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| Vintage Colored Pencils - Available at Sunny Day Vintage |
Hello all! I have some great posts coming up soon! If you've been following along and working on your shop as we go... or maybe just tweaking what you already have... then you should have an Etsy shop with {shop policies}, {shipping policies}, {shop sections}, {a rockin' About page}, and a {pimped out profile page}!
We've also learned how to {connect your shop to social media} and {rearrange your shop}! If you've missed any of those posts or just want to go over them again you can click on any of the links above.
Now that you've got all the basics set up for your shop the next step is to get found by your potential customers! So the next posts I'm working on will start us on learning about SEO which stands for Search Engine Optimization. I'm going to go over SEO (as far as how it relates to your Etsy shop anyway) and some things you can do to really enhance your shop for improved interaction with search engines and users.
While I'm working on the first post I thought it would be fun to do a couple of Etsy shop interviews! I have interviewed a couple of shops that I really admire and that are doing very well on Etsy :o)
The first is Sunny from {Sunny Day Vintage}.
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| Sunny Day Vintage Etsy shop |
Go check out her shop! One of the first things you'll notice is that you get a warm, cozy feeling from her shop... like you're flipping through a magazine full of your favorite vintage items while basking in the sunshine from your favorite lawn chair ;o)... so appropriate that her shop name is Sunny Day Vintage am I right?!
You can check her out on social media as well:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunnydayvintage_/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sunny-Day-Vintage-154093557967331/
Everything about her shop has a cohesive feeling... from her banner, logo, shop name, about page and her photographs... they all have that warm, sunny feel. Notice how her photographs all have the same backdrop too. All of these things create a very pleasing Etsy shop!
Now let's hear what Sunny has to say! Here is my interview with Sunny.
Me: What prompted you to open your Etsy shop?
Sunny: I’ve always been a collector. In 2009, I had been a casual Etsy shopper for a year or so. I knew the site had vintage but didn’t consider selling until one day… a light bulb just went off over my head. “Hey, I can do this… why don’t I open a shop?”
Me: Is Etsy your full time gig or do you work a regular day job along with running your shop?
Sunny: I have always had a full-time job and do this in my spare time.
Me: If Etsy is NOT your full time job can you describe how you make time for running your shop?
Sunny: Well, having a somewhat obsessive personality helps! I spend lots of weekend time sourcing/photographing/listing, and many evenings just hanging out online, reading the forum and obsessing over my listings. And of course, packing orders.
Me: I think good photos are one of the most important aspects of a successful Etsy shop. Can you describe your photo shoot process? (do you take pictures of your product in a certain room? natural light or man-made lighting? special backdrop or prop? lightbox? etc.)
Sunny: I have a dedicated photography spot in my little studio/workroom. It’s a chest-high armoire at right angles to a window. I use natural light, which for me means shooting in the mornings, as it’s an east window. Then I edit and lighten as necessary when I download my photos. I started out knowing nothing about my camera. You have to understand how yours works. It doesn't need to be expensive, you just have know how to use it!
Me: As a vintage seller I'm sure you have challenges with shipping your items at times just due to the different sizes and shapes of things. Do you do anything special as far as wrapping your items before you send them? (do you wrap items in tissue paper? include a business card? coupon? free gift? etc.?)
Sunny: On small unbreakable items, I wrap in tissue with a branded sticker. On breakables, I always use bubble wrap. I use my business cards as little thank-you notes. And I use Etsy’s automatic thank-you coupon that's sent to every buyer who makes a purchase from my shop.
Me: What advice would you give a brand new Etsy shop owner?
Sunny: Things have changed so much since I started my shop. There are so many more seller tools and metrics – but also 10 times the competition. I guess I’d urge new sellers to read the Seller Handbook and browse the forum a little bit each day. Most importantly, you have to develop a look, brand yourself effectively and think like a businessperson. On a site with well over a million sellers, find ways to develop a shop personality and stand out.
Thank you so much Sunny, for taking time out of your busy schedule to participate in an interview!
That's it for today's post, I hope you enjoyed this interview. I would urge you to find some Etsy shops that you admire and take note of what they've done that draws you in. Ask questions or just send them a note telling them what a great job they've done. Most Etsy sellers are very friendly! In fact that's how I "met" Sunny, I sent her a message telling her that I loved her shop! :o)
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