TEE #027 Top 10 Tips for Earning 'Etsy's Pick' Badge

Read time: 4 minutes

The "Etsy's Pick" badge is one of the highest honours a seller on Etsy can earn. This prestigious badge indicates that an item has been handpicked by Etsy's expert merchandisers for its outstanding quality, reliability and style. For buyers, the Etsy's Pick badge builds confidence that a listing truly represents the very best of what Etsy has to offer.

As an Etsy seller, having the Etsy's Pick badge can significantly boost your visibility and sales. Etsy's Pick listings often get prime placement in on-site and off-site marketing. In this comprehensive guide, I'll provide tips to sellers on how to earn the coveted Etsy's Pick badge and get your items featured.

1. Create Striking Product Photography

One of the first things that catches a buyer's eye on Etsy is a listing's photography. Invest time and effort into producing first-rate product photos. Crisp, well-lit shots against an uncluttered white background perform best. Be sure the product is in clear focus and fills most of the frame.

Avoid using watermarks or props that distract from the product itself. If relevant, consider placing your item in a lifestyle setting or context to help buyers visualize how they might use it. The ideal lighting is bright, natural light. If shooting indoors, position lights in front and/or on the side to avoid shadows.

Etsy recommends taking at least 3 photos per listing: a main hero shot, a secondary view, and a detail shot highlighting an important feature. For more photography tips, check out Etsy's guide on the 7 Essential Types of Product Photos.

2. Optimise Your Shop for Search

In order for your items to get discovered and featured, buyers first need to find them through search. Use strong SEO (search engine optimization) strategies to boost your shop's visibility.

Choose descriptive, keyword-rich titles that contain the most essential words and phrases right up front. Utilise all 13 available tag slots, picking keywords and phrases shoppers would likely use when searching for your type of product.

In your descriptions, incorporate keyword phrases organically, focusing on what makes your item special. Check out Etsy's Keywords 101 guide for more tips to optimise your titles, tags and descriptions.

3. Deliver Stellar Customer Service

Providing an exemplary customer experience is key to getting your shop noticed by Etsy's merchandising team. Etsy rewards top-notch customer service with the "Star Seller" badge. Sellers with this badge tend to get more visibility in Etsy marketing.

To improve your chances, be sure to:

• Respond to buyer messages within 24 hours
• Ship orders out quickly with tracking information
• Aim for 5-star reviews from happy customers

You can monitor your performance on these metrics through Etsy's Seller Dashboard. Providing amazing service leads to repeat business and glowing reviews.

4. Ship Orders Seamlessly

Set accurate processing times so customers know what to expect. Purchase shipping labels through Etsy to save time and automatically mark orders as shipped with tracking when applicable.

Well-informed customers are happy customers. Prompt shipping with tracking gives buyers peace of mind and confidence in your shop.

5. Follow Etsy's Policies

Thoroughly review Etsy's Seller Policy, House Rules and Terms of Use to ensure your shop and practices comply fully. Avoiding any policy violations demonstrates you are a trusted, responsible seller committed to the Etsy community.

Some key policies to know:

• All products must be handmade, vintage or crafting supplies
• No copyright infringements or trademarked materials
• Be honest and accurate in listings
• Honour your shop's policies and representations

Stay up-to-date as policies evolve. You want your shop to remain in good standing.

6. Encourage 5-Star Reviews

Reviews lend your shop credibility and social proof. The more glowing 5-star reviews you have, the more buyers will trust purchasing from your shop.

Provide excellent customer service that exceeds expectations. Then politely request or remind happy buyers to leave a review after they've received their order. However, don't offer compensation for a review, as that violates Etsy's policies.

Respond professionally to any less-than-5-star feedback and make it right with that customer. This shows you care about improving when issues arise.

7. Showcase Your Story

Etsy emphasizes the handmade, human touch. Let your unique story and creative process shine through in your shop bio, listings and About page. Share your passion and connect on a personal level.

This helps you stand out from larger mass retailers. Leaning into what makes your business special can help build an emotional connection with buyers.

8. Be consistent with Branding

Make sure you have considered branding when you create your Etsy shop. A simple colour palette with a maximum of 3 colours and 2 complimentary fonts will be suffice.  Then use this branding colour scheme across your whole shop and across all your marketing platform.  This is the quickest and easiest way to up level your shops aesthesis and to instantly appear professional. It will build trust with your potential customers which will lead to more sales.

9. Analyse Your Shop Performance

Use Etsy's analytics tools to identify opportunities for improvement. Look at your traffic sources, conversions, listings views and more. Try out Experiments to test changes.  For example, you may discover that optimising titles for keywords drives more visits from search. Let data guide your strategy.

10. Stay on Top of Etsy Trends

Keep up with the latest market and buying trends happening on Etsy. Lean into trends that fit your products and brand. This shows Etsy your items resonate with what's currently popular.

For example, embrace seasonal themes around holidays or customize best-sellers. You can find trend reports in Etsy's Seller Handbook like the Festive Trends Guide for 2023.

Conclusion:

With these tips, sellers can significantly improve their chances of earning the prestigious Etsy's Pick badge. By focusing on striking photography, stellar customer service, search optimisation, smooth shipping, stellar reviews, compelling stories and leveraging your branding and data, your listings will capture buyer attention - and Etsy's merchandising team.

Happy Selling!

SJ xoxo

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1. → My Free Etsy Workshop: Perfect for you if you are just starting out on Etsy. Learn how you can turn your creative passions into cash to earn your first £1000 on Etsy.

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