The First Step: 'E' is not for Easy, or, the psychology of selling on Etsy

It seems pretty easy to be a craftsperson these days. Rather than applying for craft fairs, or trying to get your work into stores or galleries, anyone can just sign up for an account with Etsy and start selling there. You've eliminated the middleman, as well as the need for permission to make your work available to customers! And we've all read the success stories on the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal: so-and-so sets up a shop on Etsy, gets overwhelmed with online orders, quits his or her full-time job to pursue their hobby full-time. It must be pretty easy then, right?

Well, yes and no. The easy part: setting up a shop on Etsy. Not easy: getting the sales.

You see, in order to be successful on Etsy, you have to be "discovered" - by Etsy admin, by hordes of Etsy shoppers, or by bloggers (who normally draw the hordes of Etsy shoppers to your shop). And in order to be "discovered", you have to drive traffic to your shop. You can't just list things and expect people to snatch them up without any work on your part. There are approximately 300,000 sellers on Etsy. It'll be pretty hard for people to find you unless you put the work into marketing yourself.

I'm still trying to figure out a successful online marketing plan, and I haven't really put the work into marketing myself online, so I don't have all the answers. But I do know that it can be discouraging to see things sit in your shop for months on end, to watch other peoples' sales grow while yours stagnate. One of my friends told me that she just wanted to close her Etsy shop and stop making stationery because she was getting so few sales. Recently, I spoke to a stationery store owner whose friend had stopped selling on Etsy because it was just too much trouble to keep listing and relisting without anything coming from it.

I know a thing or two about dealing with these feelings, too.

1. Remember why you started making your art. You didn't do it because you wanted to sell it. You did it because you liked it, it was fun, and you enjoyed the process of creation. Don't stop making cards, or totebags, or soap, or scarves just because it isn't selling on Etsy. You didn't start making them so you could sell them, don't stop making them because you can't sell them.
2. Do not depend on Etsy as your sole customer. You should be pursuing other sources - craft fairs, brick and mortar stores) that can bring in more income for your business. My cards have sold far better at craft fairs and in stores than on Etsy, and the latter especially has provided me with a steadier source of income than Etsy. (I'll discuss how to sell at craft fairs and stores in a later column.) However, I still keep my Etsy shop open to reach the one or two customers every couple of months - although, I will be re-evaluating this approach as well.
3. Instead of making excuses for why you don't have time to make Etsy or your hobby/business a priority, start finding excuses for why you should. I've heard so many people lament their slow sales on Etsy and then add, "well, I don't have time anyway because of my job/kid/school, so of course I don't have a lot of sales on Etsy." However, I think it's commendable that someone would pursue a hobby/business on the side *in spite of* their current commitments. And if you look at it that way, you can and will find the time to grow your business!
4. Lastly, for those who are thinking about setting up a shop on Etsy, don't expect to get a sale, or steady sales immediately. I've been on Etsy for four years and I still don't get steady sales! It's hard, as is everything nowadays. But if you remember all these points, they should keep you going through your darkest days! Good luck!