Show Notes
Watch on Youtube - https://youtu.be/1lR3jFYxKyY Growing an Etsy shop can feel like trying to survive in a jungle. There are thousands of competing products, changing algorithms, and endless advice about what sellers should do next. But growth becomes much easier when you understand what stage your business is in and focus on the right problem. In this episode, Jered shares ten principles that Etsy sellers can use to move from struggling for their first consistent sales to building a profitable and scalable business. Newer sellers need to stop obsessing over profit and concentrate first on earning trust. Etsy promotes shops that consistently create good customer experiences because Etsy makes money when buyers are happy. A newer shop cannot compete with an established seller simply by copying its prices. It must first generate sales, prove that customers want the product, and establish a track record. The next problem is visibility. Most struggling sellers act as though everyone is watching their shop, when the reality is that very few people even know it exists. Sellers need to become memorable, stand apart from similar shops, and actively bring people to their listings. Advertising can accelerate this process by generating visibility and quickly providing useful data. Customers then become one of the most valuable sources of business information. Sellers often believe they already know what shoppers want, but real customer behavior can challenge those assumptions. Every order, question, review, and response teaches the seller more about the market. More customers also create more repetition, helping the seller improve their products, fulfillment, service, and overall skill. Many things feel difficult in business simply because the seller has not developed the necessary skill yet. Once someone has repeatedly sold, fulfilled, and improved a product, the process becomes easier. That increased ability is valuable, and it eventually gives the seller a legitimate reason to charge more. For sellers who already have consistent sales, the next stage is about focus. A shop should serve one core target audience, even when it expands into multiple niches. For example, a sticker seller can create products for hikers, students, drivers, and other groups while still serving people who buy and use stickers. The niches change, but the fundamental customer and product remain connected. Rather than constantly searching for a completely new idea, sellers should look closely at what is already succeeding. A proven product, niche, design, or marketing angle often has far more growth potential than the seller realizes. Becoming exceptionally good at something that works is usually more profitable than being average at many unrelated things. Once traffic and demand are established, sellers should improve how effectively their listings sell. That means understanding why customers want the product, what problem it solves, why they choose it over alternatives, and how to communicate those reasons clearly. Better photos, positioning, offers, descriptions, and pricing can improve conversion rates. When more visitors become buyers, Etsy receives stronger evidence that the listing deserves additional visibility. Established sellers eventually face a different problem: they become too busy fulfilling orders to grow the business. At this stage, raising prices can create needed breathing room. Higher prices may reduce order volume slightly, but they can allow the seller to make the same amount—or more—with fewer orders. They can also filter out bargain-focused shoppers and attract customers who are more committed to the product and the value behind it. Successful shops should also give loyal customers more opportunities to buy. A customer who trusts the seller should never reach the end of the product line with nowhere else to go. Shops can create bundles, premium versions, larger packages, complementary products, and high-end offers. Some customer
More from Grow My Etsy Shop | The Etsy Seller Podcast
What happens when the products that built your Etsy shop stop bringing in the sales they used to? Working harder on the same listings might not be the answer. Watch on the tube: https://youtu.be/sga01j57ZDU See the video in my skool group for free: https://www.skool.com/grow-my-etsy-shop-3051 Join Mastermind: https://www.growmyetsyshop.com/mastermind In this episode, I'm talking about why successful shops get stuck, how to recognize when it's time to pivot, and why your ability to sell is a bigger asset than any single product. We'll explore how to expand around the customers you already understand and use your existing listings to increase order value. You've built skills that can carry you beyond your current bestseller. Let's talk about how to use them.
Watch on youtube to see the video - https://youtu.be/wPDjL8_H2ns Your Etsy photos might show your product beautifully. But do they give shoppers a reason to buy it? In this video episode of Grow My Etsy Shop, I review real listings to show the difference between displaying a product and selling it. We look at photos and videos that explain benefits, answer questions, show size and quality, and help shoppers feel ready to purchase. I also break down "monster listings," where shoppers can explore several designs in one listing, and share ways to build trust through demonstrations, your maker story, packaging, and installation instructions. If competitors are selling products that look just like yours, this episode will help you make your listing more convincing. Every photo is an opportunity to move someone closer to buying.
Watch on Youtube to see me walk thorugh - https://youtu.be/cLkz9C32Ae8 Will your next Etsy product actually sell? Before you spend time creating it, look for evidence that shoppers want it. In this special video episode of Grow My Etsy Shop, I walk through real Etsy listings and show you how to estimate product sales using public shop sales and review numbers. We look at recent reviews, seasonal demand, and competing listings to help you decide whether a product idea is worth exploring. Along the way, I share how to stand out when everything looks the same, why your photos need to sell the product, and how your starting price shapes buyer expectations. Follow along with the free Etsy sales calculator: https://growmyetsyshop.com/etsy-formula
Etsy is opening the door to something that could be a BIG deal for growing sellers: giving other users access to your shop. So… should you hire a VA? In this episode, I break down when an Etsy VA actually makes sense, what I would (and wouldn't) outsource, and how I'd structure the role. We'll talk about using VAs for listing creation, keyword research, customer service, and fulfillment—plus how to train them to work the way you want, where to find good VAs, what you should expect to pay, and why I prefer hiring for specific roles instead of looking for a vague "Etsy assistant." If you're spending so much time operating your shop that you don't have enough time to actually grow it, this episode is for you.
A successful Etsy seller came to me with a problem: her revenue was down 16%, her traffic was down, and she assumed the answer was simple: she needed more traffic. But when we actually pulled her order data apart, that wasn't the problem at all. Her total number of orders was only down about 2%. The real problem was how much each customer was spending. In this episode, I break down the numbers behind her shop and explain why Average Order Value and median order value can tell you things that Etsy's normal dashboard won't. We'll look at why her typical customer went from spending around $40 to around $32, how a cheaper product was unintentionally replacing some of her higher-value sales, and why adding more products wasn't fixing the problem. Then I'll show you the strategy we came up with to fix it: turning the listings Etsy is already sending traffic to into "mini shops" where customers can see complementary products, upgrades, bundles, and variations without needing to leave the listing. If your Etsy revenue has dropped and your first instinct is to blame traffic, SEO, or the algorithm, pull your numbers first. You might already have enough customers. You may just need those customers to buy a little more.