It can get so confusing!! We have never done the “renew every day” or put up new listings every day method and have had a lot of success so I don’t buy into that one...
I'd love to be featured in the next video! My small business is Cross Stitch by Tomi on Etsy!! I still can't get over how great the editing is. Your videos are always super to the point, and I watched every second =)
I also expected a surge of orders on crocheted sloth plant holders before Christmas. My fingers were definitely struggling to finish. Burn out is a real thing for sure
My strategy was to set my prices low to begin with just to make a name for myself on Etsy. Once I started making profit and received several positive reviews, then hit 30+ sales, I decided to increase prices. My sales come in slower now but I do make a lot more off each. So it was a good decision at the end of the day.
Great info! I opened my shop in Feb 2021 and have had nearly 200 sales and over $3100 in income. Considering I was traveling and unable to make Mother's Day, Father's Day and July 4th sales due to the timing, I'm fairly happy with where I'm at. But your tips are really helpful and I am sure can help me take it up a notch. Fortunately, instead of using vacation mode, I extended my processing times (just out of sheer luck). Now I know to never use it. I need to do more research but your video has been the most helpful of all I've watched so far.
I can't thank you enough for these videos and the detail you go into. I've been wanting to do this for a while now, something to replace my husband's income who has had numerous strokes in the last year, and to help with the medical debt drowning us. I have to find something or we're in danger of losing our home. I have ideas, but didn't know where to start. Your videos give me the groundwork to lay
I have learned that by utilizing "variations", I can entice customers to spend more money. I sell plants and I have to include my shipping into every 1-item order so if I can get them to buy 2 items as the sweet spot with just a little more cost added, I can actually show more profit for the month over the amount I spent on shipping.
Can i ask how does it work when buying two or more of the same item.Do you set up a variation which states the quantity and price or do you give them a disc
I know you made this awhile back, but thank you so much for the advice. Been working on building my Etsy shop back up, and expanding my product listings (especially with printables) so that people will have more reason to come back. I think I might do what you suggested, and just put multiple iterations of the same product in one listing in the future.
A friend just shared this with me and I'm so grateful. I struggle so much around etsy and was considering putting my shop on vacation mood. Thanks for sharing.
I put my shop into vacation mode at least once a month to catch up on orders and post on Instagram to my followers when I reopen and my sales pick right back up as usual especially if I have an item they want. It's never ruined my store at all. So I don't think that's a hard and fast rule, at least in my experience. I think if you are not promoting yourself in another place like a social media site then it would have more of an impact on you bc in these cases ppl might be relying mostly on Etsy to promote for them
Wow, you’re the first person I’ve heard say that! So glad it hasn’t affected you negatively. I see what you mean about it being more of an issue if the sole source of traffic is from Etsy search.
I think this comment applies to those of us with niche products or have a large enough social media following where a majority of our sales comes from our own promotions rather than on Etsy itself. Fur this reason, I don't rely on the Etsy promotion tax. I do in person she's from time to time at local markets. I only use vacation mode on those days I sell, that way I can update my inventory as items sell out at these events. Interestingly too, I've seen sales DROP when I run discounts or lower prices.
If you use Square for in-person payments, it can be integrated with your Etsy shop to automatically update your inventory in real time as each in-person sale is made.
I heard one YT'er state on digital products (tha is wha mine will be) to get it set up and advertise the snot out of it...For a downloadable, printable crazy performance rc foamboard plane (over 100+ airframe designs with many graphics options for each) what soc media venue would you suggests I spend most of my time developing?
The problem with social media is that everyone is an “expert”. There are many (most) Etsy Gurus that teach “The more listings the better”. with the “sweet spot” being somewhere between 200-500 listings. The old approach of....”More raffles and chances for the lottery winnings”. In my personal case, I found my sales substantially increased from 2-3 sales a day at 50 listings to 10-12 sales a day once I got over 200 listings (jewelry). Thank you also for the “No Vacation” tip, increasing prices also occurred to me as a way of slowing down orders without sacrificing your revenue and profits too much.
Thank you for the tips. I have become stagnant ( tired) and discouraged ( I stopped painting) from lack of sells in my shop. Hoping to get back to painting again soon.
Your videos have been so helpful! I started a shop 3 weeks ago, sold 2 paintings so far. I had no idea about the SEO stuff though, so I researched and changed the titles, been getting a lot more traffic already. Can't wait to launch my next actual product though. I'm just waiting for the shipping supplies, but it's all ready to roll in a draft. I sooo want to launch now with mother's day coming up, but I must to wait! Lol
Solid advice, I would also add that the more passionate you are about your art or product, the better it is and it SHOWS. I can definitely tell when someone is making something just for profit - even if that thing is nice! - compared to others who put their heart into it. Many creators put alot of effort into their packaging to make it look like what you would see in stores, and for me, it turns me away. I love when people get creative with their packaging, whether its recycled wrapping for their products or their labels are screen/stamped/block printed before placed on their product. Anybody can pay a printing service and graphic designer to come up with their packaging, but its the taper candles tied together with frayed silk scraps with a dried flower tucked in that draw me to it. Its the personal touch I love :)
i agree with you 1000% for sure!!! i’d rather buy an item from a shop that is TRULY handmade ONE piece at a time that has much passion poured into making it! same thing when it comes to the packaging…i personally reuse/recycle/repurpose packaging!
I’ve had multiple stores running for 7 years and never put it on vacation mode because I don’t wanna lose my spot in the search results. I just either raise my prices or get somebody else to fulfill my orders. Also I agree quality over quantity. Protect your Bestsellers, they are your bread and butter.
That’s not always practical to do for many. I’ve put my shop on vacation when I go on vacation. If I am home it’s always open. But I can’t ship from where I’m away at on vacation and I don’t want to. I put the shop in vacation mode about twice a year for a week each time. No changes in traffic. I still sold as much as before I went on vacation and I’m not a high volume seller either and sell a few items a month. And there’s no one else to do this for me so that’s not an option if I go on vacation. And I have hundreds of listings and the time frame has to be changed on every listing. I always ship in one day so I want to keep it that way. But I do need some time off too! Nothing wrong with that. We aren’t Amazon after all and we should’nt be expected to be either!
I wish I had seen this video before I made the first mistake you mentioned. I definitely agree that putting your Etsy shop on vacation mode is a huge mistake! I put my shop on vacation for only 2 days and it literally took almost 3 months to get my sales back to where they were pre-vacation mode! I will NEVER do that again. I should have extended my processing time instead. Hindsight is 20/20!
I did put my etsy shop on vacation mode last year when the "virus" started.....as I got so fed up with how many rude customers there were! I was kinda shocked at that and couldnt take it anymore! I've since re-designed my store to printables and it's soooo much nicer now!
“Rich Jam”…Wishing you more abundance with your shop. I’ve been listing since December 2020 and haven’t made a sale yet. I’m learning quite a bit though. Peace to all.
I'm planning to start my brand n use Etsy. I'm new subscriber to your channel, n I have to say I AM LEARNING A LOT FROM YOU! I feel you very transparent, explain very well. Thank you so much and I wish you all success and prosperity.
I would SO love to see a video on how to optimize ooak handmade items. As a "handmade" platform Etsy certainly does not reward people who are going all the way and making entirely unique items. I would love to see a whole different section, maybe even jury it. (I know Etsy is too busy!) Thanks for everything!
I am very pleased to have discovered you thru search engines. Your energetic body language is inspiring. I will watch a few of your videos, apply what you say. I guess my shop is in vacation mode. Hmmmm better focus better.
Thank you so much for the tips I just opened my shop last week I could use some help on growing my business and getting sales. I will be binge watching all your videos hopefully I learn some things.
go down in rank when you do vacation mode. your listings go down in rank to. Ive noticed this. I went on vacation last year to catch up on orders and it was messed up.
This was really nice! I especially appreciated all the extra tid bits of advice that weren't necessarily the main focus of the video! It helped a lot :)
This is a fantastic clear and informative video. I am currently building my own craft business and looking to sell on etsy as one of my avenues of sale. Thank you so much for the great advise and keep your eye out for golden lotus designs 😉.
I love your videos. Very informative and straight forward! I put my shop on vacation during the holidays over my fear of the postage situation-I am paying for it for sure. Ouch!
Oh no! So sorry friend. I wish Etsy would do a better job of warning sellers about the potential outcome of it. I hope yours is able to bounce back 🙏🏻❤️
I recommend trying your best to not go on vacation mode unless you absolutely have to! It may be good to train a trusted friend to help you with any custom orders that you are not able to fill yourself.
Difficult to decide on listings if you're a photographer selling digital services. For example, in order to list several "variations", you have to put it as a "shippable item" (free of course), but then you sacrifice having a nice downloadable digital file that gives instructions of what to do, setting "quantities", and being able to opt out of shipping entirely. However, if you split your services into, let's say, 7 listings, then you can set each listing as digital, fixing several issues with selling digital services. Starting out, we are unsure of doing 1 listing with all the "variations" as a free shipping, or if we should do 6-7 listings so they are all listed as digital etc. Any recommendations based on your experience? Trying to avoid hurting ourselves with the algorithm gods. People have been asking for Esty to fix this for a few years now regarding digital options... and considering Etsy makes more money based on how many listings you have, their incentive to change to something that makes more sense isn't all that high unfortunately. Cheers
This was really helpful! I have been wanting to start an Etsy shop for a while but I’ve just been moving slow. I decided to start before the Month is over because I have no real reason not to besides just being scared to fail. However, I am pregnant and due in the middle of April so I know I will be needing a break close to and after my due date. I so needed to hear that part about raising prices instead of taking a vacation/Maternity leave. I sure was planning to take that leave and did not have the slightest idea that it could hurt my shop. Thanks again so much for such helpful tips 😉.
Congratulations, friend! You can definitely take time off for maternity leave (enjoy that baby!) The key is just making those changes to your shop to slow down sales for a bit or temporarily hiring someone to help you fill orders :)
I am glad i found you and this video I startd my etsy shop in 2007 and it went well for a good while. Somewhere along the way i put on vacation mode. I am now back at it. It's not doing well. Should i just start over with another shop? 🤔
Thanks so much for sharing your experience as a Etsy business owner. Your advice was constructive and very relevant to what I am aiming for in my business!
Your comments and advice about listing your items that have different options , was interesting, but can it be used for items that could be made available as both a 'physical' product and as a 'digital' product? For example, a book ,or a sewing pattern, or any 'graphic'- these are items that often can be purchased as printed or as digital-downloads. Your example of the bracelets being available in different colors is good because they are all physical variations of each other. But can someone sell a book as a printed option and as a PDF-download option from the same Etsy listing??? I don't have an etsy shop yet and haven't found much information on this yet, but you seemed a nice professional to ask!
Thank you for making starting an Etsy shop less daunting! I just finished listening to your "4 Nevers"! You mentioned to research what sells. I looked at shops selling items similar to ours, but can't figure out if they are selling. How do I tell what is selling and what isn't? Thanks for sharing all your knowledge!
I learned a few of these the hard way and share her videos with people interested with selling on Etsy now so they can avoid a few of the mistakes I made. In particular, when I had an 8-in-1 surgery that laid me up for months, I put my shop on vacation. Ween from ranking in the top 1-2% of Etsy sellers to being knocked down to a newbie level when it came to their search algorithm ranking. And was clueless to it all enough to do it again when I had eye surgery 1.2 years later. Oh duh!
You re spot on about holiday mode. I have Poppysprops which are handmade knitted photography props. I put my shop on holiday mode as I had to catch up on my sales I was inundated with the number of sales. I could not keep up. Now I re opened my shop and as you said, slow 1 sale in a week. How do I keep up with the sales without closing my shop?
So sorry friend! 😩 I always recommend to extend your processing time or raise your prices if you need to slow things down a bit. You can always adjust them back again once you’re caught up.
I switched my payment to our LCC and I had a number wrong on our buisness id. Etsy threw my shop in vacation mode and within in the 48 hours it took me to fix it, it basicaly crippled my momentum it took 16 months to build. I have only had ONE sale in the past three weeks and I am about 40% down in sales and way down in visits.
Thank you very useful. Want ask about listing, if I have only 3 products which I produce and they have diffrent variations of colors, is not it will be to empty if I will have only three listings in my shop?
The only time I ever put my shop "on vacation" is the week before Christmas. This is mainly because despite increasing processing time, people would have unrealistic expectations of receiving their items before Christmas, even when I put notes on my shop several times. This led to a lot of negative reviews and angry customers. I'm curious about your thoughts here. =
I get that! I try not to ever put my shop on vacation mode because of the loss of momentum it causes so when it’s super busy and close to Christmas, I extend my processing times and make sure to note everywhere I can the deadline date for Christmas delivery. People do still order after this and may request a refund but I haven’t received many negative reviews just because of this- once I explain and show screenshots of where the processing time/deadline was clearly posted, they usually realize they were in the wrong. I’m a bit more lenient and willing to offer refunds around the holidays because of this. Continuing to be kind and professional with customers even if they’re upset goes a long way in combating negative reviews ❤️
Vacation mode completely ruined my super thriving shop a year ago and ever since I had to shut it down and start from scratch and I have been struggling SO MUCH :( I am so heartbroken and I don’t think I’ll ever make it that successfully again :(
Thanks for this!!! I was getting a little over-anxious about some listings I wanted to post even though I know I need to learn more and your comment towards the end stopped me in my tracks - just what I needed to hear! Love the idea of using the drop-down menu for similar items too!
omg ty for this - I am literally listing crystal bracelets today on my store and I would have put them in separate listings so thank you for the product variant tip
omg #2 is so smart!! so in my case, I’m looking to start selling naturally dyed scarves & in different colours, so I should just have 1 listing for the scarf and have all of the colour options just in the drop down? ‘cause i’ve seen other people who sell similar things post separate listings for each colour they sell.
Hi Kate, Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been a nervous wreck bc I'm just getting ready to start a shop and want to make some cash with my vintage stuff (hoard 😏😉, former style blogger from the early 00's) and I wasn't sure when I should just throw it up and take off. I was worried that I would not get it out in time for the holidays, my images aren't good enough, I might miss something, etc. But, I also didn't want to push out terrible photos, low quality merch and rush and make costly mistakes bc I didn't take my time. You have allowed me to take a breath, keep researching until I'm ACTUALLY ready! Great, to-the-point advice! 😊
Hey Reva! So great to connect with you! Sounds like you’re doing some great planning to set yourself up for success in the future 👏👏 Definitely room to take a breath and get to where you feel prepared before launching ❤️
Beautiful ! 💓 Very nice Vlog, great clip...you can learn and see a lot from it.. Can You make clip.. Organisation, cleaning office desk - Declutter Paperwork in home or your office?
Never deactivate and reactivate listings . It’s worse than putting your shop on vacation mode I did that with several of my most popular listings . And now have lost all momentum . I’m running ads and renewing , still on 1st page searches but just getting no order s.
Hi Kate, thanks for this awesome video. I have a great little shop that’s going well but even I have learned some really valuable tips from you. Blessings to you and your lovely family 😀
@@KateHayes Also, just my opinion, but you should blur out your shop name in the video where we see your dashboard. People will visit to check it out (I did) and it will run havoc with your conversion rate. It happened to another Etsy TH-cam called Eva Knows. I’m sure there is a blurring tool in the TH-cam dashboard you can use on uploaded videos. 😀
I see lots of people selling stuff printed with Jack from the Nightmare before Christmas the movie. And they are even Star sellers. I wonder if you can do that or if it is illegal
Yesterday i watch a video of a girl that put the shop in vacation mode and then when she wanted to log again she lost the account!! she retook it some months ago, how frustrating was that!
Hi Kate, great videos and awesome advice! Thank you so much! You might have a video on it, but in this one, you mentioned opening a 2nd store and I’m just curious why you’d need a 2nd store, unless it was in a totally different niche? Thanks! Brian
I love your content, but I constantly that notice visual samples are missing. Would be very helpful. It’s also a little hard to find your Etsy store from your videos.
What if you have a one of a kind type item,? I have sold 5 of them on my own. I make hand woven bags that are machine quilted. No two are alike. Any advice?
You are so effective and so valuable. Thanks very much for your advice. Question pls..with regarding the vacation mode. What if I need to travel abroad. Which means no one is there to ship orders. Thanks
🔑 FREE ETSY SUCCESS MASTERCLASS 👉 www.etsymasterclass.com
It can get so confusing!! We have never done the “renew every day” or put up new listings every day method and have had a lot of success so I don’t buy into that one...
@Wendy Jensen Yes! Definitely create as much as you want! I love designing digital products as well even though I don’t sell them. 😄
I'd love to be featured in the next video! My small business is Cross Stitch by Tomi on Etsy!! I still can't get over how great the editing is. Your videos are always super to the point, and I watched every second =)
@@tomiolunuga You are too sweet! Thank you!! I will def. keep your shop in mind!! ❤️🥰
@Wendy Jensen I agree! Got to love them Hayeses (though there’s debate on how to correctly make it plural 🤣😜)!
Timestamps: #1 is 1:00, #2 is 3:17, #3 is 6:15, #4 is 7:36 Wonderful tips, thank you!! :)
Thank you
Gracias 😎
my first week on Etsy, I made like $300 and was scrambling to fulfill my orders haha, learned that one through personal experience 😂
That’s awesome. A good problem to have!
It was definitely a great learning lesson for sure!
Tyler can you help me I choose my products.
Q:- Where I promote those products? Can I have to make a Landing page? Please response.
Shivam.
I was selling face masks over Christmas and I felt stressed when I got a surge of orders. haha
I also expected a surge of orders on crocheted sloth plant holders before Christmas. My fingers were definitely struggling to finish. Burn out is a real thing for sure
My strategy was to set my prices low to begin with just to make a name for myself on Etsy. Once I started making profit and received several positive reviews, then hit 30+ sales, I decided to increase prices. My sales come in slower now but I do make a lot more off each. So it was a good decision at the end of the day.
Great info! I opened my shop in Feb 2021 and have had nearly 200 sales and over $3100 in income. Considering I was traveling and unable to make Mother's Day, Father's Day and July 4th sales due to the timing, I'm fairly happy with where I'm at. But your tips are really helpful and I am sure can help me take it up a notch. Fortunately, instead of using vacation mode, I extended my processing times (just out of sheer luck). Now I know to never use it. I need to do more research but your video has been the most helpful of all I've watched so far.
Wow what do you do?
I can't thank you enough for these videos and the detail you go into. I've been wanting to do this for a while now, something to replace my husband's income who has had numerous strokes in the last year, and to help with the medical debt drowning us. I have to find something or we're in danger of losing our home. I have ideas, but didn't know where to start. Your videos give me the groundwork to lay
I have learned that by utilizing "variations", I can entice customers to spend more money. I sell plants and I have to include my shipping into every 1-item order so if I can get them to buy 2 items as the sweet spot with just a little more cost added, I can actually show more profit for the month over the amount I spent on shipping.
Can i ask how does it work when buying two or more of the same item.Do you set up a variation which states the quantity and price or do you give them a disc
I'm looking to open an etsy store. But started to research trends and found you. So thankful for your insight and knowledge
I know you made this awhile back, but thank you so much for the advice. Been working on building my Etsy shop back up, and expanding my product listings (especially with printables) so that people will have more reason to come back.
I think I might do what you suggested, and just put multiple iterations of the same product in one listing in the future.
You’re so welcome! Best wishes to you in your shop!!
A friend just shared this with me and I'm so grateful. I struggle so much around etsy and was considering putting my shop on vacation mood. Thanks for sharing.
I put my shop into vacation mode at least once a month to catch up on orders and post on Instagram to my followers when I reopen and my sales pick right back up as usual especially if I have an item they want. It's never ruined my store at all. So I don't think that's a hard and fast rule, at least in my experience. I think if you are not promoting yourself in another place like a social media site then it would have more of an impact on you bc in these cases ppl might be relying mostly on Etsy to promote for them
Wow, you’re the first person I’ve heard say that! So glad it hasn’t affected you negatively. I see what you mean about it being more of an issue if the sole source of traffic is from Etsy search.
I think this comment applies to those of us with niche products or have a large enough social media following where a majority of our sales comes from our own promotions rather than on Etsy itself. Fur this reason, I don't rely on the Etsy promotion tax. I do in person she's from time to time at local markets. I only use vacation mode on those days I sell, that way I can update my inventory as items sell out at these events. Interestingly too, I've seen sales DROP when I run discounts or lower prices.
If you use Square for in-person payments, it can be integrated with your Etsy shop to automatically update your inventory in real time as each in-person sale is made.
Do you have a video on how you are able to avoid the slow down? Thanks, I'm sure it will help.
I heard one YT'er state on digital products (tha is wha mine will be) to get it set up and advertise the snot out of it...For a downloadable, printable crazy performance rc foamboard plane (over 100+ airframe designs with many graphics options for each) what soc media venue would you suggests I spend most of my time developing?
I really want to start an Etsy shop. I'm in the research stage and I want to make sure I do it right. Thank you for your videos.
Absolutely! That’s a great place to be!!
The problem with social media is that everyone is an “expert”. There are many (most) Etsy Gurus that teach “The more listings the better”.
with the “sweet spot” being somewhere between 200-500 listings. The old approach of....”More raffles and chances for the lottery winnings”.
In my personal case, I found my sales substantially increased from 2-3 sales a day at 50 listings to 10-12 sales a day once I got over 200 listings (jewelry). Thank you also for the “No Vacation” tip, increasing prices also occurred to me as a way of slowing down orders without sacrificing your revenue and profits too much.
Surely it's about finding out what works, some of the top selling shops for T-shirts and mugs have hundreds of listings with very standard designs
I am so lucky to discover your videos on the same day I open my Etsy shop, thousand of thanks !
Yay!! So exciting!
Thank you for the tips. I have become stagnant ( tired) and discouraged ( I stopped painting) from lack of sells in my shop. Hoping to get back to painting again soon.
So sorry friend, I know how discouraging it can be. Cheering for you!
Your videos have been so helpful! I started a shop 3 weeks ago, sold 2 paintings so far. I had no idea about the SEO stuff though, so I researched and changed the titles, been getting a lot more traffic already. Can't wait to launch my next actual product though. I'm just waiting for the shipping supplies, but it's all ready to roll in a draft. I sooo want to launch now with mother's day coming up, but I must to wait! Lol
Yay! So happy to help!
I must need to do this.. I've sold paintings on Mercari and many people you're me to try Etsy and nothing...
I still don't know what a SEO is . Help
Solid advice, I would also add that the more passionate you are about your art or product, the better it is and it SHOWS. I can definitely tell when someone is making something just for profit - even if that thing is nice! - compared to others who put their heart into it. Many creators put alot of effort into their packaging to make it look like what you would see in stores, and for me, it turns me away. I love when people get creative with their packaging, whether its recycled wrapping for their products or their labels are screen/stamped/block printed before placed on their product. Anybody can pay a printing service and graphic designer to come up with their packaging, but its the taper candles tied together with frayed silk scraps with a dried flower tucked in that draw me to it. Its the personal touch I love :)
i agree with you 1000% for sure!!! i’d rather buy an item from a shop that is TRULY handmade ONE piece at a time that has much passion poured into making it! same thing when it comes to the packaging…i personally reuse/recycle/repurpose packaging!
I’ve had multiple stores running for 7 years and never put it on vacation mode because I don’t wanna lose my spot in the search results. I just either raise my prices or get somebody else to fulfill my orders.
Also I agree quality over quantity.
Protect your Bestsellers, they are your bread and butter.
That’s not always practical to do for many. I’ve put my shop on vacation when I go on vacation. If I am home it’s always open. But I can’t ship from where I’m away at on vacation and I don’t want to. I put the shop in vacation mode about twice a year for a week each time. No changes in traffic. I still sold as much as before I went on vacation and I’m not a high volume seller either and sell a few items a month. And there’s no one else to do this for me so that’s not an option if I go on vacation. And I have hundreds of listings and the time frame has to be changed on every listing. I always ship in one day so I want to keep it that way. But I do need some time off too! Nothing wrong with that. We aren’t Amazon after all and we should’nt be expected to be either!
Can one per create multiple Etsy stores under one tax ID/SSN?
Going to start selling earrings and eventually Keychain and other things!! So excited and hopefully learn more along the way.
How was it? I’m going to sell handmade earrings
@@Nanasclayart_au How has it been? I've been wanting to do the same!
This is the best Etsy video, and the most honest and truest I have experienced.
Wow!! Thank you for saying that! So glad it was helpful to you ☺️
Thanks for this tip. I guess I have to update some of my listings AS SOON AS POSSIBLE 😲
Great advice! I have an Etsy shop as well, I started about 2 months ago. I haven't gotten any sells as of yet. I hope things get better.
Hey friend! Keep doing what you can to improve your shop and listings little by little and you will get there! 💗
@@KateHayes Thank you so much!❤
I wish I had seen this video before I made the first mistake you mentioned. I definitely agree that putting your Etsy shop on vacation mode is a huge mistake! I put my shop on vacation for only 2 days and it literally took almost 3 months to get my sales back to where they were pre-vacation mode! I will NEVER do that again. I should have extended my processing time instead. Hindsight is 20/20!
I did put my etsy shop on vacation mode last year when the "virus" started.....as I got so fed up with how many rude customers there were! I was kinda shocked at that and couldnt take it anymore! I've since re-designed my store to printables and it's soooo much nicer now!
So awesome! Thank you for stopping by!
Hi Katie I'm new in the UK, momentum is slowly building and one sale in a month but I'm not giving up . Keep up the great advice.
“Rich Jam”…Wishing you more abundance with your shop. I’ve been listing since December 2020 and haven’t made a sale yet. I’m learning quite a bit though. Peace to all.
@@meetingplace7928 Hi I've one sale and recently had a few pieces favourite.
We can do it, never give up.
Stay safe.
and for the listing thing for variations, you also are getting charged more listing fees when you could just be charged for one.
Thank you for sharing this information. I have subscribed and will be watching.
Yay! Thank you for watching and subscribing 🥰
Thank you so much! I definitely need to make some changes. This was very helpful information. I can't wait to see some improvement.
So glad you found it helpful!
Love all the info , I have kept star seller for 5 moths straight but would love more sales taking all info and going to work on my shop .
Awesome! Keep pressing friend! ❤️
Thank you for your recommendations. I am new to Etsy and still learning
I'm planning to start my brand n use Etsy. I'm new subscriber to your channel, n I have to say I AM LEARNING A LOT FROM YOU! I feel you very transparent, explain very well. Thank you so much and I wish you all success and prosperity.
Aww wow, thank you! That makes my day! I wish you tons of success 💛💛💛
I would SO love to see a video on how to optimize ooak handmade items. As a "handmade" platform Etsy certainly does not reward people who are going all the way and making entirely unique items. I would love to see a whole different section, maybe even jury it. (I know Etsy is too busy!) Thanks for everything!
I like how you think about all of this! Thanks!
I am very pleased to have discovered you thru search engines. Your energetic body language is inspiring. I will watch a few of your videos, apply what you say. I guess my shop is in vacation mode. Hmmmm better focus better.
Thank you so much for the tips I just opened my shop last week I could use some help on growing my business and getting sales. I will be binge watching all your videos hopefully I learn some things.
Congrats on opening your shop!! So exciting! 🤩
@@KateHayes it is ❤️❤️
Wonderful advise that makes perfect sense!... you kept my attention with your amazing delivery!! Thank you
Thanks for the info. I found the pricing tip particularly encouraging. I just raised my prices a little, so I found that encouraging.
So glad it was helpful to you!
Thank you for all the Tips on what not to do. Excellent tips. Much appreciated.
Just getting started on ETSY so thanks for some great tips.
Wishing you the best with your Etsy journey!
thank you for sharing this video. I write it down on my etsy notes. very helpfull
You’re very welcome friend! Glad it helped!
Get points! I definitely changed my mind 😊
Glad you found value!
This is fantastic. Things I didn't actually think to much about. Very helpful for a newbie like me! Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful! So glad you found it helpful 💛💛
go down in rank when you do vacation mode. your listings go down in rank to. Ive noticed this. I went on vacation last year to catch up on orders and it was messed up.
I am in my first month on Etsy. This is so helpful. Thank you so much
This was really nice! I especially appreciated all the extra tid bits of advice that weren't necessarily the main focus of the video! It helped a lot :)
Thank you! Glad you loved it!
This is a fantastic clear and informative video. I am currently building my own craft business and looking to sell on etsy as one of my avenues of sale. Thank you so much for the great advise and keep your eye out for golden lotus designs 😉.
How exciting! Can’t wait to see your success!!
I love your videos. Very informative and straight forward! I put my shop on vacation during the holidays over my fear of the postage situation-I am paying for it for sure. Ouch!
Oh no! So sorry friend. I wish Etsy would do a better job of warning sellers about the potential outcome of it. I hope yours is able to bounce back 🙏🏻❤️
It makes me so happy to randomly catch this video on here & learn that I’ve been doing everything right! Score!
Awesome, friend! Way to go!! 🥳
Thanks for such a great video! I opened my etsy shop January of 2021.
Thanks dear for sharing those hot insights. Very interesting
I make custom products that our not stocked and they made to order. How do you handle that when go on vacation
I recommend trying your best to not go on vacation mode unless you absolutely have to! It may be good to train a trusted friend to help you with any custom orders that you are not able to fill yourself.
Difficult to decide on listings if you're a photographer selling digital services. For example, in order to list several "variations", you have to put it as a "shippable item" (free of course), but then you sacrifice having a nice downloadable digital file that gives instructions of what to do, setting "quantities", and being able to opt out of shipping entirely. However, if you split your services into, let's say, 7 listings, then you can set each listing as digital, fixing several issues with selling digital services.
Starting out, we are unsure of doing 1 listing with all the "variations" as a free shipping, or if we should do 6-7 listings so they are all listed as digital etc. Any recommendations based on your experience? Trying to avoid hurting ourselves with the algorithm gods.
People have been asking for Esty to fix this for a few years now regarding digital options... and considering Etsy makes more money based on how many listings you have, their incentive to change to something that makes more sense isn't all that high unfortunately. Cheers
Thank you, very interesting, constructive information.💕
So happy to help! 😊
Kate is exactly correct about the ‘vacation’ mode! It KILLED my neighbor’s business!
😭😭😭
This was really helpful! I have been wanting to start an Etsy shop for a while but I’ve just been moving slow. I decided to start before the Month is over because I have no real reason not to besides just being scared to fail. However, I am pregnant and due in the middle of April so I know I will be needing a break close to and after my due date. I so needed to hear that part about raising prices instead of taking a vacation/Maternity leave. I sure was planning to take that leave and did not have the slightest idea that it could hurt my shop. Thanks again so much for such helpful tips 😉.
Congratulations, friend! You can definitely take time off for maternity leave (enjoy that baby!) The key is just making those changes to your shop to slow down sales for a bit or temporarily hiring someone to help you fill orders :)
@@KateHayes thanks again🌷
I am glad i found you and this video
I startd my etsy shop in 2007 and it went well for a good while. Somewhere along the way i put on vacation mode. I am now back at it. It's not doing well. Should i just start over with another shop? 🤔
Thanks so much for sharing your experience as a Etsy business owner. Your advice was constructive and very relevant to what I am aiming for in my business!
Yay! So happy to be able to help 💕
Just opened my shop yesterday!! This video is really helpful, thank you 🙏
Yay!! So exciting!! 🥳
Thanks for the tips. Interesting about having more than one shop
Your comments and advice about listing your items that have different options , was interesting, but can it be used for items that could be made available as both a 'physical' product and as a 'digital' product? For example, a book ,or a sewing pattern, or any 'graphic'- these are items that often can be purchased as printed or as digital-downloads. Your example of the bracelets being available in different colors is good because they are all physical variations of each other. But can someone sell a book as a printed option and as a PDF-download option from the same Etsy listing??? I don't have an etsy shop yet and haven't found much information on this yet, but you seemed a nice professional to ask!
Kate, I have three different items but, a multitude of variations (colors and scents) on each one. Should I still stick with the drop down menu?
Thank you for making starting an Etsy shop less daunting! I just finished listening to your "4 Nevers"! You mentioned to research what sells. I looked at shops selling items similar to ours, but can't figure out if they are selling. How do I tell what is selling and what isn't? Thanks for sharing all your knowledge!
Loved watching this! Incredible advice!
Yay! Thanks so much for the shop shoutout ❤️... So glad you talked about Vacation Mode in this one. Your videos are always helpful 😊
You are so welcome friend! Glad you’re enjoying our content!! 💛
I learned a few of these the hard way and share her videos with people interested with selling on Etsy now so they can avoid a few of the mistakes I made. In particular, when I had an 8-in-1 surgery that laid me up for months, I put my shop on vacation. Ween from ranking in the top 1-2% of Etsy sellers to being knocked down to a newbie level when it came to their search algorithm ranking. And was clueless to it all enough to do it again when I had eye surgery 1.2 years later. Oh duh!
New stay at home mama shop! Lash Baby Boutique! Great tips! Thank you!
Hey friend! Congrats on getting started on your shop!! 👏👏👏
Youre awesome at explaining all of this.I appreciate it...thank you!
Aww thank you, friend! You are very welcome! 💛
Thank you so much for this great video. First time here and love it. Subscribed 💝
Thanks so much for watching and subscribing!! Great to connect with you!
Great info Kate, your a natural teacher
Please also make a video how and in which platform u advertise your product.
I’m not getting the notification sound (on a phone) when an item sells. Any suggestions on settings to check on the iPhone client?
You re spot on about holiday mode. I have Poppysprops which are handmade knitted photography props. I put my shop on holiday mode as I had to catch up on my sales I was inundated with the number of sales. I could not keep up. Now I re opened my shop and as you said, slow 1 sale in a week. How do I keep up with the sales without closing my shop?
So sorry friend! 😩 I always recommend to extend your processing time or raise your prices if you need to slow things down a bit. You can always adjust them back again once you’re caught up.
Thank you for your great advice! Things I hadn’t thought of!
I switched my payment to our LCC and I had a number wrong on our buisness id. Etsy threw my shop in vacation mode and within in the 48 hours it took me to fix it, it basicaly crippled my momentum it took 16 months to build. I have only had ONE sale in the past three weeks and I am about 40% down in sales and way down in visits.
YOU ARE GREAT!!!!
Thank you this is SO helpful!!! 👍👍
Aww thanks, friend!! So glad it was helpful to you!
Ok, when it comes to variations, is it possible with print on demand? I'm not seeing an appropriate option.
Which POD provider are you using?
@@KateHayes printify. I would really like to offer phone cases in a few different shades under one listing.
Thank you very useful. Want ask about listing, if I have only 3 products which I produce and they have diffrent variations of colors, is not it will be to empty if I will have only three listings in my shop?
The only time I ever put my shop "on vacation" is the week before Christmas. This is mainly because despite increasing processing time, people would have unrealistic expectations of receiving their items before Christmas, even when I put notes on my shop several times. This led to a lot of negative reviews and angry customers. I'm curious about your thoughts here.
=
I get that! I try not to ever put my shop on vacation mode because of the loss of momentum it causes so when it’s super busy and close to Christmas, I extend my processing times and make sure to note everywhere I can the deadline date for Christmas delivery. People do still order after this and may request a refund but I haven’t received many negative reviews just because of this- once I explain and show screenshots of where the processing time/deadline was clearly posted, they usually realize they were in the wrong. I’m a bit more lenient and willing to offer refunds around the holidays because of this. Continuing to be kind and professional with customers even if they’re upset goes a long way in combating negative reviews ❤️
Vacation mode completely ruined my super thriving shop a year ago and ever since I had to shut it down and start from scratch and I have been struggling SO MUCH :( I am so heartbroken and I don’t think I’ll ever make it that successfully again :(
Noo! I’m so sorry friend. That seems to be what it does to most sellers. It really is unfortunate and so sad 😩😩😩
@@KateHayes I know :(
I have still yet to make a single sale in this new shop :(
Thanks for this!!! I was getting a little over-anxious about some listings I wanted to post even though I know I need to learn more and your comment towards the end stopped me in my tracks - just what I needed to hear! Love the idea of using the drop-down menu for similar items too!
❤️❤️❤️
omg ty for this - I am literally listing crystal bracelets today on my store and I would have put them in separate listings so thank you for the product variant tip
Nice and very elegant solutions! Thanks!
Very welcome friend!!
Great video, straight to the point! I like it
Thanks friend!!
omg #2 is so smart!! so in my case, I’m looking to start selling naturally dyed scarves & in different colours, so I should just have 1 listing for the scarf and have all of the colour options just in the drop down? ‘cause i’ve seen other people who sell similar things post separate listings for each colour they sell.
Hi Kate,
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I've been a nervous wreck bc I'm just getting ready to start a shop and want to make some cash with my vintage stuff (hoard 😏😉, former style blogger from the early 00's) and I wasn't sure when I should just throw it up and take off. I was worried that I would not get it out in time for the holidays, my images aren't good enough, I might miss something, etc. But, I also didn't want to push out terrible photos, low quality merch and rush and make costly mistakes bc I didn't take my time. You have allowed me to take a breath, keep researching until I'm ACTUALLY ready! Great, to-the-point advice! 😊
Hey Reva! So great to connect with you! Sounds like you’re doing some great planning to set yourself up for success in the future 👏👏 Definitely room to take a breath and get to where you feel prepared before launching ❤️
Awesome! Thankyou! 💕👍 Subscribed!
Beautiful ! 💓 Very nice Vlog, great clip...you can learn and see a lot
from it.. Can You make clip.. Organisation, cleaning office desk -
Declutter Paperwork in home or your office?
Thank you friend! That’s a great idea!
@@KateHayes Great ! please normal speed...
Never deactivate and reactivate listings . It’s worse than putting your shop on vacation mode I did that with several of my most popular listings . And now have lost all momentum . I’m running ads and renewing , still on 1st page searches but just getting no order s.
Hi Kate, thanks for this awesome video. I have a great little shop that’s going well but even I have learned some really valuable tips from you. Blessings to you and your lovely family 😀
Thanks so much!! I’m glad you got something from it. Blessings to you!
@@KateHayes Also, just my opinion, but you should blur out your shop name in the video where we see your dashboard. People will visit to check it out (I did) and it will run havoc with your conversion rate. It happened to another Etsy TH-cam called Eva Knows. I’m sure there is a blurring tool in the TH-cam dashboard you can use on uploaded videos. 😀
I see lots of people selling stuff printed with Jack from the Nightmare before Christmas the movie. And they are even Star sellers. I wonder if you can do that or if it is illegal
Loved this! Thanks so much! 🙂
Yesterday i watch a video of a girl that put the shop in vacation mode and then when she wanted to log again she lost the account!! she retook it some months ago, how frustrating was that!
Hi Kate, great videos and awesome advice! Thank you so much! You might have a video on it, but in this one, you mentioned opening a 2nd store and I’m just curious why you’d need a 2nd store, unless it was in a totally different niche? Thanks! Brian
Yes, different niche! If you want to sell something completely different, sometimes it’s better to start a 2nd shop so buyers aren’t confused :)
Having drop down options for digital products what would you recommend? Say wallpaper designs or digital stickers?
I love your content, but I constantly that notice visual samples are missing. Would be very helpful. It’s also a little hard to find your Etsy store from your videos.
Thank you! Very useful and clear info!!!
So glad it helped!
What if you have a one of a kind type item,? I have sold 5 of them on my own. I make hand woven bags that are machine quilted. No two are alike. Any advice?
Hi, I have etsy too, im still beginner. I hope I can learn everything from you! thanks for your videos...
You’re so welcome!! 🤗
You are so effective and so valuable. Thanks very much for your advice. Question pls..with regarding the vacation mode. What if I need to travel abroad. Which means no one is there to ship orders. Thanks
Hi there, I’d encourage you to extend processing time if possible or if it’s an extended absence then train someone to run your shop while absent.
@@KateHayes thanks very much for your advice