Etsy sales down 70% -- Can Anyone Help??? Please!

[#1]

If anyone out there can help, we would very much appreciate it.  We've been selling on Etsy since 2012 and have loved it -- until now.  Our sales are down 70% year over year and we have no idea why.  If you search for items, you can't find our products.  It's like we've been shadow banned.  I've tried calling Etsy and the person I spoke to told us that we're doing everything right.  Has anyone experienced something similar and figured out what to do about it?  We're willing to try whatever is needed. 

Desperate in PA

[Marmalady]

Most of it is probably the economy -- people are not going to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on jewellery if they are worried about the price of utilities & groceries going up day by day.

But there are things you can do which might help boost your search results:

Think of different terms people might use when searching for your items
eg the "cruise ship" charm -- add "ocean liner" in your title & tags
The "baby carriage" charm -- in the UK we would call it a "pram" or "perambulator" -- so add those terms

You also need to get your Policies legal for the UK / EU:
a) Return Policy -- buyers have minimum 14 days after receipt to inform you of intent to return for full refund, a further 14 days to actually return. Choose the 30 day option on Etsy.  Buyer to pay return postage. Without this policy buyers have a full year to request a refund and you have to pay return postage if you want it back
b) GDPR compliant Privacy policy -- Etsy have a template,
c) Address & contact info of where you conduct your business. Etsy have a Sellers Details section in their Policy template

For the EU, you also need a GPSR representative based in the EU that holds your safety assessment for your products (your items might be exempt -- you will have to research this)
For some EU countries you will also need a Packaging Licence

[AntiqueARTGarden]

Just looking at your shop, the only thing I can figure is it is expensive( some very) jewelry, and because of the insano politics in this country now, consumers are pulling back on purchasing. Especially anything over $500., much less in the $1000s., which is most of your items.  Best of luck!

[ChuckPetersonDesigns]

Very slow here too. Time to work on improving my websites, refining things. It is frustrating.

[KarlasCrafts]

The exact same thing is happening to my store. I am a star seller. I have over 700 listings. I ship within 24 hours. My pictures are the right size...I am doing everything Etsy says to do, but my store is dead. I have had a total of 20 views and 7 visits, this whole entire day. When I do a search, I can't find any of my items. I don't know what is going on. 

[moonbeamgifts]

Your products are very pretty but sadly, I am not your target market.    I am not accustomed to wearing $400-1,000 on my lapel or finger so in the event that I actually had an event to attend, I'd probably miss most of it making sure the jewelry was still there and not on the floor somewhere.   

Could you add any lower cost items into your offerings?    That might help bridge the gap, especially in today's current economy.    I'm pretty sure it's going to get worse before it gets better so best to try to look ahead.   It won't be the big bump to your dollar balance that your current sales likely are but small sales do add up.

[Boretrolondon]

As a vintage clothing seller, I've been noticing a similar trend: lower visits and sales than usual. I'm guessing this could be attributed to the current economic uncertainty, but I'm holding onto the hope that things will return to normal soon. If you're feeling uncertain, know that you're not alone! We're in the same boat, questioning the future. Stay strong and keep doing what you love! This challenging time will pass, and things will bounce back.

[TrinketDrawersUK]

Are you getting next to no views or visits and sod all from etsy search? If so you're not alone, I think they're moving in the direction of pay to be seen, pretty much the first pages of any search are resellers offering quick turn around personalised items, which I guess is more profitable for etsy. 

[SophieSisters]

I have had only 2 sales in 60 days, way, way down from 2023 and 2024.  One bad review is also creating a major issue as it shows up first. The customer provided an insufficient address, and her package circled all over PA forever.  I re-sent her order gratis.  The USPS re-delivered this "lost" April 2024 order to my home on 3/8/25. Still -- she will NOT edit the review, and Etsy will not take it down. You cannot make this up! TW

[BeachPleaseCreations]

And then I get messages from Etsy for Turbo tax and other such nonsense! If I had sales maybe I would be inclined to subscribe!!! What the what!!!

[GabbysCraftsNThings]

Me too! I even pay good ad money to etsy and still am lucky if i get 2 orders in a day. Most days i'm getting none or just one and that's paying almost $10 in ad money per day. I finally couldn't keep affording that so now im at $3. I am having to look for a job for the first time in 5 years. Ive been on etsy since the Jan 2017 and was a 6 figure shop by 2019 until this past year. I've talked with my suppliers and some other people in town in the same industry and they say it's this way across the board right now. People don't have extra money as much as they once did and especially with the uncertainty of the economy people are holding on tighter to their money. It has me in a total career funk. Hopefully it turns around. 

[sweetigloo]

Same. Started to look for a job.

[SmallTownGirlStoreUS]

Me too I have one sale per month since January. 
I updated pictures, I launched sales all the time . I try to look at my inventory but I rarely appear on front page. I don’t know what is going on and I don’t know what to do about it . 

[BagmakerSupply]

@SmallTownGirlStoreUS: "I try to look at my inventory but I rarely appear on front page." You can NOT rely on anyone's search results (particularly your own) to define how your listing is ranked. There are many many factors that affect listing placement and the relative weight of each factor probably changes constantly. Even exact word matches to your title no longer ensure that you will appear in search. Plus when the algorithm keeps seeing that you are not purchasing the items it shows you it will eventually stop showing those to you.

[sweetigloo]

Have few sales this month. It’s my only income stream I have now. Very anxious. Can’t survive on it. I had slow months before. But this March is the worst month for 2 years on Etsy. 
Uploading new items. Running ads don’t help. Waste of money.

[sweetigloo]

Spending more time to advertise, uploading new listing. Creating new items but it just not paying off. Seems like waste of time

[DELICAPASSION]

Bonsoir je suis exactement dans le même cas de figure ,le mois de décembre habituellement très vendeur à été catastrophique et depuis mes ventes ont terriblement chuté ,ce mois ci le pire 85% de vente en moins que l’an passé 

mes visites ont chuté de 45/50% environ 

c’est une catastrophe j’espère que des jours meilleurs nous attendent et moî aussi malgres le handicap me voilà rendue à chercher un nouvel emploi également 

[oiseaux]

I totally feel you, my sales are down 70% and have been since January. I've had my shop since 2009, and until this year it has been my main source of income, so I'm a bit freaked out too. There must be a change in algorithm -- plus the economy -- ?? I'm hoping this turns around for all of us who are experiencing a big change.

[RochesterLaserArt]

Etsy uses frequency capping to distribute sales to less fortunate, when general traffic slows during non-peak times it's impact is much greater. So if you do very well, they knock you down a peg

Over the past 2-3 years it drove me out of business.

• Frequency Capping: to limit the number of times the same listing or shop appears at the top of results for a specific user or keyword

You can find the policy here:

https://www.etsy.com/legal/policy/search-advertisement-recommendation/899478564529

[After9Marbles]

Im not expert and I like your black background but I think the search engines like the white backgrounds. If I had to guess etsy would love to collect that 12% off site add fee on your items. Maybe look into the white background thing for search engines. 

[RishStudio]

Same with me! Traffic dropped drastically overnight! No sales for weeks! It's like my shop is invisible! 

[DarkwoodJewelry]

Same here! All those who experience this drastic drop in sales will agree that our shop seem completely hidden most of the time. Then one day comes when it’s visible for a few hourse. Lucky ones are getting sales then and then nothing for days/weeks. 

[1o1Studio]

Same here!  - totally invisible 

[BohoNmore]

Hello! I have the same problem. I don't know what to do. 

[CryzalisMasksUK]

You better off starting a new thread under shop critiques. this way other sellers can assist or give advice

[SwanCreekCottage]

Yes,My slowest month in 9 years, don't know why!