How To Have A Successful Shop On Etsy

Well, since I cannot sleep I'm going to write about Etsy.

Not only do I sell on Etsy, http://www.reyney.etsy.com/, http://www.shoeflower.etsy.com/, but I am also extremely addicted to buying on Etsy. Not to toot my own horn, but I've found that most sellers are not like me:

I've purchased a lot of items lately where I have received ZERO contact from the seller. Not an email. Not a convo. Not even a paypal tracking confirmation. I do not like this. I don't care how busy you are in real life, you need to send me something to let me know that you have received my payment, let me know when my item has shipped and when I can expect it. Personalization means everything, even if it is a cut and paste email, trust me, it will make the customer feel a lot better.

Sellers have contacted me in the past about mentoring info. Here's what I say to them:

First of all, selling on Etsy has to be fun! It's the spirit of the entire website!

Pictures need to be clear. Show fronts and backs of objects. Pick nice colored/patterned/contrasting backgrounds. I really don't want to see your TV set in the pic. Make it professional. You don't need a great camera or a light box for that matter. I use the sunlight in my window and the macros option. It enables you to take pictures of things close up.
Sometimes I include a penny in the photo or a ruler in the photos for measurement purposes. I've had a few requests to see pics of someone wearing the jewelry.

List often. If you have a lot of things to post, you must spread them out. Especially in the jewelry category. If you post everything at once, they will get burried immediately. Trust me! Spread it out during the day and during the week. I find that sales occur after I just listed something. Listing makes your store visible. I find that I have a lot of sales on Thursdays. I don not know why. I also find that I have sales when I wake up in the morning. I don't know why.

Descriptions need not be a book. I LIST the basics. Color, measurements, etc. Paragraphs are long and boring to read when you are trying to sell something. But please don't forget to list how big something is.

When something sells, I respond with an email thanking them for their purchase and to let them know when their item will ship. I ship USA orders the next day 99% of the time. I ship international orders once a week because the lines at the post office are almost unbearable after a long day at my real job.

I wrap my goodies in bubble wrap and tissue paper. I fill the jewelry bag with sequins. I decorate the packages with stickers. I include a freebie in all of my orders. I use pretty deco tape on the outside of my packages. I decorate all my packages with pretty stamps.

I include a little thank you note.

I sometimes include coupons for future purchases. 10%, off, free shipping, free surprise necklace, etc.

I include business cards. They're practically free at http://www.vistaprint.com/

I keep up with my feedback.

I do my best to make everyone happy.

I have fun!