Free Vintage Birthday Postcards
Get these fun vintage birthday greetings as ephemera printables!
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Shawnna
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Why Customer Reviews are Important on Etsy
I think we all know that product reviews serve to sway consumer decision making. Having honest and transparent reviews has become an integral part of online shopping for most platforms. But consumers don't necessarily need to see a perfect score. In fact, studies have shown that a perfect review score is perceived as either false or manipulated. Buyers feel better when there are at least a few less than positive reviews for a business, since these represent a more honest account.
Beyond the obvious importance of reviews for customers though, how else are reviews and feedback important as a tool for an Etsy shop, particularly if they are less than positive?
It's critical for businesses to understand how their products or services are being perceived in the market and can often inform on future business decisions.You should pay close attention to this feedback in order to make any improvements or adjustments to your daily operations.
Here are some reasons why they are so important:
Identify areas for improvement: Feedback and reviews from customers can help businesses identify areas for improvement in their products or services. By listening to customer concerns, businesses can make necessary changes and adjustments to improve their offerings or their level of service.
Build customer loyalty: When businesses listen to their customers and address their concerns, they build trust and loyalty. Responding to feedback and reviews in a timely and professional manner can also show customers that their opinions matter and that the business values their input.
Increase sales: Positive reviews and feedback can be powerful marketing tools. Many consumers rely on reviews and recommendations when making purchasing decisions. If a business has a strong track record of positive reviews and feedback, it can help attract new customers and increase sales.
Competitor analysis: Customer feedback and reviews can also provide valuable insights into how a business is performing compared to its competitors. By monitoring competitor reviews and feedback, businesses can identify opportunities to differentiate themselves and improve their offerings by comparison.
Overall, customer feedback and reviews are a crucial component of any successful business strategy. They provide valuable insights that can help businesses improve their products or services, build customer loyalty, increase sales, and stay ahead of the competition.
Shawnna
Free Retro Vintage Fashion Images
These beautiful vintage fashion illustrations are perfect for any digital collage project! Use these in any personal or commercial product.
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Shawnna
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7 Tips for Building a Loyal Customer Base on Etsy
Building a loyal following or fan base for your Etsy shop is not something that is going to happen overnight, instead, it's something that you'll need to work at over the long term. With commitment and consistency though you should eventually gain momentum and build a customer following that will purchase from you again and again.
Here are seven top tips for building a fan base that loves you:
Offer high-quality products: It's important to provide your customers with high-quality products that meet or exceed their expectations. This will help to build trust and establish your brand as a reliable and reputable seller on Etsy.
Provide excellent customer service: Great customer service is key to building a loyal customer base. Respond promptly to inquiries, be friendly and professional in your interactions, and do your best to resolve any issues that arise.
Be consistent: Consistency in the quality of your products and customer service is important to build trust with your customers. Make sure that you're always delivering the same level of quality and service with each transaction.
Offer special deals and promotions: Offering special deals or promotions can help to incentivize customers to make a purchase and encourage repeat business. Consider offering discounts for repeat customers or for larger orders.
Personalize your interactions: Show your customers that you care by personalizing your interactions. Use their name in communications, include a handwritten note with their order, or offer personalized recommendations based on their purchase history.
Encourage feedback and reviews: Encourage your customers to leave feedback and reviews for your products. Positive reviews can help to build trust and attract new customers to your shop.
Be active on social media: Social media can be a powerful tool for building a loyal customer base on Etsy. Use platforms like Instagram and Facebook to showcase your products, share behind-the-scenes content, and engage with your followers.
Shawnna
Free Retro Kitten Clipart Images
These tiny clip art images are perfect for spring projects where you needed an added touch. Sized from just 2-4" at print resolution these little kittens are adorable!
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Shawnna
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Free Retro Dog Clipart Images
These tiny clip art images are perfect for spring projects where you needed an added touch. Sized from just 2-4" at print resolution these little puppies are adorable!
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Shawnna
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Free Vintage Easter Postcards
Vintage Easter cards featuring chicks and rabbits and roosters. Scanned from vintage postcards these old ephemera cards will have slight imperfection due to age and wear, just part of their vintage charm.
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Shawnna
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Should You Respond to Negative Reviews on Etsy?
Responding publicly to reviews on Etsy is sometimes contentiously debated in the Etsy forums. But which is right, to respond or ignore it?
Some sellers quite rightly argue that it is professional to respond publicly to a negative review. This response is meant for future customers and shows how you handle different situations, what your customer service is like and what new customers can expect from you.
The argument against responding to reviews usually doesn't come with a robust argument as to why it's not a good idea but sellers opposed to doing this often cite the tendency of some sellers to respond very emotionally and not in a more professional way.
I think it should go without saying that responses need to be kept professional and emotionally detached. But in case you need to hear that, it's super important to remember that you are talking to your next customer and your response should reflect well on you and your shop. Stick to the facts and leave the emotional drama out of it.
Other sellers simply feel afraid to respond. There's a fear of seeming imperfect, or to admitting there was a problem, or just simply preferring not to acknowledge reviews that are unfair in their context.
Getting an opinion on these types of important business decisions is often not best served by opinions from your peer group. Opinions aren't facts and it's usually a lot more helpful to have concrete data to inform your actions either way.
Looking outside Etsy for answers for this question opens up the discussion to more robust argument, which happens to skew very heavily in favor of yes - you should definitely respond to your negative reviews.
Let me provide some good statistical data that puts this into a whole new light (this data has been taken from a variety of studies and surveys):
1. 89% of customers say they read replies to reviews
2. 53% of customers expect a business to reply to their online reviews within 7 days
3. 82% of customers actually look for negative reviews for a business
4. 95% of customers get suspicious if there are no negative reviews
5. Businesses that respond to reviews on average earn 4% more revenue than those that don't
6. 41% of customers feel review responses show a business cares about their customers
If you google the topic you can find so many more stats around the benefits of responding to negative reviews but I wasn't able to find anything in favor of (or detrimental to) not responding (provided the response is professional).
So the consensus is clear, the benefits of responding to negative reviews far outweighs any perceived opinion on it not being necessary or it having any kind of negative effect.
If you struggle to write responses without your emotions getting in the way consider asking your peers to help you out. It's always easier to write a response for someone else! Some sellers are even utilizing ChatGPT with success to formulate a response, so if you're inclined in that direction and want to harness the power of AI for your business this is also a good option (just be sure to proof edit everything).
happy crafting
Shawnna
Free Vintage Easter Cross Postcards
Vintage Christian Easter cards featuring the holy cross with spring flowers. Scanned from vintage postcards these old ephemera cards will have slight imperfection due to age and wear, just part of their vintage charm.
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Shawnna
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