Etsy Shop Tips: Getting Found in Search
I'm so excited for this series, y'all. Over the next few days, I'll be giving you some of my best insider tips for increasing your views, faves, and sales on Etsy. As most of you might know, I got my start on Etsy over 7 years ago (from my parents' kitchen counter!), and I'm a huge fan of it as a platform to springboard new sellers + aspiring entrepreneurs. Here's the thing though, it's no good if you can't get found in search. And with over 1.5 million sellers currently using the site, I know it can feel totally overwhelming.
Let's get started with my first tip of the week!
USE PHRASES YOUR BUYERS ARE USING.
You're an expert in your craft, so of course you know all the technical, artsy terms that SHOULD be used, but let's be honest.. 95% of the time, you're probably not catering to other artists or creatives. Those aren't necessarily the terms your buyers are searching for, so you'll have to think like someone who ISN'T an expert in your craft.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE: most people understand the term calligraphy, but I rarely see anyone who isn't in the industry specifically request something by using the term handlettered. Even though I refer to my own work as handlettered, a buyer might simply be looking for something that's a little bit different / more personal than a standard font, and since they're more familiar with the concept of calligraphy, that's what they'll type in. The official definition of calligraphy (from Google, because Google is life, duh) is "decorative handwriting or handwritten lettering". That could totally include what I do! Plus, it just gave me extra phrases to use when describing my work! You know when you're trying to think of a word, and you can't, so you start defining it? Like this: "Oh yeah, that writing that's kind of scripty, fancy, and cursive?" That's how you have to think about your products.
Look up synonyms + definitions for words you're currently using to describe your products. Ask a friend or family member what words + phrases they would use to describe your product, or what they would type in a search bar to look for it online. The answers may surprise you, but they're absolute gold when trying to create that all-important title.
When using colors, be aware of what others might use in place of the standard ones, like green or blue. If you're selling something green, maybe it's actually chartreuse, mint, kelly, or olive. If you're selling something blue, try aqua, turquoise, navy, or cerulean. (I was that kid with the massive box of crayons. Can you tell?)
BONUS TIP: This can even include misspellings! For me personally, I find that a great deal of people will misspell station(e)ry as station(a)ry. I'd hate to miss out on the potential buyers who are looking for what I sell, but simply made a common mistake when typing it into the search bar. I won't use it on every listing, but I will throw it in the title of a few (typically towards the end) just in case.
I'll be back with more on Wednesday, February 24th, so be sure to come on back by and check it out! Until then, leave a comment below to let me know what you struggle with as an Etsy shop owner! You may just see it show up in a future post!
xo, Christen
Want more killer tips like these directed specifically toward YOUR ETSY SHOP? I'm now offering personalized shop critiques - and they're currently only $75 until the end of March, 2016. Beginning in April, they'll be going up to $95, so you'll definitely want to get in early! You'll get your very own screen-share video where I go through your shop and make suggestions based on my own 7+ years of experience running two successful shops with over 16,000 combined sales. You'll also get access to a private Facebook group to ask me any follow-up questions you might have and connect with other sellers to get even MORE input. (This is a great place to get those "other words and phrases" from an unbiased group of lovely people who want to see you succeed!)
