It is super easy to setup a shop on Etsy because of the amazing and user friendly interface that they have. If you are wondering how to get started with it all, here is my previous post – How to start an Etsy Shop. You can get up on a weekday and say “I want to start selling on Etsy” and by the end of the day, you will!
When I started my design shop on Etsy, I jumped right into it and slowly figured out things as they came my way. However, looking back, I feel it would have been useful to follow a process while setting up the logistics to ensure that I didn’t miss anything. So today, I am delving deep into setting up a shop on Etsy, the fuss-free way!
I created a comprehensive checklist for you that lists each and every step in the shop setup process in an order that makes the whole process quick and easy – Download, Print and use it now!
Prepare your listings beforehand:
So you are all excited to start selling your beautiful creations on Etsy and you have the inventory ready to go. But before that, you need to prepare them for listing on Etsy. While selling in a virtual environment, since the customers cannot see, touch or feel the product for real, the best way to gain their trust is through your photos and descriptions. For each item in your inventory, create a product description and take photos ( and from different angles for a physical object). Edit these photos so that browsers on etsy are instantly drawn towards them when you add them to your listings. I recommend creating a set of 3-5 photos for each of your products.
Write detailed descriptions for each of your products in an Evernote or any text file beforehand, so it is easy to copy into the Etsy editor when you are creating a listing. List all the enticing and unique features of your product first and don’t forget to include details about size, color and other applicable specifications that best describe your product.
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Shop Appearance:
You don’t want to miss out on the chance of highlighting your brand on Etsy. Create a catchy shop banner and shop logo that reflect your brand aesthetic. You can easily and quickly create these using an online graphic editor like Picmonkey. Make sure to keep your visual branding consistent throughout your shop – your banner, logo, avatar, product images, thumbnails and even descriptions – everywhere you possibly can. When customers see a harmony in the shop design, they tend to trust the shop more. Additionally, if you are doing something creative, its a good way to let the customers know your sense of style through your branding. Since you don’t get to attract customers personally, let your branding do the work for you!
Make it personal:
Customers generally like to know the person behind the shop. Upload an attractive headshot of you in the shop owner profile. There is an entire section called “About the shop” on Etsy to tell your story to the customers, and you should make complete use of this. Talk to your customers, tell them your story and how you started your shop. In this age of virtual stores, where we rarely see the seller, adding your story to the shop encourages the customer to connect with you on a personal level. Highlight unique aspects of your shop, include behind the scenes photos and make it an interesting read. Being personal will not only attract your customers but will also build trust in them about your offerings.
Shop Info:
There are a lot of opportunities on Etsy to list various kinds of information about your shop. Although it is a little time consuming, and dare I say boring, to fill these out – they are super important:
Shop Announcement: This is a small piece of text at the top of your shop. Use this to give a quick overview of your shop to the customers and highlight any important information such as an upcoming sale or a promotion. You can even share your social media links to connect with your customers! Keep the announcement short and sweet and save the details for the about and policy pages!
Shop Policies: This is the best place for you to communicate your terms and conditions to the customers. Be extremely clear about your payment, cancellation and refund policies. List details about your shipping methods, timelines and any other additional information you want your customer to know before purchasing your products.
Pricing:
It can be tricky to price products that you create yourself – to us, they are priceless. Carefully consider your investment (both in terms of money and time) as well as the profit you want to make while fixing the price for your products. One thing that I recommend is to check out the price range of products similar to yours – you know that the customers are going to do the same! Use this to set your prices – you don’t want to price your products too low or too high – be competitively high end!
Payment:
You need to set up a payment system for both, receiving money from customers as well as paying fees to Etsy. Etsy provides with you with many payment options to choose from – Paypal, Check and Direct checkout which includes Debit/Credit cards, Apple pay, Google wallet etc. I personally use Paypal as its easy and fuss free but the other options are worth looking into depending on the nature of your business.
Shipping:
If you are selling digital goods, shipping is pretty straightforward – You can pack your files into a .zip and upload them for instant download. If you prefer emailing the files to the customer after purchase, that’s fine too. I personally like the instant download option since there is no waiting time for the customer, they can just purchase, download and be on their way!
However, if you are selling physical products, shipping may require a bit more planning and effort. Etsy provides USPS and Canada Post shipping labels to make it easy for sellers to ship their products. On the other hand, Etsy has a feature called calculated shipping which provides an estimated shipping cost to the buyers prior to purchase of item. This way customers know how much they have to pay for shipping.
To make this entire process a lot more easier and fuss free, I have created a handy A-Z checklist for you to help with setting up your Etsy shop – Download it right here!
Do you have an etsy shop? Are you planning on starting one?
