Selling on Etsy: The Learning Curve

The first non-calendar item I ever sold on etsy (Nov 2010).
Ugh. Horrible staging.

An interesting thread in the etsy forums today got me thinking about the massive learning curve necessary to make the transition to online sales. Many of us that have been doing shows or selling in booths for years already grok what's necessary to generate sales in those venues. We might be good at staging, or merchandising, or knowing our clientele. For online sales, however, it's a whole new ballgame.

 

This bad boy is currently listed in my shop. MUCH better product photo.

Guess what? Buyers can't touch your item, or heft it, or inspect it for flaws. There's an etsy adage that you need to photograph your item as if there is no description, and describe it as if there is no photo—and I live by it. Many vintage dealers don't get it, and rely on what we call the "autopsy shot" (dead-on shot from above)—popularized on ebay.

Etsy is a unique venue in that many of its buyers are savvy online/catalog shoppers. Note the popularity and reliance on the treasury feature. Hence, it's really beneficial to read up on product photography. Imagine your item in a catalog. Will that photo jump out at a buyer and make a buyer WANT it? What I did in the above doggie photo is employ the 3/4 view and add visual interest with the red/white box.

THEN. We have to think about SEO (search engine optimization). And not just etsy SEO, but Google SEO. It would be sooooo easy if all etsy buyers were just like us. We could title/tag everything as simply "crusty scale" or "creepy doll". Nuff said. Items would FLY out of the shop, right? Hell, I bet we wouldn't even have to bother with photos. All I'd need to read is "lot of yardlong photos" and I'd click the BUY button....

 

Yes, an autopsy shot, but with fun staging.

Unfortunately, online selling is harder. But, just like selling at a show or in a booth, it can be learned. Know your audience and what it takes to sell online. I'm no expert, but in my years of selling (and over 500 sales), I'd like to offer up some advice to anyone considering selling on etsy (or wanting to beef up their sales).

 

Make your photo a statement.

1. Understand (and respect) the importance of good photos. It'll take practice, I know. Showcase your item either with appropriate and interesting staging, or silhouette it on a plain background. The latter is key if you want to be featured in treasuries. Fair or not, treasury makers look for a cohesiveness of background. Don't plunk your item on a carpet, or drape it over a chair, or in your driveway (yes, I've seen that). Remember that every etsy (or even Google) search brings up a "gallery view" of similar items. Will your photo be the one a buyer clicks on? Which brings me to ...

2. Check out the competition. How does your photo/description stand up next to a similar item? Many buyers may want your item, but what makes YOUR crusty scale more appealing than the one next to it? If 2 items are similar, have the same price, and same attributes, don't you think a better photo will be the tipping point?

3. Ugh. Learn, understand, and love SEO. Like it or not, you need to understand how to title/tag/describe your items online. For etsy, you need to have the same accurate phrases EXACTLY in both your title and tag to come up high in a search for that item. For instance, if you have a creepy doll for sale, you need "creepy doll" in your title AND in your tags. Use the "noun" of what your item is as often as possible in your tags. If it is the aforementioned doll, the word "doll" should appear in every single tag. Maybe "creepy doll", "decrepit doll", "damaged doll", "scary doll", etc. are your tags.

For Google relevancy, your title and description are important (Google doesn't look at tags). Get the same keywords in your description as well.

I'd also recommend using the word "vintage" in conjunction with your keyword. Etsy buyers can narrow down their searches to include ONLY items in a vintage category, but most Google buyers will include the word "vintage" in their search. Google also crawls your shop title (the gray words under your banner) and shop announcement and shop categories to see what you sell. I'd recommend including "vintage" in those as well. Yeah, I haven't done it yet, but it's a "best practice".

4. Keep up on current trends and phrasings. Let's say I have a scary doll for sale in my etsy shop. Next month, Flea Market Style magazine does a huge spread on dolls and emphasizes that "creepy-ass dolls" are all the rage. You betcha I'd change my tags/title to be "creepy-ass dolls". OK, that's an extreme example, because I'd just love to include "ass" in my tags. My point is: if people are calling your items something different than what you are, your item won't be found. If it's called something different in Europe, you'd better have that in your tags as well.

5. Divulge information. The motto of the modern marketplace might be caveat emptor, but you don't want to deal with returns, negative feedback, or chargebacks. Utilize all 5 available photo spaces to show all aspects of your item. With vintage, many of our items will have flaws, so it's best to accurately depict and describe them upfront rather than face a return or negative feedback. The first photo should be appealing—all subsequent photos (when appropriate) should divulge any flaws, as should your description. I also recommend including at least one photo that shows your item with something to scale (a ruler, a quarter, a half-empty bottle of Dr Pepper—which I've seen, believe it or not), and one should show the back or the underside.

With vintage, we need to remember that many of our buyers are NOT vintage enthusiasts. They just saw a cool picture of a vintage typewriter in a Pottery Barn catalog and want one for their office bookshelf. But, a serious typewriter collector will be looking at the same listing. Divulge whether it is in working condition (and if not, what's wrong with it). Or, explain that it's for decorative purposes only and is in nonfunctional working order.

6. Research shipping. Do your research and don't guess on shipping charges or you will get bit. Buy a digital scale. Weigh your items with packing materials (it doesn't have to be wrapped—just pile it all on the scale) to get an accurate weight. I splurged and bought a digital scale at the post office (because it's guaranteed accurate) for about $30. Then, go to postcalc.usps.gov to figure out the precise shipping charges. I've never been off. 

Many items can go via priority flat rate boxes, which can be a lifesaver, but are not always a good value for buyers. With vintage, the multiple "with another item" can bite you in the butt, so look into that too. You can always refund overcharges via PayPal. We've all had to eat shipping charges, but you'll get better at it.

7. Be VERY careful about shipping charges for large/oversize/furniture items. I don't go anywhere near this, but it comes up a lot. You cannot put $0.00 in your shipping charges and mention "contact me with your zip for an accurate shipping charge." By law, in doing so, you have indicated that shipping charges are $0. If the buyer files a dispute, you will LOSE. Put in a shipping charge that is furthest from your location and indicate that you will refund overcharges.

8. Offer international shipping. I know a lot of sellers are leery of international sales, but DO IT. Most overseas buyers are well aware of shipping charges and any levies associated with it. At the very least, offer shipping to Canada, UK, and Australia. This month alone, I've had 2 sales to Italy. Don't box yourself out. 

9. Remember that your items are AWESOME. As with selling at a show or in a booth, buyers will always ask for a discount or offer a lower price. Personally, I'm not a haggler, so I hate this. But be prepared: it's gonna happen. Pre-plan your reaction so you're not caught off-guard. Counter-offer, or explain that you're not offering a discount at this time—just don't ignore them.

Etsy is a great auxiliary venue for anyone selling vintage. Anyone else have any etsy-specific selling advice?

Comments

[Reneesance]

Great article Sue! I've been selling on Etsy for years and never knew about repeating exactly my title wordage in the tag. Only thing I might add is be aware of customs restrictions in some countries. Italy is one that comes to mind. They have a LONG and extensive list of exclusions including ALL clothing (crazy right?) Just because your buyer lives there doesn't mean they are aware of the exclusions, as I found out myself...

[Peggy Jennings of Gramma's Linen Closet]

These are wonderful suggestions!
Getting the right lighting on my photographs has been a real challenge for me. I have a decent camera, but I either have shadows from the flash or the pictures are dark. I use a photo editing program which certainly helps, but still... I love those clear, clean, bright photos I see and haven't quite gotten the hang of it myself.
Second, your keyword advice is wonderful. I'm going to print it out and tape it next to my computer to help me when I'm writing my descriptions!
Thanks!

[Diane]

Thanks!

[Melissa]

I've been mulling Etsy over for a while now and the only thing that is holding me back is lack of know how and confidence. Now I have the know how! Thanks for the list, I'll be hanging on to it for reference!

[Barbara]

You've said it all, girl! This was great. I'm not a haggler, either, and I really do hate when I get asked for a better price. (If somebody's buying a lot, I'm happy to ... that's usually not when this comes up.) My stock response is thanks, I'm pretty comfortable with the price that's listed, and that's the end of it. (Even though I want to say, well, since I listed it TEN MINUTES AGO I don't think I'm ready to mark it down yet.) I find the Shop Stats section on Etsy really, really helpful, especially in regards to where traffic comes from.

[Annette]

This is so helpful. I just opened my shop in Nov. and made my first sale today. I need all the help I can get and I know I need to brush up on photography. Thank you for all these great tips!!!!! :>)

[Maria (Magia Mia)]

You about covered it all Sue!

I have many pet peeves, but 2 high on my list are photos and description. The seller puts up one picture only, and in very poor light. Then only one sentence in the description without quantity and measurements. I saw a post the other day for some millinery holly. The description said "Holly picks. Bunch of many." To those sellers I say to myself "Wow, don't hurt yourself" (with all that listing effort, you might strain your brain).

If two sellers have the same product I'm shopping for, I reward the seller that made more effort in the listing, even if it costs a little bit more. Because as a seller, I understand the effort in producing a quality listing, and if the vendor isn't generating any enthusiasm for the item, I'm sure as hell not moved to buy it. You need to think like a shopper when you're presenting your item.

[Sarah (Jean July Vintage)]

GREAT tips! I have a few more that I've learned over the years through plenty of trial and error.
1. Photographs - Natural daylight is king! But if you can only photograph indoors or at night, use daylight light bulbs (instead of conventional bulbs) to light up an indoor photo shoot. They will portray colors more accurately than fluorescent. And if you only adjust one setting on your camera, it should be the white balance.
2. International Shipping - Just do it! Your sales will increase. Use the 'Everywhere Else' spot in the shipping profile so that your items show up in international buyers' searches no matter where they live. Enter a shipping price on the higher end to cover your bases, and refund overages to international sellers.
3. Shipping - Have an organized and efficient shipping set-up. Use USPS.com to order free Priority Mail boxes in every size (not just flat rate!), use a scale and Etsy's shipping label printer (makes international shipping so easy!), and use the free Carrier Pickup from the USPS. You'll save time and you'll never have to go to the post office again!
4. Pricing - Don't undercharge so much that you don't make a profit. You're offering the world a service by being in business, that's why your buyers pay you to find awesome vintage pieces for them. I've undercharged in the past just to make a sale (which is fine to boost your sales & feedback numbers), but understand that it won't support your business.
5. Have fun! If it's not rewarding, it's not worth doing.

- Jean July Vintage
(http://jeanjuly.etsy.com)

[Christine]

Thanks so much for the advice from Sue and the comments that followed. I have been thinking about opening an ETSY for a while and had many questions. Now I have the answers, I just need the courage!

[arcticmum.blogspot.com]

Thank you so much for this post! I'm all new to Etsy, and will especially look into the SEO.

[Patricia]

I love all the tips and have also been debating whether or not to switch from ebay to etsy...I think I'm going to etsy for sure now! It just seems soooo much better and lots lots cheaper! Now if someone would just tell me how to get started on a blog - I really want to do one but cannot figure out step 1!!! help!!!

[Donna]

Thanks for all the tips. I'm just getting started with Etsy (opened shop in Sept). So all your advice is greatly appreciated. I've gotten a little better with the pictures. It's harder than people think to get a picture that makes your item look good.

[kristi day]

Fantastic post, Sue. And it made me remember that I have a neglected Etsy shop just waiting for some TLC.

[Anne]

Thanks for writing this. I had no idea about that SEO and repeating the noun part. You have a knack for telling things in such a clear manner that it's easily understood. Thanks!

[Bohemian Valhalla]

Though I haven't gone into Online Sales yet, it is a Future Possibility and so I appreciate these Posts Schooling us of the Process so that we don't have to Learn the hard way or be intimidated nor lulled into false confidence by ignorance of what it takes! Dawn... The Bohemian

[Sea Witch]

Fantastic and well written article on the art of selling on-line. It is all about the presentation and photography. Keep it clean with eye appeal and you have won the battle. Can't say enough about good use of tags and titles as they are the queens of the search engine. They can make or break a possible sale. People forget that there is "work" involved in a successful online shop. Well done!

[Shabby Vintage Junk]

Hey Sue....!

What a GREAT post Lovey....I'm sending the link to a Friend who has recently started selling on Etsy....I'm sure some words of wisdom from an experienced Etsian will be most useful....Mind....I'm smiling as I type that last bit thinking back to when your Etsy Store was still in its 'alleged' form....!!!!

Take care & if I don't make it back before the 'fat man' makes his way down your chimney, have a SAFE & Merry Christmas....!!!!!

Cheers,
Tamarah xx

[Joanne Selig]

Good advice for a novice, such as myself. Thanks!

[Curtains in my tree]

GREAT advice and great info.
I am wanting to start an etsy on my blog but just scared I can't get it done . Now I am going to try , really try, I know I need to work on the pictures because I just have a small sony digital camera

thanks