Planning to launch your Etsy side hustle this year, but you’re wondering how much is the average Etsy sales in the first year?
First of all, let me tell you it’s never too late to start something new! Pat yourself on the back for finding new ways to earn more money #nojudgementhere
While monetizing your Etsy shop from the beginning can be challenging, you can do a few things to gain more visibility for your listings, even as a beginner.
I am also really into Etsy these days as I’m helping my sister grow her Etsy account. Here are some pictures of her store. While researching and testing what is effective for her account, I thought it would be helpful to share the details here with you so that you can also benefit and grow on Etsy!!
One really great thing about setting up an Etsy shop is you can work anywhere you like!
Therefore, join me as I walk you through what to expect for your average Etsy sales in your first year and how you can increase your sales down the road!
Affiliate Link Disclosure
Some of the links included below are affiliate links where we may earn a commission if you click on them but at NO EXTRA cost to you. I hope you find the information below helpful!
Note: If you are super busy and you want to start making money selling on Etsy fast, you can check out this and this Etsy course. It will help to step up your Etsy game and start earning within 3 months!
Alternatively, you can also check out this free Etsy Ebook that will share a list of best-selling products by month and teach you how to capitalize on seasonal trends to make sales.
Average Etsy Sales In First Year
How Long Does It Take On Average Before The First Sale?
The billion-dollar question! How long for your first Etsy sale to happen?
Some get their first sale within two or three weeks.
Many new sellers get their first sale within a few months.
Others take longer to achieve their first sale.
Of course, I get that it might feel disheartening to see others achieve their first sale before you do!
But remember, this is all a marathon, not a sprint! You are in this Etsy hustle for the long term, so don’t give up hope yet!
I promise you it is very rewarding to see your first sale 🙂
While it is great to not give up, I’d say it’s also important to put in the effort to get the first of your many sales!
To speed up the process of getting your first sale, I have a few tips for you!
1. Learn SEO
Learning SEO will help you craft better titles (hint: think about how a buyer will search for your item!) and descriptions for your listings that include long-tail keywords.
Including long-tail keywords increases your chances of your listings being seen by the right buyer!
2. Complete Your Etsy Shop
Work on completing your shop! It can increase a customer’s confidence in your shop and your listings.
That means having a Shop Banner, an About Section, Shop Policies, Shop Announcements, Shop Bio, and more!
It might seem unimportant at the start of your Etsy side hustle. But it could make a world of difference, especially when you are a new shop among millions of others.
3. Learn Social Media Marketing
Marketing your shop on social media is a great strategy to let more people know about it too.
Aside from your product photos, feel free to share your behind-the-scenes photos and videos as well!
People might end up asking you questions based on your posts, which will help you build a connection with your audience as well. It is a total win-win if you ask me.
If you’re interested, I have a guide that teaches you how to promote your Etsy shop on Instagram!
4. Ask For Reviews From Friends And Family
Encourage your friends and family who buy your items to leave favorable reviews to add credibility to your shop.
This will increase the confidence of others on the fence to buy from your shop.
5. Add More Listings To Your Etsy Shop
Add more listings to your shop instead of starting with only one! Therefore, you are giving customers more options, and they may end up buying more items from you.
Think of it this way! The more views you get on your Etsy shop, the closer you are to your first (of many) sales!
How Many Views Do I Need Before The First Sale?
You might be wondering, how many views does it take to get your first sale on Etsy?
For some sellers, it could mean thousands of views.
Others? Hundreds, or even less than that.
On average, some would say it takes about 100 views to get your first sale.
But I believe no magical number of views will guarantee your first sale. Many factors will influence the number of views for your listing.
For example, it depends on how popular the category of the items that you’re selling.
Higher popularity would require less exposure to the right audience to buy from you. But it could also mean there is higher competition in these popular categories.
Lower popularity might mean you need more exposure to the right audience to buy from you. Thus, it might mean you need more views before you achieve a sale.
One thing you want to keep in mind is a view doesn’t mean the number of people who clicked on your product page.
For example, your item is on page 5 of the Etsy search results, and someone who happens to be scrolling on page 5 sees your listing. That counts as a view.
But if the person clicks on your item? Now, that’s a click!
Clicks are more significant, as they signify the number of people who looked at your product page.
How Do I Convert Clicks Into Sales?
Every listing will get a quality score. It’s about how people interact with your listings on Etsy.
Interactions with your listings on Etsy could be in the form of clicks, adding your listing to favorites, adding your listing to their carts, or purchasing it.
For example, if you get 40 clicks out of 50 views, you’ll have a higher quality score when compared to someone with 40 clicks out of 500 views.
Thus, a high conversion rate will mean you’ll rank higher in the search results!
But one thing I do want you to keep in mind is to be patient! It will take some time for Etsy to determine your quality score.
So now you know that:
Higher conversion rate = Higher quality score = Higher Etsy rankings! *starts dancing*
I have a few tips on increasing your conversion rate, so let’s jump right into it!
1. Learn SEO
When you apply SEO, this will help potential buyers discover your listings faster. After all, you need views in order to convert into clicks, am I right?
Some really useful Etsy SEO tools for excellent SEO growth for your shop are Sale Samurai and Keysearch!
One thing really great about Etsy is their Etsy Help page for sellers! I highly recommend you check out the page for many helpful tips and tricks about selling and marketing.
2. Implement Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing, baby! Share your Etsy shop on social media to spread the word with your audience.
In fact, I have a course that teaches you how to create a digital product, even if you just started your Etsy side hustle journey!
In one of the modules, I also teach you how to build an engaged audience on social media, so you might want to check that out 😉
3. Use Eye-Catching Thumbnails For Your Listings
Ever heard of the phrase “feast for the eyes”?
These potential buyers already have an idea of what they are looking for on Etsy.
Chances are, they are scrolling through Etsy, searching for what they want. You want eye-catching thumbnails to grab their attention and check out your listing.
If you’re in a category with plenty of competition, you also want to be sure your listings will stand out among the crowd!
Thus, creating eye-catching thumbnails will attract potential buyers to click on your listing and check out what it’s all about.
To create an eye-catching thumbnail, it must display clearly what your product is. I have a few tips for you:
a. Any words on your product should be easy to read from the thumbnail.
b. See if there is anything you can improve based on the first page of your niche! It could be offering personalized options, a different color, or even just taking better photos (think: great lighting)!
c. Don’t utilize too many props around your product. These might confuse people that your props are the listing instead.
d. I would advise to avoid using borders in your photos, as it’ll take up precious space for your listings’ thumbnails.
4. Utilize All You Can (10 Photos, 1 Video)
Once your thumbnail has caught their attention to click on your listing, now you need to convince shoppers your listing is THE ONE to buy.
This is where the rest of your photos for your listing will come in handy! You can add up to 10 photos per listing within Etsy’s photo guidelines.
As mobile devices contribute to over 50% of Etsy’s traffic, you should fully utilize all 10 photos to showcase your product.
The photos can help the buyer understand how to use the item or where to store it. It could also be close-up shots to show more details or elements of your product.
As you’re just starting your Etsy side hustle journey, you might not have many reviews.
But once you start having reviews pour in, you can utilize 1 photo to showcase multiple favorable reviews.
Aside from photos, you can upload 1 video per listing that is about 5 to 15 seconds long. Your uploaded video should not have any audio.
Your listing video can increase buyers’ understanding of how the product is to be used, which is an essential tool to help convert clicks to sales!
5. Include Long-Tail Keywords In Your Listing Title
Your title should consist of long-tail keywords your customers will use during their search, as it’s more specific to what they are looking for.
Let’s say you are selling planners! These listing titles should be more specific than just the word “planners”. Some better alternatives would be:
1. Digital planners for students
2. Undated digital life planner
3. Digital weekly meal planner
6. Your Listing Description Matters Too
A great listing description will have a great chance of converting clicks to sales.
Your listing description should be easy to understand and informative. Lists will be your best friend to help you highlight important information while keeping it easy to read.
Aside from describing information such as the colors, dimensions, and how-to-use instructions, talk about how this product is the solution to your buyer’s problem.
Besides, any keywords you have in your listing descriptions will affect the ranking of your listings.
But don’t just put the keywords at the top of your description! Write the first few sentences (that sound natural!) which incorporate the relevant keywords.
7. An Excellent Shop Policy Goes A Long Way
A clear shop policy can help improve customer’s confidence in your shop, especially when you’re just starting. It will help clarify any concerns they have.
Having a shop policy in place will also make your Etsy shop look more professional and trustworthy, so it’s a win-win for you!
FAQs On Average Etsy Sales In First Year
How Many Views Is Normal On Etsy Before Sale?
Wondering how many views is normal on Etsy before a sale? On average, it takes about 100 views to make one sale on Etsy. But this also depends on many factors that could affect your chances of your first sale.
Excellent product photos, the right SEO and marketing strategy, an excellent shop policy, and correct tagging can boost your chances of achieving your first sale faster.
How Do I Get My First 10 Sales On Etsy?
1. Implement strategic SEO and marketing strategy
2. Share your shop with your friends, family, and audience
3. Use attention-grabbing thumbnails
4. Include long-tail keywords in your listing title and description
5. Utilize all 10 photos and 1 video to showcase your product
6. Have several listings available in your shop to provide more options to your potential customers
7. Present a completed shop
8. Include an excellent shop policy to build confidence in your customers
9. Consider Etsy ads (optional)
How Long Does It Take To Start Making Money On Etsy?
Some new Etsy shops start making money within 1 week, while others might take up to 3 months.
Many factors will affect the time it takes to start making money on Etsy, such as your niche, the seasonality of your product, the quality of your listings, and more.
But as long as you are willing to stick around and put in the effort into this side hustle, you will eventually start seeing results and money rolling in from your shop!
How Do I Get My Etsy Shop Noticed By More People?
1. Use The Right Keywords
Learning SEO will help drive more traffic to your Etsy shop! Incorporate the right keywords in your listing title and description, and see more views and clicks in the future!
2. Have A Completed Etsy Shop
When you’re new to Etsy, having a completed Etsy shop is a way to stand out among millions of Etsy sellers.
A visually appealing and detailed Etsy shop can bring more traffic and keep your customers interested for a longer time.
This would mean working on your About Section, Shop Policies, Shop Announcements, Shop Bio, and uploading a Shop Banner.
I know it sounds like a lot of work! But trust me, putting in the effort now will go a long way in the future. Be sure to check for any grammar issues!
3. Social Media Is Your Best Friend Too!
Social media such as Pinterest and Instagram could be the reason for your Etsy shop sales to skyrocket!
Social media can help you gain more online visibility across the internet, instead of being limited to Etsy only.
As a beginner, you can focus on one or two social media platforms to keep things simple.
In fact, I have an article that teaches you how to use Pinterest to skyrocket your Etsy sales, so don’t forget to check that out!
4. Ask Others To Leave Reviews
Encourage your friends and family who buy your items to provide reviews for your products. Reviews are a great way to build a customer’s confidence in your shop.
5. Add More Listings!
When you have more than one listing in your shop, you are providing your customers with more options to select from.
In the best-case scenario, they may end up buying more from you!
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6. Start A Blog
Starting a blog is great for any Etsy sellers out there! It is a great way to help you grow your brand and thus gain more traffic.
Your blog will also increase your audience’s confidence in you! The audience gets to know who you are behind the scenes while getting valuable content from you.
Thus, through your blog, you are directing your audience to your Etsy shop, which increases your chances of people noticing your Etsy shop.
I have a course where I teach you how to make money from blogging, even if you don’t like technology much! In fact, blogging could become your next source of income too 😉
How Many Sales Does The Average Etsy Seller Make?
Based on an analysis of 797 Etsy shops, the average Etsy sales an Etsy seller makes per year is 938. It would indicate the Etsy average sales per month is about 78.
But if we look at only the middle 1/3 of these Etsy shops in the analysis, the average sales on Etsy per month is 16 sales.
How Much Does The Average Etsy Seller Make A Year
An average Etsy seller’s income per year could vary a lot.
For a successful Etsy seller, the average Etsy seller’s income per year could be $43,000 to $46,000. Others might earn $6,000 per year or even less.
In my opinion, you should focus more on what you can do to improve and grow your shop instead of getting caught up in the comparison game.
The comparison game could deter you from doing what is more important, such as learning SEO and marketing strategies, improving your craft, and building your audience.
How Many Views Does It Take To Get Your First Sale On Etsy?
It takes an average of 100 views to achieve your first sale on Etsy. But this is not a guaranteed number of views that will determine your first sale.
Some people require fewer than 50 views; others take more than 500 views. There really is no magical number.
As long as you are committed to making this side hustle a success, nothing can stop you from making your first and many more sales to come.
And you’ve come to the end of this guide on the average Etsy sales in the first year!
I hope you’ve realized that while the road to monetizing your Etsy shop in your first few years can be tough, it is possible to make it happen!
It can be discouraging to see others’ average Etsy sales in their first year do much better than you. But remember that your journey is different from everyone else!
You are not here to beat yourself up for not doing better. But you are here to challenge yourself to become the best version of yourself by leveling up in life.
So be brave and believe in yourself! Get out there and launch your Etsy shop right now 😉
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