Etsy Seller Interview with Dan of LinksOfLaurel

How LinksOfLaurel 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’m Dan, the creator of Links of Laurel. I started my Etsy journey in 2019, and after many months of creating designs and listing photos, I was able to officially launch on New Year's Eve that year. I have over 10 years of experience in the print and design industries and decided that I could offer printed products online by myself through Etsy. Links of Laurel offers customisable luxury wedding stationery that is designed, printed, packaged, and dispatched by myself in my home print studio. I had no experience with Etsy or selling online in general and was always anxious about how saturated the marketplace for printed products was. I learned that saturation isn’t always a bad thing, there’s a reason for it, and it shows that's what customers are interested in. I took inspiration from other successful Etsy stores and decided to create my own designs, and through trial and error, I threw out what didn’t work and doubled down on what did.

Favorite items

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

I don’t have a particular favorite, but I do enjoy printing personalized wedding stickers the most. I always wonder where they end up or how many wedding gifts I play a part in creating.

Another of my favorite items is the bridesmaid photo card. These are my most popular products, and brides can add their photo and personalize the text of the bridesmaid card. They look like old polaroids and add a personal touch to bridal party proposals.

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 on day 1, believe it or not! I sold a wedding card I designed, and I even messaged the customer to say thank you for being my first customer! All of the traffic to my store is organic. I don’t do any advertising, although I have experimented in the past. I use Instagram mainly, as that is where a lot of my target audience will go to see examples and posts from other customers. I also use Pinterest, but I must admit that I don’t post as much on either as I should. Pinterest, in particular for wedding stationery, is not something that should be slept on. When you pin your products, they can essentially grow forever and can be added to potential customers' boards for wedding ideas, and as those boards grow, more people will see them.

Managing  LinksOfLaurel

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 run the whole shop by myself! I do all the designing, marketing, printing, packaging, and dispatching from my home print studio. I automate a lot of my workflows through some Excel forms I’ve created that make the process smoother and remove the possibility of errors. I use the Adobe Creative Suite to create my designs and for printing. For shipping, I use Royal Mail, as we’re based in the UK, and they offer online services that can integrate with your Etsy shop. It makes sure that orders come through with the correct shipping requirements; for example, if someone wants to upgrade their shipping, the Royal Mail online service will automatically add that to the label.

The future of LinksOfLaurel 

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

In the future, I plan to grow the shop to the point that I won't recognize it in a year. My aim is to become one of the most successful Etsy shops in the world. Last time I checked, I was in the top 0.01% of all shops, but taking it to the next level will be challenging, as there are some great shops out there. I plan on offering a lot more products like invitations and save the dates that are fully customizable and printed with fast turnaround times.

Advice for new sellers

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

My advice to new sellers is to take inspiration from other successful Etsy shops and not get disheartened by how saturated Etsy can be. Saturated, in my opinion, is a good thing and is like that for a reason. It shows what products people are interested in, so if I were you, I would create your own products based on what sells well and purely by trial and error to see what works. Also, don’t try and branch too far out from your niche; pick a market and play around within that field. If you try to offer a variety of products that do not relate, the audience you should be targeting may be turned off.