Etsy Seller Interview with Shannon of fosterscreations

How fosterscreations 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?

I opened my Etsy shop in 2006 after being diagnosed with uterine cancer at age 36. I was making beaded cancer awareness bookmarks. I actually gave up after about a year of no sales. In 2017, I decided to try again with digital items this time around. I started with printable Bible tabs and custom brushes for the Procreate app. I also published my first prayer journal with coloring pages that summer and added it to the shop. I began making shimmer watercolor paint in September of 2019 after the maker of a particular color I loved stopped making paint and no other makers offered that color. I launched my first 14 colors on November 1st, and to date, I have released 280+ colors.

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 in my shop are my three coloring journals and my shimmer watercolor paints. My best-selling color is coral. I have sold more half-pans of it than any other color.

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?

As stated previously, I had a bit of a rough start in 2006. In 2017, when I reopened my shop, I think it was only about 2 weeks before I got my first sale. Things were steady but not great. I think when I launched my shimmer watercolor paint, I only had about 249 sales in my shop in the two years since re-opening. I currently have 2,731 sales, so things are definitely going in the right direction. I mainly promote my shop on my Instagram page. I have a newsletter, and I occasionally pin things to Pinterest and upload a video to TikTok. I plan on trying to do more on those platforms in the coming months. I have a blog, but I just never know what to write. I am hoping to get better at blogging regularly as well.

Managing fosterscreations

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 manage it all. I have a scale to weigh my packages. I purchase my labels directly from Etsy and print them on pre-cut 4x6 labels on my laser printer. I am sure someday I will need a dedicated label printer, but for now, it is working fine.

The future of fosterscreations 

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

My first goal is to reach 5,000 sales. I recently added reusable brush cloths to my shop and would like to expand the patterns offered.

Advice for new sellers

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

My advice would be to not listen to anyone who says they have a trick or hack to boost your sales. Running an Etsy shop takes work. Learn everything you can about SEO from a reputable source. Do your due diligence. Spend the necessary time promoting your shop. Yes, Etsy brings you traffic, but you are equally responsible for driving traffic to your shop. Most importantly, have patience. Success won’t happen instantaneously. You have to nurture your shop and adapt to the changing times.

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: $300-500(some months are around $1,500)

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 2-4%