How goamagic 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 finished my fashion degree in 1992 and opened a fashion brand in my name. A year later, I went to travel to India and fell in love with the magical beaches of Goa. I found myself going back to Goa year after year, and at one point I changed the name of my brand to Goa Magic. I had costumes from all over the world in Goa, but it was difficult to find me when I was not there. I came across ETSY in 2011, and it took me one year more to open my ETSY shop. I had the feeling that this marketplace would be an alternative for my customers to find me. It didn’t take long, and my ETSY shop was the best way to purchase my designs from customers I already knew and many more new ones!

Favorite items

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

The new designs that I create every year are my favorite items in my Etsy shop. Every year, I create new designs. It is like giving birth. The whole process is full of creativity and joy, from the idea to paper patterns, samples, fabric, fitting, and, in the end, photo shooting. When we add those new items to our Etsy shop, it's like birth itself. Then we follow these items carefully and check how they are doing every day. It brings us so much joy when we see that the item is getting a lot of likes and sales. It is confirmation that I am still doing something right.

Shiny Light Blue Swimsuit, Ladies Swimsuit, One Piece Bathing Suit for Women, Sparkling Swimsuit, Cut Out Swimsuit, Handmade Swimwear
Sexy Cheeky One Piece Swimsuit, Boho Bathing Suit for Women, Unique Swimsuit, Cut Out Swimsuit, Beige Swimsuit, Braided Swimsuit

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 opened my shop in 2012 with no experience at all. In the beginning, I checked every day if something was sold. I didn’t know how to create sales and was just waiting for something to happen. After a month or so, when the first sale happened, I got an email about it from PayPal. I got confused because I was thinking it was a kind of fishing email and just deleted it. Only after a week did I check my ETSY shop to find out that I had two sales... The joy and achievement of that moment are indescribable. It was the beginning of a new era in my life.

At the time I opened my Etsy shop, to attract customers, you needed to be part of the Etsy social network. I remembered I was sitting for hours every day and mingling with other sales. It was a time-consuming action, but it was also interesting and fun. I had a chance to see so many creative shops selling such beautiful items. At the moment, to attract new potential customers on Etsy, we use paid ads.

Managing goamagic

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?

When I opened my shop in 2012, I was doing everything by myself. I had so much knowledge about Etsy. Meanwhile, it has become so complicated and big that I can't handle it by myself.

I've been working with a shop manager for 5 years now. She took over everything about managing my shop. I provide the material, and then we discuss our strategy for the shop and items. and she organizes and controls the whole process. We are very good friends, and she loves my design. We are in contact on a daily basis and update each other on any subject considering the shop. She uses "Etsy marketing tools" and "Get Vela."

One of our workers is responsible for shipping and fulfillment. It was a big step for me to release this kind of responsibility to someone else. I find it very important that before shipping, every item needs to pass a high level of quality control. The packing needs to be neat and clean. The whole process of shipping needs to be without mistakes. We are shipping from Israel, which is quite expensive and can take time, so it is better to be on the safe side and control the order carefully. Needless to mention, we take full responsibility if a mistake happens.

The future of goamagic

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

I love the Etsy platform. I feel as though it is a big part of my success at the moment. My shop was growing slowly but safely, and I hope it will continue like this. Every year, I send one item to the Etsy award competition. I hope one day it will be accepted and listed as one of the participating items, or even win one of the prizes.

Advice for new sellers

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

The Etsy platform has changed a lot since I joined it back in 2012. At that time, it was an easy way to understand the e-commerce possibilities. Nowadays, it is more complicated and strict, and you need to have a lot of knowledge not only about how to fanfiction on the platform but also how to promote your shop and how to deal with international shipping and bureaucracy.

For new sellers, it can be overwhelming to face all that new data. I would advise doing it slowly and reading a lot of blogs. To join Facebook groups that share knowledge and to investigate shops that you feel can inspire you. I never took any course that taught Etsy, but I know it can be a great base for new sellers.

To have a successful shop on Etsy is long, tedious work that can take years. But if it will work, it will be worth it all.

Alura Team
Alura Team

Alura is your all-in-one platform for selling on Etsy. With more $500.000+ gross sales over four years selling on Etsy, Alura is built by experienced sellers for sellers. Start with a free account and explore all the features you need to start, run, and grow your Etsy shop.