Hi everyone! This is Masha Kaganovich, a marketer at Western Bid. Today’s topic is incredibly important, colossal, and global. It’s called “The Power of the Brand”.
What is a store’s brand?
What is image, what is a store’s brand? A brand is everything. A brand is your photos and the background behind your photos. A brand is your logo, your store’s name, your shop name. A brand is your prices in your store. What they are, the price range, how you determine the value of your goods. Your store’s brand is your description, your photos of you at work. This is your face, the face of your store. Here , it’s important not to make mistakes.
When all this harmonizes, appeals to your target customer, that’s when you will achieve results. And it doesn’t matter what your conversion rate is or how many people visit your store. Yes, of course, it’s necessary to be visible in search. But basically, everything else is the power of the brand.
If you visit a store that calls itself a boutique but is indistinguishable from some grocery store in design or layout, it will look exactly the same as every other one at every intersection, then you won’t understand: wait, what do they want, $2000 for this vase? I can calmly buy on eBay or some market for just $5.
No, no, no. When a person enters that store, they should feel that a real master is at work here. That they will receive genuine service.
Personalization — the key to success on Etsy
Therefore, one of the most popular things in Etsy stores is personalization. When you can embroider, write, or print a child’s name. Or a greeting. So how can you give more options to people when they visit your store?
How does a person, entering a store, get the feeling that: Oh, this is what I need. Oh no, I don’t really like this. This one, and then she sees the price, something totally unclear, what is it even? Oh, and this one costs half as much and is much more beautiful. I want exactly this. Right?
Pricing strategy
The most popular and best items should be on sale first to make them look even more attractive compared to the less popular and more expensive items. Right? Well, that’s just one example of how the overall impression of the brand is created.
Is a brand necessary on eBay?
If you sell your goods on eBay, do you need a brand? The answer is sometimes, but most often no. I know many eBay sellers who are excellent businessmen, selling clothes, items, shoes, handmade products, vintage, antiques, collectibles, without worrying about their brands. Right?
When is a brand really important
But now I’m talking about something else. Now we talk about the fact that if you produce certain items handmade, you cannot sell items in flow, i.e., you can’t list 20 items a day. Or you have some more exclusive, unique items.
Even on Etsy, there are things made by hand but similar to one another. Nearly impossible to distinguish one knitted item in one store from another. I’m not talking about such products now because where competition is high and products are similar, the most important thing is price. It’s very difficult to differentiate yourself from other sellers.
So now, we’ll talk about things that are different, special, exclusive.
How to create a perception of high value
You walk into a boutique or store. What makes you feel that you want to buy that product? It’s insanely expensive, but you want to buy it.
Let’s look at a simple example. Here’s my picture—how much could it cost? It could cost $10 on eBay, or $1500. Many people say they like this picture. Or, maybe they would pay $10 for it. Or maybe someone would pay $1500 for it.
But how can I make buyers see this picture as truly worth fifteen hundred dollars? That’s the power of a brand. For example, if I tell you that this painting has won several awards at exhibitions, that all my paintings generally sell for over two thousand dollars. I sell them well on all marketplaces, mainly on Etsy. I have many reviews, and I’ve sold quite a few paintings. Moreover, I arrange exhibitions, I have recommendations from my clients. I am a professional artist. You probably look at this painting and think: yes, it’s quite sellable for that price.
Once I went into a lamp store. It was a very expensive boutique in a special mall with only high-end stores. I understand that rent there is costly. The fact that the store is in that mall already speaks to its exclusivity. I’m talking about this chandelier. I entered and saw that they had very expensive chandeliers. I.e., none cost less than $2000. It was very beautiful, stunning, in the style I wanted.
In short, when I saw this chandelier on sale for $500, and it was the most beautiful, I bought it immediately. Compared to other chandeliers costing two thousand, I thought it was both beautiful and quite affordable.
Perceived Value — the perception of value
How do we perceive the costliness or, conversely, the cheapness of a product? Everything is based on comparison. This concept in marketing is called “Perceived Value”. What I’ve just shared about my painting increased your “Perceived Value”. That is, the value of my painting rose in your eyes. The value of that lamp increased because other lamps in the store cost much more.
Thus, when we can change perceptions and raise the value and importance of our items, and their beauty in the eyes of buyers, which is achieved through branding, this is how the store gains popularity. And then we can sell such items very effectively.
How to create your own brand
If you can understand what I’m saying and truly grasp what you are aiming for, I am confident you will definitely achieve your goal. So, all you need to create your brand is to learn from the masters. Well, I believe that. You just need to go to Etsy, find a very popular store with a solid reputation, many sales and reviews, and observe how they do it.
This does not mean copying their style. No, you shouldn’t copy their style. That’s not necessary. You need to create your own style. Right? But you’ll see this harmony, and after viewing several such boutiques and stores, an idea will come to mind on how to make something similar… No, not exactly the same, but something unique to you.
Conclusion
Why does a brand matter at all if the product is already good?
Because the buyer assesses not only the product itself but everything around it — visual style, store name, photos, atmosphere, positioning. The brand creates a sense of value: why this painting costs $1500 and not $10. When the store looks holistic and trustworthy, buyers perceive the products as more valuable.
How to increase perceived value of products on Etsy?
This is done through the overall impression: photos, style, description, the artist’s story, reviews, personalization, and smart pricing. When a person feels they’ve entered the hands of a true master, their “perceived value” increases, and even high prices seem logical and fair.
How to create your own brand, without copying other sellers?
The best way is to study successful shops on Etsy: observe how they build their style, how they present products, how they create atmosphere. But not copy, rather find harmony and inspiration — to create something original, recognizable, and unique. When the visual style, prices, and presentation start to work together, a real brand emerges that sets the store apart from competitors.
I wish you success in your sales. All the best! Until next time.
