Are you getting your share of the Etsy platforms insane growth? Sales have doubled since 2019 even during the pandemic. You can build your own thriving kitchen table business with this platform.
But the problem is there is a huge amount of competition today. You need to find ways to stand out and get noticed on Etsy in order to succeed. You can't just throw your products up on a store and get sales like in the early days.
This is a $13 Billion market today. With millions of sellers, 83% are solo entrepreneurs and 97% work from home(Etsy 2020 Seller Census).
Here are some tips to get you started
1 Know the rules- What you can and can't sell on Etsy
You don't want to set up a store until it has a focus and you chose what type of product you will sell. Know who your target market is(who you'll sell to). Each store needs to have a specific customer in mind and offers only things that directly relate. So do your research and look at other stores to get ideas. Then choose only ONE for each store. Don't be a generalist, be a specialist and unique in some way.
2 Don't just copy someone else
Your products need to be a "new and improved" version. Trying to directly copy or use someone else's products as your own is not effective or ethical. Etsy will delete and even ban your store for copyright violations. So don't use trademarks, names or brands of others in your descriptions, titles and keywords. If you get complaints, you will lose so just stay away from copying.
3 Your Shop Name Matters
Branding your store with a Unique, Related and Interesting name can make a huge difference in your results. That first impression is vital in todays attention deficit world. Ask in a group for others ideas on your choices for a store name. Make sure it is easy to spell, remember and promotes the feelings you want them to feel.
4 Let buyers pay the way they want to
Many buyers will leave if you don't have the payment options they choose to use. Make sure to have several popular options. Ask them to message you if they need anything at all.
Don't forget to setup a free Square account for your store so you can sell someone in person anywhere. It's simple to use and get instant sales. Take your Etsy shop offline and book a booth at the town fair or swap meet.
5 You Must Have A Buyers List
Your list of customers is the VALUE in your business. Don't neglect it or lose it. You should be building a spreadsheet with every order, item, and customer info. There is a ton of profits hidden in your list. Take the time to weekly update your spreadsheet and keep a copy on your computer and a thumb drive or two. It's that valuable. If somehow your Etsy shop was shut off, you lose all your customer information. Believe me, stores are shut down all the time with no notice.
Now remember to read Etsy's Terms of Use. You can't just add your customers email addresses into an autoresponder email list. You would want to give customers a chance to get a "free thing" by opting in to your email list themselves. Include this opt-in special offer in your delivery package.
Also add a link to your opt-in page on your shop profile, about page, in the descriptions and the thank you messages you send. Some rules: don't send the offer in Etsy Conversations or any past customers.(against Etsy Rules) Set up this Opt-in landing page right from the start of your shop for best results.
Send this opt-in offer to your best customers by snail mail. It's not as expensive as you think and works great today. Send them a letter with a special offer for VIP customers.
6 Keep an eye on Seller Fees
These add up quickly and can be the difference in how profitable your sales are.
Get rid of listings that just aren't selling.
Make sure if you are using Etsy ads, that you're still going to make a profit.
Don't try to be too sneaky and sell your Etsy items offline to avoid fees. It's a "fee avoidance" violation and can get your account shutdown.
But if you get people on your email list, you can sell some non-Etsy products directly to them.
7 Your About Page Is Critical Copy
Spend a lot of time writing a great About page. You only have so many places to talk about yourself and your shop on Etsy. So cherish anywhere you can make your shop stand out and be unique. Tell your story. How you started. Why you started. What your products mean to you. Link to your social media, blog and other people who talk about you and your products. Keep it personal and conversational by adding photos and videos of you. Don't forget to mention your "free thing" opt-in landing page to get them on your list.
8 Make Your Shop Look Great
Use great images and layout so it's easy to read. Add all the information they need to make a buying decision. Build trust by having great policies. Use testimonials if you have any. Have friends buy items and leave reviews to get your shop started. Even one review gets the whole ball rolling.
Use the cover photo instead of the shop banner. Cover photos show up on both desktop and mobile.
Have keywords in your title so you get some SEO advantages.
Put special offers in your announcement section.
Use emotions to sell more products. Talk about feelings.
9 You want Simple Shop Policies
Don't turn off buyers with unclear rules and procedures. Just simple clear and concise policies that make a lot of sense. Simplify the buying process and make it easy on them.
10 With product listings, you need great looking images to sell effectively.
A blurry image is worse than no image. So spend time to create some beautiful images for each product. A video can sell even better. It's hard with Etsy's limited image file sizes, but you can go online and use free tools to squish your image size down.
Be sure to change the filename to a keyword rich one for SEO. Use alt-text and description tags on your images and add your keyword in there as well.
Use all 10 photos available. 1000 pixels wide minimum.
Show your product being used in some photos. Let the buyer picture the finished product hanging above a couch. Show product use examples so they can picture it in their mind.
11 To Get Found, Use Categories and Attributes Wisely
Stay relevant, so people can find your items on Etsy. Your products will be shown on related product searches. Always look at the competition and be in the same categories. Think about things from the customers angle. What will they be looking for? Where does your product fit best? Which keywords have the most traffic?
12 Don't forget Tags
Use as many tags as you can. Use phrases not single words. Get your focus keywords in there.
That keyword phrase needs to be all over your page. Titles, images, descriptions, tags and attributes.
13 Better Product Descriptions
Use your descriptions to pre-sell and sell your items. This is sales copy. So explain how it helps or what problem it solves. Tell them who it is for and why. What are the benefits it delivers to the buyer?
Describe the item in detail and how the features make it special and unique in the market.
What is unique about your item? How and why is it better than alternatives?
Give dimensions, quality, ingredients and style details.
Put your keyword in here 2 or 3 times.
What is it NOT?
Who is it best for.
Tell them how to buy it
Offer customization if they message you.
Explain how it is delivered.
Offer Bonuses for purchasing today
14 Pricing Your Product
Make sure after all expenses, you will have profit left over. There is never a reason to sell below cost. You are in business now. (all expenses means your total overhead(rent,labor,utilities,production,shipping, etc… costs) Divide your monthly expenses into your total sales of the month for an average overhead per sale)
Research and compare competitor prices, be somewhere in the middle for best results. Find good sellers and match that price to get started.
We don't want to get in a race to the bottom with prices. Hold the line 
15 Shipping Advice
Get bigger orders by encouraging free shipping if they buy multiple products at once.
Or offer free shipping and add it to your listing sale price.
Always use the lowest cost packaging and fulfillment possible while keeping your quality up.
16 More Sales and Offers
Every single month, offer a special deal or bundle package. There is always a holiday or National Turtle Day going on. Come up with a reason to have a new special deal. Have limited time deals.