Etsy Seller Interview with Mark and Laura of EsotericAromas

How EsotericAromas 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 there! We are Mark & Laura, founders of Esotericaroma (known as EsotericAromas on Etsy). In 2009, I was working as a massage therapist and found myself searching for a high quality candle to use during massage sessions with my clients. At that time, it wasn’t an easy task to find a candle with natural ingredients, so I began making them myself. They were such a hit, that my clients began asking to purchase them and word of mouth spread. A friend suggested I start selling them on Etsy, and so in 2010, I opened our shop.

A couple of years after our Etsy shop opened, we found ourselves working at a metaphysical shop near us and fell in love with crystals and incense. As we began using these items on a daily basis, we were able to see how these tools were able to literally change our lives. We wanted everyone to be able to experience what we were experiencing, and so we added crystals and incense to our Etsy shop.

A few years ago, we were introduced to a Native American Medicine Woman who became our mentor. She taught us the proper use of native herbs, white sage, palo santo and other sacred plants & gave us her blessing to offer these items in our shop (that was a big deal for us!). 

What began as a candle shop has turned into a shop that now offers incense, herbs, crystals and all things spiritual/metaphysical.

Favorite items

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

We have so many favorites, it’s hard to narrow it down, lol.

I love our Gratitude Votive Candle Set. I think it’s really important to start and end each day with an attitude of gratitude and these votives really help to be conscious of doing just that. And they smell amazing!

Our Buddha candles are quite popular (no longer available as of this writing):

Because Aquamarine is my birthstone, I love this gemstone necklace:

Mark is a wonderfully talented woodworker, and these pieces are so lovely:

Our Artisan Incense are our best selling incense sticks, they smell amazing and are great for clearing unwanted energy from the home:

Normally, the items that sell well have really great photos & descriptions. This is what attracts first time customers to your shop. High quality products, quick shipping and great customer service is what keeps customers coming back.

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?  

I believe it was about 2 weeks before we made our first sale on Etsy, but it could have been longer. I do remember being a little discouraged at the beginning.

We attract customers by running ads every day. In the beginning, we didn’t run ads at all and were having a hard time getting found in the search. Once we began running ads, people began clicking on our listings, which made our listings show up in the search more often (even if we weren’t running an ad for that particular item). If Etsy sees that your listing(s) is popular, it tends to move up in the search.

Managing EsotericAromas

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?

Having an Etsy shop is like having a baby. It needs constant attention and care. Mark and I run everything, from sourcing ingredients, to making products, to taking photos and listing items, to packing and shipping orders. 

We do it all and we do not use any tools or apps for our Etsy shop. It’s exhausting and rewarding at the same time and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The future of EsotericAromas

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

We are about to introduce our new handmade, small batch artisan soaps, which is pretty exciting. Just a couple more weeks of curing time, and they will be ready to list. We really work intuitively, so while we do have short term goals (like our soaps), we like to see what peaks our interest and go from there.

Advice for new sellers

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

Selling on Etsy can feel like riding a roller coaster. There will be highs & there will be lows. Don’t get caught up in either. That’s not to say don’t enjoy the highs - they’re great and you should absolutely pat yourself on the back when you accomplish a sale on Etsy! Just don’t forget that it’s a long game, and if you want to make a living from your shop, you have to think long term.

Before adding a listing, do a search on Etsy for the item. See how other shops are wording their titles, see what’s trending, what tags are being used etc. Scan the first page of your search and see what listings catch your eye first. Now ask yourself why it caught your eye. All this information will help you list products that will get noticed by potential customers.

Most importantly, always be yourself! Focus on what makes you different and unique and showcase that in your Etsy shop.