So, how long does it take to sell on Etsy? How long does it take to be successful on Etsy?
Maybe you just started a new Etsy shop and added a few listings of your amazing handmade products that you know people will love.
But right now you’re sitting in front of your laptop, anxiously waiting for your first sale and thinking, how long to get sales on Etsy?! O_O
While some new Etsy shops might make their first sale anywhere from 1 week to 1 month, it really depends on different factors. Some may even take between 2 months to 6 months.
The great news is if you stay focused and committed, you can make a steady income from your Etsy shop.
In this guide, I’ll share the best tips on how first-time sellers like you can speed up that first sale so you don’t have to wonder how long does it take for an Etsy shop to take off anymore!
How Long Does It Take To Sell On Etsy:
1. Use High-Quality Product Photos
2. Add Videos To Your Etsy Listings
3. Optimize Your Listings With Etsy SEO
4. Create Your Own Unique Brand
5. Set Up Your Etsy Shop Completely
6. Build Trust And Credibility By Getting Honest Reviews
7. Market Your Etsy Shop On Social Media
8. Run A Launch Sale
9. Promote And Advertise Your Listings
10. Familiarize Yourself With Etsy Policies
11. Increase Your Number Of Product Listings
12. Match Your Product Listings With Search Intent
13. Offer A Great Customer Experience
14. Leverage On Seasonal Trends
15. Price Your Products Right
16. Invest Your Time In Learning About Etsy
17. Treat Your Etsy Shop Like A Real Business
Affiliate Link Disclosure
Some of the links on here are affiliate links, and I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. I hope you find the information here useful! Thank you so much.
If you are super busy and you want to start making money selling digital products on Etsy asap, you can check out this and this Etsy course, that will step up your Etsy game and start earning within 3 months!
Alternatively, you can also check out this free Etsy Ebook that will share a list of best-selling products by month and teach you how to capitalize on seasonal trends to make sales.
How Long Does It Take To Sell On Etsy?
If you’re worried about how long does it take to get sales on Etsy, some new Etsy shops might make their first sale anywhere from 1 week to 1 month but some may even take between 2 months to 6 months.
How long it takes to sell on Etsy really depends on many different factors like the niche you’re in, how optimized your listings are, and how much time you’re willing to invest in it!
So don’t be discouraged if it takes you even longer than that to grow on Etsy 🙂
How To Make Your First Sale On Etsy?
To speed up the process of getting your first sale, I’ve compiled 17 Etsy shop best practices on how to do it:
1. Use High-Quality Product Photos
The first thing that customers look at is your product photos, so you need to make a good impression!
This means using high-quality product photos, allowing your customers to see the details of your products clearly, and showing how expertly made or sourced it is.
You can achieve this even if you don’t have a fancy camera, use your phone camera instead.
Shoot the photos in a well-lit environment, frame your shots well using the rule of thirds, and include models to bring your products to life.
2. Add Videos To Your Etsy Listings
Since customers can’t try your products when shopping on Etsy, you can add video to Etsy listing to help them understand how to use your products.
Videos increase your credibility as a new Etsy seller and will help build trust with your customers. This will lead to securing your first sale sooner! The ideal Etsy listing video length is between 5 to 15 seconds.
Once you create a short video, go to your edit listing page and scroll down below the photos section to add your video.
3. Optimize Your Listings With Etsy SEO
Etsy is essentially a marketplace that connects customers and sellers through its search engine.
To have a higher chance of meeting potential customers on the results page, one of the most important Etsy seller tips is that you need to optimize your listings with Etsy Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices.
For example, use specific keywords in your Etsy listing that will help you rank higher in search results compared to broad generic keywords.
How do you know which keywords will rank better?
Take the guessing game out of the equation and use proven Etsy SEO tools like Keysearch and Sale Samurai to do a deep dive!
NOTE-
For Sale Samurai: As my reader, you get a discount coupon that has to be used in the sign up page. The code is outandbeyond (all in lowercase). This will give you 20% OFF for life.
For Keysearch: It is 17$ per month but if you use my discount code and referral link, (OUTANDBEYOND), you get 30% off!
If you’re interested in learning more about SEO, check out my SEO course. Based on my own experience, I created this comprehensive course with detailed strategies on steps you can implement to get thousands of traffic!
4. Create Your Own Unique Brand
A brand is more than just your logo and tagline, it’s the essence of your craft and your story.
Think about companies and celebrities like Apple, Nike, Beyonce, and Oprah – they all have strong brands. Each of them evokes a different sense of feeling when you think of them.
When creating your brand, some questions to consider are:
- Why do you make or sell your products?
- What makes your product unique?
- How would you or want other people to describe your products?
If you’re thinking of how to get consistent sales on Etsy, creating a strong brand will help set you apart from your competitors and build a loyal customer base so that you won’t have to wonder how long does it take to get noticed on Etsy.
Make sure to be consistent and communicate your brand in your packaging!
5. Set Up Your Etsy Shop Completely
Did you know that having a complete About section and adding a shop policy can improve your search ranking on Etsy?
So take the time to set up your Etsy shop completely!
Write your bio in the About section, add your shop policies, upload a shop banner and update your latest shop announcement.
This positively affects your search ranking, making it easier for potential customers to find your shop, easing your worries of how long does it take to make a sale on Etsy.
Once potential customers land in your shop, they have the information they need to trust you and feel confident buying your products.
6. Build Trust And Credibility By Getting Honest Reviews
In the world of online shopping, positive reviews will improve your shop’s credibility and build trust with your potential customers.
But if you’re a new Etsy seller and no one has bought your products yet, how to get orders on Etsy and positive reviews afterward? How long does it take to get consistent sales on Etsy?
Consider asking family members or friends for a favor and invest in your store by purchasing an item and leaving an honest review. It doesn’t need to be a glowing review, just an honest one!
Once you have a few reviews on your shop, it makes it easier to secure consistent sales from new customers.
For new customers, politely ask if they can leave you a good review if they had a good experience buying from you. This will prove to other potential customers that you are a trustworthy Etsy shop.
7. Market Your Etsy Shop On Social Media
You might be wondering after opening your Etsy shop, how long does it take to start making money on Etsy? How many views on Etsy before a sale is secured?
100 views on average! It will differ from shop to shop, but on average it takes 100 views to secure 1 sale.
Bring your own traffic to your Etsy shop by marketing it on all your social media pages.
Higher traffic to your shop and higher views of your listings means higher chances of a potential customer buying your products also increase.
Choose your most impressive products and share them on social media. You can also consider buying ads on Facebook or Twitter since it’s easy to set up and can be tailored to your budget.
8. Run A Launch Sale
If you’ve been promoting the launch of your Etsy shop on social media, running a sale during the launch is a great incentive for customers to buy from you!
It doesn’t need to be a large sale, a simple discount will be enough to get warm leads from your audience so that you don’t have to worry about how long does it take to make sales on Etsy.
You can start posting teasers before the sale to build excitement or you can run a short flash sale that lasts for 24 or 48 hours, which will motivate people to buy before time runs out.
9. Promote And Advertise Your Listings
I hear you, selling stuff on Etsy can be a challenge, especially in the beginning! The only question on your mind may be how long does it take to get a sale on Etsy?
Consider advertising your listings on Etsy. For a new shop like yours, it may be worth it to promote to improve your brand awareness, gain visibility, and get positive reviews on Etsy.
If you’re wondering how Etsy ads work, I wrote another comprehensive guide about advertising on Etsy and more tips on increasing your sales!
10. Familiarize Yourself With Etsy Policies
As a new Etsy seller, it’s important that you familiarize yourself with the latest Etsy policies.
It includes information like how long does it take to get paid on Etsy, how much Etsy charges per listing, and how Etsy’s Purchase Protection Program for Sellers can help resolve any disputes.
It exists so that you know about your rights and what the expectation is of you as a seller in Etsy’s marketplace. This is to make sure that you and your customers have an overall positive experience.
11. Increase Your Number Of Product Listings
There is no magic number of product listings that will suddenly make your sales skyrocket.
But the more product listings you have on your shop, the more chances of a customer buying one of your products!
Once you continue to increase the number of your product listings and establish your shop, you’ll see a trend of more successful listings.
Identify them and create similar listings to double down on what works.
12. Match Your Product Listings With Search Intent
Matching your Etsy listings with your potential customer’s search intent can be the difference between making no sales or making a lot of sales.
Customer intent is the motivation of their buying process.
Knowing your customer intent will help you make better decisions about what keywords to use and how to structure your product listings.
Once you understand why people are looking for your products, place the most important keywords about your product in the first few words of your product title and description.
13. Offer A Great Customer Experience
When you make your first sale, you might wonder what to do when you get your first Etsy order that will help you keep making more consistent sales afterward.
The best way to sell on Etsy is to offer your customers a GREAT experience! Do it well and do it right from the get-go.
Respond to messages quickly, ship on time, update customers on the tracking process and be clear on your store policy for returns and exchanges.
You can also add thoughtful touches like a personalized handwritten note with a special comeback offer.
Etsy rewards shops that offer excellent customer experience by awarding them a Star Seller badge.
This is an achievement worth aiming for because it instantly builds trust with your potential customers and shows that you go above and beyond to cater to them.
14. Leverage On Seasonal Trends
Depending on when you launch your Etsy shop, you can leverage seasonal trends.
For example, during the holiday season in December is when customers are more likely to buy gifts for their family and friends.
You can add gift sets in your shop as a different listing or use more gift-giving keywords for Etsy selling.
15. Price Your Products Right
It’s hard to pinpoint what the Etsy average sales per month and average Etsy sales in first year are because it depends on your niche. Some Etsy sellers have made over $28,000 and $945,000 in their first year!
That being said, remember to price your products right when you first start selling on Etsy.
You can evaluate your competitors’ prices for similar items but your price should cover the cost of materials, supplies, time, and labor. Your budget should also allow your business to grow.
16. Invest Your Time In Learning About Etsy
You might be anxiously waiting for your first sale, thinking about when do Etsy sales pick up.
Redirect your energy to learning about Etsy instead!
Successful Etsy sellers know that continuous self-development is crucial and you have to invest time and money to bring your Etsy shop to the level that you’re aiming for.
If you’re selling printables, I highly recommend this Etsy course with Etsy selling tips that will help you generate consistent 4-figure months.
Ultimately, how long does it take to start selling on Etsy depends on how much time you’re willing to invest in it!
17. Treat Your Etsy Shop Like A Real Business
If you treat your Etsy shop like a hobby, it will make you money like a hobby. Probably not much right?
But if you treat your Etsy shop like a real business, it will make you money like a business!
Every time you get stuck in the trenches thinking about how long does it take to make money on Etsy, remember that there is no limit to your potential income.
Success comes down to YOUR mindset and believing in yourself!
FAQs On How Long Does It Take To Sell On Etsy
Is It Hard To Sell On Etsy?
Is it hard to sell on Etsy? Yes, it is not easy to sell on Etsy! It is not a get-rich-quick scheme and it certainly is not simple. But those with enough drive will jump in and try to sell on Etsy. Many might fail to sell on Etsy, leaving rich pickings for those willing to work hard for it.
How Do I Get My First Sale On Etsy?
Thinking about how do I get my first sale on Etsy? Here are the steps to follow:
- Step 1: Ensure Your Shop Looks Impeccable With Quality Photos
- Step 2: Optimize Your Listing Titles And Descriptions Using SEO
- Step 3: Increase The Number Of Quality Listings
- Step 4: Establish Clear Store Policies
- Step 5: Complete Your About Section And Tell Your Story
- Step 6: Have Patience And Don’t Give Up!
How Many Views Does It Take To Make A Sale On Etsy?
Wondering how many views does it take to make a sale on Etsy? Approximately 120 views and 85 visits are what it takes to make a sale on Etsy. The Etsy algorithm takes time to understand what your products are and your customer engagement.
How many products you have in your Etsy shop also affects how long it takes for you to make a sale on Etsy.
Is Selling Stuff On Etsy Easy?
So, is settling stuff on Etsy easy? Yes, selling stuff on Etsy is easy. Etsy makes many listing and selling items on its platform relatively easy, especially if you compare it to selling products and maintaining them on your own website.
But similar to any other business you venture into, selling stuff on Etsy will take time to launch and your success requires continuous effort!
Are My First 40 Listings On Etsy Free?
Yes, your first 40 listings on Etsy are free. Etsy doesn’t have any charges for opening a store, however after your free listings, Etsy charges $0.2 for every new listing and a 6.5% transaction fee on every purchase from your Etsy store.
Why Am I Not Getting Sales On Etsy?
If you have few product listings that aren’t properly optimized, you may not be getting sales on Etsy. When you display several products and optimize them well, customers are more likely to find your store.
In order to increase visibility and sales, list 20–30 products when the store first launches, optimize them using keywords, and keep adding listings.
Is It Better To Renew Or Relist On Etsy?
It is better to renew your product if it has reached many customers, has many engagements, and is selling well.
For your older products, which are not be gaining many views or not selling well, relisting can give them the necessary boost, and put them in front of customers.
How Often Should I Post On Etsy?
Etsy recommends to post 1 digital item per day. This ensures that all of your posts reach your audience. Posting too many products at once may result in some posts being overshadowed by other ones.
Can You Sell Fast On Etsy?
One way to try to enhance your Etsy sales is to promote your products using Etsy ads.
Etsy advertisements increase the visibility of your products, and the more people they reach, the more likely it is that you will sell them.
Is There A Selling Limit On Etsy?
No, there isn’t a selling limit on Etsy, and you can list and sell as many products as you want. There are more than 1000 things listed in certain stores.
For a particular product, Etsy can accept a maximum of 999 quantity in an order.
Do Etsy Backlinks Work?
Yes, Etsy backlinks increase the organic traffic to your shop and improve the reach of your products, resulting in more sales.
Backlinks are an essential part of Etsy SEO, in addition to keywords, and boost your visibility as well as conversions.
Can You Sell Canva Templates On Etsy?
Yes, you can sell Canva designs or templates on Etsy. You can either create a design using the fonts and elements on Canva or design Canva templates and sell those.
As long as you don’t resell a readymade template or design, Etsy allows you to sell Canva designs.
Are Visits Better Than Views On Etsy?
Yes, visits are better than views on Etsy as the number of visits indicates how many people are interested in purchasing a specific product from you, making it easier for you to analyze and plan marketing campaigns.
The number of views indicates how many people have come across your shop listings.
How Many Featured Listings Can You Have On Etsy?
You can have 4 featured listings on your Etsy store. The featured listings are at the top of the shop’s page if you have Etsy Standard.
If you have a subscription to Etsy Plus, you get a mixed grid option for your featured listings.
Keep Going And Don’t Give Up Too Early
There you have it, your question on how long does it take to sell on Etsy is all answered!
The journey of every new Etsy seller is different. Do not be discouraged if your first sale takes longer than 2 to 6 months.
Once you start making your first sale and gain momentum, that is really where the fun begins!
Stay focused and determined by putting in the work and effort. Your persistence will pay off and remember, you are in charge of your destiny and your income 😉.
If you found this guide on how long does it take to get Etsy sales helpful, be sure to share it with your friends!
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