What makes a top selling listing on Etsy?
Here’s the thing, it’s not just luck. There are specific strategies that they use to skyrocket their sales on Etsy.
And the best way to improve on Etsy is to analyse best selling listings and see what they are doing right. I mean actually dissect these top selling listings and reveal the strategies that make them so successful.
In this article, I’m going to show you some marketing strategies that top selling listings use. So you can adjust and apply them to your Etsy shop to increase conversion rate and sales.
Let’s dive in.
20 Marketing Strategies Of Top Selling Etsy Listings
Etsy is a competitive place. If you want to stand out, you’d need to apply a set of effective marketing strategies to help your listings rise to the top.
Here are 20 of my favourite marketing strategies for selling on Etsy. You'll see many of them being used in the top selling products on Etsy:
- Niche down to cater to your target customers better
- Address shoppers’ pain point or fulfil their want
- Deliver high quality product
- Offer personalised products
- Establish a strong handmade brand that resonates with your target customer
- Write persuasive listing description
- Engage shoppers with a listing video
- Use product photos to let shoppers envision them using the product
- Optimise Etsy SEO with long tail keywords that shoppers actually use
- Address any common shoppers concerns with FAQs
- Encourage reviews to boost credibility
- Create a premium handmade experience
- Work towards Etsy Star Seller badge
- Create urgency and boost conversion with limited-time sales
- Use UGC in listing photos after asking for permission
- Keep track of the market and create trending products
- Offer product variations
- Add extra incentive to close the sale
- Send automatic offers like abandoned cart coupon
- Provide gift wrapping services
Each of these strategies serves as a building block to your Etsy success.
They all work together and help improve your Etsy listings. Implementing them may not mean overnight success, but they will collectively help increase the chance of your listings becoming bestsellers.
How Can You Find Top Selling Products On Etsy
So how do you see what’s selling well on Etsy?
Some Etsy SEO tools can estimate the number of sales of listings on Etsy. In this article, I’ll use one of my recommended Etsy SEO tools, Alura, to identify the top selling Etsy products.
There are also some other ways to identify popular products on Etsy:
- Look for the ‘bestseller’ and ‘popular now’ badges (sometimes you may have to click into the listings to see the badge)
- Look for ‘In xx carts’ red text (you may have to click into the listings to see it)
- Products that gets the high percentage of reviews in popular Etsy shops
10 Popular Etsy Listings & Their Winning Strategies
Now, let’s have a look at 10 popular listings and what they are doing right. I’ll analyse and dissect them to find out what stand out strategies that they are using, and how they apply them to stand out on Etsy and get lots of sales.
To get a sense of their performance, I’ve included the estimated monthly sales number from Alura for June 2023.
Green Leaves Macrame Wall Hanging from BeanDaikon
Estimated monthly sales: 2,184
- A unique and visually appealing product, making it stand out on Etsy
- The product taps into the trend of indoor plants, without the need for maintenance (a pain point for many people), making it an attractive option for those who like the aesthetics of greenery without the commitment of care
- Listing photos and video do a great job of showcasing the intricate details of the product
- Customisable options of colours and number of leaves, which allows this listing to target different price points and reaching a wider range of shoppers
- Listing photos provide helpful additional information such as example orders and necessary clarifications to avoid customer confusion. Extra information like this can help shoppers make their purchase decisions.
Personalized Name Necklace from CaitlynMinimalist
Estimated monthly sales: 1159
- Listing photo of gift packaging - many jewelry customers look to buy jewelry as gift, showing that it’s gift ready would appeal to them
- Personalised jewelry makes this product a great gift idea
- Offering different font choices adds an element of customisation
- The turnaround time is clearly stated in the product description along with an option for rush orders
- FAQs answer all the major questions that shoppers may have in their minds, which reduces uncertainties
Linen Oven Mitt from MagicLinen
Estimated monthly sales: 420
- Clean and modern listing photos with white background and simple neutral coloured props
- Listing photos showcase the wide range of beautiful colours available
- The video and photos showing the product in use help the potential customers envision using the product themselves
- Close-up photos shows the details of the fabric and stitching, which can enhance the perceived value
- High quality product - reviews have indicated that it’s durable and well made with heat insulting padding inside the oven mitt
- Listing description gives relevant information like size and hanging loop, which helps shoppers make a purchase decision
Plant Car Air Freshener from ShopVroomBlooms
Estimated monthly sales: 878
- Unique and cute product idea that create an emotional response from shoppers
- High shareability on social media because of its cute design, leading to increased visibility and potential sales
- Listing photos show the wide variety of different plants, which give shoppers options to choose from
- Another photo shows that it is compatible with many different car vents, which is one of the questions shoppers will have when they see this product
- High customisability in terms of plant variety, number of plants, and scent selection
- Product description gives information that removes potential barrier to purchase - the product is vegan and free of paragon, reusable (and how to buy refills), etc.
- The seller also creates multiple use cases for the product, for example, it can be used to hang things in addition to being an air freshener
Minimal Paper Towel Holder from Keyaiira
Estimated monthly sales: 981
- The photos align with the product’s target audience - Customers who are looking for a clean, minimalist design. Photos showcases a well organised home, kitchen, which is what the target customers want
- The listing video shows the product in action, so that customers can have a clear idea of what to expect
- Listing photos provide plenty of relevant information that customers are looking for - what’s included, color options and sizing guide
- Providing information on how to properly measure the paper towel holder, and giving a range of different size options reduce customer uncertainties of “will this fit?”
- Seller encourages user-generated content by offering a 40% discount if a customer's photo is featured in promotional materials in their Message To Buyers (information available on Alura's Shop Analyzer)
- Product description formatting - clear sections allow shoppers to quickly find the information they need
Macrame Pattern PDF from ReformFibers
Estimated monthly sales: 205
- A dedicated listing photo highlights that this is a digital download, avoiding confusion and disappointment
- Photos effectively showcase what the end product would look like inside a home, which is useful for digital patterns like this
- A variety of photos to showcase the end product and its details
- Comprehensive FAQs answer shopper’s questions like “Is it suitable for a beginner?”, “how to get the rope?”, “can I sell the end product?” etc.
Set of 9 Flower Market Prints from SoftNSoft
Estimated monthly sales: 1252
- Mockup photos illustrate how the digital product will look after printing, which is suitable for digital downloads like this
- Listing photo and description clearly mention all the compatible sizes that the wall art can be printed in
- Photos showcase different possible configurations of the prints: Standalone, 2 prints, 6 prints, etc.
- Coupon code that encourages bigger order size (this is possible for digital products that have very low variable costs - For more information on product costs, read this article: How To Price Your Etsy Handmade Items)
- The description clearly explains the printing process and tips for achieving the best result, which is one of the biggest concerns of people buying digital prints
Merino Wool Chunky Knit Blanket from ChunkyWoolStudio
Estimated monthly sales: 271
- The photos and video complement the main selling point of this product, which is a cozy and comfortable blanket. They show that the blanket on sofa, on bed, and hugged by a model to convey the cozy feeling
- Customisable options such as colours and sizes add value and appeal to a wider audience
- The use of lower priced 'sample' products can help improve the click-through rate of the listing
- Offering a small sample also allows shoppers to test and feel the texture before purchasing the full item
- Niching down - not just blanket or wool blanket, but a cozy chunky blanket with with 100% merino wool
White Felt Cat Bed from vaivanat
Estimated monthly sales: 126
- User-generated content showing cats enjoying the cat bed help build confidence. Be sure to ask for permission first if you want to use UGC in your listings
- Clear sizing guide ensures customers choose the appropriate size for their pet
- Strong copywriting technique - emphasising the cozy, eco-friendly, and handmade qualities, as well as its appeal to cats
- The product description emphasises the unique selling points, such as being the original designer of a cave cocoon cat bed
Personalised Name Puzzle With Animals from Busy Puzzle
Estimated monthly sales: 484
- A cute, functional, and educational product appealing to parents and their kids
- Wooden toys present an eco-friendly alternative to common plastic toys found in retail shops
- The video showing kids using the toy helps parents envision their own children enjoying the product
- Customisation options allow customers to choose different sets containing different colours and animals. And the options are clearly shown in the listing photos
- Persuasive product description copywriting - writes for the parents and to generate positive emotions: “best way to teach them”, “more joyful if you will do it together”, “safe for children”
- FAQs address common questions about shipping, packaging, etc.
What’s next
Remember, what works for these top selling Etsy listings may not work exactly the same for you. It’s important not to just copy what they do, but to put your own twist on them when applying to your own listings.
You have to be you. Your customers want what you offer because it's unique, so keep being original. And always keep your customers in mind and cater to what they want.
With the knowledge of these winning strategies, you may also want to fix some of the common mistakes of Etsy sellers. So that you can have a stronger foundation and greater chance of success when you implement the strategies. Check out 11 Reasons Why Your Etsy Shop Is Not Making Sales & How To Fix Them.
