Are you an Etsy seller looking for ways to save time and streamline your business? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we’ll share five tips for automating tasks on Etsy so that you can focus on what matters most: creating and selling your products. Etsy is a great platform for creative entrepreneurs, but running a business can be time-consuming. From creating listings to managing orders and shipping, there are a lot of moving parts to keep track of. Fortunately, there are automation tools and strategies that can help. Keep reading to learn more!
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Start your 14 day free trial1. Take advantage of Etsy’s in-built automation tools
Some of the features that are available to Etsy sellers via their Shop Dashboard include the ability to:
- Organise and manage orders using statuses and workflows
- Update and complete multiple orders at once
- Message customers without leaving the orders page
Etsy Order Workflow Management
The Etsy order workflow steps allow sellers to create their own progress steps and thus map real-life workflow to indicate where the order is currently at. Customers will not be able to see these - they are for your reference only.
When you have created your workflow steps, you can then move your orders through your different, customized progress steps until they are completed.
All open orders start at the New default progress step, and from here you can then update the status as your order meets the requirements of each of your workflow steps.
Examples of progress steps that you might like to investigate using are:
- In progress
- Waiting for response
- Awaiting materials
- Ready to ship
- Packing
Your open orders will automatically start out in the “New” progress step, and then you can update the status of your orders in your personal workflow by moving them from “New” to “In progress,” and any other customized progress steps until they’ve reached the final default step of “Complete”.
Sorting and Filtering
Sorting and filtering on your Etsy orders page has also been improved: you can now sort orders by their “ship by” date, order date or destination. For any completed orders, you can also now filter by delivery status.
Bulk order management features
Etsy also has available a few bulk order management features, such as updating the progress of multiple orders at once, and also a handy way of purchasing Shipping Labels for multiple orders at once.
2. Automate Your Social Media
Promoting your Etsy shop on social media is a great way to attract new customers and keep existing ones engaged. However, constantly creating and scheduling social media posts can be a pain. Consider using a social media scheduler like Hootsuite or Tailwind to automate your posts and save time.
3. Set Up Automated Messages
As an Etsy seller, you’re likely to receive a lot of messages from potential buyers, especially if you sell custom or personalized items. Responding to all of these messages can take up a lot of time. To save time, consider setting up automated messages to answer common questions or provide order updates.
4. Automate Shipping Labels
Shipping can be a time-consuming task, but it doesn’t have to be. Many shipping carriers, like USPS and UPS, offer online portals where you can create and print shipping labels. You can also use tools like ShipStation, PirateShip or Shippo to automate the shipping label creation process.
5. Automate your Inventory using Craftybase
Understanding your shop’s performance is essential for making informed business decisions. However, manually analyzing your shop data can take up a lot of time. Consider using tools like EtsyRank or Marmalead to automate the process and get insights into your shop’s performance.
Another time-consuming task for Etsy sellers is managing inventory. Craftybase is an Etsy inventory management tool specifically designed for small handmade businesses and can help you track your stock levels, materials, cost of goods sold, and more. Craftybase automatically integrates with several popular ecommerce platforms, including Etsy, to import your sales and products instantly.
By automating your inventory management, you can save time and avoid the risk of overselling. Try for 14 days - free
Conclusion
By using Etsy automation techniques and tools, you can save time and focus on growing your business. From listings management to shipping label creation, there are a variety of tools and strategies that can help you streamline your workflow. Consider implementing one or more of the tips we’ve shared to take your Etsy shop to the next level. Best of luck!
