I was looking around Etsy this morning and saw a couple of new shops that needed help. With that in mind I started writing. I have a few shops….PatternHaus is my newest but the others, GoofingOffSewing, MissEileen (vintage), and MetalWoodsnWater have over 2500 sales. Not huge but I learned a little bit to share with others.
Congratulations on your decision to work for yourself. Remember though, it is work. You just became a business owner.
Pictures
You need good ones. All angles. If you knit, consider a model. Maybe on a baby, maybe on a doll. Do you paint? Show how it could be displayed. Think how the buyer would use the item and try to get a picture of it. Use all 5 slots for the pics.
Pictures are always a work in progress for me.
Listing titles
Baby stuff tells little about your items except it is for babies. Check out what other sellers (the most successful one) call their items to get ideas. As a seller, you need something that will attract my attention. Remember, you have a lot of competition.
Listing
Describe the item…ex: "Handmade baby sweater, leggings, and matching hat made of soft, cashmere yarn." Remember to add the size, the fabulous pattern or stitch you used and if it was crocheted or knitted. Describe the color…lemon yellow, cocoa brown, mint green…whatever. Remember the buyer is using your description and not their hands to decide it he or she wants to purchase your item.
Variations
Use the variations for more than sizes. If you offer a sweater set in different colors show the colors in your listing. Take pictures of the yarn to give people a choice.
Make more than one listing.
The more listings available, the better the chance of selling. Don't use one listing for everything in your shop if the items are different. For Example: Separate hats from the sweaters. Show one in a few close ups, maybe use one a model, and then the one with all the different colors….then use the color variations. Price the hats separately from the sweater sets. They deserve their own space. So does blankets. Consider booties as a separate listing. A successful painter uses one listing for prints, one for magnets, and another for pendants….all of the same painting, all with different price points.
Shipping:
You don't ship for free. Weigh your items and decide if they need special handling or not. Think about the use of Flat Rate Envelopes from USPS. Shipping in the US should be $5.70 using USPS Priority Flat Rate Padded envelopes and insurance is included. USPS will send them to you free of charge. How about First Class Shipping? You can ship up to 16 ounces using First Class and it takes 2-4 days….and the pricing is reasonable. If your items are pre made give a turn around time that you can keep up with, maybe 1-3 or 3-5 days. Stop at the store and get some gift wrap tissue (white is the least expensive) to wrap your items and zip lock bags to put them in if they are small. Think about using special packaging as you grow. Buy adhesive labels so you can write your shop name on them and label the bag. Maybe stickers? There are places that will make them to fit your business.
Get your shipping things ready before you have a sale.
Label your work
If you sew, knit, or crochet, consider having labels made to sew into your work. There are folks who will make them for you. I'm not sure how much they cost but it will give your items a professional look. Make labels on your computer or order some.
Custom Work
If you make something custom, give the customer an idea of how long it will take. Take pictures of the work in progress and keep in touch with them. Work with the customer so they will remember you and the wonderful work you did for them. They will appreciate the updates.
There's probably a lot more I haven't touched on but this is a start.
Have patience and good luck.
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