Finding Your Shop Niche

Finding a niche for your Etsy shop sometimes feels counterproductive. If I narrow down my audience, won’t I lose potential sales because it’s not as broad? But what if I told you that narrowing down your niche can actually improve your shop’s success?

When the audience is too broad

In the early days of my Etsy shop, I thought I’d be more successful if I just slapped any and every idea I had on there. Crochet patterns, knitted hats, Procreate brushes, fonts, digital stickers, jewelry…that’s a lot to choose from! My thought process behind this was that I wanted my customers to have plenty of options. I wanted to bring in a wide variety of customers to get more sales. I thought that by doing this, it would be a one-stop shop for anyone and everyone.

But although that’s a lot to choose from, it’s also overwhelming. Have you ever tried scrolling through a shop page and being bombarded by so many different options, that your brain just stopped comprehending what you were looking at?

Customer loyalty

Think about this: if your shop is a little bit of everything, how much do you think your customers will trust the quality and expertise of each product? If I were to sell jewelry, clothes, books, water bottles, home decor, candles, etc. would I really have enough time to perfect each craft? Probably not, unless I was working with a team!

Customers are more likely to be loyal to a shop if they know and trust the quality of the product and the expertise of the creator. If I were to narrow my shop down to just one or two types of products, I would be able to perfect my skills in those areas, making my shop’s credibility much higher.

Narrowing down a niche

When thinking about your shop’s niche, it’s not just about the type of products you sell. It’s about the purpose of those products. Sure, you can sell some knitted hats. But there are hundreds of shops out there that sell the same thing! So what makes yours different?

This is when I decided to narrow down my shop’s niche. I knew I wanted to make cozy things. Cup cozies, hats, and book sleeves. But I also wanted to make things that were helpful to others, like printable materials for classrooms, crochet patterns, and wall decor. That’s a lot of stuff, but I enjoy making all of it! How could I narrow this down?

I began to brainstorm my goals. What was my shop’s mission? First, I took a look at myself. How did I describe myself? What kinds of products would I benefit from?

I made a list:

• I am a Christian and a wife and mother
• I make a point to read my Bible daily and find scripture encouraging
• I love cozy things, things that bring me peace and comfort
• I desire things to be easy and convenient despite life getting busy

And that’s when I realized, that’s my target audience right there! Christian moms who are busy but still desire peaceful, cozy things and some Biblical encouragement. Not just Christians. Not just moms. Not just people who like cozy things. But Christian moms who like cozy things haha. And useful cozy things at that!

Sound a bit silly? It really does work!

An easier workflow

Once I narrowed down that niche, finding inspiration for my shop became ten times easier. Now it’s not about “what crochet pattern should I make” or “what printable can I sell”. Instead, it’s “how can my products solve someone else’s dilemma, make their life easier, and encourage them with God’s word all at the same time?”

Instead of just a cup cozy for that daily coffee, I now sell cup cozies with cards that have verses of encouragement on them that you can keep for yourself or give to a friend. Instead of just a generic tote bag to hold your kid’s library books, you get a tote bag with a Bible verse stitched into it and an extra pocket to toss those small loose things in when you’re in a hurry.

I’ve even applied this to my printable products as well. Since most of them are Biblically based anyway (coloring pages for Bible lessons, etc.), I strive to maintain a specific art style that is peaceful and simplistic as opposed to cutesy or overstimulating.

Narrowing down doesn’t have to mean starting over

Notice how I didn’t completely rebrand or clean-slate my shop? I didn’t remove the products I had been selling, and I didn’t revamp the things that had already been doing well. I simply narrowed down my audience and leaned into my mission. You don’t have to scrap your entire shop if you’ve already had one going (unless you want to)! Just tweak things as you go and narrow it down from here on out.

Happier customers

After finding your niche, you will find that your customers are more loyal, more excited for new content, and happier with their purchases. They will know that you put thought and effort into your work instead of just throwing something up for someone to spend money on. This creates a much more fulfilling dynamic for everyone!

So, what is your niche? What is your mission? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

God bless,