Are you ready to shine bright and reach more shoppers this holiday season? We’ve identified the best steps you can take to set yourself up for success. Our 2023 checklist breaks it all down: Key holiday dates and trends to watch, recommended actions to help increase your shop’s visibility and appeal to potential customers, and easy ways to get support from Etsy and the seller community when you need it.
Expand your reach this holiday season
Ready to grow your shop and reach more customers? Etsy’s marketing tips and tools can help.
Recommended actions
It’s a new way to save on fees when you drive sales to your shop. When you share trackable links to your shop or listings and make a sale, we’ll take 4% of the order total off your Etsy bill. Use your unique link on social media, when texting your friends—whenever you share your shop or listings. Want to learn more? Tune into our holiday workshop “Introducing Etsy Share & Save” on September 21 at 1pm ET. RSVP here to get a reminder for the event. You can also find more details about Share & Save and get answers to FAQs in the Seller Handbook.
- Take your Etsy shop to in-person events with Square!
Selling at holiday markets or pop-up events is a great way to connect with your local community and introduce your business to new customers. Sync your shop and listing with Square to simply and securely process credit card payments. Bonus: Sellers who sync their shop to their Square account for the first time and process $300 in sales between November 1 and December 31 will earn a $10 account credit (up to first 15,000 qualifying sellers). Learn more.
- 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.
- Add sustainability attributes to connect with buyers who want to shop their values
We're testing new buyer experiences that help you let shoppers know if your items are made from eco-conscious materials or practices. Add sustainability attributes in Listings Manager.
- Show off all the details of 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. Need some inspiration? Check out this Seller Handbook article. P.S. Adding a listing video is super simple the Etsy Seller app. You can take a video on your phone and upload it directly to your listings.
- Refresh your listings using the new and improved listing form
Give your listings a refresh by updating your photos, swapping out under-performing keywords, or giving your listing description some holiday flair. Making edits is easy with the new listing form—you can even quickly check a listing’s past performance in a handy new tab and preview your draft before you publish. Try the new listing process.
- Stand out by incorporating trending themes and motifs into your listings and photography
See what Etsy shoppers are searching for in our latest Marketplace Insights report. It features gifting, style, and decor trends across multiple categories—and backed up by Etsy search data.
- Scheduling a Cyber sale could help you reach deal-seeking shoppers
Big sale occasions like Cyber week make shopping a little more exciting for customers. Make sure your Etsy shop is part of the fun by scheduling a sale for October 23 to November 29. We recommend offering at least 25 percent off. Schedule your sale.
- Catch the eye of Etsy’s style experts
Want to be featured in Etsy’s marketing and earn an Etsy’s Picks badge? Our team is always on the lookout for high quality items with great photography and shops that deliver a reliable experience for shoppers. Learn more about getting featured on Etsy.
- Create repeat customers with special offers
Discounts, coupons, and other kinds of special offers can help you grow your audience and catch shoppers’ attention, clear out unsold inventory, and encourage shoppers to keep coming back. We’ve created all kinds of discounting tools designed to help you meet your unique goals:
- Make an Offer: Clear out stale inventory or make sales you might have missed by allowing price offers from buyers on listings of your choice. FYI: Make an offer is currently available for shops who sell in USD.
- Thank You Coupons: Send an offer to a buyer after their order ships to thank them for their business and encourage them to purchase from your shop again.
- Abandoned Cart Coupons: Send an offer to buyers who’ve added items from your shop to their cart and nudge them to check out.
- Favorited Items Coupons: Turn buyer interest into a sale by sending an offer when buyers favorite one of your items.
What Etsy’s doing to help
While you’re connecting with customers and growing your business, we are too–Etsy’s investing in marketing to bring more shoppers to the site this holiday season. Here’s a quick look at some of the ways we’re generating buzz this year:
- Etsy’s Communications team works with reporters and publications to feature Etsy items in hundreds of articles every month, driving new buyers from around the world to sellers’ shops. This holiday season, we’ll amplify Etsy’s holiday trend guide, support Etsy’s Cyber sales event, and host global events in all our core markets.
- Etsy invests in paid marketing, including television ads and online ads. In 2022, 20% of gross merchandise sales on Etsy came from paid advertising. Our 2023 holiday tv ads will highlight Etsy as the go-to marketplace for gifting. The new ads will air on multiple channels in the United States and United Kingdom and optimized spots will run in Germany. We plan to share a sneak peek soon!
Create an experience buyers can count on
Set your shop up for shipping success! Fulfilling orders smoothly gives customers confidence. Our recommended actions will get your shop in ship-shape.
Recommended actions
- 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.
- Keep your processing times up to date
Processing times should 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. Our research has shown buyers are more likely to buy items that ship faster—even if it’s only by one day!* If you need more time to complete orders during your busy season, extend your processing times. Review your processing times.
- Only mark orders as complete when they’re with the shipping carrier
When an Etsy order is marked as complete, we send an email to the buyer to let them know their order is on its way. Getting a notification that their order has been shipped when it’s still in your studio can create a confusing experience for shoppers. We make it super easy with shipping labels purchased on Etsy—when you purchase your postage, just choose the date you plan to drop off the package (up to two days in the future) and we’ll automatically mark the order as complete on that date. If you manually mark your orders as complete, choose the date you plan to drop off the package (up to two days in the future).
- Save time (and money) by purchasing shipping labels on Etsy
Skip the post office and buy shipping labels right from your Shop Manager (or the Etsy Seller app if you're in the United States). We’ll fill in the buyer’s details for you and send them a shipping notification when the order ships. Plus, Etsy works with major carriers to help you save on shipping costs compared to retail prices. Sellers based in the US, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and India can purchase labels on Etsy. Buy labels or learn How to Make the Most of Shipping Labels on Etsy.
- Set clear return policies for each listing
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. Making it clear which items can be returned creates a better experience for buyers! Review your policies.
- 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 holiday gifts. Learn more about offering upgrades or turn them on now.
- Personalize your packaging
Etsy has partnered with EcoEnclose to give Etsy sellers access to packaging made from 100% recycled or certified responsibly sourced paper. And now you can customize those EcoEnclose mailers with your own logo and branding, creating a personalized experience for shoppers from the moment they receive their order. Check it out.
- Showcase your customer service with a Star Seller badge
Etsy’s Star Seller badge helps buyers quickly identify shops who consistently deliver exceptional customer service. Reviews, messages, and shipping are all important to shoppers and can help you earn your badge. Learn more.
- Streamline your processes and save time with the Etsy Seller app
Manage your shop on the go with the Etsy Seller app—add photos and videos to your listings, share to social media, easily manage orders and track shipments, message customers and more! Download the app.
- Set your order processing schedule
Set your personal schedule to let us know whether or not you prep and ship orders on the weekend. Those extra details will help us give buyers an even more accurate estimate of when their order will arrive. Set your schedule.
*Based on an August 2023 internal Etsy analysis.
What Etsy’s doing to help
We’re focused on showcasing high-quality items, providing the best possible value to Etsy shoppers, and letting you know we’ve got your back this holiday season.
- This holiday season we’re committed to elevating the best of Etsy— and we’re working to keep our marketplace special by removing items that don’t belong. Learn more.
- We reviewed 36 million potentially problematic listings in 2022, a 112% increase from the previous year. In total, we removed 1.9 million listings for violating our policies in 2022, a 16% increase from 2021. Learn more.
- We want to ensure buyers have all the info they need when they’re doing their holiday shopping. Estimated delivery dates help shoppers know when their orders will arrive–so be sure to add those shipping details to your listings!
Get your shop holiday ready
Now's the perfect time to be planning ahead. Check these recommended actions off your to-do list before the holiday rush begins.
Recommended actions
- Tap into relevant trends
Prep your shop for the upcoming season with our latest guide to 2023 holiday trends based on Etsy search data and industry forecasting.
- Register for upcoming workshops
Tune into Etsy Success events throughout the season where you'll find deep-dive workshops and expert-led sessions to help you stand out this holiday season.
- Connect with potential customers
Optimize your listings to appeal to holiday shoppers using our Etsy search optimization checklist.
- Explore tiered pricing in your inventory
A tiered pricing strategy can make it easier to implement suggestive selling within your shop by showcasing inventory that helps shoppers easily identify add-on items. As you develop your inventory ahead of the holiday shopping season, consider how you can Increase Your Revenue Through Tiered Product Offerings.
- Attract window shoppers with holiday merchandising
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.
- Ensure your brand shines with strong graphics
Your shop home—the virtual storefront of your Etsy business—is often the first impression your brand makes on potential customers. Adobe Express makes designing beautiful marketing materials and editing your photos and videos super simple. Plus, you can choose from thousands of professionally designed templates, so making social media content or branded graphics for your shop is quick and easy. Want to try it out? Etsy shop owners can get a three-month Adobe Express Premium plan trial.**
- Get feedback from other sellers
Start getting your listings ready for the holiday season! Submit your listing for peer to peer listing critiques.
- Connect on social media
Follow @EtsySuccess on Instagram for real time tips and conversations to help you prepare for the holidays.
What Etsy’s doing to help
We’re continually listening to feedback from sellers about the resources they need to run their shops successfully, and are committed to providing the support you need during this busy season. Here are some of the resources available:
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Expanded support options: Throughout the holiday season, we’re providing more ways to get the help you need, including 24/7 live chat for most topics in the Help Center and faster resolution times. Most chats are answered within one minute, and nearly 90% of requests are resolved in 24 hours or less!*** For Star Sellers or if you have a high volume of sales, you may also have access to other live support options, such as chat support Monday through Sunday 9-5pm ET directly from your Shop Manager page.
- Help when the unexpected happens: Etsy’s Purchase Protection program is designed to give buyers more peace of mind and help sellers run their businesses with more confidence on Etsy. For qualifying orders up to $250, Etsy will refund buyers and you’ll keep your earnings if a buyer doesn’t receive their order or it arrives damaged (arrives damaged is covered for the first instance per calendar year).
Sellers don’t need to pay anything or take any action to participate in Etsy’s Purchase Protection program. Your orders just need to meet the eligibility criteria, which follow best practices for packaging and shipping your items. Read Your Questions About Etsy Purchase Protection, Answered to learn more.
Key 2023 dates
- July-September: Back to School
- August 23 to September 4: Labor Day and End of Summer sales event
- September 4: Labor Day (US)
- October 31: Halloween
- November 24: Black Friday
- November 27: Cyber Monday
- December 25: Christmas Day
- December 26: Boxing Day
- December 31: New Year's Eve
**Offer ends February 28, 2024. Adobe Express subscription required. While supplies last. See redemption page for Adobe Terms
*** Based on Etsy Help Center chat records for January to May 2023
Words by Etsy Staff
