7th month on Etsy RESULTS & thinking about quitting my Etsy shop

[@BrianAndrewStephens]

Dina I love your transparency. Love your honesty and the fact that you even ask your audience what they would do. There are so many experts. It's refreshing to have someone who is simply experimenting and showing their results, even if the results aren't good.

[@DinaLu]

Thanks Brian! Sometimes I feel like there's nothing to talk about if my results are bad hahaha. But yes I'll continue and try to make etsy more fun for me so I feel motivated. Thanks for your kind words!

[@goodmoodsound6933]

I have two Etsy shops. The first shop sells invitation templates, and it usually earns around $400-$500 per month with 3-5 new listings added each month. However, in the last four months, I have experienced a significant decline in sales. Currently, this shop is only generating $30-$40 per month. Despite the decrease, I am actively working on adding new listings and exploring new niches in order to improve sales.

[@goodmoodsound6933]

My second shop, which sells digital planners, is doing even worse. There are no sales, and even the views are lacking. I am conducting experiments by creating multiple variations of listings for the same product, using different photos, descriptions, and keywords. Nothing seems to help. I believe there is a major issue with Etsy's algorithm changes. I constantly read comments from other sellers around the world, and everyone is experiencing a drastic drop in sales. I'm not sure if it's worth continuing. I can only hope for the end of the year when sales tend to pick up during the holidays.

[@DinaLu]

Sorry to hear about the drop in sales and no sales in your 2nd shop :( I totally understand how that feels to spend so much time and energy on something and not see a return (this happened to me for 2 years with my youtube channel). I still do believe it's very possible and realistic to succeed on Etsy and make $1k+ per month so crossing my fingers for you and me that things will pick up!!

[@davidc4555]

@@goodmoodsound6933same here buddy, my visits decreased from 300 a day to 150 within a month. Not sure if it‘s because summer started or as you mentioned because of etsy‘s algo… trying to do my best and learn from it as much as I can. Looking forward to Q4 😅

[@Martina-cr9io]

Can't it be also the thing that many more people are trying Etsy? After an AI boom, creating easy content and starting etsy shops? Btw, after seeing such videos recommending to create content with AI, I was kinda like... whats the point if half the content on the internet will be fastly made by some AI? where is added value?

[@davidc4555]

@@Martina-cr9io yes new shops get boosted from etsy… my visits decreased by 40% but summery months are in general lower so probably these are the both main reasons

[@DinaLu]

Watch until the end of the video because I answer the question of if I'm quitting or not! Tell me in the comments... Have you ever thought about quitting your Etsy shop?

[@Marmarushka]

I’m sorry this is happening to you. But thank you so much for being honest and showing the truth! ❤

[@Deslouches1]

I think you should keep going because it's a learning process for you. By doing it, you are expanding ur knowledge and helping others. Don't let this take over your mental health, think of it as fun and educational. Also, it's your channel, do any content that you like and you enjoy making, the people that are for you, will stick around, and you will get new followers as well based on their interest.

[@yeahexceptno]

I was going to say that. While the shop isn't thriving, the learning experiences are so helpful to anyone wanting to open a shop or is struggling. So many videos are of shops that seem to be effortlessly thriving and that is not the case for so many

[@DinaLu]

Thank you for the encouragement! I don't think I'll quit completely. I'll try to find more ways to make this more fun for me without sucking away too much of my time.

[@supergirl97770]

Please don't stop! I truly love your Etsy Videos so so much and think that lots of other subscribers do so, too💗

[@DinaLu]

Thank you❤

[@WalkingAndWisdom]

I think you should keep going, identify new products and niches and keywords that are doing well with Everbee, and keep adjusting things until they work.

[@DinaLu]

Thank you!

[@teifaf6036]

Hi Dina!!! It's so nice to see another one of your videos. Awesome insight into your Etsy journey! You asked, so here are some thoughts: 1) It sounds like your niche is not evergreen and is very specialized, so I would try to niche up and/or look into shoulder niches 2) I heard this quote once: "Treat it like a hobby, and it will pay you like a hobby. Treat it like a business, and it will pay you like a business." I think in your case this is more of a hobby at this point (nothing wrong with that) and the results that you're getting reflect this. 3) I see people in the comments here encouraging you to keep going (and I selfishly hope so too lol), but in my opinion, if your heart isn't totally in it, walking away would be 100% ok!!!! You could also just let it continue to be a side gig and see what it does passively (with minimal growth). I bet that if you decide to direct and steer your current Etsy time, energy and focus toward your KZbin channel, you'll see awesome growth! You seem to be very passionate about your channel and that makes a world of difference. 4) In the end, don't think about us, but think about yourself and what makes you happy (and ultimately what gives you greater results). 5) Regardless of what you decide, I'll stay tuned into your channel and cheering you on! 👋🙏❤

[@DinaLu]

Thank you so much @teifaf6036 for your encouragement!❤ I think my niche is mainly evergreen, but just a bunch of products that I made at the beginning that did well initially were part of a trend that has slowly decreased in popularity. Yeah, I see KZbin as my "main" business. I see Etsy as a side business that I'm not suuuuper duper committed to but I think generally it's fun and interesting to see if it can work out like I imagined. But yes my so-so effort yielded this so-so result, which makes sense. Not sure if you watched til the end, but I am actually going to continue! But just try to make things more fun for me while not letting my Etsy shop take away too much of my time. Actually I just got a new design idea today and it's making me excited. Thanks again!

[@teifaf6036]

@@DinaLu You're quite welcome! Yes, I think you're right. Your niche is pretty much evergreen and the January spike is to be expected since everyone and their grandma is starting a business that month LOL I'm glad that you're continuing your Etsy journey! Looking forward to seeing your shop grow. Toodles! :)

[@GemmaElisabeth]

You can turn off offsite ads if you wish to opt out, the only time that you can’t is when you hit 10,000 in sales total - then they make you have them. I didn’t know about them and I was shocked when I made a big sale and they took so much for the ad! I turned it off and my shop does really well now without them. I don’t think you should quit, I use mine as passive income and enjoy doing it, you were so excited when it was going well at the start of the year, it could improve again x

[@DinaLu]

I don't understand why we should turn off off-site ads? Seems like a good thing to me 🧐

[@SalunyaKayell]

There are so many so called 'experts'. Some are brilliant, some are mediocre, and some are useless. People love authenticity and transparency. Documenting your journey is that. At the end of the day, do what you feel comfortable with.

[@chineeandvashee]

I still watch your video more than those gurus cos I can relate to you. Keep going, even if you only spend a few hours on your etsy. Hopefully one day it will grow on its own

[@DinaLu]

Thank you for watching and supporting!❤🎉

[@happybunny1329]

If your shop is aimed at businesses, it is possible that you will get most of your sales in Jan-Mar and then it will go quiet for the rest of the year. Small businesses buy a lot at the end of the financial year to maximise their tax benefits on expenses, but then often spend the rest of the year saving their pennies. If you don't feel enthused, I would put the shop on the back burner, otherwise you will start to resent your shop taking up your time. Log in a few times a week to show Etsy you're still active, but leave your shop to grow organically, and then in Nov/Dec, list a few new products and start to promote for increased sales in the Jan-Mar period. Focus on sales until Apr, then back on the back burner. Most importantly, do what makes you happy. If the shop makes money, that's a bonus, but no matter how much money you make, if you don't enjoy it, what's the point? :)

[@DinaLu]

Awww thank you! I feel like in my niche people should buy year-round 😂but that's just me thinking hahaha. I think for now, getting support in my shop with my VA will be really nice and actually I'm feeling more motivated to work on it knowing that I don't need to do EVERYTHING and I can work on the parts that I like doing. But that's a good point though, I shouldn't do things that make me unhappy. Let's see how things go...

[@TheDogAndTheBee]

Etsy is a marathon not a sprint. i know the lows very well, we‘ve all been there. You just started, so i would recommend to wait at least a full year until seriously thinking about moving on from etsy. You had a very successful start that many newbies only can dream about. while your amazing sales at the beginning are a blessing, it get you to think something is wrong when your shop hits the „normal“ avenue on etsy. Additionally, its summer, most ppl arent on etsy and if i remember correctly you‘re selling templates for business owners - so most of your sales back in january where from ppl that wanted to start a business. Wait until fall & winter, i‘m almost certain your sales will pick up again and will explode at the end of the year when ppl are looking to improve their businesses for the new year. Most of us etsy sellers experience a low in the summer, this is normal etsy business. You can use this time to improve your shop & get your ducks in a row to be prepared when ppl get on etsy again around fall. If you need a stable income through the summer low, try to find products that fit your shop and also sell in the summer months or expand your business to make money in another way online that will help next year when the etsy summer low hits.

[@DinaLu]

Thank you for the encouragement! We'll see how it goes 🙏

[@jaelalusiola8989]

I have a shop that performed almost the same as yours. But I now have a second shop that I work on with more effort with price range at least 10€ You would self Sabotage if you entirely don’t pump out etsy content for your KZbin entirely. More listings =more earnings. You should keep on going

[@jaelalusiola8989]

Tweak your listing pictures times three…you don’t need to entirely change the design A/B testing

[@DinaLu]

​@@jaelalusiola8989oh yes I'll continue posting etsy content or else my KZbin will die😂

[@CobitoAventurera]

4:21 i think what could help you is a quarterly strategy rather than a monthly strategy. Have you heard of the book the twelve week year? I Highly recommend it. I will give you advice but you don't haaave to take it if you don't see it fit. I enjoy seeing you grow and experimenting! Your main metric (ie your Profits) fluctuates way too much from week to week. Having a bit of an bird's eye view could help you choose what to tweak from your strategy. For three months, choose what you want to leave as is (like ads, # of new listings and type of listings, SEO, etc) and stick to it! At the end of three months, you can take a bird's eye view of how your strategy worked with a quarterly spreadsheet AND see how each individual listing performed. Keep feeding your monthly spreadsheet cause that will be used to fill up the quarterly one. When creating a new quarterly strategy, that's when you can decide what to to tweak: a) improve an individual listing, b) change frequency of posting , c) ads or d) another thing! Only tweak one thing at a time so you can identify with more precision what caused a change from your expected outcome. If too many tweaks are done in the strategy, you never know what in your strategy worked or didn't! I am a not an Etsy seller but I am a blogger, and I think the system is pretty similar. I believe Etsy has a search based algorithm (kinda like google) where the more consistent you post new content (maybe once a week on the same day) the more likely the algorithm sees you as an authority because you are active. It's not the only thing important, but it is something to look at. I hope this helps! Luv your videos❤❤❤

[@DinaLu]

Omg yes I have heard of that book and know the concept of what that book talks about but haven't read it. I do agree with everything you said... I am tinkering with WAYYYYYYYYYYY too much right now and have too many variables so I can't tell what is causing what. Thank you for sharing this! And yes I agree that this applies to a whoooole lot of things in life, business and career. I added the book to my reading list!

[@rain1053]

What can you say about the reserve that's made by etsy? What's your plan when etsy put your account on reserve? A lot of Etsy sellers are now on reserve and it's not a good condition on etsy platform.

[@DinaLu]

I sell digital downloads, so I believe it doesn't apply. It only applies for physical products. This is directly from Etsy's website: "If a Payment account reserve is placed on a seller’s account, a percentage of funds from each new sale of a physical item is not available for deposit for a period of time or until the order is in transit with valid tracking added by the seller."

[@BeckyAndrew-u7f]

If I were you I'd branch out to niches with more demand. It doesn't matter how good your products are or how much effort you put in, if it's not getting the right amount of attention.

[@EleanorDocherty-q4m]

From listening to this video, it feels like perhaps you're creating products you're not passionate about? What if you started to create products on things you're passionate about, like tip sheets for digital nomading or youtube templates etc? Just a suggestion! I personally think you keep going as if you're making $300 a month now by the end of the year that could be consistently $500-$1000 a month? Just my two cents! :)

[@DinaLu]

I enjoy making the products to some extent, but I think it's the pressure of always needing new products and me not having that much time to work on this. But that's why I'm getting some more help with the templates now. My true passion is not creating products😂it's creating content. But trying to make etsy fun again so I can make content haha

[@helenasantana6483]

Also if you look at your best performing videos on KZbin, I think most of them have been Etsy videos, so if you quit, your KZbin channel will be affected as well

[@DinaLu]

Oh yes I am very aware of this haha. That's why I have a dilemma so trying to do things that will make me feel like etsy is fun again!

[@lilolme69]

My shop and your shop would be 2 different things because you have a KZbin channel about your shop, I do not. Are people here because of your shop or are they here to see you do other things? I think that should be the question you ask your viewers. But... you should also say what 'other things' you would be doing instead of making videos about Etsy. You seem a lot like me... you start something and get bored with it... is this the case? People don't care about you being a pro, people just like watching you doing it. Kinda like people watching other people play a video game.

[@ChriStellalla]

I opened up a tarot reading etsy shop in January and the amount of energy and work i have put in creating actually beautiful listings And doing market research and adjusting the keywords and everything, absolutely has not lead to growth or even a part time income and it made me genuinely angry that people with completely unprofessional and lazy listings make thousands every month. During June i have emotionally and mentally quit from this and I'm contemplating on new ideas. Thank you for sharing your journey and thought process ❤

[@DinaLu]

Oh man that is frustrating! But sometimes that's what starting a business is like. I feel like my KZbin growth journey felt like that... putting in so much time and energy into it but not seeing a return for 2 years. Even though you didn't make money from it, it doesn't mean you didn't gain anything. You're probably so much better at graphic design and just general business knowledge which will help you in your future businesses or if you decide to revive your Etsy shop. Totally give yourself some time and space if you feel like that's right for you - new ideas and creativity will come. Wishing you the best ❤

[@homiekeen23]

​@@DinaLu so true, in my case I "waste" so much time on designs , but in a way now I know even more tips and tricks !

[@jollyjames30]

You'd have to elaborate more on these "unprofessional and lazy listings" that make thousands every month. Is that really the case? Maybe take a deep dive into their shop and see how long they've been around, how many listings they have in total, whether they're using paid ads, etc. I can't imagine people just opening up Etsy shops, throwing out a bunch of garbage listings and just making thousands every month. It takes a lot of work to reach that level.

[@homiekeen23]

@@jollyjames30 that's my question indeed. even tried etsy ads and it only brought in a couple of sales for a lot of money . I see newly opened shops with not many listings and "crappy" images or no description and they're getting sales (not saying they're making thousands but still) , But how do we figure out what's the thing that's working for them when we can't see it? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@jollyjames30]

@@homiekeen23 There are so many variables and factors at stake that it's very difficult to pinpoint the reason why some etsy shops rank higher. Shipping prices could be a significant factor too which helps some sites to get more views and more sales if their shipping fees are less than competitors.

[@drivethrutours1916]

To what extent should someone start a KZbin channel for the money?

[@DinaLu]

I don't think anyone should start a youtube channel just for the money. There are many other easier ways to just make cold hard cash.

[@DM-pd2ji]

I would wait a full year and then decide based on the profit/year if it's worth the effort and time you put into it. December and January have been amazing for my shop and then it was really slow, but I think it's normal. My Etsy store is a side hustle for me, so I don't expect it to be as consistent as a salary. During the slow months I focus on creating products for Back to school, Christmas and New Year because I know that's when people are spending more money on Etsy.

[@DinaLu]

Yeah for now I'll keep going with it, but going to try to spend less time on it (by outsourcing some tasks). I'm just trying to find ways to make Etsy more fun for me haha and that is by freeing up some of my time to do other things while I still keep the shop going. Hope it picks up for both me and you!!!

[@CavatinaProductions]

Keep in mind that Quarters 2 and 3 tend to be the deadest time of the year on Etsy. Everyone is outside doing stuff and enjoying the spring and summer weather, rather than staying cozy in their homes shopping online. Quarter 4, which is the holiday shopping time, tends to be when shops explode. Given that you launched your shop in November (at least that's what I assume looking at your spreadsheet), you didn't get the opportunity to take advantage of the previous holiday rush. This year, you can. I would keep going and see what happens.

[@DinaLu]

Yes I'm actually curious what a full year on Etsy will look like!

[@microbusinessowner]

I started my shop around the same time and the last 2 months have gotten so much slower which has been worrying but if that’s normal then at least that is somewhat less worrying 😅

[@laecurlslaetwirls3779]

I think your Etsy shop potential too, like if you gave up on your KZbin channel before it picked up you wouldn’t have gotten to where you are now, I think you should take that approach as well and think of why you started an Etsy shop in the first place… Thanks for being so authentic ❤

[@DinaLu]

I actually started my Etsy shop as a way to make cash while I waited for my KZbin to get bigger 😂 but I totally know that my KZbin growth at this point relies heavily on my Etsy-related content, so that's what keeps me motivated on working on Etsy haha. Trying to make Etsy more fun for myself so I can keep making content! Thank you for your kind words!

[@TaylorHaselton]

I wouldn’t quit. I went through something similar with my KDP. I was making $4 a month after 6ish months in the business. I thought about quitting multiple times. Instead I got a course, published more books, and starting making $100+ a month. You never know what you can make if you quit. Sometimes taking a break or changing things can make a big difference!

[@NuriaSaladrigasLarroy]

Can I ask you what type of course sdid you make? One about how to manage etsy and selling strategies?

[@DinaLu]

Yeah, I don't think I'll quit completely! I'll try to find more ways to make this more fun for me without sucking away too much of my time. Thanks for sharing, Taylor!

[@justjuliaanne2698]

Hey Dina! It was a nice surprise to see my comment in your video, I'm glad the advice seemed to provide part of the answer to your question! I can relate to the questioning of "Should I keep going?". Last year my shop had a crazy $4k+ revenue month and part of me was really disappointed that this trend didn't continue through the rest of the year. I had to wait a whole other year to see if the results would be replicated (like your post-New Year spike), and more importantly, if I would see an increase in overall sales for the year. Its infuriating to wait months for answers, but keep in mind you've been INCREDIBLY successful for a shop opened for such a short amount of time. You are succeeding! The percentage of Etsy shops that never make any sales (or have less than a handful each month) is very large. The fact that you are gaining any kind of traction means that you are putting in the work and learning. Like you mentioned in your video, it can be really discouraging when the time you put in doesn't seem to correlate to results. This is definitely the biggest reason why Etsy shop owners will decide to close their shop. In my experience pivoting my strategy or taking a break overall helps with this burnout. I think you provided the answer to this when you said you think your time would be best spent on more research and developing entirely new products. You've seen some success with your current templates, so take that knowledge and try out something new. Especially as a digital download store, there is nothing saying you need to stay in one niche! You've learned a lot so far, and a huge part of success on Etsy is pivoting easily and designing for demand (research first), rather than trying to drive traffic to a design (product first). If that makes sense? Of course, this only matters if you find the whole process enjoyable! It may be helpful to take a break or work on a product that is inspiring to you, even if it isn't necessarily going to be a Bestseller. I've loved following your journey and hope to continue, but even if you ultimately move away from Etsy, you've definitely got a follower for your KZbin :) Best wishes! Julia

[@DinaLu]

Thank you so much, Julia! Haha yes it was a great comment so I decided to feature it. $4k+ revenue in a month is amazing, wow!!! But man it sucks when it goes up and down, up and down haha. Well hey that's the life of a business owner 😂 Thank you for putting things into perspective like that. I keep thinking to myself "my shop is just going okay-ish" but you're right, there are a TON of shops that aren't getting any sales in month 7. I think it's all the other youtube Etsy videos I'm watching and seeing everyone get amazing results, so those are the people I'm comparing myself to. Yes, I'm trying to find more fun ways to work on my Etsy shop! I actually just got a new idea today that I think is going to be a hit haha. THANKS JULIA FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!❤

[@skyfull1884]

Its normal to lose traffic during this period (May, June, July), but after that things will go back to normal.

[@BreannaNichole]

Hey Dina, I love the transparency. I’ve watched a view of your monthly videos and have some pointers as a Etsy shop owner of 2+ years, multiple bestsellers and even an Etsys pick listing. First, I think you mentioned you were going to START using maker research websites and I wouldn’t quite until you fully dive into those (my favs are Erank and everbee). Etsy SEO is important and not checking those out (even if you just use the data with a grain of salt) makes you miss a big picture of the market you are in. Take a look into it and then apply what you find to your shop. 2. The amount of time you’re spending on one product is a lot. I would see how you can decrease that time somehow whether that’s cutting some corners, using ChatGPT, etc. most importantly, you can have amazing products but it won’t matter if you’re not studying/implementing SEO. 3. Don’t be afraid to switch gears, unless you’re a extremely passionate about the products you sell, maybe look into something else that you could create quicker and has low competition and high demand. 4. You’re clearly getting views, so I would focus on ways to up your conversion. Make sure your listing photos are competitive, even with digital products. Search for your products in Etsy search and see how your listings look against your competitors. Would you click on your listings? And further is your description answering every possible question a buyer might have. As a shopper, we’re lazy. Often times we aren’t going to message the seller, wait for a response, and then make a decision to buy - we’re just going to go with the buyer that’s similar that doesn’t leave a guessing game. Either way something to think about. Also TRY BUNDLES! It’s seriously a game changer for digital products. When I first started, I was selling handmade products in the craft space and did pretty well but after having my second baby I knew I couldn’t keep that up so I switched gears to selling the designs that crafts and small businesses use (so I’m still in the same market pretty much) and now I’m doing even better than before. Not to brag, but just sharing that your Etsy can evolve and grow! Either way, good luck! I hope you keep going!

[@DinaLu]

Hey Breanna! Thank you for spending the time to write out all of this! It's really helpful. So at this point I've started to use market research tools and getting familiar with what they can do. I can see them really helping. I agree, I can pivot if needed, and I am trying out different kinds of products in neighboring niches more now. And yes always trying to improve SEO. Thanks for the suggestions. Am already using Chatgpt a lot! And yes trying to cut down time designing templates. I'm happy to hear you found something that works for you, congrats!!!

[@m2mdohkun]

"Double down on what sells + add complementary product to already sold items + add more listing asap + sleep more." usually what guru will say. And/or maybe eat more. You're not you when you're hungry. Not sponsored though ;-P

[@isaacmijangos]

I don't you should quit. Maybe try it for a year then see how you're feeling about it. No company stays in the green forever. However, it is also genius knowing when to quit. If you have the time i'd suggest Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, it's the tale of how he found Nike. The dude had to let go of so many things to reach success. I would definitely recommend the audio version because the narrator is really good. Good luck!

[@DinaLu]

Yup, for now I'll continue (also partly because I think it's fun to share with everyone on KZbin). I've heard great things about that book, thanks for the recommendation!

[@The_Real_Dream_Chaser]

i had a redbubble shop and it was doing well at the begging but then it slowed down so much even tho i was adding new designs, i decided to give up on it

[@DinaLu]

Sorry to hear about your shop :( I hope you have found something that works / hope you find it soon!

[@RevathyJayakkumar1]

Hi Dina, I’m one of your subscribers who started following you for Etsy for a couple of months now. I really find it your content relatable and useful. Just wanted to ping to say I really appreciate your candid and honest thoughts on different matters. Keep up the great work. More power to you, girl ❤

[@DinaLu]

Thank you so much Revanthy!!! ❤ I'm happy to hear that😊

[@breadyforlife08]

Yours is still better than mine😅 Just keep on going since you are selling digital products anyways

[@viru3708]

Even me . I need to expand my product range

[@kizarumelon2477]

However. Ur shops is actually doing well. Those numbers look really good

[@subhagisehgal2761]

Hi Dina, what do you sell for small businesses ?

[@ChrisFord-dd2yi]

Greeting: You are probably wondering why everyone here is asking that you continue and for various reasons. Here is my reason that should explain why everyone is wanting you to continue. WE ARE ALL IN THE BACK SEAT OF your CAR AND THE RIDE IS WILD THE JOURNEY IS VERY EXCITING. Every now and again, you take a right we want you to take a left, recall we are back seat riders. The ultimate decision is yours, but we are enjoying the view, the excitement when you get excited and we also understand your sadness. We learn from YOUR final decisions and we also enjoy the comments of the collective. So- don't stop. Observation: It is interesting that you are not utilizing social to promote your products, this is VERY interesting. My opinion: You need to find a way to make the potential customers who FIND YOU come back. An email list I believe will assist, if you do not use social & customer product reviews would be helpful. I am probably wrong. Let me say that right now. I am 100% positive someone here knows a lot more than I.

[@DinaLu]

Thanks Chris! I'm happy to hear you're finding my videos enjoyable! I'm also enjoying having everyone here in the "backseat." It makes this journey so much more fun for me, and to be honest, being able to talk about my Etsy shop on KZbin gives me a ton of motivation because it's fun. You're all very helpful too. I've learned a lot from the comments section. I'm not using social to promote my products because I wanted to see if I can make money on Etsy without doing social so it can be more hands-off (also, I am lazy to do more so I'm hoping my shop can work out without promoting on social lol, and for this reason I also don't want to do an email list haha since I already manage an email list + socials for my general business). But yes I do think doing social media + having an email list will help an Etsy shop! As will a blog!

[@rachelmariemov]

Do whatever feels right for you! It is really cool to see your Etsy journey so far because it is realistic unlike so many other videos on KZbin of Etsy shops that are making 6 figures. And it's encouraging to see you continuing with it and improving it. But if you don't feel a passion for it anymore then that's okay too! Thanks for sharing your journey with us!

[@DinaLu]

Thank you so much Rach!❤️️ I hope I can get to 6 figures one day and share how I did that hahaha.

[@rachelmariemov]

@@DinaLu haha me too!

[@LennyYT]

STOP all draining self talk, You will figure it out and keep documenting🎉 You are not doing enough listings, great thats an easy fix without new products. What search terms are bringing traffic? Duplicate listings to target those and whatever you are being found for. Whats your ad strategy? Specific listings and keywords? Be generous and get more visits and forget about conversion rate, get lots of visits and see what sales come in a day. Build those visits, thats key! Are you running targeted offers with Etsy tools? Do them daily! Letssss goooo!🎉

[@DinaLu]

Thanks for the encouragement!

[@WalkingAndWisdom]

This happened to me exactly as well turned off my ads and conversion went from 1% to 4%. Ads are so tricky to figure out. I have them at 1$ per day which allows people to see and favorite them without clicking so maybe that helps. So weird.

[@DinaLu]

Oh geez! I guess that just means our ads haven't really been helping us haha

[@Cavechan]

Saying you aren't qualified to teach others with these videos sounds like imposter syndrome. I'm an artist and designer myself who has long suffered with imposter syndrome and you don't have to be "successful" to suffer from it since I am nowhere near successful. lol I would say I like watching your Etsy videos because you aren't an uber successful Etsy seller. Your videos resonate with people like me because it feels like we're in the same boat (actually, I don't even have an Etsy shop, but being an online seller in general I guess) and it's interesting to watch your journey rather than someone who is super successful and watching them feels like a pipe dream or a gimmick. Other KZbinrs don't feel as genuine or motivating.

[@DinaLu]

I've had imposter syndrome for many things in life, but I think specifically regarding making Etsy tutorial videos on KZbin, there are some things I can teach and some that I can't, and it's not necessarily because of imposter syndrome. I just don't feel comfortable sharing what I'm doing and recommending it because I don't know if it's actually contributing to the success of my shop and I don't want to give wrong info to people. Thank you for your kind words! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying watching my journey!😊

[@camillee3]

Hi Dina! Love watching your videos - since you talked about some other good Etsy content youtubers, I was wondering if there are specific channels that you like and recommend? thanks and I wish you the best💖

[@DinaLu]

I watch a variety whenever they pop up on my feed 😝 but I'm also trying to not watch too many or else I'll subconsciously make the same kinds of videos haha. It's useful to watch, but I feel like the advice differs depending on the niche, so right now I mainly try to figure it out myself and test what works.

[@thewfhmommy]

I think you *should* continue to make more etsy videos even if you aren't an "expert" because 1) your viewers value your opinion and perspective, so we will watch regardless, and 2) I personally would like to see what works and what doesn't work for you. I'd rather learn from someone that's a few more steps ahead of me than someone that's a full blown "expert".

[@DinaLu]

Thank you so much ❤ I WILL KEEP GOING!

[@ANNA-yv9iq]

Like any business you will have good months and slower months. Keep pushing forward!

[@DinaLu]

Thank you!!

[@thewfhmommy]

I would love to see how you use other marketing avenues like Pinterest to drive sales to your Etsy! If your content focused on that, then theoretically you wouldn't have to create more digital products. If you could just drive more traffic to what you already have, you would not only focus on something new you're interested in (marketing), but you'd also get more ROI on the work you've already done on the products you have. I personally feel so lost trying to figure out pinterest, google, and facebook marketing and I love the way you explain things. Please make this a series!

[@DinaLu]

Yes I agree! And I've been saying for MONTHS that I'm going to start using Pinterest haha but I haven't yet lol. I will definitely share if I do Pinterest and it helps the shop. Thank you so much for watching and for your support @thewfhmommy!

[@aneskun3009]

Four days ago I opened an Etsy store. When I had finished listing products, the next day my store was suspended by Etsy for no reason :(

[@DinaLu]

See if Etsy had some kind of notification or email about why you were suspended?

[@John-ec9qe]

An average editor would be easily able to correct the sound... That's not the quality of editing I am used to

[@DinaLu]

Hahah I know the sound quality in this one is SO bad (mentioned it at the beginning of the video) whoooops

[@karenmckenna658]

Thank you sharing. I started my Etsy shop in March and up to 2 weeks ago I only had a couple of organic sales. In the last 2 weeks I have had over 30 sales without ads. Not sure if you heard of her but Dylan Jahrus has an awesome You Tube (that helped me!) channel that will be a huge help to you and anyone else with an Etsy shop. Good luck ❤

[@DinaLu]

Omg that's amazing Karen! Congrats on the growth. Yes I've seen some of her videos!

[@eglesap4897]

May I ask what are u selling?

[@Jeniveve]

Oh wow. Thanks for the shoutout! I’m actually a business consultant and Etsy coach. I’m glad you found it valuable! 😊 Keep going. You’re doing great. Get clear on what you want from your shop in the long run. Etsy is very much a long game.

[@DinaLu]

Oh nice! No wonder your comment was so good hahaha, thank you again.

[@jeanlearns]

Thanks for your very realistic perspective. I appreciate all you do.

[@DinaLu]

Thank you Jean!

[@The_Real_Dream_Chaser]

9:30 i got deja vu, i think you said this in your previous vids or am i trippin

[@DinaLu]

I am not sure hahaha! I think occasionally I mention some stuff about "time and energy" but I can't remember saying something like that 😅maybe you trippin

[@RedRojo210]

its hard to get results with etsy ads, you cant customize it or tweak it and you have no way of telling how they are wasting your money.

[@DinaLu]

Hmmm in a way it's good too because it's not as complicated as Facebook ads.. but yeah that's the part that makes it difficult too. But I do think it can be very beneficial if used in the right way with the right niche

[@ChuBoi_]

DON'T QUIT DINA

[@tinyappleslices]

You have to post new items consistently for the algorithm to continue to push your shop. Posting 1-2x per week vs. 5 listings at once is WAYY better. Also, put ad money only on your best selling items. Third, make SURE you don't leak what your shop is anywhere on social media. If people on YT or elsewhere find your shop, it increases your views, but they aren't buyers, and that will hurt you in the algorithm. Good luck on your journey!

[@shir_kon]

Does the first thing you said about consistent new items apply also to the first listings you open your shop with? I'm about to open my shop and already have 4 items ready for sale. Would you say it's better to post 1-2 items at first or all of them at once?😇

[@DinaLu]

Thank you so much!!

[@demischi3018]

These are exactly the correct things to do in such a situation.

[@jag5798]

6 hrs - wow! Is the juice worth the squeeze?

[@DinaLu]

Haha I know... it takes me so long to research each new template and make a great design. And I'm picky about formatting too. Then I need to make the listing photos which take up around 1-2 hours of that 6 hours. Worth it? Not right now but maybe long term yes

[@willhaimerl]

We all think of quitting at some point. I can tell you after doing this stuff online since 2007 that the only way to guarantee failure is to quit. From your videos, you seem to want to be a youtuber more than an Etsy shop owner. That's fine but I would ride the wave that got you the huge influx of subscribers, then pivot later if you want to, (i've seen others do this successfully). In listening to this video, you've already quit Etsy and that's ok. Do what makes you happy. :)

[@DinaLu]

Thanks so much Will! Actually, I'm going to continue but try to do things in a way that's more fun for me and where it doesn't feel like Etsy is taking up sooo much of my time. Yes you're right, I want to be a KZbinr more than Etsy shop owner, but yeah I'm trying to balance that right now because 60-80% of my subscribers are interested in my etsy content.

[@Martina-cr9io]

this is so nice! seeing the comments, how you all giving advice to each other :)))

[@reznaellis6815]

Dina, are you able to put a direct link to your etsy shop in the video descriptions?

[@GliffYT]

I'm back again! Regarding motivation, I feel similar about trading. What you need to realise is the macroeconomic environment we are in right now isn't great. Inflation is high and more people are losing jobs, people have less money for discretionary items so ofcourse it will not perform well😉

[@DinaLu]

That's true! But I still think there's a lot of opportunity to succeed in this kind of economic environment, so let's see goes things go. Rooting for you too.

[@GliffYT]

@@DinaLu Thank you Dina! There is room for growth, however, a recession announcement is expected from the US in Q3-Q4 this year, typically markets dump globally in result of such news. So companies will continue to not perform well - some will even be bankrupted so that the elite can monopolise more - and more people will lose jobs, thus people cannot afford to spend their money unless its for staple items such as food and clothing. I looked to you for motivation earlier this week and you need to know that successful people do not always love what they do, discipline is the commonality. So keep going, learn more. Thats what I am doing and I know its only a matter of time 😚

[@jollyjames30]

Great video. I was interested to ask if you have thought about using AI to create patterns and art prints using tools like Midjourney to sell on Etsy? I was watching another KZbinr talking about sellers making millions from selling these types of artwork on Etsy. I was wondering if you're familiar with it and whether you've thought about pivoting and testing it yourself?

[@DinaLu]

Thanks James! I've seen some similar videos. I don't have plans to create art with AI to sell but I am already incorporating AI (mainly ChatGPT just for text stuff) into my current designs.

[@jansenkp1]

I’m going to go against the grain on this and say you should give yourself an Etsy break. Life is short and growing a business takes a long time. If your hearts not in it, you’ll zap your creative energy and burn out. Also nothing is forever. Jump back in when you’re ready. Great idea delegating to your VA! Do that and focus your creative energy on YT. Your passion and creativity is clearly coming through in the videos. Keep going! 🎉💪

[@DinaLu]

Thanks so much for the encouragement!

[@arudo9531]

Aww don't give up Dina, it is just a setback. I think is is a good learning process since Etzy owner has up and down. I think the most important things is to learn from the setback and don't give up. You will be fine

[@DinaLu]

Thanks!!

[@zahrashivapour770]

There are many experts out there but I need to compare the 1st chapter of my business book to the 1st chapter of the successful ones not the last chapter. The etsy experts are great but sometimes so much ahead of me. Sometimes thay give too much informations in just 1 video and I cant really decide what i should focus on 1st. Love you hair btw😅

[@DinaLu]

Aww love how you put it like that, thanks for watching and supporting. And omg I actually don't like my hair in this one LOL😅

[@kwesibruno]

Yo, if ppl does be interested in having hiking groups, add me to them.

[@Martina-cr9io]

I have to agree, great content. Nice to see you talking about your experience this way :)) good luck with your shop :)

[@DinaLu]

Thanks so much!

[@ClaraLeung529]

Hi Dina! A bit off topic from the video, but I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on having a virtual assistant and how it has helped you ^^

[@DinaLu]

It's been really great! I actually made a video about it last year. If you search "dina lu how to hire virtual assistant" in youtube you will find it!

[@sarahhenning5484]

Keep going if you feel like it benefits you. I found you through your etsy video but I am staying for your mindset and starting/running a business content

[@DinaLu]

Aww so happy to hear that!

[@RaeFung]

Dina I love the way you get really strategic about where you spend your time and energy, and outsourcing work + teaching your team how to support you! I don’t own an Etsy shop but just your thought process is getting me to think about where I’m spending time and energy in my business and assessing what I can outsource.

[@DinaLu]

Thank you Rae❤

[@helenasantana6483]

I think if you wanna continue on Etsy you should post more products, at least one every week or something

[@DinaLu]

Yes I agree!!

[@jasminexiong716]

I think your shop is still doing great! January will most likely be one of the busiest months since people will be making resolutions for themselves, hence the uptick in sells. Don’t be so hard on yourself, but I respect your work ethic and integrity. Keep it up!

[@DinaLu]

Thank you for the encouragement Jasmine! And yes I think new years resolutions was a big factor (also combined with me posting A LOT more listings in January and Etsy maybe promoting my shop more because it was new).

[@devinakirloskar]

I love your channel because you're so honest and generous with your knowledge

[@DinaLu]

Aww thank you ♥️

[@fulltimeanonymouscreator]

I've not tried Etsy, but it seems like selling like Etsy is like being on a hamster wheel.😅

[@DinaLu]

I still do believe it's very possible and realistic to make good money consistently on Etsy, but just need to figure out a bunch of stuff hahaha. But also, it's good to broaden out our income streams because everything could change if the Etsy algorithm does something haha.

[@d.white.creations]

Depends...are your products? Are they seasonal?

[@DinaLu]

No, not really seasonal, should be year round

[@ElieBeth___]

Hey Dina, can I ask where you found your VA?

[@DinaLu]

Upwork! I actually made a video about it last year. If you search "dina lu how to hire virtual assistant" in youtube you will find it!

[@jennyric]

Thanks for sharing this Dina! I've been following your etsy videos and I just wanna say I find them really helpful. When I search for videos or blogs, I don't always look for the ones with 6 figures title or similar kind of content. I prefer to know how those on my level or at least close are doing it. It's so easy to look for experts, they're everywhere. But sometimes they're so far ahead that I sometimes feel they're talking a different language throwing in terms that I don't understand. I appreciate your sharing your journey.

[@DinaLu]

Thank you Jenny! I hope one day I can be sharing "how I made 6-figures on Etsy" hahaha. Thank you for watching and sharing!

[@jennyric]

@@DinaLu Would really love to see that video too. Good luck!

[@priyagarg9763]

Hi. I too started an Etsy shop a couple months back selling digital products. some products had huge competition so I researched and now sell products with competition under 2000 listings. I haven't gotten any views or made any sales in the past 45 days (the low competition products listing began in June) Is there anything I can do? This is very disheartening. Thank you!

[@DinaLu]

Hmmm, do you know if you're showing up on the first page when you search for your keywords? Or which page you show up on?

[@priyagarg9763]

@@DinaLu I’m unsure of that. Beta analysis says some products average at listing 23 while some at 500 something. Neither are getting impressions or visits.

[@DinaLu]

@@priyagarg9763 hmmm maybe look at your SEO? That's the only thing I can think of 🧐

[@priyagarg9763]

@@DinaLu will do so. Gonna stalk your channel too incase I missed any SEO videos 😂😂😂

[@DinaLu]

@@priyagarg9763 I don't have SEO videos 🤣🤣🤣

[@homiekeen23]

I'd say now try looking at it as a game instead, and see how that goes (mental health wise)😊 Ofc I'd be so sad if you quit ,you've been inspiring me to not quit 🥲🥲

[@DinaLu]

Yes I've actually been trying to make etsy more fun for myself! And yay glad to hear that