How LightbyLemon 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?

In 2019, I was experimenting with different e-commerce ideas. When I first opened my shop, my original idea was to sell hand-made wallets (but truth be told, they were not too impressive). During the early days of Covid I did what everyone else did and sold masks, and I was grossing about $100/month at that time. 

Once I learned you could sell digital products, I realized I could modify some Excel spreadsheets I had already made and sell them on Etsy! I started with one spreadsheet—an AirBNB income statement. Over the next couple of years, I made more and more spreadsheets, some for personal finance, some for small businesses, some for rental income, etc.

At first, I was selling masks, mugs, and spreadsheets all in one shop; following advice, I read that the more listings, the better. This made my shop confusing and unfocused, so I decided to ignore that and focus on branding. I switched to only selling spreadsheets, and this turned out to be the right decision.

Favorite items

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

The AirBNB Rental Income Statement This was the first digital product I sold, and it proved the concept. It also happens to be my all-time best seller! A lot of people getting started with AirBNBs and rental properties are going to get overwhelmed with overly complicated and convoluted spreadsheets if it’s something they haven’t done before. I made my spreadsheet to be as straightforward and easy to use as possible, and I did not want it to be overwhelming to a beginner. I believe that was my key to success!

AirBNB Rental Income Statement Tracker - Monthly & Annual Expenses, Cap Rate and Profit Margins, Vacation Rental Long Term, Digital Download

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 can’t remember exactly, but I think it only took a couple of weeks. I don’t do any advertising; all of my focus has been on Etsy SEO, and that drives most of my traffic.

Managing LightbyLemon

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 run the shop myself. When developing new listings, I have used erank.com for keyword ideas. All my products are digital, and the shop is almost entirely self-sufficient. Most of my time is spent on customer service—answering questions and providing customized spreadsheets when requested.

The future of LightbyLemon

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

My goal is to add a zero to my monthly sales!

Advice for new sellers

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

SEO, SEO, SEO! Learn it, study it, and apply it to your shops and listings! It’s free and will pay off if you do it right.

Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: 80%

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 3.8%

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.