Why you need to use your product as your Etsy avatar

Making the decision to open an Etsy shop is easy. Keeping it looking professional, attractive, and up to date takes a lot more work. There are a lot of things you can do to make your Etsy shop look like better, and one of them is having a great avatar.

An avatar is your online "image". That's the little photo next to your Etsy shop name. It shows up in your shop and when you are posting in the forums. It's the thing that helps identify you to buyers and becomes part of your identity. As such, it becomes a small, but important part of your Etsy presence.

If you go to Etsy and click on "BUY" then go down to "SELLERS", you can see all the sellers and their avatars. You have people who use photos of themselves, their kids, their babies,their pets, logos, funny drawings, shop items, and on and on and on.

Here's where I think most people go wrong (bear in mind, this is my opinion, and you may not agree with it), they don't see this as an opportunity to show what they sell! Here is a way to advertise your product. It lets people know instantly what you sell, your style and that you are a professional business.

I'm not a big fan of photos of babies. I think nothing says "not serious" more than a picture of a baby or a child (unless you sell baby or child items). I know people love their children, but it sends a message that the seller is an amateur. Ditto the pets. Photos of yourself are also not a good idea. Buyers are thinking about themselves while shopping. They look at a pair of earrings and think, 'how will that look on me?'. They are thinking inwardly and your photo gets them thinking about you, not them. Ultimately, you want to draw them in and have them look at your shop and picture themselves wearing your jewelry, or using your soap, or putting your prints on their wall. Don't get them off course by distracting them with your photo. Having a funny drawing works if it's something you sell like a card or print, and a logo is great if you sell graphics or other intangibles. Overall, I still think the product photo is your best bet.

Imagine someone looking at your avatar. You're making an instant impression on them, and first impressions are long lasting. Using your product, you have the opportunity to grab their attention quickly. There's not much time, only a second or two, and you want to make it count!

There's a lot of competition on Etsy, and you need to take advantage of every opportunity to be seen. Your avatar is your best way to tell people about your shop. Think of it as a little ad that goes everywhere you do on Etsy. Using a photo of your product makes your business look more professional, let's people know what you sell, and can advertise your item.