8 minute read

How to Make Your Products More Giftable

Adding gift-worthy products to your shop or marketing your products to shoppers looking for the perfect gift can help you tap new markets on Etsy.

Avatar image for Taylor Combs by Taylor Combs
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When shopping for gifts, we all want to buy our loved ones something special and thoughtful that seems to be made just for them. In addition to coming to Etsy for everyday items, shoppers often turn to our unique marketplace to find original gifts. Even if your shop doesn't serve primarily as a gift destination, adding some ready-to-gift offerings to your product mix can help you reach new customers. Read on for our tips for developing products with gift buyers in mind, along with trends to incorporate into your shop to appeal to Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and graduation gift buyers.

Develop Products With Gift-Giving in Mind

Although it might seem like any product could be a great gift for the right person — a collector might love a set of vintage baseball cards, for example — there are a few factors that make for universally appealing gifts.

Style and Scale: “Gifts have to be something that fits into another person's life,” says Etsy merchandising specialist Emily Bidwell. Personal accessories, such as bags or jewelry, and small household decor items are good bets. Styles and colors that can appeal to anyone, regardless of their personal aesthetic, help make an item more “giftable.” “Make products that someone would be comfortable giving to their niece, that work whether she has boho or more minimalist style,” says Lacy, co-founder of shop Alphonnsine, where she sells t-shirts, mugs and prints of her typography-driven designs.

Price Point: Most gifts tend to have a lower price point, somewhere between $20-40. A small token of appreciation for your neighbor or coworker might be more in the $10-15 range, which also works for stocking stuffers during the holiday season.

Products with a sense of humor, such as this pizza tee from Alphonnsine, make great gifts for almost any occasion.

Cleverness: Buying a gift is also an opportunity for shoppers to show off their silly side. “Our relationships are based on inside jokes with people,” says Lacy. “When you see something that’s funny and you can relate to it, and you think they will relate to it, that makes the gift more personal.” Lacy recommends paying attention to pop culture trends and making note of funny phrases or moments you experience in your daily life; those bits of humor that resonate with you might speak to your customers as well.

Package for Presentation

Once shoppers have found the perfect gift, seal the deal with pretty packaging suited for a special occasion. Offering gift-wrap options, either included in the item’s price or as an upgrade, helps shoppers see your item’s gift potential and increases their confidence in the purchase. “Every item we sell is tied with a black satin ribbon and is packaged so it's gift-giving ready,” says Lacy. “We also hope that even if the customer is keeping it for themselves they feel like they got their own little present as well. It's just way more fun!” To turn the gift recipient into your next customer, include a business card or other branded packaging.

Get Found With Targeted Titles and Tags

Think about the last time you purchased a gift. Did you know exactly what you were looking for? Often gift shoppers have a person or occasion in mind. Strategically tagging your items can help shoppers land on the perfect gift from your shop. When writing titles and tags for your products, think about who the product might make a good gift for (teachers, moms, coworkers, best friends) and gift-giving occasions (housewarmings, birthdays, holidays). “Take a hard look at what your products are and who they’re for,” Emily says. “Don’t tag with every imaginable recipient. In order to successfully market your products you have to focus.” Relevant, accurate tagging will build confidence with your shoppers, and identify you as an authority. This will have a ripple effect of cross-promoting those items and everything else in your shop.

Nicola Rowlands of MsSpanner in Manchester, England tags her “giftable” products with phrases such as “Funny Gift” and “For Girlfriends.” “I just write things that a person like me might type into a search bar when trying to find a gift,” she says.

At just $10 and perfectly pocket-sized, these "Pocket Manfriends" from Nicola Rowlands make a great gift for your girlfriend suffering from the breakup blues. Nicola tags them with phrases such as "funny gift" to reach shoppers.

Make the Most of the Holiday By Planning Ahead

Create a calendar of the gift-giving occasions that are applicable to your products and make note of the items that are most popular for each holiday. Working backward, make a plan for how much inventory you’ll prepare.

Last Mother’s Day, Amy Giacomelli sold around 1,200 sets of “Love You Mom” pears, which she shapes, paints and stamps by hand, in three weeks. After they were featured in a Mother’s Day email from Etsy, Amy had to deactivate the listing in her shop,Skyeart, and work 90 hours a week to keep up.” This year I’ve really been on top of it,” she says. “I’ve already made 2,000 sets to get ready for Mother’s Day — I started in July.”

Gifting Trends

Shoppers come to Etsy looking for unique gifts year-round, but keeping these trends in mind can help you attract shoppers looking for the best Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation gifts. “Shopping by recipient is a big part of how people shop on Etsy,” says Emily.

With their sweet sentiment, these pears have been a best seller for Amy Giacomelli from Skyeart.

Mother’s Day Emily says products with phrases that speak especially to moms can make any gift feel special. Amy credits the success of her “Love You Mom” pears to the thoughtful sentiment. “One of the coolest things a buyer ever told me is that she gave them to her mom and her mom cried,” she says. Personalization and customization, top trends for any kind of gift, are especially popular with buyers shopping for mom.

Block and Hammer sells all kinds of personalized money clips. Featuring "Dad" in their listings photo and using tags such as "Father's Day Gift" can help them reach gift-buying shoppers.

Father’s Day What do you get for the guy who has everything? Shoppers are wondering the same thing. “Buyers really engage with content that offers ideas for guys,” Emily says. “They’re really craving gift ideas for men.” Utilitarian accessories, such as wallets or key chains, are popular gifts for guys. Create a "Gifts for Men", "Gifts for Dad" or "Father’s Day Gift" Shop Section to showcase those products and help buyers find your items in the months and weeks leading up to Father’s Day.

Both Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are great opportunities for products that highlight the relationship between parents and kids. “Any motif that highlights that is an opportunity,” says Emily.

Products with inspirational phrases or imagery, like this notebook from BookishlyUK, can be great for graduation.

Graduation If you sell cards, graduation can be a marketing opportunity for your shop. Use imagery or sayings that speak to shoppers looking for just the right sentiment. To help recent grads start their new phase of life, gift-givers often include cash or a gift card. Brainstorm ways you can market and develop products with that purpose in mind.

Keepsakes are another popular gift for grads. Think about how you can create touching mementos that can commemorate the occasion, and gifts that become heirlooms. Offer personalization on your products, across price points, so shoppers can find a gift that feels special but also fits their budget.

Have you added new products to your shop with gift shoppers in mind? Tell us about it and share your top tips in the comments below.

Avatar image for Taylor Combs Words by Taylor Combs

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