How to Get 100% Positive Feedback on Etsy

Like Ebay, Etsy has their own feedback system calculated by percentage. You can find this below any shop's name, linked under Favorites. This is crucial for gaining more customers -- unlike Ebay, a lot of Etsy sellers reach 100% positive feedback easily. If you're the store with 99%, that's actually a low feedback percentage. If you want more customers, bring that average up to 100% by:

- Communicating with your customers.
- Unlike Ebay, you can't get away with high shipping costs on Etsy. Charge fairly.
- Advertising properly.
- Just be nice!

But how do you do that?

Communication Ensures Positive Feedback
Communicating with your customers isn't just replying to their emails. It requires a certain kind of communication. Ensure positive feedback by:

- Using proper English and grammar. This sounds simple, but a lot of Etsy sellers don't take the time to do this. Put effort into knowing when to use there and they're, when to capitalize, and how to write professional replies. Avoid netspeak. Don't use internet abbreviations -- it's very unprofessional.

"But I save time writing u instead of you!", some Etsy sellers say. Do you want to order something from a seller who doesn't want to write 'you' properly? If they're lazy in the English department, that's not the only department they're slacking in. Make sure to use proper, professional English when communicating with a customer. This isn't Ebay. You can't get away with netspeak on Etsy. Use it or lose customers.

- Never demand. "Why haven't you paid me yet?" is not an appropriate email to send to a customer. If you haven't received payment, send the customer a message through Etsy. Politely state you haven't received payment and cannot ship unless they pay.

- Be prompt. If a customer messages you through Etsy with a question, answer it immediately. Don't spend any longer than a day to respond to their email. It's extremely discourteous to spend more than a day responding to their question. Chances are they'll shop elsewhere.

- Email customers about any changes regarding purchases. For example, let's say Mary bought homemade mittens. Email Mary and tell her you received her order and payment. Once you ship her homemade mittens, email her again, letting her know the mittens have shipped. You wouldn't believe how much customers appreciate that. Not only do you get positive feedback, they'll rave about your excellent customer service. There's a good chance they'll rave about it when they leave feedback. A win-win situation for everybody!

- If there's a problem, email immediately. Let's say Mary decided to buy homemade underwear. As you were shipping her homemade underwear, someone mugged you and stole your entire box of underwear. Oh no! What now? Do you:

A. Tell Mary you've shipped it. It's just, uh, going to take a while to get there.

B. Tell Mary there was an unfortunate circumstance. You can either refund her money or send her another pair -- after you sew up another pair, of course.

Obviously the answer is B. Not telling the truth results in negative feedback -- telling the truth results in neutral or positive feedback. Customers don't like being lied to.

- Always be polite! If you're not polite, a customer's chances of leaving positive feedback dwindle.

Want Positive Feedback? Lower Your Shipping Costs
Ebay sellers do this a lot. They'll charge $0.01 for an item, but charge $20.00 for shipping costs.

Do not try that on Etsy.

Charge accurately with shipping costs. Etsy does not approve of over-charging, and doing that earns you a bad reputation. Customers will complain about this in their feedback. Don't even attempt to gain extra money from shipping costs.

Let's use an example. Baldrick wants to buy a knitted turnip from a seller on Etsy. He purchases one for $10.00 with $6.00 shipping. When the turnip arrives, it's packaged in a regular envelope, four stamps on the front. This is a problem! Four stamps only cost $1.56! Baldrick's been duped! He's absolutely furious! He's so furious that he logs onto Etsy, goes to his Feedback tab, and writes very negative feedback to the seller.

That's why you don't want to overcharge with shipping costs. Customers don't appreciate it. They expect the shipping costs to be accurate, not overpriced.

Advertise Properly or Risk Losing Positive Feedback
This is crucial if you want positive feedback. Advertising matters, and if the customer doesn't get what was advertised, you're getting negative feedback. Avoid this:

- Heavy photoshopping. If your felted turnip isn't green, don't photoshop it green.

- Hiding defects. If it's not sewn correctly, hiding the pins that hold it together won't make customers happy.

- Shipping with unsuitable packaging. Shipping a glass vase with no bubble wrap equals unhappy surprises. Make sure the shipping material is appropriate.

- Advertising something it can't do. If a customer receives it and it doesn't work as it should, you're not getting positive feedback.

Just Be Nice!
Just be nice? Is that it? It really does matter, though. The importance of delivering goods with a smile increases your chance of rave reviews by ten fold. Presentation matters, and treating customers with courtesy ensures that you always get positive feedback.

Is it Really That Easy?
Yes, it really is. Open up your own shop, follow the rules, and watch your positive feedback soar to 100%. Treat them with courtesy and they'll reciprocate.