Etsy has become a place where creative people can sell their unique products to customers all over the world. Among the many successful Etsy sellers, there's one story that really stands out.
Today we are going to look at a case study of an Etsy seller who set a goal of making $100,000 per month by running a custom print-on-demand shop on Etsy.
In this article, we'll take a close look at this seller's strategies, the challenges they faced, and the successes they achieved. We'll share insights that can be helpful for anyone who wants to start or grow their own Etsy business, whether they're just starting out or already have an established shop.
Getting started
The Etsy seller's journey started in July 2023 when they opened their Etsy store. At first, they tried the approach of dropshipping directly on Etsy, but they ran into trouble when their store was banned due to issues with intellectual property rights. He says that he was selling Stained Glass Ornaments but the bigger stores kept reporting his account even though they were dropshipping too.
Rather than giving up, the seller decided to try a different approach. They switched to a custom print-on-demand (POD) business model, realizing that this niche had a lower risk of getting banned. This strategic pivot marked the start of a new phase in their Etsy adventure.
Initial traction
Despite the initial setback, the Etsy seller didn't give up. They kept working hard and stayed determined. Their efforts soon started to pay off - in October 2023, they hit an important milestone, making $1,000 in sales in a single week. This was a big accomplishment that showed their approach was working and kept them motivated to keep going.
Just one month later, on November 24th, 2023, the seller reached an even bigger milestone - they made $1,000 in sales in a single day. This further convinced them that their custom print-on-demand (POD) Etsy store had a lot of potential.
The seller's consistent hard work, along with spending $100 per day on ads and trying out different product titles and images, laid the foundation for their continued success.
Ranking strategies
One of the big reasons the Etsy seller was able to grow their business was their focus on whitehat Etsy SEO techniques. By doing keyword research and optimizing their listings to target low-competition long-tail keywords, they were able to improve how their products showed up in Etsy's search results and get more organic traffic to their store.
In addition to those whitehat SEO methods, the seller also used some blackhat strategies to help their products rank higher. This included sending cheap traffic from push notification traffic sources to boost the number of views on their listings, and hiding negative reviews on their products so customers wouldn't see them.
The seller's willingness to try both whitehat and blackhat tactics gave them an advantage over other sellers in the crowded Etsy marketplace.
Building a team and leveraging data insights
As the Etsy store started doing really well, the seller knew they needed a good team to support the growth. They hired 4 people to handle customer service, making sure buyers got prompt and helpful support. This created a positive shopping experience that encouraged customers to come back.
The seller also brought on 10 talented artists to create unique, eye-catching designs for their products. This helped them stand out from other sellers.
Making data-driven decisions was another key to their success. By analyzing Etsy's search data, they got valuable insights into what customers were looking for. This let them adjust their products and listings to better match what their target customers wanted.
In addition, the seller researched the best-selling items from competitor stores. They used those insights to improve their own listings and stay ahead of the competition on Etsy.
Overcoming challenges and maintaining a good reputation
The path to success wasn't always easy for this Etsy seller. During the busy holiday season, their sales spiked a lot, which put a lot of pressure on their ability to operate efficiently. Managing all the extra orders while still maintaining high quality and great customer service was really challenging.
On Etsy, once you mess up your reputation, you’re account gets doomed for life. So the seller tried as much as possible to work on the orders in time.
This focus on maintaining a great reputation is what enabled them to get the Etsy "Star Seller" badge, which recognizes top-performing sellers on the platform.
To earn this badge, Etsy looks at a few key things:
- Responding to the first message from a customer within 24 hours: Providing quick responses helps create a great shopping experience.
- Maintaining an average rating of 4.8 stars or higher: Good reviews let customers know what to expect when they shop with you.
- Shipping orders on time and including tracking information: You have to ship within the timeframes you set and use Etsy's shipping labels.
- Making at least 5 sales totaling $300 or more in the 3-month review period.
After learning these requirements, the seller developed their own internal methods to consistently meet the criteria for the Star Seller badge. This showed how committed they were to providing exceptional service and building trust with their customers.
Despite their best efforts, they still occasionally had to deal with unhappy customers or negative reviews. This reminded them how much those factors can impact sales. It emphasized how important it is to provide proactive customer support and quickly resolve any issues that come up.
Scaling for the future
With a strong foundation in place, this Etsy seller has big plans to grow their business even further. Their future goals include opening additional Etsy shops to offer a wider variety of products and reach new types of customers. Recognizing that there's potential beyond just Etsy, they also plan to set up a Shopify store. This will let them expand their online presence and connect with an even bigger audience.
Innovation is a key part of the seller's vision for the future. They're working on developing a couple of special tools - a ranking bot and a review bot. These will help streamline and optimize their operations. Once these tools are tested and refined, they have the potential to give the seller a major advantage over their competition by revolutionizing how they manage product rankings and customer feedback.
To keep growing their current Etsy shop, the seller plans to add 100-150 new product listings. This will expand their selection and cater to an even broader range of customer preferences. They also recognize the value of having specialized expertise, so they intend to hire a dedicated marketing and SEO expert. This person will handle keyword research and make sure the seller's listings are optimized for maximum visibility and sales conversions.
Collaborating as a tool for growth
Throughout their journey, this Etsy seller has really embraced the power of being part of a community and collaborating with others. They actively look for ways to connect with other Etsy sellers, recognizing that there's a lot of value in sharing ideas, insights, and strategies that have worked well.
The seller currently runs a thread on an online marketing forum where he shares each step of his journey and gets feedback as well as shares ideas with other people in the Etsy community.
