How To Make Your First Sale On Etsy

So you've just opened your store on Etsy, hoping to become a successful seller, or at least make a bit of pocket change from your favorite hobby (whether that be making handcraft items, or collecting and selling vintage items and supplies).

I have already written a more in-depth article on how to get views and more sales on Etsy. If you're interested in learning more tips on how to get sales on Etsy, please click here to read my more in-depth article. 

But for now, I just wanted to give new sellers a quick "check-list" of things to go over so that their shop can get off the ground and running! 

• Tip #1 - You MUST have clear and well lit photos. I have seen many sellers who complain about the lack of sales in the forums, but when you view their store, their photos have been taken on a hair-ridden carpet, or are very dimly lit. You do not need an expensive camera; a cheap camera can do wonders as long as you take your photos either in a light box, or in the natural sunlight (indirect natural sunlight is the best).
  
• Tip #2 - Try to get your store to at least 50-100 items. This may seem like a daunting task for those whose items take a long time to make (such as quilters, needle-pointers, crocheters and those who metal-smith), but it is well worth the hard work. The more items you have, the more "doors" that customers have to find your store and your other items.
  
• Tip #3 - Please read up on SEO! Without proper SEO, it will be next to impossible to be found among the millions of other Etsy items. When I started, I knew nothing about SEO. Frankly, I'm still learning about it myself. I recommend looking up CindyLouWho SEO team on Etsy. There is a link to this team in the first article I wrote, which is referenced above. For an easy tip, make sure that your title and your tags MATCH, this is very important! Your title should be small phrases of words that your target customer would use to find your item, and your tags should match these phrases in your title.
  
• Tip #4 - You need to fill out your "Policies" page, and go into detail about your shipping times and return guidelines. Your tone should be firm, yet friendly when regarding your store policies. Remember, you don't want to scare your customers away!

I hope that these tips help! If there are any other Etsians out there, please comment below and leave your thoughts and ideas. Etsy can be overwhelming for those who are new, but you CAN do it! ^_^