Monica Little: Because what I see is Etsy is growing massively in the digital product space. And it's super interesting because when people are now looking for templates or guides or worksheets or things to help them in some sort of way. They, obviously aren't going to Amazon for things like that. I don't think Amazon sells digital products just yet.

They're pretty, I think, slow, surprisingly, to adopt something like this. So they're going to places like Etsy when they're looking for resources, things to learn, things to help them in their business, in their life, whatever it may be.

Crystal Waddell: Welcome to the third season of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, the podcast dedicated to empathy driven brand building SEO. I'm your host, Crystal Waddell. I leverage my obsession with user experience to help business owners just like you optimize your website with confidence. Thank you so much for being here.

Let's jump into another great episode.

 welcome back to the simple and smart SEO show. I'm so excited that you are here with us and I have a special treat for you. 

Especially for all my ecom and Etsy people. 

I have Monica Little here today to talk to us all about Etsy and how to be successful on Etsy. 

So Monica, thank you so much for being here today.

How are you? 

Monica Little: Oh, my gosh, I'm doing so good and so excited to chat with you today. 

Crystal Waddell: So our paths crossed due to the Shopify summit.

Can you share a little bit about yourself and what you do.

Monica Little: Yeah, absolutely. 

So I'm now an Etsy coach after growing my own handmade skincare, small business. To multiple six figures with over 5, 000 orders, a hundred thousand in sales, just on Etsy.

Having my products sold in over 160 stores across the world. 

Growing my skincare, small business account to over 16, 000 followers.

So that's like where I took my business to. But when we talk about where it began, we all started the same spot. 

Which is with an idea. With zero sales. And from there we can see how it grows. 

So I really started my organic skincare, small business about four years ago now. When I was working in a corporate job. 

And I just had that feeling that there was more to me and that there was more to life.

I got a little scared when I thought about doing the same thing over and over. 

Living for the weekend, having the Sunday scaries. going back to the office on Monday for the next 40 years. 

It honestly scared me. And I hit this wall of what's next, there's got to be something more. 

So at that point in time, I did, I think what most people do when they hit this friction point of what's next. 

I started to just try to find hobbies that actually lit me up and I stumbled across a huge passion for health and wellness. And once you start to go down the health and wellness rabbit hole, there's a lot that opens up and one of it is the chemicals in our products.

And women on average put over 200 different chemicals on their bodies in a matter of one day from all of the different products. 

The shampoo, the skincare, the makeup remover, the makeup. Every single thing that we put on our body leads to so many different chemicals that we are putting on our skin.

And when I started to go down this rabbit hole, I did a ton of research that came up also about the harmful effects of these chemicals. That can lead to side effects as severe as cancer. 

And my mom had two different types of cancer that she battled and beat back when I was in high school. 

So when I went down in this journey, that's when I decided to really just experiment with clean DIY alternatives.

And one of the things that I started to experiment with was skincare. I did a ton of research on more of just like ancient ways that people took care of their skin, different foods, different, oils, different serums, different essential oils. And I came up with some superfood skincare combinations that really worked well for my skin.

I started to share about it with friends and family. And then I was really surprised when people actually wanted to buy it. 

So I decided that this was the business that I was going to run. And I think at that point in time, I do what most people do when they have this initial idea is that they decide to put it on Etsy.

And we all think that as soon as we go on Etsy, it's just going to be like the money comes, the customers come, everything just. clicks and happens, but what I found was the hard way that just because you list your products on Etsy doesn't mean it actually leads to sales. There's actually a lot of work that has to be put into Etsy to make it work for you.

So I went down this trajectory of just really dissecting Etsy, understanding Etsy. 

The who, the what, the when, the why, every single component and lever and functionality that Etsy had. And I also paired that with my corporate knowledge. So I was in corporate offices for years. I went to school for business.

And when I paired those two components together, that's finally when I started to see traction on Etsy. 

And then I started to get sales on Etsy. And then my Etsy shop built some momentum. 

And then I grew it to those numbers I mentioned at the beginning.

Ended up leaving my full time job about four years ago and then I was able to work on my business in other ways on instagram. 

Get into stores, my website, all of the fun other components that come.

But really etsy was the starting point and the catalyst and now I work with other small business owners to actually get etsy work For them, so they're not stuck.

So they're not devastated So they're not at that point like where I was where you have this incredible product, but you just Don't know how to get it in front of more people. 

So yeah, that's brought me to where I am today. 

Crystal Waddell: Wow. There's so much that we need to talk about. Okay. But I have a couple of follow up questions.

What's your product? What's the skincare? 

Monica Little: Yeah. So it was called Plant Based Beauty. I ran this business for two years. and then I ended up when I started coaching, I decided to close my business. 

Plus, when I moved from Chicago to Arizona, that was like a catalyst too. But I ran plant based beauty for two years.

And, what I had was facial serums, face masks. Everything was made with superfood ingredients. So things that you could literally eat. 

Like one of my best sellers was the avocado and algae face mask. And this has, this had avocado powder, spirulina powder, Moringa powder. 

Things you could put in a smoothie, but actually instead incorporating it to an external skincare routine. To really give your skin the nutrients that it needs.

yeah, I ran plant based beauty for two years, along the lines. my story goes in multiple different directions. 

I also co owned three retail stores in Chicago. 

Heard from over a hundred local small businesses, what they were struggling with that put me in the direction of coaching. 

And then I fell in love with coaching and I really saw plant based eating as that stepping stone for me to experience and learn and figure out how to do the things. 

But then to really pivot to help people on the business side to actually put that into practice.

But yeah, plant based beauty was, it was so much fun for me to really dive into that and come out with those combinations. And share about cleaner alternatives with people who are on that path too. 

Crystal Waddell: Wow. That is amazing. I just, I think it's so lovely because I'm 40, 40 plus I'll be 43 in December, but I'm looking.

I'm looking into makeup now for the first time I'm in my makeup era. 

And so even just hearing you talk about those things, I'm like, Oh, that's so fascinating. I would love to put something good on my face because now that, like you said, you go down the rabbit hole and then you realize, Oh my gosh, there's so much weird stuff in here.

 All right. Obviously, you could talk about that, but we'll save that for another day. so let's go back to Etsy. 

And I mentioned to you that I am interested in possibly, creating a digital product store for some of the SEO resources that I've created over the years. Let's talk about that.

I'm not necessarily a beginner on Etsy, is Etsy only for beginners or, would it be a good fit for what I'm thinking of? What do you think about that?

Monica Little: Such a great question. Okay. So I'll answer that in a couple of ways. I'll answer it from the digital product point of view. 

Because what I see is Etsy is growing massively in the digital product space, and it's super interesting because when people are now looking for templates or guides or worksheets or things to help them in some sort of way. 

They obviously aren't going to Amazon for things like that.

I don't think Amazon sells digital products just yet. they're pretty, I think, slow, surprisingly to adopt something like this. 

So they're going to places like Etsy when they're looking for resources. things to learn, things to help them in their business, in their life, whatever it may be. 

I know people who've created like spreadsheet planners for moms on a budget that have done fantastic on places like Etsy.

So when you say you're thinking of starting a digital shop, I think Etsy is a perfect place because Etsy is now becoming the go to known place for digital products. 

I think that's perfect. Now to answer your question from is it only for newbies across the board? 

What I find when you look at actual shoppers, so people who are going on Etsy. 

They are looking for something unique, handmade that they can't find elsewhere.

So if they, for example, were looking for a candle, if we talk more about physical products, and they didn't care what type of candle it was. 

They would go to Amazon, they would go to Target, they would go to, Bath and body works during the annual sale and they would get a candle. But when they're on Etsy looking for a candle, they're looking for one super specific.

That's going to fit a vibe of a particular room. Or that's going to be a gift for a specific friend who loves something in particular. Or a specific sense that they can't find elsewhere or a specific decor or whatever it may be. 

So when I teach Etsy and how I talk about Etsy now is shoppers are looking for something super unique.

And when they can't find it elsewhere, they're going to Etsy. So if you have a physical product, it's about not being a newbie necessarily, or a crafter or hobbyist. 

Now it's really about putting your best foot forward. 

And claiming that you have a small business and showing up with that level of just a sophistication with your products. 

Because that's what shoppers are looking for.

And that's also how you. Because there are a lot of people on Etsy that maybe are, not taking their business quite as seriously. 

But the shoppers want the serious business owners who are selling an incredible product that's going to give them exactly what they need. That they can't find elsewhere. 

So that's what I love about Etsy. 

Because a lot of established small business owners who maybe aren't on Etsy. Can go back to Etsy and actually see great results.

So no matter where you are, if it's a digital product, Etsy is great. If you're an established small business owner, let's go on Etsy if you haven't been on it just yet. 

Or if you're just getting started and that's going to be your first step like it was for me, cool. 

Just know that you definitely have to do what others don't in order to stand out on Etsy nowadays. 

Just because how saturated and sophisticated the market is.

But this is why I love Etsy because no matter where you are in your business, let's make it happen. 

And create that revenue stream and start learning how to really attract the right people and create those types of sales. 

Crystal Waddell: Yeah, obviously digital products are so attractive because it's like you make it once and then sell it over and over. 

And when I think about Etsy, I think about handmade.

So, to just get my mind around digital products on etsy just seems.... it's hard.

It's a hard Shift, I guess for me mentally to make. 

But what this sophistication that you're talking about, what does that look like in an Etsy shop?

How do you show up 

Monica Little: like that? 

Yeah. So really what this comes down to when you think about mostly anything that we sell nowadays is going to be in a saturated market. I know when we talk about your product on my podcast that we just recorded, it sounded like you.

created a product that didn't exist, right? Which is absolutely phenomenal. I think for myself and a lot of other small business owners is we may not be creating something that's new. 

Which can make things a little bit more challenging for me. For example, with skin care, there's thousands of small businesses that are selling skin care on Etsy.

And granted, we all have different formulations, but essentially they're doing the same thing. This one's gonna help you with dry skin. 

And this one's gonna help you with acne. This one's gonna help you with anti wrinkle. So So the functionality of them can be similar. The ingredients and the type of ingredients obviously can differ.

But when I talk about being like a sophisticated seller on Etsy, that just means when the market is saturated, when there's thousands of other items on that search results page for a similar item that you sell. 

What are you doing to actually stand out? 

And that may mean things like that main photo that you use on Etsy has to be a bomb photo that when people see it, they're drawn to it. 

Because when there's 60 other listings on that first page, what's drawing eyeballs to yours, right?

A good photo will do that. It also means using the different marketing levers that Etsy has to offer. 

For example, free shipping, offering a discount star seller. Sometimes people, when we talk about star seller, they really... 

Put you know put their hands up saying no, it's too hard. It's too challenging The requirements are so difficult.

that badge that purple badge that bold text that star icon Draws eyeballs to your listing.

So in this case being a sophisticated seller means doing what it takes to get star seller to actually put in those practices to receive Those badges. 

But then it also means when someone actually clicks on your listing What are your photos doing?

Do you have 10 photos of the product from 10 different angles? Or are you educating through the photos about the features or how to use your product? The benefits. 

Are you showing social proof in your photos, like having a review in one of your photos. 

So people right there who are shopping by looking at the photos can see that review and they're stepped in and they're tracking, they're like, Oh, okay, I want to try that because this person loved it.

Also really evoking emotion through your photos. 

Showing, Someone using your product because then the person can start to put themselves in that scenario too And then we talk about the description having all the details that people need to feel confident in buying from you. 

And also having a lot of trust with a ton of great reviews on etsy.

I think that's how you stand out compared to everyone else is doing what others don't. 

In terms of star seller, the marketing lovers, a great photo, plus your 10 photos on Etsy, all there for a particular purpose and reason. 

You're listing. Your reviews. All of that comes into this beautiful cohesion that helps you stand out and helps you get the sale.

So that's Really what it comes down to, which can be a little overwhelming. 

But, it's not as hard as it sounds. you said to use, 

Crystal Waddell: all 10 photos, and I know there's a video option now. Like this is where I've really dragged my feet. I remember when the Etsy seller app came out.

I initially, made some videos in it or whatever, and I was like, wow, and I didn't, just jump in with two feet with the videos. Like, how important is video on Etsy? 

Monica Little: Yeah, this is such a great question. 

And how I teach Etsy is whenever they give you a lever, You want to use it. 

Because it's there for a reason.

So I'll give this example of when I, when I worked at Expedia, which is my last corporate job before I left to work on my own businesses. 

I was in, for example, like product development, which is all about how do we adjust the website to make it functional so people buy more products. 

And we would do testing on the website where people randomly would land on the website and would be split into two different groups.

And one of the groups, for example, had a fee. 

An 8 fee right at the end of the booking path when they were about to book that hotel. 

While the other people didn't have this 8 booking fee. 

And when you're booking a 300 hotel room night, you would assume, okay, an 8 fee isn't really a big deal. 

But we would see out of the people who randomly went to two different areas, the amount of people that actually dropped.

When that additional 8 fee was added at checkout. Hotel booking fee, 8. Nope. They hit the X mark. 

So we learned that, okay, don't add a fee at the end because people don't like that. 

Now, if we switch that to Etsy, think about how they offer free shipping for the same reason. They know when people get to the checkout page and all of a sudden there's additional 8, 10, whatever it may be fee. 

They've already anchored to your initial price. That when they see this, they're like, no, no, no.

They hit the X. button or they hit the back button to find someone else. 

So to answer your question, whenever Etsy offer something, I say, use it. If they offer a free shipping lever, use it. If they offer a discount lever, use it. If they offer star seller, make sure you get it. Because they know those things lead to more sales.

So I'll say the same thing about video. Obviously, we live in a world where people love to see images. 

And now it's growing into it's not just images. People love to see videos, so if they're offering it, it's going to be great to use. 

I personally didn't use any videos in my products, and I still had a really great success. 

And video was an option at that point in time, and a lot of my members don't use video either, and they still see success.

So what I'll caveat that with is If your images are great images, maybe professional photography, they're educating, showing social proof, evoking emotion. 

Then you may not need the video. But if Etsy offers something, it's always good to use it. Your marketing can help you if you aren't using the video. As long as you have some standout marketing that will do the selling for you.

So this one is a little bit of like a balance of trying to figure out, do you need it? Do you not need it? 

I don't think it's a deal breaker, but I love people just to use what Etsy offers too, cause it's there for a reason. So make most of what they give you. 

Crystal Waddell: Awesome. So what about, what if you have a high end product, and First, could you define what high end would be on Etsy?

but if you did have more of a high end product, where, like that 300 or 400 hotel room, can you sell that type of thing on Etsy? 

Monica Little: Yeah, that's such a great question. I have one of my members who sells beaded gemstone necklaces that range between 350 to 550 each. 

And she's selling them on Etsy and she's already sold... I was just looking at her Etsy shop last week. 38 of them since we started working. So if you do the math like that's a big chunk of change like that's awesome. 

But I think what's more impactful is that people are on Etsy looking for things like this. So one of the biggest concerns that I hear from people is, Etsy is only for crafters and hobbyists selling that there are things that they make, but people are going on Etsy looking for high quality items, right?

And that may be a hobbyist or crafter who has a high quality item, or that may mean someone who's selling maybe like gemstone necklaces that are also a high quality item. 

So I think the moral here is just people are on Etsy looking for unique products. And what's beautiful about this is. What Laura sells at the Necklace Studio are beaded gemstone necklaces and there are other beaded gemstone necklaces on Etsy that you can find for 75, 80. 

So, so much cheaper than what she sells, but she's still selling quite a bit of them at her price point, at her value that she decided that they are just because she has, What we talked about earlier that sophistication. 

So basically sophistication is marketing She knows how to market her products on etsy to portray the value So when people see the 350 or 550 price tag. 

They're just so sold on that product that they're like, okay. Yes, I know everything that I need to know about this product add to cart.

Let me purchase. 

So yeah, I mean there's room for a wide range of products No matter what your price point is to be able to be successful on etsy 

Crystal Waddell: So that reminds me, just like in terms of positioning your product, over the last few years, there's been like this influx of, mass produced items on Etsy.

And so I know that there was a lot of people whose product we're on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of pricing, and then they just felt Oh, my gosh, we're going to get completely priced out here because we can't compete with mass production. 

Monica Little: Could you speak a little bit about that?

Yeah. 

I mean, for the person who says we can't compete with them, you're spot on. 

You shouldn't compete with them, right? 

Or not how I teach Etsy is we're not trying to be the cheapest of the cheapest on Etsy. 

Because if your cheapest price point is your competitive advantage, someone is going to come in and undercut you by a couple dollars and you've lost your competitive edge and your competitive advantage.

So your price point can't be the only reason people are buying your products. 

And unfortunately I do see this a lot because people show up on Etsy, they charge 10, 12 for something. 

They see some massive success and some results because maybe they are either even undercharging themselves. 

But then someone else comes in, steals our list, all their sales.

And they're like, what happened? Or maybe the inverse happens where they're like, Oh my gosh, I'm not making any money in my business. I have to raise my prices because I'm selling a lot. I have a thousand sales, but I have no money in the bank. And then when they raise their prices. Their sales come down.

So this is really where when we can attract the right customer through the things that we've talked about, incredible photos. If you want to charge more for your products, your branding, your photography has to align with that pricing.

And what you share in your photos has to align with that value too.

So a couple of things we talked about is social proof, having a review in your photos, evoking emotion. So that may mean doing a professional photo shoot of you with your products, using your products, showing people how they're meant to be used. So let's take the candle. For example, if you sell candles, it's not just about having photos of the candle.

It's about having the photo of the candle that's lit. On a nightstand. With a cozy book, maybe a cozy blanket. So that person who sees it is Oh my God, I've been so stressed out. All I want is that. cozy atmosphere. I'm buying that candle. Or maybe they think, Oh my gosh, I have a friend who's going through a hard time.

This candle will hopefully give her some relaxation. And when you have photos that bring people into that experience now, they're less worried about the price point because they're buying through emotion. 

Instead of buying through logic. So if you are being the cheapest of the cheapest, people are buying through logic. 

Which as soon as someone is cheaper than you, logically, they're going to go to that cheaper product. But if you're showing emotion and getting people invested in your product from your photos, your description, that's when you can show the value and people are happy to pay that. So I think it really comes down to, just Knowing who your customer is and how to connect with them, portraying that through your photos and through your description. And also feeling super confident in your pricing.

So if we have to increase our pricing, I think it's feeling aligned with it. 

Because when we increase our pricing, but we're scared, we're going to lose all of our sales. 

I mean, that just energetically doesn't line up either. So it's a combination of both the tactical, but also the energetic that really comes into play there.

Crystal Waddell: As an Etsy seller, I jumped into this so excited because I'm like, I know all the nitty gritties of Etsy. And I wanted to hear, like your take and learn even more from you. But I forgot we are an SEO podcast!

So I have to stop for just a minute and say, where did, what do you know about Etsy SEO?

And can you give us any tips on Etsy SEO? 

Monica Little: Yeah, so how I teach Etsy SEO is very similar. 

I just had you on my podcast and insights you were sharing very similar to what I'll say here. 

How I teach Etsy SEO is use the Etsy search bar. That is going to be your most direct form of feedback. 

On What are people searching for?

So type in a similar product that you sell. So in my example, I could type in facial serum. 

And as you start to type it in, see what other auto populate searches come up. 

So as you start to type, you'll see right underneath it. Facial oil, organic facial serum, all natural. You'll start to get some buzzwords.

So that'll give you some initial ideas for some of your keywords that then you can use in your title and you can use in your tags on Etsy. 

Now this is one way to get keywords. Then you can also actually do some Etsy searches. 

See what shows up on the first page. Look for the little bestseller badge, which is in the corner of the photo.

Click on that person's listing. 

And snoop on what they're using in their title. Because success leaves clues. 

So if other people are on the first page for a product that you want to be on the first page for, see what they're using. 

Start to consolidate some words from competitors, too. 

But then what I like to do, after you've done these auto populate searches and these competitive research searches. 

Is to actually verify the words that you've written down. Maybe you'll have 20 or 30 keywords at this point. 

Now go in and actually type those keywords one by one to see what shows up and make sure it's a product that you want to be associated with. 

And a vibe you want to be associated with. So I'll give you an example. One word that came up a lot for my serum was moisturizer.

I was like, okay, moisturizer. Great. And when I typed in moisturizer, it was all lotions on the first page. lotion, body butter,lotion. 

And I was like, I have a facial serum. It's an oil. I don't think me showing up here is going to be the right place. 

Because these people who are searching moisturizer are looking for most likely a lotion or a body butter.

So not only getting the keywords, but then verifying them. And then once you have those keywords using them in your title, so keyword stuffing. 

Don't use the name of your product in your title because no one is searching for healing glow facial serum. 

Instead, they're searching foracne clearing, facial serum. Organic facial oil. Whatever those words are.

And then using those words also in your title. So pretty simple. It takes, it takes just a little bit of time of doing that research. But, then once you've got those words, you'll start to get found for the people who are looking for you. Yeah. And that helps people to find your products and then click on it.

But then we want to make sure the photos in the description and the reviews get people to add it to CART. 

Because what I see people do is only focus on the titles and tags, which is great to be found. But we have to make sure we're also focusing on what gets them to add to CART too. 

Crystal Waddell: Yeah, that's so true.

we were just talking about that recently about, how we use SEO to get people to our websites, but really what we want to do is get them on our email list, so that we actually have a way to continue to contact them. So it's just, it's funny how it just stacks up. It's like it never ends! All these things that you want to do.

When you're selling a product on Etsy, how many products should you have? Because should they all be similar? Should, and I'm thinking even from a digital product perspective, that's a lot of keyword research for different.

So like, how do you get started with that? Is there a minimum number of products that you should have on Etsy?

Monica Little: Yeah, that's a really quick question. 

So there used to be some, tips that were going around that you need to have at least 40 items on your Etsy shop in order for you to really get any traction. 

And I never really understood that. 

And I only had 10 products in my Etsy shop when and I grew my Etsy shop over 5000 orders.

And a lot of my members only have 10 or 12 or 15 products and they're doing great too. So what I would say on Etsy is if you have a ton of products, this obviously is a bit of work. 

So two things we can address here. Number one. Is focus on your best sellers. 

So put your best sellers up on Etsy. If it's digital products, put the resources that people that you are referring to people and people are using and people are loving the most.

Start with your best sellers and that will, if that's 10 products, cool. If that's five products. Also great. and start there because those products that, people love and enjoy is going to start getting you the traction and getting you the sales. And then as you have more time, you can add in your other products. 

But this comes up a lot too with people who have custom pieces or are constantly coming out with new products or just have a hundred products.

It's how to really find that balance. So best sellers first. 

And then also, I think just understanding that anything we're doing is going to take time. So although some of this is like a little bit of grunt work, I always like to remind people, think of that end result of why are doing this. 

You're doing this so Etsy can bring customers to you, so you can continue to get new customers to find you.

So you don't have to do all of this marketing on social media and all of this work to get people to purchase. 

Instead, they're finding you on Etsy and falling in love with your products and buying there. So having that longer term vision helps a little bit when we're doing some of that grunt work too.

Crystal Waddell: So if a person is wanting to either add a new product to a shop they currently have or start an Etsy shop. 

Is there a way to find out. be a keyword research or something like what a good product to sell would be. 

Monica Little: Yeah, great question. So how this is a really good question. I primarily work with people who already have a product. 

And have already verified it in some way. Either by friends and family loving it, selling at markets, getting a little bit of traction on Instagram.

And then it's like, how do I get in front of more people. So that's something I actually think people really struggle with on Etsy is that they don't have any proof of their product. 

And they put it on Etsy and expect a ton of sales to come in. 

You have to have some sort of initial research or proof that people want this product.

Now, how you can do that is going back and just doing some searches on Etsy for the type of product that you want to make or sell. 

If you don't have that Proof otherwise. Doing some searches to see, okay, is this a category that people are buying? Is this a type of product that people are buying? Or is this something that's there's thousands of thousands and thousands of this t shirt with this one saying. Do I really want to be another teacher with the same saying on Etsy? 

Things like that, just by doing some regular searches, but there's also a really great tool called Everbee.io.

So it's Everbee.Io. And when you go to this website, you can type in certain products and they actually have some statistics to tell you how many sales it has, how many views it's getting, and then you can start to have more data of, okay. Here's what products are doing good. And I actually had the founder of ever be on my podcast.

And what he mentioned is I created this platform for people who are looking for an idea, but don't have that idea just yet. So they can find what's working well and then put their own secret sauce and spin on how they could come out with a product like that. 

So that's maybe more for someone who wants to start a shop, but doesn't know what to sell.

that's a great tool or the flip side is just What's when the rubber hits the road of actually like talking about your product to friends and family instagram to get some proof that Way too. So one of two ways that you can really take that.

Crystal Waddell: Do you have any thoughts on E Rank or using that to research? 

Monica Little: I think E Rank is pretty similar to Everbee. So I'll mirror the same sentiments.

I personally didn't use E Rank because one of two reasons. 

Number one, I didn't find it super user friendly and it was just, clunky.

In my personal opinion. I'm sure if I spent an hour, I probably would have been able to figure it out, but I was just like, this is clunky. I don't really want to spend the time to dive into this.

And I personally find the authentic searches on Etsy are just more impactful and more telling of what's selling. What keywords are working. 

What are people searching for? What are people buying? I like actually going to Etsy. I think sometimes people want a shortcut, so they're looking for some of these tools, which can provide great insight, but I don't think the, like just the groundwork of actually doing some Etsy searches is to be missed.

So I like that avenue better, but eRank or Everbee. 

I think either one of those are tools that can help to assist that. I personally just liked Everbee because it was a little bit more user friendly. So that's the one that I used a bit more. 

Crystal Waddell: What percentage of your audience do you estimate is full time in their Etsy business? 

Versus either side hustling or, staying in their main career for now, with the hope of being able to, elevate their Etsy sales to replace their income?

Monica Little: Yeah, the people that I work with, I would say 90 percent of them either have a job. Or are also stay at home moms. Or are also just juggling a million responsibilities in one way or another. I don't think there's many people that I work with that are, solely dedicated to their business because that takes time and energy to get to that level.

And it takes a little bit of Just getting your business in a certain place before you can really make some of those leaps. 

So. Primarily I work with people who have either a part time or full time job, stay at home mom, homeschooling kids. One of, one of those buckets, if not multiple of those buckets. 

But this is where I really find that, when you are in one of these buckets where your time isn't a commodity, your time is very valuable, that's where it's like learning from someone on how to do it makes the biggest impact.

Because you can spend months and months of trial and error trying to do it on your own or even extrapolate that even longer if you have other responsibilities. 

Because obviously your time is limited. 

Or you can just learn from someone who's done it and have some actual concrete steps. And okay, here's what I need to do.

Here's how to make it happen here. Let's implement it, and have that be just a little bit more simpler as you start to really work on your Etsy shop. 

Crystal Waddell: Okay. I think this might be my last question, but where do you see like the biggest opportunity in Etsy and Etsy shops moving forward? 

Monica Little: Ooh, great question.

I think I'll echo what we've been talking about. I see the biggest opportunity. Number one, I think digital products is a growing space. 

But number two, I don't particularly see that there's any bad category to be selling. 

I think you can make your mark on Etsy and any category, as long as you're willing to do the work.

And as long as you're willing to do what others don't to stand out. 

I will make one caveat is with print on demand, which is where you use companies like printify or printful. 

I personally see, I think you can be successful with print on demand, but I think how people are approaching it is leading a lot of people to struggle with it.

Because a lot of people are creating a sweatshirt, putting a saying on it, using just a very basic font.

And then they're expecting like magical sales to come in on Etsy. So this goes back to the second point that I just mentioned. It's. If you can be successful, if you actually do what's required to stand out.

But the beautiful thing is when you learn how to stand out on Etsy, you're going to learn how to stand out on Instagram.

You're going to learn how to stand out on your website. You're going to learn how to stand out on Faire. If you decide to wholesale. 

You're going to learn to stand out when you do store outreach to get your products in stores. So It's really the name of how do you become the best of the best? Because we live in a world that where anyone can go on Amazon and order a candle making kit and put a label on it and decide to sell it.

So what are you going to do to stand out? And if you have that drive and that passion to help people through your products, no matter what it may be. 

If it's skincare or a candle to help relax or jewelry to help someone feel confident or beautiful collage block letters to help people have a memory. 

If you have that passion and the desire to help people and to get your products in the hands of more people, Then that's going to take you far.

So I really just think it's the rise of the dedicated and committed small business owners. And it's going to be, those who are willing to put their skin in the game and make it happen. 

Crystal Waddell: Wow. The dedicated business owner era. Just say that one more time. The dedicated business owner era.

That's what it is. Okay, so Monica, if this resonated, and people definitely want to hear more about you, where can they find you? 

Monica Little: Yeah, so I primarily hang out on Instagram at Monica Little Coaching, and then I have a free Etsy training. We've touched on some of the points. 

But how this training is broken down is three marketing secrets to stand out: how you appear, how you attract attention, how you confirm expectations and how you give trust.

So that free training is at Monicalittlecoaching.com/Etsywebinar. 

So if anyone is intrigued, interested, getting started with Etsy. Or struggling on Etsy. 

Or wants to figure out how to grow even more on Etsy, great place to start is at that training. and then I have a podcast. So I just interviewed crystal.

So you should definitely hop over to The Product Biz podcast, listen to that episode. And then hang around and hear from other guests and myself on how to grow and scale a business. 

Crystal Waddell: Wow. That is fantastic. I'm excited to check out your training because I just think that's so critical. 

And being that I'm getting ready to launch digital products. 

Hey, I have no shame in saying I need to learn from other people who have gone before me and done it right.

So thank you so much for sharing that. 

Monica Little: Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it. 

Crystal Waddell: See you next time, guys. 

Okay.