Developing Winning Products & Brand
We will also look at other important areas of you want to be successful on Etsy - Product photography, pricing and packaging.
One thing to keep in mind before starting: don’t be a perfectionist. Give yourself a time frame, and do as well as you can during that time. You are encouraged to continue to refine these areas as your shop grows.
With the insight from the market research, let’s translate that knowledge into developing your winning products.
1. Crafting Your Feature List
Using the list of common features you compiled while analysing competitors to create a baseline for your products. Even though your product may not need to have every single feature as your competitor, having a comparable feature list would help your product to be perceived as a viable option in the niche.
2. Develop Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Your USP gives shoppers a clear reason to buy. It’s what sets your product apart from competition. And it’s the reason that a shopper says, "I need this and I can only buy it from YOUR shop."
Some of the most common ways to develop a USP include:
- Target a specific group of customer - Develop features that are tailored to their needs. For example, you can create a traveler planner with pages for travel photos and a budget list for hotels.
- Customisations - Offer customisation options such as size, colours, materials, etc. to cater to individual preferences. This adds value and enhances the customer experience.
- Unique product design - This helps you stand out visually on Etsy
Of course, whether a particular way can help you stand out depends on your competitors. For example, if all of them are already providing customisation, then providing basic customisations may not help you stand out.
(For the list of 15 ways to develop a USP, read this chapter of my Product Development course)
Ensure that your USP is highlighted in your product photos and descriptions when creating your Etsy listings in future steps.
A strong brand goes beyond just a pretty logo. It's the overall impression you leave on shoppers visiting your shop, and on customers that you want to impress again and again. Let's break down the key tangible and intangible elements of your Etsy brand:
Tangible Branding Assets
- Professional Logo: For many Etsy shops, a simple text logo is sufficient. But if you have a strong design background, you can also consider a more graphical logo design.
- Fonts: Opt for readability. Choose a primary font that stands out more (a bit bolder and stylised) and pair it with a simple body font (clean and easy to read).
- Brand Colours: To keep things simple, I would recommend a brand colour palette with just 1-2 colours - A standout colour and a complementary secondary colour. Sites like colorspace can help you with inspirations.
- Other Visual Assets: Product photography, shop banner, social media posts, and even printed assets like packaging and thank you card should be created with your brand colours and fonts in mind to maintain cohesiveness.
Intangible Branding Assets
- Brand Voice: This refers to the tone that you communicate with your customers including direct messages, marketing materials, etc. Is your tone friendly, sophisticated, or quirky? For many Etsy shop, I find that a semi-informal, friendly tone to work great.
- Mission & Values: Do you emphasise sustainability, humour, or luxury? Weave these into your product descriptions, marketing and all the other ways that your customers will see to connect with them.
I cannot stress enough how important product photography is on Etsy.
Good photography can:
- Draw shoppers in from Etsy search page which increases your click rate and views
- Showcase the best features of your product
- Make your product look professional and increase the perceived value
- Appeal to shoppers emotionally so that they buy
Some general guidelines for a great product photography:
- Clean and simple background that doesn’t distract from product - A piece of white paper is a great budget option
- Product in the centre and in focus - You can add props but only if they make sense and don't distract from the main product
- Take photos from multiple angles showcasing different parts of your product
- Good natural lighting - Strong indirect lighting is preferred
- Avoid harsh shadows as they distract from the product
You don't need an expensive camera; Most phone cameras are capable enough.
Here’s an idea for a cheap photography set-up you can use at home:
- Clean up a table in your home - Preferably one that’s relatively new and not colourful. You can always cover it with a white cloth or paper as a clean photo background.
- Put the table next to a window
- Take photos with strong, but indirect sunlight to avoid harsh shadows
And after you have taken the photos, make sure you edit them. It can make a big difference.
You can use Canva or Lightroom to edit your product photos. Lightroom is the more capable tool between the two and it has a free version on mobile.
In many cases, try lifting the shadows and brightness of your photos, and adjust the white balance to make sure the colours are accurate.
Click here to read my top 8 product photography tips with real examples. It includes a lot of inspirations of the types of photos you can take, like lifestyle shots and closeup detail shots.
Packaging is a big part of your customer’s experience. Not only does it protect your product during shipping, it also helps to give the best first impression to your customers.
Professional packaging can also help you sell more because it improves the perceived value of your products. In the previous step, you have seen some examples of how to take packaging photos to showcase it.
Let's look at the different components of packaging:
Shipping and protection
This is the outermost layer. This layer is especially important for fragile products or international shipping.
Some examples include envelop, cardboard shipping box, padded mailers, etc.
Although it can be seen as the ‘boring’ layer, there are some opportunities to show your branding and personality here. Some popular methods include logo stamp, custom stickers, washi tape and custom printed envelops.
Branding and promotion
This layer can really help you set yourself apart as a handmade seller compared to big retailers or other resellers on Etsy.
If done correctly, you can make the customer experience more special with some extra things like a thank you card (handwritten or printed), freebie/sample, care instruction for products, etc.
Product packaging
This is what most people think when they think about packaging. It’s the layer/component that closely protects or hold the product.
Some examples include jar that holds a facial cream, jewelry box that holds a necklace, a band that wraps around a handmade bar soap, etc.
Sometimes there is overlap of the product packaging being a part of the protection layer, like jewelry box.
To learn more about packaging, read this packaging course.
Most handmade sellers unintentionally underprice their craft. The worst part is that shoppers may misinterpret low prices as a sign of low quality, making them hesitant in buying.
When you price your product, it needs to cover all your expenses and have a margin on top of it (either to reinvest or allow you room to run sales and discounts).
Main cost components:
- Materials: The direct cost of the materials used in each product.
- Etsy fees: Includes transaction fee, listing fee, ads fee and more (Learn all about Etsy fees in this guide)
- Packaging & Shipping: Don't overlook the cost of boxes, shipping labels, and attractive presentation materials.
- Labour: How long does it take you to create each item? Assign a value to your time.
- Overhead & other fixed costs like rent, utilities, etc.
Great pricing isn't just about math. It's about showcasing the value you provide. Through strong branding, optimised product listings, and high-quality products, you can justify a price point that exceeds mere costs, just like successful luxury brands do. Read this chapter to learn the tactics to increase the value and charge more for your craft.