How to Communicate with Your Etsy Customers
Communication is the single most critical factor to ensuring the success of your Etsy business. After your fabulous inventory catches your buyers' attention, your prompt and friendly communication — whether it's via e-mail or an Etsy convo — will keep them coming back for more (not to mention recommending your shop to their friends).
A convo — short for "conversation" — is a communication with another member using Etsy's internal messaging system. You can use convos to communicate with any other Etsy member. To access your convos, click the Conversations icon that appears in the Etsy header bar (assuming that you're signed in to the site); the Conversations page appears.
It's a good idea to set up a separate e-mail address for correspondence on Etsy. That way, you can keep all your business-related messages in one place. Also set up Etsy to forward convos to your dedicated shop e-mail address.
Even if you upload five spectacular photos of your item and compose a listing description with enough detail to satisfy Tolstoy himself, prospective buyers will still have questions about your piece. Queries may range from "How big is it?" to "What does it smell like?" to "Can you make this in puce?"
Whatever the question, it's critical that you answer it — and the sooner, the better. Unless you've been stranded on a desert island or you're, say, in labor, try to respond to all questions within 24 hours. Quickly replying to e-mails and convos containing queries from potential buyers does more than just help them determine whether your item is right for them; it reassures them that you're a seller they can count on.
You can also set up Etsy to send you an e-mail any time you receive a message via convo:
Click the Conversations icon.
The Conversations page opens.
Click the Notification Preferences link.
The E-mails page opens.
Click the Edit link in the General Notifications area.
Two check boxes appear in the General Notifications area.
Click the Someone Sends Me a Convo check box to select it.
Click the Save button.
Etsy saves your settings.
When it comes to communicating with buyers, you must strike a balance. Communicate too little, and your buyers may conclude that you don't care about your customers. Communicate too much, and your buyers may perceive you to be a nuisance.
When communicating with customers, keep things simple. Providing too much information may confuse them. Focus on communicating the information that will be most helpful to the customer. For example, if a customer asks how quickly you can put an item in the post, simply respond by telling her, "Tomorrow." Don't say, "Well, I'd do it today, but my dog just ate my cactus, and I have to take her to the vet, so it will have to be tomorrow."
