What Sells on Etsy?

Etsy is a worldwide platform that has given small crafters and creators the opportunity to present their products to a global audience. There’s no doubt that Etsy is a phenomenon – with more than 90 million customers, a number which continues to grow.

While that is an exciting prospect for anyone wanting to sell their products, the flipside is that there’s a lot of competition out there, so making your items stand out from the crowd is essential. Research in the USA shows that the average seller who doesn’t employ any research or marketing techniques can make up to $40,000 a year. Whilst that’s a very healthy salary, when you compare it to those who have all the top tips and tricks up their sleeves and who can make TEN times that amount – it’s worth investing some time in your sales plan.

What Sells Best on Etsy?

Looking at what Etsy best sellers are is a useful guide. In the UK, the top ten things to sell on Etsy include:

1. Paper and party supplies

2. Personalised items

3. Crafts and supplies

4. Handmade items

5. Jewellery

6. Wedding items

7. Clothing

8. Vintage items

9. Home and living

10. Art and collectibles

One of the best sellers on Etsy UK is a range of stationery, and if you need further convincing, then look at the example of Twist Stationery. Twist was set up in 2008, and its collections of handmade greeting cards, personalised wrapping paper and foiled prints have helped it rack up more than 400,000 sales. If you want to follow in their footsteps, have a quick look at some of the products you can create for yourself.

Sell to your customers unique Christmas cards with customised images and messaging to match your brand’s tone and ethos, or help your customers add an extra-special festive touch to their gifts with personalised Christmas wrapping paper.

Another best seller on Etsy UK worth looking at is Horray Days, which has also made around 400,000 sales by virtue of offering a whole host of personalised items. The company breaks its product range down under different occasions – from weddings to baby celebrations and hen parties to generalised personalised gifts.

Catering to a particular demographic is definitely worth considering. Think weddings and you know there’s a whole range of personalised items that the happy couple will be looking for – so why not extend your offering to include them? Perfect for weddings and big celebratory moments, customise wedding invitations that exude style and vibrance. You are sure to leave a long-lasting impression on a couple planning for their big day!

Among the best items to sell on Etsy is jewellery and if you want to give your unique items the wow factor – or even want to give perceived added value to something low cost – then think about the way you present it. A personalised box or a jewellery display card always makes a product seem more premium and memorable. It also brings with it the added value of helping you create a brand. Choose a signature font and colour and it will help people start to recognise items that have been created by you.

Another one of the best things to sell on Etsy are crafts and supplies. Would you believe that one of the most loved and easy-to-create items is stickers? One of the top worldwide Etsy sellers is Kate Antesberger, founder of the PlannerKate1. She started her business by posting just a picture of a sticker she created on her Instagram. The image garnered so much interest she set up her own Etsy store, producing stickers for every occasion from holidays to reminding people when to change their toothbrush.

Albums and merchandise ranges followed, and the result is that the company has almost had TWO MILLION sales worldwide – from the smallest idea.

How to be successful on Etsy?

One of the secrets of success on Etsy is to make sure your product is unique, stands out from the crowd and offers a degree of personalisation. Many people visit the site without a particular product they want to buy in mind – they are simply browsing and will make an impulse purchase when they see something that stands out. SEO is important to ensure your items come to the fore when people are just looking, so find out what keywords shoppers are searching for and add relevant ones to your product descriptions. If you’re not sure, join an online Etsy forum where you can learn from other people or even ask questions.

Customer engagement is also important – it’s something the best sellers have mastered and is a major contributory factor to their success. If you can personalise their product and they can upload a photograph, a saying or select their own colour, keep them involved in the process at every stage. They’ll feel cherished and you can ask them if they’d be interested in finding out about other new products – and so you’ve got the beginnings of a database.

Going back one step further, however, before you launch your online Etsy store, think about creating a memorable brand. If you’ve got a name and a logo which will capture the imagination and is memorable, then this will really help you drive sales and create customer loyalty. Look at your price point – remember to build in the cost of your materials and the time it took to create. Also, do some research about what other sellers operating in your sector are charging and see how you compare. What’s your point of difference? Beautiful imagery is also the key to success – after all that’s the way people will engage with your products. Look at ways you can make your products stand out so that customers will feel they simply can’t do without it.

Etsy has given millions of creative people the opportunity to showcase their skills, talent and imagination. If you’re one of them, then give yourself an even bigger chance of success by thinking laterally and making your product eye-catching and memorable.