I’m obsessed with Etsy — both the products, and the small-business talents that make use of the platform. If you’re just getting into it now and want to know how to scale an Etsy business, I did some research to help you. It’s always hard to have all your income rely on one platform, but there are things you can do to earn a bit more on Etsy.
Understand your niche
The first step to winning Etsy is to have a deep understanding of your niche. Knowing your product’s ins and outs, your target audience, and what sets you apart is an imperative. Conduct market research to understand customer preferences and trends within your niche. This can be as simple as asking friends, sending a survey to past customers, or Googling around. But acquire as much info as you can.
Maximize visibility
This is obvious, but easily overlooked: you need people to see your Etsy page. Do a little digging into what SEO is, and then, take advantage of Etsy SEO by researching and incorporating relevant keywords into your product titles, descriptions, and tags. High-quality images and detailed product descriptions are also great, so either use your portrait mode or borrow a friend’s to get those high-quality images. Regularly updating your shop and listings can also boost your visibility on the platform. Plus, Etsy’s advertising platform offers an opportunity to increase your shop’s visibility, so try it out. I recommend starting with a small budget to figure out what works.
If you can imagine it, you can create and sell it.
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Social media is your friend
Man Cannot Live on Etsy Ads Alone. Or, at least, I think that’s the saying. Social media is an incredible tool to drive traffic to your Etsy shop. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook (yes, even Facebook) are ideal for showcasing your products. Engage with your followers, collaborate with influencers, and use targeted ads to reach a broader audience. And again, pay attention to what works and what doesn’t, so you can iterate wisely.
Find efficiencies in the fulfillment process
As your Etsy business grows, so does the complexity of managing production and fulfillment. If it’s possible, consider outsourcing production to reliable partners, at least as soon as you start to get overwhelmed with orders. There are shipping and logistics solutions that can handle increased volumes without compromising on delivery times, and that’s really important to customer satisfaction. Same goes for expanding your product line—do it intelligently, and outsource once it becomes unmanageable. Gradual expansion allows you to test the market and adjust your strategy without overextending your resources.
Look at the data
Data is key for growing a small business, especially on an online platform. Thankfully, Etsy provides sellers with valuable data on shop visits, conversion rates, and customer behavior. The social media apps do, too, if you’re running ads on them. This data can help you understand which products are popular, what times of year your sales peak, and where your traffic comes from. This is all key to determining where to place your energy in the future.
This article was written by Virginia Hogan from Forbes and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
