Build an Etsy Shop that Will Look Great and Get Traffic

Basic Branding & Market Research

Conduct market research on Etsy
Use the worksheet I've provided for you to go through the pages of Etsy. Your answers to these questions will help you in all other areas of this course.

As you're conducting your market research, do an overall assessment of what you do and don't like about the shops with which you will be competing.
Make a list of keywords
On the second page of the market research worksheet, you will see a space to list keywords and keyword phrases.

This is a brainstorming exercise that will help you develop a sense of your brand. We won't go deeply into branding in this course, but it's important to establish the feel your business will convey to the customer.

Choose words that resonate with you, and describe your items.

Once done with this list, narrow your choices down to the top 13 keywords. Save this list, it will help you choose a shop name, create a bio, about page, and descriptions for your items.

Product Photography

Get to know your camera & basic photography knowledge
Make sure you are familiar with the settings on your camera and how to get a really great, focused shot with it.

Look over the Lifehacker.com photo basics tutorial if you are new to photography.
Gather supplies for your photo shoot
Will you need any props, models, special lights, white background material, or anything else for your shoot? Charge up your camera, and gather your supplies & associates. We're ready to get to it!
Take a lot of great pictures
Make sure to take plenty of photos. This will ensure you get the shot you're looking for!

Remember the basics - focus, natural light, and only include things that enhance your photo in the shot.
Edit your pictures
Upload your pics, and edit away! You will need 4-5 photos to create your first Etsy listing.

Make sure the photos show the aspects of your product customers will need to know about.
Create a banner in Picasa
Now that you have some great photos, let's create a banner you can use once your shop is open.

You can download Picasa @ http://picasa.google.com/

Setting Up Shop

Choose a shop name
Your shop name will also be your URL, which means the words in your shop name can be used to find you in search engines. Choose wisely! You can only change your shop name once (unless you have a really good reason, and request Etsy to change it again for you).

Having a shop name that is easy to remember, or catchy, will make you stick out in your customer's mind. They will be able to find you again easily. Make your shop name say something about you, or your items. Ideally, if you are selling shoes, you could use the word shoe somewhere in your title. Literal shop names can easily be found in search, your customer could search for sexy shoes and find your shop at the top of the search results!

The URL is just one of many chances for you to use SEO to get found, we'll discuss this in module 4 along with titles, tags and descriptions.
Setup Etsy login and begin opening your shop
Use this link to open your Etsy shop, and your first listings will be free (instead of the usual 20 cent listing fee for each item)!!

http://etsy.me/13DWwIr

Go through the easy process of setting up your login information. Once in Etsy, click on the word "Sell" in the upper left corner. You will be prompted to answer a few questions and enter your shop name. We will resume lessons when you are prompted to create your first listing.
Create your first listing
The "Create a Listing" video will walk you through your first listing step by step.

**When it comes to the keywords portion of the listing, you may choose to post a photo of your product for your fellow students. Ask them what keywords and keyword phrases they would use to describe your item.**
Fill out shop sections
Set up your shop policies, about page, seller bio and shop announcement sections. These sections of your shop should be informative, interesting and help establish the overall feeling of your brand.
Get class feedback
Congratulations!! You now have an awesome Etsy shop!

Post a link to your shop in the Student Gallery. Your link will remain there for all future students to see!

Select shops will be featured on my blog, ExistentialElla.com, in a feature just for new Etsy shops created by students from Skillshare.com!

Get Found in Search

Go over your target market research worksheet from Unit 1
Consider your audience. Who are you trying to reach? What words, or terms, would they be searching for to find your items?

Brainstorm a list of words to use in your Etsy search bar research.

Check out this article on the Etsy blog for help with brainstorming - https://blog.etsy.com/en/2007/guidelines-tips-tagging-on-etsy/
Make a list of keywords to use in your listings
Using the process detailed in Video 2, create a list of keywords to use with your listings.

Update your tags and titles. Share what you've learned in the projects area.

Marketing - Social Media and More!

Set up an account on one or two social media channels
Choose your favorite social media channel and set up a page for your Etsy shop.

Use the same banner featured in your Etsy shop. You can create a new template for Facebook, Twitter, a blog - anywhere - using the process we learned in the Create a Banner video.

Post your social media links for your fellow students to see.
Create a brief marketing plan
Look through the list of marketing possibilities I've provided. Choose four or five of the options, and make a plan. How will you market your shop in the coming months. Get at least 20 items up in your new shop, and start marketing away!

What We Didn't Cover

Establish a guide for pricing your items
Take a look at Etsy's pricing workshop. Consider that some shops just can't follow that formula. Use your market research, and develop your own pricing strategy.
Think about shipping & packaging
Create packaging that will WOW your customers. Make it professional and reflective of your brand. Get special tags, business cards, a stamp with your logo - go all out!

Determine what shipping will cost for your various items and create shipping profiles on Etsy.

Additional Resources

Finding Your Target Market - Etsy Blog
How to Write a Business Plan in Under an Hour - Etsy Blog
Beyond the Logo - Crafting a Brand Identity - Skillshare class on branding
Slides from Module 2 Videos
Complete Guide to Basic Photography
Using a smart phone for photography
Shooting pics using live models - Etsy Blog
How to make a lightbox
Slides from SEO Video
Slides from Shop Sections Video
Etsy Seller's Guide to SEO
Make Your Listings Sizzle - Etsy Blog
Marketing Ideas PDF
Slides from Marketing Video
How to Make a Media Kit that Rocks by Jeni Elliot
Media Kit Template from Shareaholic
Resources on What We Didn't Cover
Tools for New Sellers - Etsy Blog
How to Write a Business Plan in Under an Hour - Etsy Blog

Nancy Creighton

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