Episode 182 | Etsy and China, Shop Reviews and Q&A

As an Etsy seller, it is important to not only get clear on your shop goals but also make strategic changes when necessary. In this episode, I am giving you advice on everything from value proposition to driving up your average order value so that you can improve your Etsy shop, today! I also share what it means for you now that Etsy has officially turned on payments for China. Don’t panic–it’s not as scary as you may think. Tune in to learn about all of this and more!

In this week’s episode we discuss:

[00:36] Etsy payments for China – what does this mean for you?

[02:46] We need to see the value proposition of your offerings

[05:34] The importance of updating your listings & customization 

[09:47] The importance of knowing who we are selling to & design tips

[12:35] Changing strategies to get different results

[14:09] An opportunity for shops that are making 10k+ per month

[18:15] Tips for digital shops and products – focus on purpose and utility

[22:22] The importance of presentation, quantity, and focusing on what’s working

[26:26] Do you really want to have an Etsy business?

[28:33] Personalization is key

[31:26] Driving up average order value 

[34:03] The importance of marketing & SEO for Etsy shops

[37:23] Are overlays hurting your sales?

[40:31] It’s time to take action and grow your business – think about your goals

Etsy payments for China – what does this mean for you?

Are you worried about the whole Etsy and China situation? Many people are concerned that Etsy will turn into an AliExpress or Temu, but I am here to tell you that is not the case and there is no need to panic. The Chinese have never stopped selling on Etsy. Even back in 2020-2021 when they turned off payments for Chinese sellers, they found a workaround. There is no major change happening, it is just something for people to talk about. Keep your head down, grow your business, and do not get distracted by every negative thing people say about the platform. 

We need to see the value proposition of your offerings

When creating Etsy listings, we need to ensure that what we sell is clear. Think of your thumbnail as a place to show the purpose, utility, and value of your product. You want to show the solution in your thumbnail not just the overall title and concept of what it is. People want to envision themselves using the product.

The importance of updating your listings & customization 

If you find that you are not getting sales in six weeks, you need to make updates to your listings. Make sure that you are using trending & cohesive designs so that people are attracted to them. If you are going to sell anything like candles or mugs, you need to make sure that the label is customized. Even if the product is nice, you have to think about what would make someone buy this versus going to Walmart, Hobby Lobby, or Target instead. 

Some of my print-on-demand students are doing over 100,000 per month and with that, customization is essential. If you need support in updating your shop, make sure to book a free call with me and my team to see how we can help you. 

The importance of knowing who we are selling to & design tips

It is so important to know who you are selling to. You want people to see your shop and know instantly that there are products there for them. You also want to make sure that you are cohesive with the aesthetic & font combinations. Googling “Canva font duo” can help you get some ideas as to what goes together. 

You do not need to be a graphic designer to create great listings. Utilize the expertise that is available to you – you can always learn from people who have gone before you to accelerate your results and raise your earning potential. There are so many graphic design resources on Pinterest as well. 

If you are creating custom shirts, for example, you want to make sure that the mockups are trendy, have a great color combination, and have the right spacing of elements. Making sure that the customer knows personalization is offered just by looking at the mock-up is key!

Changing strategies to get different results

If you know that you have great products and you are not seeing results, you may need to change your strategy. Analyze things like, your mock-ups, your pricing strategy, and different design products (if that is your niche). Growing your Etsy business does not just happen in time, it happens when you use the right strategies early enough at the right times. You cannot just sit around and be patient, it is a game of hustle. We need to change the strategies to get different results.

An opportunity for shops that are making 10k+ per month

Are you a shop making 10k+ revenue per month? If so, my team and I are looking to help you! If you meet the three requirements below, then please make sure to book a call to talk with us:

1. People who want to build a team. Even if you just want to add a person to your team, you meet this requirement. We want someone willing to blow past that constraint of the business to open up your bandwidth. 

2. People who are already making at least 10k revenue per month. It does not matter if it is on Etsy, Amazon, Shopify, Walmart, or any other platform. 

3. People whose growth is stagnant or has dropped. It is also a huge bonus if you have had a decline in your sales over the last year. If you have had a decline but are still making 10k per month, you are a great fit. 

When you book a free call with us, we will go through your shop, your listings, your stats, and address what happened in the last 18-24 months. We will also alk about what you see your business looking like moving forward to see if you would be a good fit. Additionally, if you are making 20k+ per month we have an inner circle group. If you fall into one of these two categories, book your free call to get started!

Tips for digital shops and products – focus on purpose and utility

When digital products have purpose and utility, they do very well. In our community (join here for only $3.99 a month!) one of the students had over 9,000 sales and just started with us 8 months ago. With digital products, you want to focus on products that have purpose, utility, and sell year-round. 

You also want to make sure that you are doing competitor analysis. If you do not know how to do this on your own, make sure to download the free weekly guide to grow your shop. This guide will help you manage your time on Etsy every week. Digital products can be very profitable and you should be aiming towards your next 3,000-4,000 sales.

The importance of presentation, quantity, and focusing on what’s working

If the presentation of your product is not great, it will not command the pricing that you have – even if it is a great product. Also, keep in mind that if you have “quantity 1” of a product, this is super low potential revenue for Etsy. Whereas if you have 999 units, the potential revenue for them is higher. This will make it so you are more likely to be put higher up in the search results.

If you see that a high quantity of your product is in people’s carts, you need to take advantage of that. If you are not familiar with Alex Hormozi’s “more, better, new” principles, make sure to reach out if you want access to this. This principle focuses on the theory of constraints where you focus on doing more of what is working. If you have a high quantity of a product in people’s carts, then that is what’s working. 

Do you really want to have an Etsy business?

When you start an Etsy shop, it is important to attack it like a business. If we are sitting around with no sales and then six additional weeks go by and still no sales – we have to ask ourselves “What are we doing?” If you want to be in the Etsy game, you need to be in the game. It comes down to asking yourself “Do I want to have a business?” or “Am I comfortable with just putting things on there and if they sell then they sell and if they don’t they don’t?” Those are two totally different approaches to Etsy with completely different results. Your words and your actions must line up. If you say you want to have a successful business, you need to take action on creating one!

Personalization is key

If you are going to create a more basic & minimalist product, you need to make sure that a piece of it is a bit more spicy. For example: if you are selling shirts for dog lovers and your writing is simple such as “Yorkie mom” then you need to make sure the style is less vanilla. Personalization is also key with these products. You cannot do vanilla with stickers or coffee mugs. You need something unique and personalization is key.

Driving up average order value 

If you have a product that is at a super low price point, you need to find ways to drive up the average order value. There are 12 ways that you can increase your average value and we go over this in “The Ultimate Etsy Course”. You want to make sure that this is worth your time and that it is scalable. If you do not focus on average order value and you are in the handmade category, you are not going to have a scalable business. It is going to be really hard to get to the point where you can afford to hire and outsource if your average order value is constantly so low, while also being handmade. 

The importance of marketing & SEO for Etsy shops

If you have a product that is a higher price point, there are certain things you need to do. People are expecting quality and you need to do things to convert them. With a high end product, you need to get in front of the right audience and target the customer that would buy it. Updating your SEO in your title and descriptions is important. For example, if you have a shop that is in the “giftable men’s items” category, you want to make sure that it is presented in a way that is going to convert the women who are buying these items. SEO helps you get your product in front of the right people. 

Are overlays hurting your sales?

When you are using overlays, you want to make sure that they are adding to the perceived value. If your overlays are not improving the perception of your listing, then they are hurting it. Over half of Etsy shoppers are scrolling on mobile and if an overlay is more distracting and they cannot see what the product is, then they will not be interested. Make sure to be conscious about the fonts you use as well. As we talked about before, design elements matter and we want to make sure they go together. Overlays should also not be bigger than the wording of a product. You will end up wasting so much space covering up a product that you are trying to sell. Be conscious of your overlays, do not make them more visually interesting than the product itself.

It’s time to take action and grow your business – think about your goals

The biggest thing I want you to take from this is that it is time to take action. If you want to grow a business, your actions have to line up with your words. Time is going to pass no matter what and you could either be moving your business forward, moving closer towards your goals, or you could be staying stuck. If you say stuck too long, you are going to end up shutting your Etsy business down. 

An important thing to keep in mind is your “why”. Why did you start this business? Was it to stay home with your kids? Retire your husband? To afford the house you have been wanting? Think about your goal and let that drive your action. It is important to stay accountable and if you need accountability, make sure to join our community for only $3.99 a month where you can receive support from my team and I. Remember that if you are not moving forward, you are falling behind. Download our free weekly guide to grow your shop and if you have any questions email us at team@dylanjahraus.com  or connect with us on Instagram. And if you are at 10k+ per month, make sure to book a call with us today!