I've had a shop on Etsy for five years now, and wow... I have learned so much! Below I focus on the top 5 things I learned. I share a little bit about my journey, and dive into some things I wish I'd known before I set out!
Number Five: Just Do It
This seemed like the appropriate place to start - because you can't learn anything about having an Etsy (or other platform) shop if you are too afraid to open one! To be completely honest, I was pretty anxious about actually opening my shop. I had so many questions I didn't feel prepared to answer: What if no one likes my shop? What if I never sell anything? What if the post office bends all my packages (OK, this one is actually a legit concern)? What if people leave me bad reviews? What if I mess something up on taxes?
The problem is, each one of those questions, though legitimate in their own way, was simply a cover for the great question - What if I fail?
You probably don't need a pep talk on the importance of failure, or on how to overcome it, or on how it grows you etc. We all know that we can't do anything worth doing if we are constantly holding back because of fear. I realized that I had to look at those questions honestly and answer them: if I failed, I failed. But maybe, I wouldn't. I'd never know unless I tried.
So in 2014, as a sophomore in college, I opened my shop.
Number Four: Educate Yourself
I legitimately did not know what I was doing - I did not know what to sell, how to price things, or how much to charge for shipping.
So I became a spy.
I spied on other Etsy shops that sold watercolors - at that point, I did not even know exactly what kind of watercolors I wanted to sell. When my shop first opened, it was a mixed bag of cards, fan art, and a few landscapes. I had no idea how to price things: should I price by the time it took me to paint? By the detail in each picture? By size? I eventually had to come up with a formula that combined those three things, but it is still something I am constantly tweaking! Pricing is something that is unique to each shop, but observing how much other artists generally charged helped me price my own items. I also learned a lot about how to use descriptions effectively, hedge myself against abusive patrons, and set up shipping.
I also found that Etsy had a fair amount of educational videos available, that I found really useful. Youtube is another wonderful resource, as are the many amazing Podcasts available through the apple app. One podcast I found particularly helpful was Jenna Kutcher's "Goal Digger" podcast - lots of amazing tips and encouragement!
Number Three: Be Yourself
Observing other shops was an important place to start, but unfortunately I stayed in that mindset too long - I began to compare my shop to the ones I was observing, and began to think I could never measure up. Most of us have been there - goals that start out as invigorating eventually feel impossible to reach.
I then realized that the main reason I felt I never could be like these other shops, was because I did not want to. I did not want my shop to look like anyone else's shop - I wanted it to look like my own. So to do that, I had to stop trying to model my shop after anyone's else's, and have the confidence to strike out on my own. Getting ideas from others is a good place to start, but not a good place to stay.
Which leads me to...
Number Two: Prioritize Your Vision
"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). Not without reason is Solomon considered one of the wisest men in history! About two years after opening my shop, I realized that I had no vision, and I was pretty much perishing.
I could see the symptoms: my shop had no unity, I was mostly painting custom projects I did not enjoy, I was making money, but not enjoying what I was doing. Somehow I had gone from making art for fun and making money on the side, to making art for the sole purpose of making money. I was painting what I thought people would buy, instead of painting what I enjoyed painting. Of course a business owner must be aware of market and demand, but when you put your heart and soul into a product you enjoy making, you can almost always find an audience who will appreciate it as well. While I was trying to please everyone, (except myself) I realized that I was pleasing no one (especially not myself!). I was afraid of narrowing my focus and my vision, but I knew it would be the only way to avoid burnout.
And I am so glad I did! I started by determining what it was I wanted to paint, and narrowing it down to three words: Coastal, Carolinas, and Collegiate. With these three ideas in mind, I began to hone in on what I loved to paint. I wanted to create paintings that evoked a sense of place. I wanted to craft images that reminded people of something: an idea, a sense, a feeling, a location, a memory. I wanted to use soft, bright colors to spark interest, and flexible brush strokes that created a sense of calm.
Within that framework, I could have a lot of wiggle room - and I used it! As my shop began to become more cohesive, I started to collect a specific audience. They were not just patrons, they were repeat patrons. People came to my shop, and because they enjoyed my vision like I did, they came back again and again.
Number One: Connect with Your Patrons
One of the most rewarding things about an Etsy shop is the interaction you can have with patrons. I have more of this interaction than some shops might, because I do a fair amount of custom work. I absolutely love working with patrons to create something unique and meaningful, and am constantly encouraged by how enjoyable the patrons find it as well! Each custom piece is a collaboration - it is something we make together, the patron and I.
But there are other ways to connect outside of custom products! I love interacting with patrons (potential and actual!) on my Instagram and Facebook pages. I am especially active on Instagram, where I do what I can to engage with my followers through stories and on each post. Social Media can be exhausting and annoying, but when you are sharing things you care about within a consistent vision, it can be a real source of encouragement. Some of my favorite ways to connect on Instagram are through question and answer sessions, polls, and giveaways.
There are so many other things I've learned, but these five are a good place to start. I would welcome your comments, questions, and advice about what you have learned as well! Feel free to send me an email at megccsanders@gmail.com, and don't forget to sign up on the email list on the home page so you won't miss a thing!