A Successful Start on Etsy

Starting your first ever-online business can be frustrating; with learning new terminologies, concepts, and other things that seem so complex. To be fully prepared for the first few months, it is advisable to plan ahead and figure out how everything works before jumping in. If it is your first time setting up an Etsy online shop or you aspire to have one someday, these steps will guide you. Gather all the major building blocks in advance.

This way, the shop opening process will be fast, easy and manageable. Prepare all-important things such as photos, your bank information, and item prices. Choosing a business name is not as easy as you might be misled to think. Sometimes you might come up with the perfect name for your business only to be told that it is not available when opening your shop. This can be disappointing but do not lose hope, go on and open your shop.

If you encounter this setback, add your initials, location, “boutique” or “shop” at the end of the name. Before you open your shop, you have the option of changing the name as many times as you want, until it feels right (go to Your Shop > Shop Name). However, after you have opened the shop, you are limited to changing the name just once.

It is normal to have big goals and dreams for your shop. Creating a task list and strategies based on one huge long-term goal can burn you out. Instead, set smaller milestones that will lead you to attain your ultimate goal. Achieving these smaller milestones will encourage and keep you going. Make sure the milestones are small and realistic.

When a buyer comes to shop at Etsy for a specific product, they will type certain phrases or words into the search bar. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Which words or phrases are they likely to type while searching for your products? Brainstorm and come up with as many words and phrases as possible.

After writing them all down, underline the strongest ones. Now go to the listings editor and incorporate those phrases and words into your item titles, product tags, and the beginning of your product descriptions. Each week check your stats to see which keywords are effective and remove those that are not.

Your photos should be simple, illustrative, and sharp. Consider studying a little photography to learn which…