Show Notes
WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/tybUEk1vTS4 If Etsy is such a powerful platform, why doesn't every brand just open an Etsy shop? That question sounds simple, but it reveals something really important for Etsy sellers. Etsy can bring traffic. Etsy can make it easier to get found. Etsy runs Google ads. Etsy gives you a marketplace where buyers are already searching. So if Etsy does all of that, why would anyone need their own website? The answer is because Etsy is not built to grow your brand. Etsy is built to grow Etsy. In this episode, I break down why Etsy sellers need to think differently when they move from Etsy to their own website. A website is not just a place to copy and paste your Etsy listings. If you treat your website like Etsy with a different logo, it probably will not work. On Etsy, buyers are usually already searching for something. They land on your product, compare it to other similar products, look at the pictures, read a little, check the price, and decide. But on your own website, the job is different. You have to slow the buyer down. You have to help them understand your brand, your product, your mission, and why they should care. That means your website needs stronger messaging. A lot of Etsy sellers make beautiful products, take great pictures, and still struggle to explain why someone should buy from them. They say things like "handmade," "unique," "high quality," or "perfect gift," but those phrases are usually not enough to build a real brand. Everyone can say them. They are not visual enough. They are not specific enough. And they often do not give the customer a real reason to believe. So in this episode, I walk through a simple three-part test for better brand messaging: Can they visualize it? Can they prove it? Can no one else say it? First, your customer needs to be able to see themselves using the product. If you sell handmade mugs, "handmade ceramic mug" might describe the item, but it does not create much desire. A stronger line paints a moment. Something like, "The mug that makes 6:30 worth waking up for." Now the buyer can picture the morning, the coffee, the quiet moment, and the feeling of reaching for that specific mug. That is what good website messaging can do. It helps people see the product inside their own life. Second, your claims need proof. If you say your product is the best, the perfect gift, cleaner, softer, more relaxing, or higher quality, you need to explain why. A claim without proof is easy to ignore. A claim with a reason becomes believable. For example, instead of saying a candle is "the perfect candle for winding down," explain what makes it good for that moment. Is it the scent? The ingredients? The burn time? The way it is made? The emotional use case? Give people something they can believe. Third, and maybe most important, your brand needs to say something that no one else can say in the same way. If every other shop can make the same claim, it is not a strong positioning statement. "The perfect gift for mom" is not enough because every candle shop, jewelry shop, mug shop, and print shop can say the same thing. But if your product is connected to your story, your mission, your point of view, your customer's specific life, or the problem you are trying to solve, now you have something stronger. I also talk about the difference between getting sales and building loyalty. Etsy can help you get sales, but your website needs to help people remember you. It needs to help people understand what you stand for. It needs to make them feel like they are buying from a brand, not just buying another product they found online. This is where I bring in examples like Spindrift and Sonnet James. Spindrift is not just another sparkling water brand. Their message is built around real fruit and no mystery "natural flavors." That matters to a certain kind of customer. Sonnet James did not just sell dresses. She sold the idea of being a playful mom who could get down
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.