How to Optimize Etsy Personalization

Offering personalized products on Etsy can increase your revenue & set your store apart from your competition. However, there’s more to personalization on Etsy than listing your products. In order to execute on your design & customer journey, you need a strategy & approach that converts. Here’s how to get started.

Enable Personalization

The first step in offering personalized products on Etsy is to enable the features for your store. After signing into Etsy, click on your Shop Manager & listing. From here, choose the products you want to personalize, and under the Inventory & Pricing option, toggle your Personalization to “On.” 

Depending on what you’re selling, you may also want to check the box for “Optional” if your product doesn’t require personalization. Remember that just because you can personalize products, doesn’t mean you need to. Pick & choose the most relevant products & see how customers respond to your customized options.

Set Pricing Options

Consider charging more for personalized products than standard ones. Etsy allows you to set one price for a standard product & another for personalization or other variations like size & color. 

You want the price to be worth your time to complete the personalization & cover your production costs, but not so high that buyers look elsewhere for a similar product. If you’re not sure how to price, see what your competition is doing & find a middle ground. 

Use the Right Tags

A tag helps describe your listings & guide shoppers to your products on Etsy. In addition to creating tags for your item that include the color, type of product you’re selling, who it’s for, and other descriptors, you should also use your tags that call out personalization. Start with words like “personalized” & “customized” and brainstorm how to bring more attention to your products’ possibilities.

Choose Your Keywords Carefully

Keywords also matter when it comes to personalized product options on Etsy. Pepper in keywords so buyers can easily find what you’re selling. Start with a descriptive title that calls out what your product is & that you offer customized options. It’s also good practice to repeat your title in the first line of your product description and your tags, if possible. Write an engaging description that explains your product, what it does, who it’s perfect for, any fabulous features, and how to customize it.

Overall, you should target your keywords up to three times in your listing. However, a concise product description usually just needs one keyword. The goal is to make your listing & description sound natural. Overstuffing your content with keywords is not a good user experience & turns off customers. 

Use Customized Product Photos

Etsy is a visually driven platform, and your photos should also reflect your ability to personalize & customize your products. Include an image in your listing that shows how a name, quote, or photo can turn your product into a stunning, personalized gift or keepsake. The more your customers understand what the finished product will look like, the more likely they are to buy.

Be Specific

Part of the customer experience is about setting expectations from the start. Remember that many of your customers have never used Etsy before or may not realize you can customize items. They may have no idea of what to expect & need some guidance. Beyond color and size, be specific about:

• The style of the customization (include photos whenever possible)
• How long the customization takes to complete
• If a proof will be made available to approve
• When the product ships

The goal is to overcome any concerns the customer may have before they ever arise. Even if a complicated customization takes a few weeks to complete, an outlined process of all of the specifics will set customers at ease.

Stay in Communication

Personalized products sometimes need finessing. A customized dining table with an engraving may look different from customer to customer depending on the wood available. Stay in touch with customers, let them know how the project is coming along, ask for their input as needed, and make them feel a part of the process. 

Share a Proof

Before you complete your customized Etsy product, send a proof whenever possible. You’ll have fewer issues & returns if you can show the customer exactly what they’re getting before shipping it out. Of course, if you’re using a production & fulfillment and service like CustomCat, your results are reliable, consistent, and we send them directly to your clients on your behalf.

Personalize Your Marketing

Think bigger than product personalization when you’re selling on Etsy. You can also personalize your marketing to target your dream audience directly. Create tutorials, add a video to Etsy to say hello, or send out a thank you to anyone who joins your email list or buys a product. Your customers will remember your personalized touch & are more likely to become repeat shoppers.

Create Personalized Coupons

Depending on the volume & type of products you sell, you can use personalized coupons to entice repeat customers to come back for more. An Etsy shopper who just bought a hand-painted family portrait may also be interested in customized keepsakes with the same theme. Offer a customized coupon just for them & set a limited time to encourage a quick sale.

Use CustomCat’s Personalization Feature

Nailing down the process to sell personalized products on Etsy is only the start. You also need to consider how you’ll customize your items quickly & professionally while still delighting your customers.

You can now create & export personalized designs within your CustomCat design library. When your Etsy customer submits their order with their custom text, their text will replace your placeholder text in the design & a truly custom product will be shipped to their doorstep.

Ready to add more personalized products to your Etsy store? Share your best tactics & what works for you in the comments below.