International Customers on Etsy

Making your Etsy or small business easy for international customers to use can grow your business and help you get more customers. Here are some tips on how to make your Etsy more accessible to international customers:

Where are people coming from?

First, you can look on Google Analytics or Etsy Stats to see where a lot of viewers are coming from. Then, see where your past buyers have bought from. Is there a certain international place where a lot of customers are from? Research more about this country and where people from that place go on the internet. Is there a team on Etsy for that country? Maybe you'll find a website or message board for arts and crafts for people in that country. Choose a few countries you want to target..

Translate different tags

Since international viewers might search in different languages besides English, it is a good idea to have some of your important tags in other languages. Translate tags in languages for places you want buyers to come from. You can also translate words in to popular languages like Spanish, Italian and French. Put these words in extra tags if you have room of them.

For example, I sell greeting cards in my shop. "Greeting card" in different languages is:
French - carte de vœux
Italian - biglietto d'auguri
Dutch - wenskaart
Spanish - tarjeta de felicitación

Shipping

Offer international shipping. There is an "Everywhere else" option on Etsy where you can set a flat rate for international places. You might also want to include specific shipping for a few countries (like Canada and Mexico which are usually cheaper than other international places). These are my shipping rates in my shop:

Cards and Small Items
United States $2.00 USD
Canada $2.50 USD
Mexico $3.50 USD
Everywhere Else $5.00 USD

Journals and Larger Items
United States $4.00 USD
Canada $6.00 USD
Mexico $10.00 USD
Everywhere Else $12.00 USD

Use a shipping calculator, like the USPS Postal Price Calculator, to get exact rates. If you're shipping small or light items, try to use a cheaper option like First Class. 

Translator Widget

If you have your own website, have a translator widget or section for international viewers. If you can speak another language fluently, that is a great way to connect to international fans. In Etsy, go to Shop Settings > Info > Apperance > Languages to opt in to another language on Etsy. You can also hire a translator or use a free translator if you're not fluent. Make sure to write at the top "Translated by..." (and then whatever translator you're using) so people know you're using a translator. Sometimes, translators (especially free ones) don't get it completely right so you want to clear up any confusion. Even though a lot of people know English, talking in someone's foreign language can make a better and easier experience for your customer.

If you run an Etsy, do you have a lot of international customers?  Are you an international customer? Get 15% off any purchase in my shop if you enter the code "INTERNATIONAL" on my Etsy or Storenvy.