How To Get Your First Sale On Etsy (5 Proven Tips)
How do I get my first sale on Etsy? When will I get my first sale? I remember having these thoughts often when I first launched my Etsy shop.
And I think it’s safe to assume that if you’re reading this post, you’ve been wondering the same thing.
After all, it seems like how to get your first sale on Etsy can seem like a difficult task if you haven’t been seeing much progress with your shop or may be feeling overwhelmed by not know where to start.
But I just want you to know that it is so possible and doable to get that first sale on Etsy.
A little over a month into my brand-new Etsy shop, I made my first Etsy sale! And to my surprise, I made 9 other sales that same week. So if I can do it, you definitely can as well!
In this post, I’ll be sharing with you my best 5 top tips that helped me get my first sale and how you can get your first sale on Etsy, too!!
Want to start your own Etsy shop today?
Table of Contents
- Make your first sale on Etsy with these 5 success tips
- Why should you open an Etsy store?
- How long does it take to make your first Etsy sale?
- 5 Best Tips to Make Your First Etsy Sale
- Final thoughts on how to get your first sale on Etsy
Why should you open an Etsy store?
Probably the most obvious answer is that you get to make some extra moolah from opening an Etsy store! And who doesn’t love some side income?!
Opening an Etsy store does require some time and effort to launch and market your store, but I can 100% say that it’s worth it.
The ROI (aka return on investment) from spending time creating items and products to sell on your store to making sales later on seriously pays off.
You’re basically making passive income in your sleep. While you’re dreaming about tacos and your favorite tv show, someone just bought something from your shop.
So if you’re on the edge of creating an Etsy store, I’m here to tell you that you won’t regret it. If anything, the worst case scenario is you don’t start your shop and nothing happens.
Literally nothing will happen, so why not make something happen!
How long does it take to make your first Etsy sale?
This is probably the question that you’re dying to know, right?
Cause seriously, it’s that first sale that starts getting the ball rollin’ for your Etsy shop!
So to honestly answer this question.. I’d say sellers can make their first sale within their first week or 2-3 months later. It varies because it takes time for the algorithm on Etsy to understand what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to.
It took me almost 1.5 months to make my first sale, and by that time, I had already 11 listings in my Etsy store. But after that first sale, I made 9 more sales in that one week.
So hopefully that gives you hope that even though getting that first sale might be the hardest, the next sales will be a lot easier to get!
With that said, I’ll be sharing my best tips on how to get your first Etsy sale, and it’s actually a lot easier than you think. 🙂
5 Best Tips to Make Your First Etsy Sale
Tip 1: Make your Etsy shop look professional
As you set up your Etsy shop, you want to make sure that buyers who come across your page know that you’re a credible business.
These are the three most important things they will pay attention to:
- Shop Policy
- ‘About’ Section
- Logo and Branding
Shop Policy
- Your Etsy shop policies make sure that buyers and sellers know what they’re buying into and what to expect. Your policy will include your refund and exchange policy, whether or not your product is a digital or physical product, and if you allow for replacements.
- To create an effective, clear-cut Etsy policy page, I recommend checking out this article from Etsy itself.
‘About’ Section
- Your Etsy shop’s about section is where your buyers learn more about who you are and the purpose of your shop. Ultimately, you want to build trust with your buyers, so your ‘about’ section is one of the most important sections to fill out.
Logo and Branding
- Your logo and branding can help boost your credibility as a new business. Usually, buyers look at your logo and shop cover because visuals are a powerful marketing tool.
- You can find free logos and branding on Canva or design your own on the website, too.
- Don’t spend too much time trying to figure out what your brand should look like. Just pick or design a simple one, and later down the road, you can change it.
Tip 2: Invite your friends and family to support your store
I don’t think people realize the power of inviting your friends and family to support your store, haha (at least I didn’t).
But this is probably the easiest way for you to make that first sale. You could ask your sibling, parents, a close friend, or even promote on your social media to invite people to your shop.
Maybe this seems phony or uncomfortable for you to do, but buyers look at your reviews and number of sales to determine whether or not to buy from you.
So even if you just have one sale and one review from a family member, that buyer is more likely to buy from your shop compared to if you had no reviews.
Plus, your loved ones are more likely to write a review for you if you ask politely. There is no shame in asking people to support you because you’d be surprised as to how much they want to help!
Tip 3: List New Etsy Listings 4-5x a week
When you’re starting your new shop, you really want to make sure that you’re creating a listing almost every single day. Yes, I said almost every single day!
If you post a listing consistently, Etsy’s algorithm will pick up on that and you’ll gain more traction a lot faster.
Remember: the more products you have on your store, the more Etsy will rank you higher on their search engine.
I created 10 listings for 10 days straight starting off, and I think that’s what really helped me gain more exposure for my shop. So I challenge you to create 4-5 new listings each week to start off!
Tip 4: Utilize your titles, tags, and description
So if you really want to boost your ranking on Etsy’s search pages, you need to focus on your product’s titles, tags, and descriptions.
How Etsy’s SEO (search engine optimization) works is you have to understand which keywords your audience is looking for.
For example, if you listed a ‘self-care checklist’ digital product. I’d recommend looking up 2-3 other sellers who are selling a similar product like yours.
For titles, look at what titles they are using and try to mix-and-match and put those keywords into your product’s title. Some of these keywords could be self-care checklist, self-care printable, or routine checklist.
For tags, there’s a limit of characters you can type. I’d suggest using your title keywords as your tags and then use related keywords to your product.
For descriptions, make sure that you’re using 3-5 main keywords (ex: self-care checklist) and related keywords (ex: self-care routine) in your description. Make your product’s description sound natural. Don’t make it obvious that you’re trying to fit all your keywords into a paragraph, lol.
Tip 5: Don’t give up and keep experimenting!
Starting an Etsy shop isn’t easy, and like I’ve said, everyone’s first sale may vary. Don’t spend too much time getting stuck on figuring out your niche, designing a logo, or making a perfect description.
Action is what drives success, so keep pushing forward. Don’t expect perfect, but progress. You’ll make your first sale with consistency, patience, and effort.
If you apply these tips (especially tip #2), I guarantee you’ll make your first Etsy sale in no time. Keep experimenting and check out other Etsy sellers’ pages to see what’s selling well for them, and maybe try to re-create that product with your own twist!
Final thoughts on how to get your first sale on Etsy
So there you have it – my five top tips on how you can get your first sale on Etsy.
If I can do it, you certainly can, too.
I literally had no clue what I was doing starting off, lol, but that’s why I know that it’s certain do-able to launch and grow your business even if you’re a beginner!
If you found this post helpful, please share this post with a friend who might also be interested in starting an Etsy shop. Also, save this pin below to refer back to if you need it!
Let me know if you have any further questions in the comments below! 🙂
Want to start your own Etsy shop today?
Related Articles
Etsy’s Most-Wanted: 10 Best-Selling Products To Make Huge Sales
Your Essential Guide To Selling Digital Downloads On Etsy (2023)
