Etsy Seller Interview with Cierra of CulturedSimplicity

How CulturedSimplicity got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

Hi! My shop name is Cultured Simplicity, strategically named to represent both my name (Cierra Smith) and my passion for multicultural representation in the entrepreneurial space. My shop was founded in July 2019, when I was just 15 years old. Originally named "SassyCrochetPaints" to represent both my crochet creations and my twin sister’s painted creations, the shop was rebranded just 6 months later to expand into digital creations. I always knew that I somehow wanted to inspire and empower traditionally disadvantaged and underrepresented populations, most notably women of color, with the resources and tools needed to succeed both personally and professionally. My Etsy shop was my means of doing so. Through digital planners, digital stickers, branding kits, social media templates, SVG files, and most recently, Etsy shop kits, I’m able to equip other creators and #girlbosses with what they need to pursue their dreams and entrepreneurial passions.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

My favorite items listed in my shop are my digital planners and Etsy shop kits, just because they both represent things that hold special places in my heart. I love planning and I love Etsy, and through those products, I’m able to share my love for both of those things with the rest of the world. My "live your best life" planner is an undated planner crafted for women looking to better every aspect of their lives. I genuinely believe that planning is at the forefront of any successful life, regardless of how one defines "success." Planning holds you accountable. When you look at your planner daily, there’s no way you’ll get distracted from the big goals that you’re trying to reach. My planner offers goal planning pages for users to plan out both long-term and short-term goals, as well as micro-goals that’ll help them get there. It also features weekly affirmations as well as monthly inspirational quotes—some much-needed mental nudges.

My Etsy shop kits empower others to start their own Etsy shops and experience both the joy and pride that come with running one. It can be quite intimidating when you’re first starting out, but the kits that I offer handle brand image and brand identity while remaining completely customizable for each shop owner. The kits include description templates, must-know resources for Etsy sellers, and beautiful, cohesive imagery (consisting of listing images, shop banners, shop icons, receipt banners, and more).

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

It took me about one month. Mind you, I started selling crochet earrings, which was an entirely different ballgame from what I currently sell. I now attract customers through search engine optimization. I use Etsy search itself, as well as Erank and Marmalead, to find keywords worth targeting. I use a nice mix of short-tail (general) and long-tail (specific) keywords, both in my tags and threaded throughout my descriptions and titles.

Managing CulturedSimplicity

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

I’m a one-woman show—a solopreneur, if you will. I primarily use the Etsy dashboard itself to manage my shop. However, I also use Canva for listing images and PDF creation, Adobe Illustrator for logo creation, Procreate for digital stickers, and Adobe Photoshop occasionally for mockups. I use Erank for keyword analysis, trend analysis, competitor analysis, etc. All of my products are digital, so I fortunately don’t have to worry about shipping.

The future of CulturedSimplicity

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

Oddly enough, I haven’t thought too much about that. My Etsy shop is a passion that I enjoy taking one step at a time. That being said, E-commerce is here to stay, and I intend to never close my Etsy shop, so it’d be amazing to someday hit $100k in revenue and then hit $100k in profit. fingers crossed for within the next 5 years. I have lots of goals surrounding volunteering over the next few years, so it’d be extremely nice to have a sizable passive income to support such a lifestyle.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Don’t panic. Take things one step at a time, don’t rush the creation process and have patience when it comes to getting traffic and sales. An Etsy shop is not a "get rich quick" money scheme. It takes time, and you’ll have a lot more fun with the shop opening process if you don’t approach it hoping to make $10,000 in your first month. I recommend really focusing heavily on SEO and populating your shop with high-quality products, even better if they’re customizable. Those are the things that set Etsy apart from every other marketplace out there. You’re joining a family of passionate creators—a competitive family, yes, but a family nonetheless. Don’t treat your shop like a mini-Amazon. Treat it like a boutique that specializes in your craft. Make it so your customers can only expect the best of the best. Do the research necessary to find relevant, highly searched-for keywords, and take the time to create attractive, cohesive, professional listing images. This initial phase of work is what propels an Etsy seller so far. Hone your craft and your business. Do your part to contribute to what makes Etsy so unique, and you’ll keep buyers coming back.

Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 2.6%