Why It’s So Important to Include Your Location in Your Etsy Profile
When selling online people don’t really care where you’re located, right? Think again.
The percentage of Etsy sellers who list their location in their profiles is shockingly low. Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t be one of them.
Media Coverage
Small-town newspapers love stories about local people doing good. As a freelance writer, I’ve written several profiles of Etsy sellers for newspapers across the country, like this one about an artist in Savannah, Georgia: bit.ly/lbr9mo.
It can really be a struggle to find wonderful artists to profile when so few people list their location (or grossly generalize about it, i.e. “The United States.”)
Let’s say I’m writing an article on local furniture makers selling on Etsy for a small newspaper in Poughkeepsie.
First I filter for furniture makers in Poughkeepsie using Etsy’s “Shop Local” feature. If nothing comes up, I next search for furniture makers in New York State. When more than 400 items come up, I’m forced to contact each and every one of them to ask if they happen to live in Poughkeepsie.
This makes the task much more challenging, and I’m more likely to choose a seller to profile without ever seeing all the fabulous work by Poughkeepsie artists.
Shop Local
The “shop-local” movement is growing across the United States. The economy stinks and people want to spend their precious dollars to support their own communities. Customers in your community can’t find you if you don’t tell them you’re there!
Ooh, It’s French
When decorating their homes, people want pieces that tell a story. Saying they bought their vintage flatware from Australia, or their oil painting from a small town in France is much more interesting than saying, “I got it at the Crate & Barrel.”
People also love to buy works by artists in their own region.
Last-Minute Shoppers
The Shop Local button on Etsy is a procrastinator’s dream. Not only can they buy a unique handmade birthday gift, they can arrange to pick it up on the way to the party!
The Postage Would Be Astronomical
Certain things like furniture can cost more to ship than to buy. If you’re a Pennsylvania-based woodworker making solid-cherry king-sized beds, you’re not going to sell to many customers in Seattle. You need to reach customers within a few hours’ drive.
Local Boutiques and Wholesalers
Who wouldn’t want to get offers from local independent shops and boutiques in their area?
As a final note, don’t stretch the truth to cover multiple regions. I’ve actually seen sellers who have listed more than six cities as their location. If you’re afraid people won’t know where “San Mateo” is, then feel free to expand on it by saying “San Mateo, near San Francisco in Northern California,” but don’t stretch the truth.
http://www.handmadeology.com/why-it%E2%80%99s-so-important-to-include-your-location-in-your-etsy-pro...Do you include your location?
