Member Spotlight: Fancy Clothing- Part II

As a follow up to the Member Spotlight with Fancy Clothing I wanted to pass along some information that Arielle shared with me. I know I have always been curious about how all those great artists and crafters end up as Featured Artists on Etsy and I thought some of you might want to know how the process works too. The following is an excerpt from several emails between Arielle and me.

Just as a curiosity question from a fellow team member and Etsy shop owner I was wondering…did being a Featured Seller boost your sales? Or, any other aspect of your shop (hearts, alchemy, inquiries, etc)?

To answer your question-- Yes! To all of those things! The feature made things INSANE-- I jumped about 1500-2000 hearts in just a few days, and I received over 100 convos [which I finally caught up with days later], and many, many custom order inquiries. I think that I ultimately had about 30-45 purchases (which is pretty decent for me). The attention was great, a huge boost to my shop! At this point I wish that I were a faster, more skilled seamstress, and was able to crank out product at a faster rate. Before the feature I was actually as busy as I could reasonably manage, and this has increased business, certainly. I also received many consignment and wholesale inquiries, which were very exciting to have! [I'm not sure which opportunities I will inquire further about first.]

Did you submit a request to Etsy or where you randomly chosen to be a Featured Seller? How did that happen?

I was contacted by Etsy Admin about 2 months before the suggested date of the feature, asking if I would be interested in being featured. Of course I said YES, YES, YES, and they proceeded to convo with me with the standard list of questions you see used in the Feature interviews. Admin advised that I start really preparing and stocking up my shop, saying that they really prefer sellers not completely sell out on the front page. There was really no campaigning for the Feature, it was more of an offer and assent sort of situation. I don't really know for sure, but I imagine that positive feedback, an active, maintained shop, and good pictures are all keys to being picked.

Such good advice and helpful information! Thanks Arielle!

So, it sounds like being a Featured Artist on Etsy really is a great honor since you have to be “discovered” and asked to be a part of this group. How exciting for Arielle! I also have to agree with her last statement about feedback, active shop, and great pictures being the ways to stand-out and get noticed.
Hope you all have enjoyed this glimpse into the process of obtaining a Feature on the Etsy front page. If any other members have ever been featured or have any other questions about the process please leave a comment and we will do our best to find the answer.