Tips to Becoming a Successful Seller on Etsy

If you are one of the new generation entrepreneurs and are planning on starting a home business, Etsy is a great place to start. That is if you can get past their one rule, everything you sell has to be handmade. Assuming you have a skill that you can apply to this rule, lets continue. Its simple to open a shop on Etsy, all you need to open an account is standard information such as date of birth, email and first and last name. Opening an account may be fairly simple, but becoming a successful seller requires a lot more effort on your behalf. People will not just come running to buy your products simply because you put them up for sale. You have to give people an incentive, a reason to buy. Whether it be because your products are made from high quality materials, your products are ready to ship at the time of purchase, or simply because your products are unique and can't be purchased at anywhere aside from your Etsy shop. Here is what you need to attract customers on Etsy.

High Quality Photos

When you sell your handmade goods online, photos are the foundation of your business. Without high quality photos customers will not even want to click through to read the description of the item. Ideally your photo will be clear, bright and depict the item that you have up for sale in the best light. You have to make your item's main photo captivate your prospective customer's attention enough so that they will be motivated to click through to your Etsy shop and make a purchase.

Detailed Descriptions

Putting all that hard work into your photo will be a complete waste of your time, if you don't follow it up with a detailed description of the item. When putting together your item descriptions the key is to keep it short but sweet. Ideally, your description will fall between two sentences and one paragraph. No more, no less. Make sure to include the material of the item, the dimensions, If the item comes in more than one color and turn around time (if any). If it takes you four days to produce and ship an item, you must include that information in your description.

Well Made Items

This is a given. But just to be safe, lets review it. Your products have to be of professional quality. Just because you are working from home does not mean that you have to produce less than top notch work. Customers buy handmade because they want the personal touches that mass produced items cant give them. Little quirks and minor imperfections usually just add to the charm of the product. However, do not confuse minor imperfections with poorly made items. If you are not ready to present yourself, your items and business professionally, don't do it at all.