Etsy Seller Interview with Gunes of DrawberryStudio

How DrawberryStudio 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?

My name is Gunes, and I’m the owner of Drawberry Studio, an Etsy shop for my hand-painted stock artwork graphics. I offer digitally downloadable images in various formats like clip art, artistic digital papers, and surface patterns to bring creativity and charm to the projects of crafters, makers, planner designers, POD users, textile designers, etc. all around the world.

My journey on Etsy began a few years ago when I decided to turn my hobbies into a small business, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my drawings with others. I'm constantly inspired by the Etsy community and the endless possibilities that come with being a part of this vibrant marketplace.

Drawing and art were always my passions, and the things I loved to do as a kid are my whole adventure now. My love for art transitioned over to my love for interior design and architecture in high school and college. When I was a student at the Faculty of Architecture, I started posting my rough sketches on Instagram. The drawing was just a stress-relieving hobby for me back then. After receiving positive feedback from friends, I decided to take the plunge and open my Etsy shop to share my creations with a wider audience.

The process of deciding what to sell on Etsy was a labor of love. I carefully created my shop's inventory to include items that I'm truly passionate about and that showcase my artistic style. My downloadable graphic files must be of the best possible quality and resolution, making them good for printing and easy to use for different applications. When creating my image files, I mostly use my own hand-painted watercolor artwork. I scan these to digitize them, then add my digital touch on my drawing tablet and make them ready to download.

Favorite items

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

I have lots of favorites in my Etsy shop. If I had to pick one, it would be the sparkling fairytale butterflies. Currently, my best-selling product is another butterfly clipart set. The listings that include butterflies in my shop usually receive more attention compared to others. I think the love for fairy tales glitters on these pretty butterflies. There's hardly anyone who doesn't like pretty and shiny things. Another favorite of mine is the "Happy Camper" collection. The retro-hippie vibe of this set makes me feel happy. Butterflies:

Happy Camper Set:

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?

When I first opened my Etsy shop, I had only two items. I made my first sale within a week after opening my shop, thanks to my Instagram account. One of my followers from the USA commented on a post featuring one of my watercolor artworks, saying she loved it and wanted to use it in her small business logo. I told her about my new Etsy shop, and that's how I made my first sale. It was a very exciting moment to hear Etsy’s cha-ching notification on my phone. Since then, I have continued to add new items to my shop regularly. I use Instagram to introduce my artwork collections, and I use Facebook to post my new listings and weekend sales. Nowadays, I use EtsyAds to gain exposure. I am always trying to improve my listing photos, cover images, and descriptions.

Managing DrawberryStudio

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 starting my Etsy shop, I have been a one-woman business. I am also grateful to have a supportive family and a very helpful boyfriend on this journey. Despite the difficulties that come with running a business solo, I am proud of what I have accomplished. I enjoy the process of running my shop and am still as excited as I was on the first day to create my collections and grow my small business.

I use the Procreate app on my iPad to add the finishing touches to my artwork. I use Etsy analytics to analyze the dashboard data and think about adjusting my approach. When I am faced with the challenges of running an online business on my own, I use various tools to make it easier for me. Some of these tools include the Etsy Seller app, e-Rank to look for keywords, Google Drive to store my project files, and Outfy to create engaging social media posts. These tools have helped me with everything from managing them to improving the quality of my listings.

The future of DrawberryStudio

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

I want to increase the number of my clip art and surface pattern collections in the future. These days, I have been interested in creating illustrations for children’s storybooks, and I want to develop my skills in this area. Additionally, I would like to design educational activity books for kids and add them as printables to my shop.

Advice for new sellers

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

Running an Etsy shop is a lot of work and can be difficult, but it's worth it. I would advise new sellers to stay updated on Etsy. In my opinion, the key factor for building a successful Etsy business is a combination of marketing and a commitment to regularly adding new products to your shop.

In addition, the choice of cover photo for each product is very important. When setting the cover photo, instead of making a decision in terms of aesthetical concerns, it should be considered if it can tell what the product listing has at first sight. I think for someone who knows what they are looking for, whether or not to click on a product listing is largely determined by the cover photo that makes it stand out among the others.