20 Ways How to Drive Traffic to your Etsy Shop

So you have a perfectly manicured shop with amazing products, but no one is buying. Your views are low and they're dropping everyday. Don't know how to drive traffic to your Etsy shop?

Have no fear! We're here to help! Read on to find out 20 effective ways to increase traffic to your Etsy Shop without spending a dime on advertising.

1. Start a blog

Ok, so everyone on the planet now has a blog, but that's no reason for you not to have one, too! A blog is a great way to promote your work, collect inspiration, and let the customer know more about your creative process. There are a ton of free blog publishing sites for you to choose from, including Wordpress.com. A blog is also a great way to connect to fellow Etsians, especially through http://www.bloglovin.com and taking part in blogswaps and features!

2. Tweet about it

Twitter is a really fun and quick way to give potential or existing customers the low-down on everything new and fabulous in your store. You can tweet about newest additions, featured products and even upcoming or existing sales. Also check out http://bidli.com/ to see all the Etsy products that people have tweeted about!

3. Facebook Fan Page

Everyone is on Facebook, and you should be, too. By creating a Facebook fan page you can not only increase product awareness, but it's also another outlet for you to sell your stuff! Etsy has an app for Facebook that will add a tab to your Facebook fan page called "My Etsy". It automatically keeps up to date all the changes you've made in your shop. To add, go to Your Etsy > Promote > Facebook.

4. Stumbleupon

For those of you who have never heard of Stumbleupon...beware! This site is highly addictive! Stumbleupon allows a browser to automatically stumble on a variety of websites throughout the internet. You can submit your blog or site so that traffic stumbles into your lap! It's a great way to increase product awareness to a number of different audiences.

5. Giveaways

People love free stuff! I know I do. Why not post a giveaway on websites or blogs who are your target reader or customer? There are a number of different ways that you can traffic and sales from a giveaway. Have the entrants join your Facebook page, follow you on twitter, or subscribe to your blog. Once they've joined, you can notify potential customers of new products, sales, or any other business that will generate sales for you. Check out http://etsygiveaways.blogspot.com/ to submit your Etsy product giveaway!

6. Create a How-to Video

Show the world how creative you are! By publishing a how-to video on creating your Etsy product, you might think that this will deter sales...but it's not true! By showing your customers the process of your craft it will help the customer get a better understanding on the effort it takes to create your products. Youtube is a great way to get your product out there for the world to SEE! There are also a variety of different websites who promote "how-to" videos, including http://www.howcast.com.

7. Join a Team

The Etsy community is a great support for your shop. One of the best ways to reach out to fellow Etsians is through Etsy Teams. There is a wide array of teams to join, including promo teams, craft specific teams, or teams based in a specific region of the world. This is a great way to promote your products. Remember, Etsy sellers are your best customers!

8. Activity Feed

The newly introduced Activity feed is just screaming to be used as a sales tool. You can now see people who have favorited you, add people who have purchased from you, and keep up-to-date with all the goings on around Etsy. How does this help you? Do your research and keep a watchful eye on what your customers and followers are buying and favoriting. Market research is key to creating a product that people will buy. Additionally, if you add someone to your circle then most likely they will return the favor. You will now have customers who are in the know about your newly listed items! Great!

9. Spread the Love

Etsy is big on spreading the love between all the sellers. The best promotion, in my opinion, is when it comes from a peer. Treasuries are a great way to gain inspiration, promote your fellow Etsians, and thus promoting yourself. In a lot of cases the featured sellers will blog, tweet or Facebook your treasury. Not only will you notice an increase in traffic to your shop, but you might even receive a sale or two.

10. Leave a Lasting Impression

Customers are buying from Etsy because they love handmade. It's more personal than buying from a big box store. So this is your opportunity to leave a lasting impression and have them come back for more. There are a number of different ways you can create a lasting impression on your customer from including a freebie in your packages to just passing along a hand-written thank you note. Customers will appreciate you going the extra mile for them!

11. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Search Engine Optimization is key to generating traffic via the web outside of Etsy. You want to cross your T's and dot your I's when it comes to SEO. This is something is overlooked by a number of Etsy sellers. There are a number of topics on the Etsy forum to assist you with SEO for your shop.

12. Get Outside

Not all traffic can be gained online. Get your hat, lace up your shoes and go out into the real world! There is an abundance of ways to gain traffic in your community. Attend a craft fair, join an association, post on community boards, tell friends and family and anyone who will listen about your products. Always try to carry samples, images or business cards for your products and shop to give to potential customers. Even approach retailers for wholesale opportunities.

13. Promote By RSS Feed

You may not have noticed, but Etsy provides an RSS feed link right on your shop page. This is great for customers to keep up to date with all of your recent additions. So, how is this going to get you traffic? Say that 100 people subscribe to your feed. Every time you add a new product, your followers will know about it right away and will head straight to your shop to take a look. So, how do you get them to subscribe? Copy your RSS feed address and place it in your shop announcement or place a button or badge on your blog or website.

14. Listing & Renewing

This is a bit of a controversial subject amongst Etsy sellers. By listing and renewing your products, you're essentially putting them at the top of the page in the search results. By frequently renewing, many Etsians swear they receive more traffic and sales. But remember, every time you renew your listing it costs you 20¢. If you're going to go this route, try to budget for a certain amount for renewing and stick to that amount. Renewing adds up - quickly.

15. Take Advantage of Google Analytics

Google Analytics is the unleashed beast when it comes to gaining traffic for your shop. So how do you harness this beast? Listen up and learn. Go to your Google Analytics dashboard for your shop. Click Visitors > Visitor Trending > Visits. Now go go graph by (you'll see 4 small icons on the top right of your screen) > Hour. This will give you a breakdown of the best hours your shop receives hits. What do you do with this information? The best time to list or renew your items is during these peak times. Go to http://statsy.org then to Clockbot. This app allows you to automatically renew items at a particular time. Set it up and watch the visitors roll in.

16. Branding

When you sell a product on Etsy, you're essentially creating a brand and a name for yourself. By effectively branding your products, you can increase traffic dramatically. Try including your name on packaging, promotional items, business cards, and anything else that goes out into the world. Don't forget to add your Etsy shop address and name. People will talk, and this is a great way for them to find out who you are and remember you along the line. Make sure everything is cohesive, whether it be with a graphic, font, or color.

17. Take Part in the Forum

I believe that your best customers are Etsy sellers. Get to know everyone and drop a line every few days in the forum. It's also a great way to have a free critique of your store, get updates and tips, and just shoot the breeze on a slow day. Make sure you have a really eye-catching avatar - 9/10 people will click on a really great avatar in the forums, and this will bring in traffic and sales.

18. Tag Efficiently

When customers are searching they want to narrow down their desired product as much as possible. Try not to generalize your listing. By saying "scarf", this leaves the customer wide open to thousands of different sellers. They may be looking for a particular color, material, size, shape. Try using craftweasel's Tagtastic! to narrow down the best possible tags for your items. Also, this will help get your products featured in Treasuries as sellers are always looking for a particular theme for their showcase.

19. Offer Coupons

Thankfully, Etsy now has Coupon Codes available to sellers. Although there isn't much flexibility with them, customers enjoy them nevertheless. Try offering a coupon code for special events, customer appreciation, followers of a blog or association, or even put one on your invoices or business cards. People love stuff that's on sale!

20. Hubpage Your Product

People want to read about your products. Tell the world about your shop and point them in the right direction. Hubpages is a great way to promote your shop and takes very little effort! Go on, try it...what do you have to lose? Signup now.

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