1. Photos decide it

Buyers can’t touch your work, so your photos are the whole product page.

• At least four photos per listing. Front, detail, scale (in a hand or beside something familiar), and in use or packaged.
• Daylight, plain background. Near a window, on white card or a wooden table. No flash, no clutter.
• Sharp, upright, roughly square. The first photo is your card image across the whole site — make it the clearest.
• JPEG, not HEIC. On an iPhone, set Camera → Formats → Most Compatible, or share as JPEG. HEIC photos won’t display for many buyers.

2. Titles that match what people type

People search for what a thing is, not what you’ve named it. “Aurora” tells them nothing; “Sterling silver moonstone stud earrings” gets found — on Numonday and on Google.

• Thing first, then material, then who or what it’s for. “Personalised oak keyring — new home gift”.
• No SALE, FREE P&P or exclamation marks. Delivery is already included in every price, and Google rejects listings with promotional words in the title.
• Names and dates go in the personalisation field, not the title.

3. The first sentence sells

Most buyers read the first line of a description and skim the rest. Say what it is, what it’s made from and its size in the first sentence. Then how it’s made, how it’s posted, and anything they need to know before ordering.

4. Set your dispatch time honestly

Shop Manager → Settings → Shipping. If you make to order, pick a made-to-order option. Buyers see an estimated delivery window on every listing and Buyer Protection is judged against it — an honest three weeks beats a hopeful three days.

5. Choose the right category

Every listing needs a category. It’s how category pages and the gift guides find your work, and how buyers browse. Pick the most specific one that fits — “Necklaces” rather than “Jewellery” — and check older listings that were left in the wrong place.

6. Fill in your shop

A logo or photo, a cover image, a short description of who you are and where you make, and your social links. A shop that looks lived-in sells; an empty one doesn’t. Buyers read your shop reviews too, and every order that goes well adds to them.

7. Add tracking when you post

On each order in Shop Manager, add the courier and tracking number. Buyers get it in their “on its way” email with a live tracking link, you get fewer “where is it?” messages, and it’s your proof of postage if a parcel goes missing.

8. Reply to messages quickly

Buyers can now message you from any listing or your shop page. The email lands in your inbox — reply from there. A quick, friendly answer is one of the surest ways to turn a question into an order.

9. Share your shop

Every listing and your shop page have share buttons. Post a new piece to your Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp groups when it goes up — your own followers are your best first customers, and there’s no commission on anything they buy.

10. Keep it fresh

New listings appear on the homepage and at the top of category pages. Listing a couple of pieces a week beats listing fifty once a year. Buyers who follow your shop see your latest work in their favourites.