Your About Page Just Became Important

01 Aug Your About Page Just Became Important

Last year, Etsy debuted a new feature for shops – the shop About page. The About page was a big stride for Etsy in promoting the best part of the site – that there’s someone crafty and creative behind every shop. It’s your profile on steroids. The About page features large photos, a well-typeset description of the seller and the shop, and links to social media sites or a blog. It’s a one-stop shop for getting the know the person behind the items.

The About page was fun to play around with before, maybe a nice back-alley attraction for those dedicated shoppers. It’s about to get turbo-charged. Etsy announced the new listing page coming August 6th that puts the About page front and center – or at least bottom center – on every one of your listings. Without an About page, your listings will have a vast white wall following the item description.

Suddenly, creating an About page for your shop is very important. The new listing layout isn’t the only reason to invest some time; let’s talk about the benefits and brainstorm how to create an About page that’s really, truly YOU.

Showcase yourself

Etsy is all about having a personal connection with a seller – knowing that there’s someone behind each shop that’s making and packaging the item just for you. This is your opportunity to show why your items are high-quality and unique. Share a little bit about yourself and let customers into your world. Take a look at the FeltOnTheFly About page – Janet is serious about her felt! A little passion goes a long way, Etsy buyers love to support people who do what they love.

Don’t feel like you need to give away your trade secrets – just talk about how you got here and why you love to make the things you do. It’s also a great way to stand out from the crowd, since many sellers will be playing catch-up after the new listing page debuts.

Build a relationship

Sellers on Etsy need to develop relationships with their customers. Just like in real life, first impressions are important. Putting a bit of yourself out there will start you off on the right foot with customers. If you tend to be all business with your descriptions, add a bit of humor or a personal story that people can grasp onto.

Link up your social media

Is your Facebook page holding steady at 35 likes? It’s possible that people aren’t sure where to find you. The About page has a section to fill in your blog, Facebook or Twitter accounts. With the new “Meet the owner” section of the listing page shuffling people to these links, it could be great news for your follower count! Make sure to take advantage of it.

No more excuses

Etsy encourages you to show off your studio with pictures on the About page. My studio consists of an antique folding table set up in the living room, and a few closets crammed full of craft supplies. If your studio is nothing to write home about, put up some pictures of your craft show display – or scenic photos from your town that inspire you. My BrittanysBest About page has pictures from Colorado and my craft show card set up. Take some work-in-progress shots to show the process of creating your items.

Some sellers don’t want to post a shop member photo of themselves. Good thing people love seeing pictures of your pets on Etsy! Cats are an especially popular way to represent your shop – you can even include a tongue-in-cheek description of your “craft assistant.” The good news is that Etsy’s circular cropping tends to make everything look better.

The countdown begins – one week until the new listing page arrives on Etsy. Get started today by going to Shop Settings > Info & Appearance and click on the About tab. Build a personal connection – your soon-to-be customers will thank you for it.

[flickr]Cover image by Sebastien Wiertz on Flickr.[/flickr]