Etsy Do's and Don'ts

Here is a list of Do�s and Don�ts that I think might be helpful.

DO answer convos politely and promptly. I think it is great to add a bit of humour; be yourself � even if it is the tenth person that week asking if you would like to giveaway a cushion on their blog. You can say �No thank you� nicely. This includes being polite even when people ask you questions you have answered numerous times in your policies, listings and shop intro. For example: �Can I get the cushion without the insert?�
DO respond to treasuries � when someone puts you in one � go over to the treasury and at the very least say thank you! That is all you have to say � sometimes you can say more, but it is nice to acknowledge that some one has taken the time. This is how you get on the front page remember � by being in treasuries.
DO say thank you when someone orders something from your shop. As soon as I get an order I respond with a thank you and let them know when I plan to post � usually within a couple of days. I respond to the email from paypal as people new to etsy may not check etsy convos. I find it quite bad manners when people do not acknowledge your order. I am shocked at how often I get no response when I buy something.
DO be an active team member. I am in quite a few teams and I try to participate when I can, but of course I am not perfect and cannot participate in everything.
DO always have your shop looking tip top! You never know when you will be featured in an etsyfinds email or on the front page or maybe even on a popular blog. So if people are coming for the first time it may be the difference of them giving you a heart and returning later or not.
DO always have high res images ready (if you load pictures onto flickr that will help as you can download any sizes) for magazine editors or bloggers who may be interested in featuring you.
DO remember the customer is almost always usually mostly sometimes right!
DO follow Etsy�s rules.
DO price accordingly. Include Etsy fees, paypal fees, packaging and stationary, plus the time it takes to list the item, take photos etc, package it all up, take it to the post office plus the actual making of the item� what are you prepared to work for? Be realistic. Don�t worry so much about what other people are selling items in your category for. What do you need to make a profit? To make it worthwhile for you?
DO offer a discount for customers who buy several items. I have had many people buy over 5 cushions from me, in some instances 10+. Reward their loyalty with free postage and / or a % discount.
DO have postage listed to lots of different places, and make sure it is accurate. Do not make money out of postage, put your prices up if you need to. There is nothing worse than receiving something that cost you $10 in postage to have it say $2.20 on the envelope.
DO be patient with postage. Often I get angry emails about postage times, I politely remind people I am in Australia so it may take a little longer. On that note, if something fails to reach you, please contact your post office first to see if it is there before you contact the seller.
DO look at your product. Is it original? Do people get excited when they see it? Is it unique? Can you get it anywhere else? Does it appeal to a wide range of people? I am lucky that my products appeal to women and men and people also buy them for kids too � know who you are selling too and market accordingly.
And lastly DO take a really good look at your shop. Look at it from a customer�s perspective. Does it look neat and tidy with all the sections filled out and all the photos looking nice? Really does it?

Read more here:
http://www.handmadeology.com/20000-in-etsy-sales-in-only-5-months-long-list-of-dos-and-donts/

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