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Deciding how and when to open your Etsy shop is a big decision for many aspiring Etsy sellers.
Some sellers simply dive in head first and learn the platform, strategies, and processes as they go while others feel a bit timid about starting down the path of the unknown. IF Only Pretty Etsy shop owner Ina Fitzgerald is the type of brave woman that dives right into new ideas.
Since 2012, Ina has sold beautifully hand-crafted wrap bracelets made of silk, suede cord, and other materials. What really makes her products special and unique, though, are the hand-stamped inspirational messages she uses as little trinkets on her products.
She joins me on the show this week to share her story on how she got started selling on Etsy, her primary goal for opening her shop, and where she expects her business to go in the future.
We also talk a lot about how she promoted her products early on as well as things she has learned about SEO strategies and promotion throughout her creative journey on Etsy. We discuss how she learned that her product was featured in a BuzzFeed article, “19 Gifts That Will Make Your Daughter Feel Awesome About Herself” in October 2016 and how the feature affected her page views and sales.
Ina has a unique way of using business cards to maximize her marketing strategies that she shares in this episode. She also shares her “behind the scenes” secrets on her strategies and processes for pricing, packaging, and shipping her products.
To get out of creative ruts, I just need to sit in my studio and play with the colors, the beads, and the materials. ~ Ina Fitzgerald
IF Only Pretty – Topics Discussed
- Learning the platform and SEO strategies as she grew her Etsy business.
- Resources she found helpful to overcome the learning curve.
- How she manages her time while running her Etsy shop, working full-time, and raising two small kids.
- Preparing for the holiday season.
- Shipping and packaging processes.
- Product pricing strategies.
- Finding affordable and reliable packaging material sources.
- International selling and how it has affected her business.
- Promotional tips and strategies that have worked for Ina.
- Selling and promoting at craft shows.
- Overcoming creative ruts.
- Tips for new sellers to sell more efficiently.
- Hard lessons she has learned while selling on Etsy.
- Inventory and order tracking systems.
Resources Mentioned
- Etsy Seller Handbook
- Connecting with other Etsy sellers
- Etsy Conversations Podcast (Aww… thanks, Ina!)
- Rich Mom Business – Renae Christine’s YouTube channel
IF Only Pretty – Etsy Shop Shout-Outs
- Whitney Paige Design Co – offers beautifully crafted leather and artsy anthropology zippie bags.
Contact Ina
- Etsy Shop: IF Only Pretty
- Social Media: Instagram
- Email: IFOnlyPretty [at] gmail [dot] com
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For more help growing your Etsy-based business, check out these resources: