u/KaleidoscopeBright35

I must have shiny object syndrome because I can’t seem to nail down a consistent task list with my Etsy shop. I tend to get stuck on developing new products (because that’s my favorite) but this will eat up hours and before I know it the day is gone and I didn’t do anything in my shop. I know I really need to improve the listings I already have and drive more traffic. What is your daily routine to move the needle for your shop? What stats do you check and how does that inform adjustments? Do you do competitor research every day? I’ve heard Etsy favors shops that are “active” and this doesn’t always mean adding new listings. But I get a little overwhelmed with all the things and then default to what comes easiest.

I opened my Etsy shop in October 2023 and I sell spreadsheet templates. I’ve built it up to over 100 listings, and have a variety of templates, trackers and checklists. Some are in a very competitive category (like Personal Finance) while others are very niche. I do all the things: keyword and competitor research, use all 13 tags, create videos, have a website, Etsy ads, etc. I look at my competitors listings to see how they design their tile images, and I try to provide even more. My templates are well designed and some have advanced features that I haven’t been able to find in other templates on Etsy. My pricing is competitive, typically slightly less than the average. I have very low cost listings and some “premium” templates. I offer bundles and use Etsy’s “suggest” feature to promote related products. My average conversion rate is 5-6% and I do get 5 star reviews. And yet I just haven’t been able to get real traction. I make an average of 3-5 sales a day - sometimes less, sometimes a little more, but typically less than $20 in daily revenue. I’ve had Etsy ads turned on since last August, and I have been consistently removing ads from listings that don’t make a profit. But even with adjustments I still only break even. It’s so frustrating to see other shops with a fraction of my listings, open less than a year, making more sales than I have since the beginning. It’s driving me nuts. What else do I need to do? It’s tough not to think that it’s just all luck. I’ve literally put hours every day into my shop and I don’t want to give up, but I’m getting so discouraged.