Your Next Steps to Thriving After Moving from Etsy to Shopify: Tips for Handmade Sellers"
First, Celebrate! You did it! Take a moment and give yourself a serious pat on the back. Moving from Etsy to Shopify is no small feat, and I know it wasn’t easy, but you got it done. I’m proud of you for making the leap and taking control of your business. Now, let’s dive into what comes next to set yourself up for success on your new platform.
5 Things to Do After Moving from Etsy to Shopify
1. Optimize Your Shopify Store for SEO One of the best advantages of having your own website is control over SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Unlike Etsy, Shopify allows you to fine-tune your product pages and blog posts for search engines. Start by updating your meta descriptions, alt texts for images, and product titles with relevant keywords your target audience is searching for.
Pro Tip: Use Shopify's built-in SEO tools to monitor your site's performance.
Tool Suggestion: Apps like Yoast can also help streamline your SEO efforts.
2. Set Up Your Email Marketing With Shopify, you now have full control over your customer data, including emails, and this is a goldmine for your marketing strategy. Set up your first email campaign to welcome new customers, notify them about product launches, or offer a discount for signing up. Use email flows to stay in touch automatically after their first purchase or if they abandon their cart.
Pro Tip: Create a compelling pop-up to collect emails. You can offer a freebie or discount to new subscribers.
Tool Suggestion: Try Klaviyo for seamless email marketing that integrates perfectly with Shopify.
3. Optimize Your Site for Mobile More people are shopping from their phones than ever before. Ensuring your Shopify site is mobile-friendly is crucial to converting visitors into buyers. Double-check that your products load quickly, navigation is smooth, and buttons are easy to click on a mobile screen.
Pro Tip: Run your website through Shopify’s mobile preview to ensure everything looks clean and easy to use.
Tool Suggestion: Apps like PageFly can help optimize mobile design and performance.
4. Add Customer Reviews Social proof is essential for boosting customer trust, and if you moved from Etsy, you likely have great reviews on that platform. Transfer those glowing testimonials to your Shopify site. Displaying customer reviews builds trust with new visitors and can significantly impact conversions.
Pro Tip: Use Shopify apps like Judge.me or Loox to import your Etsy reviews directly into your product pages.
5. Connect Social Media + Start Promoting Now that you’ve got your Shopify site up and running, it’s time to drive traffic. Connect your Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook accounts to Shopify, allowing customers to shop directly from your social media posts. Promote your new site to your social media followers and announce any special offers to encourage traffic to your site.
Pro Tip: Run a promotion or offer a limited-time discount to celebrate your website launch.
Tool Suggestion: Use Later to schedule social media posts and track performance.
Bonus Step: Test Your Store
Before you officially go live, place a few test orders to make sure everything is working properly—payment processing, checkout, and shipping. Ensure your customers will have a seamless experience from start to finish.
Remember: You don’t have to get everything perfect from the start. Progress over perfection. Keep refining as you go, but make sure you launch and give yourself the freedom to improve later.
Conclusion: Keep the Momentum Going
Moving from Etsy to Shopify is just the beginning of a whole new chapter for your handmade business. Celebrate your success so far, and then focus on these five key actions to ensure your new Shopify store runs smoothly and drives sales.
I know firsthand how scary this transition can feel, but you’ve got this! And if you need a little extra support, don’t hesitate to reach out for help—after all, it’s all about progress, not perfection.
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