It's time to prepare for your mid-year Etsy shop review! Now is a great time to figure out what's working, what's not, and what you can do to make effective changes to help you thrive in the second half of 2022.
1. Start with your stats
The start for a mid-year review is to check out your stats. Begin by reviewing which months your shop performed best in, and consider the reasons. Was there any month that your Etsy shop performed particularly well? Similarly, did you have any months in which your shop was unusually quiet? Map out each month and write down what may have been the cause for either scenario - this may include: "Added new listings", "Posted consistently on social media", "Ran a sale", etc.
The second area of stats that you should review is the "How shoppers found you" section. This section will let you know where your clients are coming from and where you should turn your attention to in the latter half of the year. In the stats below, a large amount of visits are coming from Etsy ads and social media. Customers coming in from Etsy marketing & SEO look a bit low, so it may be time for an SEO re-vamp!
Lastly, be sure to review your individual listings' stats!
Here you can see each listings' views, favorites, orders, and revenue. Note which listings are receiving the most attention, and the listings that are receiving the least attention. If a listing is consistently performing poorly, it may be time to remove it from the shop entirely. Reviewing these stats is a great way to create more of what's resonating with your shoppers, and create less of what may not be catching shoppers' eyes. Ideally, your shop should have anywhere from 50-120 listings. If you have significantly more than 120 listings then consider removing the listings that brought in zero profit. Having too many listings in your shop that aren't performing well can ultimately hurt your shop's chance at being found in the search system.
2. Review your branding
Styles, themes, and trends change all the time in the world of e-commerce. Be sure to review each section below to ensure that you're keeping up with competition:
- Photography should be your first stop. Are your flat lays outdated? Are you still sharing photos that were taken in winter, rather than updating listings to be seasonally relevant? We all know how time consuming taking new photos can be, but it can make a real difference in how people see your shop and your listings, and certainly influence shoppers' decision to make a purchase or not.
- Shop icon and header photo: Does your shop icon give off the right vibe to your shoppers? A logo can make or break a customer's first feeling is as they navigate to your page. You can use apps like "Canva" or "Over" to create your own!
- Overall Aesthetic: Review your overall shop aesthetic and see what your customers' first impression may be. Make sure that your listings are giving off the right style that you want to put out there: whimsical, bohemian, artsy, classic, etc. If your shop aesthetic no longer fits with how you want to be perceived, write down a few steps to get it to the place you want!
3. Develop end-of-year marketing techniques
I know, I know - the holiday season is far away! BUT...consider how quickly the first 5 months of this year felt. Before we know it, it's going to be October and you're going to be prepping your listings to be holiday-ready. You can make that time a little less stressful by preparing as much as you can for the holiday season now. This can mean coming up with a holiday sales schedule, having a photoshoot using fun holiday props, and even outlining your holiday SEO changes that can go into effect around September/October.
4. Review your social media pages
We all know that you're using instagram every day....right?! *wink wink*. Well if you're not, now might be a good time to start. Try to post once or twice per day, and be sure to use appropriate hashtags to hit a variety of different audiences. Share a wider range of photos than Etsy will allow, get personable with your followers, and engage with other accounts in order to increase your followers and engagement on your own page. You can also think back to #2 on the list above, and review the branding style that you're putting out there on Instagram. Try to curate a clear style on IG that will give off a certain feeling to shoppers as soon as they see your page, and make sure that style matches who you want your target customer to be!
Check out my Instagram Management services if you've been looking to up your Instagram game but don't know where to start!
5. Plan for the future
Be sure to reflect on yourself as a small business owner, your business, and what you want out of your shop long-term. Jot down your goals, dreams, and even some "wants" that you can achieve from your business! Whether it's that expensive flight you've been saving up for, or an increased contribution to Etsy or Google ads - having a clear set of goals can help you focus and take the small steps to get there.
You can also write down your reflections on the last 5 months. What do you wish you had done differently? What is something you can do in the next six months to tackle a problem that you've been facing with your business? Be honest with yourself as you navigate the waters of being a small biz owner!
All content is created by Bella Consulting Studio, LLC. Any reproduction or copying of this content is strictly prohibited.