Your Foolproof Guide on How to Get Sales on Etsy From Day One

Here are 14 smart (and proven) tips on how to get sales on Etsy

Okay, you’ve done it; you started your own Etsy shop (yeah!) You know what you’re going to sell, and now that you’re committed, you’re wondering the big scary questions…

“How do I even get sales on Etsy?”

Well, good news, there are a lot of different things you can do to help you get sales and keep increasing them. Let’s go through the top 14 tips on how to get sales on Etsy and give your shop the best chance. 

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may make a commission at no cost to you. Please read my full disclosure for more info

14 Ways for how to get sales on Etsy (consistently!)

Figuring out exactly how to get sales on Etsy is a very common question, as there’s so much competition; how do you stand out? Yet, it’s complicated to answer because there are so many variables, and they can change frequently. As an Etsy shop owner, here are 13 Etsy tips to get your shop found and your listings noticed by your target market.

1. Etsy SEO (Etsy search engine optimization)

Etsy SEO is similar to general online SEO yet, but there are specific strategies that work on Etsy. I’m not an expert on it by any means, as this is a hot topic, and people make a living by teaching online classes and courses on how to do this.  

This factor has the most significant impact on your Etsy sales, which is why so many people focus heavily on writing a fantastic product description, their listing titles, and shop info. We’re talking keyword-rich descriptions that entice the customer to buy. For example, if you’re selling candles, you’d want to include in your listing phrases that a potential buyer might mention.

• beeswax candle
• handmade candle
• 8 hr candle
• soft jasmine scented candle
• small batch handcrafted candle with organic essential oils
• … you get the drift. Say the same thing, lots of different ways so your item gets found. All while painting a beautiful picture with words on why they need this specific candle and why they should buy one for each friend!

If you’re sure you’re 100% all-in on selling on Etsy, then you absolutely want to take an online course from a reputable teacher (see list below). You’ll also want to invest in a keyword tool that can help you target the words that are the most searched for. Remember, Etsy’s algorithm adjusts, so what may work one season may not work another, so a keyword tool is a must!

Learn how to do SEO…

• SEO Today: Strategies to Earn Trust, Rank High, and Stand Out
• YouTube Success – 7 Step Guide to YouTube SEO
• Stupid Simple SEO (highly recommended!)
• The Ultimate SEO Training 2022 + SEO For WordPress Websites

2. Use a great Etsy analysis tool

Using an Etsy data tool can help you in so many ways. It takes guessing out of the equation and uses data to help drive your decisions.

EtsyHunt – EtsyHunt is an all-in-one platform for Etsy sellers. They even have a chrome extension so can analyze pages in your current window (no need to have 34 tabs open!). They have a ton of tools and features; let’s go through some of the main ones…

• Keyword tool – it gives a full analysis of views, favorites, traffic trends, and sales. It even breaks down the long tail keywords from that seed keyword and gives data analysis on each.
• Shop Analysis – their tool breaks down the top selling shops (or a shop of your choice) and gives you data on sales, product reviews, favorites, etc.
• Product Analysis – if there’s a product you want to create, then you can analyze the current top sellers of that item and find out everything you need to know – it’s sales, traffic trends, tags, price points… everything!
• Listing Analysis – this is where the tool can help you maximize your sales potential by reviewing your current listings and telling you where you can tweak things to get more sales. Maybe expand on your description, change some of your tags, adjust your title, etc.
• Misc tools – they even have an Etsy fee calculator, so you can price your products exactly where you need them to be to make money, while still remaining competitive. They also have a Facebook support group, where you can go to ask all your questions and get insider tips on how to find the best data points to create the products your customers will go crazy for!

They have three account levels, (even a free level), but the paid levels give you all the bells & whistles! You may not need it all right now, so sign up for the free level now, get familiar with the tool, and as you grow, you can upgrade later if you want all the features.

3. Advertising

I hate to say it, but sales platforms have realized that people will pay extra to get more exposure – enter Etsy ads. This is a hot topic as there are requirements for some shops to participate if you make over $10,000 in Etsy sales in a 12 month period.

It’s been mentioned that newer shops won’t benefit as much from paid ads, as you need solid SEO in place for Etsy to put your ads in front of the right people, and Etsy SEO takes time for a shop owner to learn, practice, and perfect.

For the optional advertising, Etsy ad campaigns run on…

• Cost per click basis – you pay on a bid for how much you will pay per click. This could be $.02 per click or $.10 per click; it’s up to you. Yet, the Etsy algorithm will place you appropriately in the mix, so if another shop outbids you for the same keyword (i.e., they pay $.10 per click while you pay $.05 per click, their ad will be seen more.
• You set a daily budget of how much you want to spend. For example, you could cap it at $10 a day for a week. So your investment can be as big or as little as you want.
• Be strategic with your promoted listing, know when its top sales times are seasonally (look at historical trends), and run ads right then. Or focus your ad dollars during busy Etsy sales volumes (aka Black Friday, but be prepared to pay more then).

4. Social media

One of the most used ways to try and get traffic to your Etsy shop is to have a solid social media game. We’re talking Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc. New shop owners tend to go towards this option as it’s seemingly easy and has a low barrier to entry.

While it seems easy, you definitely have to have an overall strategy and be consistent with it. You can’t go live once and expect sales. Again, this is an area where you’d want to learn from a reputable expert via an online course or membership group.  

You’ll want to know how to run posts to increase excitement over a new product launch or how to promote an upcoming sale. You’ll want to know how to use social media to grow your email list (more on this below) and how to run giveaways or contests. There are so many possibilities, so it’s exciting and overwhelming at the same time.

I want to say that putting all your focus on a great social media platform presence could have great results, yet those results aren’t always long-lasting. Once you stop being so active (and you will get tired of being on social), then the number of views to your shop will dwindle. That’s why people suggest you focus on strategies and tactics where the results compound over time (Etsy SEO, learning how to take fantastic product photographs, perfect your descriptions, etc.).

Brush up on your skills right here…

• Digital marketing crash course for online marketing: social media, email, SEO, advertising and more
• The Ultimate Digital Marketing Class 2022: 6 Classes in 1
• Digital Marketing Strategy and Planning Specialization
• The Complete Digital Marketing Bootcamp

5. Customer reviews

One of the lesser-used ways for people to make their Etsy business stand out is to get good customer reviews, which can be challenging if you don’t have any customers. This one is a slow burn but absolutely worth the effort. If your friends like your product, don’t be shy; ask them for a great review!

One smart way to get more sales on Etsy is to offer your product at a lower price point than your competition to get more sales (and hopefully more reviews). Then, once you have a decent number of reviews, you can increase the price to align with your profit margin strategy.

Getting great customers reviews on your product is only part of the picture; your level of customer service also impacts reviews. Honestly, for myself, I don’t usually give reviews for a product I bought and liked. Almost all my reviews are prompted by either great or ghastly customer service.

How to deliver excellent customer service, an easy list…

• Be prompt in replying to potential customer emails. Answer their question 110% of the way, give them details they didn’t know they needed. Be very polite, and always thank them for their interest in your shop.
• Anticipate customer questions with a FAQ section. Chances are, if you hear the same question over and over again, you may have conflicting info on your site, which isn’t great.
• Deliver your item with the intent to impress! Have nice tissue paper and cute boxes, include a thank you note. Also, offering gift wrap and gift boxes is a big plus!
• Always be honest, and if you mess up, own the mistake and apologize for it and then make it right. (Yes, making “it right” for the customer may be costly, but it’s 100% worth it.
• If you are working on a custom job that is very involved, send them updates of your progress, add pictures, so they know how it’s going (and that their order isn’t forgotten about).
• If you get a bad review, answer it publicly and politely, so others can see you work hard to make things right.
• For repeat customers, add a personal note of thanks or a small gift as a thank you.

6. Put your best face forward

This means that you create and showcase your brand in the best light. (You have a brand, right?). This means you have a great shop name – don’t try and be too clever, when people are confused they go somewhere else. Have a logo, have a color scheme that looks amazing. Your images are high quality. You get the idea; you want to look like an official business, not a lemonade stand.

Having an official shop also means that you have a presence. Ideally, you’d have a decent amount of listings. Think 20 items to start; that’s not an official number of listings, just a generally accepted number from Etsy experts and researching the Etsy Community forums.

Brush up on your branding know-how right here…

• Personal Branding: Crafting Your Social Media Presence
• Create Feminine Lifestyle Branding For Creatives: Logo & Brand Board
• Intro To Branding: What Is A Brand?

7. Start an email list to get repeat customers (aka loyal customers)

You officially cannot get access to email addresses from Etsy purchasers through the platform. However, there are workarounds. But first, let’s understand the power of what an email list can do for you.

In 2020, Etsy’s active buyers increased 77%, which is a solid increase (primarily due to the pandemic and growth in online shopping all around). However, Etsy increased its habitual buyer market by 157% over LY.  Habitual buyers are Etsy shoppers who’ve made purchases on six or more days and spent $200 or more on Etsy in the past 12 months.  And an email list can help cultivate new shoppers into habitual shoppers!

So if you can’t get access to your buyers’ email, how do you do it? Let’s go over one of the easier ways.

• Have your shop banner (the big image at the top of your page), highlight that they can get a discount if they sign up for your email list, and say “the link is in the description.”  
• There is a Chrome for everything, and Marketsy can help you with collecting your customer email addresses. However, it’s against Etsy’s shop policies to do this. Why do I mention this option if it’s not okay? Because I don’t want to do something that you didn’t realize was bad. Due to GDPR regulations, your potential customer must agree to be emailed before you start sending them marketing. (However, you can email them about their order).  
• A clever way to collect customer email addresses is with every order, include a small card that tells them about a gift they get. It has to be digital, so maybe a printout of the many ways to use or style your item, or a free cute art print, or how to do XYZ that complements your product. Then when they type in the link, that’s where you ask them to sign up for your list to get that free item.
• In each product listing photo gallery, have an image with the website info to a special page, a VIP group, where they can get extra discounts, or info on your listings, etc.

Once you have them on your email list, you nurture the relationship. You can email them…

• Behind the scenes look into how you make your items (people love to look behind the curtain).
• New product listings
• Upcoming Etsy sales
• New services – gift wrap, personalization, etc.

Again, nurturing an email list is an art form; you do want to take a course on how to write effective and engaging emails to help you turn a new shopper into a habitual shopper.  Kate Doster offers a fantastic course on how to build & grow your email list, as well as what to write to them and how to write it.

8. Have great photographs of your listings

Just like with a dinner menu, a bad photograph can sink a potential shopper. Seriously, your photos are a big deal. You need to make your products look as amazing as possible! Great lighting, nice backdrop (or on a model), and showing all the positives about it.

This is where you’ll really want to scrutinize the competition and see what the big sellers are doing.

Make sure you upload the correct sized images with the proper resolution, and ones are optimized (not too big as to slow down the customer seeing it).

• Photo Styling How to Class
• Product Photography at Home
• Mobile Product Photography for a Higher Revenue: A Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs

9. Encourage them to buy more

Well, this sounds obvious. Of course, you want customers to buy more; but how do you get them to add more items to their cart? Don’t worry; we’ve got some great options…

• Offer free shopping once their order reaches a certain level. You obviously need to figure out how much you’ll lose on having the customer pay for shipping and how much you have to gain. There’s a tipping point where you’ll make more than the cost of shipping, so be deliberate and strategic when you figure this out.
• Create item lines that offer “special editions” of something. If people love your holiday candles, then make a new one or two in that same line.
• Create a category in your Etsy store that is part of a “collection.” People are completists, and they love to have a full set of something. Now, this only works for specific product lines, so think this through and research your competition.
• Offer upsells – Now we touched on this before, but a great upsell could be gift boxes and wrap, with delivery straight to the recipient, with a personalized message from them that you can write in your beautiful handwriting (or create as a digital card to print).
• Suggest cross-sells – know which of your items complement each other and how, and share that with the customer. Within your Etsy listing, you can link to the complimentary item.

10. An easy to understand return policy 

No one wants to lose a customer over a wishy-washy or lame return policy. Make it very clear what your policy is and honor it without hesitation. Remember, these customers give reviews too. Yes, accepting a return stinks, but if you’re in it for the long haul, then the goodwill you create will go a long way.

11. Share your story

Etsy is the place that people go to for handmade, custom, and unique items. This is the place for small business owners that love their craft. Share why you started, what inspires your items, and why you keep going.

Would you rather buy from a stark and stiff business or from Julia who makes her candles in her she-shed, with her 10-year-old daughter, who happens to name the scents “unicorny.” You need to tell your story in a way that inspires your Etsy shoppers to want to support you – but don’t be long-winded; keep it brief and moving.

12. Fight for your customers

Don’t worry; no boxing gloves are needed. But let’s be honest, how many times have you put something in your cart and then left it… for days… until you totally forgot about it. Yeah, me too.

Sending an abandoned cart follow-up campaign can put your listing back at the top of their mind. You can choose just a simple “hey, remember me” email or offer them a 10% off coupon to help motivate them into taking action. Don’t worry; it’s not complicated; Etsy is set up for this feature (which other sales platforms aren’t).

13. Know what your customers like and make more of that

This sounds a bit obvious but pay attention to not only your best sellers (and try and create something similar but new) but pay attention to what people are favoriting, seriously your Etsy stats can tell you so much. Start to brainstorm different things like your top item, or maybe lower the price point on it a bit, run a sale on it, etc.

“The best part of this is that the person who liked or favorited an item will be notified that the item was marked down, and in many cases, people will purchase in order to get the lower price while the item is on sale.” (source)

Not sure what customers like these days? Be sure to check out this post What to sell on Etsy – 25 Etsy Shop Ideas, this will give you some great ideas on what’s selling right now! You can make anything from candles, stickers, digital products, crochet wall hangings, or even printables.

14. Bring more customers into your sphere

If you’ve mastered the other options/tips, you can work on expanding your reach. Note: this isn’t for new Etsy store owners. You can’t spread yourself too thin; you need to master one thing first before you move on to the next.

You can start a blog or start a YourTube channel. Both take time to develop and nurture, so this isn’t a quick fix for getting more traffic. It’s just another layer on the cake.

Maybe you don’t need more Etsy sales

Remember, having lots of customers is great, but if your expenses are way too high, you’ll never make the profit margin you need to stay in business. Yup, you have three options when it comes to being more profitable…

• Attract more potential buyers and sell more goods.
• Charge a higher price.
• Lower expenses so it costs you less to make the same item.

For that last bullet point, when figuring out your profit don’t forget to include all your costs…

• Seller fees – listing fee, transaction fee, payment processing fee
• Etsy fees for advertising
• Shipping costs – postage, boxes, tissue, tape, etc.
• Raw product costs
• Cost for support programs – keyword tool, social media scheduler, graphics program, photography equipment, email marketing program, online courses, and memberships
• Time – your most valuable asset. If it takes you 4 hours to make something that you sell for $5 is it worth it?

A rough idea of how your costs go looks something like the formulas below…

A note about perfecting your Etsy shop

A few of these tips talk about how you should take an online course or learn from the best. Yes, this involves laying out money, sometimes a decent bit of money.  

A word of caution – Don’t try to piece together a strategy or learn from people’s freebies (something free you get for signing up for their email list). These freebies are often outdated and are usually basic in what they tell you. And when you’re just starting, it can be hard to tell who is a bonafide pro at Etsy AND if they are a good teacher.  

Besides, trying to learn everything for free from anyone who has a freebie can be confusing, as they sometimes offer different advice. Or it seems that you’re reading the same tips over and over again, which slows down your progress A LOT. Trust me, I tried to learn everything for free from anyone who had anything to say, and I regret it.

Research different gurus, ask around in Facebook groups who other people recommend and invest in your own success. It will save you lots of time, the information will be up to date, and you’ll see results faster.

When you’re looking at buying a course or membership, be sure to sit on it for a few days, don’t ever buy anything the day you see it! Be sure that you like the course creator and that the topic is something you want to implement within the next three months. Too many times, people get very excited about learning, and they buy 15 courses and never end up taking them. Sad but true.

A great place to start is to check out Morgan Nield; she started an Etsy shop of baby headbands and skyrocketed it. She now teaches others how to do exactly what she did. She has a few online course options on Etsy SEO, Etsy Marketing, and running profitable promotions. She also has a podcast, so be sure to check out that free resource too!

How much can you make on Etsy?

A LOT.

No, seriously, you can make a lot of money selling on Etsy. You need a really good plan and a great product, and some good timing. Let’s take a look at some of the details…

• In 2023, there are 81.9 million active buyers.
• In 2022, Etsy’s annual gross merchandise sales volume “amounted to 13.3 billion U.S. dollars, up from 314 million in product sales in 2010.”  

That’s a lot of money in sales, and part of it could be yours, but let’s look at some individual shops.

PlannerKate1

• Opened her shop in 2014
• Sells – planner stickers & planner organization
• Has had 1,960,000+ sales (as of Fall 2023)
• Averages 584 sales a day
• Has 2,801 active listings
• Prices range from $1.10 to about $12. Let’s say an average of $5 per sale (total guess), x 584 daily sales = $2,920 in daily sales

Wow, that’s a lot! And that’s why she’s consistently a top seller on Etsy. (Hint – you can sell digital downloads on Etsy too! We’ll show you how.)

CaitlynMinimalist

• Opened her shop in 2014
• Sells: simple jewelry
• Had 244,000+ transactions
• Has 1,256 active lsitings
• Averages 748 daily sales

BeadBoat

• Opened her shop in 2014
• Sells: craft supplies & tools
• Has over 1,860,000+ transactions
• Has 8,042 active listings
• Averages 558 daily sales

These are some examples of Etsy shop owners who have made it big! While that’s inspiring, it may not be realistic for you to focus on those sales numbers in the beginning.

Etsy doesn’t release shop sales figures, so you can’t tell how much the average Etsy shop makes (which is frustrating). But knowing the sales unit volume is inspiring! Besides, you could take a look at their listings, and guess an average price and times that by their daily sales to get a rough estimate of sales.

At the end of the day

Setting up an Etsy shop can be so exciting and nerve-racking. I get it; figuring out how to get sales on Etsy can be confusing, but hopefully, you’ve got a few ideas from this post that you can start working on right away! You want to start making some money soon and show that your amazing idea is really and truly amazing!

Okay, stop reading, go start doing all those things!

Articles related to how to get sales on Etsy – Etsy store tips to get noticed:

• What to sell on Etsy – 25 Etsy Shop Ideas
• 9 Creative Ways to Make Money
• Be Your Own Boss with These Work From Home Mom Jobs
• 10 Easy Woodworking Projects That Sell Like Hot Cakes!

Which of these Etsy tips will help you get more sales on Etsy?