How to Sell Handmade Jewelry on Etsy
Etsy is by far the largest and most well known site for selling handmade products online. Even though jewelry is one of the most competitive categories there, if you're interested in selling your crafts online, it is well worth considering selling on Etsy. The site is becoming well known in the mainstream culture, and it's easy for both sellers and buyers to use. However, as it is such a competitive marketplace, it's important to take all of the steps that you can to build a stellar shop.
I've broken this article down into the following sections:
- Getting Started. Get all of your ducks in a row before you open your Etsy shop.
- Listing Considerations. Your listing photos and descriptions can make or break sales.
- Other Considerations. There are some additional options on Etsy that you can consider.
- Learn your craft. Make the best jewelry that you can. The bottom line is that no one wants to purchase inferior products. The best Etsy shop in the world will not survive without quality products.
- Continue to learn new techniques. Even if you have successful product lines, it's still important to keep expanding your repertoire and your personal skill set. Take opportunities to extend your skills and challenge yourself.
- Review the basics of Etsy. There are lots of great resources on the site that explain Etsy fees, different shop aspects, etc. Take the time to learn this information so you don't have any unexpected surprises.
- Develop a pricing formula. I wrote an entire article about this topic, but I will briefly recap here. In addition to creating your own formula, it's important to compare your price points to prices on Etsy for similar products. Keep in mind that you don't want to undercut sellers unless you can justify charging less (i.e. by purchasing wholesale materials). If you do have higher end pieces, make sure to articulate what makes them more expensive (i.e. using sterling silver instead of silver plated materials).
- Build your inventory before opening a shop. There is no magic number for this, but I recommend having at least 50 pieces ready to list when you open. There is also no magic number for how often you should continue to list new pieces, but I like to list at least one new piece per week.
- Get the non-jewelry aspects of your shop ready. This includes a shop banner, avatar, shop description, policies (shipping, returns, etc.), and personal profile. You can make revisions later, but it's important to have as many aspects of your shop ready to go right from the start.
- Set up a PayPal account if you don't have one already. I highly recommend creating a separate bank account for PayPal transfers as well as Direct Checkout transfers on Etsy if you choose to offer that. If your PayPal account gets hacked, you don't want to put a large amount of your savings in jeopardy.
- Purchase shipping supplies. Consider what will be the safest and most cost effective options for your jewelry.
Selling Tips: Starting a Craft Business
Online Selling Platforms: Etsy vs. Ecommerce
- Take the best photos that you can and then edit them. I feel like a broken record typing this statement yet again, but I really can't stress it enough. Good photos will make all the difference with keeping your shop competitive. I have included some product photography resources on the right.
- Do your keyword research. What search terms are customers using? Structure your titles and keyword order accordingly.
- Keep descriptions concise but informative. Give customers the information that they need and nothing else.
- Always include measurements. Provide basic measurement information about your piece. I highly recommend including both imperial and metric measurements.
- Consider at least one photo with a model. Including a photo with a model or mannequin displaying your piece will be a valuable resource for customers.
Product Photography Resources
I highly recommend making a light box for your product photography.
- Join at least one team. Look for teams that relate specifically to your jewelry niche, such as the Etsy Beadweavers team, that have active challenges and/or promotions. These teams can be a great way to push your artistic abilities to a new level and to promote your shop. Keep in mind that what you put into teams is what you will get out of them.
- Consider selling patterns. If you enjoy creating original designs, consider writing patterns on your designs that you can sell. Patterns are popular on Etsy and can be sold over and over again.
- Continually search for new ways to brand yourself/stand out from the crowd. Anything that you can do to establish your unique brand will be an asset on Etsy, as it will enable people to easily recognize your work.
Comments
Lots of useful tips here- especially about building up an inventory! I'm far less likely to buy from Etsy sellers who seem to always be running out of things or who don't appear to be listing many products for sale.
greatest ideas of selling/marketing
This is great information. I do a lot of photography for small item internet sales. The light box will be a great help. Excellent hub. -K
Thank you for all your advice - I really appreciate it! I just voted interesting, useful, and awesome! I'd vote up, too, if I could.
I've read this and your hub on pricing (thanks for the excellent breakdown of all the fees!), and I am left with a dilemma. Doing some research on etsy, I found one other person making a product similar to something I want to make. You suggest not to undercut other sellers, but I think this item is being way overcharged. I know how much the materials cost and what the required effort is and I just can't personally justify charging as much as he does. In your opinion, is it ok to ask for a little bit less? I don't want to upset or annoy other sellers, but I'm really pretty surprised by this item.
Really really interesting- I must take a look at Etsy!
Great advice on how to set up shop at Etsy. Very useful and informative.The light box idea is real good, selling designs is a great idea. Clearly explained and easy to follow. Voted up.
I think this is a great resource for anyone interested in setting up shop on Etsy. Your point about building inventory is really critical. I don't know how many times I've seen Etsy items on blogs or in magazine articles or even on flickr photostreams, then go to the person's Etsy shop to find there's little or nothing for sale.
Hub well done randomcreative!
Nice! I think this is very helpful for both amateur jewelry makers and pros. I have no skills in jewelry making but I do enjoy shopping on Etsy. So much cute stuff on this site! :)
Very helpful, thank you. Pricing formula and photos with a model/ thought provoking photos are not things I've given much though to in the past, but I realise now I should have. I don't make jewellery (my wife does hence initial reading of the article) but I think a lot of your points transfer across to any etsy products such as the notebooks I make. Very thought provoking and great points covered. Thank you!
Great ideas here for those interested in selling online. I love the photo box idea, it would work well in highlighting the item at its best.
You have some really great tips here that actually can be applied to a lot of different types of businesses. Like Kelley, I don't have homemade items to sell, but found the video on making a light box really useful. Nice job as always.
Thanks for another informative hub. Many of these tips will be helpful to anyone wanting to start an Etsy store, not just handmade jewelry.
Randomcreative, you introduced me to Etsy and I really like it! I don't make homemade items but I really enjoyed the video on making a light box for photography! Voted up and useful! Take care, Kelley
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