I often get asked about how I built my website or what ecommerce template I used to create my online store. For now, I am happy with my Weebly template, but I have to warn you that my webmaster customized my template quite a bit to get the look and functionality I wanted for my shop. After redoing my website about 3-4 times in the last 3 years, I have yet to find a single template or platform that has worked exactly like I wanted to from the beginning. Your personal website will require more time and effort to maintain than your Etsy Shop, but is worth the investment if you want to grow your email list to build trust with your current and potential customers by consistently reaching out to them about your product offerings and promotions.

If you are thinking about creating your own website to sell your products, but you’re not sure if you have the budget to set up an online store that will make as many sales as you Etsy shop, this post series will reveal 3 ways that Etsy converts online lookers into buyers and how you can use free add-ons to help close your online sales.

Make it Easy for Customers to Contact You

The first pro tip is to make it easy for customers to contact you quickly. How many conversations does it take for you to close a sale on your Etsy shop? For me, it takes an average of 6 conversations back and forth between the buyer before they pull the trigger, because A) they don’t know me and B) they aren’t familiar with my product or sizing system. It is rare for my customers to make a purchase without contacting me as a seller first. Part of the reason people are comfortable purchasing from you after discovering your shop on Etsy is that they can easily message you if they have any questions about a product. There’s an “Ask a question” box literally on every listing page right next to the price. That’s convenient. So if you open your own online shop without an obvious contact page or pop up window, and people can’t easily understand your unique product or offering, they will leave your website without purchasing.

Drift is a free add-on I use on my website that allows customers to chat with you in real time if they have a question. You can customize the message in the pop up window to add your email address or number for potential customers to contact you. People feel more comfortable purchasing online from an unfamiliar website if they can talk to a real person who cares first. Customers also feel confident that they can reach you if they have problems with their purchase.

Using Drift, you don’t have to wait on the computer for customer inquiries all day, because when someone types a message in the chat box online you immediately receive a notification on your phone through the free Drift mobile app (Available for both iOS and Android). Drift notifications also get emailed to your inbox and you can even connect it to your company's Slack account.

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Stay tuned for part two and three of this series discussing other free add ons with features that are similar to your Etsy Shop and will help increase sales.

Markisha Velazquez is the designer and owner of Junior Baby Hatter, based in Weehawken, NJ. When she’s not making dapper caps for babies and toddlers she commutes to New York with her family and blogs about her adventures in the city.