Etsy Seller Interview with Alla of CherryVanillaGifts

How CherryVanillaGifts 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 planned to sell clothes for Monster High dolls. But due to the huge competition, no one visited my store. Then I put up a couple of listings for another doll. And a miracle happened—they bought my products. And then the sales just poured in on me, like out of a bag. I barely had time to send them.

Favorite items

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

My favourite products are sweaters with mushrooms and foxes. I like the nature theme. It's inspiring. These sweaters sell quite quickly and in large quantities. (Probably buyers also like the theme of nature.)

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?

My first sale happened a month after signing up. Now I find clients through social media.

Managing CherryVanillaGifts

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?

I only manage my store. It's a big responsibility for the customers, and I can't entrust it to anyone else. I only use E-Rank to create new listings. I send all orders to Ukrposhta.

The future of CherryVanillaGifts

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

Goals for this year: to complete all custom orders and continue to work only on inspiration.

Advice for new sellers

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

The advice is very simple: be ready to work. You should be customer-oriented and polite. You will be a photographer, marketer, seller, support manager, and create your own product. Don't expect to just create a listing and wait for sales.

Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: Depends on how actively I publish listings. At the moment, my profit is enough to live on.

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: Now it is 3%