Is your Etsy shop not making as many sales as you'd like?
It is frustrating to put hours into your listings, marketing, and photography, only to hear crickets.
The reality is that Etsy has changed. Strategies that worked two years ago are now obsolete. In 2026, you aren't just competing with other handmade sellers. You are competing with AI-generated images, dropshippers, and a mobile-first algorithm.
But don't worry. I've compiled a list of the 11 biggest reasons why your Etsy shop isn't making sales in the current market, along with actionable steps to fix them.
Let's get started.
01 - Your Products Are Not Ranking On Etsy Search
One of the main reasons why your Etsy shop is not getting sales is that your products are not ranking high enough on Etsy search. This could be because your listings are not properly optimised.
Search traffic is the main source of traffic for most Etsy shops. And it’s important to learn Etsy SEO to improve your chance of showing up on Etsy search.
How To Fix It
Start by learning Etsy SEO, which you can do so with this 2026 Etsy SEO guide or one of our many keyword guides for different niches.
Etsy’s search is now semantic, meaning it looks for "context" rather than just exact word matches. Don't just stuff keywords into your title. Write titles that sound like natural sentences a human would speak. For example, instead of "Silver Necklace Gift Mom", try "Sterling Silver Locket, Meaningful Gift for Mom". The algorithm favors natural language that helps it understand the intent of the product. Also, make sure you use all 13 listings tags to maximise the chance of showing up in Etsy search results.
02 - Your Product Prices Are Too Low
Although it’s possible to price your items too high, from my experience, too many Etsy sellers price their handmade products too low.
When you price your handmade products too low, you are competing directly with resellers and mass-produced products. And you can never win when you compete with them on price because they can always sell the products cheaper than you.
How To Fix It
Handmade products should cost more than factory-made products.
Considering charging a higher price by showcasing the ‘handmade quality’ of your products. A few ways to justify your higher price is by:
- Showing your technique and skills through listing photos
- Showing your design inspirations and process
- Incorporating your culture and history into the products
03 - Your Listing Description Is Not Optimised
Your listing description is an opportunity to convince shoppers that they need your product. If you don’t optimise it, you’ll miss out on potential sales.
How To Fix It
Your product description should focus on how your products can benefit your customers. Support your product benefits with relevant product features.
For example, if you sell polymer clay earrings, one benefit could be it can withstand everyday wear, and not lose its colour and shape. To support this claim, you can mention that the earrings are made with a specific type of clay with a certain technique to ensure durability.
Also, considering using bullet points and sections to make your product description easier to read.
04 - Your Visuals (Photos & Video) Are Not Attractive Enough
Etsy is a highly visual marketplace. High quality product photos are essential for your success because they can help you convince your potential customers that your products are worth buying.
Mistakes like poor lighting, distracting background and blurry photos will cause you to lose out on clicks and sales.
How To Fix It
The simplest way is to set up a corner of your house for product photography. Take your photos in strong, indirect natural sunlight with a neutral background.
But in 2026, photos are not enough.
I highly recommend including a listing video. Etsy’s algorithm explicitly prioritises listings with video because they keep shoppers on the app longer (and give shoppers a clearer idea of what the product looks like).
You don't need a professional camera. A 15-second clip filmed on your phone showing the product in your hand (to show scale) or catching the light (to show texture) is often more effective than a static photo. If a buyer can see the product moving, they trust that it is real, which significantly increases conversion rates.
05 - You Are Ignoring Mobile Shoppers
More than 60% of Etsy traffic now comes from the mobile app. If you are designing your shop on a desktop computer, you might be missing huge problems that only appear on phone screens.
On mobile, your title is cut off after the first 40 characters. If your main keywords are at the end of the title, mobile shoppers won't see them. Also, if your thumbnail photo is too cluttered, it will look like a messy blur on a small smartphone screen.
How To Fix It
Front-load your titles. Put the most important words (what the item actually is) in the first 40 characters.
Next, check your thumbnail on your phone. Can you clearly tell what the item is within one second of scrolling? If not, zoom in or simplify the background. The mobile scroll is fast, and you need to capture attention instantly.
06 - You Don’t Have Enough Listings To Reach Etsy Shoppers
As mentioned above, the main way for you to reach new customers on Etsy is through Etsy search. If you don’t have a lot of product listings, it means you have fewer chances to reach customers through keywords and Etsy search.
How To Fix It
I would recommend having at least 30 listings to start your Etsy shop. The number should be even higher for shops selling digital products or print-on-demand products.
If you can’t think of enough products, try thinking about different colours, materials, finishings, etc. You can also combine some relevant products to make product bundles. Offering custom or personalised option is a great idea if you have the capacity to do so.
Each of those product will give you an opportunity to use different long-tail, targeted keywords to reach new potential customers.
07 - You Are Selling Too Many Different Types Of Products
Have you walked into a shop and thought, “what are they even selling here? There’re candles, clothes, books, and even kitchen appliances!”
Selling too many different types of products can make your shop look disorganised and incohesive. It can be confusing to shoppers who visit your shop.
More importantly, not having consistency in your products make it feel like you’re not an expert in anything. This makes it hard to gain trust from shoppers, and therefore makes it hard to sell to them.
How To Fix It
Be an expert in your niche. Once you’ve chosen a niche, you should have a strong focus in the product range you offer. For example, if you sell handmade candles, don’t considering selling paintings in the same shop.
Having a strong brand image also help your shop to appear more cohesive. One way to achieve this is to use consistent colours and similar style of product photography.
08 - You Don’t Provide Enough Information For Customers
Customers need to feel confident before they consider buying from you.
Not having shop policy, shipping information, or enough product details can cause shoppers to lose confidence from your shop. And that would make it difficult for them to choose you instead of your competition.
How To Fix It
You should provide all the information shoppers need in order to make a purchase:
- Clear shop policy
- Accurate shipping information
- All important product details like materials, size, etc.
- Size guide or care instruction if they are relevant to your product
Also, in an era of AI and bots, your "About" page is an often overlooked tool to prove you are a real person.
Don't just leave it blank. Upload a photo of yourself (not a logo) and a video of your workspace. Buyers are clicking on the About section more than ever to verify that a human actually makes the items. A completed, human-focused profile signals trust to both the buyer and the Etsy algorithm.
09 - You Are Selling A Product With Little To No Demand
Selling a product with good demand is already challenging, but selling a product with little demand is almost impossible. No matter how hard to you try to promote it, if there’s very little demand, you’d struggle to make sales.
How To Fix It
You should do market research to verify your product idea. See what sells well on Etsy. You can do that manually or by using one of my recommended Etsy market research tools.
You may need to come up with some new products or adjust your product slightly to fit market demand. By identifying gaps in the market and adapting to customer needs, you can increase the demand for your product and boost your sales.
10 - Your Products Don’t Stand Out In Your Niche
Etsy is a competitive marketplace. If you don’t offer anything unique and different from your competitors, shoppers would have little reasons to buy from you.
How To Fix It
Think carefully of your product’s unique selling point (USP). It can involve a different product design, using a unique skill to make the product, offering more customisation options, etc.
One way to get inspiration is to do market research and see what shoppers are looking for. By checking your competitors’ reviews that are 2-4 stars, you’ll get an idea of what you areas that your competitors are missing, which gives you an opportunity to provide them and stand out in your niche.
11 - You Haven’t Experimented With Different Marketing Options
If you don’t explore other traffic sources other than Etsy search, you may be missing out on potential sales.
How To Fix It
There are a few main ways to get additional traffic and sales: Etsy ads, running sales, social media marketing, email marketing, collaboration with influencers, etc. I encourage you to try out different marketing options, track the results, and double down on options with a high ROI (return on investment).
12 - You Don’t Add New Items Regularly
Customers who have followed your shop would like to see new products regularly. Not adding new products for a long time means that you are missing out on chances of promoting to your followers and customers. Etsy also doesn’t like shops that are not active.
How To Fix It
You should plan to add new products regularly, whether it’s a new product type or variation of your original products. Also consider adding seasonal products like Christmas-themed or Spring collection items. This keeps your shop fresh and interesting, and can encourage customers to come back and buy more items.
What’s Next
There are many reasons why your Etsy shop may not be making sales. To improve your chance of success on Etsy, it’s important to improve different areas of your Etsy shop. I’d recommend starting with these free guides:
