Etsy Seller Interview with Lyra of LyraLuneDesigns

How LyraLuneDesigns 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 first discovered amigurumi in 2021. I was on maternity leave, lockdowns were in full swing, and I needed a hobby. My husband showed me a photo of a crocheted toy because he thought I might enjoy giving it a try. I had never crocheted before, but I was intrigued. After some quick research, I ordered my first supplies, learned to crochet from YouTube videos, and went shopping on Etsy for amigurumi crochet patterns. I had tried many different hobbies before, but this was different. I was instantly in love.

After a few months of making toys following patterns I bought on Etsy, I thought I would try my hand at creating my own designs. I spent a few months making six designs and writing the patterns for them, then I opened my Etsy shop and started an Instagram account in March 2022. I’ve been steadily increasing my portfolio since then, and now, after one year, I have around 30 original designs in my shop.

Favorite items

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

It’s hard to pick favorites, but I am slightly partial to my fantasy creature designs. These tend to also be crowd favorites. I’m a big fan of everything fantasy, from books to video games, and I'm happy and humbled that many people share this love for fantasy and appreciate the care I put into my designs.

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 had my first sale two days after opening the shop. I used Etsy Ads as much as it allowed in the first couple of months to promote my designs on the platform. This was really helpful at first in gaining some sales and reviews, giving legitimacy to the shop. After gaining some traction, I stopped using ads as they were zero-profit, and now I only promote my designs on Instagram.

Managing LyraLuneDesigns

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?

It’s mostly just me. My husband helps with editing photos and with advice. I use OneNote and Microsoft Word to write the patterns; Photoshop and ProCreate for illustrations; Lightroom for photo editing; and Premiere Rush or DaVinci for video editing. I only sell digital items at this time and don’t need to handle shipping, but I’m working on changing that and am still researching the options.

The future of LyraLuneDesigns

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

In addition to new designs every month, I plan to start selling crochet kits as well as some ready-made toys in the near future. This is very exciting, but also quite scary. I haven’t had to deal with international shipping before, and it seems to be the hardest part to set up properly.

Advice for new sellers

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

Treat each customer like it’s your first. Make sure you spare no energy on product photos and descriptions. Your cover photo is the first impression; if it’s not appealing to your target audience, it’s hard to get sales, no matter how good the product is. Always self-test searches incognito after creating a listing, and adjust the listing if needed. Another tip is to analyze what other shops in your niche do; check their sales, the ratio of reviews to sales, prices, and so on. It’s great for getting ideas on how to market your products.
Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to get the ball rolling. For most shops, it takes a couple of months to get their first sale. Give Etsy ads a try to build some momentum if you can afford it, but don’t break the bank. If the ads don’t perform at zero or minimal loss, try to adjust your listings.

Promote your products on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Try doing this in a genuine and friendly way, for example by showing how it’s done or sharing parts of your process, as opposed to making posts that feel like ads. This will help you connect with customers, make friends, and let them get to know the human behind the business.

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

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 5.3%