Category: Selling on Etsy (Page 1 of 4)

Read my detailed, informative and innovative blogs posts about selling on Etsy and how to sell on Etsy from e-commerce and marketing blogger, Attention Getting Marketing. From getting publicity for your Etsy shop to unlocking the mysteries of Etsy SEO to not making the same mistakes other Etsy shops have made, Attention Getting covers every possible topic to help your optimize your Etsy shop and make it a success. I have been a seller on Etsy myself since 2012, so I have been through all the changes and know how the marketplace works. I have also consulted and continue to consult for some of the top selling Etsy shops for years now. I write about Etsy SEO quite a bit, as the search engine changes quite a bit. My Etsy SEO guide has been a top seller on my blog and on Etsy for several years. I update it every few months to keep up with the changes. I also write about my little known but proven tips and tricks, and my guide, the 30-Day Etsy Success Guide has been a top seller on my blog and on Etsy for years. Whether you are a brand new Etsy shop or have been on Etsy for a long time, my advice will help you look at your Etsy shop in a new light and hopefully take it to the next level. My blog is a must-read for anyone selling on Etsy as well as selling on ecommerce in general to learn the best success tips.

My Latest Tips for What to Sell on Etsy

March 24, 2024 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Click to download.

I always love these so-called experts who try to tell you they have the magic secret to big sales on Etsy. There is no magic secret as it really does begin with what you sell.

For example, if you’re selling a cheaply made product, that is priced way above what it is worth, and no one has a need for it, then no magic secret is going to sell it.

Therefore, what you can start with is finding products that currently have a high demand but low supply. This is a good way to find success on Etsy.

The first thing I do in my research is identify products that are highly searched, or are part of a breakout or rising search, and then compare to the number of listings for that product on Etsy.

I just updated my What to Sell on Etsy ebook, and here are a few lucrative ideas from the ebook if you are looking for something new to sell:

Did you know that people search 12,000 times a month on Google for a mahogany teak scented candle, yet there are only 800 listings on Etsy?
Have you heard of shower steamers? They are a lot like bath bombs but for the shower. They are searched over 60,000 times a month on Google, yet there are only 3,400 listings on Etsy.
Do you sell engagement rings? Did you know there are over 60,000 searches every month on Google for oblong engagement rings, yet only 100 listings on Etsy? I don’t even know what that is, but if you have a ring that suits the description, at least take advantage of the SEO opportunity (maybe this is how men search?).

So if you’re still looking for that big seller on Etsy, take a look at the latest version of my What to Sell on Etsy ebook.

Poor Etsy Sales? This Is What To Sell on Etsy

July 22, 2023 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Are your sales on Etsy not doing so hot? A lot of the time, success on Etsy is really based on WHAT you sell.

Click to download

Customer Success Story

When I consult for an Etsy shop, analyzing their product line is a large part of it, where I try to find more lucrative product niches for their shop, including product niches that are growing and ones that are about to take off.

For example, a few years back I was consulting for a scented candle shop on Etsy. In doing my research for them, I saw a breakout Google search for “vanilla cashmere candles”. At the time, there were less than 100 listings on Etsy for a vanilla cashmere scented candle, so I convinced them to quickly add this candle to the shop, which we then optimized for SEO, landing it on the first page of search results, and the candle quickly became their best seller.

My new ebook What to Sell on Etsy outlines (in easy to read chart form), key sales opportunities by looking at products that are currently highly searched but have a low number of listings on Etsy. In other words, high demand with low supply.

In Demand Products on Etsy with Little Competition

Another example. You might think that the art category on Etsy is completely saturated. However, there are 15,000 searches on Google each month for “romanticism art” and yet only 4,000 listings on Etsy. That’s an opportunity.

Same with “yoga posters”. There’s over 165,000 Google searches a month, but only 21,000 listings on Etsy.

Download my Best Seller!

Another example, is “flared yoga pants”. Over 18,000 Google searches a month, yet under 2,000 listings on Etsy. If you’re a print on demand shop, I would be contacting my supplier today about getting flared yoga pants in my shop!

The goal is to also make sure you are selling the right product within the segment.

For example, there are a whopping 436,000 listings on Etsy for “summer linen dress” even though it is only searched 4,000 times a month. However, there are only 3,500 Etsy listings for “linen overalls”, which gets twice as many monthly searches. Not to mention that the average price for linen overalls on Etsy is US$100 compared to US$60 for a summer linen dress. Therefore, why not sell something that not only is MORE in demand with LESS competition, and has a HIGHER price point?

Another huge opportunity I identified is for floating shelves, with over 246,000 monthly searches, yet only 32,928 listings on Etsy.

What Else to Sell on Etsy Right Now

A few more of the 200+ product niches I found:

Gold Apple Watch Bands
Shower Steamers
Floating Candles
Crystal Advent Calendars
Halloween Costumes for Dogs
“Most Likely To” Christmas Shirts
Blanket Hoodies

Best Seller! Click to download!

I share all of this research in my new download, What to Sell on Etsy. You will love this ebook because I did extensive research on some of the top product niches on Etsy, including reviewing search data from Etsy, Amazon, Google Shopping, Google Trends and a few other SEO tools, all to discover over 200 opportunities in over 40 top Etsy product categories. where there is HIGH product demand but LOW supply.

Discover 200+ Product Opportunities on Etsy!

Also read: A Few Highlights from my Etsy Holiday Sales Planner.

A Few Highlights from My Etsy Holiday Sales Planner 2022

June 6, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

It’s never too soon to start planning for holiday sales! As it is the biggest selling time of the year, I have once again come out with my newly updated Etsy 2022 Holiday Sales Planner, now for the 6th year in a row. Below are a few highlights:

Holiday Decor & Entertaining

@theeverymom

In doing my product research, I was finding that holiday decor and entertaining “kits” and “sets” will be a hot item this year, with products such as Dog House Xmas Decor Kits, 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments, Holiday Mimosa Sugar Cube Kits, and Christmas Shelf Decor Sets (as in photo). I love sets, because it means you sell more products at one time to one customer.

Etsy SEO Facts

64 listings make the first page of Etsy search results for any search phrase. Of those 64 listings, 16 are usually ads. Of the remaining 48 organic (non-paid) results, you will typically see:

60% have the “Best Seller” distinction
50% are on sale
35% have the Star Seller badge
6% have the “Etsy’s Pick” distinction
4% are local sellers

All of these factors impact your listing’s ranking, just as much as keywords. Therefore, make sure to use your Best Sellers to upsell other products, as they will be the ones likely to get the most Etsy traffic. Also, if you have a product that has been given the “Etsy’s Pick” distinction, add the words “Etsy’s Pick” to the primary image to grab the attention of searchers.

Searches from Other Countries

The UK buyer is the second most popular buyer on Etsy, after the US. But spelling and terminology of certain holiday searches can be a little different. For example:

Brits search “Xmas” as often as “Christmas”.
They search “Christmas Gonk” instead of “Christmas Gnome”.
They search “presents” more so than “gifts”.
They search “baubles” more so than “ornaments”.
They search “dog jumper” instead of “dog sweater”.
They search “stocking fillers” instead of “stocking stuffers”.
They search “Happy Christmas” instead of “Merry Christmas”.
They search “Father Christmas” instead of “Santa Claus”.

Include Something Memorable in the Package

Last year I recommended including a Christmas Cookie Recipe Card in all product packages, so that when the customer pulls out the recipe card this year, they remember your store. But there are other things you can include (which you can print yourself) such as a Christmas Countdown Checklist or Letter to Santa template, or even affirmation cards for the new year, always with your branding and shop url on it.

There are 38 pages in my Etsy 2022 Holiday Sales Planner with ideas for advertising, promotions, publicity, social media, SEO, photography, and more, PLUS planner pages, PLUS my 80+ contacts for holiday gift guides, PLUS a timeline countdown of tasks to do, PLUS memorable dates, PLUS pages and pages of the top holiday searches. PLUS, I’m offering it for a super low price for the next few days.

Enjoy!

Have You Tried a Product Mashup?

March 19, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Have You Tried a Product Mashup? One recommendation I always make to my Etsy and Amazon customers, is to see if you can take advantage of top selling products on the marketplace by doing a product “mashup”.

For example, ornaments sell huge on Etsy every October through December. Therefore, if you sell candles, do a product mashup and create a candle ornament.

Not sure what I mean, take a look at this candle ornament from H&M. You also now get to take advantage of twice the keywords.

Find a product or service that is in high demand, and see how you can merge with a product or service you are currently offering.

You can also book a phone consultation and we can come up with an idea together!

Shopify vs Etsy

May 25, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Shopify vs Etsy.

A lot of people wanting to sell online are not sure whether they should open a Shopify store, an Etsy store or both. The truth is, they are very different setups. Below is my advice, mainly from a marketing point of view.

What Etsy Is

Etsy is a marketplace where you can quickly and easily set up a store. Think of Etsy like a shopping mall and you are one of the stores in the mall. Most shopping malls actively promote themselves and bring in customers, who might stumble upon your store. Therefore, they do some of the marketing for you.

There is no monthly fee. You pay a 5% sales commission as well as some other costs, such as re-listing fees, payment processing fees and Etsy ads (offsite ads are mandatory, onsite ads are optional). Your customers pay Etsy, and Etsy pays you. You can sell your handmade products, or products you designed but are produced by a third party. You cannot resell items unless they are vintage.

What Shopify Is

Shopify helps you build and maintain an online store. Picture yourself physically building a store on a street (where Shopify is your contractor) and nothing else is around it. If you set up a Shopify store, you are operating independently. Shopify is not providing a front end marketplace of shoppers who might find your store. You have to promote it yourself and bring your own traffic, and this can be challenging.

On the most basic plan, you will be charged a monthly fee of $29US, as well as other costs such as payment processing fees when you make a sale. Your customers pay you directly and Shopify bills you your monthly charges. You can sell any type of product or service, including drop shipping and wholesale products.

A Big Change That Will Now Help Your Shopify Store

Now, there is a BRAND NEW benefit to opening a Shopify store. Google just announced a partnership with Shopify, whereby a Shopify seller can now publish all of their store’s inventory into Google Shopping for free, plus they have simplified the process. Publishing your products to Google Shopping can be quite cumbersome and requires a lot of bandwidth. However, Google is now removing these issues so a Shopify store can publish everything with just one click, and, again, for free.

Keep in mind, “free” means your products will show up in Google Shopping, but several pages in, and you won’t be charged. If you want your products to show up on the first page of search results, or in targeted local searches, then you have to pay to boost them.

My Recommendation Shopify vs Etsy

In the past, I didn’t often recommend Shopify to my smaller clients just starting out, because you have to sink a lot more time and money into marketing and promoting your store. However, this significant change to Google Shopping could make a difference in your Shopify store getting found by shoppers.

As for Etsy, I still think it is a good deal in that it is cost-effective, the setup is fast, and, with a bit of work, you can have a fairly successful shop right out of the gate. If you can manage to have a Shopify store and a Etsy store, I do recommend having both. Quite simply, the more places you sell, the better. Here are some more online selling sites.

My Instagram

And if you’re not following my Instagram you are missing out on exclusive insider tips that give your small business a big advantage!

Also Read:

Some of My Best Ecommerce Success Tips

May 14, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Want some of my best ecommerce success tips?

I have been blogging about and consulting for e-commerce businesses since 2012. Below is some of my best advice.

Ecommerce Success Tip #1: Price for Your Labor

I see a lot of people selling $10 products that they say takes them an hour to make. This means you are essentially paying yourself $10 an hour, and after deducting costs, that might not even be minimum wage. Therefore, decide how much you ideally want to make an hour (after deducting costs), and how many products you can make in one hour, then price accordingly.

Ecommerce Success Tip #2: Watch Your Conversion Rate

If you sell on Etsy or Amazon, sales conversion rates play a factor in how your listings rank in search. Therefore, do not buy traffic from online sites as it is fake traffic and it never converts into a sale, thus destroying your conversion rate.

Ecommerce Success Tip #3: Visuals Are Important

If you sell online something that relies on scent, like candles or perfume, the visual becomes very important. In this case, you will have an advantage if the product packaging is aesthetically attractive (sell to their eyes, if you can’t sell to their nose).

Ecommerce Success Tip #4: In Stock Is Important

If you sell on Etsy, listing only “one in stock” is not ideal for Etsy SEO as once the item sells, the listing will de-activate and no longer be in the Etsy search engine, and lose any SEO momentum it had gained.

Ecommerce Success Tip #5: Always Be Improving

Read the negative reviews of products similar to yours on Amazon, as a great way to see how you can do better with your products.

Ecommerce Success Tip #6: Widen Your Reach

Whenever possible, use people you know in your product photos. Why? Because they are more likely to share the photo on their social media sites, giving your business free exposure to their followers (get more tactics like this in my already-done-for-you Marketing Plan downloads).

Ecommerce Success Tip #7: SEO In Advance

A key ecommerce SEO tip is that you always have to be implementing your search phrases and keywords at least four months in advance of any major buying occasion. This is necessary in order to give time for your site and/or listings to be recrawled and rise up in ranking. Some sites like Etsy can take several weeks to even index new listings, let alone move them up in ranking.

Ecommerce Success Tips #8: Keep SEO Current

If applicable, try to include the current year in your keywords. You would be amazed at how many people search “Father’s Day Gifts 2022″, “Back to School Supplies 2022″ and so forth.

💫Be sure to also follow me on Instagram for more tips, trends and advice!

Don’t get the same-old tired-heard-it-before advice about selling online. Follow my blog to always learn something new! I hope you enjoyed my best ecommerce success tips!

About Me

Are you in need of advice, coaching, mentoring, maybe just a creative product or promotion idea? Since 2012, I’ve helped thousands of online businesses and I can help yours too! Check out my very affordable Phone Consultations.

A 20+ year marketing professional, small business consultant, ebook author & blogger, my advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, American Express, Big Commerce, Business2Community to name a few – so this is professional advice you can trust!

I sell online on Shopify, Etsy, Gumroad and on Amazon back in its early years. This, combined with my decades of marketing & business experience means I can advise, mentor as well as come up with creative new ideas for your business. It really does help to talk to someone who is objective to get a new but professional perspective. Learn more about my Services here.

I have written publicity pitches for clients that resulted in them being featured in Real Simple Magazine, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, Houzz, Martha Stewart, Glamour Magazine, LONNY, DesignMilk, Emmaline Bride,– just to name a few.

My Hot Etsy Tip of the Week

October 22, 2020 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Want my hot Etsy tip of the week?

Well, this tip will actually work for any type of ecommerce store or business in general.

According to an article in eCommerceBytes (that I reference below) Etsy says that 7 in 10 buyers (69%) plan to buy gifts online and have them sent directly to the recipient due to COVID not allowing people to spend the holidays together.

So this presents an opportunity for your store!

When you ship out a gift to someone on behalf of the buyer, be sure to include a card inside the package that says,

Let Them Know You Love Your Gift!

Post a photo of yourself with this gift on Instagram and tag us @StoreXYZ, and we’ll send both you and the gift giver a coupon for 30% off your next purchase! Thank you for supporting small business!

Or you could say 30% off of Valentine’s gifts or send them a free gift, whatever you think will be more effective for your target market, but it’s a chance to get your shop some free exposure on social media. What have you got to lose?

Do you know anyone who owns a restaurant?

I have a hot tip for them as well in these tough times for their industry. If I owned a restaurant, I would approach a local charity that does Christmas Hampers/Adopt a Family type donations, to ask their donors if they would sponsor a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meal to be delivered to a family in need. It’s a great opportunity to help both the restaurant industry and struggling families. You could even position it to send a meal to older parents or relatives who won’t be celebrating the holidays with others.

For more restaurant promotional ideas, check out my 12-Month Restaurant Marketing Plan.

Be sure to check out my 30-Day Etsy Success Plan.

Also Read:

How to Get Your Etsy Shop Ready for the Big Holiday Sales Season

July 29, 2020 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Is your Etsy shop ready for the big holiday sales season? If you think it’s too early, you’re wrong!

My 28-page 2020 Etsy Shop Holiday Sales Planner is out today (and it’s on sale!), and here are just a few interesting tidbits from the research portion of the planner:

Christmas Gifts for Mom is the dominant gift search, in terms of recipient.
White Elephant gifts are still the most searched type of gifts.
Due to the difficult economic situation this year, expect to see Christmas hampers rise in popularity.
Dachshund Christmas décor is a breakout search (no idea why), as are mini Christmas table trees.
One of the most popular searches every year on Etsy is advent calendars (consider making one for your own products), but since advent starts on November 29th, searches peak November 9th.
Matching holiday family pajamas, shirts and hats are always popular on Etsy, but more so this year with all the family bonding we’ve been doing. Expect matching holiday masks to be in demand.

Of course, my Holiday Planner also has a ton of my latest tips, as well as planner pages, and bonus items such as 36 days of social media posting ideas, 86 of the top holiday gift guides to submit to and a countdown to-do-list starting in August all the way up to December 29th!

Planner Pages

Holiday Product Planner Page
Holiday SEO Planner Page
Holiday SEO Worksheet
Product Photography Planner Page
Promotions Planner Page
Email Planner Page
Advertising Planner Page
Social Media Planner
Gift Guide Contacts (for 86 of the top gift guides)
Gift Guide Submission Planner
Holiday Sales Success Tracker

Latest Trends & Advice

The Hottest Holiday Products
Key Tips for Effective Holiday SEO
Effective Ideas for Holiday Product Photography
Easy Holiday Promotions
Budget Friendly Holiday Advertising Advice
Simple Holiday Email Marketing Tips
Free Holiday Gift Guide Publicity (pitches for print publications need to go out in August!)
Current Holiday Social Media Trends

Bonus Items

36 Days of Social Media Posting Ideas
August to December Timeline / To Do Checklist
Key Holiday & Search Dates
Top Holiday Product Search Phrases
Top Gift Receipt Search Phrases
Top Types of Gift Search Phrases
Top Descriptive Gift Search Phrases
Top Money Gift Search Phrases
Top Holiday Décor Search Phrases
Top Personalized Gifts Search Phrases

You can purchase my 2020 Etsy Shop Holiday Sales Planner now.

Etsy Sold 12 Million Face Masks in April

May 8, 2020 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

Etsy sold 12 million face masks in April Sometimes when you are really successful at something, there is a Catch-22. You want to tell everyone, as this draws in more customers and sales – but it also draws in more competition.

Etsy did a smart thing letting its sellers know that face masks would be a huge sales opportunity, and, as a result, Etsy sold 12 million face masks in April. But the problem is that when you announce how warm the water is, everyone wants to jump in the pool.

And this is what has happened. It’s still a big pool, but it might be difficult for smaller sellers to compete when the big players jump into the face mask market.

Big Retailers Now Selling Face Masks

Anthropologie has released their own very chic face masks made of organic cotton.
Disney has made some really cute ones for kids currently only available on pre-order, and until September 30th, all proceeds from the mask sales will go to MedShare.
Old Navy just launched cloth face masks for adults and kids, where you can get 5 for only $13 in a various of stylish designs.
Banana Republic’s face masks sold out in minutes, but they are now back in stock.
Face Masks at Old Navy
Gap has also sold out of their face masks, but you can go on a waiting list.
Athleta has their own face masks in muted colors.
Zazzle has over 58,000 face masks listed on their site.
MaskClub just launched last month but they signed up major bloggers like Delish to do their own face mask lines and hence promote the

A lot of the big brands know that you might want to support smaller sellers due to the current economic situation, so to get around that, they are typically making a donation to a charity for every purchase of a face mask.

Has the Market Peaked?

Again, it is big market so it can afford lots of competitors, but if you are deciding to go into the face mask market, just don’t do it thinking it will make you a millionaire. Google Trends does show that searches for face masks peaked on April 4th, so it all depends on if there is another wave of the virus, or if some pharmaceutical company comes up with a mask that is 100% effective in stopping the spread.

There are currently over 60,000 face mask sellers on Etsy and over 440,000 listings.

Is Your Business Ailing?

Is might be time to do an audit of your business – re-evaluate what’s working, and what isn’t. Have sales fallen off? Is your market maturing? Not sure which direction to take? My Brand New Strategic Business Planner will help you re-evaluate your products, prices, costs, profits, revenues and where you sell; help you expand on your successes, fix your problems and find new opportunities. You’ll love it!

Have a great week!

The Value of Having a Best Seller Badge on Your Products

April 7, 2020 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

There is value of having a Best Seller Badge on your products.

Years ago, I recommended to one of my customers to put the words, “Best Seller” on one of the product photos in their Etsy shop. This was long before Etsy started doing it. Here is what resulted:

“I took your advice and put a best seller badge on my top selling wind chime. That made my life so much easier this holiday season. I just kept producing that particular chime instead of trying to guess which ones would sell. My sales were up around 40% for the year. When I ran out of my best seller at one point I put the best seller badge on another wind chime and it sold out quick as well. During the holiday season my best seller was consistently in the top left position for the keyword “wind chimes”. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for the help.”

A lot of the time people land on your shop and just don’t know what to buy, especially for a gift. The “Best Seller” badge makes the decision easier.

You might also want to read: Do You Really Need to Offer Free Shipping on Etsy

Category: Selling on Etsy (Page 1 of 4)

My Latest Tips for What to Sell on Etsy