If you’ve followed our Sewing to sell series, you might have seen our previous posts, where we’ve covered how to get started with an Etsy shop and how to get great Etsy reviews, as well as some interviews with other great makers who sell what they sew, such as Joy from Sew Joyful, Katie, from Little Bags and Heidi, from Handbags and Home.

In this post we’re going to talk about how to get more traffic to your Etsy shop.

1. Tell your friends

 One of the first things you should do when opening your Etsy shop is tell your friends and family about your new shop. Make them excited about what you’re sewing and selling and ask them to mention you to their friends.

2. Improve your e-mail signature 

Another thing to consider is adding your Etsy shop to your email signature. Make it easy for people to discover your shop.

3. Share it on social media 

Do you use Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Instagram or other social media platforms? Share the link to your shop there as well and keep your friends and followers interested in what you do.

4. Pitch a local newspaper, magazine or blog 

Are your products unique? Are you using green or recycled supplies? Is your community benefiting from the sale of your products? Don’t be afraid of contacting the local news or a blogger you follow and ask them to share your story to a bigger audience.

5. Hand out your business card 

Always have a business card with you and don’t be afraid to give it away to people whom you talk to about what you do. Invite them to check out your shop. When you sell something from your shop include another couple of business cards and encourage your customers to tell their friends about your shop.

6. Display your shop name at craft fairs 

Are you participating in a craft fair or a summer market this year? Invest in printing a large banner with the name of your Etsy shop and offer people who’ve seen the banner a special discount. Even if they see your products and don’t decide to buy on the spot, invite them to take a photos of your banner or pick up a business card and visit your shop later.

7. Basic SEO 

(search engine optimisation)

Last but not least, another important aspect of bringing more potential customers to your Etsy shop is writing appropriate product titles, descriptions and keywords. Be as specific and as detailed as you can and think about what your customers might search for to get to your products. Look up similar products on Etsy and observe how they describe their products.