This holiday season, buyers want to feel good about who they support
when they buy special gifts and festive items,
and they'll be turning to Etsy sellers like you to make it happen.
I'm Isabella from Etsy's Community Education Team.
In this video, I'll be sharing tips to help you prep your shop
for the upcoming holidays.
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Did you know, there are now more than 90 million active buyers on Etsy?
That's a fifty percent increase from this time last year.
To help you make the most of this influx of shoppers,
we've outlined eight key actions that you can take in your shop right now
to set yourself up for a season of success.
You'll find links for each recommendation in this video's description.
Let's get started.
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Check out our 2021 Holiday Marketplace Insights report
to see what shoppers will be searching for in your category,
along with tips on updating your photos and listing videos to reflect the season.
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We recently made some changes to our tools to make it easier for you
to share important shipping details with your customers.
If you ship from the United States,
these details are now required to save a listing or shipping profile,
but they're important for all sellers to add.
Your zip code
This helps us estimate how long it will take for packages
to travel to the customer.
Processing time
This lets buyers know how long you'll need to prep an order before it ships,
Mail Carrier and Mail Class
We'll look at how long those types of packages typically take to arrive
when estimating the delivery date for your orders.
Knowing when their order will arrive is especially important to shoppers
during the busy holiday season.
So we'll use this info to show shoppers an estimated delivery date.
Visit your shipping settings page to see if any of your listings are missing
these important details.
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Including tracking is another way you can give shoppers more information
about where their order is.
Tracking is now required for most orders $10 or more that ship from the U.S.
to a shopper in the U.S.
Adding a valid tracking number can also help you become a Star Seller.
We know that it's not always possible to offer tracking,
so this requirement doesn't apply in every situation.
Learn more about offering tracking for your items
in the Seller Handbook article linked in this video's description.
While you're thinking about your shopping process,
plan to mark your orders as "complete," when they're handed off to the carrier.
This gives shoppers a better sense of when their order will arrive
because when you mark an order as "complete,"
we'll send the customer an email, letting them know it's shipped.
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Whether they have a quick question or a custom order request,
Messages are the first place shoppers go
when they want to connect directly with you.
Responding to messages quickly can help you make the sale.
Sellers who respond to buyer messages within 24 hours
are four times more likely to make the sale
than sellers with a longer response time.
Responding to messages within 24 hours
can also help you earn a Star Seller badge.
A few tips to help you stay on top of messages
during the busy holiday season.
First, set up an auto-reply message when you're taking a break
or on the weekends
to let shoppers know when you'll respond,
Auto-replies also count as timely responses
within the Star Seller criteria.
Next, try saving commonly-used messages as saved replies
to make drafting messages easier.
Finally, download the Sell on Etsy app
so you can respond to urgent messages quickly
even when you're away from your computer.
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Advertising can help you get your items in front of even more shoppers.
If you're already advertising,
the holidays are a great time to increase your budget
so your ads can be shown more often.
And if you're just getting started,
Etsy Ads can help you reach more holiday shoppers
by boosting where your listings appear in relevant search results.
Consider advertising your best sellers or most gift-worthy items
to reach shoppers all season long.
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No one does quite what you do.
From handwritten notes and carefully wrapped packages,
to personalized presents, and one-of-a-kind items.
Purchasing from an Etsy seller is totally special.
Add that personal touch to your packages with a simple note to say thanks,
and encourage buyers to share their purchase on social media;
tagging your shop and using the #Etsy.
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Shoppers are looking to support small business and find a great deal
as they prep for the holiday season.
Participating in Etsy sales events
can also help you appeal to Holiday shoppers.
To reach as many potential customers as possible,
share your shop sales details on social media
and other marketing channels, like your blog or newsletter.
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Sometimes shoppers just need a little reminder to revisit your shop.
Set up a post-purchase "Thank you Coupon,"
which is automatically sent to your customers.
after they make a purchase.
Even a small discount could be just the nudge they need
to purchase from your shop again.
Also, sharing regular updates on social media
can help you build your brand's following
and reach shoppers while increasing traffic to your Etsy shop.
For more tips on preparing your shop for the holiday selling season,
visit Etsy.me/holiday
or check out the link in this video's description.
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