Handmade & Beyond Podcast

Do you have unused Etsy real estate? Real estate market is hot!    It's the craziest it will probably ever be in our lifetime.    When it comes to selling online there is also IMPORTANT real estate to consider.    Taking advantage of the space Etsy gives you to win over customers is a key part of success on the platform. Today I am going to give you 5 Etsy real estate areas to focus on so you can...

Creativity is clearly very important as a handmade seller.  It's pretty much the DNA that holds everything together.  But it's common to find yourself in a creativity rut from time to time.  Sometimes it's hard to come up with new ideas or stay motivated to create new products.  That's normal and something we have to learn to push past.  In today's episode, I want to give you 5 tips that I've used...

I know you want to grow your Etsy business sooner than later.  Making more money in your business just makes things easier.  I get it.  I'm always working to grow and improve my business as well. Well, today I'm bringing you not 1, not 3, but 25 of my best tips to grow your business in 2022!  There's tons of gold nuggets in this episode that you don't want to miss!   Up your Etsy SEO game with my...

Believe it or not all products sold solve some type of problem although it may not be quite clear what the problem is.  Granted some problems are very small and others are very big.  Nonetheless, understanding what problems your products solve and the solutions it brings to the table allows you to market to your customers better.   Knowing the problems and solutions helps position your products be...

Reviews are super important to an Etsy shop's success.  They help build trust with future customers but also help with SEO.  The Etsy algorithm sends more traffic to shops that have a 5 star review average.  Why?  Well, 5 star review shops have highly satisfied customers which are good for that shop and good for Etsy.  The more buyers are pleased, the higher chance they'll return and buy from Etsy...

Many sellers ignore their shop sections! Sure they're not as important as your actual listings, but shop sections still add value for your customers.  Not only that, it helps with the all mighty Etsy SEO (search engine optimization), which dictates traffic/sales.   Today I am going to give you 5 tips to help you with your shop sections so you can optimize your shop. Don't forget to download the fr...

Today's episode is about the not so popular elephant in the room, Etsy's fee increase...  I get it, higher fees take money out of small business owner's pockets.  The first reaction is often a negative one.  Since I'm a glass half full person, I want to give you some perspective about this fee increase and also give you 5 ways you can mitigate the increase. I talk about the free Etsy fee calculato...

Isn't this the question of all questions?  Most Etsy sellers at one time or another have wondered if ads were a good way to add revenue to their business... The real answer is it depends and there are a lot of variables at play.  But I can tell you that there are some best practices to follow in order to at least have a chance at running profitable ads.  In today's episode, I dive into some succes...

Everyone is searching for the elusive golden goose in today's age of limitless opportunity. We chase shiny objects, we chase influencers, we chase squirrels... lol.  The sad reality is most of that doesn't lead us anywhere.   When in fact what most business owners should be chasing is the OLD tried and true way of increasing sales, which is email marketing.  In today's episode, I talk about 3 reas...

Many new and even veteran Etsy sellers talk about the dreaded Etsy shop suspension.. duh duh duh... I know it's scary.  But if you know the #1 reason shops get suspended and how to make sure you don't fall into this category you shouldn't be scared. Today's episode talks about how to avoid getting your shop suspended so you can live a carefree and happy Etsy life. Are you a new seller who needs mo...

I know you probably have income goals in your business.  Maybe you want to make a few extra hundred dollars each month.  Maybe you dream BIG and want to hit that $100k mark.   When I started I never dreamed that would be possible.  But then over time, I started to think it was possible and that became my ultimate goal.   Looking back at my early days and the years it took for me to get to consecut...

Maybe you're not getting the traction you want on Etsy or maybe you just want to boost your revenue.  Either way, you may have thought about dabbling in some new sales channels. In today's episode, I go over 5 sales channels that could be beneficial for you to try.  I also talk about the main pros and cons of each.   Are you a newer Etsy seller and are struggling to get the results you need with y...

Usually in your business saying yes and taking tons of action will get you to the next level.  However, this episode is all about saying no to the extra junk that may come your way during your business journey.  This may be spam messages, third party tools, new products outside of your niche, or any other of the many shiny objects out there fighting for your attention. This episode will help you d...

What the heck is a customer avatar and why is it important? You're in luck.  I talk about this and more in this episode.  Knowing your ideal customer can help you market better, align your brand better, get more sales, and give customers more of what they want.   All of this can give you more out of your business so you can worry less.   Of course, I have a handy free guide that goes with this epi...

Welcome to episode 100!   W ow, it's hard to believe.  Thanks for all the support, kind words, and encouragement along the way.    I appreciate my listeners and if I can impact your business or life in just a small way then it's worth it.    This time of year is all about goals… Which honestly makes me cringe.    Why?    Most people never meet or come close to hitting their goals because there is...

The dreaded lost package... If you're in the e-commerce game long enough this will inevitably happen to you.  The post office will lose a package.  Luckily, for me it doesn't happen that often.  But when it does and depending on how you handle it, you could have a customer service nightmare on your hands. Today I want to talk about how I handle lost package issues so it could help you if it happen...

It's safe to say I've been in the Etsy "game" for quite a while now.  8 years to be exact... In that time I've learned a bunch.  Mostly from many mistakes.. lol.   When looking back at all I have done and learned over the years it got me thinking about what I would do now if I started a brand new Etsy business?  What are the main things I would focus on to ensure I had the best chance of success?...

If you've started an Etsy business of course your main focus is making sales.  This is the best way to gauge success.  Sales equal winning.   However, winning is usually a lot harder than most sellers realize.  It may lead you to believe your products aren't good enough or Etsy doesn't work.  What it really comes down to is a combination of factors that you can control and if done correctly can in...

Apps today have so many features.  With all the bells and whistles it can be easy to miss some.  Etsy is no different.  There are tons of features with new ones coming out all the time.   Today I want to point out 3 Etsy features that maybe you don't know about but should.  These could help your business in several different ways.  I dive in and talk about Alt Text, Search Analytics, and Explore i...

New sellers often consider what they're going to sell, their shop name, their branding, etc.  But it's common for them to miss other supplies, equipment, and materials that will be necessary to run their business effectively and efficiently.  Let's dive in and talk about this laundry list of goodies that will help you run your Etsy business better!

In today's episode, I go over some of the most important key terms related to your business and their meaning.   I'll be talking about: 1 - Visits 2 - Views 3 - Conversion %  4 - Clicks 5 - ROAS  6 - YOY  7 - Traffic 8 - Revenue 9 - Profit 10 - SEO Are you new or just opened an Etsy shop?  Get my free PDF download Etsy Quickstart Guide.  The perfect guide for those looking to start or who just sta...

Are Etsy ads a magic lever to automatically increase your revenue? I'd say no.  When deciding to run Etsy ads you should make sure to have your shop in order and a good understanding of Etsy best practices before starting an ad campaign.  Not doing this could actually hurt your shop rather than help it.  In today's episode, I talk about this and more to help you decide when it's a good time to adv...

It's no secret that I love Alura.  They have a truckload of really cool features to help you with your Etsy business.  They have SEO tools, shop analyzer tools, follow-up tools, and much more.   In today's episode, I am going to touch on 3 of my favorite tools that Alura has and how I use them for my own business.   Click on the link below to check out Alura and all its amazing features to help yo...

Happy Friday! I wanted to do an episode on adding text to your product photos because I've been getting this question a lot.  It seems there's a lot of confusion on whether you should do this or not and if doing it will hurt your business. Let's dive in and talk about it!

Most of your customers will be first-time buyers from your shop and may even be first-time Etsy buyers as well.  With all those new buyers, it's vital to make and leave a great first impression.   That's why I want to help you by giving you 5 great ways to level up your customer's first-time buying experience.  These are easy to do, but often get overlooked by sellers. Repeat buyers are an importa...