Many home crafters and others that focus on handmade items turn to Etsy as their primary source of distribution and income. What they don’t expect is the entitled attitude of an Etsy customer. Beyond anything you would normally experience on any other platform including your own website. More about that later.

Etsy has put so much power in the hands of the customer that many Etsy sellers simply give up and close their shops. Recently Etsy made it worse with their feedback system to be a “Star Seller” on their platform. If a customer does not leave the seller a 5 star review, the little Star Seller badge will not be displayed on the seller’s store. (Be sure to read: How to be successful on etsy 2021)

That’s right. Even if you have 4 stars, on-time shipping and message response rates, you’re not a Star seller. Below are the parameters. Two you can control. What you can’t is the opinion of an Etsy buyer.

• Message Response Rate (Target 95%)
• 5-Star Rating (Target 95%)
• On-Time Shipping and Tracking (Target 95%)

As a marketer, I have many Etsy sellers as my clients. Believe me when I say that many Etsy customers are entitled, I know first hand. Demanding. Unfair. I’ve read the messages. I’ve read the reviews. 99% of these? Invalid. Yet there is nothing, NOTHING, an Etsy seller can do about it.

In my experience over the past several years, an Etsy seller truly cares about providing the best to their customers. Yet Etsy has taken control away from these sellers time and time again.

The most important thing EVERY Etsy seller should know is that you will never be able to contact the customer or see their email addresses. Etsy has made it so that you are completely reliant on their platform and not able to build the most important resource your business needs to succeed – a customer email list.

What can you do about it? Launch your own ecommerce store. I recommend this immediately to all my Etsy clients and it’s something that should be done sooner rather than later. You want to be able to contact the customers you’ve worked so hard to reach.

My favorite platform is Big Commerce and there is an app that will connect to your Etsy shop. Why is this important? Because your customer information, order shipment, inventory management will all be handled through Big Commerce. HUGE.

From me to you? DO IT NOW. Take back control of your business for your future growth and success. You can get info on Big Commerce here: Big Commerce Platform

The post Why Etsy Customers are the WORST. appeared first on Sanger Marketing.

So often when doing website reviews for clients, the first thing that pops out immediately is the website copy is all over the place. My client thinks they’re talking to their perfect customer, but they’re actually talking to 10 different people. And that’s a problem.

The easiest way to sell your services or product is by selling to the person who is actively looking for it. That’s a given right? So why when you write an email or a social media post why are you not writing to the person that’s looking for your product or service?

Instead you’re writing to the whole world thinking that maybe someone who doesn’t know about you yet might be interested in what you have to offer. But here’s the thing. When you do that, your perfect customer takes a second look and says “hmm. Maybe this isn’t for me after all.”

What you did was actively turn off the person that would have opened their wallet, handed your their credit card and bought what you are offering. Even better? That customer would have likely stayed with you for the long haul happily buying more and more products from you.

So how do you determine who your perfect customer is? These questions will help gain clarity:

1. Look at your current customer base. The easiest way to figure out who your perfect customer is is by looking at who is currently buying from you or using your services. Talk to them. Novel approach right? But it’s simple. Ask them WHY they started buying from you. Then while you’re having that conversation do a little customer service at the same time and ask them what you can improve on.
2. Next put on your research hat and spend some time on Google. What causes them pain every day? What are they looking for to make their lives easier? Where are they hanging out? If you are a career coach and know from your research that your ideal client is in the B2B world and actively looking for a career change, you will know to use Linked In versus Facebook to reach that client. By the way if you are looking to increase sales, you should be actively marketing on Linked In. Get started learning how with Linked In Learning
3. What are your clients goals? If you are an over 50 health and wellness coach and you know your client is dealing with weight gain since menopause, you will know that targeting this person with an slim your midsection promo will get some attention.
4. What is your client afraid of? If you know what your client is worried about, you can easily explain in your copy or during a conversation how you already have the solution to that pain point and are able to solve their problem.
5. Make a list of reasons why people want what you’re offering. For example, letting Facebook decide for you who to show your ad to, may have your ad for a women over 50 dealing with menopause shown to a 24 year old guy fresh out of college. That ad would be a huge waste of money and resources you can definitely use elsewhere. Getting crystal clear on your customer saves you money in the short term and long run.

If you try to serve EVERYONE, you will end up serving no one. Speak and write to your ONE perfect client and watch the orders roll in and the phone ring off the hook.

p.s. Need a fresh set of eyes on your website? We can help. Schedule a free 5 minute consultation and let us help you get to work and making money. Copywriting and customer aquisition is our speciality. Click here and schedule your free consulation: 5 minute website copy review consulation Time slots are limited.

The post Do you know who your perfect customer is? 5 ways to reach your ideal client. appeared first on Sanger Marketing.

I know how hard it can be to grow any business including an Etsy business. These platforms make it sound so easy. Sure go ahead. Create a product listing and watch the sales roll in. Well if you’re here, you know that doesn’t work. So what do you need to do? Below are a few tips to help you be more successful on Etsy in 2021.

• Search engines including Etsy and Google change their algorithm all the time. One day, your product is showing number one in the search results. Next day? You are not found. That is why it’s so important to connect with your customers. They need to know who you ARE. Think about. You are walking down the road and a guy jumps in front of you and says I have this product I want to sell to you, give me your credit card. You’re going to do what? Run away as fast and as far as you can. But if you’ve been showing up in your business. REALLY showing up and visible on social media, email and more, your customers will feel comfortable buying from you. Their first purchase may be something small but as you provide them with a high quality product that exceeds their expectations, they’ll be back. And they’ll recommend you to their family and friends.
• Which brings me to the next point. Work on building your email list NOW. Don’t wait a moment longer. Why? You don’t own anything on Etsy, Ebay, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and the list continues. At any given moment, they can shut you down and you lose access to everything including your customers. How do you sell to them now? Onto the next point.
• Have your own website or at least a one page hosted page on your email provider where you customers can join your newsletter, give away – whatever it is you decide to do. This allows you to collect their name and email address. I prefer Aweber. Perfect for beginners with their one step landing pages to build your list. No need to have a website if you’re not quite ready for that. However, I recommend you create one as soon as you can. Read this to find out what happened to my client when Etsy shut her business down: ETSY PUT MY SHOP ON VACATION MODE AND IT KILLED MY BUSINESS!
• Write good product titles and descriptions. I’ve been a copywriter and SEO pro for more years than I care to talk about today but there is one thing that’s remained the same. Taking the time to write GOOD, detailed product titles and descriptions will put you leap and bounds ahead of your competition. How do you do this? You write to real people. Imagine your perfect customer. Who are they? How old are they? Does your perfect customer have a family? Do the work or are they retired? All of those things are very different and honing in on the product title with search terms that your customer is looking for can make or break a business. Really take time to think about this person – your perfect customer. Get a visual in your head of what he/she looks like then write for THEM. Remember you are not only writing for the search results, you’re writing for a human. That human is the one that will open their wallet and take out their credit card.
• Tell YOUR story. People connect with you, the person as I mentioned above. Tell folks your why. Why did you start your business and get into the nitty gritty. It’s easy to say I want to quit my job but that’s not your real why. This is what I mean: “Hi. I’m Denise and I’m glad you’re visiting my ABC Etsy shop. I live a quiet life in rural Florida with my rescue horses and dogs. My girls are all grown up but less than 2 hours away. It wasn’t always this way. Raising kids in between a high pressure job in Miami almost put me in the hospital. I was trying to do it. Be the best mom. The super employee. The attentive wife. The volunteer at all my kids events. It was too much. I found myself feeling worse and worse. If you’re like me, family comes first. I knew I had to make a change but I wasn’t sure what that change would be. One day when a friend was visiting, she saw my beach gadgets and said where did you get that? I love it. I told her I made it. She said why aren’t you selling these? They’re amazing. And that’s how ABC Etsy shop was born. I started slow while still working at my job. Yes I made a lot of mistakes but I wouldn’t trade the freedom I have now. If my kids were sick, I didn’t work. If I want to go on vacation, I let my customers know and would take a week or two off. It really means a lot to me that you’re here and I hope you enjoy looking around. If you have any questions or want to talk about a special order, please message me and let’s get creative.“ Big difference from I want to quit my job isn’t it?

Simply starting with the few tips above will have an immediate effect on your business plus help you securely scale in the future for yourself on your terms. Keep checking back as I add more tips to build your Etsy business. Why? Because I was you once upon a time. Story may not be the same but the end goal probably is.

Don’t give up!

Denise

p.s. Need help with storytelling? I absolutely recommend you take the time for this course: Irresistible Storytelling We all have our strengths and weaknesses. If crafting a message for your store puts you into a cold sweat, you owe it to yourself to take this short but very effective course. Get your message and story crafted and watch the difference it makes in your sales.

The post How to be successful on Etsy 2021 appeared first on Sanger Marketing.

There are two ways to put your shop in vacation mode – you do it yourself or Etsy does it for you. Either one will cause your business to TANK. That’s exactly what happened to my client that had built her business to over $10,000 in monthly sales. $10,000 to nothing.

Why would you want to put your shop on vacation?

Etsy tells you it’s okay to put your shop on vacation to catch up on orders or if you’ll be out of town. My recommendation? Don’t do it. No matter how many times they’ll tell you it won’t affect your traffic and sales, they’re wrong. I have seen time and time again from my client’s stores the exact opposite. Vacation mode has a hard, negative impact on store sales.

You can see EXACTLY when Etsy put this store on vacation. Look how far the visits have tanked. If this doesn’t make it crystal clear about how little control you have over your business, I don’t know what will.

If you are behind in your sales OR may planning a vacation, it’s best to adjust your shipping times. You can do that by going to your store dashboard, settings, shipping settings, shipping profiles and adjust the processing time. You can move it out to 10 weeks if necessary.

Now what do you do?

Now what do you do when Etsy puts your store on vacation? Well you have zero control over that scenario except to follow what they tell you to do. The store I’ve shown the stats above for is a seasonal business that is dependent on Mother Nature. This seller is stuck as they are not able to ship for at least another month.

No matter how many times we’ve explained this to Etsy seller support, you’re talking to someone who is only following a script. They’re not able to make any determinations on their own. Dead end. There’s not a damn thing we can do right now. This store is for all purposes closed by Etsy. Truthfully from a seller perspective? Etsy sucks.

What do I recommend all my clients do? Get control of your business! When you’re selling on Etsy, Ebay or Amazon, you don’t own your business – they do. It’s THEIR platform not yours.

You cannot contact your customers directly and can only communicate with them through their selling platform. As soon as you try to communicate with the customer in any other format, you are in violation of their selling terms. They can shut you down. Immediately. In the click of a key, you’ve just lost your business.

Take control of your business.

If there is just one thing I hope you take away from this, it’s DO NOT GIVE CONTROL OF YOUR BUSINESS OVER TO ANYONE. EVER.

How to fix this? Use Etsy, Ebay or any other platform to build your business. Dedicate a portion of your sales to create an online presence with your own website. I recommend Big Commerce or Shopify as they are easy to set up in minutes if you’re selling physical products.

Build your email list. You may have heard it before but I’m here to say it again – the money is in the list. Be sure you have an email optin in place on your site and on all social media platforms. This gives YOU control on how and when you communicate with your customers. I like Aweber because of the many options available but there are several others that will serve the purpose.

Finally, if this has happened to you, breathe. It’s a blessing in disguise and one that will help you take your business to the next level. Need help? Contact us. Click here: Contact Sanger Marketing

The post Etsy put my shop on vacation mode and it killed my business! appeared first on Sanger Marketing.

Here are a few simple steps for you to make sure the traffic you’re working to reach finds YOUR BUSINESS:

1. Use YOUR images or opt for royalty free images.  There are many great sources online – some that are free.

2. Put YOUR company name on the bottom. Check this image as a quick example for you to copy.  Notice the @ TwitterName along with our website address. This makes it easy for our customers to find us.

3.  Include a link in the post that your customers can use to contact you directly.

Questions?  Feel free to reach out to us.  We are here to help you build your business and brand quickly and effectively.

The post Facebook Marketing Tip appeared first on Sanger Marketing.

Having a product listed as available when it’s out of stock.
This was one of the top complaints I heard from my panel. As an online seller I know how difficult it can be to keep track of inventory when selling on multiple platforms, which is why it’s very very important to check inventory regularly, or to limit how much inventory you’re listing on each platform. For example, if you have 20 available, it may be a good idea to list 10 and 10 on each platform (so there is no risk of selling out). If you only have one item left, it may be worth it to list that particular item on the more popular platform only. If you create custom items, you can list things as “exclusive” on different platforms. There are many options here.

Taking too long to ship or having a long “processing” time.
Buyers expect there will be a delay when purchasing online. What they don’t expect is a two to three WEEK wait time for the item to ship (unless it has been noted somewhere on your site). Assign yourself regular shipping days, and then make sure all items are shipped accordingly. Personally, I ship on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday with a 1 – 2 business day processing time. My schedule becomes:

• Items purchased on Sunday and Monday will ship Wednesday.
• Items purchased Tuesday and Wednesday will ship Friday.
• Items purchased Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will ship on Tuesday.

This gives me time to prep, pack, print, and ship without rushing. Some people find that shipping every single day, at the end of the day, is easiest for them. Others find a schedule works best. Figure out your shipping schedule, and then stick with it.

Marking an item as shipped, and then waiting a week to drop off at post office.
This one was actually a big pet peeve of mine as well as my panel. It is very frustrating when a seller marks an item as “Shipped” but takes another week to have the item picked up or dropped off. Here’s an important note: Your buyer will KNOW if you took too long to drop off their item at a post office, and there’s nothing worse than receiving that glorious “Your item has shipped!” notice when, in fact, it has not. If you’ve provided tracking information, your buyer will likely use it (and it will show that the item has not been dropped off yet). If you did not provide tracking information, the post office will stamp a date on the package for the day it was actually processed. Marking your package as “Shipped” is not a Get Out Of Jail Free card for procrastinating – you risk losing a customer if you procrastinate dropping it off.

Charging way too much for shipping to compensate for a low price tag.
There’s nothing a client hates more than finding a seemingly good price for an item, adding it to their cart, and then shipping be outrageously high. Sellers, if you cannot afford to sell the item for a lower price tag, don’t. Instead of lowering the cost and bumping up the shipping, find an alternative to convince buyers to buy from you. For example, offer free shipping on purchases greater than $100, throw in a free bag with purchase, offer 30 day money back guarantee, or record free video tutorials for the product. Put yourself a step ahead of everyone else and offer something that you feel comfortable giving.

False advertising or making a product appear to be better than it actually is.
You have to admit, when you find an item online that seems absolutely perfect for resolving your XYZ issue, you are excited about it. Well, how do you feel when you receive that item and it turns out it was falsely advertised, or made to seem more exciting than it actually is? Not great, right? Well, your customers will feel the same way if you falsely advertise a product. Use your words carefully here and provide ACCURATE pictures. Give them the facts but sell it at the same time. Your item may be colorful, easy to use, all natural, or convenient – great! Sell it that way. Don’t try to sell your item as Super Sleek and Attractive, SUPER Easy To Use, 100% ORGANIC, or Will Help You Save The World – unless it’s true.

I hope you’ve found value in today’s post – it’s nice to be able to pick your customer’s brain from time to time. It’s even nicer when someone else does the dirty work for you.

Have a beautiful day and sell smart!
Namaste,
Aly

The post Your Customers Biggest Pet Peeves – Online Shopping! appeared first on Sanger Marketing.

Story time… In addition to being a remarkable, super marketer I run a small ecofriendly business that focuses on reusable menstrual products (for the non menstruaters out there, sorry if this topic grosses you out!). Recently, the FDA has begun enforcing stricter regulations on retailers of cloth pads, forcing small and big businesses to register as medical device manufacturers. In short… cloth pads = medical device, and you have to pay a hefty price to continue making them. Unfortunately, this now means that hundreds of small businesses are being forced to shut their doors. Yep – you guessed it, my store has also been impacted by this change and sadly I don’t believe we’ll be able to pay the fee in time to continue producing cloth pads for 2015.

What do you do when your business hits a huge hurdle such as this?

Well, for one, don’t do what I did. I panicked, I worried, and I became depressed. All that accomplished nothing, except panic attacks and anxiety. Not so good.

Once I calmed down, I put things in perspective. I launched a campaign for funding, I launched ridiculously good sales on social media, and I’m in the process of launching an email campaign. In other words, I took action. With all that said and done, I am now planning for the future. I’m thinking about new and exciting opportunities, and I’m thinking of ways to revamp my business.

Moral of the story:

Do NOT let challenges and hurdles deter you from your dream and goals. Instead, when you hit a bump in the road, do these four things:

1. Put things in perspective
2. Take action
3. Plan for the future
4. Revamp your business

Namaste folks,
Aly

The post Being A Small Business Is Scary: Tips For Overcoming Hurdles appeared first on Sanger Marketing.

When building your brand, there are five questions you want to address:

1. What are your goals & core values?
2. What makes you unique?
3. What are your strengths (and weaknesses)?
4. How can you help your clients?
5. Do you have what it takes (or even better: Are you ready)?

These questions are crucial in helping you bring your scattered thoughts to one central location. So grab your pen and paper, and start taking notes. Here’s what you need to focus on when addressing the above questions:

Before you even begin building your brand, your goals and core values should be at the front of your mind…

Start mapping them out. Write down your goals and values. What do you hope to achieve, and what are willing to do to reach those goals? You will need to prioritize, so be realistic with your expectations.

Just know, it’s OK to start small. My very first business venture the first goal I set was to sell ONE product. Just one. Gain that first dollar. And I did, and then some. My second goal was to sell FIVE product in one week. Again, I did. Eventually I reached my goal to sell ten products every day, and so on. Set realistic and ACHIEVABLE goals, and then grow from there.

Make yourself standout – your competition should think of you as a threat…

If you keep following the crowd, no one is going to find any advantage going to you over Joe, Jane, or John. Standout! What will you be offering that makes you unique? Does your personality shine when writing content? Is your support top-notch? Are you offering free shipping plus a free gift for $xx?

Don’t be afraid to be YOU! There was one company I recently dealt with who was not afraid to be sarcastic. In fact, their unique humor and sarcastic nature is what I found to be so fun about them! They built an entire business around their personality and sense of humor, and they’ve been pretty successful doing so – you can be too.

Focus on your strengths, but don’t ignore your weaknesses…

Of course you want to highlight your strengths when building a business, it’s a great way to point out what you’re GREAT at so others can find value in your work, but you also don’t want to ignore your weaknesses. Fact is, if you ignore your weaknesses, a potential client may find them instead. Let’s face it, it’s a pretty embarrassing feeling when a client calls you out. Instead of pretending you’re invincible, admit what is your kryptonite.

For example, I’m not a master website designer – and I am the first to admit it. Instead of shying away and saying that “I can’t,”  or lying and saying I can do everything, I make sure to let potential clients know “Hey – I can’t build you a website from scratch, but what I can do is customize an existing theme or website so that it suits your needs.” I admit my weakness and highlight my strength – and clients will appreciate the honesty.

You should fill a need or offer a convenient service…

One of the first questions a client asks when considering a new product or service is “What’s in it for me?” Your branding should clearly state how you can help them – if they have to dig for it, you’ll probably lose them. Remember, convenience is key. If your product is to help make life easier, emphasize that, “Let ME help YOU with this amazing thing I have” or “Are you tired of doing THAT? This thing can help!” You can build a very strong brand when you make customers feel like they NEED to have you.

You must be ready and willing…

Both for success and failure. There’s no chance of success without the risk of failure, and you need to face that. You may fail multiple times before you hit it big. You may need to rebuild your brand time and time again until you find just the right balance. Be aware, if you’re terrified of failure, your clients will know. You’ll hold back, you’ll play safe, you’ll ultimately be boring – and no one has time for boring. I want you to ask yourself right now, “Are you prepared for failure?” If you can’t answer yes to that question, you’re not ready for success either, because a successful business comes with risks.

Rock on!
Aly

The post Strong Brand = Strong Client Base: 5 Tips For Building A Stronger Brand appeared first on Sanger Marketing.

There will be a lot of bumps in the road on the way to success; you may spend more money than you’d like, you may not realize everything you need to have in place legally before you begin, you may be experiencing little to no traffic to your website, and so on. There is a lot to consider when you first start your business or when you first begin your marketing campaigns, but don’t let it discourage you!

Regardless of what others may promise or tell you, the process is often not instantaneous. There are a few overnight success stories, but it’s important to note, and put things in perspective, that these stories are not the norm. The majority of successful businesses worked their butts off to get where they are today. They cried, panicked, felt overwhelmed, and experienced a whole slew of emotions before they were finally able to say “I did it!” You will too!

When you begin to feel panic, anxiety, or stress – stop. Just. Stop. Thinking. Easier said than done – I know, but it *can* be done! So stop. Focus on something else for a few moments, take calming breaths, and clear your mind. YES it is going to be hard, but YOU CAN DO IT!

Blessings,
Aly

The post Don’t be discouraged. appeared first on Sanger Marketing.

•  Save the name for last if you need to.
  In the beginning you’re still developing and growing, and you may not be 100% sold on your brand name. That’s fine. What’s not fine is rebranding five times BEFORE you finally land on one you love. This winds up confusing your community, kills your SEO, and just causes an overall mess. So save the name for last if you need to.

• Research, research, research.
  Research products, reviews, laws, restrictions, materials, etc. You may discover legal items that need to be addressed before you can start your business. In addition to researching legal areas, make sure you fully research products you plan to sell. Will you be doing drop-shipping or direct sales? Will you be carrying merchandise manufactured by someone else or will you be creating your products yourself? 
• Be prepared.
  There are a lot of factors to consider when launching your business, such as the ones outlined in the above bullet, make sure you’re fully prepared to handle them. If your business skyrocketed in sales overnight, could you handle it? On the flip side, are you mentally prepared for the journey you’re about to take (both the ups and downs)?
• Separate work from home.
  When building a business make sure you form a designated spot in your home for work. Here’s the important bit of this bullet: Keep. Work. There! Do not bring your work into other aspects of your home. Another consideration: Keep your work OUT of your bedroom space. In a home where space may be limited, you may be tempted to put a desk in your bedroom and call it your office. The issue with this is we turn a space that’s supposed to be our “sanctuary” or “zen” room into an area of anxiety. It becomes habit to walk into that room, see your “office” space, and immediately click into work mode when you should be winding down for bed. This energizes the space and keeps your mind energized as well, taking away from your slumber. If you must have your office in your bedroom, separate it with a curtain, screen, etc. so there is a distinct line of where work ends and zen begins.
• Take time for yourself.
  It’s easy to become caught up in your business and forget about yourself. For this reason, one of my biggest recommendations is to pencil time into your busy schedule each day for yourself. This could be an hour towards the end of the day where you finally power down your computer and cell phone, or perhaps attend a yoga class a few times a week. Whatever it is that brings you joy, just make sure you make time to enjoy it.

Blessings,
Aly

The post Starting a business? 5 tips before you begin. appeared first on Sanger Marketing.