Handmade Success

Did the meager sales on Etsy of your handmade business ideas make you rethink your business plan? 

Or did you start your craft business without planning? No matter what you did before, you can still start afresh to improve your business. 

Knowing what you are selling and knowing who you are selling to brings clarity in business. 

Chances are that you might be going wrong in any of the above factors. You can improve on them to better align your products with your targeted customers. 

If you wish to know more about exploring creative handmade businesses. Then, you can read further —–>

7 Remarkable Handmade Business Ideas That You Need to Know

The popular things to make and sell fall under a few major categories. You can consider these categories as WHY and your craft as HOW to fulfill the needs of the market.  The alphabetical list of those categories are:

Broad Categories of Handmade Products List 

1. Art and Memorabilia
2. Baby Collection
3. Beauty and Grooming
4. Celebration and Party
5. Clothing and Shoes
6. Craft Supplies and Tools
7. Gardening and Outdoors
8. Home, Kitchen, and Living
9. Jewelry and Accessories
10. Pets Collection
11. Prints and Stationery
12. Sports 
13. Toys and Games
14. Vintage
15. Wedding Collection
16. Holiday and Seasonal Events 

The above mentioned categories include most of the handmade business ideas. But if you are looking for specific ones which you can start with minimal investments. Then, you should know about —–>

7 Home Business Ideas With Low Startup Costs

1.     Paper Crafts 

Paper is one of the most inexpensive materials to start a craft business. It brings in myriad opportunities to generate art. 

The most popular handmade business to start with paper are as follows: 

• Quilling
• Papier Mache
• Origami
• Lanterns
• Cards
• Recycled Book Art
• Notebooks and Organizers
• Paintings
• Creative Handmade Paper

Also, most of the papercrafts are lightweight. Thus, packaging and shipping paper art is easy and economical.

Most of us know how to play with paper. But it is easy to upgrade skills with experience and the resources available online.

2.     Fiber Art

If you got the knack to deal with a crochet hook or knitting needles. Then, you can start selling crafts made with threads and fiber online.

The tools to create fiber art do not cost much. But you need to have enough finesse to bring beauty to your creations. But the low priced materials do not imply low selling costs for makers. A few Etsy sellers make multiple figures business by selling chunky yarn blankets. Though the best part is that those oversized blankets do not require needles. You can knot them with your bare hands. 

There are various options for fiber art handmade business. A few of the options are:

• Create and Sell Macrame Art
• Embroidered Art Projects
• Crochet Crafts
• Knitting Crafts
• Rugs Making
• Lace Making
• String Art

You can start creating and selling friendship bracelets and hoop earrings anytime.

3.     Small Woodworking Crafts 

Woodworking is one of the most popular hobbies among men worldwide. Though a lot of women also make money woodworking. 

Projects like furniture and musical instruments can get both bulky and complicated. That is why not all wood projects count as business ideas with low investment.  

But there are several ones that you can create for a few dollars but sell for almost 10 times the cost. Most of them involve the use of wood slices. 

You can invest in buying slices in bulk to create several projects.

4.     Recycled Crafts 

This category of crafts involves products made from discarded materials. That makes it obvious that these crafts are low on investment. 

The market exists for recycled crafts from almost every discarded material. Wine barrels, pop tabs, bottles, obsolete gadgets, and even old clothes find use. 

If you are a creative person buzzing with handmade business ideas. Then, you have limitless options to create recycled crafts. Plus, since the cost of raw materials is almost nil. Hence, you will end up with the most successful small business ideas.  

5.     Bath and Body Products

Creating artisan toiletries is one of my favorite handmade business ideas. Handmade soaps, bath bombs, and scrubs are easy to make. A basic bar of soap requires a carrier oil and lye.

But you can create several variations by learning how to balance different oils with lye. 

The beauty of this handmade business is that you can start at home. Then, as your business grows, you can switch to professional premises. But to increase your profit margins, you must stick to a niche. Else your brand will fade away amongst the competition.

6.     Candles

Much like the soaps, candle making is a low investment handmade startup.

There is a huge scope in selling natural hand-poured soy and beeswax candles. Moreover, there are various options to customize with fragrances and swag art.

The tools and equipment are a one-time investment cost. Though the base wax is an ongoing cost. You can reduce the costs by buying the wax, dyes, and wicks in bulk.

7.     Paintings, Sketches, Mandalas

Drawings and paintings are the common universal ways of creating and selling art. There is always a demand for sketches, caricatures, wall art, mandalas, and pop-up art.

Furthermore, customization brings in a lot more revenue if you start getting customers. 

For selling hand-drawn art, colors, time, and skillsets are the most important element. 

The more you engross in your craft, the better will be the results. 

Once you develop yourself as an artist brand. You can jumpstart your creative business that is not expensive on the pocket. 

Conclusion

Today is the best time to put your handmade business ideas to work. There is no dearth of handmade marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon Handmade. Thus, the opportunities for sale and showcasing your work are also many.

If you are clear about what you would like to sell. Then, the next obvious step is to start investing in a craft blog to push sales. Else, you can select a niche and start testing the markets with low investment projects.

The list of 7 projects in this article will help you monetize your creative passion in an informed way.

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Do you own a successful soap making business? Then, do you know what is your soap business profit margin. If not, then, what is it that one thing that makes it a success? 

Does your business bring in enough money to cover your bills? Or it brings way more than that? 

Is it that you get repeat orders from loyal customers? Or your stores run out of products? 

Do you know how much profits you make per bar of soap? Are you happy with the profits or would you want to make more profits in your handmade business? 

If you keep asking these questions. Then, you should read further.

How to Make More Profits in a Soap Business

Calculating the soap business profit margin is an important aspect of understanding profits. That is why you should know —–>

How to Calculate the Soap Business Profit Margin

Profit is the difference between revenue and expense. This difference lets you know how much money you made. But it does not help you know how good that profit is. Meaning it does not tell you if you can sustain your business. 

To determine if your handmade business is on the road to success, you need to know the profit margin. 

Profit margin refers to the amount you make per dollar sales. If you sell more than one product. Then, the profit margin indicates how much you make in your entire sales portfolio. 

Hence, it is important to go beyond profit to know your soap business profit margin. The more the profit margin, the more money you have at your disposal. The profit margin helps you know how successful your business will be in the long run. 

The simple calculation for the same is as follows: 

Profit Margin = Revenue – Costs/ Revenue *100 

In the above formula, you should include all your costs. So, it can have the cost of equipment that is a one-time purchase along with the regular materials cost. 

For example, if your costs for a batch of soaps are as follows: 

1. Carrier oils – 200 $ 

2. Essential oils – 100$ 

3. Packaging, Labelling, and Shipping – 100$ 

4. *Utensils – 500$ 

5. Revenue – 1000$ 

Then, we can calculate the Profit Margin as follows: 

[1000 – (200+100+100+500/100)]/1000*100 = 59.50% 

* Since it is a one-time cost, it is divided by 100. It is an assumption that the utensils will last to make 100 batches of soap.

That means for every 1$ spent, you are earning almost 60 cents. Then, by all means, these numbers show a healthy business.

As a handmade business owner, your soap business profit margin should keep increasing. Therefore, it is essential to know —–>

How to Increase Profits in a Soap Business

  1.     Reduce the Cost of Soap Making Supplies

This one is the universal rule of business to increase the profit margin. But you have to practice it with caution.

Reducing the cost of supplies can hurt the quality of the final product. Therefore, instead of using cheap supplies, you should buy them in bulk. That way you will be able to reduce the cost of raw materials without compromising the quality.

But to execute this you must know your sales figures. It is important to know your current sales figures so that you can —–>

2.     Increase Your Sales Volume

To increase your sales volume, it is important to know what your current average sales are.

If you know your average sales volume per month. Then, you can identify what factors contribute to it. That way you will be able to do more sales by increasing the factors that increase sales.

For instance, during fall, pumpkin spice soaps could see an upsurge.  Or charcoal soaps may form the bulk of sales every month. Both of these sales trends can give valuable data on customer shopping preferences.

If you can pinpoint trends from your sales data. Then, you can use it to boost your sales. 

3.     Improve Your Soap Distribution Business

Shipping and logistics form a significant cost in the business. That is why it is necessary to keep them low to increase the soap business profit margin.

Because we are living in a pandemic era, in-store purchases are an all-time low. Hence, shipping the products via postal services is the new normal.

Hence, to save costs, the soap business should strive for the cheapest shipping rates. A lot of it depends on where you live and where your customer lives as well as the weight/volume of your soaps. For the same, you can use services like Pirate Ship to bring down your shipping expenses. 

4.     Reduce Your Marketing Expenses

Marketing is the necessary evil that no business can do without. Irrespective of the stage that a business is in, it has to invest in marketing. 

Print/TV/billboard ads are beyond beginner handmade business entrepreneurs. But they can promote craft business with digital marketing which is low in expense. Furthermore, digital alternatives deliver marketing goals despite being cheaper than the traditional ones.

5.     Diversify Into Appropriate Extensions

Once you know what ticks with your customers. Then, it is easy to funnel them into similar products that pique their interests.

Meaning if you know that unicorn-themed soaps sell the best. Then, instead of coming up with a new theme of soaps. You can rather introduce other unicorn based bath and body products. So, the options could be bath bombs, scrubs, or lotions with a unicorn theme.

This way you get to dive deeper into your handmade business niche. This in turn increases your chances to make more sales. Thus, more the chances of better profit margins.

How to Make a Good Profit Margin in Soap Manufacturing from the Beginning?

  1.     Start With a Solid Business Plan

If your business cannot talk numbers. Then, trust me you will never be confident about its profitability.

Sales and expenses determine how much money you bring to the table.

One of the best ways to have a sustainable creative business is to come with a handmade business plan.

A plan lets you visualize how to achieve financial goals with your handmade products. Though a business plan may seem daunting for the novice creative entrepreneur. But it is fine to determine and track only the basics in the initial stages. 

Average product price, expenses, and time to break even are some of the crucial figures in the plan.

2.     Understand the Niche That You Are Selling To

Every successful handmade business upscales by staying true to its niche. In simple terms, a niche refers to the branding that you have built for your enterprise.

The branding helps the audience understand what your business is all about. If you can communicate to your audience what you do as a business. Then, the next step of expanding becomes much easier.

If you are doubtful about your handmade business niche. Then, sit back and think who would be your ideal customer. From there you will get answers to most of your questions.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

3.     Build and Serve a Loyal Fan Base

If you have experience in running a business. Then, you would agree with the fact that it is much easier to serve existing clients than to find new ones.

Thus, it is important to stay connected with customers. For the same, newsletters work the best. They are a cost-effective means to update about your new product line and offers.

Moreover, unlike social media, newsletter services are not subjected to algorithm changes. That means there is not a constant learning curve that will keep you away from your business. Rather, with time it will become one of the best marketing channels for your business.

Conclusion

If you intend to start a soap making business. Then, you must grow and nurture it.

Growth requires a sustainable healthy soap business profit margin.

That means an increase in your profit margins should be an ongoing activity.

Selling more soaps and keeping expenses to a minimum ensures good profitability. But apart from that, you should also invest in appropriate marketing channels. That is how all the cumulative efforts bring in holistic gains.

Do you own an artisan soap making business? What do you do to maintain healthy profits?

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If you have been struggling to sell your crafts. Then, I am sure someone must have told you to define your handmade business niche. 

Narrowing your handmade business to a limited variety is niching down.

The most common knowledge is to have a vast number of products in your portfolio. If you are also from the same school of thought that you must read further.

Know Why You Need to Know Your Handmade Business Niche

The 7 reasons below will prompt you to find your niche to focus on.

 1.     To Stand Out from the Competition.

What do you know about Lush cosmetics? Of course, they are a pioneering name in handmade cosmetics. But they are best known for packaging-free handmade cosmetics. That is why their products are popular with zero wasters.

Or what do you associate IKEA with? Ready to assemble furniture, accessories, and appliances for DIY enthusiasts.

It is not that there are no other handmade skincare brands like Lush. Or IKEA is the only go-to place for home decor furniture.

But the fact is that both the brands have established an identity for themselves through a niche. Lush is a zero wastage bath and body niche within the handmade cosmetics category. While IKEA is a build it yourself niche within the category of home decor.

Demarcating your brand from the competition is the biggest reason to niche down.

2.     To Dominate the Search Engine Queries.

I will find it unbelievable if you tell me that you do not sell online. At the time of writing this article, the world has entered the post-pandemic era. Hence, there is no more excuse left to not sell your crafts online.

If you already have an Etsy shop or sell through your website or any e-commerce medium. Then, I am sure you must have heard about the term SEO.

SEO is a fancy term for the art and science of writing content so that it ranks on search engines. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and Google tops online queries.

That is why SEO studies lean towards getting found through Google.

If you sell a lot of unrelated crafts, then the more efforts it takes to sell them all under one roof. That is because good SEO demands being thorough on one topic.

So instead of selling handmade soaps of all kinds. You can niche down to handmade soaps made with goat’s milk. Or your niche could be handmade soaps for people with dry skin.

3.     To Create and Recreate With Consistency.

Ever noticed that when you work on a single task each day. Then, you end up getting better at it.

This is common with any task that you do. That is because the mind gets wired to produce consistent results with repetition.

The same principle applies to the theory of working on a handmade business niche. The more niche you get, the more you get better in creating products in that niche.

4.     To Get Branded for One or a Few Main Products.

If you stick to a niche in your handmade business. Then, you may develop a reputation for that niche.

That way your target audience thinks about you instead of a store that sells all stuff handmade.

Niching down increases the recall value in the minds of the customer.

5.     To Reduce Turnaround Time and Cost to Create Products.

Creating products with consistency also leads to reducing the production time frame.

That means the operational cycle reduces.

Moreover, when you niche down, you end up creating one kind of item. That means you can buy your raw materials in bulk which leads to further savings in costs.

6.     To Understand the Target Audience To Create Appropriate Upsells.

One of the advantages of niching down a handmade business is getting closer to your audience.

When the audience begins to repeat their purchases. Then they tend to share their experiences with you.

Getting to know the issues or challenges of customers is the best way to expand your business. You can then use that feedback to come up with better products or upsell offers.

7.     To Get More Sales.

It is an accepted fact that when you get good at a craft and keep serving your audience, you get more sales.

Sales are the main reason you should stick to your handmade business niche.

It is best to pick up a niche before you start your handmade business. But even if you have come a long way in your craft store. Then, also you can niche down by narrowing your singular focus.

Once you have understood why to have a handmade business niche. Then, comes —–>

How to Find a Profitable Niche

The following 3 methods help in finding what niche can work for you. You should consider all the 3 to pick up one niche.

1.     Understand Your Creative Inclinations

You can never excel in a project if you lack the creative inclination towards it.

So, the best way to find niche crafts to sell is through following your artistic calling.

In most of the cases, you would know what skills you love. Else, you can pick up a hobby and then turn it into a business.

2.     Figure Out Profitable Craft Ideas

Every piece of craft has a buyer if you believe in the beauty of handmade arts. That means you can sell any kind of handmade item from anywhere in this world.

Also, there exists another school of thought to operate a successful handmade business. That one is about jumpstarting profits by selling handmade crafts that sell the most.

You can guess what handmade items would sell the best. Most of us can name keychains, fridge magnets, and purses bought from travels.

But to know what is the most selling product online, you have to research. For the same, you can scrape off data from popular e-commerce sites like Etsy and Amazon Handmade. The sales figures for most sold items give you a path to follow when you are starting fresh.

3.     Look for Trends

Between what you create best and what sells best, there is a factor that influences niches. The seasonal trends affect the entire handmade business. For instance, the color of the year, significant events, memes, and popular culture.

Following and acting upon trends is a smart way to uplift sales in any niche. You can even base your entire handmade business on trends.

A few recent trends that rocked the world are the pandemic, #BLM, and fidget spinners.

List of Niche Markets

You can come up with niche ideas list by taking a cue from the below:

1. Donkey Milk Bath and Body Products
2. Map Artwork
3. Fork Artwork
4. Molecule Jewelry
5. Lego Artwork
6. Reclaimed Wine Barrel Stave Crafts
7. Gifts for Zero Wasters
8. Handmade Skincare for Sensitive Skin
9. Handmade Constellation Inspired Jewelry
10. Tribal Artwork
11. Octopus Themed Crafts
12. Customized Cutting Boards
13. Bar Furniture for Small Places
14. Classic Books Inspired Artwork
15. Handmade Bags Made from Newspaper
16. Beer Bottle Cap Accessories
17. Pop Tab Art
18. Upcycled Dictionary Art
19. Amigurumi Art
20. Urban Planting Handmade Products
21. Cancer Gift Boxes

All the above listed niche products exist. There are actual handmade businesses that are successful in all these niches.

You can pick one amongst these or search one that best fits your preferences. There are several niches that you can select. Do take into account production/logistics costs, competition, and time involved.

After niche selection, next comes —–>

What to Do After Figuring Out Your Handmade Business Niche

Once you know what niche will work the best for you. After that, the next task is to scale up. For that, you should take care of the following activities.

 1.     Work on a Handmade Business Plan

Finding and sticking to your handmade business niche is solving one part of the puzzle. The next challenge is to serve and scale in the selected niche.

You cannot expect to earn a fortune by creating what you think will sell the best.

The foundation of a successful handmade business lies in understanding the consumers.

Understanding consumers requires an in-depth study of the entire ecosystem. That includes knowing your competitors and their pricing as well.

The sooner you figure out how quick you can break-even. The sooner you will be able to rake in profits.

2.     Work on The Blog to Reach More Audience

The traffic on your website is equivalent to people checking out your booth at a craft store. That means you ought to increase your online footfall.

Depending upon how well versed you are with the online world. You can make use of blogging and paid advertisements to bring people to your store.

Blogging is the fundamental basis of traffic building. So, even if you plan to depend on paid marketing, you ought to have a self-hosted blog.

A well-maintained search engine optimized (SEO) blog goes a long way in reaching the user base. This website would be nothing without me posting informative content.

3.     Improve Your Conversions

Optimizing conversions is tough. You need to have some experience in selling crafts online to improve conversion.

When you figure out what platform and what keywords work the best for you. Then, the task of optimizing becomes easier.

The best way to excel in your handmade business niche is to start selling at every platform. Then, from there, you can move to the best ones that bring recurring revenue.

My experience tells me that selling from your blog is the best way to build a successful craft business.

Conclusion

Every creative maker looks for small profitable business ideas to jumpstart their career.

The secret to finding one seems like hitting the jackpot. But if you follow the steps outlined in this article. Then, you will be able to select the niche that fits your creative pursuits and earns you moolah as well.

When armed with a robust business plan, every handmade business niche can flourish. Though, the only mandate is to pick up the niche that works well for you.

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Are you toying ideas on how to start selling crafts online? 

Then, you are on the path to turning your passions into a profitable business. 

Even if you do not intend to create crafts fulltime. Then, to run it as a profitable hobby, you must be selling crafts that make the most money. Else you will end up losing out on money and time. 

Though making the crafts that are in demand is one portion of solving the maze. The other is to build your business on strong fundamentals. There is more to posting all your creations on Etsy and waiting for the sales to happen. 

If you wish to create a successful e-commerce business selling handmade crafts. Then, you can read further to know how. 

Know How to Make Money by Selling Crafts Online Easily

1.     Know Your Niche

This is the most important aspect of selling crafts. If you do not know your niche, you cannot scale up your handmade business. 

That is the key reason I stress about it in my handmade business planner. 

Though no matter how much one lays stress on niching down. It does get difficult to define your niche. I get that because I still struggle with it. 

That is why in my business plan worksheet, the first activity is about defining the business. 

Till you do not get crystal clear on who you serve. There will not be much you can do about setting up a craft business. 

A simple exercise that helps to niche down is – to think about one specific person you can serve for a lifetime. 

2.     Invest in Branding

Nobody buys a me-too product. If the packaging, labeling, and the perception of your product do not signify an emotion. Then, chances are that it will not sell much. That is the reason successful handmade brands narrate a story.

If you have identified a niche for your business. Then, branding becomes much easier.

That means if you identify yourself as a natural hair care brand. Then, you should use all nature-based ingredients in your products. Plus, your packaging and labeling should create minimal wastage. Hence, all aspects of your business must align with each other.

3.     Learn SEO

The year is 2020 and you cannot ignore Search Engine Optimization. 

If you happen to find a drop in your Etsy sales. Then, chances are that you have not updated your tags and descriptions. Or in a worst-case scenario, you never used the right keywords in your Etsy listings. 

Taming the search algorithms to include your products in the search results is an art. The topic is wide and requires an in-depth study. But at the same time, it is simple and logical to understand. You can refer to my previous articles on SEO if you are new to the subject. 

If you are keen to know how to start selling crafts online, then understanding SEO is a must.  

4.     Click Beautiful Pictures and Helpful Videos

This one is a no brainer. But still, makers commit this grave mistake of not putting enough pictures. Or at times putting pictures that do not give a clear visual representation of the products. 

It is mandatory to put up high-quality images of the product to give a virtual tour of your shop. 

Even if you are selling crafts as a hobby, make sure you provide images of your products from all angles. This will lead to engagement in your shop. Thus, that increases the probability of a sale. 

You can enroll in a beginner’s course on product photography to take better pictures. From there you can advance to videos that document your creation and usage.

5.     Drive Traffic to Your Store

A simple equation of online sales is —-> the more the traffic, the more the likelihood of sales.

This concept is relevant in the offline brick and mortar store and craft shows as well. But in particular, for the e-commerce stores, the traffic is the backbone of the business. That is because, in the online world, the majority of the audience does not drift to a new store. Rather, they arrive at a store through an algorithm. The algorithm could be of a search engine or social media.  

That means unlike the real world, the chances of an audience discovering a new shop are rare. So, it is of utmost importance to develop a solid traffic building strategy for your store. Irrespective of whether you sell at marketplaces like Etsy or in your store, traffic is a must.

Traffic building strategies require a blog post on their own. But if you build and maintain your self hosted craft blog. Then, the entire process of scaling traffic to a handmade business becomes doable.

6.     Increase Your Inventory

Do you recall a moment when you bought the only product a shop was selling?

I don’t. I cannot even think of a shop that only sold 1 thing. Nobody in business does that. 

The same rule applies to create handmade crafts for sale.  You have to put a substantial amount of crafts up for sale. Not only the size of your inventory provides options for the customers. But the more the items, the more the chances of scaling up your SEO efforts.

There is no magic number to the number of products you should have in your online craft store. But as a rule of thumb, you should start with a minimum of 10. With time you should scale it up. 

Most of the top sellers on Etsy have more than 200 items in their shop.

7.     Retain Customers With CRM

Some rules of the offline business apply to online ones as well. One of them is retaining customers to increase brand loyalty. 

It is much easier to get your second sale from a happy customer than it is to look for several new customers. That means one should develop strong ties with first-time customers. 

To make those ties meaningful, you should know how to make your customers feel special. A well functioning Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System helps with that.

You can store their shopping preferences in a CRM to help create special products for them.

List of Stores for Selling Crafts Online

There are several options to sell crafts online. Some of them let you sell crafts online for free up to certain limits. Though some require upfront money to start. 

Irrespective of their charges, all of them are worth giving a try. I have used most of them and then settled down with Gumroad and Thrivecart. 

Below is a list of some of the popular stores to sell crafts online. Though the list can get bigger depending upon your experiences. 

1. Etsy
2. Amazon Handmade
3. Folksy
4. BigCartel
5. Ecwid
6. GumRoad
7. WooCommerce
8. Samcart
9. ThriveCart
10. Shopify
11. Paypal

Conclusion

Most of the companies are struggling to cope up with the hiccups caused due to the global pandemic.  The situation raises workspace insecurities and the further prospects seem doomed. 

Thus, this is the best time to start selling crafts from home. You can start testing your creations through family and friends. From there free craft fair events and the ones with nominal charges can be the next step.   

Once you are confident of your craft. Then, the obvious step is to sell crafts online to serve a global audience. 

If you have never sold online before. Or you have never gone beyond a few sales on Etsy. Then, this is the article you need to read to figure out how to start selling crafts online.

The article lays out the core essentials that you need to make your handmade business a success.

If there is some step left out that you think is beneficial. Then, do let us know in the comments. 

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Whether you are new to Etsy or a seasoned seller, you must be wondering why are your Etsy sales down.

Before getting into the reasons and probable solutions to the problem. Let us take cognizance of the fact that the phenomenon is common. Though there must be some exceptions. But most of the conversations about selling on Etsy forum report drop in earnings.

Much like handmade products, each Etsy shop is unique. That means the reasons for a shop not doing well could be unique too.

But if someone were to collect the generic reasons for the shops to not do well. Then, the 2 broad reasons could be:

• Changes within Etsy
• A seller not changing/updating a shop as per changing trends

If as a handmade seller, you wish to know more about the reasons and solutions for lack of sales. Then, please read further.

Know Why Are Your Etsy Sales Down

Understanding Why Are Your Etsy Sales Down

Sales as a formula functions on 2 factors –

• Traffic
• Conversion

The more the traffic and conversion rates, the more the sales. That means when you see your earnings drop. Then, either or both of the above factors dropped.

So, the solution lies in lifting both of them.

Also, as mentioned before, both Etsy and the individual shops affect these 2 factors.

So, let us concentrate on each of them one by one.

Understanding What Is Going on With Etsy?

If you make use of the Etsy’s platform to sell, then for obvious reasons, you got to abide by their rules.

That means you got to adapt to the changes within the Etsy platform.

Since its start in the year 2005, the niche e-commerce store has undergone several changes.

Though the breakthrough ones came about since the company went public in 2015.

The two such major changes that cost sellers their sales were:

• making sellers share the costs of the company’s advertising expenses
• making sellers offer free shipping

Apart from other reasons, the above 2 cause a great impact on sales.

As mentioned before, not complying with the above could affect Etsy sales. An Etsy shop owner cannot control the platform’s decision. But the seller can adjust their shop to maximize their sales. That is why it makes sense to —–>

Understanding What Is Wrong With Your Etsy Shop?

Irrespective of what changes Etsy comes up with. Every seller has a responsibility to bring sales to their shop.

The broad level changes made my Etsy do affect the sales of individual shops. But no shop should compromise on the basic parameters to bring in sales.

The mandatory basics that every Etsy should have are:

1.     A Branded Store

New visitors do not have more than a few seconds to decide whether they want to stick to your store or bounce off.

So, make sure that you capture their attention within a heartbeat.

Store’s name, cover image, profile logo, and listings should all shout your brand.

So, have a keen look at your store to know if it will excite your target audience.

2.     Listings Complying With SEO Standards

As an artist, if SEO is a new term for you. Then, consider yourself fortunate that you never had your Etsy sales down.

But if your struggle to get sales on Etsy has been far and long. Then, I am sure you know about Search Engine Optimization.

In simple terms, SEO is the art and science of bringing web pages on top of search engine results.

Though SEO as a term is universal for all sorts of platforms. But its workings differ for various platforms like Google, Etsy, Facebook, and Pinterest.

So, if you cannot find your store/ listings popping up when you search for your listed products. Then, go back and optimize your store as per Etsy SEO.

3.     A Consistent Source of Traffic

As sales come from the traffic that converts. It means that there should always be a steady flow of new traffic so that the conversions happen.

A branded search engine optimized Etsy shop is a subset of the Etsy platform. So, a change in the Etsy will affect the number of eyeballs that an Etsy shop receives.

That is why every Etsy shop must have an external source of traffic. Since that traffic source is not from Etsy, so it performs despite the changes at Etsy.

External traffic source ensures that an active shop does not lose sales no matter what.

So, what traffic hose do you turn on when your Etsy products do not sell?

How to Make Sales on Etsy?

1.     Get More Visitors

a) Pinterest

Pinterest is the surprise game-changer in the current times of blogging. Despite having a personality of social media, it works as a search engine.

Although its search results come up as media, in essence, it works on keywords. That is a saving grace as the search intent keywords are similar across search engines.

If you understand Google’s SEO. Then, getting to understand the algorithm of Pinterest becomes easier.

As a novice, you can pin relevant images with the keywords that describe your products.

b) Blog

Blogging to uplift declining sales at Etsy requires a professional approach. You need a self-hosted craft blog to tackle that.

The more you fill up your blog content with the appropriate keywords. The more are the chances that someone will land on your Etsy via your blog.

For instance, this blog is the main source of traffic for my business.

c) Instagram

Instagram is a boon for artists and creative makers. It displays images and videos much like a gallery.

Though it isn’t much link oriented. But creatives should know how to navigate Instagram to their advantage.

But associating with relevant hashtags and being consistent pays.

d) Facebook

Facebook is a big giant to control. No matter how much I learn about it, it again changes its algorithm.

This platform requires an in-depth study. But once you get it right, it pays over and above what you invest in it.

There are more don’ts than dos with Facebook.

That is why as a rule of thumb, do not post direct links to Youtube videos or links from external sources.

Instead, share what is already on Facebook related to your category. Then, wait till you have accumulated a substantial number of audiences. Then, move on to sharing content related to your business.

e) Quora

I love Quora. I got back to blogging because of this platform. Though those days you could get do-follow links from this UGC platform which is not the case today.

But still, it is brilliant to develop your authority on a subject. My first sale of a handmade business plan also came through Quora.

So, I can vouch for this platform to bring quality traffic.

2.     Create More Listings

A lot of Etsy sellers who do not get sales must start listing more products. It is one easy way to bring more traffic (not sales) to your site.

More traffic will increase the probability of sales.

Much like the offline store, lack of inventory is a sure sign to lose the interest of visitors. So, fill up your store with more variants to offer more choices. That will increase the dwell time on your store.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

3.     Make Your Listings Attractive

The world that we live in still judges everything based on looks. That is why your product pictures must stand out.

Etsy provides a lot of image variations. Use all of them to give a pleasurable virtual tour to your audience.

You can hire a professional photographer or you can study the photography basics and get on to the job.

4.     Start Doing SEO

This is by far the most precious advice on getting more sales irrespective of whatever you sell at Etsy.

The search engine works on keywords. That means whosoever lands on your shop from google is a hot lead waiting to make a decision.

This blog of mine would not function without the right kind of keywords. Likewise, without SEO, you lose out on a major chunk of sales.

It is unfortunate that most of the Etsy sellers that I talk to complain of SEO being some techno jumbo. But the happy news is that it is easy and simple to learn.

As an artist, if you understand your customers well, then you can start with SEO in the next minute.

The tags and descriptions on Etsy listings work on SEO principles. Thus, you cannot ignore them at your peril.

5.     Start Focusing On Alternative E-commerce Platform

This advice sounds counterintuitive to the entire post. The more you limit to a single platform, the more vulnerable your business becomes.

In simple terms, you should refrain from keeping all your eggs in a single basket. Retailing at more than one platform ensures that you have multiple revenue streams.

Apart from Etsy, Amazon handmade is a wonderful alternative. Though you can always start selling from your blog.

Conclusion

Etsy is a sales platform for handmade crafts. A lot of individuals use the platform as a side hustle or to fuel their small business.

So, a drop in sales has a huge impact on the bottom line.

If you or an Etsy seller you know is struggling to make the platform work for them. Then, you can share this article with them. It would be as good as giving an Etsy seller a thoughtful present.

If you have some tips and hacks on working with Etsy. Then, would you mind sharing them?

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Are you worrying because your Etsy shop closed? Did you know what was the reason for its termination? Were you selling products related to Disney? Or did you use an image that you found on Google? 

If you have never mulled over the questions above. Then, count yourself as a fortunate one. Because in the recent past, a lot of makers had to part with their online handmade business. Most of the Etsy beginners commit mistakes as a rookie. Thus, they need to know what not to do as per Etsy’s regulations. This will help them optimize their shops so that they do not jeopardize their income source. 

Know Why Etsy Shop Closed? 

There could be many reasons because of which Etsy could shut down your shop. In their Seller Handbook, they get into the details of those reasons.  

I could summarize them as follows: 

1. Non-compliant GDPR
2. Legal/ Copyright issues due to external help. (Includes photographers, creative writers, designer, store helper)
3. Violating mature content policy through profanity/ nudity.
4. Intellectual Property Infringement.
5. Violating the European Union’s New Online Selling Regulations.
6. Not adhering to Distance Selling Regulations for EU and UK customers. 

But please note that the Seller Handbook keeps evolving. That means the reasons that could kick you out of the Etsy platform can also change. The above list is as per the time I wrote the article. You can come back to this article for updates. 

How Do I Close My Etsy Shop? 

Not all Etsy businesses get closed by Etsy. As an Etsy seller, you can also close Etsy shop by going to the Shop Manager. 

Once your Seller account closes, you can only use Etsy as a buyer. 

In case you are wondering how to close Etsy shop after several unsuccessful attempts. Then, that means you got some unresolved cases and unpaid Etsy fees. Once you resolve both, you will find the option to close the shop. 

Can You Reopen a Closed Etsy Shop? 

Either you as a Seller or the Etsy can close your shop. But in case you wish to reopen a closed Etsy shop. Then, different rules apply as per who closed the shop. 

If you closed your Etsy shop. Then, you can reopen it by going to Account Settings through a desktop browser. As of now reopening a closed Etsy shop is not possible through a mobile browser or the Etsy app. 

But if your Etsy shop suspended or got closed by Etsy itself, then the situation is tricky. 

Etsy mails such shop owners stating the issues for closure/ suspension. You can send a direct response to that mail letting them know that you resolved those issues. 

In case, you cannot get to your shop even after resolving those issues. Then, you should contact their Support. 

Etsy Shop Closed: How to Make Sales Now?

An Etsy shop can close for a lot of reasons. But the reason to reopen it is to get sales.

Etsy is a significant tool for artists to make money. Hence, it is in the interest of creative makers to have their Etsy shop up and running.

But in case Etsy does not reopen your shop. Then, instead of mulling over your loss. It is better to not incur losses of the opportunity cost of alternative options.

Some of the options you can try are:

• Open a Second Etsy Shop 

Yes, that is an option. If you had a busy Etsy business before your shop got closed. Then, you can open a second Etsy shop to replicate the same numbers as your previous one. 

But do not use the same email address as that of the previous shop. In an ideal scenario, you should even try not to use the same IP address as your previous shop. 

• Sell on Amazon Handmade 

Amazon came up with a store for Handmade items in the year 2015. Since then it is gaining popularity among the creative makers. 

Simple listing fees and the Amazon brand name benefit a handmade seller. Opening a handmade store on Amazon should be on your radar irrespective of your success on Etsy. 

• Sell Digital Printables/Downloads 

Digital art, calculators, worksheets, and planners are a boon to handmade sellers. They do not require much work after being created. Plus, they do not accrue packaging headaches. 

Creating your first digital product does require a lot of mental stress. But once you get a hang of it. You will find yourself on a creation spree. 

My digital products keep the bucks rolling amidst lockdown and other unforeseen calamities. 

• Sell Through Your Own Store 

Setting up, marketing and scaling your online store is for the experienced ones. But an independent store must be in the long term game plan of a handmade artist. 

You can control and navigate your store the way you wish to. Thus, you can relax your fears about your shop vanishing all of a sudden. Though you must adhere to the general principles of not infringing copyright laws. 

• Open Your Own Brick-and-mortar Store 

Most of the handmade artists dream of opening their boutique. The brick-and-mortar store would showcase their unique handcrafted products.  

The customers could see, touch and appreciate the crafts in person. But such luxury comes with a cost.  

Real estate rent, employees, and the upkeep of a physical store can eat up your profits. Before opening a physical store, please make appropriate adjustments to your business plan. 

You can select one or more of the options above as per your skills and preferences. In addition, you can start a blog to market your store. The blog will jumpstart your marketing efforts. That way you will increase the probability of making sales. A blog serves as a single marketing channel for all the shop options above. 

Conclusion 

Etsy is the most popular marketplace for creative handmade makers. The platform has a huge flux of buyers and sellers. That means Etsy is essential for selling handmade products. 

But in case your Etsy shop closed for some unfortunate reason. Then, do not fret. Though Etsy is important, it is not the only means to thrive as an independent artist. 

This article lists the viable alternative options that you can consider. After reading this article, you should head to the Etsy Seller Handbook. The handbook is the principal resource to know the rules and regulations of Etsy. Complying with the Seller handbook prevents the occurrence of Etsy shutting down shops. 

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