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Making Repeat Clients of Your Etsy Customers

Laura McLoughlin

October 16, 2020

Etsy isn’t the same as most other eCommerce sites. Etsy promotes itself with the message that its sellers are people delivering products from their heart. We suspect that the sense of unique and individualised products that Etsy sells is what drew you to set up your store through the site. While there is definitely an opportunity here to build a community of like-minded clients, there is also the potential for making significant errors that lose customers too. 

It is easier to keep a customer than win a customer. Consequently, understanding how to retain clients is going to be essential to your success in business. Here we lay out some of the critical considerations that will help you build your repeat clients.

Details details

The first step in keeping a customer is giving them a service that they want to repeat. Therefore, if you have won that hard-fought-for client make sure that every contact with your business is just right. The more errors you make and the greater the need to communicate with you, the more likely that customer will move somewhere else with their business.

It is the small things that will matter to the client. First, and most importantly, are you delivering precisely what they asked for, in the condition they expect and within the time limit you set out? If not, you are going to get complaints and your chance to keep that customer diminishes rapidly. Next, it is the things that inadequate stores will say aren't that important that really win loyalty. It is the spelling of the client’s name or the state of the packaging – these are those details that separate the mediocre from the excellent.

Go the extra mile

Now that you have the details sorted, consider how to make an impact with your packaging. Remember: households these days can receive multiple packages in one week if not one day. Therefore, you want to convey some personality and when applicable, your story, with whatever parcel you have sent them.

You might, for example, wrap your product in tissue paper and add a sticker to say thank you for their business, or include a short note card explaining your business’s vision and purpose. Use colour, illustrations, and personal touches to help your parcel stand out from the rest.

Get to know your audience

While getting the service correct is essential in retaining clients, getting it right will work even better. To get your customer service on point for your clients, you need to get to know them. Demographics are fundamental in most businesses but never more so that in retail. You have a small niche of people who will be interested in buying your products. The better you talk to these people directly, the more likely they will visit your store and want to stay around. 

You will have thought about demographics when setting up your Etsy store. It should have influenced your content, from what you wrote to the images you selected. The same level of attention should be given to interaction with the customer from the point they choose to do business with you.

Think: how would you like to be treated? What would make you feel special? Your best chance of retaining clientele is in delighting them with the service you provide. It doesn’t have to be significant. What about packaging your item in tissue paper and sealing it with a sticker that says thank you?

Grow your community

Once you have persuaded a customer that you are providing a personal connection, you can use this to build your tribe. Social media will be your best ally in creating your community of loyal customers. Allow your clients to see behind the scenes and get to know you. Regular, consistent and branded posts on different platforms will allow your customers to interact with you. 

Imagine posting an image of your products being made by hand and with care and then having customers who bought it volunteer a review under the photo. This sort of word of mouth testimonial is invaluable. 

Communicate

When you boil all this down to a simple message, you should communicate consistency, precisely and with the appropriate tone and tenor. 

If a client contacts you, it should be a priority to return that message. Downloading the Etsy app and using the messaging function will help you keep on top of communication on the go. It is likely that the message, 7 times out 10, will be to ask when the product will be delivered. Don’t underestimate how important it is for your customer to know and give the message due attention. Better still, set up your business in such a way as you could offer a tracking number – imagine how that would set you apart from your competitors. 

When it comes to retaining customers, it is the small acts done consistently well that will win the day.

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