On a deliriously hot day that included a thunderstorm and some very tropical rain, I visited Etsy HQ in London for a personalised day at Etsy School. This was part of my prize from the Mollie Makes Handmade Awards and promised to be a unique opportunity to get an insider view of how Etsy works and how to make the most of my own Etsy shop.
The Etsy offices are EXACTLY how I imagined they would be. Part industrial chic/ part treehouse, it is full of quirky spaces filled with handmade beauties the staff have found on Etsy. Almost everything in the office is from Etsy, from cutlery to furniture. This is a committed bunch of people. I was in eye-candy heaven and spent more time than I should taking photos of feather garlands and crocheted zebra heads (cue Instagram spam).
After a pleasant and completely indulgent breakfast (second breakfast, actually) at The Modern Pantry, I was tied up in meetings and seminars, all the way through to the office picnic lunch; managing to squeeze in another meeting before cakes and then one last seminar before a well-deserved cocktail in the company of some radical taxidermy. Yup, I'm a work-hard-play-hard kinda gal.
It was a jet-set adventure, flying down and back on the same day, and I took in as much as I could while I was there. The team gave me lots of great marketing advice and a personal dossier on ways to improve my Etsy shop. I also learned about Etsy itself: how it started, grew and where it hopes to go and I was impressed by how hard Etsy works for the sellers. These guys really, really care about us sellers and that warms my heart.
My latest Etsy treasury
I have already blogged my three favourite tips for your Etsy shop, but there was so much more that I need to share, so here's little extra!
p.s. My shop is a far-from perfect example; this is more a 'do as I say, not as I do' list...
- Fill up your shop: I had only three items listed in my shop - shameful! Any less than twenty listings will not do you any favours. "A hundred listings works best, but have at least twenty listings or your shop will look unfinished." List the same item more than once if you have to.
- Create a coherent look: Try to use the same images throughout your shop, such as your banner and your icon, to create a strong brand image.
- Tags: Make sure you use up all your tags in your product listing. This is a great tool to expand your visibility on the site. Be focused on what your product is, but also think creatively about what's trending and how your product can relate to that.
- Photos: I'm not a photographer, but I've taken advice from books, bloggers and magazines about getting a good shot. Indirect, natural light seems to be the key! If you can get a well-styled shoot with your products in context, that's great. Otherwise, opt for a cut-out effect with a plain white background.
- The other pages: This can be exhausting, but your other pages deserve a little TLC. Your 'About' page, your 'Shipping and Policy' page, your shop announcements - try to give a little of your personality to these spaces and have fun with them. "I'm always more attracted to shops that have a friendly policy page and sound like a real person."
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Despite the best efforts of the Etsy team, I'm still a bit foggy on the details here. Basically, it's about keywords. Be assured, Etsy is doing their darnedest to make sure that your Etsy shop will be one of the first places that Google hits. (And BTW, no shop gets preferential treatment over the others.)
- Favourites, followers and treasuries: There is a bunch of fun stuff to do on Etsy to promote your shop. And you'll make some friends on the way! Start following other Etsy members and favourite their items and shops. Check out your feed to see what others are recommending. And I've just discovered treasuries! The Etsy home page features a different treasury every day. You can curate your own beautiful collections from Etsy items and then convo the makers to let them know. I've had a few features in other people's treasuries and it is both flattering and a great way to meet other makers.
- Etsy blog and newsletter: Since my visit, I've been following the Etsy UK blog and signed up for the newsletter. They're great for keeping up-to-date with Etys developments and for discovering new stuff.
- The Seller Handbook: I could have saved us all a lot of time and just put this one first on the list. Because this sweet number has everything above and a whole lot more. So many great articles and advice for sellers.
Whoa, that was a LOT extra! Sorry for the information overload. There's just so much to do!
No comments:
Post a Comment