Hello! My name is Victoria Zhidok. I represent Western Bid in Chernihiv and at the same time, I am gradually developing my small business on Etsy. Our company basically opens up a whole world of international sales for you, accepts payments from your websites, delivers goods to any part of the world, and also has a Prep Center and Fulfillment Center in the USA.
And today, continuing the topic, I want to talk about mistakes that almost all of us made when we first started working on Etsy. Honestly, this is completely normal, because everyone makes mistakes when doing something. I can confirm this one hundred percent. When I started, I made so many mistakes that it’s even funny to remember, and I lost a lot of time. That is why I want our viewers and subscribers, who are just taking their first steps on Etsy, not to spend years on the same pitfalls, but to move immediately in a more effective way.
Based on personal experience and experience communicating with clients, I have gathered the most common mistakes that Etsy sellers make at the beginning.
Mistake №1: Giving up too quickly
The most typical mistake is simply giving up too soon. You know, when you seem to be doing everything right, but there are no sales. I also had such depressive thoughts at the start, when I literally lived in anticipation of those first orders… but they didn’t come. No day, no night. I checked Etsy more often than my messengers, and it was just exhausting. My hands really dropped. Honestly, I was almost ready to say to myself “that’s it, enough”.
But… at the moment when I let go of that thought (although, psychologically, it’s not easy at all), I started working even more. Tried other approaches, experimented with photos, searched for new audiences, changed things over and over again. And then, the result didn’t keep waiting.
About 85% of sellers give up too quickly. And Etsy is a story about time, skills, experiments, and patience. The more you invest — in thoughts, effort, time — the more you will get back.
One can say that there is a classic way: doing everything by trial and error until experience and confidence appear. But there is also another option — a quick breakthrough. When you immediately find a trending product that is already “shooting” on Etsy. Remember how masks “shot” at the beginning of the pandemic?
But it’s not so simple here either. Serious preparation is needed: trend analysis, market analysis, niche analysis, studying competitors. And then, compare all this with your capabilities to genuinely make that product. Only then, offering it on Etsy, there is a high probability that it will work.
Mistake №2: Thinking from a seller’s perspective, not a buyer’s
The second common mistake is looking at everything through the eyes of a seller, not a buyer. To make your product findable, you need to choose tags, create a proper title — all that’s clear. But often, we go to a competitor’s listing and simply copy their tags, not thinking about how a real person would name your product when searching for it on Etsy.
It was an eye-opening moment for me that in the US, daisies are searched more often as “Daisy”, not “Camomile”, as we are used to. Small detail, but such small things greatly influence visibility.
Now, it’s totally simple: you can ask ChatGPT how buyers in America search for similar products. And then, connect analytics. I use eRank — I choose the most effective tags and from them, I create a title.
Don’t forget about your shop’s statistics — it shows what queries bring traffic to you.
Mistake №3: Focusing on one-time sales
Mistake №3 — thinking only about one-time sales. Yes, if you sell something — that’s great, but even better when the one-time customer returns. By the way, we have a video on our channel about how to make a customer loyal.
Your task — not just to have a product that sells well, but to create a brand that the customer remembers. Add a business card, some small branded insert, create a discount coupon for a repeat purchase. And in general — create an atmosphere where the customer wants to come back themselves.
Mistake №4: Ignoring your shop’s statistics
Mistake №4 — ignoring statistics. Honestly, there is so much useful information there that it’s a crime not to look. The most important thing — is the conversion rate. It shows how well the shop is working. If you have 2.5% or higher — it’s okay. For digital goods, it should be around 4% or higher. It’s also crucial to see where the traffic comes from — organic or paid. It helps to understand how quality your audience really is.
Mistake №5: Insufficient attention to accounting and costs
Mistake №5 — almost classic: not tracking expenses and not planning business processes. Tracking costs is the first step to a healthy business. It doesn’t matter if you use special software or just keep a spreadsheet — it’s important to know how much comes in and how much goes out. This will help avoid unpleasant situations and plan the future properly.
Conclusion
Why do most beginners on Etsy give up before making their first sales?
Because opening a shop rarely gives instant results. The first orders don’t come immediately, and that’s normal. Etsy requires time, testing, changing photos, finding your niche, and constant experiments. Those who don’t give up in the first weeks almost always achieve stable sales.
How to understand if tags and titles are chosen correctly?
The easiest way — look at your shop’s statistics: which queries bring people, how visibility changes, what search phrases bring traffic. Sometimes, one inaccuracy in a word — for example, “Daisy” instead of “Camomile” — makes all the difference.
Why think about repeat sales if one-time orders are good enough?
Repeat buyers are several times more valuable: they already know your shop, trust you, and are more likely to buy again. Small bonuses — a business card, a coupon, nice packaging — create a memorable brand. Shops like this find it easier to grow and maintain steady income.
So, I shared with you the mistakes I personally went through and which I think are familiar to many sellers. If you have your own observations or feedback that influenced your work on Etsy — please, share. Thank you for your attention, and see you next time!
