Creator Hustle, Limited Sales

“Hi everyone! I opened my handmade Etsy shop back in April, and when I started, I really wanted to focus on giving buyers a great and personal experience. Especially as a new shop, I felt I had to prove myself to gain some reviews and feedback to get the ball rolling. Sooooo with every single order (honestly every item sold), I included a personalised handmade free gift that matches what they ordered. As well as a handwritten note. The freebies have definitely been well received. Around 40% of my”

“I’m looking for constructive feedback from experienced Etsy sellers. I run a shop focused on Christmas ornaments, with designs mainly around personalized gifts, families, couples, babies, grandparents, pets, and professions. I’ve been working on improving the shop and expanding the number of listings, but I’d like a second opinion from sellers who have experience with Etsy. Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SakuraIstanbul I’d particularly appreciate feedback on these points: Do the listings look p”

Slowwwww! submitted by /u/No_Huckleberry_9808 [link] [comments]

“I have my own art business for 10 years and my best friend has never bought anything from me, ever. Not even once. Is that weird? I'm not expecting her to buy loads, but I thought she would buy even one thing over the years, to show her support. I feel hurt by it. As I would buy from her, if she had her own business, in a heartbeat. Other friends and family have bought, but not her. I know it shouldn't matter, but it does. What do ye think? I can't stop thinking about it lately - not”

“Just need some constructive criticism before I start hand making a bunch of more items and putting all my time into this. Thank you! submitted by /u/Competitive-Fly-3293 [link] [comments]”

btw, I crossed $50 in revenue from dailyoutbid.lol 🔥

“Hi all. I am a full time artist but times are lean. A few months ago I buckled down, did research, took notes, and decided to lock in and give my 110% effort to my art business. I do alright at art markets, but I need to supplement in-person sales with my Etsy and commission work. Here's where I'm frustrated. My insta account is growing steadily thanks to advice I've borrowed from others artists. I post art nearly every weekday, I post multiple trial reels, and have been putting fait”

“Hey everyone, I recently launched my print-on-demand shop and would really appreciate some honest feedback from people who have experience with POD. GiftedTee: https://giftedtee.com Please be as critical as you want, I’m looking for genuine feedback, not just compliments 😅 Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to have a look. submitted by /u/GiftedTee [link] [comments]”

“Thanks for ur advice im a freshman in uni rn and i don’t know much about this, i was gonna start with youtube videos but i feel like i should read books more since it has more techniques and knowledge!”

“Let's be honest, there is no better or worse option, it depends on what you want. As a print-on-demand supplier, here is our honest feedback on what each one gives. Want faster sales? Go for apparel. Why? It is easy to sell; you have multiple designs, and the only hard job is to market it to the people, as the competition is high, but if you choose the right niche and know the people, it could be fast for you. Slow sales, but you earn more money. Go for wall art; it will take more time, but”

“Hi, would like honest feedback if there is anything I could improve on to get more visitors and sales. https://fleurblush.com/ submitted by /u/Pink-Little-Owl [link] [comments]”

Pretty cool stuff thanks for sharing

submitted by /u/Accomplished_Bit3153 [link] [comments]

“Hello everyone, I started my Etsy shop back in December 2025 with only one product. Back then (right around the holidays, I think I was too late to the game since Christmas was less than 3 weeks away after I made my first listing) I did some promotion on Instagram and Etsy but it was kind of break even if not worse. Overall, I've ended up with 2 5-star reviews and 15 sales, some from the promotion periods and some random. For the last two months my shop has been completely dead, and outside”

“start with 3-5 designs on the top 3-4 phone models by market share (iphone 15/14/13, maybe galaxy s24). order minimum quantities from your supplier and test one channel hard before you scale SKUs. at my agency we've seen too many product businesses blow their budget on inventory spread across 50 SKUs when 80% of sales come from 5. get real sales data first, then expand models and designs based on what actually moves.”

“Great reach for week two. Tracking which content drives clicks and purchases will matter more than views as the shop grows.”

Cool!

“purrlstitch.etsy.com I opened a shop about a month ago, selling beaded stitch markers and bag charms. I plan on adding some beaded jewelry and other beaded items in the future. I know, saturated market but I am ok with that right now and know I will have to work hard to stand out more. My daughter is helping with social media and SEO so I was hoping, if anyone has a few moments, if you could give me brutally honest feedback on the listings and shop. I will take anything and everything and give y”

Appreciate the comment!

“Hi everyone, I am completely new to Etsy and still trying to figure out how everything works here. I make handmade wood and resin pendants (like rune, moon, whale tail, and arrow designs). Currently, I only have 4 listings active in my shop. However, I am noticing that I'm getting almost zero views and visits. Since I'm a beginner, I'm not sure what I might be missing or doing wrong. Could experienced sellers here please share some insights on why this happens with a new shop and wha”

“The top product reflective quick-dry states 311k units sold this week, I checked their TikTok and their total sales accounts to under 600k. Am I getting something wrong here ?”

“I have an Etsy store that will probably net $20-25k in profit this year. My life is getting busy and I'm putting a lot of effort into a new startup. I was playing with the idea of selling my Etsy store, if that's even possible. I have a 4.9 star average review with 241 reviews and 1.2k sales. Has anyone ever sold their store? submitted by /u/Your_Momma_Said [link] [comments]”

“How is it going now? I am sorry nobody answered before. I think it is very exciting!”

“Thanks, that's the whole reason I track it weekly instead of posting a one-off top sellers list. Raw sold count shows who already won. The WOW delta shows who is winning right now, and whether it's still climbing or already fading. Glad it was useful.”

“Hi! I’m new here and learning that the reporting stats are hard to follow. Here is the same item on the listings page in the shop manager and then when I click on it and go to performance. What do I believe? ETA: I see now at least 3 items that have 0 visits and faves on the listings page all say 13 views and 1 favorite under their individual performance pages. submitted by /u/Ashamed-Price5471 [link] [comments]”

“I generally follow an 80/20 rule. I mostly mention the product in DMs rather than in public comments.”

“Maker here. Roast the empty grid, the crop tool, the price, whatever. I am trying to get the first real listings on, not collect upvotes.”

“Hello all! I run a POD shop on Etsy. I've been actively selling for about a year and a half. I've had 7 sales and not spending anything on ads. I'm reaching out for critiques on my shop (link above). I use Printify for my POD provider and all product artwork I draw myself using Autodesk Sketchbook on the S25 Ultra. I'm in the process of updating my listings and using Printify's suggested pricing. I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. Is it the pricing, produc”

“I'm working on setting up a shop to sell stickers and from my various research I've learned that going from zero sales to one sale is apparently the hardest part. I'm wondering: 1) What are the best strategies for knowing what types of stickers/products are popular? 2) How long in general did it take to get your first sale? 3) Any other tips on how to get the first sale? Questions Answered: I was inspired to make my shop to try to earn a little extra here and there using the art skil”

“Thanks you all like I said I'm brand new to this just sold one item and barely broke even because of the shipping cost lol any advice from the experts appreciated! submitted by /u/LilMaggie33 [link] [comments]”

“I've been working to get my POD store up on Etsy. We're going to be adding more products - keychains, binder clips, stickers- just waiting to get the products in hand to take photos of them. I was wondering if I could get some feedback on branding/ the shop in general. Idk if it makes more sense to run ads via Etsy, try to promote organically through socials, or spend $ on Meta ads. I'm going to promote on socials either way bc it's free, but any suggestions would help. Here'”

“i have a small business where i sell handmade quilted pouches/felt keychains and more. i want to generate better reach and reach more people. i am passionate about my business and love what i do and i want to share it with more people. submitted by /u/quies_co [link] [comments]”

“iam just starting to get deep into it but I was thinking of pet products as a niche whats your opinion on that .In terms of expense like i said im in college and i dont have a bunch of money.How much do you think i would need to start a store with the least cost.”

“Looking for shop critique. https://comfysprout.etsy.com I have been creating listings for about a year now. It takes time to make each listing, with drawing each design, printing, laminating, cutting, etc… I’ve been trying to get more and more made and posted. Recently I’ve gotten a few more orders than normal which is nice, but I’m still struggling to get my Etsy out there. My biggest question is regarding photos. I suck at taking them/don’t really know what looks or is the best? Any suggestion”

“the price point is the thing i’d flag before channel strategy. $29.99 with free shipping on an oversized tee means you’re probably clearing somewhere between $8-14 profit per unit after cogs, shipping, and payment fees, depending on your margins. a cold audience meta campaign on a brand new pixel with zero social proof is realistically going to cost you $15-25+ per purchase to start, which either breaks even or loses money on the first order. that math only works if you have a real repeat purcha”

“Building a D2C demi-fine jewellery brand; products are being manufactured and are starting to get in stock. Shopify store is being built now (a few weeks out from live). Have a creative partner handling content production. Getting conflicting advice on sequencing demand generation Advice A says: build organic social first (couple of months), prove content, then turn on paid, because paid without an audience/pixel data just burns cash on cold traffic. Advice B says: run small paid spend from week”

“Focus marketing on building community and storytelling before launch day rather than relying solely on the final product reveal / Use digital certificates of authenticity to preserve that exclusivity feel”

“For context: I am a watercolor artist based in the US. I've grown a decently large following and am ready to start selling prints online for the first time and really don't want to screw it up! I want giclee prints on nice watercolor paper that I can sell at a reasonable cost, so for the past several months I've been wrestling with samples from different companies, trying to narrow down my options. I've tried Catprint (wasn't happy with the colors + they don't offer gicle”

“That's a cleaner test than I had. Upvotes just measure the room. I'll treat twice as the same line landing in a second, different place, and I'll watch saves/shares over score. Link on only one of the two runs, so I can tell a line people repeat from a line people follow. Those shouldn't be the same shirt.”

“it's a solid-looking site. re: typography it's not just the small type harming legibility, it's also a condensed typeface SHOUTING IN ALL CAPS then on the product pages, you switch to a very high-contrast (thick+thin) serif typeface. Typically, people do prefer a serif for legibility, but this one is too high contrast. A nice middle ground between these two extremes in the same family could work better.”

“https://stxrseedbracelets.etsy.com Hihi Im a new Etsy seller trying to break into the Bracelet and accessory niche that im well aware is oversaturated ive been on etsy for a little less then a month and have so far made 1 sale! I was incrediably proud and happy that someone from accross the world would want something from me :3 Since then I havent had any more luck ive been trying to diversify my items and make my prices competative but im just not getting much visability. I turned on Etsy ads t”

“one thing worth settling before you run it: what counts as travelled twice. upvotes will lie to you, they mostly measure the room you posted in. saves and shares are closer to someone wanting to keep the line. and put a link on only one of the two runs. then you can separate a fact people repeat from a fact people follow. those are not the same shirt.”

“The 50-unit limit is interesting. How did you decide on 50? Was that based on production cost and risk, or are you intentionally keeping the first run small to test demand? I’d also be curious whether the premium packaging ended up adding enough to the cost that you had to rethink your original price.”

“I just started an Etsy shop a few months ago and I am struggling to get saves, views and sales. My Etsy shop is print on demand clothes and the prints are all my original artwork. The aesthetic is mainly emo, alternative, gothic, and artsy. Any advice? I have a TikTok, Ig, and YouTube shorts. I’ve been making art videos on each platform for a few months now. My art videos seems to be getting a few thousand to a few hundred views per videos. I made an ad video for my Etsy shop a few weeks ago, an”

“Congrats on getting the samples in. Seeing the actual resin piece after staring at renders for months is a pretty great moment. I’ve worked with Chinese factories for 10+ years, and resin art toys are one of the categories I’ve dealt with quite a bit. One thing I’d watch closely is the hand painting. Casting usually isn’t where things go sideways — consistency across painters is. Before approving the sample, I’d ask the factory to have a few different painters do the same piece. The sample is of”

Heyy congrats! The first sale is always hard.

“the 175k is not a failed sale. there was no url on it, so the shirt was never offered to anyone. what got tested there was the statistic, not the shop. and that is the useful half. cattle vs sharks travelled and the others did not. which line people want to repeat is exactly what a shirt is for. i would push two or three more facts through places where they can travel, keep the ones that go twice, and only print those. checkout is not your problem yet. you have nothing arriving at it.”

“Yeah. I posted the cows vs sharks fact to todayilearned with a Snopes link and nothing else. No shop. No shirt. No I-made-this. It did about 175k views and a couple thousand upvotes. Still one order, and that one was me testing checkout. No door means there was nowhere to go if you actually wanted the thing. The reply under you is right. Trivia crowd, no CTA, zero conversion. That's why I'm asking here: after a hit like that, do you harvest it with a chart in a different sub, or leave it”

“Ahh my eyes so many things to compete with lol Text is tiny asf on mobile once you go into the products. Unless you are marketing to people with superhuman eyesight, that needs bumped up quite a bit”

“you basically got a crowd that showed up for the trivia, not to buy anything, no call to action means zero conversion”

“Quick background: we’ve run a brick and mortar apparel shop on a Jersey Shore boardwalk for 10+ years. Original designs, printed in house. We already know people buy the product — the online side is the new part. The brand is destination-based. Every design is tied to a specific city — NYC, Miami, Denver, Austin, and our home town — and we’re expanding from there. It’s place as identity, not airport gift shop stuff. Which means there are really two segments to sell to: Locals. People who are fro”

“We’ve run a brick and mortar shop in NJ for 10+ years. Original graphic destination apparel, printed in house. The product moves in person — now we’re taking it online with a multi-city pilot catalog (NYC, Miami, Denver, Austin). Site’s live but no ads running yet: www.promisedland.world Looking for honest feedback before launch ads. Layout, product pages, navigation, anything that makes you click away. Rip it apart, I’d rather hear it now than after we spend on ads. One thing I already know: th”

“I sell unisex tees with one statistic on the chest. Some are real and cited. Some I invented. Every shirt is labeled TRUE, SADLY / FAKE, PROUDLY / TRUE-ISH. The disclosure is the product. Stack: Next.js on Cloudflare Workers. Catalog is JSON in git. Stripe Checkout. $24.99. S–3XL. Buy 2, shipping is free. Blended GP about $15.88 so max CAC is about $6.23. No ads. What happened: - Checkout works. I bought Professional Napper (black/XL) on 17 Aug. $30.98 with $5.99 shipping. Stripe paid me $29.78.”

“Thanks for the comment; I've made a cool packaging that also come numbered according to the figure, including an insert that protects the figure, it is currently as i'm typing this comment in the printing process, i'll reply here with a picture once it's done, it also come swith a certifications of authenticity”

“the packaging making the difference between "cool figure" and "collectible" is so real, people don't talk about that enough for small runs”

“my etsy shop basically flopped 0 views visits or orders so i’m not going to continue it life is too busy so if i just left it as is would i get revenue in the off chance someone buys my listed items even months down the line and will i be charged anything? lets say it expires in dec could i just relist it and have it run in the background in the off chance i make a sale. im pretty new so honestly idk what im doing and this is just not for me. sad it flopped but an over saturated market for me an”

“Hello! I started a shared Etsy shop with a couple friends about 2 weeks ago. I'm obviously not expecting to be flooded with orders right away, but I just want to know if there's anything I'm missing to help get off the ground. Apologies in advance for any formatting issues, I'm on mobile. My questions: This is a shared shop with multiple people, so we have different types of crafts. Is that something that might turn off potential customers? I think that our items are obviously ha”

“I know nothing about technology, I am simply not that smart, 🥲 I wish though haha. But I must say people are rude !! Congratulations on your success 👏 seriously it must be wonderful!! And I think it is cool you want to develop. People assume it is all about the money, but I think it has more to do with expanding ones knowledge learning improving and stimulating your brain. I think a lot of people just hear you say that you have a lot of money and they would be content with that. But you are cl”

“I started a small embroidery keepsake business and sell through Etsy. I mainly use Instagram for marketing, but my reach is very low. How do you promote your products, and what has actually helped you get your first customers? Should I focus more on Instagram, Etsy ads, Meta ads, or something else? I’d especially appreciate hearing from people with experience. I’m getting pretty frustrated with the low reach and would love to know what actually helped you gain traction. submitted by”