Etsy Seller Interview with Janine of jannio

How jannio 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 Janine Lacey, and I am the proud owner of Jannio. I create unique, handmade, sometimes quirky, wet-felted hats. I also make bags, scarves, and cosies, all wet-felted. They are all handmade by me, and each creation is unique.

I have a little studio at home in the southwest of France. We live in the countryside, where I am inspired every day by my beautiful rural surroundings. Nature is all around our hamlet, and I am only to step out of the door for an idea to jump out at me from the fauna and flora that greet me.

I am also an artist. I paint using mixed media, and I have adopted the same style with my felting. I ‘paint’ with wool when crafting my designs.

About ten years ago, a friend introduced me to wet felting, and I taught myself how to make hats by using the wet felting and nuno felting techniques. Nuno felting is a fabric felting technique where wool or fibre is embedded or entangled with and through an open weave fabric such as silk or chiffon, which creates different surface textures. I use 100% merino wool.

I gradually built up stock and started selling at local Christmas markets. However, we live in a quiet rural area, and I struggled to find a sufficient market locally, so I started looking for another outlet for them. I wanted an outlet that would highlight and embrace handmade, unique items. Searching for that outlet, I found Etsy. I joined Etsy in 2008, and I have been successfully selling ever since. I have become a star seller.

Favorite items

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

I think my favourite items that I have listed in my shop are my French portrait berets and my animal and still-life felt cosies. I also paint, so I use the merino wool as I would my paint palette. I paint with wool. When I first started making my hats in 2008, I did not see anyone else felting portraits on hats, and, therefore, I could see an outlet for my work. I wanted to create something different, unique, and a one-off piece. I think that is why they sell quite well, because even if I were to duplicate the picture, each hat is handcrafted, and each one will be slightly different from the next. My felted animal and still-life cosies also sell well. I think this is the case because everyone loves animals and flowers. Wool is a natural insulator, so it is perfect for keeping the teapot warm.

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 remember being so surprised when my first sale came in. I had not long started my shop; I think it was about two weeks after opening, and it was one of my portrait berets! In addition, what was so cool was that I sold it to a fellow felter.

I am on social media a lot to attract customers to my shop, especially on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I try to create a hat, cosy, or scarf every day and share it on all my social media pages. I also try to list every day on Etsy.

My customers are the most important to me. I have many returning customers who have purchased numerous items from me. They see a new listing, and because they know and appreciate the standard of my work from previous purchases, they are happy to order from me again. As a thank you for the purchase, I also like to add a little something extra to the piece that I make. For example, I will often include a free felted brooch to match, to put on a lapel. Customers appreciate this gesture. Wrapping and packaging are very important too, and customers appreciate a nicely packed item.

Managing jannio

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 am the sole owner of my shop, Jannio, so I do everything myself. I create one or two hats a day. Sometimes I also make tea cosies and the occasional scarf in addition to the hats. I will then promote them on all my social media outlets.

I use Erank and Alura apps and tools to help with key words and titles and to keep up with what is trending.

I make sure that I give realistic shipping times to manage the Customer’s expectations.

I use the quickest shipping option possible to send all my parcels. I print the postage labels myself and send them from our local post office. I have a business account with the post office, which means that the actual posting of the items is a quick process. I then track every parcel for my customers, as, alas, the shipping companies do not always leave a notice, so I will keep my customers informed as to where their parcel is. They know I am on the journey with them, from order to delivery.

The future of jannio

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

My goal, I guess, is to keep creating and making new, unique wearable pieces. Customer satisfaction means so much to me, so being a star seller every month is my goal. I try to create pieces that make people smile and bring joy to the buyer. I am determined to maintain the high customer satisfaction that I currently enjoy. It is important to listen to the customers and learn where you can improve their experience. Hopefully, I can grow more, adding more unique pieces, and reach more interesting and like-minded people through my shop.

Advice for new sellers

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

My advice for a new seller on Etsy is to make sure your products stand out. Taking good photographs to show products at their best is so important. The customer cannot touch the item like they can in a conventional high-street shop, so you have to help them ‘feel’ the item from the vibe your pictures create. You need to catch the customer’s eye, so your shop stands out in the crowd. There are many sellers on Etsy now, so you need to do your research on the items you are proposing to sell. Use social media as much as you can to promote your work and your shop. Add new listings as often as you can. You also need to answer any questions a potential customer may have as quickly as possible, so you keep their interest in your shop fresh and they do not look elsewhere.

I would also recommend taking time to check out the Etsy community; they will help you if you have any problems or questions with regard to running your shop. You will always find someone who has experience to help you. It will take some time to build up your shop, and you have to be patient, but once you have checked all the boxes, the sales should start coming in.