Thursday Etsy Tips: Setting Up Shop

Setting up a shop on Etsy can be intimidating, challenging, and a little frustrating at times, BUT it is also SUPER exciting! Today I thought we'd talk about basics of setting up your shop.

Photo by Quote Addict

If you're still working on your brand and how to make your shop say what you want it to say, check out Branding Pt.1 and Pt.2

First things first, you gotta have product. No product, no sales. But how much product you ask? Well, Etsy says in a bunch of their blog posts that you should start with WHATEVER you have! Don't wait until you have 'x' amount of items to start listing on Etsy; if you've got something waiting, get it on up in your shop! You can't sell what you don't have listed!

Some other REALLY important things to have ready are your Shop Policies, About Page and Shop Announcement. Today we're going to focus on your About Page. Here are some tips from Katie of Heartfelt Yarn Wreaths

1. What is the About Page for? Why should I have one?
Your About Page can be one of the best ways to connect with your buyer. People shop on Etsy for many reasons, but one of those is because they appreciate handmade. What better way to celebrate handmade than to showcase you--the creator?

Photo by Yellow Heart Art

People are naturally curious. Your About Page helps people to understand you, the artist, as well as the work that goes into the creation of your handmade product.

In addition to adding a "real person" aspect to your shop, your About Page can be a source of traffic, can work to pique a reader's interest in your shop, and act as one more factor to entice a potential buyer to purchase one of your items.

2. What kind of information should I put in my About Page?
Your About Page is all about you!  It can include whatever you want it to include, really. In my personal About Page, I include information about me--as a person--in addition to me, as an artist. This helps the reader to form the whole picture of handmade.

Photo from Katie's About Page

In writing your About Page, try to think about what you wish you knew about your favorite Etsy Artisans. Is it what their workspace looks like? Their process? What they look like? Thinking about what you would like to learn about others can help you think about what others might want to know about you!

3. What kind of pictures should I include?
This is totally up to you! My favorite About Pages include:
-Photos of the artist: I want to see who is making the handmade beauties!
-Photos of the workspace: Your work space doesn't need to be 'pretty'...it just needs to be functional! People love to see where items are created. Even if you don't show your full workspace, try to show an aspect of it. On my About Page, I have a couple shots of my work table, because it's the core of where I create.
-Photos of the process: This can help buyers appreciate the work that goes into creating your handmade items, and reinforces the handmade nature of your products.

4. What do I want people to be able to access from this page?
My primary goal in creating my About Page was to generate more interest in my shop. I did this through including photos and linking back to my Facebook Page (other social media linking tools are available in the creating of your about page too!).

Your About Page will also include your four featured items which you can choose through your Listings Manager. All of these help guide buyers (and potential buyers) back to your shop, with a little more knowledge about you--the artist--than they started off with.

Well, there you have it: some great tips on how to create an effective About Page! If you have any other questions about this or any other other Etsy advice you have, leave a comment here in this blog post, or in this discussion on the WEST team page. We'd be happy to help you out!