How ElenaMountainShop 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 name is Viktor, and I have named my store after my love, Elena, so the name came out as ElenaMountainShop. A few years ago, I was at a crossroads and thinking, "Where now?" So I heard from a friend that Etsy as a platform offers pretty good chances for people with design skills. I was working before as a graphic designer for an advertisement company and had the skills to work with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, so I said to myself, "Let’s give it a try." I am a huge Star Wars fan and decided to create couples' t-shirts based on the film. This is where the idea for my Mr. and Mrs.'s most popular design with the light sabers came from. Etsy is the best place for personalized items, and my items are like that. You can add your date, year, or preferred lightsaber color. So there it all began. It kept evolving, and now it is a big part of my working life, but I still have the freedom to do the work whenever I want.

Favorite items

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

  • I love selling couples' shirts. Actually, that was my main goal—to sell movie-themed t-shirts. Here is a link to my favorite best-selling item on Etsy:
Mr and Mrs family shirts, Disney honeymoon 2022, Couple matching, Honeymoon couples shirts, Husband and wife shirts, Matching couple shirt
Star wars disney shirts, Kylo Ren shirt, Disney honeymoon shirts, Rey shirt, Kylo Ren, Disney trip shirt, Matching couple shirts
Mr and Mrs star wars disney shirts, Just married, His and hers, Just married shirts, Husband and wife shirts, Couple matching

I guess they are bestsellers, as people love to customize their events, and I give them the option to do that with those designs.

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 2–3 weeks for my first sale. In the very beginning, it was very slow. I was worried about what I did wrong. But it is just that—a little slow in the beginning while the Etsy algorithm detects you.
  • I am advertising on Pinterest and Etsy ads to attract more people to my shop.

Managing ElenaMountainShop

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?

Most of the time, it’s me working on all the stuff. Sometimes (during the holiday season), my girlfriend catches up and helps me with the work by packaging the t-shirts and labeling them. I try to respond to my clients as fast as I can and be as helpful. I do experience some issues sometimes, mostly around Christmas time when the post offices are super busy, and sometimes my items get lost or are delivered with a delay. But I guess that’s not only for me but for almost everyone shipping items at that time of the year.

The future of ElenaMountainShop 

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

  • I want to grow bigger by adding more content.

Advice for new sellers

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

  • To be brave and go for it!

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

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: Around 30%

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: It is 2.1%

Alura Team
Alura Team

Alura is your all-in-one platform for selling on Etsy. With more $500.000+ gross sales over four years selling on Etsy, Alura is built by experienced sellers for sellers. Start with a free account and explore all the features you need to start, run, and grow your Etsy shop.