What to Include in Etsy Shop Announcement

A lot of Etsy users are mistaken into believing that the announcement section is only to post news like ‘Huge Sale’ or ‘Fresh Collection’.

Wrong!

When used correctly, the shop announcement is one of the best places to promote your store and increase search results. It can help you reduce bounce rate (the amount of time a shopper stays on the page) and make the customer stay longer on your store. The longer a customer stays, the more likely they are to shop.

Also, Etsy says that the first 160 characters of your shop announcement are the Meta description of the store that will be shown whenever the store pops up in a search result. You certainly don’t want it to say that you are having a sale.

What Is an Etsy Shop Announcement?

The Etsy shop announcement is the best place to increase navigation through your shop. Like the name might suggest, the announcement tab can be the perfect place to add information for your shop. While Etsy recommends you keep your announcement page short and sweet, you can still fill it out to provide links and information that your customers can use. You can access the Announcement section by clicking on ‘your shop’ and going to ‘edit shop’, scroll to shop announcement and click ‘edit’. Note that announcements can only be added when your site is live.

1. Focus On SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of tweaking your shop so that it comes up in search when shoppers search for items. It can either be optimized for search engines like Google or for searches done within Etsy. You’ll want to use keywords in the first sentence or two in addition to your business name.

2. Understand Meta-Descriptions

Did you know that your announcement section is where Etsy takes your meta-description for your site? When someone uses a search engine to find something and your name comes up, the meta-description is displayed on the line of text that is below your shop title. It is typically around 160 characters in length and will be the first thing in your announcement section. Make sure you put special emphasis on the first few sentences in your announcement and leave links and highly specific information further down.

3. Linking

Want to make the most out of your Announcement section? Consider adding links! With Etsy, you have few places where you can add links to things like special items, categories or most popular items within your shop, or even things like Facebook or Pinterest. Links can either tie in your other social media profiles or link directly to categories within your own shop.

4. Add Your Email Optin

Every shop owner should be collecting emails.  You can add your email opt into your Shop Announcement. Try offering a percentage off in exchange for their email address.

5. Let it be about the store

After you are done optimizing the 160 characters for search engines, make it readable and interesting for the readers. Let it be about the store, the mission and vision statements, the focus of the company and a brief history. Remember,  shoppers are more interested to know about your store than you.

An Example

First, begin with a basic welcome and shop introduction, maximizing the fact that the first sentence or so will show up as the meta-description, so use keywords. After the introductory paragraph, there is a little bit about the process as well as what you’re striving to create. This is followed by links to different categories.  All of this is followed by a link to the shop itself.

Welcome! We specialize in high-quality, designer mesh & silk flower Spring and Summer Wreaths for your front door. Whether you need a patriotic wreath, Easter wreath, lantern swag, or oval wreath we can help. Learn How To Make Deco Mesh Wreaths and sell them on Etsy with my digital downloads (ebooks & videos).

✔️Welcome to Southern Charm Wreaths! Where we make beautiful wreaths and teach you how to make and sell them! Every wreath is unique and made with quality construction and ready to hang in your home!

✔️We’ve been making wreaths for over 10 years and all of our items are made from our wreath workshop located in South Carolina. Since everything is handmade it is all unique and original but can be duplicated most of the time, so ask. Currently, we are not accepting custom orders.

✔️We realize in this age of Amazon that it’s expected to have something ship out immediately, however, we’re a very small business and take pride in our quality, handmade items. That is why our shipping is 1-3 business days.

✔️If you would like to learn about how Southern Charm Wreaths started please visit my “About” page here http://www.etsy.com/shop/southerncharmwreaths/about

✔️Become a fan of Southern Charm Wreaths on Facebook for wreath making tips http://www.facebook.com/southerncharmwreaths

✔️Join our mailing list for discounts and coupons https://southerncharmwreaths.com/

Conclusion

Simply put, an Etsy shop is only as good as the creativity of the owner and the items being sold within. Once you establish a line of things you want to sell, the next step is improving how you present your information. At this point focusing on your Announcements section can do your shop a lot of good.

Treat your Announcements section as the ultimate short advertisement for your shop. Instead of following the recommendations of Etsy, maximize the functionality of your Announcements section through SEO optimization, link usage, and a focus on meta descriptions.