You can make a lot of sales on Etsy by just having 30 products listed if of course you have completed in-depth market research and know who you are targeting.
However, the truthful answer is the more product listings the better.
The more listings you have on your Etsy store then the more chances you have of making a sale.
The amount of listings you have on your Etsy store also depends on several other factors. Keep reading below to find out more about the amount of listings you should have on your Etsy store.
How many Etsy listings is enough?
Many successful Etsy sellers just have 30 listings on their Etsy store. However other Etsy sellers find they have 200+ products in their store and sales are slow.
So here are some questions to ask yourself if you are considering selling on Etsy and wondering how many products you should add to your store.
- How competitive is your niche?
- Are you marketing your products externally to Etsy?
- Have you completed market research?
- Are you using great SEO?
- Have you put in time and resources to create in depth product listing images
- Are you writing detailed product descriptions?
- Have you created a strong brand presence?
In 2024 it is not enough just to add a product to Etsy that has
- Poor SEO
- Poor imagery
- No or very little description
Especially if the niche you are selling in is highly competitive and you do not plan on marketing your products externally.
How competitive is your Etsy niche?
The more competitive a niche the harder you will find it to sell products and the lower the competition within your niche the easier you will find it to sell products.
Competitiveness between niches is going to vary depending on what products you are selling.
For instance, if you are selling digital planners to students the competitiveness within this niche is going to be very high. That is because there are a lot of Etsy sellers selling digital planners for students.
If you decided to sell Shopify website templates to real estate agents then this means you have picked a niche with a very small amount of competition. This is because there are hardly any other Etsy stores that only sell Shopify Templates with their target audience being real estate agents.
Selling a product where there are already thousands of other sellers selling the same product means you are going to find it extremely hard to make your product stand out in the crowd. This would mean you would need a lot more products in your Etsy store due to the competition within your niche.
Whereas selling a product that only has 10 other sellers on Etsy selling the same thing means that your product has more of a chance of selling. This would mean that even if you only had 20 listings on your Etsy store your products would sell because your niche is not as competitive.
Of course, there are other factors which add to this which I am going to discuss below.
Market Research and adding Etsy products to your store
Market research is a key element to selling on Etsy and it is extremely important to do before opening your Etsy store or adding a new product line to an already existing Etsy store.
The next line will sound harsh but unfortunately, it is the truth.
Just because you love the products you sell doesn't mean everyone else will.
Ouch, I know!
However, it is something to consider. Many people forget to do market research before they launch a product which means they add products to their Etsy store which they love and then after a month of being on Etsy wonder why they are not making any sales.
(Of course, it could have to do with your SEO or marketing which I will talk about shortly)
But it could also have to do with the fact that nobody is looking for the products that you are selling.
This would mean that your products are not in demand and if the products you are selling are not in demand then you will find it hard to make sales.
How can I do market research to find out if my product is in demand?
You can do market research in a few ways.
- Ask supportive friends and family what they think of your product or if they have heard of anybody looking for the type of product you sell
- If you have a social media following run a poll and see if your audience would be interested in purchasing your product. This works well if you are thinking about adding a new product line to an already established store with a following.
- Use Etsy third party applications like eRank to search for the phrases or words people would use when looking to purchase the type of product you sell. These applications will tell you how many people a month are searching for those words. If the results come back as 0 then you know that your product is not in demand.
- Use Pinterest Trends or Google Trends to see if people online have been searching for the type of product you want to sell
- Search for your product on Etsy and see if there any "best sellers" appear. If you see a "best seller" on the Etsy product listing page for your product then you know that this product is doing well on Etsy.
Having good SEO and selling products on Etsy
SEO is a crucial part of selling on Etsy.
SEO stands for search engine optimisation. It is the process of adding the same keywords or phrases people are searching for on Etsy to your product's title, description and tags so that when a customer uses Etsy's search bar to look for the type of product you are selling your product appears first.
Having good SEO will ensure that people can find your products.
You should use tools like eRank or Everbee to research the words or phrases people would use when looking for the same types of products you sell.
Once you add the same keywords a customer is using to your own product titles, descriptions and tags this will ensure that your product can get found by customers who are actively searching for it on Etsy.
I have been an SEO expert for over 10 years and I have seen online stores transform the way they sell online by adjusting their SEO and getting clear with what type of customer they are trying to target.
There is no point calling your product a name that nobody would use because by doing that it would remain unfound.
If you want to gain access to my proven SEO strategies which have helped businesses make 7 figures online then check out my new Etsy SEO eBook.
Marketing your products externally from Etsy
While with great SEO and plenty of products you can have a successful Etsy store, it is also important to market your Etsy products externally from Etsy.
You can of course use your social media channels and use platforms like TikTok, Instagram & Facebook.
However, an Etsy seller's favourite is Pinterest.
Using Pinterest to market products on Etsy
Pinterest, unlike other social media channels, is an image search-based platform.
This means that people search on Pinterest for inspiration, products and ideas.
So by pinning your products to Pinterest and using SEO strategies you can get your products in front of people who have been specifically looking to purchase your products.
The great thing about Pinterest is that you do not need a huge following to get your pins in front of people.
By using the same keywords people would use in your Pins title & description and using strategic hashtags you can get your products in front of people looking for them on Pinterest.
When they click on your Pin they will be taken over to your Etsy product where they can make a purchase.
Spending time on your product listing images and product descriptions
I see a lot of Etsy sellers not spending time on Etsy product listing photos or product descriptions. This can be a huge turn off for potential customers and if you are not making sales and have poor imagery and descriptions on your product this could be a reason why you do not make sales.
Etsy sellers who create beautiful listing photos and spend time writing detailed product descriptions will find it much easier to make sales on Etsy even with less than 100 product listings.
Etsy product imagery and why it is important
Your product listing photos are going to be the first thing any customer looks at. So if you have only added 1/10 product photos, you do not have a video and you have not added any details to your product imagery about what your product is then this will turn a customer away.
Let's take a look at the two product listing images below.
The image on the left is currently ranking on the first page of Etsy. This seller has taken time to include 10 highly detailed product listing photos with details about what is included in the product, what the product is for, the benefits of using the product and has very clear images of what it looks like on desktop, iPad and phone.
The image on the right is not ranking on Etsy. This seller has included two very basic images of their product. The product images do not contain any details about what this product is about. There are no details about what the product is, where to use the product, how to use the product etc.
This is important because it does not matter if you had 200+ products on your Etsy store but all of the product imagery looked like the sellers on the right then you will find it hard to make any sales on Etsy regardless of how many products you have listed.
Spending time on your product listing imagery is key to making sales. When you spend time on your product listing photos you will find it easy to make sales even if you only have a few products listed.
Etsy product descriptions and why it is important
Similar to product listing photos your product description on Etsy is vital for making sales.
If you are only writing one line about your products on Etsy then again it would not matter if you had 200+ products listed on Etsy, you will find it hard to make sales.
Etsy stores that write at least 400 words about their product and give a detailed description to a customer about what is included will find it easier to make sales even if they only have a few products in their store.
This is an example of a great product description
This planner - The Online Shop Planner - was designed out of my desire to finally feel in control over my Etsy shop again and to set myself up to accomplish my big goals - all in one physical place.
This Shop Planner contains all of the key planning sheets you’ll need to determine your ideal customer, establish your brand, optimize your Etsy shop, and set and track your goals!
It's easily broken down into separate steps for Etsy Success with templates and workbooks to help you along the way!
This Printable Etsy Shop Planner* has been designed to:
+ Help you build your Etsy shop from the ground up
+ Develop goals and create actionable steps to reach them
+ Develop a consistent brand
+ Stay on top of your planning (by providing you with several options to keep up with your monthly, weekly, and daily schedule)
+ Plan & develop successful orders & keep track of your customer’s
+ Manage your products/listings & custom orders
*Etsy is a trademark of Etsy, Inc. This content is not created or endorsed by Etsy, Inc.
▶︎ ▶︎ LIST OF PAGES
1 - Cover
2 - This planner belongs to...
3 - Step 1: Optimize Your Shop
4 - My Shop’s Values
5 - My Shop’s Target Customer
6 - My Shop Builder (4 Pages)
7 - My Shop’s Brand
8 - Step 2: Product Listings
9 - Listing Optimization Checklist
10 - Product Listing Worksheet
11 - Etsy Product Description Worksheets (5 Pages)
12 - Promoted Listing Worksheet
13 - Step 3: Etsy SEO
14 - Etsy SEO Checklist
15 - Step 4: Marketing
16 - Etsy Marketing Plan (2 Pages)
17 - Determine Your Goals
18 - Annual Goals Overview (2 pages)
19 - Monthly Goals (Yearly Overview)
20 - Monthly Goals
21 - Monthly Sales and Keyword Tracker
22 - Monthly Overview
23 - Weekly Plan
24 - Daily Plan
25 - Client Info
26 - Suppliers Info
27 - Other Contacts
28 - Key Dates (2 pages)
29 - Time Log
30 - To-Do Lists
31 - Stop List
32 - Etsy Shop Resources
▶︎ ▶︎ WHO IS THIS PLANNER FOR?
+ Etsy Sellers. This planner was designed specifically with Etsy sellers in mind. Whether you’re a brand new shop owner or you’ve been doing this for a while, you’ll still find value in this planner!
+ Bloggers. For those of you who already have a blog set up, opening an Etsy shop is a great way to offer products, stack on the extra value for your audience, and earn some extra income. This planner + the Etsy shop resources guide will help you start from scratch and get your shop up in no time!
+ Amazing Women. Let’s face it, women can do anything! Especially run their own business. I make my planners with a soft, elegant, and feminine touch so you can feel good about getting organized.
▶︎ ▶︎ FREEBIES
This planner comes with multiple EXCLUSIVE freebies at absolutely no additional cost to you!
+ Etsy Shop Planner Binder Tabs (that are already filled out and ready to print!)
+ Etsy Shop Resources Guide (get an inside look at everything I use to run my Etsy business)
+ Cell Phone Wallpaper Design
+ Desktop Wallpaper Design
▶︎ ▶︎ HOW TO ORDER
1 - Add this listing to your cart by clicking “Add to Cart”
2 - Submit your payment information and “Order”
3 - After you complete your order, you will see the link for downloading the files. They will be available in your purchase area (https://www.etsy.com/your/purchases)
4 - Download the files.
5 - After downloading the files, you can print as many copies of the planner as you want at home or at any commercial printer of your choice.
6. Fill up + use it! I hope you enjoy!
▶︎ ▶︎ DETAILS
+ Letter Size Pages - 8.5” X 11”, fits 8.5” X 11” 3-hole binders
+ A4 Pages - 8.26” X 11.69”
+ A5 Pages - 5.8" X 8.3"
+ Instant Download PDF Files, very easy and no more worries!
+ This product can be printed at home or professionally
▶︎ ▶︎ GET AN EXTENDED LICENSE
This product is for Personal Use Only, meaning the planner file cannot be edited, shared, recreated, copied, reproduced, or resold in any way.
▶︎ ▶︎ WHAT YOU GET
+ 1st PDF - Etsy Shop Planner in US Letter size (57 Pages)
+ 2nd PDF - Etsy Shop Planner in A4 size (57 Pages)
+ 3rd PDF - Etsy Shop Planner in A5 size (57 Pages)
+ 4th File (.zip) - includes Etsy Shop Binder Tabs, Etsy Shop Resources Guide, Cell Phone Wallpaper, Desktop Wallpaper
+ 5th PDF - Printing Guide (1 Page)
PLEASE NOTE: You will receive an INSTANT DOWNLOAD of this PDF planner, no physical copy will be shipped.
As you can see this seller has provided a HUGE amount of detail about the product they are selling.
They have listed out the pages included in this product, who this product is for, what the customer will receive after purchase, about the seller and more.
It is highly detailed and this is the level of detail that all Etsy stores should be trying to achieve with their own product listings.
Stores that have product descriptions like the one above will find it much easier to sell their products even with just 20 product listings.
Your Etsy store branding
Having a strong brand presence will increase your chances of making a sale. Customers like to shop in stores that have a clear and concise brand image.
Having bright colours and mismatched product listing styles can put a customer off as it looks a bit like a bargain basement.
Before opening your store try to pick brand colours you will use on all of your product listing photos.
This will allow your store to be recognised on Etsy by customers who have purchased from you before.
Conclusion: How many products should I have on Etsy
The answer is that you can be successful on Etsy with just 20 listings. However, you need to make sure that the niche you have chosen is a niche that has high demand but low competition.
If you are selling products in a niche that has a high competition then you will need to add more products to your Etsy store.
You also need to ensure that you implement great SEO, product imagery and description then your store will be in with a high chance of making daily sales.
If you do not put the time and resources into creating a strong brand presence and using great SEO tactics then there is a chance you may only sell a few products even though you may have 200+ Etsy listings on your shop.
Etsy has a lot of sellers so it is important to take the time to make your store the best it can be so you can stand out to potential customers looking to purchase the types of products you sell.
