Making 3000 Sales (or More) on Etsy
by Rita Juhlin
(Private Stock Jewelry)
Double blue quartz pendant wrapped in 14k goldfill wire, by Rita Juhlin
What does it take to make 3000 sales (or more) on Etsy?
My mind works in the "Why?" zone.
One question keeps coming up here in Rena's website is "why isn't my jewelry selling?"
Let us forget that there are a bazillion sites selling jewelry and forget that the economy is in a twitter.
In my "why" zone I set out to investigate and research to see if there were some reasonable answers to this continuing question.
I hope you readers will comment on this and offer your thoughts too. Believe me, I don't have all the answers!
First I googled "Successful jewelry stores on Etsy" and came up with some helpful and basic information from several that all said much the same.
This has been said before but we all need reminding.
In summary I found:
The Basics of Successful
Jewelry Stores on Etsy1. Make your photos near perfect.
2. Mingle with others who are in the same area of business and with positive ideas and want to share their successes, learn something new about selling and marketing everyday (everyday if you are serious about your work). Stay motivated and energized.
3. Have a range of prices to offer to a range of buyers.
4. Post feedback about your products on your store; it gives credibility.
5. Continually open your mind to tips and ideas that you may not be using. The sellers I looked at were part of an Etsy Team really working for success with each other.
6. Set goals for sales, first 50 the first year, then 100 then 400.
7. Do not undercut others in hope of making a sale.
The Super-Successful Etsy StoresThen I dug into the successful Etsy stores which equate to
3000 sales or more, ya I know, in my dreams, but it is in black and white.
These stores were
not started at the beginning of time - the stores were listed within the last couple of years and many of the sales were what I consider current within the last 3 to 6 months.
Ok, here is what I found:
What Etsy Stores
with 3000+ Sales Do 1. Near perfect pictures, for sure.
2. Great communications (with emphasis) to potential buyers:
- Getting personal.
- Superior explanations and descriptions, not flowery, best on the web.
- Not "one of a kind"; instead, "limited" is being used.
- Offering variations of the same thing, size, color, different metals. These successful sellers were asking what their buyers really wanted, frankly I was very impressed.
- Encouraging potential buyers to email for their specifics.
- The sellers acknowledged time frames for production and shipping as well as anything else a buyer might want.
- The sellers really catered to the potential buyer.
3. Price ranges from $10.00 to $95.00 within each store.
4. Simple jewelry designs, quality workmanship, inexpensive but quality materials, eye catching website and store designs. (What I mean by inexpensive materials would be 3" of sterling and 2 quality 6mm or 7mm pearls for $20; or up to seven 3.5mm to 4mm true gemstones and gold-filled metal for $35 to $40.)
5. Surprisingly to me there wasn't much variety in jewelry design in these stores; it was just a few good designs that sold very well, over and over.
In conclusion:I don't have an Etsy shop. I've thought about it but preferred my own site, and after doing this research it might not be a bad idea.
I truly believe that if we want sales we need to really dig in and do the research to find out what works.
Do your homework before you jump in, get as much information as you can get, participate and get to know others in your chosen niche, again, if you are serious.
I learned a long time ago:
People spend money on what is important to them.
It has nothing to do with what they can afford.
That is one reason credit card balances are in the billions.We simply have to stand out to get those people to spend their dollars with us.
So, don't give up - success is in your future if it isn't there yet!
Just work harder, becoming excellent in all that you do; it is a never-ending thing we should all do.
"When 'Why' becomes the 'What'" means get pro-active, or do what you have to do and then be sure you DO IT!
I've been successful in my life as well as fortunate in many ways and I'm not talking about money, but I've always worked smart and I've never ever given up. I have always strived to learn something new everyday and get better at what I do best.
Please share your comments!
My best to all \o/
Rita Juhlin
Private Stock Jewelry
Home Based Jeweler's Showcase
Private Stock Jewelry blog
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