I have a little notebook in which I write down things that I need to do, accounts that I have set up, lists of images that I use, items that I have made or need to make, things I want to add to my blog, etc. Everything Etsy goes into that little book. There are so many things you will be doing when getting your shop going. It may be helpful for you to write it all down.
With that being said, let’s get started!
CREATE AN ACCOUNT
Be very careful about the User name you select because once you create the account you cannot change your User name. I personally find that I will click on the more descriptive shop titles when browsing. However, if a name or avatar is interesting enough it may make me click anyway. So, if you are picking a name that has nothing to do with what you are selling, make sure your name is really creative (definitely not something like nicole123) and try to make sure that your avatar has something to do with what you are selling. Either way, try to be creative when creating your user name. There are so many sellers on Etsy, it's difficult to stand out in the crowd.
Trust me, you really don't want to later on think you made a mistake with your user name and have to create a new account. You may develop a following with your original shop, and even have a number of sales with positive feedback. If you create a new shop, you basically lose everything you have established and will have to start all over again.
AVATAR
I recommend using an avatar that represents what you are selling. Some people use an item that they sell as their avatar, some use graphic design. I had a logo hand designed by an artist (StymiepieStudios on Etsy) for my product that I use as my avatar. Your avatar should be bold. It should be different. Don't be afraid to use something with bright colors. It should be something that makes someone want to click on it.
BANNERS
Banners are an attractive way to represent your shop. There are a number of ways that you can make a banner for your shop. Etsy has a feature where you can make a banner using their templates. To use Etsy’s banner generator go to: http://team.etsy.com/bannerdisplay.php. There are also several threads on Etsy, such as the following, that list several free banner makers: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5913639. You can use Adobe PhotoShop or similar type graphics program. I used Microsoft PowerPoint to make my own. If you Google, “Free Etsy Banner” or “Free banner maker” there are a number of options available.
The dimensions of the banner may differ depending on the program you are using. If you do decide to make your own banner here are the proper dimensions to use:
- IN PIXELS: 760x 100 pixels (72 dpi)
- IN CENTIMETERS: 3.55cm high by 27 cm wide
- IN INCHES: 1.4 inches high by 10.63 inches wide
If you don't have the time or desire to make your own, there are people on Etsy who design matching avatars and banners for people, usually at very affordable rates.
SHOP APPEARANCE
Now it's time to set up your shop appearance!
- Under "Shop Setup", click on "Appearance".
- Click in the text box next to "Shop Title" and type in the title of your shop.
- Load your shop banner by clicking on the "Browse" button and locating the banner file that you created or saved.
- Click in the text box under "Shop Announcement" and type a welcome message with a brief description of your shop.
- You can also type in your Alchemy announcement on this page. I will do a different post to describe what Alchemy is all about, so stay tuned. If you want, you can leave this field blank for the time being.
- Click on the text box under "Message to buyers" and type in a "thank you for your purchase" kind of message. This is the message that your customers will receive after they have made a purchase from your shop.
- Click on the SAVE CHANGES box at the bottom of the page.
PUBLIC PROFILE
Let's set up your public profile. Your bio information is optional, although you really should upload your avatar, and select your location.
- Under your user name (which you can't change) you will see "Avatar". Click the “browse” button to locate the file for your avatar.
- Select your country from the drop-down menu.
- Type in the city where you are located in the "City" box.
- Click in the text box next to "Bio" and write a bio about yourself (if you want).
- Select your gender or "don't tell" lol
- Select your birthday.
- Click in the text box next to "Favorite Materials" and type in your favorite materials that you like to use when creating things.
- Click on the SAVE CHANGES button. Even if you are just adding/changing your avatar you must click the SAVE CHANGES button at the bottom of the page.
SHOP POLICIES
Every shop should have shop policies to avoid having any problems with returns, exchanges, shipping, damaged items, etc. The first thing I did when I got started on Etsy was research the market in which I would be selling. I looked at the prices of similar items that my competitors were selling. I reviewed shop policies of several established shops with large numbers of sales. I figured that these are the experienced Etsy sellers who have probably encountered any type of situation, and will most likely have covered everything in their shop policies. Learn from their policies before attempting to write your own.
Make sure to carefully spell out your payment options, shipping policies, returns and exchanges, and any additional policies that may apply to what you are selling. Try not to be too wordy when writing your policies. People get discouraged when having to read through lengthy policies.
SHIPPING POLICIES
Research shipping options carefully. Obviously, the lower you can keep your shipping rates the better. Unfortunately, Etsy's shopping cart does not have a real-time shipping calculator, so you have to come up with a standard shipping rate for your items. If you know the weight of the items you will be selling (don't forget to factor in the weight of the packaging; box or envelope and any wrapping items) you can use websites of the larger shipping companies (such as, United States Postal Service ("USPS"), Federal Express ("FedEx"), United Postal Service ("UPS"), or DHL), to get some kind of an idea of what your shipping costs will be (see below for links to these sites).
It really helps to have a digital scale/shipping scale for accurately calculating shipping rates. Digital scales are generally not expensive, and you will likely make up for the expense by accurately determining shipping prices instead of guessing at them. In addition, you can write off the expense of the scale, and shipping expenses on your taxes.
Below are links to calculate postage at the aforementioned sites (from the United States):
- USPS: http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm?from=home_header&page=calculatepostage
- FedEx: http://www.fedex.com/ratefinder/home?cc=US&language=en
- UPS: https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?loc=en_US&WT.svl=PNRO_L1
- DHL: http://www.dhl-usa.com/ratecalculator/HandlerServlet?CLIENT=RATES_REQUEST_DISPLAY&nav=GetRates
I encourage my customers to purchase shipping insurance on their purchases, because I am not responsible for replacing their items if they become damaged during shipping.
Also, you should seriously consider shipping internationally. Etsy has a huge number of sellers/purchasers from all around the world. Offering international shipping options will open up a huge window to increase your sales.
PICTURES/IMAGES
Taking great pictures of your items is very important. Make sure your lighting is good and your pictures are not blurred. Use several pictures of the item at different angles. Many people on Etsy get very creative with the way they display their items. Use props or decorative backgrounds when taking your pictures, but make sure that the displays don't detract from your items.
What I do is take a bunch of pictures using different backgrounds and angles. Then I go through them and write down the file names of the pictures I like the best in my “Etsy book”. Then I narrow them down to five pictures (because that is the maximum amount of pictures you can use when listing an item) by circling my five favorites. When it’s time to list my item I look back to my book and upload my five circled favorites. So now you pretty much have everything behind the scenes completed. It's time to list your items. My next post will list step-by-step instructions to listing your items.
OTHER THINGS TO DO
It's always good to be prepared for when the orders start coming. Make sure you have your packaging materials ready to pack your orders. Make sure you have sufficient inventory. Also, you should put a business card in with every order so people know where to go when they want more. You can go to Staples or any office supply store and purchase printable business cards and print them yourself. You can also have them printed by a print shop. You can get free business cards from Vista Print: http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/ns/default.aspx?GP=5%2f22%2f2009+11%3a42%3a44+AM
Well, I hope this helps you get started with your Etsy shop! I will be posting step-by-step instructions for listing your items very shortly. Until then, enjoy setting up your shop and try not to get too stressed out!
Nicole
