You never get a second chance to make a first impression whether on a date or in business. As an Etsy shop owner, it’s a great practice to obsess over listing titles, images, tags, and descriptions. However, you could be missing one key element that can make or break your e-commerce business. That is none other than:

Etsy Shop Announcements

Your Etsy shop announcement is one of the first things your shoppers see so it’s important that it is written in a clear and concise way that reflects exactly what your shop sells and why people need to buy from you.

Writing an optimized shop announcement is easier said than done and if you aren’t keeping your announcement up to date then you could be losing out on traffic, leads, and conversions. Read below to find out more about the best practices for writing an Etsy shop announcement and how you can incorporate these tips into your business today to massively increase sales!

What is the Best Way to Make an Etsy Shop Announcement?

Your Etsy shop announcement is a great way to communicate quickly with your audience exactly what it is your shop offers. The text portion appears under your listings on your homepage.

Below is a quick step-by-step guide on how you can actually create your announcement on Etsy.

1. Go to your Shop Manager on Etsy
2. Under Sales Channels, you will see a little Edit icon (shaped like a pencil)
3. Go to the Announcement section below the listing section
4. Write, edit, and Add your shop announcement
5. Then just click Save and you’re all done!

You can use your announcement section to also announce special offers, giveaways, or if you are going on vacation, which let’s be honest no small business owner can relate to.

However, there are some relatively hard set optimization rules when it comes to your Etsy shop announcement text. Read below to find out the Dos and Don’ts of writing and posting your announcement on Etsy!

What Should I Include In My Etsy Store Announcement?

You know how you always put your customer first? Whether it’s with your product quality, customer service, or prices, your Etsy customer is always at the forefront of whatever decision you make. Your announcement text should reflect that as well.

Too many announcements on Etsy focus too much on the seller, the products, or the services being sold. Instead, you need to focus on your audience. Think of your Etsy announcement as the perfect time to do just that.

Write your announcement in a way that communicates to your audience quickly not what you’re selling but rather why they need something that you are selling! So it’s about the customer’s needs and wants and how you can fulfill these in the best way possible.

It’s also important that you don’t get overwhelmed with all the things you could say. This isn’t really a greeting section so don’t add a ‘welcome’ note. Instead, target your audience and motivate them to buy. You can try something like this:

“Avoid a messy backseat after ice cream time with the kids. Shop our edible Drip-Proof Ice Cream Cones for more smiles and fewer drop piles, now with chocolate chunks!”

The example above has good search optimization with words like “ice cream” and “kids” as well as a solid CTA. Keep your announcement short, sweet, and to the point. Be concise, target your audience, and go in for the sale!

Remember also that shoppers will usually see the first sentence of your announcement before they decide to click on your listings or read on so right from the get-go grab the attention of the reader and make it clear exactly what their problem or need is and how your handmade product or service is the best solution.

What to Avoid When Making an Etsy Store Announcement?

Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do. Below is a list of things to avoid doing when writing an Etsy store announcement:

1. Don’t Guide Shoppers Away From Your Business

Too often Etsy shop owners will deter traffic to their Instagram account which is generally not good practice. Unless you want to make your sales primarily through DMs, avoid sending your audience away from your e-commerce site.

2. Avoid Negative Wording

This right here is Business 101, so take notes! Never ever use negative phrases even in a good way. If a customer complains about late shipping don’t use words like “sorry” or “issue”. The same goes for your announcement section on Etsy.

Don’t write: “because of high order volume your orders may be late” in your announcement text. You may think this will prevent bad reviews but really you’re creating a negative tone.

3. Don’t Sound Generic

“Hi there, thank you for visiting my store” is not how you stand out in the Etsy crowd. Avoid sounding generic and using a, for lack of a better word, lame announcement.

These are the top three things to avoid when writing or editing your Etsy shop announcement.

How Often Should You Change the Announcement Text?

You can update your announcement text as much as you like! However, keep in mind that this may not be to your store’s benefit.

Most sellers on Etsy notice a short-term dip in traffic and subsequently sales when they first change their announcement text. Etsy probably won’t admit this but it seems to be the case for most sellers.

The Etsy SEO bots need time to go through your shop every time you make an edit and collect information. So while having an optimized announcement on your Etsy shop is a no-brainer for increased traffic and sales, you may notice some short-term effects if you edit the text more than twice a year.

An Etsy shop announcement is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to having an optimized e-commerce site that consistently brings in sales. If you are looking to step up your business and massively grow your sales on Etsy, contact us today to find out how we can help you reach and exceed your goals.