Etsy Seller Interview with Natalie of DigitalDreamsShopArt

How DigitalDreamsShopArt 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 a digital shop on Etsy. I don't think my beginning was anything special. I live in Ukraine, and in 2018 I worked as a teacher of design programs, but the income did not suit me. My daughter told me about the Etsy site; at that time, she already had a store with educational products for children on Etsy. I began to think, "What can I do that could bring me both pleasure and additional income? For me, the answer was obvious. I have over 20 years of experience in design, which is why I decided to create digital products. But this area is huge. What should I choose? Where to begin? For several months, I studied which products are in the greatest demand, how to choose the right keywords, and how to describe the product in a simple and understandable way for the buyer. But then I didn’t understand yet that the most popular product groups have huge competition, and it’s very difficult for a beginner to move into them. Therefore, the search for a market niche (section of goods), which is just beginning to be popular and will develop later, is a very relevant issue. It is easier to advance in such a market niche. It took me a long time to find such sections of goods. I tried different options and made hundreds of products that I have now stopped selling until I found what I sell.

Favorite items

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

The Earrings and Necklaces svg section of my store turned out to be the most successful for me. They sell digital templates for cutting on cutters. When I draw another earring or necklace, I imagine how it will look on a person and try to make it as beautiful as possible. The section sells bundles with a different number of templates, from 10 to 80. Bundles with a large number of templates are best sold. They include several smaller bundles and are much cheaper. It seems to me that in this case, the price is decisive.

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?

I had my first sales in the very first days, as I opened a store on Etsy. I've been using Etsy ads all these years to get clients, and they've had good results. But in recent months, advertising has become very ineffective for me, and I had to give it up. I periodically turn it on, but so far there have been no changes for the better.

Managing DigitalDreamsShopArt 

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?

Since my goods are digital, I have no difficulties managing the store. I do everything myself.

The future of DigitalDreamsShopArt 

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

To increase the level of sales and income, as well as satisfy the needs of the target audience as much as possible.

Advice for new sellers

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

It is very important for a novice seller to find a small, developing niche of goods in order to move forward in it more easily. It is also very important to understand who you are creating your product for and how a person will use it. Who is your customer, i.e., who is your target audience? For example, goods with templates for earrings are bought from me by the same sellers as I do. And goods from the Family SVG section are bought by both sellers and ordinary people who want to give a gift by printing an inscription on a T-shirt or mug.

Also, for the saleability of the goods, the first photo that the future buyer sees is very important. Try to present your product in the most favorable light so that it can be clearly seen against a contrasting background. Take good-quality photos with good lighting. In other photos, show the buyer the size of the item, how to use it, and how beautiful it looks in the interior or on a person.