Seller Handbook

This year we're on a mission to show the world that Etsy is the go-to destination for great gifts—and we want you to be a part of it! We've made strides in making gift giving on Etsy joyful and easy, and we're soon kicking off a gifting-centric marketing campaign to bring more buyers to Etsy. Use this checklist to help you make the most of that traffic by optimizing your listings to appeal to shoppers with gift recipients in mind.

Plus: Tune in to our virtual event: Optimizing Your Shop for Gifting, as Etsy sellers Alaina Smith of Cold Gold and Kirstie Wang of A Jar of Pickles share what they’re doing to get their shops ready for gift-seeking shoppers.

Getting found

1. Add a shop section for your most giftable items: Help buyers discover the great gifts in your inventory by making an easy-to-browse shop section. Want to put an item in more than one shop section? Create multiple listings!

   Note: This approach is geared towards simplifying navigation within your shop, and will likely work best if you’re already bringing in direct traffic and looking to prioritize potential conversion. Based on the latest guidance from our Search Content team, multiple listings are most appropriate when listing items that may be similar, but not identical, in order to avoid creating duplicate content as it relates to search engines, so you’ll want to be mindful of the potential impact if your current goal is increasing your reach. While having a similar listing within your shop won’t impact where your shop’s first (and highest ranked) listing appears in Etsy search, duplicate listings may be ranked lower in Etsy search results.

   For example, let's say you sell bunny ears headbands. If you have certain styles that are very Halloween or Easter themed (like one pair of bunny ears is orange and black, and another pair is pastel colored) you may consider creating separate listings and optimizing them for different holidays across your titles, tags, descriptions, and photos. Ideally, separate listings highlight significant differences between the items.

   You can also generate unique Share & Save links for your shop sections in the Etsy Seller App! We’ll take 4% of the order total off your Etsy bill on eligible orders placed using your unique link.

2. Maximize your listing tags: Each tag you add to a listing is an opportunity for it to appear in a shopper’s search.

   • Unused tags are missed opportunities, which is why you should add 13 tags to all of your listings.
   • Your tags should be multi-word phrases and use natural-sounding language.
   • Inspire shoppers with keywords like “Gift for Dog Mom,” “Teacher Appreciation,” or “Gifts under $20” in your titles and tags.

3. Streamline your listing titles: Your title should make it easy for shoppers to quickly see what you’re selling and what makes it unique.

   • Shoppers only see the first few words of your title when they’re looking at search results, so make sure you’re using that space to describe what your item is.
   • It’s important to make sure that you’re accurately describing your products in the listings or other offerings. Using irrelevant keywords on your site in the hopes of appearing in more searches, known as “keyword stuffing,” can actually hurt your efforts to boost your search ranking.
4. Refresh your listing descriptions: Your listing descriptions can help entice, inform, and engage potential buyers.
   • Do they lead with a few sentences that naturally incorporate a few relevant keywords?
   • Is the description easy to read and understand? Are key details easy to find and listed clearly?
   • Think about your descriptions as a way to answer your buyer’s questions, prioritizing important information that will help buyers best understand your product. Does it solve a problem or appeal to a specific audience? Use this space to engage your target market.
   • For more tips on optimizing your tags, titles, and listing descriptions, read Keywords 101.

Photography

1. Choose an eye-catching first listing photo: Your listing’s first photo, the image displayed in search results, is crucial when it comes to inspiring shoppers to click and increasing your conversion rate. The first photo should clearly show the item that’s for sale and be eye-catching enough that buyers want to take a closer look.

2. Use all 10 photo slots: While the first photo is what shoppers see in search results, using all 10 photos gives buyers more information about your item and may increase your conversion rate. That’s because each additional image you add gives shoppers more information about your product, how big it is, and how it’s used.

   • Use simple backgrounds and staging that illustrate the story behind your product. Props help to give your item context, enabling customers to better visualize how they might use it in the future or share it as a gift.
   • If you offer gift-wrapping or branded packaging, be sure to include a shot to incentivize one-stop shoppers.
   • Check out 7 Essential Types of Listing Photos for inspiration.
3. Show off your products by adding listing videos: Product videos can inspire, clarify, and contextualize your items in the two-dimensional world of online shopping. All that extra info can help boost buyers’ confidence. Add a listing video.

Branding and customer service

1. Add an About section: Adding an About section gives shoppers a behind-the-scenes look at you and your Etsy shop. An informative and captivating About section can help establish your brand, build buyer loyalty, and spark unexpected opportunities—including press coverage, collaborations, and new opportunities.
2. Set clear return policies for each listing: Making it clear which items can be returned creates a better experience for buyers, especially when they’re buying for a gift recipient. Etsy’s tools make it easy to customize your return policy for your unique business needs. You can create one return policy and apply it to all (or just some) of your listings, or create a different return policy for each listing.
3. Personalize your packaging: How you package your items is an extension of your brand that can leave a lasting impact. Read Leaving Your Mark With Packaging and Promotional Materials for inspiration.
4. Turn on gift wrap: Having gifts arrive already wrapped goes a long way (especially when it means they can ship them straight to recipients). Once enabled, shoppers will be able to see that you offer gift wrap on each listing in your shop and get a visual preview of what their gifts will look like. Turn on gift wrap in your shop.
5. Showcase your customer service: Shoppers can also see your shop’s review star average when browsing search results. A high average will help to build trust, and could encourage some buyers to take a closer look at your item. For tips on encouraging and receiving positive reviews read 5 Ways to Get Great Reviews on the Seller Handbook.

Shipping

1. Ship globally to grow your buyer base: Offering international shipping is a great way to open yourself up to a huge client base. Because most international buyers only see items that ship to their country while searching on Etsy, you'll allow them to find you by offering international shipping.

   • An easy way to set up international shipping is through using shipping profiles, which allow you to update multiple listings quickly with similar shipping costs. Once you set up a worldwide shipping profile, you can update all applicable listings by using quick edit.

2. Add shipping details to show shoppers an estimated delivery date: Add a zip code, shipping service, and processing time to each of your shipping profiles or listings (or review the details you’ve already added to be sure they’re up to date)—we use these details to give shoppers an estimated delivery date so they feel confident knowing when their order will arrive. Review your shipping details or learn more about estimated delivery dates.

3. Update your processing times to help your listings stand out: Reflect how much time you need to make the item, pack it up, and hand it off to the carrier before it ships. If you have items ready to ship, let shoppers know by setting a shorter processing time. Update your processing times.

4. Offer shipping upgrades for last-minute shoppers: Offering shipping upgrades gives your customers the option to pay for expedited shipping–perfect for all those last minute gifts. Learn more about offering upgrades or turn them on now.

Pricing

1. Understand the market: Shoppers compare prices when looking at search results, so your listing price can also affect whether or not a buyer clicks on your listing, and ultimately, whether they convert into a sale. Shoppers may have a specific price point in mind before they even start their search, so market research can be helpful in finding your pricing sweet spot. Use the worksheet in How to Price for Profit, Conversion, and Growth for tips on refining your pricing strategy to achieve your goals.
2. Diversify your price points: As you expand your inventory over time, be sure to list items across price points to reach shoppers no matter their budget. Read How to Increase Your Revenue With Tiered Product Offerings to learn more.
3. Consider discounting tools: Discounts, coupons, and other kinds of special offers can help you catch shoppers’ attention, clear out unsold inventory ahead of a new season, and encourage shoppers to keep coming back with a thank you coupon. Check out How 4 Successful Shops Use Discounting Effectively for more inspiration.

Note: As an Etsy seller, pricing is at your sole discretion. This means that you are responsible for making your own pricing decisions and are free to set prices as you wish. That said, remember there are also legal considerations to be aware of around pricing and discounting. Sellers cannot mislead consumers on discounted prices. The original price must be a true price that was in practice for a substantial amount of time, so, for example, you can’t artificially increase a price and cut it down just to make it look like you’re running a sale.