How KouinGemTrees 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?
Hello, I’m Kyriakos Kouinoglou from Thessaloniki of Greece. I 'm wire artist and very excited to share my story! To begin, it is important to note that it all started in 2015, during a trip to a Greek island, when I saw a Tree of Life for the first time in my life! That was it; since then I have begun making wire trees, and three years later I started my Etsy adventure. It was the opportunity that I had been looking for for a long time, and it allowed me to share my creations with the world.
Initially, the materials I used were copper or aluminum wire with beads. Then I started improving my technique and using better materials, such as gemstones. I found and established my own tree shape. The creation process of a wire tree starts with the hand-made creation of the twisted leaves, trunk, and roots of the tree (that may take 1.5–2 hours).
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 are the pearl trees, because they are very pretty and elegant. For this reason, buyers fall in love with them at first sight and want to give them as anniversary gifts. These are the most sold and viewed products, along with the jewelry trees.
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 got my first sale in about 20 days. I don't use ads or the power of social media to attract customers, firstly because I focus on the quality of my products and their reviews as a means of advertising, and secondly because I do not have time! Yes, this is my reality. It is so hard to make handmade products, and I want each of my creations to be perfect. But I don’t stop improving the descriptions, photos, and SEO of my listings.
Managing KouinGemTrees
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 am the general operator of the shop, and I have three assistants: in the first process, my father, Stelios, cuts the wires; Eva makes the leaves of the trees; and my wife, Voula, handles the last stage of packaging and shipping. In terms of tools, I run my shop primarily through the Etsy app.I love to work with Canvas for making infographics, banners, or the message cards of my customers, and I also use Alura, Erank, and Marmalead for the SEO of my listings. For shipping, I trust the FedEx services, and I have excellent cooperation with them in order to send my products quickly and safely. This is very important for my e-commerce business.
The future of KouinGemTrees
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
My goal is to grow my business every day! I want to implement my new ideas and improve them. My plans are to complete my own e-shop and make my workshop a beautiful showroom as I have imagined it.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
Take the time to find the right keywords, learn about SEO, write good descriptions of your items, take good photos, and try to find your niche in the market. Do not give up, be patient, and do your work with "meraki," which means in Greek to make something with soul, creativity, love, and passion, putting yourself into whatever you are doing...
Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.
Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: It depends on the month. In 2022, from 140 to 180 sales per month
Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 3%
KouinGemTrees
Gemstone Tree Sculptures
