If you are an Etsy seller who wants to make more sales, you HAVE to make products to sell that people want to buy... duh! But sometimes that can seem counter-intuitive to what we actually want to make!
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything, I earn a small commission at no extra charge to you. Check out my policies here.
My Etsy Story
I started a new Etsy store... YAY!
No one is buying anything yet... BOO!
I am learning about Etsy again and what is working now... YAY!
I have to get better at making things people actually want... YAY TOO!
It has been a minute since I have had to worry about what humans want rather than what Google or Pinterest wants.
And I KNOW that the other end of Google and Pinterest is people, but when you are trying to attract them directly it is important to know what they look for, when they look for it and why they will buy what you are selling....
Making Products People Want To Buy Example
I make magazine collage artwork. Up until now I have just dibble-dabbled around and made things that I like, but if I want to sell things I have to make art that at least some other people will like or are searching for!
For example, I made the cutest gal with teacups on her hat! Now, there may be the random tea drinker or coffee shop owner who would be looking for something unique like this BUT... this next one I made is deliberately for a certain type of customer....
A colorful giraffe licking a rose tree with super cute shoes!
Now you may be thinking, how can a giraffe in shoes be MORE searchable and popular to buyers than a teacup lady?
Nursery and kids rooms! Gifts for pregnant ladies or new moms!
I made it specifically in a way that would appeal to this demographic!
What's In It For Them?
I have terrible news for you... no one cares about your products! Sigh.
You could make the most AMAZING POD tshirt with a steak on it, spending hours researching the perfect image and saying.... and a vegan buyer will NEVER buy that shirt!
So here is the first thing you want to do, figure out who will buy your products!
Who is your customer?
If you are the normal kind of Etsy seller you probably do one of two things...
- Make products that you would like to buy OR
- Make products that you think are popular
But I am begging you turn that boat around and think about what your customer would want to buy!
Set up a "Perfect Customer Profile" of who is going to buy your wares... here are some examples:
- What is their name (my gal is Hayley... she is loosely based on one of my Facebook friends)
- What do they like to do? Gardening, minding their grandkids, pets, fishing... think of all the things that your perfect customer would like to do!
- How old are they? Selling products to a 75 year old grandmother or a 21 year old young woman are two entirely different processes. Get a general idea of how old your buyer will be (it can be a range).
- Are they married with kids, single, an entrepreneur or a stay at home Mom?
Thinking through who would want to buy your products is a great way to get in the mind of your buyers!
Pick A Niche
I was watching a video the other day where a gal was having an Etsy shop review done. She was VERY sure that her niche was "Eclectic".
It was maddening to listen to her talk about what she thought "Eclectic" was... functionally she wanted to do whatever she liked and then hope that someone else would like her mix of products too... sigh.
You need to pick a KIND or GROUP of people who would like your products... here are some example:
- Ladies who do Cricut crafts
- People who like to go Glamping
- Home decor enthusiasts who like cottage core
- Real estate agents
- Young women who like delicate gold jewelry
- Travelers who also like to journal
You have to know that there is a distinct group of people who would be interested in what you want to sell!
Check For Demand
The last high level step you need to do is check and see if anyone is searching for what you want to sell!
I like to start by using Marmalead to see if anyone is searching for the item I am thinking of creating and finding keywords that I could possibly rank for!
In this example I would not count on ANY of these search terms being popular enough to get me traffic to my listing!
Once I DO find a keyword that I think is going to work out, then I like to check Everbee to see if anyone is making sales on that product and see if I can tailor my listing to be in that "sellable" category!
15 sales in July means that there might even be year round interest in a Halloween mug like this one!
Making Products People Want To Buy Wrapup
I hope this helps you start thinking more about your customer and less about what you want to make!
At first this might seem like it will limit your creativity, but I PROMISE that once you start honing in on your perfect customer, making things for them will become a breeze because you will know right away what they will like!
If you want to follow along with my Etsy shop here are the first three steps... Starting an Etsy shop in 2024, Checking My Etsy SEO For The First Week of My Shop and The Second Week of My Etsy Shop
