10 tips on becoming an Etsy Star Seller! (2022)
Hello and welcome back to our blog! In our last post we talked about how we have been nominated Etsy star seller every month for the last 9 months! Like many small businesses, we rely heavily on our ETSY.com shop, and it's been where we started our journey in selling our beautiful reclaimed furniture.
We have really benefited from our STAR SELLER awards over the last 9 months. We’ve noticed a rise in visits to our shop and a definite increase in conversion rates with our customers. The star seller badge is clear proof of our reliability and the consistently high satisfaction level of our customers. It gives them the reassurance and the confidence to go ahead and make that purchase, safe in the knowledge that we will live up to our reputation for providing a first class, all-round quality service. Being a star seller provides many opportunities to self-publicise and announce the good news on social media, giving shops an accreditation that might otherwise be hard to come by.
Kind and generous souls that we are, we thought we’d help other sellers achieve this with our simple but effective top 10 tips on how to become an ETSY star seller
So here they come, our top 10 tips to become ETSY Star Seller:
1. Listings
Time is precious, and our busy customers need to be able to see what we have to offer at a glance. They also need as much information as possible about the item on sale before making a purchase. That is why we aim to include as much practical information about each piece of furniture (materials, care, dimensions etc) in one place. Do your listings really tell the whole story?
2. Delivery on Time
Is there anything more frustrating than waiting in vain for a delivery that just doesn’t show up? Our dispatch and delivery success rates are at an incredible 100%. We have achieved this by setting up a clear process in the workshop whereby our furniture is always ready to be sent out slightly earlier than necessary, so, should there be any problem or delay on behalf of the courier there is no follow-on negative impact on the customer.
3. Couriers
Having a good relationship with your couriers is paramount! Your couriers are just as important as your craftsmen! They are responsible for transporting your products through wind, rain and across oceans! They need to be trusted to get the job done and must be chosen carefully. We make sure we are always in communication with our couriers’ account managers - so that we know exactly what to expect, where they will be shipping to and are given a heads-up on any barriers and issues in different countries. All businesses want to be prioritised, but that privilege only comes with having built a strong relationship and trust. Thanks to our good relationship with our couriers, when problems do arise, they are solved without delay and at no extra cost.
4. Stock and suppliers
Always make sure that you have a good supply of well-ordered stock. Suppliers are one of the most important parts of the sales chain, and you often need them to be able to provide you with whatever you need at extremely short notice. In order to fulfil customer demand, we sometimes need to make last minute orders and without a fast and reliable service from our suppliers this would be impossible. What’s more, we try to use local suppliers wherever possible.
5. Shipping and tracking number.
The importance of being able to follow every step of a shipment’s progress through its tracking number cannot be overstated. Customers are naturally anxious about their precious purchase, and having a tracking number brings peace of mind to both companies and clients. It also means that far less time is spent hanging around waiting for delivery. All our couriers provide tracking numbers, and our customers are then able to track their parcel independently whenever they want, quickly and easily through a website address.
6. Communication
Great communication is one of the most important factors in creating a good working relationship between our company and our clients. Facebook and Instagram is a great platform from which to inform the customers of our latest news, new products and special offers. Equally, it is important to have someone on the team who can respond to and keep an eye out for any incoming messages from clients. We make sure that we reply to all customer message queries within 24 hours.
7. Customer feedback.
Part and parcel with the previous point, communication goes both ways. Customer feedback is an essential tool which can be used to hone your business and improve your sales. Do ask your customers for reviews. Any negative comments will serve to show you what needs to be improved upon, and positive comments are nothing but good news. Happy customers will be more than willing to share their experience. Getting a 5-star rating from a satisfied customer really boosts our morale in the workshop, and it also inspires new customers with the trust they need to go ahead with a purchase.
8. Problem resolution
When problems occur, we try our utmost to find a solution as quickly as possible. This is an approach that reduces stress for both us and our dear customers. Leaving a problem to fester and get worse is not in our vocabulary! With a little bit of imagination and hard work most problems, and problems do happen, can be resolved to everyone’s mutual satisfaction.
9. Availability
We have noticed that many customers make their purchases over the weekend when they have time to browse and make decisions. This is why it is fundamental to have someone available to answer questions and be on call at all times. Otherwise, you are sure to miss out on some vital sales.
10. Quality and troubleshooting
Last, but definitely not least, comes quality. Quality in both our service and our products. Although we have great faith in the high quality of our finished products, we still take the time to inspect everything twice before sending it out. We also reassemble all our pieces before dispatch, so that if we do find any problems, we can iron them out before they leave the warehouse. We never send out a piece if we are not 100% happy with it.
All in all, being an Etsy Star Seller has really helped us improve our sales and stand out from the crowd. Only 1% of shops manage to get a Star Seller badge and to be eligible you have to comply with the following criteria:
Message response rate: 95%+ of first messages in a thread are responded to within 24 hours. This stat is only considered if you receive new messages during the review period.
On-time dispatch & tracking: 95%+ of orders dispatch on time with tracking or with a postage label purchased on Etsy
5-star ratings: 95%+ of orders receive 5-star reviews
You must also meet a minimum of 10 orders and $300 in sales during the 3-month review period, and you must have been on Etsy’s platform for 90 days since your first sale.
Well, we hope these tips will speed you on your way to Etsy success! Good luck and here’s to keeping up the good work!
We have really benefited from our STAR SELLER awards over the last 9 months. We’ve noticed a rise in visits to our shop and a definite increase in conversion rates with our customers. The star seller badge is clear proof of our reliability and the consistently high satisfaction level of our customers. It gives them the reassurance and the confidence to go ahead and make that purchase, safe in the knowledge that we will live up to our reputation for providing a first class, all-round quality service. Being a star seller provides many opportunities to self-publicise and announce the good news on social media, giving shops an accreditation that might otherwise be hard to come by.
Kind and generous souls that we are, we thought we’d help other sellers achieve this with our simple but effective top 10 tips on how to become an ETSY star seller
So here they come, our top 10 tips to become ETSY Star Seller:
1. Listings
Time is precious, and our busy customers need to be able to see what we have to offer at a glance. They also need as much information as possible about the item on sale before making a purchase. That is why we aim to include as much practical information about each piece of furniture (materials, care, dimensions etc) in one place. Do your listings really tell the whole story?
2. Delivery on Time
Is there anything more frustrating than waiting in vain for a delivery that just doesn’t show up? Our dispatch and delivery success rates are at an incredible 100%. We have achieved this by setting up a clear process in the workshop whereby our furniture is always ready to be sent out slightly earlier than necessary, so, should there be any problem or delay on behalf of the courier there is no follow-on negative impact on the customer.
3. Couriers
Having a good relationship with your couriers is paramount! Your couriers are just as important as your craftsmen! They are responsible for transporting your products through wind, rain and across oceans! They need to be trusted to get the job done and must be chosen carefully. We make sure we are always in communication with our couriers’ account managers - so that we know exactly what to expect, where they will be shipping to and are given a heads-up on any barriers and issues in different countries. All businesses want to be prioritised, but that privilege only comes with having built a strong relationship and trust. Thanks to our good relationship with our couriers, when problems do arise, they are solved without delay and at no extra cost.
4. Stock and suppliers
Always make sure that you have a good supply of well-ordered stock. Suppliers are one of the most important parts of the sales chain, and you often need them to be able to provide you with whatever you need at extremely short notice. In order to fulfil customer demand, we sometimes need to make last minute orders and without a fast and reliable service from our suppliers this would be impossible. What’s more, we try to use local suppliers wherever possible.
5. Shipping and tracking number.
The importance of being able to follow every step of a shipment’s progress through its tracking number cannot be overstated. Customers are naturally anxious about their precious purchase, and having a tracking number brings peace of mind to both companies and clients. It also means that far less time is spent hanging around waiting for delivery. All our couriers provide tracking numbers, and our customers are then able to track their parcel independently whenever they want, quickly and easily through a website address.
6. Communication
Great communication is one of the most important factors in creating a good working relationship between our company and our clients. Facebook and Instagram is a great platform from which to inform the customers of our latest news, new products and special offers. Equally, it is important to have someone on the team who can respond to and keep an eye out for any incoming messages from clients. We make sure that we reply to all customer message queries within 24 hours.
7. Customer feedback.
Part and parcel with the previous point, communication goes both ways. Customer feedback is an essential tool which can be used to hone your business and improve your sales. Do ask your customers for reviews. Any negative comments will serve to show you what needs to be improved upon, and positive comments are nothing but good news. Happy customers will be more than willing to share their experience. Getting a 5-star rating from a satisfied customer really boosts our morale in the workshop, and it also inspires new customers with the trust they need to go ahead with a purchase.
8. Problem resolution
When problems occur, we try our utmost to find a solution as quickly as possible. This is an approach that reduces stress for both us and our dear customers. Leaving a problem to fester and get worse is not in our vocabulary! With a little bit of imagination and hard work most problems, and problems do happen, can be resolved to everyone’s mutual satisfaction.
9. Availability
We have noticed that many customers make their purchases over the weekend when they have time to browse and make decisions. This is why it is fundamental to have someone available to answer questions and be on call at all times. Otherwise, you are sure to miss out on some vital sales.
10. Quality and troubleshooting
Last, but definitely not least, comes quality. Quality in both our service and our products. Although we have great faith in the high quality of our finished products, we still take the time to inspect everything twice before sending it out. We also reassemble all our pieces before dispatch, so that if we do find any problems, we can iron them out before they leave the warehouse. We never send out a piece if we are not 100% happy with it.
All in all, being an Etsy Star Seller has really helped us improve our sales and stand out from the crowd. Only 1% of shops manage to get a Star Seller badge and to be eligible you have to comply with the following criteria:
Message response rate: 95%+ of first messages in a thread are responded to within 24 hours. This stat is only considered if you receive new messages during the review period.
On-time dispatch & tracking: 95%+ of orders dispatch on time with tracking or with a postage label purchased on Etsy
5-star ratings: 95%+ of orders receive 5-star reviews
You must also meet a minimum of 10 orders and $300 in sales during the 3-month review period, and you must have been on Etsy’s platform for 90 days since your first sale.
Well, we hope these tips will speed you on your way to Etsy success! Good luck and here’s to keeping up the good work!
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