Etsy Seller Interview with Sandra of HerCreativeStudio

How HerCreativeStudio 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?

Hi, I’m Sandra Manton Mills, and I am the photographer and graphic designer behind Her Creative Studio on Etsy. I create stock photos and Canva templates for women in business who need access to time-saving, professional solutions to their visual marketing needs, allowing them to focus on what matters most.

During my career as a graphic designer in the offset printing industry, I constantly struggled to find stock photos for my clients projects that weren’t generic and seen everywhere. My clients included women entrepreneurs, bloggers, coaches, real estate professionals, and marketers, so I needed professional photos that told a story, focused on everyday details, and had a feminine vibe. Hiring a professional photographer was not often in their budget, so it was a challenge to find the visuals I needed. So when I pivoted my career to work from home to raise my two daughters, I began my journey with photography knowing exactly what niche to focus on and who my ideal client was. I launched my Etsy Shop in 2014 with 20 digital listings at a $19 price point and made my first big sale within 3 days. In 2016 I launched my hugely successful members-only library which I would never have had the courage to build if it wasn’t for the success I had those first two years on Etsy.

I have a small studio space in my home where I shoot with my full-frame Nikon D750 and mostly use a Nikkor 50mm lens. I use natural lighting when the Toronto weather allows and consistent light with a huge softbox for backup. I edit photos and create design assets on my Macbook Pro in Photoshop CC, Illustrator, and Canva. I source my props from local stores in my city and from all over the world online. I’m inspired by the women I meet, read about, and am surrounded by every day. My creativity is fueled by making everyday objects work harmoniously together and playing with different styles, colours, and textures.

Favorite items

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

Narrowing down my favourite stock photo from the thousands I’ve created is hard, but this one is from my newest collection, and it’s been a huge hit so far. My favourite Canva templates are my launch countdown templates and my  Daily, Weekly, Monthly Planner. These are a few of my best sellers, which I’ve used myself to run my business.

Building a successful business can be time-consuming, and if you don’t have access to a professional photographer or graphic designer, it can be overwhelming. Stock Photos and done-for-you templates are an easy, cost-effective way to create content for your business that'll help you stand out and allow you to spend your time on what you love most.

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 within three days of launching. For the first few years, I relied on Etsy paid ads, and they were very successful for me, but they’ve not worked at all for me the past few years. SEO, email campaigns, and social media (Pinterest) have been fantastic ways to drive traffic, and they are mostly what I use now. Creating and promoting an Etsy sale has helped increase sales. Bloggers, affiliates, and influencers have been hugely successful resources for web traffic.

Managing HerCreativeStudio

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?

After nine years, I’m still the only one behind Her Creative Studio. As a mostly passive income business, it’s been completely doable but not always easy to manage on my own. Constantly creating new products is the biggest challenge, and I would love to add new creators and photographers in the future. Customer service (a big priority for me) is so much easier with communication apps and smartphones, and digital fulfilment is 100% automated on Etsy. I do use an accountant annually to double-check my bookkeeping and help with taxes.

Some of my favourite tools are:

Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Rush, InDesign, and Lightroom): I use these applications for everything from editing photos and creating my monthly email graphics to thumbnails for listings.

AI: Although I’ve only recently added this to my toolbox, used correctly, this is such a great tool for your business.

Mailchimp: I use Mailchimp to communicate with subscribers about freebies, new products, and seasonal sales. It’s not necessarily the most popular platform (it can be costly), but I love its a/b testing capabilities and segmented lists feature, and creating templates is easy and efficient.

G-Suites by Google: I use Google Email along with Docs, Hangout, Calendar, and Google Drive. I use docs in part for composing and editing blog posts, listing descriptions, and all my research on keywords and tags, so I can keep them organised, refer to them, and update them as needed.

Since I sell digital products on Etsy, shipping isn’t a concern, and fulfilment for digital downloads is automated and easy for the buyer.

The future of HerCreativeStudio

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

My goals for my Etsy shop are to continue to improve SEO, increase traffic, and convert more sales. It’s no longer my biggest source of income (my Shopify store and membership sites are), but it continues to generate a profit and drive brand awareness. I’ve also been working hard behind the scenes to expand and launch a second shop in 2023 (fingers crossed! ), which I’m super excited about.

Advice for new sellers

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

The first piece of advice I’d give anyone starting out is to focus on client happiness. Clients are the lifeblood of any business, and it's important to make sure they are thrilled with your product and have a great user experience. Reply quickly and go above and beyond. Make sure your return policy is clear and easy to understand, and your product shots and descriptions show exactly what they’re getting with each purchase.

The second thing is to embrace SEO. It’s not as complicated as you think. Learn and understand how SEO can help your shop. Use all 13 tags. Research two- or three-word keywords and use them in your titles, descriptions, and tags. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't, and then tweak. All of this will help your listing be found at the top of Etsy searches.

Lastly, technology can help you streamline your business, reach more clients, and scale your business. Whether it's using social media to promote your shop, adopting digital tools to create your marketing and manage your finances, or using communication tools to collect data and keep clients happy, embracing technology is a must.