Hey friend! We all need a little break sometimes, right? Especially around the holidays or when the sun is hot and we want to be out living our best lives. BUT.. have you considered what could happen after you get back from putting your Etsy shop on vacation mode? Let me give you a quick little breakdown to help you make the best choice for you and your Etsy business.
This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if qualifying purchases are made, at no extra cost to you.
While your shop is on vacation mode, you won’t be showing up in Etsy auto-suggestion. The only way someone can find you is if they search your shop by name. Safe to say, no new shoppers will be coming across your shop while you’re away. Many shoppers also favourite listings while they are browsing, then come back later when they are ready to shop. So not only are they not buying from you now, but you could also be losing out on future sales too.
If your listings are no longer coming up in search, Etsy algorithms won’t be collecting info on your listings. (which is basically how the entire platform works!) All the hard work you’ve put in towards ranking on Etsy will quickly be slipping away. Etsy vacation mode will affect your ranking without a doubt. If you aren’t showing up and ranking in search during this time, other shops will be taking your place. No algorithm spot saving here. If you want to know more about ranking on Etsy, check out my post Etsy SEO for beginners where I break down all the factors that go into ranking on Etsy!
Since the algorithms won’t be holding your spot waiting for you to be back, It could take 4 days, 4 weeks or 4 months to regain your traction & placement on Etsy. Nothing is certain. Some people have said the longer you are away the longer this can take. If you’re only gone for a few days you could get lucky and bounce right back. But you also could not. Other shops have reported that a few weeks to over 30 days can be like starting from ground zero. I’m sure you remember when you first launched.. nobody likes crickets!
The truth is that we all eventually need a break. Your Etsy shop should never get in the way if you have more pressing matters, whatever they are for you.
If you really just hadn’t given much thought to the outcome, and you are a little worried about losing sales on Etsy and your placement on the platform, consider doing this instead.
This is the best option to avoid vacation mode. This way your customers won’t be expecting something to be shipped out while you are away.
If you have certain items that take longer to process, consider removing those items for the time being. This way it isn’t your entire shop that won’t be seen. Your presence will still exist on the platform.
If you have extended your processing times, it would be a good idea to follow up (if you are able) to confirm your extended time. This is also good to do if you have repeat customers that might be used to faster turnaround times.
Note you are away/have extended processing times in your shop. Put this up as soon as you know you will be away. You can also add a note to be sent automaically after purchase including this information. Not everyone will read your shop sections or listing details so it’s best to take action everywhere you can.
If you are on Instagram, Facebook, etc., you can post about your shop’s processing times if it makes sense for your following there. If you have an email list for your Etsy shop you could also send a brief email for potential shoppers to keep them in the loop.
This works better for digital sellers, I do this often if I will be away even for one day because I do not want my response rate to drop. However, it may be good to auto-reply that you are away, for how long, and when you’ll be back regardless of what you sell because there are shoppers who do reach out prior to shopping and this will take care of those situations.
If you were going to go on Etsy vacation mode just to regroup and lounge around the house for a few days (which we all need sometimes), then I would definitely consider trying to use some of the above methods while also spending some time each day to message your customers.
Renew some listings. Give them that momentary boost that Etsy gives a little extra love to.
Add new listings. Again, get that boost in the Etsy algorithms. This will also send shoppers a notification who have your shop in their favourites, reminding them you are back and to come check out what’s new.
Try new tags. Duplicate some listings that aren’t doing so well, and try adding some new tags and titles to them. (Remember to never just go in and change tags, always make a duplicate!)
Run a sale. This isn’t always the best solution if you sell physical products because you don’t want to sell yourself short. The sale isn’t worth it if you are working for free, so use your best judgement. If you have repeat customers, an email list, or a loyal following on a social platform, you could offer a coupon code just to those people. It doesn’t have to be for everyone that lands on your shop.
Remember it isn’t the end of the world. If you had to take a break from Etsy, you had to take a break. Things will pick up again!
You can grab my Etsy SEO cheat sheets from the free library that are perfect for beginners, or anyone that needs a little help with setting their Etsy shop up for success.
Have been feeling tied down to your Etsy shop? Selling digital designs or other digital products should definitely be something you consider starting in the new year! It makes situations like this a lot more flexible. Having a digital business can allow you to deactivate the physical products (you might still want to sell), while still having income rolling in without the worry of being away and catching up😉 If you want to learn more about running a digital business, join me here!
Have you played around in Canva yet?
I use Canva Pro for just about everything in my small business.
From social media posts, Etsy shop banners and graphics, blog posts and more.
Want to give the pro version it a try?
One thought on “Etsy Vacation Mode – Should I Use It?”
Thanks for another great post.
Comments are closed.