More importantly, is Etsy doing enough to protect it's users from cyber criminals? From what I'm witnessing in 2022, the answer to that is a resounding no.
Over roughly the past two years organized groups of scammers have prolifically setup shop on Etsy. We've seen an increase of all users on the site, so this isn't surprising. Some of it Etsy is dealing with appropriately, and some of it they are either ignoring or taking a rather lax approach.
While there are quite a few scams, cons and crimes taking place on the Etsy marketplace every day (as there are all across the web), I've been closely following one particular issue for a few months now, one that I know Etsy knows about and yet appears to be blatantly allowing to prosper.
Here's the situation:
An organized group, likely spearheaded by a single individual, probably being run out of Asia or North Africa, are setting up new Etsy shops by the hundreds (thousands?) per week. These shops "sell" bundles of digital graphics made up entirely of trademarked and stolen copyright material. All of these shops have notifications all over their listings not to buy the item on Etsy, but to visit an independent website to make the purchase instead. And customers are incentivized to do so with seemingly huge discounts.
I've found approx 30-35 such independent websites being advertised on Etsy via these shops. All of these websites look to match up in registration details and all of them contain false contact info to make them look like bonafide american owned businesses. But if you dig deeper, this falls apart quite quickly.
Aside from the blatant Etsy fee avoidance policy violation there is also an element data theft and hacking going on with this group, both on and off of Etsy.
Not all the shops used by this group however are 'new' Etsy shops. Some of the shops have been hacked into and are pre-existing but currently inactive Etsy shops opened by well-intentioned sellers. Which raises a whole other set of questions, namely, how?
Etsy recently sent out an email reminding sellers to keep their accounts safe and provided a list of helpful tips on how to do so. But is this actually enough? Is Etsy doing everything possible to keep the site secure? Personally I don't think so. I think they could, and should be, doing a LOT more than they are.
Further to this is that all the customers being funneled off of Etsy to these independent websites are probably having their data harvested during checkout. I say probably, because I don't have hard proof for certain...
But this is a group of individuals who are clearly working in an organized fashion with each other, who have no problem violating Etsy's policies, no qualms about selling content they don't have a legal right to, and are presenting false information about who they are on these websites. I'd say chances are pretty good that they would also steal customer data for other nefarious activities. Even possibly as a way to get into their customer's Etsy accounts. All they need is a matching email and password.
So what is Etsy doing about all these shops violating their fee avoidance policy? And we're talking about thousands of accounts here, it's not some small little issue. Well, they are actually removing a lot of these shops. But for some reason the crooks are able to create more accounts than Etsy is able to remove with a manual reporting and investigation system.
I monitored the situation quite closely for two full months and in a six week period I reported and saw removed just over 1,100 shops. Another 150 shops that I have reported however, a few as many as 3 times, still remain open today. Two months on and there are just as many of these shops in existence as there was two months ago, possibly more. No matter how many of these shops Etsy closes down, the same number or more are opened up immediately.
On the surface you might be inclined to think, well, Etsy has an impossible job then. If they can't keep up with it then it's a losing battle. But is it?
I have to wonder why Etsy hasn't deployed a bot to instantly remove these shops. It would be entirely possible to do, they all use roughly the same worded listings. They all have very clear identifiers to immediately separate them from legitimate shops. And why do some of the shops remain open even when they've been reported multiple times?
I have a few theories on both points but it all seemingly comes back to revenue. Sure, maybe Etsy really is just this inept. But, it just so happens that these cyber criminals are paying for advertising on all the shops they open. That's thousands of listings bringing in ad revenue on what appears to be very popular content. Is that a coincidence or an incentive to look the other way?
If you haven't seen what this looks like, here is a screenshot on the type of listing I'm referring to:
I think we need to start asking some hard questions about how Etsy is working to protect its users both while on the platform and where and how they are directed off the site. But we also need to take a serious look at what Etsy is willing to allow on the site for the sake of a few dollars and to hold them accountable in areas where they are clearly failing.
This type of listing has no business being on the site in the first place, but to allow it and thousands of others like to remain, to proliferate and prosper is utterly outrageous.
Shawnna
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July 30, 2021
Welcome to another day in Etsy land! This week Etsy announced a new seller evaluation tool that will launch from Sept 1st. And oh boy, do people have a lot to say!
Etsy Star Seller Program
So what's it all about? As per Etsy's announcement, there is a new, more public layer of seller evaluation being added that will include a "Star Seller" badge on qualifying Etsy shops in order to show that a shop is a trusted seller.
Etsy already has the behind the scenes ODR score for evaluating shops, something they use to remove sellers who are regularly under-performing. And of customers evaluate sellers via the order review system.
The ODR score program appears to have been cancelled, replaced by the new Star Seller program, although this hasn't been officially confirmed.
Here’s the breakdown of the new program:
Response rate: You respond to 95% or more of initial messages from buyers within 24 hours (just the first message, not ongoing conversations).
Shipping: 95% or more of your orders ship within your stated processing time and with tracking* or you purchased a shipping label on Etsy. Digital orders will not require tracking information.
5-star ratings: 95% or more of your reviews have 5-star ratings.
Orders, sales, and shop tenure: You’ll also need to have at least 10 orders and $300 in sales (before shipping and taxes) within the three month review period, and have been on Etsy’s platform for 90 days since your first sale.
On the surface you might think that this all sounds rather reasonable. And really it's not an entirely bad idea. Until you learn just how few really great sellers will actually qualify for this because of just how bad the metrics are.
To begin with, Etsy launched the Star Seller dashboard with all sorts of bugs, so it isn't even working very well from the get-go. I guess they've given themselves a month to sort that out, but Etsy is notorious for inaccurate stats so there's very little confidence that this will ever be an accurate measurement.
In my own two shops I don't immediately qualify, despite providing pretty damn good service (if I do say so myself). While instant download digital sellers don't have to worry about the shipping metric, I failed on the response rate in both my shops - not because I don't respond, or respond slowly - but simply because I get messages that don't require a response. This acts to skew the results, creating a false impression that I don't respond to all messages fast enough.
Just for reference, so that I don't sound completely like a bunch of sour grapes, I'm in the top 1% of Etsy sellers based on product selling volume, with over 10 years selling on the site and a consistent 5 star average rating. But I'm not a Star Seller... according to Etsy - but only because I haven't clicked 'respond' on every single message in my shop. yay for me.
For sellers who have to also take into account the shipping metric this is an even bigger problem, because not all products warrant tracking and not all customers want to pay for tracking. A perfectly awesome seller can see this metric completely tank their chances of ever achieving a Star Seller rating.
Because the metrics being used aren't very robust or accurate, the Star Seller rating ultimately becomes pointless and entirely meaningless. If you have enough selling volume going through your shop you can easily absorb the odd anomaly or error and still achieve the required 95%. If you're a small seller you ultimately have to achieve 100% because just one wrong action will drop you well below 95%.
And that's the rub that hurts the most. Etsy is introducing a rating system that rewards big sellers and punishes small sellers with metrics that are largely inaccurate.
So why is Etsy even doing this? Well, there are a couple theories floating around. It could be that Etsy just wants sellers to be providing the best possible service. But it's more likely they are just trying to get more buy-in for their own shipping label system. This puts more money in their pockets, so it makes sense they would find some way to encourage that behavior - and the psychology of handing out gold stars is a pretty little package to wrap that up in. But we don't know this for sure, it's just a guess.
To really understand exactly how this new program works and why it is just complete utter garbage though you need to get right down into the nitty gritty details of how analytics should actually work.
Thankfully Etsy seller David Bowman did just that for us and his Etsy forum post is very enlightening. It's long, but it's well worth a read if you want to better understand exactly where/how Etsy has gone so very wrong with this new seller evaluation tool.
Here are a few excerpts if you want the short version:
"Let’s say you want to rate customer service. What would you analyze? Message response, shipping times, and buyer feedback are three good categories of information to look at.
This is where the Etsy star rating system runs into problems. It is not a valid process and does not determine whether or not the seller has good customer service."
On message response rate... "Etsy’s description of the measure specifically indicates they assess how sellers respond to buyers’ messages. If Etsy cannot determine which messages are from buyers, and further determine which messages merit a response, the findings on responses are not valid.
The analysis does not consider whether or not the seller responded to a buyer’s message, only that the seller did not respond to a message, whether or not it was from a buyer and whether or not it needed a response. Basically, the process used for analysis doesn’t measure what is intended, which is the definition of an invalid measure."
And on shipping... "not all delivery methods will generate a tracking number and not all products are worth tracking. So, while this is a good indicator that any particular product will be delivered, you cannot use the absence of a tracking number to indicate that the product will not be shipped or shipped on time. You can infer that a tracking number indicates likely delivery, but you cannot infer anything from a lack of a tracking number."
For the 5 star rating system he had this to say... "Buyers use the rating stars inconsistently because they don’t use the same definition for what a certain number of stars means. Basically, a four or five star review doesn’t mean the same thing to each buyer. One buyer might think that 5 stars is only for exceptional, better than expected product and service, but that 4 stars is for simply acceptable service and product. Another buyer might think 3 stars is for barely acceptable, 4 stars is amazing, and 5 stars is only for faster than expected delivery, super low cost, and freebies included in the package.
In some cases, one person’s 4-star rating may express greater satisfaction than another person’s 5-star rating. Without a consistent definition for a number of stars, the process is not reliable."
Finally, there's the orders, sales and shop tenure... "This measure is also based on the faulty assumption that sellers who make more money are somehow better sellers--without taking into account the value of the products sold. A seller with 30 $10 sales isn’t necessarily more worthy of a badge than a seller with 149 $1.99 sales.
Overall, neither quantity nor aggregate value can work as measures for customer service. On one hand, they may prevent great sellers of low-cost items, and great sellers of high value items from ever obtaining the badge."
His entire analysis is just so spot on and comes from a position of a more scientific (and therefore more accurate) form of information analytics. It's pretty much exactly what myself and many other sellers are thinking/feeling, only worded in a much more intelligent and educated way.
If you're looking for another take on this new program Jess Van Den offers her own break-down and critique on her YouTube channel. And The Charmed Maker as this to say on hers.
I'd love to offer some contrasts, from happy people who think this is all just awesome and believe that Etsy have got this spot on. There are a few Etsy sellers who do think it's great (mainly because they qualify) but largely that's just not where anyone is at yet with this. The consensus across he board is one of dismay and outrage.
Even Kara Buntin, one of my favorite Etsy coaches, who is normally very pragmatic and even-keeled on all things Etsy has said that this roll-out is seriously flawed (and stupid). You can watch her initial reaction to the Star Seller program on her YouTube channel.
Stay tuned for updates from Etsy on this as I'm sure there will be more to follow!
Updated Aug 6:
Etsy posted their answers to seller questions today and so far what we are seeing is a firm stance on all points without any immediate amendments to the serious flaws offered by its seller community. They did concede that a few bugs were being addressed but that no changes would take place at this time otherwise.
They did however suggest that a few of the issues raised by sellers (the "pain points") would be looked at more fully by the team and in future improvements might be made to address those. This include the possibility of a 'no response needed' button in messaging and a solution for custom digital sellers using the physical listing option but delivering by email without tracking or shipping labels.
Largely things went exactly in the same style as any other launch Etsy has done. With a shockingly bad understanding of the selling process, the many flaws and issues sellers have with the various tools on the site, and without too much regard for how things they launch actually impact the seller.
The most concerning issue I had was the dismissive attitude toward the 4 star review. Etsy is insisting on treating anything less than 5 stars as equal, citing that they want to highlight only the very best customer experiences, from sellers that go "above and beyond". But this isn't a true metric of consistently great customer service when buyers apply different ideas into what that actually constitutes... as discussed above.
I guess we'll see what happens when the program rolls out to buyers and what "improvements" Etsy makes along the way.
In my previous post, “4 Easy Ways to Promote Your Etsy Shop”, I suggested that blogging was one of the best ways to market your shop and products. But many sellers feel that blogging is either too complicated, takes up too much time or they have no idea what to even blog about.
Having a blog for your Etsy shop though can help with SEO, getting found in Google search, and it can increase your sales dramatically. This means that you could earn more money from your shop, and also earn money from your blog!
So if you are looking to expand your shop’s marketing reach, a blog is an awesome tool to have. Just remember that adding content regularly is really important so commitment is required.
A mix of business and shop related posts with a mix of some fun and personal posts is a great approach.
Here’s my list of 35 blog post ideas for Etsy sellers:
1. Behind the scenes peek at your studio, workshop or personal abode
2. Where you find your inspiration
3. The process you use for making your products
4. Benefits of your product, aka, why buy
5. New items you’re working on
6. How to care for or use your product correctly
7. Poll readers for ideas on upcoming products
8. Personal stories, things that are happening in your life
9. Giveaways or contests
10. Sales, promotions or events
11. Product launch announcement
12. Seasonal posts, think Christmas greetings
13. List of your own fav Etsy sellers
14. Share a good book recommendation
15. A fun personal craft project you’re working on
16. Tips for staying organized
17. Your fav foods or recipes
18. Milestone events in your business or personal life
19. Dollar or thrift store finds you recently purchased
20. How to post - tutorial for something you know how to do
21. Things you can’t live without
22. Facts about me list
23. A day in the life of you
24. Best places to find _____ (fill in the blank)
25. Best/worst advice you ever received
26. Roundup lists on any topic related to your industry
27. Your favorite playlist
28. Host or participate in a challenge
29. Inspirational quote image
30. Gift guides
31. Summer bucket list
32. About your hometown or where you live
33. Talk about kids or pets
34. Review a product, place or service
35. Share a podcast you’re listening to
This list just gets you started. Jot down any other ideas that came to mind as you read this! Or share your ideas in the comments below!
And while you’ll want to keep your blog focused on your shop and product niche, don’t be afraid to get a bit personal or talk about things your customers can probably relate to.
Happy Blogging!
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p.s. If you are just about to open an Etsy shop, open it through my link here and we both get 40 free listings!
With more than 4.7 million active sellers on Etsy it can be really tough to get your products seen and found in the search results. It takes a lot of work with well crafted listings to show up consistently well in search placement. And it can be even more difficult if you’re in a really saturated category of the marketplace.
What you'll need to keep in mind is that Etsy is not responsible for bringing traffic to your shop, you are. I'm sure you've heard that before. While there is plenty of traffic flowing through marketplace everyday, it's your job to attract them to YOUR shop.
This is why, as a seller on Etsy, it’s so important to have traffic coming into your shop from multiple sources. Remember, Etsy is only a platform to sell your products, the rest is up to you. And promoting your products outside of Etsy is a very important step in doing just that.
For new sellers this can feel really daunting, where do you even begin, you might ask?
Well, here are just a few really easy ways you can do that!
1. Pinterest.
This is so often overlooked with the average Etsy seller and more often than not completely neglected. Yet Pinterest accounts for roughly 42% of social traffic to the site. That's a lot.
There are two ways to benefit from this strategy and I strongly suggest taking advantage of both. The first is simply to pin your products yourself to your own Pinterest board. Make sure you use high impact vertical images and add relevant keywords in your pin description. This is super important or your effects will be largely wasted.
The second is to pin to other people's boards. To do this you'll need to search out group board's accepting new members relevant to your product or service. Look for boards that have high engagement, active membership and are a suitable fit for your own products. There loads of Etsy specific group boards.
Creating a solid pin strategy should be your very first marketing step to generate traffic to your shop. Just remember that Pinterest is a long game, pins take time to gain traction. Using good descriptions and keywords in your pin are essential to that.
Pro Tip: always include a pinnable image in your Etsy product listing just in case someone else wants to pin your product. You never know who/why but every pin you can get is another link back to your shop.
2. Facebook Groups.
Whether you have your own Facebook group for your business or you are a member of someone else's FB group, sharing your products here can be really lucrative. Just be sure to follow the rules on any FB group you join, and of course look for groups that are a suitable match for your product or service. There are lots of sharing groups, or groups that have 'share days' and you can find a group for just about any topic.
Look for groups that are Etsy marketing specific. Several groups exist where Etsy sellers work together to promote their products across different social channels, so it's a good way to to build your social profiles at the same time. I know from experience just how powerful a team effort can be!
Pro Tip: straight up selling is tough on social media, but everyone loves a deal. If you can offer an incentive for people to follow/sign up/shop - all the better.
3. Blogging.
While this certainly takes a bit more effort, you can do it for free (if you need to) and it doesn't have to be as hard as you think. There are a bajillion articles online on the topic of blogging, loads of free or affordable templates and you don't have to be serial writer to make the most of having a blog site.
If you're starting a blog for the first time I recommend Google's Blogger platform. It's free, pretty easy to use and it does the job. (you're reading this on a blogger blog :). Check out my list of "35 Blog Topics for Etsy Sellers" to get you started.
Having a blog gives you your own little piece of real estate on the web where you can link to or from on just about anything you can think of. It's a great way to connect with customers or fans and gives you a great deal of flexibility with sharable content. Imagination is the limit for how you use a blog site to promote your business.
Pro Tip: gather email addresses on your blog for point number 4 below!
4. Email Marketing.
This is one of the best things you can do to promote your Etsy shop. Sure, you need to get those first few subscribers, and initially it might feel stressful trying to figure out what to send out, but it's you talking directly to people to have chosen to hear from you in their inbox. That's powerful.
Etsy themselves suggest using a discount coupon incentive to entice would be customers to join your email list. And this really does work very well. Post about it on your blog, in your shop, on social media.
Don't know what to post? Examine your own inbox for ideas. What do other retailers send YOU every week/day/month? There are loads of ideas out there. (I'll link to some ideas with my own list soon)
Pro Tip: make sure you follow the laws regarding email marketing, these are now fairly universal. Don't send unsolicited email and you must have an unsubscribe feature. Create branded emails so that recipients know exactly who you are. Keep it fun and interesting.
Hopefully you find these tips helpful and have gained a few ideas on how to promote your Etsy shop outside of Etsy. Add your own tips or ideas in the comments!
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p.s. If you are just about to open an Etsy shop, open it through my link here and we both get 40 free listings!
