Tips for Selling on Etsy: Turn Your Hobby Into a Thriving Business

Introduction to Etsy Selling

If you're considering selling on Etsy, you're in for a great experience! Etsy is an excellent platform that allows creative individuals to showcase their handcrafted items, vintage finds, or craft supplies and find buyers who will appreciate their uniqueness. Whether you're an experienced seller or just starting, the tips can help boost sales and turn your passion into a small business. You can kickstart your entrepreneurial journey with advice from Reinventing Secondhand, a shop specializing in vintage Christmas ornaments and collectibles on Etsy!

The Perfect Listing

Photos: Photos of your product are essential for selling on Etsy—they are the first thing buyers see and entice them to click on your listing. Use high-quality images that showcase your item from multiple angles. Bright and well-composed photographs free of background clutter tell a story (photo order can make all the difference in the world!). Tip: Include a simple video of your most engaging items from your iPhone. Customers love this!

At Reinventing Secondhand, we have been using AI-generated backgrounds for the first photos of our vintage items, ensuring the item remains unaltered and the rest are original. This approach helps potential buyers envision the limitless possibilities of our vintage treasures! If you are uncomfortable using AI, use a simple background remover with apps like Photoroom or Canva to make your photos appear more professional.

Next, write engaging descriptions that detail your item's features, materials, and possible uses. Here is where you can shine by injecting valuable ideas, but remember, honesty is crucial when selling an item and building customer trust. Etsy is unique in that it is a platform that allows you to select up to thirteen original keywords to describe your product. However, ensure you incorporate keywords buyers might search for in your description and title to achieve maximum visibility on Etsy. Tip: the first several words of your title are included in the URL of your listing, so choose carefully.

Here is an example of a product listing from Reinventing Secondhand:

Pricing Strategies That Work

Striking the right balance when pricing your products is crucial. You need to cover your costs and earn a profit while remaining competitive in the market. When choosing and pricing a product, it is good to use the "rule of thirds" - 1/3 to the cost of the product, 1/3 to marketing, and 1/3 to the cost of overhead and profit. Here is an excellent article by Pubspot on this very topic!

Conduct thorough research on similar items on Etsy and other online platforms to understand the going rates. This research also helps you become an expert in your niche! Remember that market prices can change rapidly, so if your item is not selling, you may need to do more research and adjust your prices to keep up with competitors in your niche.

Ensure you incorporate shipping costs, supplies, and any fees Etsy may charge when setting your prices. If you only sell one or two items that weigh the same, offering free shipping can significantly boost your sales, so consider integrating the shipping cost into your product price to attract more customers. At Reinventing Secondhand, our items vary in weight, so we charge a shipping fee using calculated shipping while providing our customers a shipping discount through Etsy. If there is ever an overestimate in the shipping costs, we refund the difference to our customers.

An important note on shipping: package your items securely, just as you would want to receive them. Shippers sometimes drop or crush packages, so it is essential to pack efficiently (no skimping on packaging materials) to ensure that your item arrives at its destination in perfect condition! Tip: on more expensive items, buy shipping insurance coverage to protect yourself and the buyer. To learn more, read this helpful article on Etsy.

Marketing Your Shop

Having an excellent product at a reasonable price is only part of the challenge. Many Etsy shop owners underestimate the power of social media marketing and fail to leverage it to boost sales. Utilize platforms like Instagram and Pinterest to showcase your products effectively. Create engaging posts highlighting your items in use and fostering a connection with your audience.

At Reinventing Secondhand, we actively market on X, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and, honestly, it is a lot of work, but it pays dividends. Don't hesitate to network and get your posts shared by other creators and resellers by sharing their content; promoting your shop—and supporting others—can significantly increase traffic and sales. Visit our Facebook page to see what we mean!

Service, service, service!

It cannot be stressed enough that to gain a loyal, repeat clientele, you must have an extremely high service standard. At Reinventing Secondhand, we refer to this as "vintage service," meaning we adhere to good, old-fashioned standards of treating the customer like we would like to be treated: with accurate photos and descriptions, good communication, fast and secure shipments, and, when an issue arises, being ready to fix it to the customer's satisfaction. Mishaps will inevitably happen; just be sure to deal with them professionally.

Conclusion: Be Patient and Stay Committed

Turning your Etsy shop into a sustainable small business doesn't happen overnight. It requires patience, commitment, and hard work. Keep refining your strategies based on what works and what doesn't. Regularly analyze your store's performance to discover areas for improvement. By implementing these tips for selling on Etsy, you position yourself for success and growth in a competitive marketplace and make others happy with your products and service!

Kim is the co-owner of Reinventing Seconhand VIntage Treasure on Etsy and eBay and has been a passionate reseller with her partner in crime, her husband, for over 20 years.