New Sellers Handbook Article

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New Sellers Handbook Article

"How to Create Craft Supply Listings That Sell"

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/how-to-create-craft-supply-listings-that/98076357444

Learn how to use eye-catching product photography and detailed descriptions to attract customers and increase sales of your craft supplies.
By Julie Schneider Apr 4, 2017

Snappy writing and alluring product photography have the power to turn craft supply shoppers from brainstorming window-shoppers into customers. But there’s an art to mastering all the ingredients that go into an irresistible listing.

Whether you sell DIY kits, individual components for making or other supplies, creating strong product listings with the needs of your customers in mind can lead to more views — and more sales. Read on for tips on how to attract customers on Etsy and Etsy Studio (a brand new market by Etsy designed exclusively for craft supplies) using your photos, titles, descriptions and tags.

Photos

1. Shoot informative product photos

Since shoppers on Etsy and Etsy Studio can’t hold your item in their hands, your product photography should visually communicate the facts. To cut down on questions, shoppers should be able to tell at a glance what is for sale, in what quantity and colors, and how it can be used. Erin Weik, owner of Lytha Studios, a jewelry supply shop based in Lancaster, Virginia, has learned this lesson from her 23 years as a business owner. “I want to show exactly what the person is going to get: the color, the shape, if it's double-sided or single-sided, how deep the component is, if it's something that's flat, like a charm or a flat spacer. That's what makes a photo good,” says Erin.

2. Aim for accuracy

By accurately representing the colors, textures, and scale of your supplies, you’ll keep customers happy. You’ll also avoid unpleasant surprises when, say, a skein of yarn arrives that’s ocean blue when the customer was expecting robin’s egg blue. As the owner of Utah-based Vintage Handmade, Julie Collings sells vintage craft supplies with handmade touches. She sometimes works with supplies that show signs of age and imperfections, such as rusted jingle bells. Instead of cherry-picking only the most pristine vintage components for the product photos, she makes sure to capture inconsistencies, to give customers clear expectations. “I never want my photos to look better than what they're actually getting,” says Julie.

3. Show a finished project

If you sell DIY kits, like the sewing kits that Cynthia Treen sells in her Rhode Island-based shop Cynthia Treen Studio, including photos of the completed project in your listing helps customers visualize and understand what the end result will look like. "Just looking at the kit itself isn't the best way to sell it,” says Cynthia. In addition to shots of the materials in each kits, she creates lush worlds with the animal characters from the kits. “I think that's something that inspired people to make them: creating a story that people want to be a part of."

For components, like the vintage supplies from Vintage Handmade and jewelry findings from Lytha Studios, adding props to product shots can be a distraction and cause customers to wonder which items in the photo are for sale. For these items, it’s best to keep your photos clean and uncluttered, and keep the focus on the components for the thumbnail image. (Save photos of finished projects for non-thumbnail images to spark shoppers’ imaginations.)

4. Flatter your products

Whether you opt for sunlight or studio lighting, aim to illuminate your craft supplies with bright, even light. To harness natural sunlight and avoid harsh shadows, use indirect light. For studio lighting, try setting up three soft box lights to light your products from the sides and above.

To capture small-scale craft supplies, get close to your product and document the tiny details using the macro setting on your camera or macro lens, if you have one. A tripod will help photos stay still and focused. “When I'm doing shots outside I'll lay down on the ground and put the camera right on the ground and tilt it up a little bit,” says Cynthia, “so I’m in their world, not a giant looking down on them. When you get to their scale, that's really helpful."

5. Select an eye-catching thumbnail image

Your first image (or thumbnail) is often the first point of entry into your listing, so it pays to have an attractive photo that clearly illustrates what’s for sale. Choose a bright, clear image without added graphics.

For small components available in multiples, a thumbnail photo showing a cluster can be a good way to depict depth and different sides and angles of the product in one compelling image. Erin often uses this type of image for Lytha Studios, particularly for rounder items like beads and buttons, to create a feeling like you’re sorting through a plate of findings. For other items, such as ear wires, whose long angular shapes could be distorted in depth of field shots, Erin sticks with overhead shots that illustrate the proportions.

Use the remaining photo spots in each listing (you have five total) to show off different aspects of the supply. Show different angles, examples of finished products, and packaging. To illustrate scale, try including a photo with a ruler that measures both inches and centimeters.

Titles, descriptions, and tags

6. Write specific and succinct descriptions

When selling craft supplies, it’s best to get to the point and skip lengthy, flowery descriptions. Let customers know exactly what is included in each listing in an informative, easy-to-read format, such as a list. Be sure to answer these questions:

What is the supply? What is it used for?

What material is it? (For example, if it’s fabric, what fiber and weight is the fabric? For jewelry findings, what metal is it?)

What is the size, shape, and other key measurements?

What color is it? Is it patterned?

Does it have a special finish?

What quantity is available?

If it’s a kit, what skill level is it for? Are additional tools required? How long will it take to complete?

What are your shipping times?

Are there any color or size variations available?

7. Make every word count

In addition to product descriptions, there are three areas on each listing where you can help your items get found when customers search on Etsy and Etsy Studio:

Tags: For every listing, you can add 13 tags. For the best chance of getting found, use all 13 tags, choosing keywords that correspond with terms people use while shopping.

Titles: Start each title with the most meaningful words that describe your product and include snappy, buyer-friendly explanation of what’s for sale and the most pertinent size information (such as bead size or length of fabric).

Attributes: By selecting the appropriate attributes from the drop-down menus on the listing page, you help buyers discover your supplies. Since these terms are indexed in search, you don’t need to use them as a tag. Bonus!

8. Keep tweaking

Think of your listings as a perpetual work-in-progress. “I have updated many listings due to customer questions,” says Erin. “I'll use that as an opportunity to go back and improve my listings. I never look at any of my listings as complete, whether it’s the photography, titles, tags, or descriptions, I always operate from the perspective that it can be better. If I see a way to improve it, I will."

What are your tips for creating great listings? Share what you’ve learned in the comments below.

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How to Get Found in Search

Getting found in search may seem daunting, but all it takes is a little know-how. By Kimm Alfonso Nov 5, 2015

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/how-to-get-found-in-search/22717244953

What I hear most from Etsy sellers as they grow their businesses is that they struggle to get found in search by shoppers online. Thankfully, it’s a problem you can solve with a little know-how and time to experiment with using the right copy. The tips below will help you work on your shop to make it easier for shoppers to find you right at that moment they are ready to buy.

As you work on your listings, be sure to think like a shopper each step of the way. What will grab your shopper and communicate everything he or she needs to make that purchase?

Step 1: Add attributes to your listing

One of the best ways you can help your items get found in search is to add all relevant attributes to the listing. For each listing, select the category that best fits your item. Based on which category you select, you’ll be able to add more attributes to your items, such as the size of a garment or the length of a necklace chain. You’ll also be able to specify the item’s color and whether it’s related to a specific holiday (such as Christmas decorations) or whether it makes a good gift for a specific occasion (such as a wedding gift). Etsy uses this information to help shoppers find relevant items when they search.

Step 2: Brainstorm keywords and phrases

Start with a list of keywords and phrases that you think your target buyer will search when shopping. Use this brainstorming list to get the ball rolling and be sure your titles, tags and description answer all of those questions.

Pro tip: Did you know that Etsy’s search bar can give you a leg up on tracking what customers are searching? Start typing what you sell in the search bar. The words that appear are popular customer search terms. This will give you the exact keywords and phrases shoppers are searching, so be sure to use ones that are relevant to your product in your titles, tags and description. Think of synonyms and try those in the search field as well.

Another good place to find keywords? Look in your listing’s description. Often, there are good keywords in there that you are already using when describing your item. Test some of these descriptive words in your titles and tags.

Pro tip: Once you’ve added an attribute to your listing, such as the item’s color, you don’t need to repeat that information in your 13 tags. It’s already being used to help surface your item in relevant searches on Etsy. However, specialized color keywords should still be used in your tags and titles. For example, if your item is mint green, you can select the "green" color attribute and use the specialized color keyword “mint green” in your tags and title. "Mint green planner" is a great tag phrase.

Step 3: Apply search terms to your listings

Now that you have a list of keywords and phrases you want to try, work them into your item listings.

Create powerful titles. While keeping your titles enticing and buyer-friendly, add more meaningful terms that buyers are likely to search. Keep the most important search terms at the beginning of the listing to maximize their importance in search.

Pro tip: Including your main category in the title (handmade, supplies, vintage) doesn’t necessarily increase your relevancy in Etsy Search for those terms. It does, however, communicate to a shopper without a doubt what the item is. Experiment for yourself to see what words in your title help your conversion rate of browsers into buyers.
Maximize your tags. Plug in your list of keywords and phrases and use all available tags. Each one is another opportunity to find your shopper. To get the most out of your tags, use phrases (“dining room table”) instead of single words (“dining,” “room,” and “table”).

Diversity matters. Don’t name all of your similar items the same (or nearly the same) thing. This targets just one type of shopper, you want to keep a bit of diversity in your keywords to try and target a variety of buyers and bring them to you shop through different search results.

Put your most important terms in both your titles and tags.

Important terms to the front: If your titles are long (more than one line in “List” mode), make sure your most important search terms fall in the first line.

Step 4: Make sure it’s working

Shop Stats: Keep an eye on your stats to see your hard work in action. Shop stats lists what keywords people are using to find you in search.

How can you use this information to improve your titles, tags and description?

Use any listed words that you are not already using.

Include synonyms for your most popular keywords.

If you are getting lots of hits but no sales, maybe you are optimizing for the wrong keywords to find a shopper ready to buy — try testing out new phrases, and being very specific with style. Experiment to see what works!

Make measured changes: If your search terms are already bringing people into your shop, go slowly with making major changes so you can see what’s working before doing more.

Step 5: Encourage clicks

In an effort to show items that buyers are likely to purchase, Etsy’s search algorithm also considers how well individual items tend to do in search (referred to as “listing quality”). If a buyer clicks, favorites, or purchases an item after they’ve seen it in search results, that action contributes to the listing’s quality score. You can improve your listing quality by encouraging shopper interaction. Use clear item photographs that show off your unique item and invite a click for a closer look. Learn more about improving your product photography on the Seller Handbook.

Step 6: Promise a positive customer experience

Double check that you’ve completed your shipping profiles to accurately represent processing times to your buyers. And don’t forget to tell your story: Make sure your About section and shop policies are complete. Read more about how customer experience factors into search relevancy in How Search Works on Etsy.

Step 7: Bring it together

Get help: If you need help with coming up with search terms or improving your search ranking, try joining one of these teams about relevancy or SEO.

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How Etsy Search Works

https://www.etsy.com/help/article/34234144469

How Does Etsy Search Work?

When a member searches for an item on Etsy, Etsy’s search algorithm works to return the most relevant matches. Details of this algorithm change regularly so we can help buyers find what they're looking for.
Sellers control the most important factors in Etsy Search placement. Please read on to learn what Etsy Search looks for, and what you can do to help improve how buyers find your shop.

Factors in Etsy’s Search Placement

The following factors combine to determine which items appear and the order (or placement) in which those items are displayed. Keep in mind that these factors are not equally weighted to determine the order of the results.

Tag and Title Relevancy

First, every item in the results must match the buyer’s search word or phrase. Items that do not match a buyer’s search won’t be included in results.

For example, the search “banana backpack” will only return items that match both “banana” and “backpack” in either the listing tags or titles.
Once the search algorithm finds all of the items that match the search, we also use keywords to determine the order of those results.

Exact phrase matches are stronger than matches on individual words. For example, a search for “banana backpack” would return all items with the words “banana” and “backpack” in the tags or title, but items with “banana backpack” in the title would be considered a closer match.
If a word or phrase in a buyer’s search appears in both the title and tags of a listing, the search algorithm considers that listing more relevant than a listing with that word or phrase in the tags or title alone.
Words at the beginning of titles are considered more important than words at the end.

Item Attribute Relevancy

The key information provided in item attributes is considered in Etsy search, similar to keywords in item tags and titles.

When using attributes, select as many accurate attributes as each item has available. This will maximize your item’s exposure in search results.

Listing Quality

To show items that buyers are likely to purchase, Etsy’s search algorithm also considers how well individual items tend to do in search. We call this “listing quality.”

If a buyer clicks, favorites, or purchases an item after they’ve seen it in search results, that action contributes to the listing’s quality score.
Since listings at the top of results tend to receive more buyer attention than those at the bottom, Etsy’s search algorithm adjusts for the expected buyer behavior for these different locations.
Note: New shops and listings have a neutral quality score, which has no impact on placement.

Customer & Marketplace Experience

We want buyers to have a great experience when they purchase from a seller on Etsy. Because of this, we consider a shop’s record of customer service and whether it’s in good standing according to Etsy’s policies.
Great reviews, completed About section, and completed shop policies can all help your placement in search. Using the shop policies template will also slightly improve your placement (FAQs and seller details are not factored). However, recent cases and past intellectual property infringement issues can have a negative effect. New shops have a neutral score, which has no impact on placement.

Recency

To keep search results fresh for frequent shoppers, Etsy’s search algorithm reviews how recently an item was listed or relisted.

Shop Location

Many buyers in certain countries, like the UK, Australia, France, and Germany, have told us that they like purchasing from sellers based in their own countries because they find it to be more convenient and less expensive.

In order to make local items slightly more prominent in search results in these specific countries, we take the location of the shop and the shopper into account. Searches made within other countries do not take shop location into account for search results.

Shop Diversity

Buyers on Etsy are looking to explore a marketplace of unique items. In order to meet this expectation, Etsy’s search algorithm works to show results from a variety of shops, when available.

Translation of Listings in Search

All your listing information, including titles and tags, needs to be in the shop language you chose when you signed up for selling on Etsy. For example, if your shop language is French, but you've written your tags in English, the tags will not help to bring up your items.

Etsy will automatically translate listings for you, or you can choose to translate yourself. Read more about translating into other languages.
To check your shop's default listing language, go to Your shop > Shop settings > Info and appearance > Languages.

Improving the Search Factors in Your Shop

The steps you take in listing your items and maintaining your shop are the most important factors in getting your items found through search on Etsy.

Review Your Tags and Titles

Make Sure Your Attributes are Accurate

Be sure you’re selecting the best available and relevant attributes if your options don’t exactly match.

Use a combination of item tags and attributes to help show your items in a variety of searches.

Encourage Shopper Interaction

List your items with clear item photographs that invite a closer look.
Use the cropping tool, so your item thumbnail is correctly formatted.
Price can be a factor in whether a shopper clicks on your item. Avoid pricing items too low or too high for your target shopper.

Provide a Positive Customer Experience

Taking these steps will help ensure that your customers have a positive experience and are encouraged to leave a great review.

Complete your shipping profiles to represent processing times to your buyers accurately. Be sure to mark orders as shipped to help buyers know when to expect their items.

Make sure your About section is complete. Read more about telling your story.

Fill out your shop policies and use the template to give buyers helpful information about your shop.

Take steps to communicate with past buyers and swiftly resolve open cases