Etsy Seller Interview with Abi of AbiStevens

How AbiStevens got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

I have chronic migraines, and in 2019 they got significantly worse, forcing me to leave my full-time job as a TA. As I could only work from home, I decided to use these events as a push to pursue my true passion for illustration! My first project was designing my first-ever enamel pins: Chronic Warrior and Migraine Warrior. I funded them via my first-ever Kickstarter and then set up my Etsy shop with these pins and some matching holographic stickers!

In the process, I discovered that I really enjoyed turning my illustrations into physical objects and that I could make a difference for people with chronic illnesses like me by creating empowering designs that represent them. Now I have a range of pins, prints, and stickers for fellow chronic warriors that expands every year, and I’ve also designed my own jewelry, wall hangings, and wrapping paper. I create all my designs by drawing them in Photoshop and then order products with my designs on them from various manufacturers.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

My favorites in my shop right now are:

My acrylic Jaguar or Panther necklace because I love the rainbow acrylic effect and how it changes in the light, and I really like the illustrations I made for it and the fact that it's double-sided so you get 2 necklaces in 1! There are matching earrings, too.

My LGBTQIA+ Pride pins because it's my first pride design and the colors turned out beautifully!

And of course, my Chronic Warrior pin, because it was one of the first pin designs I created and it means a lot to me as a member of the chronically ill and disabled community.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

Ah, I can’t remember exactly, but I think it was fairly quick. Currently, I direct customers to my shop via my email newsletter, my portfolio website, and regular postings on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, although I’ve found that over the last year or so, the reach on social media has become a lot smaller, so it’s harder to drive traffic that way. I also sell at in-person markets, fairs, and conventions, and I have business cards with my shop link on them.

Managing AbiStevens

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

It’s just me! I’m a one-woman business. I use the Etsy app on my phone to check and pack orders, but I’m not currently using any additional tools. I do all the packing myself and take orders to my local post office a couple of times a week.

The future of AbiStevens

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

I'd like to increase overall traffic, sales, and conversion rates so that my shop can support me financially if I have a slow month of commission work. 

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Take Etsy up on the offer of a chat about optimizing your shop! It’s the quickest and cheapest way to get started with effective SEO and get your listings moving up the search result rankings. They know their stuff! It’s really important to have clear, decent-quality photography of your products from multiple angles. If you can’t afford a professional shoot for the perfect pics, you can achieve decent results with paper backdrops and your phone camera (which is how I still do mine!)