Etsy Seller Interview with Lisa of wallandwonder

How wallandwonder 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 started selling on Etsy in 2014 after finding myself in the job market and struggling to find the right fit, so I decided to design my own future and opened an Etsy shop. I have a background in marketing and graphic design with over 15 years of experience, so I knew I wanted to design a product that used my design skills as I love working in Photoshop and Illustrator.

For me, it was important to have a product that I could reproduce easily, and focusing on custom wall art, especially for nurseries, has been my bread and butter over the last 8 years. I have also had a number of very popular modern designs that have sold in the thousands.

Favorite items

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

My all-time favorite design has been my Eucalyptus Set of 3 Wall Prints. It has been my best selling set, and I love the colors. I have also done the same design in other palettes. I am also very proud of my long horizontal vintage prints from the past 6 months. They are very trendy and not many shops are printing this size print. Many of the top interior designers are using similar styles, and I love the look, especially above a bed in a master bedroom.

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 believe it took me around 1-2 weeks to make my first sale. Within about 4 months, I had replaced my full-time income from my marketing position, and I knew this was what I wanted to do.

Managing wallandwonder

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?

Right now, it is just me managing my shop. Over the years, I have had help in busy times. I had a virtual assistant, which was the best investment I could have made, and I’m hoping to add that back to my business in the future.

Over the years, I have automated most aspects of my business. I have all my bookkeeping automated as best I can, use social media planning software, and have created shipping processes so that it only takes about 10 hours a week to fulfill my orders. I fulfill all orders in my basement, with the exception of a few odd-sized prints, for which I use an outside printer.

The future of wallandwonder

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

I would love to grow my business to the point where I am able to double my current revenue, but not to the point where I have to work to the point of burnout. It is important to me to keep this as work so that I can stop at 3 pm when my kids get home from school. By outsourcing certain aspects of the business, such as social media, I am hoping to grow but that my time investment remains the same.

Advice for new sellers

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

Firstly, the most important thing is to just start. You will learn as you go. In the beginning, focus on having amazing photos and learning SEO. My rule is that if the photo isn’t good enough for a magazine cover, then it’s not good enough. I would also focus on listing as many products as you can until you have enough data to figure out what products are going to sell, what SEO works and try to keep your personal preferences on the sidelines. Many of my favorite wall prints just didn’t sell, and some of my least favorites have sold like crazy! Lastly, make sure you create a brand and build that brand through social media.