An elderly woman hand sews and creates heart-shaped ornaments.
I'm obsessed with Etsy, both the products and the talent of the small businesses that leverage the platform. If you're just starting out on Etsy and want to know how to grow your Etsy business, here's what I've researched. It's always going to be a struggle to rely on one platform for all your income, but there are things you can do to make a little more money on Etsy.
Understand your niche
The first step to winning on Etsy is to really understand your niche. Knowing the details of your products, your target audience, and what sets you apart is essential. Conduct market research to understand customer preferences and trends in your niche. This can be as simple as asking friends, sending out surveys to past customers, or doing a Google search, but make sure you get as much information as you can.
Maximize visibility
This one is obvious, but often overlooked: you need to get people to see your Etsy page. Do a little research on what SEO is, then leverage Etsy SEO to research relevant keywords and incorporate them into your product titles, descriptions, and tags. High-quality images and detailed product descriptions are also great, so use portrait mode or borrow some from a friend to get some high-quality images. Regularly updating your shop and listings will also increase your visibility on the platform. Additionally, Etsy's advertising platform gives you the opportunity to increase your shop's visibility, so give it a try. We recommend starting with a small budget at first to see what works for you.
Social Media is Your Friend
You can't live off Etsy ads alone. At least, I don't think so. Social media is a great tool to drive traffic to your Etsy shop. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook (yes, even Facebook) are great for promoting your products. Engage with your followers, work with influencers, and use targeted ads to reach a wider audience. And pay attention to what works and what doesn't so you can iterate intelligently.
Streamline your fulfillment process
As your Etsy business grows, so does managing production and fulfillment. If possible, consider outsourcing production to a trusted partner, at least as soon as orders start pouring in. Have shipping and logistics solutions that can accommodate increased volume without sacrificing delivery times, which is crucial for customer satisfaction. The same goes for expanding your product line: do it smartly, and outsource when it becomes unmanageable. Expanding gradually allows you to test the market and adjust your strategy without overstretching your resources.
Look at the data
Data is key to growing your small business, especially on an online platform. Thankfully, Etsy provides its sellers with valuable data on shop visits, conversion rates, and customer behavior, as do the social media apps that advertise. This data helps you understand which products are popular, when your sales peak, where your traffic is coming from, and more. All of this is key to deciding where to focus your efforts in the future.
