using the Etsy share and save uh

link so I know in fact that's where they

came from um so you're probably asking

though well you can't really email

people anymore because that's he's

cracking down on that they're

technically not what they are cracking

down on is you have to get permission

you can't just email them because

they're a customer you have to get their

permission so one way of doing this is

just in the welcome message make sure

that you're putting something in there

that would want make them want to join

your email list like something we use is

a VIP list so just create a landing page

in everb if you're not using everb I

definitely recommend it you can go to

brandrep there that that talks about

your VIP Club people will enter their

name and email address they hit submit

and then from there they become a

subscriber that you can email on a

regular basis and they gave you

permission and Etsy is cool with that

because they give you a share and save

link to do just that so you can drive

traffic to the platform so email

marketing is a huge huge thing and uh I

think if there was again seven things

that I could share over the last three

years this would be one of them and

that's why I included it here in the in

the seven all right so number six is Q4

and I didn't know this until probably

about I would say the second year Q4

will be 60 to 80% of your sales okay

it's just the way it is now that doesn't

mean that you can't get sales throughout

the year it doesn't mean that you can't

get sales outside of etsy but Etsy

primarily the busiest time the most

traffic the most transactions is going

to be Q4 uh and I've interviewed you

know million dooll sellers telling you

the same thing same thing okay so what

do we do with this well number one plan

for it okay what I mean by that is get

everything kind of built and ready for

Q4 and prepare yourself because if

you're getting sales like my wife was

you're probably going to be pretty

stressed out you might even question if

you want to do it again true true story

it it's something that you can't deny

because it is what it is you have to

plan for it and you have to decide do

you want to go as hard as you can in Q4

because that will be the question right

now you might be saying but Scott I'm

not even getting any sales or I'm

getting very little sales I can keep up

with it wait until you have I don't know

a hundred maybe 200 Sales a day and

you're like I don't know how I'm gonna

keep up with this then your mind starts

to change then you're like I need a

break and then so what we do because

this is a little side thing for my wife

is uh you take a little time off and the

rest of the year you just kind of you

kind of keep keep things rolling you

plan you keep adding things into the

inventory it's more manageable but then

when you start ramping up and I'm saying

ramping up like July is when you're

going to start ramping things up get

ready okay because Q4 is coming um but

that's a that was a big eye opener for

me is that it's so heavy for Q4 but

that's okay as long as you do plan for

it um which I definitely recommend that

you do um all right the last one is

staying

focused on creating products for your

customer let me say that one one more

time staying focused like you have to

okay because there's GNA be a lot of

shiny objects we're all getting excited

right this is great we can sell this we

can do this product we can do this

design we can do that right or we can do

this new hack or we can go to Instagram

we can start a Following over there or

we can go over here to Pinterest and we

can go over here like you have to put

the blinders on because there's probably

enough stuff that you can do to keep you

busy on just focusing on Etsy for the

first 12 months like that's all that you

should worry about and and optimizing

that and really sitting down and

planning out your road map to build

custom or to build products for your

customers okay create more products for

those customers to buy because going

back to what I talked about earlier when

you build that email list well now you

can sell more things to that same

customer and they might buy two things

three things five things okay but we

have to have those products there in

order for them to be able to buy them so

your focus is really product research

that's going to be primarily what you're

going to be doing throughout the year

designing great products creating great

products adding the listings and

launching products and well using your

email list to continue uh to bring in

traffic to your shop and that's really

it that's all should be focusing on for

the first 12 months maybe even two years

okay and just keep focusing on that and

keeping that flywheel moving all right

so those are the seven things that I

wanted to share with you from what I

have learned over the last three years

of helping my wife build her Etsy shop