How MokVok 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 am Alex Kominch, the owner and founder of the MokVok store on Etsy. We develop and sell various wood products (home accessories, furniture items, home and office interior items, and pet accessories). MokVok was founded in 2018 as an Etsy store with the intention of starting a new business based on wood products and a love of handmade. Here you will find comfortable, simple, original, high-quality products that you will love. I believe that everything done by hand is unique and has a peculiar character and mood that the master puts into it. The products you see in our store are made with love and attention to detail, and I strive to make them bright, original, and of high quality.
I am also the owner of a genuine leather goods store. My friend and I founded it back in 2015. I've always liked the way leather, wood, and steel products looked and smelled. And of course, my friends helped me with their ideas. They influenced me. They and their passions for photography and life Now we are developing two of our stores. The first product made of wood that started it all was a laptop stand. This is a very simple product made of two parts that I cut on a laser cutter from plywood. My friends also liked it very much, and they asked me to make the same one for them. Then I decided to do something more complicated, and one of my friends helped me with this. His child needed a learning tower to lift his baby to kitchen counter height to encourage interaction and togetherness between him and his baby. I have an engineering education, so the development of such a product was not difficult for me; on the contrary, it brought me great pleasure—creating something new that someone really needs.
The result was really cool. And orders poured in. All this time, we have been working in Belarus. But after the 2020 protests and the unstable political situation, we could no longer work and live in Belarus in peace. We were forced to move to Poland. Here we started building our business anew. In small steps, we built our new workshop. And now we can once again please our customers with the best products made of genuine leather and wood. Currently, we manufacture and sell our products all over the world. We are glad that our products are used by many people. Now we are working in a large workshop in Warsaw, which we are constantly improving to improve the quality of our products.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
My favorite products are our wood wall bar, turntable stand, and circuit collection made from plywood. These products are also some of our top sellers, and we use them in our homes and offices.
They not only look great but are also very functional. I always want things to be not only beautiful but also functional. We always try to combine these two qualities in our products. so that they solve the needs of our customers as much as possible. And it's so nice to read our customers' reviews and know that we were able to make someone's life a little better.
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?
We had our first few sales within a week or two of opening the shop. And those were pleasant days. The days when you realize that people need your ideas These days, we attract most of our customers through a combination of social media, mainly Instagram, Pinterest, and Etsy ads. We also try to make a good description for our products, take high-quality photos, and add all possible tags.
Managing MokVok
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 ran MokVok for about one year as a solopreneur; my friend and business partner helped me with this. In 2020, the number of orders began to increase significantly, and we already needed helpers. The business expanded, and we included two friends. They had no experience in our field, and we had to teach them everything. In 2022, we had to move and do business in new conditions in a new country with its own rules and laws. It was slick at first. But little by little, we got it right. Now we are working in a large workshop. I am engaged in the development and design of new products. My friend is in charge of customer service and dispatches finished orders. Packing and sending goods takes up a significant part of the workday. Two people are involved in the production of products.
In our work, we use both manual labor and various mechanisms to increase productivity and quality of work. The main workhorse is a CNC milling machine. To manufacture any product, you first need to create a program for which the machine will cut. We order materials from local manufacturers. All materials are certified; the wood comes from a forest that is economically efficient and at the same time environmentally and socially responsible. To manufacture any product, you first need to create a program for which the machine will cut. We order materials from local manufacturers. All materials are certified; the wood comes from a forest that is economically efficient and at the same time environmentally and socially responsible. We use a program to tally approximate back-stock levels and manage our inventory.
We use a variety of software to manage orders, shipments, label creation, and product design and development. In CorelDRAW, I design and model all new and improved products. AutoCAD is a program for designing and analyzing objects of any complexity in two- and three-dimensional space. It creates various models for milling and programs for cutting. To manage orders, we use a CRM system that my friend developed for us. We can add all customers and their orders to it. Keep track of the products you buy as well as the materials and accessories you use.
We ship via the Polish postal service Poczta Polska and also use DHL. We ship twice a week and try to get our customers to receive their orders as soon as possible.
The future of MokVok
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
Product range development and cost reduction. Because the price of wood products is quite high. And so we need to better develop social networks like Instagram and TikTok. We are also planning to launch a standalone e-commerce website off of Etsy as a secondary outlet to sell our products. Also increase sales on Amazon, eBay, and Pinkoi.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
Optimize your listings: Make sure your listings are clear, detailed, and include high-quality images. Use keywords in your titles and tags to make it easier for shoppers to find your products.
Use social media: Share your products and listings on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. This will help increase visibility and attract more customers to your Etsy shop.
Engage with your customers: Respond to customer inquiries and feedback promptly, and use this feedback to improve your products and customer service.
Collaborate with other sellers: Consider partnering with other Etsy sellers to cross-promote each other's products, which can help increase visibility and attract new customers.
Market your products: Use paid advertising (Google Ads, Facebook Ads) to reach a larger audience and increase sales.
Keep your shop updated. Make sure to keep your shop updated with new products and promotions; this will help keep your shop interesting and keep your returning customers engaged.
Create bundles: Create bundles of related products; this can help increase the average order value and make it more convenient for customers to purchase multiple items at once.
Analyze your data: Use the data and insights provided by Etsy to understand your customers' behavior and use that information to make informed decisions about your shop and products.
Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.
Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: $8500
Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: 30%
Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 0,6%
MokVok
Wooden Goods, racks, and stands
