As I am embracing my role as a person growing and promoting my Etsy shop I have been seeing a lot of conversations that show a disconnect between buyers and sellers in the marketplace of Etsy. 

  • Buyers are frustrated with the fees, shipping, products and services
  • Sellers are frustrated with repeat complaints, the fees, being the middleman, fear of shop closure, and competing with big companies.

By writing this article, I hope I can articulate some of the reasons these frustrations exist using examples, and sharing ways those conversations could improve and better bridge the gap between buyers and sellers. 

SAMPLE STORY OF AN ETSY SHOPPER:

You are on your phone searching for the perfect gift for the person who is impossible to buy for and wants to really do a good job this year. You set aside a budget for gifts and you think $20.. That is the price I am looking for. You see a fun shirt you think they would love. Hop over to Etsy.. It's on sale for $19.50 score.. Before you even check out you applaud yourself for finding something in budget and you think they will just really love this item.. You add it to your cart, get your credit card out, and then you see that little number $8.99 shipping. You aren't able to do all the math in your head but you think.. Man that is close to 50% of what the item costs.. Then you hesitate.. Think of how could you make it work you think of all the other gifts you need to get... Could you spend less on someone else.. No you think.. Then you get a great idea.. I'm sure if I reach out to the seller maybe they can do this tiny favor and give me free shipping. I'll try. You are polite and cordial and send a quick note to the seller.. "Hey, I really like your shop.. I want to purchase the ____________ but I really can only pay up to $20.. Will you give me free shipping for the item. " You wait and wait and wait what seems like forever, do other task but come back to no response". Then it finally comes. "Sorry I cannot do free shipping". Your heart sinks.. and you start getting aggitated.. Does it really cost $8.99 to ship? Couldn't they just send it in one of those envelope things.. You respond.. "Can't you just send it in one of those prepaid box or envelope things." Another response.. "No I'm sorry. That isn't something I can do". You feel defeated and because of your agitation, you give it one more try. "It's the holidays, can't you make an exception? I really need this. I've had a lot going on and this is the perfect gift.. I only can spend $20. .. The seller just doesn't respond and blocks you. You feel frustrated, exhausted and need to spend a bunch more time coming up with a gift idea. 

What did this Seller do right and wrong?

  • RIGHT: Reached out to the seller. It never hurts to ask.
  • RIGHT: Stuck with their budget. Good for them.
  • RIGHT: Attempted to speak kindly to the seller at least at first.
  • RIGHT: Noticed the shipping fee before making the purchase. 
  • WRONG: Didn't seek clarity or understand the seller. 
  • WRONG: Didn't fully understand the listing.
  • WRONG: Got emotional with the communications with the seller. 
  • WRONG: Didn't work collaboratively with the seller. 

What would have improved the buyer's experience? 

  • Having a basic understanding of Etsy shops (layout, policies, fee structure)
  • Reading the announcement, full listing, FAQ, and shop policy.
  • Seeing the other products in the shop. 
  • Seeking information to understand the decision-making of the seller
  • Problem-solving a doable solution that would benefit both the buyer and seller. 

TIPS FOR BUYERS shopping on Etsy:

  • Small businesses making homemade goods are paying pretty close to what you would pay to ship an item and their reputation is at stake if the item is undeliverable or damaged which can impact their sales in the future. Consider this the next time you want to ask for free shipping on an item. 
  • Print on Demand and Dropshipping businesses don't control shipping prices as that is set by the manufacturing and fulfillment service they are using. If they are large enough some may have subscriptions to reduce some prices. Just know that they are a middleman in this situation. 
  • Check sales and reviews for a shop. This is available to see for each Etsy shop and will give you an idea of 
  • Read the full listing information before buying. Not only will this allow you to make sure this is the product you want but it will show you a little more about the person running the shop. Are the listings helpful, well written, items displayed well, etc.. Do they take their business seriously or is it half done.  This gives you a chance to look at reviews as well. 

Sample Story of a New Etsy Seller: 

You are up early again at your computer checking over all your Etsy listings. You know there is still a lot of work to do but you are feeling proud about the progress you have made even though a bit of doubt hangs in the back of your head. You think about how if this is successful you can pay off the repairs to your roof on your house or maybe even have a tree this year for Chirstmas. This excitement moves your forward. Before work you post to social media, update SEO on your listings and make sure the primary picture looks spectacular. All your hard work is going to pay off soon. You just know it. You head to your day job that you enjoy but it also drains you. After a full day of work and feeling exhausted you go to your Etsy store and see you have one message. You click on the message and see "Hey, I really like your shop.. I want to purchase the ____________ but I really can only pay up to $20.. Will you give me free shipping for the item. " You sit for a moment. Can I afford that? You go on Etsy to check the price. On sale for $19.50 and shipping $8.99. Ok.. You go to Printify and check what you owe if you sell an item. It's $16.99 plus $8.99 shipping. You calculate the math and see you have to get at least $25.98 just to pay for shipping and printify. Then you calculate the other costs. The listing fee, transaction fee, advertising. You see that you would be at a loss if you do the sale. You think about it... You are a new shop and don't have many reviews and this is the first person to reach out in the last month. You think about how much time you spent early in the morning and late a night to set up, organize, update and advertise for your shop. You realize you didn't eat anything after work and decide to grab dinner before responding. You don't have energy for a big meal so you make a frozen burrito and eat an apple and take a shower. Ok.. you are ready to respond. You decide.. Even though I need sales my time and effort is valuable and i don't want to have to pay to sell an item. So you respond briefly with "Sorry I cannot do free shipping".. You feel good about keeping to your boundary and setting a good standard for your shop. Another message comes in "Can't you just send it in one of those prepaid box or envelope things.".. You feel stumped.. Does this person not understand what Print on Demand is. You check your listing.. The information is there. It seems clear as day. You respond again.. holding to your boundary. "No I'm sorry. That isn't something I can do". Again feeling good for sticking up for yourself and your business. It feels a little hard right now but you know you will get better at this. You go back to updating your site. You see a message "It's the holidays, can't you make an exception? I really need this. I've had a lot going on and this is the perfect gift.. I only can spend $20." You start to get a picture of this person and wonder should I change my mind.. You remember no. I'm not in this for charity.. If I become a big shot someday I can donate then but I have a roof to pay off and Christmas items to get.. I cannot do it. Though you feel for this person you are starting to feel like you need to really make it clear.. You won't budge. You know that in other areas of life you are kinda a pushover and gotta stand firm. You decide this person isn't worth your time.. So instead of responding back you block them and move forward as you have better things to be doing than keep answering the same questions..

What did the Seller do write and wrong?

  • RIGHT: Took time for self care before reaching out.
  • RIGHT: Analysed how the product pricing would be impacted in the sale. 
  • RIGHT: Set clear boundaries.
  • RIGHT: Responded the same day. 
  • WRONG: Let emotions show through in writing and decision making with the buyer.
  • WRONG: Didn't seek to collaborate, compromise, or problem-solve in a doable way for both parties. 
  • WRONG: Didn't clarify the reasons for their decisions. 
  • WRONG: Gave up on the interaction and lost a potential customer. 

SELLERS:

As a seller you know that having free shipping is attractive and yet you gotta make decisions like.. Well is it more genuine and honest to have the cost up front in the sale price or have the shipping listed later? 

  • GENUINE, HONEST, CLEAR: Buyers respond well to honest and genuine clear responses. You don't have to hide all the inner workings of your shop to be successful. Laying it out on the table can make both you and the buyer feel better. Just be careful not to make it a pity party or get too technical. The minimal information to make it clear and concise. 
  • BAD NEWS: If you are giving a buyer bad news finding something positive you can offer instead can make that easier. Maybe suggest the same design on a product that is more affordable for them or create some kind of offer available in those cases such as a 5% off code they can use on their next visit. 
  • BUYER MOTIVATIONS: Seeking clarity for the motivations of your buyers will help you to give them products that are attractive to them. 
  • MOST COMMON COMPLAINTS: Craft well-written responses and FAQs to carefully and thoughtfully respond to your buyer's most asked questions and concerns. This will save you stress on the little things so you can focus on bigger concerns or growing your business.
  • BLOCKING: Blocking should be used as a last resort and all other methods have failed. This means trying to come up with some kind of compromise. Certainly, this will not always work but better to try to salvage the interaction than create a potential negative review. At least then you have ground to stand on should the person write something negative. 

TAGS:

#Etsybuyertips

#etsysellertips

#Bettercommunicationsonetsyguide

#etsyconversations

#learningonlinebusinessskills

#Oregonblogger

#Blogaboutetsysellers