Etsy Shop Success Tips

Etsy Product Packaging, originally uploaded by mytwobabes.

Etsy is a great marketplace. As a seller, I am always searching out the best way to market my products!

I have been reading lots of great tips from successful "Etsians" like MaryMarie and thought I would offer some tips myself! I am not an authority by any means, but have definately learned a thing or two over the last year! Most of it the hard way!

Tip 1: Take a personal interest in your customer. Know where they live, what their shop is like, and check-out their favorites. It will help you get to know your basic demographic for product development.

Tip 2: Make sure to include a personal note with all your sold items. A personalized thank-you adds a touch of thoughtfulness they may not have found in another shop. It also makes it more likely your customer will share the business cards you included in the package, with a friend.

Tip 3: Product packaging is key! I love to recieve gifts in the mail, and I want my customers to feel like they are really getting something special. When products go out for MyTwoBabes, I always include two business cards, a $1.00 giftcard toward their next purchase, and special product packaging with their hand-written Thank You note. (See the pic above.)

Tip 4: Make sure you have the correct postage on your package when shipping. If you do not, the recipient on the other end will have to pay the difference! You definately don't want to do that to a valued customer!

Tip 5: Keep track of the expense it takes to run your shop. This includes your supplies, inventory, shipping, marketing, and Etsy/PayPal fees. To help with this I use a PayPal debit card for all my Etsy supply purchases and to make sure that any money made on Etsy goes right back into the business. I also created an Excel spreadsheet to track how much it costs for each purchase made. Hopefully I'll be turning a profit soon, but for now, I work for 'free' - I'll have to figure out how to incorporate an hourly wage soon!

Hope this helps! I am sure I'll be learning more along the way!
I'll try to pass on any new ideas!