Category: Getting Started

Have You Updated Your Etsy Shop?

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Shop Changes

It’s now been nearly 2 weeks since Etsy started rolling out their new shop design. If you haven’t yet, here are a few things you should check out or change:

  • Change your banner. The new banner size is a minimum of 1200px by 300px. You should double check that it also looks nice on mobile! It may take some tweaking to get just right. I shared a screenshot of mine above but here’s another example of a great banner design.
  • You’ve chosen a shop icon right? If you haven’t, it won’t show anything but a grey shop! This should have been done a while back but now it is more front and center. We’re a bit guilty of waiting last minute to do it on our Vintage shop (we’re working on the banner at the moment)!
  • Check your policies. There was a lot of confusion about this early on about how Etsy would roll out their policies, if we would be forced to change, if we could change back. Scroll down to the bottom to make sure they’re how you want them to read.
  • Rearrange your shop. Optional of course, but with the new layout, like it or not, rearranging is a bit easier! Numbers have been added so you don’t have to drag and drop everything.
  • If you haven’t yet, try shop updates! They’re actually quite fun and will show up under your items.
  • Photos are more important than ever. Your products are showing up huge on your shop now, making them much more visible. Make sure they’re eye catching!

If you’re on the ball, you probably have most, if not all, of these covered already. But if you haven’t done it yet, it only takes a few minutes to take care all of these, especially if your photos are all up to date!

Pricing To Pay The Bills

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This seems the be the big struggle for new handmade sellers all around the board -how to accurately price your items so you’re getting what you deserve. My best advice is to not fall into the “what would I pay for this” trap. But rather realize that just because you wouldn’t pay $10 for it, it doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t pay the $25 it is actually worth.

Here are five tips and starting points to get you on the right track of pricing your items the RIGHT way!

1. Take Materials Into Account

This one should be obvious. For me, I have to think about how much wool I used (core vs. dyed), any embellishments, and the glass black eyes. Think about every step of making the product.

2. What About the Materials You Missed?

Did you sew the item? Did you take into account the sewing machine, the needles, etc? What about your camera to take the product photography? This takes some thinking about and you can use several guides to calculate your overhead to take those supplies into account that you take for granted. This Simple Biz Planning worksheet is a great place to start! For me, I have to remember to think about my felting needles and all the different types of mats I may have used.

3. Finishing Costs?

Are you paying for a website? Or selling on Etsy? You might have already included it in your “overhead costs” but don’t forget about any fees from Etsy, Amazon Handmade, Paypal, etc. Are you packing it up to mail or attending a fair? Either way, you have costs! For packing, think about the box, wrapping supplies, postage printing, and insurance. For a fair, you not only have the initial fee to take into consideration but also any decor you might be using (tent, table, shelves, etc).

4. Time Yourself!

This is the one most people skip or estimate on. I like to use a timer to see exactly how long it takes me to felt an animal. My projects tend to take anywhere from 45 minutes to 4 hours or longer. Multiply the number you get by your desired hourly wage.

5. Markup?

You have the base price of your items. Now think about markup! The prior four steps were all about how much work you personally put into the piece. Do you want to sell at cost? Or at a margin?