10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Etsy Shop NOW!

You probably already heard about the tests that etsy is running to make the shopping experience more human. You can read about this change in my previous post. (Click here to read about it). Regardless of the testing results, following are 10 things that you can do to improve your shop and increase the visibility of your listings. Etsy is still emphasizing that what matters the most is the use of your tags and keywords.

1. Search Engine Optimization: Now more than ever, proper SEO application is very important to increasing your visibility. My number one answer to how I make money is SEO. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the use of keywords and keyword phrases and how you apply them in your titles and tags to get your items to the top of the search and your shop to be found by shoppers. Remember, you can apply sound SEO rules and get into the top, however, potential buyers may still not click on your items but that is another story. Getting on the top of the search is the first step. Proper SEO application is the number one reason why:

• I am here able to provide you sound business advice, advice that actually works.

• I was able to quit my day job and work from home because I make enough money selling on etsy

• Keep this business sustainable and profitable: such as making 4.3k in three days.

There are many ill rumors about the amount of work you need to do regarding SEO and frankly there is some reality to these rumors; however, there are 2 types of people: the ones that are skeptical, and the ones that they will jump and do the work, the hard work. Some people want a business that will quickly generate income and become successful. I am sorry to burst your day dreaming bubble, but that is not going to work. I have had my etsy shop since 2011 but I never really started putting effort in SEO until 2012. The return on your time and money investment in SEO is well worth it. I am going to tell you a secret here, even I get impatient with the SEO sometimes. I totally understand where the impatience is coming from, it is because you can not visualize the end results in the next few months.

How to get started? First, educate yourself about SEO either by purchasing my SEO webinar, or do the research yourself. Many people believe that they save money by doing the work on their own but may not get accurate information. Again, why reinvent the wheel? You will save time, money, numerous headaches and you will have access to a private platform to ask questions and get feedback. In my opinion, this is a great deal! Just think of how many of your items will appear in the search and have the opportunity to be transformed from items buried in the abyss of the search pages to become sold products. How many items you have to sell to recuperate the price of the webinar? So you need to make sure that your titles and tags are search engine optimized (SEO). For example you have a shopper looking for a pink umbrella on etsy, they will not find you amongst many umbrella sellers using the keyword “umbrella, because other people with the pink umbrella keyword are coming to the top. So one word keyword is not going to help you pop. There are few other things that could help you. So if you don't prepare your shop, it is going to get more difficult to accommodate the changes of etsy. You can click here to purchase my SEO webinar if you want to know exactly how to do it and not waste time researching on your own.

2. Pictures and Shop Branding: When shoppers visit your shop, you want to leave a great impression and convert them either immediately or with time to actual buyers. The cohesive look of your shop is very important: attractive pictures and the overall look of the shop. For example, I am looking for bohemian jewelry and I see multiple items in the search (here SEO is working hard to get your items on the top of the search, in addition to being relevant. I talk about that in my SEO webinar). Then I decide that I want to click on one specific item, frankly the reason why I want to click on it is because of the appeal of the picture and if the item is meeting my need. Attractive and appealing pictures of your products help you make money. I have took some pictures myself and have hired a professional photographer to do so as well; I invested in my business. You are probably thinking that you don't have the money right now to invest it in the business. My suggestion is to take the time to learn the tools and then apply them. I have a FREE Branding webinar that will give you valuable information on improving your photos by focusing on colors and moods. Click on the link to access my Free Branding Webinar.

3. Pricing Strategy: You need to figure out the pricing that works for you because both prices that are higher or lower than the market will affect your sales volume. Research your competitors. Look at their sold item pages. You don't have to copy them but this will give you a glance at what the market is. Figure out the range, and find your sweet spot depending on your item. If you can relay that high end feel, then you can probably go a bit higher.

4. Descriptions: Proper description will assist you in converting shoppers to buyers. don’t be misled by what sellers always say “Buyers don't read descriptions”. Remember that those who came back with problems are the ones that did not read your descriptions where as the rest of your sales went smoothly because shoppers frankly read the descriptions. However, when you have a lot of buyers complaining about your item then this is a red flag. You need to go through your descriptions and incorporate your customers feedback into your modifications. In my Desriptions Webinar, I show you an example of a well written description. Click here to purchase my Description Webinar.

5. Copyright infringement: You have to respect copyright and intellectual property guidelines. If you have items in your shop that infringe on copyright, remove them immediately. You really don't want etsy to do so because it will affect your ranking in the search. In fact, etsy specifically dwells on this.

6. Listings Quality: When somebody is looking for a personalized stationery item, they find my listing (thank you SEO), they like and understand my descriptions (thank you Descriptions webinar), they find the photos appealing (thank you good photography), they feel comfortable in the shop (thank you branding), the pricing is right (thank you sound pricing strategies) then they will like my listing, favorite my shop, pin it, and share it. All this is done organically and will increase the quality of my listing. Now if you play favoriting games, you are forcing favoriting and liking of your listings and shop, you are messing up the organic growth of your shop and hence it will eventually negatively affect your shop. Etsy search engines know if the growth is organic or not. If you have a unique item that will not be listed again, that is a different story. Now, if you have ten of one listing but have not sold yet, the listing has a “listing quality” because people are viewing it, clicked on it; now buying your listing increases the quality of your listing much more than just clicking on it on. Later, when your item sells and it is relisted because you have more than one, it increases the quality.

7. Full stocked Shop with Variety: I have 300 items in my shop and they are well thought of items. I carefully study what I need to put in my shop. I cater to the expectations and needs of my customers. I make sure that I follow the trends. At one point in time, owls were very trendy, so I listed products that followed the owl trend. I made this trend relevant to my business and I was able to sell these owl products. My shop is full based on what my customers want and what the trends are. In addition, you need to have numerous items in your shop, so having only 7 items is not going to cut it, unless you have a huge following. Moreover, you need to have variety in the same category. So if you have an “earrings” category, you need to have 30 earrings not just one or two. It also helps SEO when you have an item for a keyword phrase that you are trying to be found for, and you have more of that kind of item. Let us go back to that example of jewelry shop: you have one piece made out of tiger’s eye. You need to have more pieces with tiger eye items in them as a keyword if you are trying to bump your listing up when people search for tiger’s eye items. If you are trying to be found out for tiger’s eye then you must have more than one item with that keyword. There is power in numbers. You might say that you don't have time to produce all these items, it does not have to be now. What I am saying is this will help you make a plan and set goals. Click here to download my FREE goal planning worksheet.

8. Professional Shop Everything: What does that mean? it means use every opportunity to leave a fantastic unforgettable impression. I have everything filled out, I have my banner ready, my logo, I have my policies filled out, my about section, my shop looks cohesive because all my photos look like they came from one shop and my descriptions are clear and shopper friendly. These are the things that you do once and rarely revisit. Let that stuff be done and done right.

9. Answer My Customers Promptly: I answer my customers questions promptly and I find from my own personal shopping experience that I tend to buy more from sellers who quickly answer my questions. It conveys the message that you are active, value their time and trust and it helps closing the sale. Smart phones allow us to be “present” almost all the time. Now, if you have a regular job, I don't suggest that you should spend your time checking your phone. A periscope follower asked me if answering customers promptly will break my train of thoughts or take away time from my to-do list. My answer was that, yes, I have to stop the task that is on my to-do-list and answer them because this prompt reaction will mostly close a sale. It is something that I have to do. Again, remember that after all you are a business owner. Imagine you went to shop and had a question about a shirt size, so you asked the shop keeper who is in the middle of folding cloths. Imagine she/he ignores you and keep folding the cloths because it is on her/his to-do-list or in the middle of a brainstorming session. Chances are that I will put the shirt down, go somewhere else and buy a shirt from there. The seller just lost a potential sale. Now I understand that in the online business the direct face to face interaction is missing, but keep in mind that the way shoppers feel about how fast you attend to their needs and questions is as important. It is also important to figure out how to not be side tracked all the time.

10. Treat Your Repeat Customers Like Gold: I make sure that I send them quality product, answer their messages, and answer to their complaints immediately, frankly they get the Prime Customer Service, for example I do not charge for a replacement item.This amount of time and money that I invest in my repeat customers pays off because they generate a big portion of my revenues. Now if you are in a business that does not allow for repeat customers, for example in the wedding industry; you have to figure out what other products you can have within your wedding business. More about that in another post.

Many of you who did the work, will understand what I am talking about. Those who did not, will probably be skeptical. You don’t know what you don't know.” Hence, you have to do the work, see the results to understand how all of the above really affects your business.

So I am able to generate daily revenue from my shop because I applied the above rules. also note that success does not happen in a day, a week or a month, I have been doing this since 2012. Why do I share my numbers and experience? because I want to inspire you, if I can do it, so you can! What are you waiting for? you can do it too!

Want to catch me LIVE discussing awesome topics such as this one? Download the Periscope APP and follow me at "Etsy Seller Mastermind" and you will be notified when I am on LIVE! Can't get the APP? Watch me on your computer: www.periscope.tv/etsysellermastermind

Here's to a more successful shop!

Dalia Abdalla