Hey, Etsy sellers and artisans!
Known to all, Etsy is a global hub that’s making around $4 billion for small businesses like yours. And, sales are the much-needed boost that helps you grow and follow your passion!
But enough with the stats – let’s face the real question – “How to increase Etsy sales and make your shop shine like a star?”
I’m here to dive in and share some excellent strategies to make your shop stand out! From optimizing your listings to giving fantastic customer service, I’ve got you covered.
Understand how the Etsy algorithm works
Before diving into tactics, you need to understand how Etsy decides which products to show shoppers. The algorithm works in two phases: query matching and ranking.
During query matching, Etsy scans all listings to find products whose titles, tags, categories, and attributes contain the shopper’s search terms. Then comes ranking — where Etsy sorts those matches based on several factors to show the most relevant results first.
Here are the key ranking factors Etsy considers:
Relevance: How closely your listing matches the search query determines whether you even appear in results. Exact phrase matches in your title and tags carry the most weight.
Listing quality score: Measures how shoppers interact with your listing. If people click on your product, stay on the page, favorite it, and purchase, your quality score improves. If they click and immediately leave, it hurts your ranking.
Customer and market experience score: Looks at your shop’s overall reputation, including your average review rating, response time to messages, completed About section, and shop policies.
Recency: Gives new listings a temporary boost so Etsy can gauge how shoppers respond. This is why adding fresh listings regularly can help your shop.
Shipping price: Has become increasingly important. Since October 2024, Etsy has prioritized listings with US domestic shipping under $6.
How to increase Etsy sales? (11 key strategies)
These tried-and-true tactics will work wonders – attracting more customers, boosting conversions, and making your shop truly stand out.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, these strategies are your ultimate recipe for success. So, get your notepads ready, because we’re diving into the world of game-changing Etsy strategies!
Enhance your Etsy SEO (must-do before everything else)
Before diving into competitor analysis, it’s helpful to know how Etsy decides which listings get seen. Etsy SEO is simply about helping Etsy understand:
- What your product is about
- Who it should be shown to
- Which keywords match buyer searches
Etsy looks at things like:
- Keywords (title, tags, description)
- Listing quality score
- Conversion performance
- Customer experience score
- Shipping price advantage (free shipping helps)
Use a blend of:
- Primary keywords → “gold name necklace”
- Secondary keywords → “dainty jewelry gift”
- Long-tail keywords → “personalized necklace for sister”
Now, the next thing focus on your competitors.
Perform Etsy competitor analysis
The competitor analysis helps you get a clear picture of your business landscape.
And, SalesDoe is perhaps the best tool for Etsy competitor analysis that is available on the Internet.
For more Etsy analytics tools, check out this guide.
Understanding your competitors also helps you find your unique selling point (USP). When you see what others are doing, you can identify what makes your products stand out! Highlight your USP to attract more customers who resonate with your style and craftsmanship.
Pricing is essential, and competitor analysis gives you insights into pricing strategies. Try understanding how others price their products and determine the best pricing for your own creations.
Remember, this isn’t about copying others – it’s about gaining valuable insights to improve your own game. Be inspired, get creative, and stay true to your unique brand!
Add new relevant listings
There is another major benefit to performing Etsy competitor analysis. It reveals what’s working well for others, but it also helps you spot untapped opportunities.
Sometimes, your competitors might miss out on specific Etsy trends or markets. Step in and seize those chances for your shop! Adding new listings is like a breath of fresh air for your shop!
You can try using Litcommerce for this; it is a great tool that makes adding new listings a breeze.
Trying new products helps you discover what your audience loves. It’s like a mini-experiment to find out what clicks with your customers.
Every time you add a new listing, you increase your chances of being discovered by potential customers browsing Etsy. So, keep your shop lively and inviting with a variety of offerings!
Also, let’s not forget the magic of seasons and trends. Adding seasonal or trendy products keeps your shop up to date and relevant, resonating with your customers’ interests.
So, be creative, add new relevant listings regularly, surprise your audience, and watch your Etsy shop flourish!
Add new listings strategically
Fresh listings get a temporary ranking boost while Etsy tests how shoppers respond to them. This “recency boost” is a powerful tool for visibility — but only if you use it strategically.
Don’t just add listings randomly. Plan your releases around:
- Seasonal demand: List holiday items 6-8 weeks before the season peaks. Think Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, graduation, back-to-school, Halloween, and the winter holidays.
- Trending topics: Keep an eye on what’s gaining traction in your niche and create products that tap into those trends before they peak.
- Gaps in your catalog: Look at your Shop Stats to see what search terms bring visitors who don’t buy. Are you missing products they’re looking for?
- Variations and bundles: Sometimes a new listing can simply be a different variation of an existing product, or a bundle that offers better value.
Quality matters more than quantity. Etsy’s algorithm prefers 10-20 well-optimized, high-converting listings over dozens of mediocre ones. Each listing should be fully optimized with great photos, complete tags, thorough descriptions, and competitive pricing.
Write high-converting product titles and descriptions
Adding new listings is excellent, but without compelling titles and descriptions, they won’t shine brightly. Let’s unlock the magic of words to boost your sales!
Your product titles and descriptions are like your shop’s first impression on potential customers. A compelling title catches their eye and makes them want to click!
Keep it concise, yet engaging. Use keywords that shoppers search for, but don’t forget to add your unique flair. Stand out from the crowd and make your product shine!
Imagine you’re talking to a friend – make your descriptions friendly and personable. Show your passion for what you create and inspire your customers with your story.
Develop new products that reach new customers, globally
Going global can be a game-changer for your Etsy shop! All you need to do is some research to understand what people like in different parts of the world. Something popular in one place might become a big hit somewhere else!
Thinking globally opens up tons of opportunities to grow your shop. You can reach out to different markets with different needs.
You can even have multiple Etsy stores, each tailored to a specific target audience. This will allow you to sell different types of products in different shops, catering to the needs and interests of each audience.
You might be wondering if you are already struggling with one store, how will you be able to manage multiple stores without any hassles?
Well, Putler can help. It is designed to handle data from multiple sources, ensuring seamless integration and precise analysis.
It effortlessly cleans up the data and presents you with the most important information for an all-encompassing overview of your business.
All you need to do is keep an eye on Etsy trends and customer preferences worldwide, and use that to come up with amazing new products that people everywhere will love!
Team up with artisans from diverse cultures to infuse your creations with unique flavors. Embrace diversity, and let it shine in your products.
Take eye-catching product photos
Imagine going global and reaching customers from all over, but your product photos are dull and uninteresting – that’s a big no-no!
Ideally, taken photos can show off all the fantastic features of your products. It’s like having a virtual tour that makes shoppers fall in love with what you’ve made.
But not every photo comes out perfectly from your camera. You definitely need to edit them to increase brightness, adjust contrast, enhance colors, and make your photos even more eye-catching!
Now, if you want to add a creative touch, you can try putting your shop’s social media handles on the photos. It’s an innovative idea that can not only get your products more attention but also help you gain more followers and social media love.
So, grab your camera or smartphone, and let’s get snapping!
Focus on your top-selling items on Etsy
When running a successful Etsy shop, it is essential to know which products shine the brightest and which require extra care.
Spotlight your best products that customers can’t resist – those star listings that bring in the most sales and love.
With the help of Putler, you can identify these top-performing products. Now, it’s time to give them some extra love back! Promote them more on Etsy and social media, showing potential buyers what’s already popular to build trust and encourage more sales.
But don’t forget about the ones that need a little boost. With Putler’s insights, you can also identify the ones that may be underperforming and figure out what’s holding them back. Try experimenting with better photos, engaging descriptions, or slight price tweaks. With these endeavors, you can surely turn them into superstars too!
Speaking of Putler, it is a superstar tool for gaining insights to manage your Etsy products better. You’ll know everything about your products in real-time – which ones are flying off the virtual shelves, which ones need a little push, and which ones bring in the most money.
Moreover, Putler makes it a breeze to access all this valuable data and download reports with just a single click!
Analyze customer behavior to identify your top customers
Analyzing your customers can give you a secret map to identify your customers and boost your sales! It helps you get to know your customers on a whole new level.
Take a closer look at your customer data with the help of Putler’s customer analytics. This can help you uncover valuable insights into your customers and their buying patterns.
Yes, with Putler by your side, you can learn everything about your customers. Putler shows you customers who just made a new purchase (recency, R), those who buy from you most often (frequency, F), and even those who have contributed the most to your revenue (monetary, M).
Offer multiple payment options
What if a customer falls in love with your product and is ready to hit that “Buy Now” button, but they can only pay with a payment gateway you don’t offer?
There can be countless reasons behind such instances, such as customer preferences, availability of payment gateway in the respective countries, etc.
And, despite your countless efforts, this could mean losing a sale!
That’s why having multiple payment options is a smart move. It caters to different preferences and ensures that no potential customer slips away.
So, even if you plan to have multiple payment platforms to smooth the checkout process for your buyers, you don’t need to worry about managing the data or confusing yourself with currency calculations.
Putler integrates directly with 17+ platforms! And for other platforms, you can simply use Putler API or reach out to their support team for a super-smooth integration process – they’re quick to respond!
It’s like having a universal translator that speaks the language of different platforms.
By offering various payment options, you open the door to welcome customers from all over the world. You break down barriers and make it easy for them to shop without any worries.
Ask your top customers for reviews
By analyzing your customers and offering personalized deals, you make them fall in love with your shop even more. They’ll be thrilled with the special treatment they receive!
Now, let’s turn that fondness into glowing reviews. Happy customer reviews are like gold for your shop. They build trust and confidence in potential buyers and encourage them to make a purchase.
When new customers see that others are raving about your products and services, they’ll feel confident in choosing you too. It’s like having your very own fan club cheering for your shop!
Positive reviews can be a game-changer for boosting your Etsy sales. They act like a shining badge of approval, attracting more and more customers to your shop.
So, don’t be shy – ask your top customers for reviews! Your outstanding products and personalized deals will make them happy to share their experiences. Watch as those glowing reviews make your Etsy shop a true success story!
Get a better understanding of Etsy sales trends
Harnessing Etsy sales trends can take your shop to new heights! And, with Putler, tracking and analyzing all the trends in your shop becomes a cakewalk!
With its sales heatmap, you can see precisely when your sales are hot and when they need a little boost. It’s like a magic chart that guides you on when and how to sell more effectively!
But that’s not all – Putler goes beyond just regular sales insights. It shows you your essential subscription analytics like MRR, ARR, ARPPU, churn rate, and more.
These numbers tell you how well your shop is doing overall, and how to make it even better!
Here’s a guide that can help you with a better understanding of these metrics, in case you are not using Putler, unlike your fellow Etsy sellers.
Identify new customers and convert them into repeat buyers
If your Etsy shop is doing well, you might have a good number of people buying your products every day. But if you can identify the ones who have bought something from you for the first time, then you can convert such first-time shoppers.
But the most important question here is, “How?” Well, Putler has got you covered.
Putler shares real-time information on your customers and creates a list, along with RFM segmentation – a better way to understand your customers. You can access this valuable info right from the dashboard!
With Putler’s help, you can spot those first-time buyers who have just purchased your products. How cool is that? You’ll know exactly who they are and what they bought!
Putler also gives you their email address along with other necessary details. This allows you to send them personalized emails with special gifts like gift cards, coupon codes, and awesome bundle offers, convincing them to come back for more!
Earn the Star Seller badge
Etsy’s Star Seller badge is a visible trust signal that tells shoppers your shop delivers excellent customer service. While Etsy says the badge doesn’t directly impact search rankings, the factors that earn it absolutely do — and the badge itself boosts buyer confidence.
To qualify for Star Seller, you must meet these criteria over the previous three months:
- 95% message response rate: Reply to the first message in any conversation within 24 hours.
- 95% on-time shipping: Ship orders by the date you promised, with tracking or an Etsy shipping label.
- 4.8+ average review rating: Maintain consistently high customer satisfaction.
- At least 5 orders and $300 in sales: Meet minimum activity thresholds.
Etsy evaluates shops on the 1st of each month. If you fall short in any area, you lose the badge until you meet all criteria again.
Tips for earning and keeping Star Seller:
- Set up auto-replies to acknowledge messages immediately, giving yourself time to respond thoughtfully within 24 hours.
- Pad your processing times slightly so you’re never shipping late, even when life gets busy.
- Follow up with customers after delivery to ensure satisfaction before they leave a review.
- Address any issues proactively — a problem resolved quickly often leads to a glowing review rather than a negative one.
Bonus: Use practical tools to stay on top of Etsy trends
Besides Putler, the other tools that I mentioned earlier, there are a few more that can help simplify your tasks and help you stay ahead of the competition.
Understanding the importance of Etsy SEO is a no-brainer. And, you would require a robust tool to perform the necessary actions for your business. Well, in that case, Marmalead is a gem! It can boost your shop’s visibility, making it easier for customers to find you.
For social media marketing, Sked Social is your go-to sidekick! It streamlines your posts, saves time, and keeps your social media game strong.
You can find more effective tools, here.
Wrapping it up!
Optimizing product listings, captivating customers with eye-catching photos, and offering multiple payment options, you’re already ahead in the Etsy game.
And, with Putler’s powerful insights and real-time data, you’re equipped to boost Etsy sales and take your business to new heights.
Experiment with new products, explore global markets, and analyze customer behavior. Putler’s forecasting will help you stay prepared and stand out from the competition.
Embrace Putler, your guiding light in the vast world of Etsy. Get ready to turn your passion into profits and watch your creative journey soar to new heights!