Etsy Seller Interview with Marta of NaturalCuddles

How NaturalCuddles 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?

Natural Cuddles was born a couple of years ago with my vision of creating honest, ethical, and unique baby accessories. Coming from Northern Europe, I highly value nature's beauty and am committed to creating premium-quality feeding, sleeping, caring, and playing accessories that are both ethical and sustainable.

Favorite items

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

The baby's arrival in the world is a happy and exciting event for the family and their relatives and friends. For the most part, they have to choose between practical gifts and beautiful, tasteful souvenirs, but if they decide to give a personalized blanket decorated with the baby's initials or name, it will show the new parents that you have not bought a gift at the last minute. Instead, it will demonstrate that you have thought about something unique and cute. And, of course, customer emotional reviews are the best approval and inspiration for us.

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 were nervous initially, and every purchase seemed like a miracle. It was that addictive to hear purchase announcements:) Of course, each client brings experience and faith to our actions. We have learned to analyze and test ourselves and invited experts to improve listings and advertising strategies. It has been hard work with small steps that have helped us get to where we are today.

Managing NaturalCuddles

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 remember with a smile today that we even had disagreements in the family about improvements and changes. And now, the daily work to manage Etsy is done by one person who keeps track of orders, production time, and advertising. As for optimizing listings with new trends in keywords, we use outside recommendations and other analytics tools. We have used several, but the truth is that every instrument has specific advantages. You have to try it and find what works best for you.

The future of NaturalCuddles

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

Our ambition is to sustain growth in challenging conditions. So far, we have managed to grow pretty rapidly and gradually. Therefore, the key to the future is to attract more customers and provide world-class service to our existing customers.

Advice for new sellers

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

First, you must be patient with your desire to test approaches, listings, and products. Listen to customers and work with their feedback. At first, it didn't go so smoothly, and we tried to prove ourselves right until we realized there are limits to where you can approach the customer and stand up for your interests so that they don't use you. Etsy has made many improvements over the years that protect and sometimes even spoil customers. In today's e-commerce, you have to be willing to sacrifice something to keep your customers loyal. Etsy likes a seller to be knowledgeable and confident, keep up with changing rules, and apply policies. That makes work easier for everyone.

Show what you do as much as possible. Honing the details from product to packaging to communication, it's the overall experience that keeps our customers coming back. 

Buyers love that you put your love into your product!