Figuring out how to get more sales on Etsy is not an exact science. The algorithm is constantly changing and there are new sellers coming in all the time.

There are some basic principles you can follow to get more sales. I call them Etsy Hacks but in reality you can not hack their system. Like any algorithm it takes a lot of factors into consideration.

To increase Etsy sales, you first need to increase Etsy traffic and to do that you need to show up in more search results.

This means you need to craft better listings by doing proper keyword research, improving your titles, descriptions and images.

You then need to make sure that you convert that traffic into sales by having great product photos that showcase the products. You need to give customers enough product information so that all their questions are answered.

You also need to make sure that your entire store and brand is in line with what Etsy customers are looking for.

Etsy rewards stores with great products and sales by giving them a biggest impression share in the search results.

How To Get More Sales On Etsy Using These 17 Etsy Hacks

1.Competitive Research

Before you even start your Etsy store you need to do thorough competitive research. If your store has been up for some time, this is still something you need to do – and probably do every 3 to 6 months.

You need to understand the landscape you will be selling in. You need to identify the top Etsy sellers in your niche and really look at what they are doing.

Look at the products they are selling, look at the style of product photography. Look at their profiles and pay very close attention to everything they do.

You DO NOT want to copy them but you do want to model what they are doing because it is already working. Re-inventing the wheel is an uphill battle.

If what you are doing is completely different from the top 5 stores in your niche then that is probably the reason why your sales suck.

To get more sales on Etsy, you need to be unique and stand out but you also have to slot into your target market and model what is already working.

2.Create a USP

Now that you’ve been stalking your competitors you can get a firm grip on what their message is, what their products are, what their vive is and what makes them unique.

Now it is your turn. You need to come up with something unique that makes you different and that makes you stand out. You need to have a unique selling position (USP).

A USP does not mean that you do things completely different from your competitors. It simply means you have “a thing” that is different and that makes you stand out from the rest.

Can you offer the same products but offer Organic only? Can you offer similar products but offer engraving? Can you focus your store on a specific segment of your market? Maybe its for moms?

A USP will not only give you direction but help you focus your message and although it might narrow your market, it will set you apart and is guaranteed to boost your Etsy sales.

3.Product Images

The internet is visual and online shopping is very visual. Your product images need to be GREAT. It is the main aspect that will drive clicks, traffic and views to your listings.

Since Etsy is predominantly white, if your product photos have a background colour it will help your listings to stand out. It will get you a much higher click through rate on your listings.

It is not just about the contrast though. The images need to look great – and look interesting. It needs to appeal to your ideal customer.

While your main image is important to dive traffic to your listing, all the other product images need to “close the sale”.

Always include at least 1 closeup or detail image of the product and at least 1 image of someone using the product. Adding people to your listings is super important as it allows your customers to relate to your products.

When it comes to product images, more is not better. Don’t flood your listing with images. 3 to 5 is more than enough and including more just for the sake of it can actually hurt your sales.

4.Product Titles

It is important to understand keywords and what will trigger your listing to show up for customer searches. After all, this is how customers will find your listing. If you really want to know how to get more sales on Etsy then you need to master Keywords.

While we do not know exactly what Etsy’s algorithm looks for we do know that product titles carry a lot of weight.

You can use the Google Keyword Planner or a tool like Ubersuggest to find out what keywords people generally search for in Google. The assumption is that people will have a similar search behaviour in Etsy.

You want to make sure that your titles are keyword rich but not spammy. Do not just stuff keywords in your listings. It needs to make sense as well.

5.Product Descriptions and Tags

Your product descriptions is also not just to provide information about the product. It needs to also include your main keywords.

While the description does not carry as much weight as the title, I like to work my top 2 or 3 keywords naturally in the description.

Etsy allows you to use 13 product tags for every listing. Use all of them and use only keywords that you have found in your keyword research. Use both broad terms as well as long tail (very specific) terms.

6.Pricing

Pricing is a big deal and a lot of shoppers look at prices before they even click on your listing. Since Etsy display product prices very clearly on search results you need to think closely on your pricing strategy.

If you price low you will probably get a lot more clicks to your listing. If you then try and make up for the low prices with your shipping costs then you might see low conversion rates.

You want to always be aware of what your competitors are doing. You DO NOT have to be the cheapest. In fact, being the cheapest is a really bad strategy.

You want to be competitive with your prices and pricing similar to your competitors. If the rest of your listing looks better then you will always win.

7.Shipping

This relates closely to price. To increase Etsy sales you need to have both your product and shipping costs sorted out.

One strategy is to price low and charge more for shipping. The other is to price high and offer free shipping. With free shipping Etsy will place a “FREE Delivery” badge on your listing.

I like this because it makes your listing stand out

But again, you want to see what your competition is doing. If everyone offers free shipping then you kind of have to do the same.

The most popular strategy is to offer shipping at fairly low rates – especially when shipping domestically on the USA. You can add express shipping at higher rates and make up some ground with pricing this higher than your cost.

Many people will pay a premium for faster shipping or priority processing (all you have to do is to ship it out faster).

8.Choose The Right Categories

There are actually a lot of category options in Etsy that can help you increase sales. If you have dud products that get no views then it is well worth changing up the categories to see if you can get some traction.

The primary category you choose needs to be as accurate for the product as possible. Sometimes a product can fall in multiple categories. You might have to change categories over time to see if you can get traction.

Some of the related categories like Occasion, Celebration and even product styles allow you to choose the best possible options for your product.

In the end you want to make sure that you can give people exactly what they are looking for.

9.Create a Brand

While you are selling on Etsy, you should still treat your store as a brand and as a business. Your brand is what will create the “vibe” and the direction of your store.

Always keep in mind that people come to Etsy to find unique and handmade products. You want your brand to reflect that. You are not trying to be Nike. You want to be Aunt Helen from Detroit.

Your brand needs to have a personal touch and it needs to look and sound authentic. You want to convey that you are a real person making stuff by hand.

You want to convey an artistic flare and most of all create a name and a look that appeals to your target market.

10.Craft a Great Profile

Your store profile is your opportunity to add personality to your store. Always remember that Etsy is not about big brands or trying to come across as some big company. You can just be down to earth and authentic. That is what customers on etsy are looking for.

Your shop title needs to be both descriptive of what you sell as well as inject some personality.

Make sure that you add a photo to your Shop Owner’s Profile with a cute and personal description.

11.Customer Service

Repeat buys is a big deal in eCommerce in general but on Etsy it is even more of a factor. A lot of Etsy shoppers deliberately choose Etsy because they do not want to support big multinational companies.

If someone keeps coming back to etsy to buy stuff you want to make sure that you are their first stop. Offering them a great customer experience is vital.

You want to make sure that you always respond to your customer service messages within 24 hours. Preferably faster than that and if you can do it within a few hours.

It goes without saying that you always want to treat your customers like gold. Try and resist outsourcing your customer support for as long as possible.

When you do it yourself you will gain priceless insights into what your customers are like, their needs and what you could sell them.

Word of mouth is a bit antiquated in ecommerce but in Etsy it is still a factor. People will share your store and products with friends and family if they really love it.

Another great benefit that flows from great customer service is that you will get great reviews.

12.Reviews

Think of product reviews as “ratings” for both your product and your store. Shops with low ratings will get pushed further down Etsy’s organic search results.

Raking up a few bad reviews can run your store into the ground and recovering from it can take a long time. You do not want bad reviews anywhere on your store.

The few odd bad ones is inevitable but your overall feedback needs to be GREAT.

You also want to be on the front foot with bad reviews. Always respond to them so customers can see that you address issues. This is the best way to deal with bad reviews without letting it affect sales too much.

13.Sales History

Building up sales history is a very important factor in how to get more sales on Etsy. That is why most new stores start off slow but as you build a sales history Etsy will give you more impression share in searches and your sales will pick up.

Once your store becomes more established you will gain trust from Etsy. The only way they can tell if customers want your products is with your sales numbers.

Remember that Etsy wants to show the most relevant products in search results. They want to show products that will convert to sales.

If you win, they win.

14.Spread Your Wings

Far too many Etsy shops that struggle with sales simply do not have enough of a product diversity to really allow their stores to take off.

You want to spread your wings without spreading yourself thin. If your store is struggling with sales, make sure you offer a variety of products.

This will increase your exposure in search results and allow more people to find your store and your products.

15.Social Media

A great way to increase Etsy sales is to look outside of Etsy. So few Etsy sellers do this and most just exist in the little cocoon called etsy.

Create a Facebook page, an Instagram Account and a Pinterest account for your Etsy store and start getting active. Make sure you post daily for at least 2 to 3 months to all 3 platforms

You need to look like your store has life beyond Etsy and that there is someone passionate about the products behind it all.

Driving organic sales to Etsy from social media can be very powerful.

16.Using Influencers and Celebs

Organic sales on Etsy can be slow. One way to speed it up is to use paid promotions with influencers. The secret is to go after small influencers on Instagram that have a following between 5,000 and 20,000.

Ask them if they would be willing to share posts of your product and a link back to your store in exchange for free product(s).

Do not pay them. Its not worth it unless you find someone who is a PERFECT fit for your products.

Another great strategy is to send your products to celebs. This will leave you out of pocket for your product costs but if your product is great and you find juts 1 celeb that loves your stuff then your store can blow up overnight.

17.Paid Promotions

Etsy Marketing allows you to buy the top spots in Etsy’s listings. Not only is this a great way to get more sales on Etsy, it is also a quick way to gauge whether your products will sell or not.

Etsy’s advertising platform is currently undergoing some changes which will allow you to advertise on both the Etsy platform as well as other platforms outside of Etsy.

I would suggest you start off by only advertising on Etsy because that will give you the best idea of how the marketplace responds to your products.

Etsy ads are cheap and you can start with $5/day. Compared to other marketplaces loke Amazon this is a steal and well worth testing.

It can increase Etsy sales instantly. It will also help you build up sales history quickly which in turn will boost your organic listings.