Many people flock to Etsy to request custom orders for t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other items. Strategic Etsy sellers know this, so they promote customized items on Etsy to get unique requests from shoppers and ramp up their sales.
Like all Etsy sellers, you can benefit from adding custom listings to your store. These listings are also known as private listings or custom orders.
As an Etsy seller, you stand to benefit from custom requests. You can foster loyalty by offering buyers personalization. With customer loyalty comes repeat orders and, therefore, increased sales.
Do you want to know how to create Etsy custom orders for your store? I can help you.
I created this article to discuss how you can add a private listing to your Etsy store. I will also provide tips to help you maximize your private listings.
Table of Contents
How To Enable Custom Order Requests on Etsy
Here’s how to enable custom ordering on Etsy.
1 – Sign in to your Etsy seller account and click the Shop Manager icon.
2 – Click Settings.
3 – Click Options.
4 – Click Enabled under Custom Order Requests.
5 – Once you select Enabled, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Save.
Once you click Save and go to your shop’s homepage, you’ll see Request Custom Order under Shop Options.
Buyers can send you messages to request a personalized order. You can find these messages in your Custom Requests folder.
Whenever buyers send you personalization requests, you’ll see a Make this a custom order button on the right-hand side of the Dashboard. This button allows you to create custom listings on your Etsy store.
Note that the button for custom order requests only appears when customers send the initial custom item request. The button will not reappear if they message you regarding the same order.
You can now add a custom listing to your Etsy shop whenever you want. Now it’s time to start building or creating an Etsy private listing.
How To Create a Custom Listing for Your Etsy Shop
Here’s how to create private listings on Etsy.
- Go to your shop’s page and head to your inbox. Open the message from the buyer.
- Click the Make this a custom order button. If you don’t see it, you may not have enabled it or are dealing with an existing buyer.
- Click Build the custom order.
- Fill in the necessary information like any other regular listing.
- Listing title
- Item details
- Processing time
- Category
- Different sizes available
- Photos
- Shop policies
- and more
- Review the information you entered to ensure accuracy.
- Click Publish.
The purchase link will appear in the chat window for your buyer to click and see the private listing.
That’s how you create a private listing.
When you create a private listing and publish it, Etsy sends the buyer a notification email with a button for purchasing their custom item.
Etsy will also charge you a small fee for a private listing once you’ve sold the item.
Only the specific buyer you shared the link with can see the Etsy private listing. You don’t need to worry about doing keyword research and adding keywords to a private listing.
Here’s how to access private listings.
- Click the Your Account icon.
- Click Shop Manager.
- Click Listings. You’ll see all your private listings.
Other buyers can also request custom orders from an existing listing in your Etsy shop.
You can reserve an existing listing page for any buyer. Edit the listing title and add text like “Reserved for [customer’s name].”
Some customers may not want their names to appear in your shop. In such cases, you can ask the customer for a term or descriptor you can use.
You can also include an image to show you reserved the listing for a particular buyer.
What Images To Upload On Custom Order Requests
Custom listings are personalized items you create and sell to specific buyers. These items don’t exist in your shop.
As such, you may not have an image showing the product. Etsy also doesn’t allow you to upload a photo until you finish the custom design.
When you rush to edit the Request Custom Order link, the customer could have already made the purchase. As such, you must edit the link as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can publish a new listing and send the link to your customer.
Practice Good Communication With Customers
You sell and offer custom items to increase sales, but you won’t achieve that overnight. You must ensure proper communication with potential buyers if you want to succeed like other Etsy sellers.
Listen carefully to your customer’s requirements and clarify information. Doing so helps you create the item according to the customer’s exact specifications.
Time is of the essence. Timely replies increase engagement rates.
Streamline your communication process by saving snippets in your messages. Here’s how.
- Go to Messages.
- Go to Inbox.
- Click All Saved Replies.
- Etsy already has a pre-made message for personalized orders you can send to potential customers. Click the pen icon on the right of the same page to edit the message and make it unique to your shop.
Address all these essential details when communicating with customers.
- The item’s price
- Any amount customers need to pay upfront
- Payment timeframe
- Order creation timeframe
- Delivery timeframe
- And more
Handling these concerns at the outset makes the Etsy custom order process much smoother for you and your customer.
Create a Public Listing for Trending Custom Orders
You’ll see some orders turn into lucrative ideas when you’ve created and sold many customized orders.
Don’t hesitate to create public listings for your best-selling custom orders. Doing so will allow even more customers to see your items in search results and hopefully make a purchase, driving organic traffic and sales to your store.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, my article made creating private or custom listings easier for you.
Don’t hesitate to start your path to success on Etsy today. Follow the tips I outlined in my article, and you’ll make a sale quickly. It would also help if you learned how to promote your Etsy shop to increase your chances of success.
