How to set up

your Etsy shop

for success
Introduction
Hi there and welcome to your very own Etsy shop critique. I have had
a lot of fun taking a look at your shop and I can’t wait to share all my
tips and advice to help you increase your visibility and sales.

Before I jump right into the good things, I just wanted to quickly
introduce myself so you know why I am qualified to give you these
recommendations.

My name is Angie and I am a full

time Etsy seller. That means that
my full salary comes from my Etsy
sales and it has been the case for a
bit more than 5 years now.

I am very proud of what I have

achieved, especially as it has
allowed me to help family and
friends around to achieve the
same thing as me.

Today, I have more than 30,000

sales and I offer my experience to other Etsy sellers to help them take
their business to the next level.

Below is one of the shops I own and its revenue in 2020:

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 1. Product Foundation & Etsy Information

· How to Choose Your Niche

When you are setting up an Etsy shop, having a clear niche is one of the most
important things. There is a lot riding on it, so you need to take your time with this
decision and get it right.

To begin, let’s define what a niche is. A niche is a specific market you want to
target to reach a specific audience. For example, dog owners, new moms, and
plant lovers. These are all niche audiences that you can target with an Etsy shop.

Some people start their Etsy journey with an idea of what they want to sell and
who they want to sell to, which is great. However, there are those who don’t have
an idea yet, so here are a few tips to help you choose your niche:

● Go on Etsy and navigate through each available category.

● Ask yourself, “What kind of product do I understand?” It can be something
you already know how to make or something you are willing to learn about.
● Once you identify a product that interests you, think about how you can
make it better and unique so people choose your Etsy shop and not your
competitor’s.

The niche you choose can make or break your Etsy shop, so it is crucial for
success. Take the time to reflect on it and make sure you are confident about
what you can bring to the table to stand out in such a competitive marketplace.

· Market Research of Your Competition

Once you find your niche and you know what kind of products you will be selling
on Etsy, it is important to assess who your competitors are, what they are doing,
and how you can make your place within that niche.

It is also important to understand that even if you have chosen a niche in a

competitive market, there is still plenty of space for you to have a successful Etsy
shop.

Competitiveness is simply a measure of demand and having a lot of competitors

for your type of product only confirms that it is in high demand and many
customers are looking to buy it.

When you are selling in a competitive market, it is important to set up a strategy.

You need to:

● Have a clear idea of who your competitors are, what they are selling, at
what price, what services they offer, what guarantees they have in place,
and more.

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 ● Identify their strengths and weaknesses by reading reviews, looking at their
photos, etc.
● Determine how you can counter the weaknesses of your competitors and
how you can make your products stand out.

Knowing how you will compete in the market is very important from the
beginning and setting up a strategy will help create the foundations of a
successful Etsy shop.

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 2. Opening Your Etsy Shop & Shop
Foundations
· How to Choose the Name of Your Etsy Shop

I usually recommend Etsy sellers dump all their ideas, keywords, and favourite
words on paper. This is a great exercise to identify all the words related to your
products so you can create a name for your Etsy shop.

Once you have a list of words on paper, you can start putting a couple of words
together until you find a combination you’re happy with. Your Etsy shop name
should be:

● Short. Make sure your Etsy shop name is no longer than 20 characters
because that is the maximum number of characters allowed.

● Explanatory. Whenever possible, make your Etsy shop name explanatory.

It’s always a good idea to incorporate your main keyword in there. This way,
potential customers will know what kind of product they can expect to find
in your shop.

Most importantly, having a keyword in your Etsy shop name will give you
authority in the market, and along with reviews, it is one of the factors that
make potential customers think you are a trusted shop.

● Memorable and catchy. Using simple words that will stick to potential
customer’s minds is something I highly recommend. If your Etsy shop
name is easy to remember, it’s more likely customers will buy from you
again.

● Available. If you have big plans for your Etsy shop, which I’m sure you do, I
always recommend checking that the name you’ve chosen is available to
purchase as your own domain. Many tools allow you to check name
availability, but I personally use Google Domains and I highly recommend
it.

· How to Create an Etsy Shop Logo

Branding is one of the most important elements of your Etsy shop. You might
have the best products in your niche, the best materials, and even the best
photos, but if your shop doesn’t inspire professionalism and trust, who will
purchase from you? No one, that’s who!

Your Etsy shop logo will set you apart from your competitors and it says a lot
about your style and the personality of your brand, so it’s very important. Before

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you start working on your logo on Canva, write down whatever comes to mind
when you think of your shop.

Think about the thing that represents your brand and your products and use
them as inspiration to draw the graphic elements of the logos and choose the
style of the text you will be using. Once you have a clear idea of what you want, it’s
time to go to Canva.

Log in and click on “Create a design”, which is on the top left of the screen. Here,
you will see the different designs offered by the platform. For our Etsy Shop Icon,
we will select the “Logo” option in the Marketing Materials section.

There are many designs available on the platform, so you want to use your vision
as a guide. The magic of Canva is that it offers designs that can suit your Etsy
store perfectly while still exposing you to different styles and idea you had not
thought of.

Whatever you decide, remember that your design needs to be simple,

memorable, and represent your shop very well. Keep this in mind while you’re
browsing and avoid adding too many graphic elements.

Once you’re done designing your Etsy shop logo, click the “Download” button in
the top right corner and choose the JPG format. Finally, upload the logo to your
Etsy shop and pat yourself on the back! You’re one step closer to a finished Etsy
shop.

You will be able to change your logo in the future if you decide that you’ve
outgrown the logo you started with. Nothing is set in stone and you can rebrand
your Etsy shop as you grow so it can be in line with your ideas and style.

3. Add Your First Product

· How to Take Great Photos

If you want to succeed on Etsy, high-quality product photos are a must. It’s that
simple. The product photos you use are important and they can make a big
difference, so it is not something you should neglect.

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Product photos are the first thing your customers will see when they enter your
Etsy shop and browse through the products you have to offer. That means you
need to make a good first impression. Otherwise, they won’t buy anything.

Your product photos should introduce what you’re selling and also give potential
customers the information they need to inspire them to make a purchase. Now,
taking great product photos requires practice but it is doable even if you don’t
have photography experience.

When taking product photos for your Etsy shop, keep these 5 points in mind:

1. The photos should be clear and light

Product photos need to be instantly appealing to customers, which is why the

product needs to be clearly visible. I recommend sellers take their product photos
on a white or simple background that doesn’t clash with the product and use
natural light.

You can choose a corner at home near a window that provides a good source of
natural light and use a white wall or hang a white fabric or paper to use as a
background. Snap some photos and improve them with apps or software for
editing, such as Canva or Photoshop.

2. Use good equipment

I usually advise Etsy sellers to use whatever equipment they have to take their
product photos. After all, editing can make a big difference in quality. However, it
is obvious that a professional camera will provide better results than an old
smartphone.

If you have a professional camera, take advantage of it. If you only have a
smartphone to work with, use it well. What’s important is that you take your
product photos. In the future, you will be able to invest in better equipment and
take higher quality photos. For now, use whatever equipment you have and tweak
the resolution settings to take good photos.

3. Be cohesive

All your product photos need to be cohesive, meaning they need to have the
same style. When customers explore your Etsy shop, they should find a consistent
display of products. So, take all your photos on the same background and edit

4. Provide information

The product photos you display on your Etsy shop should answer the most
common questions that potential customers might want to ask. I once read
something that is very true when you’re setting up your Etsy shop: “Write your
description as if you didn’t have any photos and take your photos as if you didn’t
have any description”.

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Usually, product photos should provide information about the size, the materials,
the colours available, etc., but you can also add care instructions, shop reviews,
and other relevant information. Always include photos of what the product looks
like when it is worn or used, and take photos from different angles.

5. Be better than the competition

Earlier, we discussed how important it is to research your competition so you can

use that information to your advantage and stand out. That’s why you should
check out their product photos. What do they look like? What kind of background
do they use? How are they displaying their products? What information can you
get only from looking at their photos?

For example, if your competitors are showing how their products are being used,
you can do the same but show the product’s functionality in different scenarios. If
they barely provide information about sizes, create a complete size guide in
inches and centimetres so customers can have all the information they need.

Taking good photos of your products is not difficult at all, you just have to keep
these key elements in mind. Your goal is to make a good first impression on your
Etsy shop visitors, so take good photos, edit them well, and provide the
information your customers need.

Plus, if your photos are great, people are more likely to share them on social
media and bring more eyes to your Etsy shop!

· The Importance of SEO Optimization

If you have done your research on Etsy or simply scrolled through forums and
conversations about selling on Etsy, you may already know that SEO is one of the
most common struggles for Etsy sellers.

While I understand that SEO can be challenging and even daunting for some
people, I believe it is a huge part of your success on Etsy. That means it is
important to understand SEO and learn how to use it to your advantage.

So, what is SEO? It stands for Search Engine Optimization and it refers to the
information and data that the Etsy algorithm can pick up from your listings to
make you rank in relevant searches and show your products to the right people.

To find this data, the Etsy algorithm will look at your listing title and the tags you
use to detect the relevant keywords. SEO is important for many different reasons,
such as:

● Etsy is a highly competitive market where you’re up against thousands if

not millions of other sellers. Being found by your target audience will give
you an advantage, so it should be your main focus, which is where SEO
comes in.

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 ● Neglecting your SEO efforts will keep your store from showing up on
potential customer searches. Or even worse, your store will be shown in
searches that are not relevant to your products. This will directly impact
your views and your sales.
● If you plan on investing in marketing strategies in the future, not having an
SEO strategy from the start will actually make you lose money.

When it comes to Etsy SEO, the listing title and tags you use are two of the most
important factors to keep in mind in your SEO efforts. So, let’s discuss these
factors more in-depth.

Etsy Listing title

Length: Etsy allows you to use up to 140 characters for your product titles and I
strongly advise Etsy sellers to use as many as possible. Each word you use in your
product title is a keyword you can rank for. The more keywords you include in your
titles, the more potential customers will see your products.

Keyword competition: I believe that using a combination of competitive and

non-competitive keywords is the best way to rank on Etsy searches. You have to
choose your keywords well, so I strongly recommend you avoid generic or
extremely competitive keywords such as “Made in the USA” or “Gift for her”. Those
keywords are too saturated, so it makes competition a lot more difficult.

Main keywords go first: While the Etsy algorithm reads all the keywords in the
product title, it will focus mainly on the first few words. This is why you should put
your most relevant and, if possible, low to medium competitive keywords within
the first 50 to 70 characters.

Keyword separation: This is not really a rule but I advise Etsy sellers to use
separators between their keywords. Doing this makes it easier for potential clients
to read and understand your titles. An example of this would be “blue earrings,
jewellery for women, sapphire earrings” instead of “blue earrings jewellery for
women sapphire earrings”.

Etsy Tags

13 tags maximum: You can use up to 13 tags and I recommend that Etsy sellers
use them all. Each tag you don’t use reduces the chances to be discovered by
potential customers, so make sure to use them all and make sure they are
relevant to your products.

Competition balance: I believe it is important to have a good balance between

highly competitive, medium competitive, and slightly competitive keywords. A
great balance will give you the best results for your SEO strategy.

Title & tags combination: The Etsy algorithm prefers when keywords are repeated
in both the product title and the tags. This makes it easier for the algorithm to
understand what you’re selling so it can show it on relevant searches.

Long-tail tags: You should always aim to use tags that include 2 or 3 keywords
because that allows you to rank for more specific searches. For example, the tag

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“blue earring” will be a lot more effective than just “earring”. The more keywords,
the better.

No saturated keywords: I strongly recommend Etsy sellers avoid using overly

saturated keywords in their tags because it is very difficult to rank high for those
searches.

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 4. Get Your First Sale & Packaging
· Promote on Social Media

Once you have optimized your shop and your product listings, it is time to bring
your focus back to your products. Because Etsy is a marketplace, most of your
views are going to come from Etsy itself, especially if you did a good job with your
SEO.

However, you shouldn’t rely solely on Etsy to attract customers; you need to create
a strong online presence by promoting your Etsy shop on social media channels
and creating a brand around your shop to reach more and more people.

Pinterest is the first social media platform I recommend for Etsy sellers. Most of
the time, the products sold on Etsy are strongly based on image, so they will work
well on Pinterest, which is a visual platform.

Your target audience and they kind of products you offer will help you determine
the social media platform that works best for your marketing efforts. There are
many options, such as Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc., so it’s
important to choose well.

Ideally, you should have a social media presence on all major platforms because it
gives you a better chance of being found by potential customers. Whatever you
do, make sure your social media strategy is sturdy and consistent.

An easy way to promote your Etsy listings is to use the Etsy social media
integration that was introduced a few years ago. You can find it in the left column
of the Marketing section by clicking on Social Media. There, you will be able to
pick one of your listings and share any of the product photos on multiple social
media platforms with just one click.

I’m aware that this method is not the most efficient when it comes to growing an
audience on social media, especially because each social media platform has
different requirements, but I truly believe that it is a great way to start. It makes
the process fairly easy and accessible to every Etsy seller and allows them to focus
on the most important thing at the beginning of their Etsy journey: their
products.

· How to Package Your Order

Once you do everything we have talked about so far in this guide, you will get
more sales! That means you have to think about packaging and what to include in
your parcels.

I personally believe every element is important when it comes to packaging, so it

is something you have to consider long before you make your first sale and the
many that will come after.

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The way you package your products is a very important part of customer
experience, which is why it requires your attention. Think about all the times
you’ve ordered something online. Receiving and opening the parcel is a huge
part of the joy of shopping.

That’s why you want to make sure your customers feel happy when they get a
package from you. Every order should be handled with care and you need to
design stunning packaging. This will add to the satisfaction of your clients and it’s
one of the factors that lead to positive reviews.

Luckily, there are many cheap and reliable packaging options available that will
help you create a pleasant experience for your customers.

Your product packaging should be:

● Secure. There is nothing more disappointing for a customer than finding

damaged products when they open their parcel. The excitement and
enthusiasm that people feel when waiting for their order, especially
coming from Etsy, could be ruined if you fail to secure your package. To do
that, you can use multiple layers of wrapping paper, which will keep the
items from moving too much during shipment.

● Surprising. I always advise Etsy sellers to go above and beyond when

packaging their products. They should add freebies, little gifts, or a nice
note to make customers smile. Of course, these extras should be on-brand.

● Memorable. You have to make sure the customer’s unpacking experience

is as memorable as possible. How? By making them feel special and valued
so they can be inspired to purchase again. The good news is you don’t have
to break the bank to make unforgettable packing. Using custom tape,
custom stickers, or including a “thank you” note with a discount code for
their next purchase will do the trick.

Conclusion

Setting up a successful Etsy shop is not difficult, but there are a lot of
factors involved and every single one of them is important. Use this guide
to make sure every element is well-thought-out and your Etsy shop will be
able to thrive and grow into a brand you can be proud of.

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