Trust me, it is a lot easier than you think to start your first Etsy shop. My objective for this blog post is to motivate you to make that first step and get going.

So I’m here to tell you:

1. Start Your First Etsy Shop

This may sound silly but the first tip is the hardest step. Just do it, go to Etsy and create your seller account. If you want to start your first Etsy shop you must know what you want to sell. If you can’t think of a name yet then use your own name and change it later.

2. Brainstorm ideas and get creating

If you are not sure what to sell, make a list of what you enjoy doing. The experience will be a whole lot more fun if you are doing something you enjoy.

Have a browse at what other people are doing on Etsy. Look at the categories and find some inspiration.

I wanted to do wedding invites but I got so overwhelmed I didn’t bother. Eventually, I started small with art prints and motivational quotes.

Experiment and start creating your products so you can create listings. Watch youtube videos for inspiration.

3. Research

• Tax: this is very important and hardly ever gets brought up. Research whether you need to register as a business and what tax obligations you have. If you’re confused email your local tax office.
  
• Business name: when you have one, check to see if the domain is available and if it’s available on various social media platforms. This will help in the future.
  
• Demand: make sure there is an audience for what you want to sell. Make sure it is something you would want to buy yourself.
  
• Niche: you can target your audience better if you find a niche. You can branch out later once you get some customers if you want to.
  
• Accounts: Create a separate bank account if possible so it’s easier to keep track. Have a look at the ‘Wave’ integration on Etsy to manage your accounts for free.

4. Perfect your listings

Your listings have to look good if you want customers to buy your product so please don’t rush it.

• Title: use the same keywords in your title and tags. Use keywords that you would search for yourself. Research popular keywords and use separators like ‘/’ to make it easier to read.
  
• Images: make sure your pictures look appealing. If you are selling digital products use mockups to display your images better. Placeit is a great tool for digital mockups.
  
• Description: Write as much as possible in the description without being confusing. Look at similar products for inspiration.

In the beginning if you are creating digital products, upload as many listings as you can to gain traffic.

5. Choose your branding

Branding is important for your shop front. If you are not sure where to start head over to canva. You can create a logo and a header image for your store and it is super easy.

Make sure your branding fits with your product.

6. Get social

You can sign up to as many social media platforms as you’d like but I’d recommend sticking to one or two in the beginning. Make sure your username is your business name. My favourite is Pinterest and you can also design your pins in Canva. Advertise all your listings across your platforms for extra exposure.

Your social media platforms need to match the branding on your Etsy shop so it’s consistent.

7. Start your SEO early

Earlier, when I said your tags need to match your title it is to enhance your search engine optimisation. Never skip adding tags. Google uses the first part of your listing description in the meta description.

Research keywords that are relevant to your product and use them in your listings (don’t worry you can always edit your listings).

8. Detailed shop front

Make sure you have all the details on your shop up to date. This includes everything from your returns policy to your description. Check through all the settings and make sure everything is completed.

9. Use Youtube

Youtube is going to be your most useful resource. There are so many amazing videos for Etsy sellers with great advice. You could also start your own channel to promote your Etsy store.

10. List products consistently

If you go weeks without listing anything you will rank lower on Etsy. The secret is to list products consistently. Once you’ve started if you still have a lot of items to list, create your listing but save them as a draft and list one a day.

Also pick a time when there will be a lot of people on Etsy to post your products.

Good luck and please feel free to share the links to your Etsy shops in the comments.