Starting an Etsy® Business For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
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Table of Contents
Part I: Getting Started with Etsy
Chapter 1: Handmade for Each Other: Falling in Love with Etsy
Handmade Crusade: Understanding Etsy’s Purpose and Business Model
World Up: Introducing the World of Etsy
Upper register: Registering with Etsy
Homeward bound: Navigating the Etsy home page
Let us account the ways: Understanding Your Account and Your Shop
For sale by artist: Discovering what’s for sale on Etsy
Safety first: Ensuring your safety on Etsy
Storefront and Center: Setting Up Your Storefront
Sell’s Angels: Surveying the Etsy Selling Process
Takin’ Care of Business: Handling Business Matters
Community Collage: Engaging in the Etsy Community
Chapter 2: Let’s Get This Party Started: Signing Up
Sign Me Up! Becoming a Registered User
All about you: Submitting necessary info and confirming your account
Signing away your firstborn: Reviewing the Terms of Use
Chapter 3: There’s No Place Like Home: Discovering Etsy’s Home Page
Home Sweet Home: Viewing Etsy’s Home Page
Hitting the Links: Exploring the Links at the Top of the Page
Tonight’s Headerliner: Exploring the Header Bar
Pick Me! Pick Me! Checking Out Handpicked Items
Finders, Keepers: Signing Up for Daily Finds
How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways: Exploring More Ways to Shop
Baby, You’re a Star: Checking Out the Featured Shop
The Velvet Blog: Reading Recent Blog Posts
Ooh, I Want That! And That! And That! Viewing Recently Listed Items
Go Mobile: Exploring Etsy Mobile
Chapter 4: Account Trackula: Navigating Your Etsy Account and Shop Settings
Total Access: Accessing Your Account
Final Accountdown: Checking Out Options under Your Account
Buy crazy: Tracking your Etsy purchases
Baby got feedback: Checking your feedback
Public eye: Viewing your public profile
Revision quest: Revising your account settings
Appy ending: Tracking your Etsy apps
Go proto: Exploring Etsy Prototypes
Head case: Viewing reported cases
Shop Girl: Familiarizing Yourself with Your Etsy Shop Settings
Listful thinking: Managing item listings
I’m just a bill: Viewing your Etsy bill
Bump, setting, spike: Changing shop settings
Go through the promotions: Promoting your shop
Chapter 5: Buy and Buy: Finding and Purchasing Items on Etsy
Gimme One Reason: Understanding Why You Should Buy on Etsy
Go Fish: Using Etsy’s Search Tool
Transactions Speak Louder Than Words: Delving into Transaction Details
Affairs of the cart: Adding an item to your cart and checking out
Pays of our lives: Paying for your item
Submissionary position: Submitting your order
Feedback Is Forever: Leaving Feedback After You Buy
Case in Point: Lodging a Case Against a Seller
Chapter 6: Safe Word: Maintaining Privacy and Safety on Etsy
Oh, Behave! Adhering to Etsy’s Do’s and Don’ts
Private Party: Guarding Your Privacy on Etsy
Privacy, please: Understanding Etsy’s Privacy Policy
Leave me alone! Changing your privacy settings
Close sesame: Choosing a strong password
Safe Passage: Keeping Yourself Safe on Etsy
Scam I am: Avoiding scams on Etsy
Safety dance: Staying safe in Etsy’s public places
Security guard: Making your account more secure
Always use protection! Using Etsy’s Seller Protection program
Brooklyn, We Have a Problem: Reporting Issues to Etsy
Part II: If You Build It, They Will Come: Setting Up Your Etsy Shop
Chapter 7: Sell Coverage: Understanding What You Can and Can’t Sell on Etsy
Yes, We Can! Figuring Out What You Can Sell on Etsy
The handmaid’s tale: Selling handmade items
Oldies but goodies: Offering vintage items
Supplies and demand: Selling supplies
Just Say No! Understanding What’s Not Allowed on Etsy
Achtung, baby: Knowing what items are prohibited
Service says: Selling only certain services
Off with Their Heads! Knowing What Happens If You Break a Rule
Chapter 8: Come on In! Creating an Eye-Catching Storefront
Mind Your Banners: Adding a Banner to Your Shop Page
Title Wave: Adding a Shop Title and Announcement
Section Leader: Setting Up Sections
Money Talks: Setting Up Payment Options
Exam cram: Examining your options
Preferential treatment: Specifying your preferences
Bill Me: Setting Up Your Credit Card
High Profile: Setting Up Your Public Profile
All About Me: Adding an About Page
Biohazard: Writing a Winning Bio or Shop Story
Quiz show: Starting with a few essential questions
The tweak shall inherit the Earth: Tweaking your first draft
Extra! Extra! Adding a few extras
Team Edit-ward: Editing Your Shop Settings
Chapter 9: Policy Academy: Establishing Your Shop’s Policies
Fair and Square: General Policy Tips
Financial Matters: Establishing Payment-Related Policies
Ship Shape: Establishing Your Shipping Policies
Return to Sender: Handling Returns and Exchanges
Policy Wonk: Setting Up Your Shop Policies Page
Introductory offer: Introducing the sections
Population control: Populating the page
Chapter 10: Come on Down, the Price Is Right! Pricing Your Work
Formulaic Plot: Breaking Down Your Pricing Formulas
Material girl: Calculating the cost of materials
Labor pains: Figuring labor costs
Two-timer: Understanding the “times 2”
Double or nothing: Pricing for wholesale and retail
Some assembly required: Putting it all together
Eyes on the Price: Evaluating Your Prices
Know thy enemy: Assessing your competition’s pricing
Here’s looking at you, kid: Studying your target market
Floor it: Figuring out how to lower your prices
Up the ante: Knowing when to raise your prices
Something Old: Special Considerations for Pricing Vintage Items
How Low Can You Go? Pricing for Sales
Part III: She Sells Seashells (and More): Understanding the Etsy Selling Process
Chapter 11: Say Cheese! Photographing Your Wares
I’ll Take That-a-One! Choosing a Camera with the Right Features
Key club: Identifying key camera features
Feature story: Considering extra features
Background check: Using backgrounds
Prop it like it’s hot: Working with props
Model citizens: Using live models
Lighting Bug: Lighting Your Shot
She’s a natural! Using natural light
Dark matter: Avoiding the dark
SPF 50: Avoiding direct sunlight
Time to reflect: Using reflectors
Compose Yourself: Composing Your Shot
For starters: Trying basic composition principles
Third’s-eye view: Applying the rule of thirds
Focus, People! Focusing Your Image
Shoot, Shoot, and Shoot Some More: Taking Lots of Pictures
Clean-up on Image Five: Tidying Up Your Photos with Image-Editing Software
Expose yourself: Adjusting your photo’s exposure and color
Crop circles: Cropping your photo
Chapter 12: Word Up: Composing Engaging Titles and Descriptions
Headline Muse: Writing Titillating Item Titles
Story Time: Telling a Story with Your Item Description
Likely story: Uncovering your item’s story
Description prescription: Describing your item
Write away: Composing your item description
SEO Speedwagon: Using Search Engine Optimization to Drive Traffic
Keyword to your mother: Choosing the best keywords
What you key is what you get: Using SEO with your item title and description
Tag, you’re it! Understanding tags
Proofread, Please! Proofreading Your Item Title and Listing
Chapter 13: Selling Like (Burning Hot) Hotcakes: Listing Your Items
Lister, Lister: Listing a New Item
Ready, set, go! Starting the listing process
About face: Filling in item information
Vary cool: Adding listing variations
Picture this: Uploading images of your item
Description prescription: Describing your item
Getting specific: Adding the recipient, occasion, and style
It’s in the tag: Tagging your item
Sales figures: Adding selling information for your item
The reviews are in! Reviewing your listing
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: Editing a Listing
Renewable Resources: Renewing a Listing
Don’t be a sellout: Renewing a sold listing
Stay active: Renewing an active listing
Expiration mark: Renewing an expired listing
Pull the Plug: Deactivating a Listing
Rearrange Your Face: Rearranging Your Etsy Shop
Be an enabler: Enabling the Rearrange Your Shop feature
Get moving! Moving your listings
Feature comforts: Featuring an item in your Etsy shop
Chapter 14: Wrap It Up: Closing the Deal
You’ve Got Sale: Finding Out You Have a Sale
Baby Got Track: Keeping Track of Sales in Your Account
Guided by Invoices: Handling Invoices
Show Me the Money: Receiving Payment
Chapter 15: The Ship Hits the Fan: Shipping Your Items
The Right (Packaging) Stuff: Obtaining Shipping Supplies
Package Deal: Showing Your Love and Care with Packaging
Wrapper’s delight: Wrapping any kind of item safely
Nice package! Using attractive, brand-friendly packaging
Goody-goody: Including extras in your parcel
Ship Shop: Choosing a Shipping Carrier
Stay First Classy: Surveying Shipping Options
Crafters without Borders: Shipping Internationally
Ship Happens: Creating a Shipping Profile
Insure Thing: Insuring Your Parcel
Print It to Win It: Printing Shipping Labels on Etsy
Deliverance: Sending Your Package on Its Merry Way
Marky Mark: Marking the Item As Shipped in Etsy
Part IV: All Up in Your Bidness: Handling Business Matters
Chapter 16: High Exposure: Marketing Your Etsy Business
Brandy, You’re a Fine Girl: Building Your Brand
Loco for logos: Creating a logo
Integrate expectations: Working your brand into all you do
Poetry in Promotion: Using Etsy Tools to Promote Your Shop
Search party: Using Etsy Search Ads
Coupon d’état: Creating coupons
Badge to the bone: Creating an Etsy shop badge and hosting an Etsy Mini
Save Facebook: Promoting your Etsy shop on social media
Go Postal: Sending an E-mail Newsletter
Chapter 17: You’ve Been Served: Providing Excellent Customer Service
Let’s Talk: Communicating with a Buyer Before, During, and After a Transaction
Questionable behavior: Answering customer questions
Mind your manners: Giving thanks
Ship happens: Double-checking the shipping address
Get a clue: Finding out how they found you
Lost in translation: Communicating with foreign buyers
Sample shout-out: Covering all the bases in one short, pleasant message
Speed Is of the Essence: Shipping It Quickly
Feedback Is Good: Leaving Feedback Promptly and Prompting for It
Bungle Fever: Handling a Bungled Transaction and Other Tough Issues
Hand it over: Prompting a buyer to pay up
Lost Etsy: Dealing with lost shipments
Case study: Dealing with a reported case
Refundsal, Refundsal, give back your fare: Issuing refunds
Tropic of cancel: Canceling an order
The customer is usually right(ish): Dealing with a difficult customer
No shirt, no shoes, no service: Refusing service to a buyer
Chapter 18: Business as Usual: Managing Your Etsy Store
I’m Just a Bill: Paying Your Etsy Bill
Taxing Matters: Appeasing Uncle Sam
To tax or not to tax: Collecting sales tax
Drawn and quartered: Paying quarterly income tax
Write this off: Determining tax deductions
Recording Artist: Keeping Accurate Records
Don’t Be a Tool: Using Etsy Tools to Manage Your Shop
We need those numbers, stat! Viewing Shop Stats
Statistically speaking: Viewing Customer Service Stats
An app a day: Using Etsy apps to run your store
Too Legit to Quit: Making Your Business Legit
O sole mio: Understanding sole proprietorships
Grab your partner, do-sell-do! Getting a handle on partnerships
LLC Cool J: Looking at limited liability companies
Go corporate: Considering corporations
Sweet Charity: Handling Charitable Giving
The Artist Is Out: Switching to Vacation Mode
Hanging It Up: Closing Your Etsy Shop
Part V: Commune System: Exploring the Etsy Community
Chapter 19: Community Building: Joining the Etsy Community
Talk amongst Yourselves: Using Etsy Forums
Forum letter: Accessing Etsy forums
Postess with the mostess: Viewing and responding to posts in a thread
Thread Zeppelin: Starting a new thread
Finders, keepers: Searching for an Etsy team
Sign me up! Joining an Etsy team
Start me up: Starting your own Etsy team
Lab Partner: Exploring Etsy’s Online Labs
Event Horizon: Staying Apprised of Etsy Events
Miss Manners: Respecting Community Etiquette
Chapter 20: OMG, Did You Hear? Keeping Up with Etsy News
All the News That’s Fit to Print: Exploring Etsy Blogs
Mail Bonding: Signing Up for Etsy E-mail Newsletters
Red-letter day: Sifting through different types of e-mail newsletters
Subscription prescription: Subscribing to e-mail newsletters
Social Skills: Staying in Touch Using Social Media
Proto Baggins: Joining Etsy Prototypes
Chapter 21: A Love-Love Relationship: Showing Your Love for Other Etsy Sellers
Heart and Sold: Hearting on Etsy
A piece of my heart: Hearting items and shops
Turn on your heart light: Viewing hearted items and shops
A private matter: Being a secret admirer
Follow Me! Following Others on Etsy
Where you lead, I will follow: Following another Etsy member
Circle up: Viewing your Etsy “circle”
Active ingredient: Checking your activity feed
Treasure Island: Creating a Treasury
Chapter 22: Help! Getting It When You Need It
Search and Rescue: Searching for Help on Etsy
That’s a FAQ Jack: Accessing Etsy FAQs
Getting Personalized Help from the People at Etsy
Forum letter: Using the Etsy Help forum
Life support: Contacting Etsy Support
Chapter 23: Ten Terrific Tips for Etsy Sellers
Use What You Discover from Other Shops
Chapter 24: Ten Strategies for Marketing Your Etsy Shop
Understand That Giving Begets Giving
Create a Great E-mail Signature