Etsy is by far one of the best-known marketplaces for craftspeople of all disciplines to sell their handmade creations online. Unlike a platform such as eBay, Etsy doesn’t run auctions. As an artisan, you can establish your marketpage for free. Listing comes at a small fee, and Etsy earns a small percentage on each sale made via the platform. However, its dynamism and solid community make it a favorite among crafters. Additionally, it can allow you to reach out to an international audience from the comfort of your home workshop. As a designer offering a handful of simple items, you can grow your business significantly through the platform — leveraging the secure transaction process. You can build a strong business presence without having a website. Here’s how the Etsy world works for young designers.
Attract people to your shop
Etsy is a busy marketplace. If you’re going to get noticed, you need to market yourself effectively outside of the platform. Crafters take to social media successfully, sharing their creations on Instagram and Facebook, for instance. You can find plenty of #clothing and #designer related hashtags for Instagram that can help to boost post views. You can also create a Youtube channel to display your creations and showcase your work ethics and techniques.
Get your logo out there
You may not be a world-renowned designer yet, but it doesn’t mean you can’t create your own brand. If you’re going to sell your handsewn items, you should make sure your creations come with branded hang tags. Indeed, you can use the tags to promote your shop and share the necessary care information about the product. More importantly, it also makes your shop appear more professional when you add your name to the creations.
Sort out shipping solutions
Keeping your shipping costs under control can be tricky. Indeed, Etsy doesn’t offer any fulfillment services, unlike Amazon, which means that calculating shipping costs that don’t break the bank becomes your responsibility. Unfortunately, when you run a small side hustle, chances are that you can’t benefit from commercial shipping agreements. As a result, you need to understand your options between priority mail, first class using stamps, and fixed price for national and international shipping. Ideally, you can check Parcel Select and Media Mail to calculate costs and offer the best possible delivery service.
Please your customers
Etsy tends to boost sellers’ profiles that are more popular among buyers. As a result, the more you sell, the more likely you are to appear at the top of the search results. Consequently, it makes no doubt that keeping your customers satisfied is a priority. Indeed, a happy buyer is more like yo leave a positive review, which makes your shop more relevant to others. Therefore, the preferred strategy is to go above and beyond for your customers. For instance, providing simple personalized services – such as embroidering a name on the item of clothing – can make a significant difference. You can also offer discounted prices for returning customers or people who buy multiple items.
As a crafty clothes designer, you can reach out to your audience via Etsy to promote your fashion items. Creating a profitable Etsy shop is a delicate balance of unique design, business mindset, and smart customer psychology.