10 Tips For Selling On Etsy: Mistakes To Avoid

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As a new seller it is easy to make mistakes, so here are some common mistakes to avoid when selling on Etsy:

1. Not providing your information to customers

When you get an order from Etsy, include a business card that has your contact information so that new customers and returning customers can order from your shop with ease.

2. Not abiding by Etsy guidelines and federal law

Before becoming a seller, you need to understand trademark and copyright laws. Failing to learn about the rules is one of the most common mistakes people make when selling on Etsy.

“Etsy is rife with infringement, and larger companies do pursue individual sellers on the platform. It is better to spend a small amount on a licensing fee than risk having your inventory impounded and paying thousands of dollars in damages. Etsy self-policies by allowing reporting of infringement and will shut your shop down for infringing another’s intellectual property,” says attorney Chelsie Spencer.

3. Writing a description that isn’t compatible with Etsy’s SEO

Your product description is essential. Another mistake sellers make on Etsy is lacking a description or having no description of their product.

Anticipating your customer’s questions before they need to ask them is the best preemptive measure you can take before listing your products.

“Be sure to be descriptive and incorporate as many keywords as you can to help boost your shop’s SEO ranking on Google search,” writes Magen Sanders, a content manager at Promocodes.com.

4. Not collecting your customers’ contact information

When you set up a shop on Etsy, one of your first actions should be adding a link in your bio for customers to sign up for your email list.

Use incentives such as discount codes or early access to newly released merchandise to get customers to join.

A free program that works well for email marketing is ConvertKit.

5. Posting poor quality photos

A sure-fire way to seal the deal on a purchase is by using high quality/resolution photos of your products. Be sure to post multiple images at different angles, of course.

Also, don’t worry about hiring a professional photographer. Your smartphone and some free editing apps can do the trick!

6. Competing with factories

With bulk manufacturers now being able to sell on Etsy, it is hard to compete with their prices.

Just because you have the lowest price, doesn’t mean your product will sell more.

Phil Forbes of Packhelp advises to, “Deliver a high-quality product each time, and you’ll delight your customer enough to keep them coming back.”

7. Failing to market on social media

Another one of the biggest selling mistakes on Etsy is not marketing. You need a plan to strategically communicate with your customer, and the most efficient way to do so is with social media.

According to Jami Deloe of Ecomdash, “With social media, you can develop a relationship with your customers. Interacting with followers is a popular source of engagement that shows how personable your brand is.“

8. Running your Etsy business on the side

Treat your Etsy shop like a job, and you will get paid like it’s your job. If you treat it like a “side hustle,” you will get paid like it is a hobby.

9. Not using apps outside of Etsy

There are a plethora of business apps you can use to streamline some of the menial processes that accompany growing your Etsy businesses.

You can find apps for everything from uploading your products to curating marketing emails (remember–ConvertKit)!

10. Not using a spreadsheet to manage inventory

Once your shop is up-and-running and ready to sell, you need to keep your inventory organized. This way you can quickly get orders shipped and get new products listed.

“Etsy has a system called Seller Hub for keeping this type of information in order all in one place,” says Annie Pilon of Small Business Trends.

By establishing your store with factors such as outreach, SEO, and product quality, you will be able to build your brand credibly and successfully on Etsy.

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Claire Erickson is currently a blogging intern at LadyBossBlogger.com. Claire has just returned from studying abroad at the London College of Fashion and will finish her senior year studying retail merchandising back at her home university – University of Minnesota (Twin Cities). She is looking forward to having a future in buying, trend research, or planning.

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