The Handmade Shop: Etsy Business Strategy for Makers with Physical and Digital Products

Favorites without sales is one of the most frustrating Etsy problems. Here's why it's harder to fix than it looks and how to actually figure out what's going on.
If your favorites keep climbing but your sales aren't following, something is creating friction between a buyer loving your listing and actually purchasing it. In this episode I'm walking through all the variables that affect conversion rate and why guessing which one to fix first is how sellers spend months making changes that don't actually help.
What you'll learn in this episode:
What a favorite actually tells you about your shop (it's more useful than you think)

All the variables that can affect whether a buyer purchases

Why conversion problems are so hard to solve without a plan

How intentional testing is what separates sellers who figure it out from the ones who stay stuck

Resources mentioned:
Summer Search Workshop Series: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/summerofsearch

Your next steps:
Etsy Visibility Accelerator: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/etsy-visibility-accelerator

1:1 Coaching: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/coaching

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjwaggoner/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sarahjwaggoner

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theheartlandcreative

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahJWaggoner

Getting your Etsy listings in front of the right buyers isn't just about one well-optimized listing. Here's what it actually takes.
Sellers often approach keyword research as a single listing problem. In this episode I'm breaking down why ranking on Etsy is really a shop-wide signal and what that means for how you build your strategy from the ground up.
What you'll learn in this episode:
Why the words you use to describe your product are often not the words buyers are searching

Why one optimized listing often isn't enough to get consistent traffic

What "authority" actually means in Etsy search and how your shop builds it over time

How to think about keywords that attract buyers who are ready to purchase, not just browsing

Why what your shop can realistically rank for matters as much as what buyers are searching for

How the compounding effect works and what it looks like when a shop finally breaks through

Resources mentioned:
Summer Search Workshop Series - https://sarahjwaggoner.com/summerofsearch

Your next steps:
Join the Summer Search Workshop Series: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/summerofsearch

1:1 Coaching: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/coaching

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjwaggoner/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sarahjwaggoner

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theheartlandcreative

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahJWaggoner

Is it really your products that are holding back your Etsy sales? Probably not…but here's how to know for sure.
Most sellers jump straight to blaming their products when sales slow down. But the majority of the time, the product isn't the problem. In this episode I'm giving you a four-step framework for figuring out whether your product is actually the issue, or whether something else entirely is holding your shop back.
What you'll learn in this episode:
The four checks that tell you whether your product is actually the problem or not

What zero impressions really means (and why it has nothing to do with your product)

How to tell if there's real search demand for what you're selling on Etsy

Why the timeline matters more than most sellers realize when evaluating a product

The three specific scenarios where switching products actually is the right call

Why starting over is often the most expensive mistake a seller can make

Resources mentioned:
Summer Search Workshop Series: 

Your next steps:
Join the Summer Search Workshop Series: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/summerofsearch/

1:1 Coaching: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/coaching

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjwaggoner/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sarahjwaggoner

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theheartlandcreative

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahJWaggoner

Summer is coming, and most Etsy sellers are about to make the same mistake they make every year. They slow down, they pull back, and then they wonder why they're not ready when Q4 hits.

This is a short episode with a big announcement. If you've been wanting to understand how Etsy search actually works and stop guessing at what's getting your shop found (or not found), you're going to want to hear what's coming this summer. There's also something new for sellers who are already making consistent sales and are ready to grow. Two things are launching this summer, and my email list hears about both of them first.

Resources Mentioned:
Get on the email list: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/getmorepodcast

Your Next Steps:
Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjwaggoner
Join the Free Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theheartlandcreative

"My shop just can't rank on Etsy." 
I hear this constantly. And then comes the reason. My prices are too high. My photos aren't good enough. I'm not selling the right product. My shop is too new. I don't have enough reviews. The big shops have taken over my niche.
In this episode I'm going through all six of these beliefs one by one, because most of what sellers think is standing between them and consistent traffic is either misunderstood or completely fixable. None of these are reasons a shop can't rank. They're reasons a shop hasn't ranked yet. But we can fix that.
What You'll Learn:
Why price is almost never a ranking factor on Etsy and what it actually affects instead

The real role photos play in your visibility

Why there is a buyer on Etsy for what you make and what's actually standing between you and reaching them

What new shops need to understand about how Etsy tests listings from day one

Why reviews matter for conversion but not in the way most sellers think they do for ranking

How to find room in your niche even when the biggest shops feel like they've taken over

The difference between a shop that can't rank and one that just hasn't had the right strategy in place yet

What to do next:
Enroll in the Etsy Visibility Accelerator before cart closes on Sunday: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/evapod

DM me on Instagram to talk through what's been holding your shop back: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjwaggoner/