Have you ever asked yourself, what are the top sellers on Etsy? Are they craft sellers? Jewelry sellers? Surely, they have a big production line and aren’t simple husband and wife Etsy sellers, right? What makes them one of the best Etsy shops on the marketplace? Well, one thing is for sure, the top sellers on Etsy all have these 7 habits in common. Can you say the same for yourself?
Before we begin
There’s a certain set of things that all of the best Etsy shops should do, and do it well. Whether you’re selling handmade napkin rings made from rare wood, or custom-painted picture frames, all the top sellers on Etsy have these things in common. And it’s one thing to get your product listed, but it’s another thing for it to sell, and sell really well.
Can you do it too?
So, what should you be doing to get your products sold? How can you become a top seller on Etsy? Well, those that really sell have these habits in common.
What do you see when you look at the best Etsy shops out there? You might just see their fancy social media posts and stunning product photography. And yes, while the top Etsy sellers do these things well, they also do everything else on this list extremely well.
Without further ado, here are 7 habits all the top sellers on Etsy have in common:
Top Sellers on Etsy – Habit No. 1: Thorough Keyword Research
The best Etsy shops with complete dominance over their niche started by doing their research before launching their product. First things first, make sure there’s a demand for the product you want to sell. This is essential for laying the foundations of a solid business. Keyword research is an integral part of that research. Knowing how many people look at the products you’re planning to sell, as well as how much competition you’re up against, can help you make an educated decision as to whether or not your product is viable.
First things first, make sure there’s a demand for the product you want to sell. This is essential for laying the foundations of a solid business.
Marmalead is a fantastic tool that can give you in-depth insights about keyword volume, competition, and seasonality, helping you make those educated and informed decisions.
Top Sellers on Etsy – Habit No. 2: An Investment in Photography
We, humans, are visual creatures. We consume a lot with our eyes. And what we see tells us a lot about what’s around us – in real life and on a computer screen. Having high-quality product photos helps your customer get a better understanding of what they’re about to buy. The best Etsy shops have detailed images about their product in all its variants to help build trust with their customers. So, invest in your product photography and prove to your sellers that you stand out from the competition.
Top Sellers on Etsy – Habit No. 3: An Eye for Graphic Design
The best Etsy shops know the very basics of graphic design. This can include creating a picture for Instagram or making an enticing thumbnail to help your product page get that click from search. Either way, having the ability to create something in a basic visual editor like Canva, or something more complex like Photoshop will help with your conversions. The better your products look online, the more confidence your buyers will have in purchasing from your shop.
Top Sellers on Etsy – Habit No. 4: A Plan for Perfect Pricing
The listing price of your Etsy products is the very foundation of your Etsy shop. That’s because the price is the first thing many buyers look at when weighing up whether to buy your product or your competitors. The best Etsy shops know this – but most importantly, they know how to use this advantageously.
If you want to sell the cheapest version of your product on Etsy – well, that’s not advisable. A good practice is competitive pricing – offering a similar price to your competitors but adding value. Free postage, a more extended warranty, a few little extra freebies. These are the things that the best Etsy shops use to show that, while their product is not the cheapest, buyers will get a lot more for their money.
Top Sellers on Etsy – Habit No. 5: Knowing Your Competition
Your Etsy brand will get ahead of the competition when you know who the competition is. That being said, you can learn a lot by looking at, and quite often replicating how your competitors present their products to the world (only, do it better). Take a look at your competition on the Etsy marketplace and ask yourself these questions:
- How do your competitors promote discounts?
- What are their unique selling points?
- Which holidays do they leverage?
- What are their customers saying about them?
Then take a look at the top sellers on Etsy (that sell similar products to you), and answer these questions. This can help take your Etsy shop in the right direction. A direction that’s higher than the competition 😎
Regularly monitoring your competitors enables you to ensure that your Etsy shop is, at the very least, staying on trend, rather than getting left behind. As your competitors change their offering, product range, marketing communications, or anything else, you don’t want to be left in the dust.
Top Sellers on Etsy – Habit No. 6: They Say Thanks
What’s the difference between Amazon and Etsy?
On one marketplace, you can buy toilet paper, groceries, and diapers. And on the other marketplace, you can purchase unique products customized for special occasions.
It’s obvious which one is which.
Chances are, you know the name of the last Etsy shop you purchased from. But be honest, have you ever taken notice of the name of a seller on Amazon? Probably not. As an Etsy shop, people are buying into your brand. They want something unique and special. And when they do hand over their hard-earned cash, it doesn’t hurt to stop and say thanks. The best Etsy shops know this and will often go out of their way to include a hand-written thank you note for a first purchase or a large order from a returning customer.
Taking a moment to say ‘thank you for your purchase’ really makes your customer feel they got a lot more than they bargained for. And who knows, maybe a thank you note will be the last push to get your buyers to leave a positive review.
Top Sellers on Etsy – Habit No. 7: They Know When to Stop
At the end of the day, running a small business on Etsy is a lot of work. It requires attention, commitment, and dedication. It also requires a consistent effort. That being said, the top sellers on Etsy know that they have to take their foot off the gas sometimes. Being so engrossed with more sales, more profit, and bumping up numbers that you forget to stop and smell the roses (and actually enjoy what you’re doing) isn’t good for the longevity of your business.
The best Etsy shops know the sheer importance of work/life balance. So, whether it’s a week-long vacation or an afternoon off, do it. You deserve it.
Over to you
Doing what the best Etsy shops do may not turn you into an Etsy success story overnight. But, trying the above-listed things and assessing what works (and what doesn’t work) will certainly help you shake things up a bit, improve your daily work routine, and put you in a better position to improve your traffic and sales in your Etsy shop.
Don’t believe us? Work these habits into your daily routine, keep an eye on your Etsy stats, and see if your shop starts performing better over the next three months. If it does (or doesn’t) let us know!
