How to Get Bestseller on Etsy
- Last updated on: March 28, 2023
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Picture this: you’re scrolling through Etsy, looking for that perfect printable or handmade item. Suddenly, you spot a little badge next to an Etsy seller’s shop name. It’s the coveted bestseller badge, indicating that this shop is one of the cream of the crop on Etsy. You know that this seller has a proven track record of providing top-notch products and customer service and that their shop is home to some of the hottest items on Etsy.
As an Etsy seller yourself, you might be wondering: how do I get that badge?
In this post, we’ll show you the ins and outs of earning the bestseller badge on Etsy, so you can take your shop to the next level and become one of Etsy’s best sellers.
What is the Etsy Bestseller Badge?
The Etsy bestseller badge is a small badge that Etsy places next to certain items in the Etsy marketplace that have had a high sales volume within the last 6 months.
The bestseller badge can appear on multiple items in a given category.
The badge itself is somewhat of a mystery in terms of how you can earn it. Etsy does not reveal how it decides which products are deserving of the badge, but rather what the threshold is for earning the badge, as it seems to vary from product to product.
Even a search through the Etsy Help forum yields no clear answers. What’s clear is that Etsy is keeping the details behind the bestseller badge under wraps.
Etsy Bestseller Badge vs. Star Seller Badge
It’s important to note that the bestseller badge and star seller badge are two separate designations, but can be easily confused with one another.
An Etsy star seller badge is given to Etsy shops that show great customer service consistently. This means the Etsy shop owner replies to messages promptly, ships items on time, and is highly rated by customers.
Etsy also looks at how many items are sold and how much money a shop has made. The threshold, according to Etsy, is at least five sales and $300 in sales.
Etsy measures the last three months of a shop’s business as it evaluates whether or not to bestow the star seller badge on an Etsy shop.
There is no relation between the star seller and bestseller badge.
How Many Sales to Get a Bestseller Badge on Etsy?
When hovering over the bestseller badge icon on a bestseller product, it states that the product has had a high sales volume within the last 6 months.
The question that still remains is what is the threshold of sales needed to receive the badge and does the category of your product matter?
Since Etsy is tight-lipped about the metrics used for this badge, we turned to other sources to learn more information.
Many Reddit users believe that the rating may be based on the category. So, if one of your items is among the best-selling items in your niche category that have had a high sales volume over that 6-month period, you will likely receive the bestseller badge. Often, many items in the same niche can have the bestseller badge simultaneously.
Of course, since you don’t know how many units other shops in your category have sold in that same period of time, you’ll never know whether you’re close to getting a bestseller badge or hundreds of sales away from it.
How Do You Get Bestseller on Etsy?
Sales are just one component of the bestseller equation. The other component is time.
Your best chance of receiving an Etsy bestseller badge is to make a large number of sales in a short period of time at the start of the month.
The site TechPenny reports that many Etsy sellers have noticed a trend where new Etsy bestseller badges are doled out at the start of the month.
Etsy shop owners seem to agree that a new selling period starts every 28 to 31 days.
Etsy Bestseller Badge Gone
That said, there’s no word on how long you can maintain your Etsy bestseller badge. TechPenny also reports that an Etsy seller can lose the bestseller badge if another Etsy seller makes more sales in that given time.
For example, your Etsy business may sell 25 of a particular item in 24 hours. The next day, you could see that Etsy bestseller badge.
However, if another one of the top Etsy sellers comes along and sells 50 items in your category, you’ll lose the bestseller badge, which will be transferred to the other top-selling item.
All of this seems to rely on the Etsy algorithm, and Etsy will not divulge the details.
How to Get Bestseller Tag on Etsy
All of this information sounds pretty dismal, but don’t despair. While there’s no exact formula to help you achieve the bestseller tag on Etsy, there are ways you can improve your chances.
Earning the bestseller badge on Etsy is all about sales. While you can’t force customers to buy your products, there are steps you can take to make your shop and products more appealing and increase your chances of making sales.
This is important because the first step to achieving the bestseller badge is to position your Etsy shop for success. By presenting your shop and listings in the best possible light, you’ll rank higher in Etsy’s search results, making it more likely that customers will discover and purchase your items. T
The more sales you make, the greater your chances of having one of Etsy’s top-selling products and earning that coveted bestseller badge.
After all, the bestseller badge relies on sales. While you can’t make customers buy, you can do things to make your products and shop more enticing to buyers, which will improve your odds of selling your items.
How Do I Increase Sales and Views on Etsy?
So, as an Etsy seller, the only way to improve your chances of achieving that bestseller badge is to help increase the odds of making a sale.
To do that, you need to increase the views your Etsy listings receive, hopefully increasing your sales.
Number of Listings
Successful Etsy shops have more than one listing in the shop. In fact, shop owners take the time to cultivate dozens of listings, many of which fit into similar categories.
Having dozens of listings in an Etsy shop is important because it gives buyers more of an opportunity to buy from you.
For example, if you own a jewelry storefront that only sells gold earrings, you are limiting your customer base. You have selected only one category of customer to sell to.
However, if your jewelry storefront sells gold earrings, silver earrings, bracelets, and rings, you have increased your opportunity to reach more customers.
The Etsy search results may have brought the shopper to your store because they were looking for gold earrings. However, they stayed and browsed your other listings and ultimately purchased one of the other jewelry items.
Positive Reviews
People want to know they can trust the seller. That’s why positive reviews are important.
If you look at the top sellers on Etsy, you’ll notice that one of the things they all have in common is good reviews.
Every time you make a sale, gently ask the buyer to take a moment to leave a review.
Etsy Star Seller Badge
Good reviews also help you achieve an Etsy star seller badge.
We talked about the badges previously, but achieving a star seller badge on Etsy is another way to increase views of your listings and, hopefully, sales as well.
Etsy buyers want a product and a seller they can trust. The star seller badge lets Etsy buyers know that you are trustworthy.
The star seller badge tells buyers that you offer a personal touch. You respond quickly to questions, and you resolve issues. Etsy will not give you a star seller badge if buyers filed complaints about you or your store.
In addition, the star seller badge shows buyers that you are consistent. Etsy sellers must consistently offer excellent customer service, make sales and achieve positive reviews over a three-month period of time to achieve the star seller badge.
Etsy SEO
On top of all the information stated above, one of the best ways to increase your sales is to optimize your listings to appear at the top of Etsy search results.
Having a star seller badge will help your listings appear at the top of an Etsy search, as well as small changes to your listings. Changes help the Etsy search algorithm pick your items out of a crowd.
Keywords
Keywords are, well, key when it comes to appearing at the top of search results. But it’s not just the basic keywords that you want to include. What you really need to take care to mention is the longtail keywords.
Let’s jump back to that jewelry example.
If your keywords are “gold earrings” and “gold jewelry,” you’ll get lost in a sea of other jewelry sellers. However, if you say you sell “large gold hoop earrings” and “platinum gold wedding jewelry,” the odds of appearing at the top of key searches have increased.
That’s because anytime someone types “large gold hoop earrings” into the Etsy search bar, your jewelry will appear on the first page of an Etsy search. You have more matching keywords than the person who simply listed their jewelry as “gold earrings.”
Companies like Marmalead will help Etsy sellers discover keywords, including long-tail keywords, for their listings, making it easier for shoppers to find their items in searches.
Photos
The photos of your items on Etsy can make or break a listing.
When was the last time you clicked on an Etsy listing with a blurry photo? When was the last time you purchased an item with a bad photo?
Photos are essential to making a sale, especially when you’re trying to sell something like digital prints, vintage products, and home decor. People want to know exactly what they’re buying, or they’ll move on to something they are more certain of.
The top Etsy sellers have quality photos. In some cases, they even have videos. If you want to be a top Etsy seller, make sure your photos look good.
Etsy Conversion Rate
Your Etsy conversion rate will also contribute to boosting your sales.
The conversion rate tells you how many people have looked at your item listing and compares that number to how many people purchased that same item.
Etsy’s algorithm includes the conversion rate when it compiles listings. The higher your Etsy conversion rate, the more likely your listing will appear on the first page of the Etsy search results. This betters your chances of becoming one of the best-selling items in your niche.
How Do I Grow My Audience on Etsy?
Another way to get that bestseller badge is to grow your customer base. In other words, bring more people to your store.
Customer Retention
Growing your audience starts with customer retention. The top sellers on Etsy understand that selling items relies on bringing in new customers while keeping their current ones.
Make sure you touch base with previous customers. Ask them if they’re happy with their purchase. If so, ask them to write you a review. Check back with buyers to let them know about the new best-selling items in your shop.
Give them a reason to return and buy again.
Social Media
Once you have that customer base, you need to build on it. Connect your Etsy accounts to your social media accounts and vice versa so people know where to find you across all platforms.
Use your social media account to share great ideas in your niche and then provide a link to where they can purchase all of the materials.
For example, if you sell craft supplies, create a craft out of your best-selling craft supplies. Give people instructions on creating the craft and then show them where to buy the supplies.
Collaborate
Whenever possible, connect with other people who sell items on Etsy. Not only will you find someone who understands what it is like to sell on Etsy, but you may also learn a thing or two.
When you collaborate with other Etsy sellers, you share knowledge. You may also create a stream of referrals.
You can refer people to Etsy sellers offering items you don’t have in your shop. In turn, those sellers can refer people to your shop.
What Items Sell the Fastest on Etsy?
You can also increase your chances of achieving that bestseller badge by selling the best-selling items on Etsy.
Sometimes adding trending items will help you stand out from other sellers on Etsy. What’s more, if you’re one of the first businesses to join a new trend, you can establish your items as some of the best-selling items on Etsy before the market gets too saturated. You can become one of the Etsy bestsellers before other sellers catch up.
Some of the items on Etsy that sell the best are in the craft supplies category. According to CED Commerce, it tends to be the best-selling category on Etsy year over year.
Handmade products also sell well. Consider making your own products, like handmade invitations, to compete with other sellers.
You can also sell items on Etsy in the jewelry, wedding, and accessories categories.
Another great category to sell in, and of course, it’s our favorite, is printables.
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When Selling Trending Items on Etsy Can Backfire
That said, beware of chasing the latest trend or a trending category. It can be detrimental to your shop. Make sure that you stick to your shop’s brand first and foremost. Any best-selling items you include in your shop should stick to that brand as well.
That means if your shop specializes in unique or custom fabrics, don’t start selling wedding invitations or party supplies, and party decorations. It’s off-brand.
An established shop should not chase down a top-selling category to get a bestseller badge.
If you plan on selling items in a new category, commit to it. If you’re only selling items in that category to get a bestseller badge, you will confuse your current buyers and risk alienating your new customers when you stop selling those items because it’s no longer one of the Etsy bestsellers.
Final Thoughts
In short, there’s no way to know how close you are to earning the bestseller badge on Etsy. Your best bet is to position yourself for success by optimizing your SEO, providing top-notch customer service, and actively seeking out customer reviews. This includes fulfilling orders promptly, responding to customer inquiries in a timely manner, and striving to earn the Star Seller badge.
While the Star Seller badge won’t guarantee that you’ll earn the bestseller badge, it can help build customer trust and boost your sales, putting you one step closer to achieving your goal.
