Published on: December 30, 2022
Reading time: 3 minutes
With 2022 now in our rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward to the new year. What did you learn from your experiences in 2022? How can you use that to grow your Etsy shop? We have some tips and ideas to consider.
1. Start with a review of your 2022 sales
What items sold well? Which didn’t do as well? Can you see a trend in what price point your customers seem to be buying at most? Spot any surprises? Given our volatile economic conditions, have your customers’ buying habits changed?
Use the lull most of us experience in January for product R&D. That is, do some product research. Should you develop a line at the lower end of your price range to add to your product mix?
2. Use data to make decisions
Before you decide, use some of that slow time to analyze your data further. Let the data guide where to focus next. Let’s say you see that your order volume went up considerably in 2022, but your average order value went down. What does analyzing your shop’s 2022 data tell you? Did customers choose a range of your less-expensive offerings? Or was it just one of your lower-cost products that shot up in popularity? That distinction would make a big difference!
Another element of data to examine is which keywords drive traffic to your listings. Have you set up Traffic Stats yet? (We’ll link a blog post about that eRank feature below, under Resources.) Use that report to select the timeframe you want to review and see what search terms are bringing traffic to your shop. Do you see a trend? Is there a particular product or keyword bringing people to your listings? This could be an opportunity to expand further into those niches.
3. Experiment with new products
Once you’ve dug into your stats and come to some conclusions, put them to work. Use what you’ve learned to create new products that will tie into the traffic you are receiving.
Let’s say you discover that your minimalist earrings are selling well. Reviewing your data, you see the search term “every day jewelry” is bringing buyers to that listing. This could prompt you to design matching pieces of jewelry to capture more of that traffic.
4. Look for opportunities to collaborate with others
Ever worked in collaboration with another Etsy seller? If you haven’t, perhaps 2023 is the year to give it a shot. There are lots of ways. Maybe a shop you admire specializes in a technique or material you’d like to incorporate into your product. Etsy features an inspiring example of this in a Seller Handbook article here. Reach out!
Another way to collaborate is via marketing. Do you think your offerings complement those in another shop? You could promote each other’s products to your respective followings via social media or email marketing.
5. Give yourself some breathing room!
We know it can feel as if the only way to grow is to go hard. But burning yourself out can set you back further than what you gained by pushing yourself too hard. Give yourself time this year to relax and appreciate what you’ve been building with your Etsy shop. You deserve it!
RESOURCES
“Expand Your Product Line With a Collaboration,” Etsy Seller Handbook
“Introducing Traffic Stats,” eRank blog post