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I recently started a new Etsy account almost 3 months ago. Prior to this, I was trying to resurrect an account that I had for 4 years with 2 sales. Etsy posts the sales and number of years that a seller has been on the platform. I realized that the length of time combined with low sales was a problem. Maybe some expert Etsy sellers could have made a comeback…but I decided to start over instead. I only had 2 sales because shortly after I started, I had some life challenges and didn’t spend any time adding products.
{Side note: One of the main reasons I started this site was to share my journey and inspire others over 50 that it’s never too late. I am sharing my Etsy trials, triumphs and tribulations so people can see it’s not an overnight success type of thing}.
After a deep dive analysis.. here are the changes I am in the middle of changing, adding, editing, and still thinking about.. etc.
I am now narrowing down my target market. Which I decided is active women over 40 who are passionate about outdoor fitness and nature. I started with designs for men and women. I have already taken listings off that were geared towards men. This is still at the initial stages- I still want to narrow this down ever further, and I need to actually create an “official” Persona. 🙂
Cohesive product lines and brand identity are very important for Etsy’s algorithm to effectively promote my shop and for customers to make multiple purchases. For this reason, there are pros and cons of running paid ads early on. In my research, I found that ads are more useful for gathering data than for immediate sales, and that ad spend should be focused on proven products. I am still deciding on how to proceed.
I have learned there is value in offering both digital and printed versions of wall art. I currently have digital and print on one of my Wall Art options. This is the one that is doing the best. I started with the digital and so now I can compare the two.
I am now doing my best to focus on creating a few core products. This by far has been the most challenging. There are SO MANY product options and I have more creative ideas than I have time to add… I was sort of all over the place when I started. I went through and removed some of my listings that were not in line. Now- I am doing my best to stay focused on 3 primary Categories- Home Decor (includes Wall Decor), Fitness Apparel (Various long sleeves), and Bags/Totes.
Some of the advice I’ve heard kind of goes against this. One lady recommended when you first start, try different products, and designs and don’t niche down initially. I want to hone in on my target market/persona asap, but I find myself still adding products that could be slightly outside of this. Just today I had the idea for a Bumper Sticker (geared towards hikers) and so I created one and added it to my store.
I am also going to focus on building more cohesive collections- such as Over 40, Floral, etc. In addition, some of my infographics are not that great. I get in such a rush with posting that I need to take a step back and focus more on quality and niche appeal. I know how important it is to be consistent posting on Etsy. My goal now is to create at least 5 products a week. I work almost full time too as a Freelance Photographer..so I do not want to burn out again.
What has been your experience with Etsy so far? Please leave in the comments below!