Etsy Shopper Survey Key Insights

As a manager at E-Rank, I get to see some pretty cool stuff related to Etsy search data, which obviously I get to share with you here on my YouTube channel. And recently, our team at E-Rank was able to set up a survey that polled real Etsy customers in order to get their thoughts on some of the most common concerns as sellers. In this video, I'll share a bit of what we found. For anyone who may be new here, my name is Starla Moore, founder of the Handmade Alpha Academy for Etsy sellers and manager at erank.com, Etsy's most popular SEO tool. And this season, we decided to run our biannual Etsy shopper survey right before the holiday season in order to give sellers like you a bit of insight into what you can expect from your buyers this season. We ask buyers tons of questions, but in this video, we'll be discussing the question, what would make you trust buying from an Etsy seller? Do buyers really care about things like the name of our shop, your logo, or even your bio picture? The answers may surprise you. During our survey, we asked 1,000 shoppers to share the level of overall importance that they place on factors within a seller's shop. Of those factors, 14% of shoppers surveyed said that the shop's logo is important to them. And yes, this number is low, But rather than thinking of these lower end factors as being not important, think of them as being very important to that 14% who did say that a logo is important. Everything we discuss on today's list should be seen as an opportunity to convert a shopper into a customer. Next, is having a bio photo on your shop really that important for buyer trust? 18.4% of shoppers surveyed think so. Remember, Etsy is a place to build genuine human connections with real human sellers. So even if you're not comfortable using your own photo, try using a cute cartoon avatar or even hire out a fellow Etsy seller to make an avatar for you. It's one simple and easy way to promote trust within that 18.4% who find this feature to be very important while shopping. Choosing the right name for your shop is a pretty important step in opening your business. The name of your shop can help form positive impressions, and it can help your brand to be more memorable in the eyes of your shoppers. Which is why 22% of shoppers surveyed stated that the name of a shop is important to them. This doesn't mean that you need to run off and change your shop name before the holiday season. However, if you're not 100% in love with your shop name, or if your shop name no longer reflects your current business model, it's absolutely okay to change it. Dale Carnegie said it best in his 1930s classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People. A person's name to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language. In this instance, Carnegie was referring to our natural trust and affinity towards people who remember and refer to us by name. But the same goes for knowing your name too. On Etsy, putting a face and a name to a brand helps to separate you from the big box stores and faceless Amazon sellers who don't. present a human element to shoppers. And 24.4% of shoppers agree, stating that seeing a seller's full name is very important to them. Understandably, there are a number of reasons that a seller might not want to use their real name in their shop. In this case, just like some of the world's most famous musicians, authors, and celebrities, try assigning yourself a fun pen name that you feel connects to your overall brand. One of the most common questions I see on my own channel comes from sellers who are concerned about their shop's location. These are factors that you have to disclose on Etsy in order to accurately represent where your business is located, even when selling with a print provider. And 24.8% of Etsy shoppers stated that a shop's location is important to them when making a decision to shop from a particular store. But again, this isn't one that I'd stress out about. Because while location is important to these shoppers, it's also important to them when making a decision to shop from a particular store. We're missing a bit of information here that could potentially paint a clearer picture. Maybe what these shoppers are saying is that KNOWING a shop's location is important to them, so that they can accurately predict how long shipping will take. Or maybe these are shoppers who were specifically shopping with a delivery deadline in mind, such as a birthday. In which case, the buyer may need the item delivered more quickly than what some countries may be able to provide. The most important thing when filling out any shop details related to the item and delivery is honesty. So always fill out shop details accurately. Here on my channel, I discuss listing videos a lot, especially since they can help you to more easily rank on Google. Be sure to watch this video up here if you're curious about how that works. But shoppers don't care about the Google algorithm. What shoppers care about is trust and a precise understanding of what they'll be receiving in the mail. Which is why we saw a huge jump to 39.3% when we asked these shoppers how important they found listing videos to be. Remember, customers can't hold your items, turn them over in their hands, or feel their textures. These are the gaps in our senses that we can use listing videos to fill in order to make our products more tangible to buyers. So if you haven't done so already, grab your phone and record a few quick and easy listing videos before the holiday rush. I keep talking about the human element that sets Etsy apart from other marketplaces. And while I'm sure that we can all agree that the Etsy marketplace is far from human these days, shoppers still express value for this human experience. Are you listening, Etsy? Buyers still care about people. With this in mind, shoppers often look for human clues or signals like a profile photo or a name in order to determine if you're a real person or just a big dropship company. And one of the very best ways to sort out if a shop is human is in the seller's about section. This is an area where we, as sellers, can share our brand's story with photos and even a video in order to show customers a bit of the work that goes into our business. Which is why 39.7% of shoppers noted that an about section is important to them. Remember, This is an opportunity to show shoppers why you love what you do and why you're the expert of your niche. So use this area to really make your brand shine. The final three factors are the most important elements of any Etsy shop, helping to promote trust with your shoppers so they're more likely to make a purchase. Before we dive in, I just wanted to quickly shout out my free Etsy SEO toolbox. Because, you know, It's holiday time and your SEO is like the road to grandma's house on Christmas morning. Or something like that. It helps shoppers to find your listings while they're shopping, which is super important but also very challenging. But as an ex-preschool teacher, I break down these concepts in easy and digestible steps that will help you to understand how Etsy's algorithm works, as well as how to perform keyword research and track your progress. If that sounds like something that you need for your own shop this season, click the link up here to grab the free toolkit. Okay, back to business. Even with the best SEO in the world, if your product photos look like this, it won't really matter if a million people see your listing. Ain't no way anyone is going to click on it in search. And the percentage of importance really bumps up in the eyes of shoppers, with 68.7% noting that product photos are very important to them. Imagine this. You're at a little boutique looking for a gift for your mom. You see an item on a shelf that she may like. What do you do? In most cases, you pick it up. You turn the item over in your hands. You look at the details, the size, and even the texture. On Etsy, we can't grab an item through the screen, which is why your product photos need to play the role of the shopper's hands. Because ultimately, bad photos of a good product equal a bad product in the eyes of shoppers. If you need a little extra help with this, be sure to click this link up here to check out my friend Christina Nicole's channel. She's a professional product photography coach and a damn good one, showing creative businesses on a budget how to take the best possible photos with minimal expenses. The last two factors go hand in hand as the most important elements that shoppers consider when making a purchase. These include the overall star rating displayed on your shop and listings, as well as the specific visible reviews that can be read within a shop. Both are important, but which is the most important? I'll be totally honest, the answer actually surprised me. 71.2% of shoppers said that the overall rating of a shop was important to them. But an astounding 81.4% said that the specific reviews are important. Let's think about this for a second. Obviously, reviews are important. A single bad review can knock down your overall shop rating. which is important to those 71.2%. However, it seems that those that make up the 81.4% feel a bit more inclined to learn more about the why behind the reviews. And I don't know about you, but when I shop online, I do the exact same thing. There will always be crappy customers who leave bad reviews for no apparent reason. Maybe the Grinch just stole their Christmas, or the dog just yarfed up on the carpet, or they just enjoy laughing menacingly as they rub their hands together while crafting up the perfect way to ruin your day. It happens. And as a shopper, I can usually tell when another shopper is leaving a bad review just to be a jerk. Especially if I see that the seller has responded with a polite and professional explanation, which is personally more important to me than the review itself. On Etsy, once you publicly respond to a review, it's locked in. The buyer cannot change it, nor will Etsy remove it. But if you've done everything you can to make a buyer happy and they still leave a bad review that they're unwilling to change, it's totally okay to write a polite and public response to that review. And keep in mind, the customer who left the negative review likely won't even see the response, nor will they get a notification about it. Because ultimately, This response isn't for them. It's for other shoppers who will see that negative review. And you should write it not as if you're addressing the customer who left the bad review, but as if you're addressing future shoppers. For example, if someone said, This product was too small. Very disappointed. You might respond with, I apologize that you were not happy with the size of your item. All product dimensions are listed both in my listing description as well as in my listing photos. Please reach out to me if you would like to work towards a resolution. I'm always happy to help. This tells future shoppers that the negative review was left without the customer seeking a resolution directly from the seller first, and that the issues with the sizing were not the fault of the seller. Let me know in the comments which details from this buyer's survey data were the most surprising to you, and how are you planning to use this information for your shop this holiday season? And if you liked this video and want to see even more of the Etsy buyer data broken down over the next few weeks, be sure to let me know down in the comments. Overall, success on Etsy means understanding what is most important to your shoppers and adjusting your brand based on their needs. And with a little science, a lot of data, and some help from a trusted Etsy expert, you'll be well on your way to Etsy success. Cue the funky lo-fi beat.

For anyone who may be new here, my name is Starla Moore, founder of the Handmade Alpha Academy for Etsy sellers and manager at erank.com, Etsy's most popular SEO tool. And this season, we decided to run our biannual Etsy shopper survey right before the holiday season in order to give sellers like you a bit of insight into what you can expect from your buyers this season. We ask buyers tons of questions, but in this video, we'll be discussing the question, what would make you trust buying from an Etsy seller?

Do buyers really care about things like the name of our shop, your logo, or even your bio picture? The answers may surprise you. During our survey, we asked 1,000 shoppers to share the level of overall importance that they place on factors within a seller's shop. Of those factors, 14% of shoppers surveyed said that the shop's logo is important to them.

And yes, this number is low, But rather than thinking of these lower end factors as being not important, think of them as being very important to that 14% who did say that a logo is important. Everything we discuss on today's list should be seen as an opportunity to convert a shopper into a customer. Next, is having a bio photo on your shop really that important for buyer trust? 18.4% of shoppers surveyed think so. Remember, Etsy is a place to build genuine human connections with real human sellers.

So even if you're not comfortable using your own photo, try using a cute cartoon avatar or even hire out a fellow Etsy seller to make an avatar for you. It's one simple and easy way to promote trust within that 18.4% who find this feature to be very important while shopping. Choosing the right name for your shop is a pretty important step in opening your business.

The name of your shop can help form positive impressions, and it can help your brand to be more memorable in the eyes of your shoppers. Which is why 22% of shoppers surveyed stated that the name of a shop is important to them. This doesn't mean that you need to run off and change your shop name before the holiday season.

However, if you're not 100% in love with your shop name, or if your shop name no longer reflects your current business model, it's absolutely okay to change it. Dale Carnegie said it best in his 1930s classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People. A person's name to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language.

In this instance, Carnegie was referring to our natural trust and affinity towards people who remember and refer to us by name. But the same goes for knowing your name too. On Etsy, putting a face and a name to a brand helps to separate you from the big box stores and faceless Amazon sellers who don't.

present a human element to shoppers. And 24.4% of shoppers agree, stating that seeing a seller's full name is very important to them. Understandably, there are a number of reasons that a seller might not want to use their real name in their shop. In this case, just like some of the world's most famous musicians, authors, and celebrities, try assigning yourself a fun pen name that you feel connects to your overall brand.

One of the most common questions I see on my own channel comes from sellers who are concerned about their shop's location. These are factors that you have to disclose on Etsy in order to accurately represent where your business is located, even when selling with a print provider. And 24.8% of Etsy shoppers stated that a shop's location is important to them when making a decision to shop from a particular store.

But again, this isn't one that I'd stress out about. Because while location is important to these shoppers, it's also important to them when making a decision to shop from a particular store. We're missing a bit of information here that could potentially paint a clearer picture.

Maybe what these shoppers are saying is that KNOWING a shop's location is important to them, so that they can accurately predict how long shipping will take. Or maybe these are shoppers who were specifically shopping with a delivery deadline in mind, such as a birthday. In which case, the buyer may need the item delivered more quickly than what some countries may be able to provide. The most important thing when filling out any shop details related to the item and delivery is honesty.

So always fill out shop details accurately. Here on my channel, I discuss listing videos a lot, especially since they can help you to more easily rank on Google. Be sure to watch this video up here if you're curious about how that works.

But shoppers don't care about the Google algorithm. What shoppers care about is trust and a precise understanding of what they'll be receiving in the mail. Which is why we saw a huge jump to 39.3% when we asked these shoppers how important they found listing videos to be. Remember, customers can't hold your items, turn them over in their hands, or feel their textures.

These are the gaps in our senses that we can use listing videos to fill in order to make our products more tangible to buyers. So if you haven't done so already, grab your phone and record a few quick and easy listing videos before the holiday rush. I keep talking about the human element that sets Etsy apart from other marketplaces. And while I'm sure that we can all agree that the Etsy marketplace is far from human these days, shoppers still express value for this human experience. Are you listening, Etsy?

Buyers still care about people. With this in mind, shoppers often look for human clues or signals like a profile photo or a name in order to determine if you're a real person or just a big dropship company. And one of the very best ways to sort out if a shop is human is in the seller's about section. This is an area where we, as sellers, can share our brand's story with photos and even a video in order to show customers a bit of the work that goes into our business.

Which is why 39.7% of shoppers noted that an about section is important to them. Remember, This is an opportunity to show shoppers why you love what you do and why you're the expert of your niche. So use this area to really make your brand shine.

The final three factors are the most important elements of any Etsy shop, helping to promote trust with your shoppers so they're more likely to make a purchase. Before we dive in, I just wanted to quickly shout out my free Etsy SEO toolbox. Because, you know, It's holiday time and your SEO is like the road to grandma's house on Christmas morning.

Or something like that. It helps shoppers to find your listings while they're shopping, which is super important but also very challenging. But as an ex-preschool teacher, I break down these concepts in easy and digestible steps that will help you to understand how Etsy's algorithm works, as well as how to perform keyword research and track your progress. If that sounds like something that you need for your own shop this season, click the link up here to grab the free toolkit.

Okay, back to business. Even with the best SEO in the world, if your product photos look like this, it won't really matter if a million people see your listing. Ain't no way anyone is going to click on it in search.

And the percentage of importance really bumps up in the eyes of shoppers, with 68.7% noting that product photos are very important to them. Imagine this. You're at a little boutique looking for a gift for your mom. You see an item on a shelf that she may like. What do you do?

In most cases, you pick it up. You turn the item over in your hands. You look at the details, the size, and even the texture.

On Etsy, we can't grab an item through the screen, which is why your product photos need to play the role of the shopper's hands. Because ultimately, bad photos of a good product equal a bad product in the eyes of shoppers. If you need a little extra help with this, be sure to click this link up here to check out my friend Christina Nicole's channel.

She's a professional product photography coach and a damn good one, showing creative businesses on a budget how to take the best possible photos with minimal expenses. The last two factors go hand in hand as the most important elements that shoppers consider when making a purchase. These include the overall star rating displayed on your shop and listings, as well as the specific visible reviews that can be read within a shop. Both are important, but which is the most important?

I'll be totally honest, the answer actually surprised me. 71.2% of shoppers said that the overall rating of a shop was important to them. But an astounding 81.4% said that the specific reviews are important. Let's think about this for a second. Obviously, reviews are important.

A single bad review can knock down your overall shop rating. which is important to those 71.2%. However, it seems that those that make up the 81.4% feel a bit more inclined to learn more about the why behind the reviews.

And I don't know about you, but when I shop online, I do the exact same thing. There will always be crappy customers who leave bad reviews for no apparent reason. Maybe the Grinch just stole their Christmas, or the dog just yarfed up on the carpet, or they just enjoy laughing menacingly as they rub their hands together while crafting up the perfect way to ruin your day.

It happens. And as a shopper, I can usually tell when another shopper is leaving a bad review just to be a jerk. Especially if I see that the seller has responded with a polite and professional explanation, which is personally more important to me than the review itself.

On Etsy, once you publicly respond to a review, it's locked in. The buyer cannot change it, nor will Etsy remove it. But if you've done everything you can to make a buyer happy and they still leave a bad review that they're unwilling to change, it's totally okay to write a polite and public response to that review.

And keep in mind, the customer who left the negative review likely won't even see the response, nor will they get a notification about it. Because ultimately, This response isn't for them. It's for other shoppers who will see that negative review. And you should write it not as if you're addressing the customer who left the bad review, but as if you're addressing future shoppers. For example, if someone said, This product was too small.

Very disappointed. You might respond with, I apologize that you were not happy with the size of your item. All product dimensions are listed both in my listing description as well as in my listing photos.

Please reach out to me if you would like to work towards a resolution. I'm always happy to help. This tells future shoppers that the negative review was left without the customer seeking a resolution directly from the seller first, and that the issues with the sizing were not the fault of the seller.

Let me know in the comments which details from this buyer's survey data were the most surprising to you, and how are you planning to use this information for your shop this holiday season? And if you liked this video and want to see even more of the Etsy buyer data broken down over the next few weeks, be sure to let me know down in the comments. Overall, success on Etsy means understanding what is most important to your shoppers and adjusting your brand based on their needs. And with a little science, a lot of data, and some help from a trusted Etsy expert, you'll be well on your way to Etsy success. Cue the funky lo-fi beat.

Transcript for:Etsy Shopper Survey Key Insights

Transcript for:
Etsy Shopper Survey Key Insights