Etsy Seller Interview with Matina of SterlingJewelsco

How SterlingJewelsco 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?

Hi! I’m Matina from SterlingJewels.co. My brother, Lumbi, and I had a small jewelry shop in our area. One day, we finally decided to go for it and open an Etsy shop. At the time, I had no idea that it would give me the opportunity to make permanent and meaningful changes to my life. I absolutely love working on Etsy! The hours are flexible, so I can look after my daughter and spend time with family and friends.

Our first Etsy shop did not do so well, however. I made so many mistakes. I had too few listings, the designs weren’t great, and my titles and tags were terrible! It was through these mistakes that I was able to learn and improve.

I have always had a thing for chokers, so my brother and I decided to open a second Etsy shop selling only chokers. We started with 100 listings and kept working on the shop until it became what it is today.

I also joined teams, which I totally loved, and connected with other Etsy sellers like Myra Graham from www.etsy.com/shop/ArtistInJewelry She is a lovely woman who helped me improve titles and tags. This made a huge difference! I will always be grateful to her for her help and to all the members of the teams. I love you guys!

Favorite items

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

I love the colors of this listing.

This one is great because you can wear it every day or when you go out, and I think it is great for a gift too.

Customized listings are always just that bit more special.

We have taken our customers' tastes into account to make this one. The little heart is so cute! It is a newer listing.

This is one of our oldest and best performing listings.

a brand new listing.

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?

At first, sales were slow, but once we had the right items with the right titles and tags, things started to improve rapidly.

We try to attract customers by adding new listings, running sales, and advertising. It is also very important to us that the customers are happy with our service.

Managing SterlingJewelsco

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?

My brother and I work together. We are very different, but I think that’s what makes us a great team! The Etsy dashboard and status are a great source of information and, I think, the best tools to manage your shop.

We have a contract with DHL, and our items are picked up whenever needed. It is important to us to have fast, efficient shipping.

The future of SterlingJewelsco

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

We recently took a step back to evaluate our listings and our shop. We’re currently trying to improve our photos and our listings. We’re also adding new ones. Over the next few months, we aim to make many improvements.

Advice for new sellers

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

Opening an Etsy shop was one of the best decisions I have ever made! So if this is what you really want, go for it! There are always ups and downs, but most things in life are like that. When I add a new listing, I always ask myself:

Is this something my customers would want? Is it something I would want?
Are the photos suitable for the item? Do they show the item clearly?
Are the titles and tags right for the item?
Then quality and pricing are always important!

If the item checks these things, then I add the listing. Some items do better than others, but if you don’t try, you’ll never know.

I wish all new Etsy sellers the best of luck! And many happy sales! Ching! Ching!!!!!