My top Etsy buyer questions and how you can respond
In my digital download shop, I get the same customer questions over and over again. Being able to use a canned response saves me time and also insures my the information is accurate and up to date. It also allows me to respond to messages quickly, which is great because message responsiveness counts towards your Star Seller rating. In this post I’m going to outline a few of the most common questions I get and how to reply. Feel free to customize these for your own business to save time!
Where is my file? How do I get my digital download?
“Hi [Name]! You can access your digital download files by going to the "Purchases and Reviews" section on your Etsy account page. From your account page, you'll see a list of your purchases, and next to the order info you'll see a button that says "Download Files." You should be able to access all digital files you purchase on Etsy in this location.
Please note that current app functionality doesn't allow you to download digital files in the Etsy app. You can access them from your phone if you log into your Etsy account in a browser. If you have any additional questions please don’t hesitate to reach out. - [Name]”
Issues accessing the document/template
Since I primarily use Canva, I’ll often send the buyer a direct link to the template rather than resharing the access document that they would get to make the process a bit quicker for them. Tapping a link in the message is much quicker for them than having to download a PDF and click “Access Template.” In this case I still include the instructions above for general file access just so they have it on record for future purposes. This response would go something like this:
“Hi [Name], so sorry you’re having issues accessing the Etsy file. Here is a direct link to the template that will take you right to Canva’s website where you can use and edit the document: [link].
In case you need to reference in the future, you can access your digital download files by going to the "Purchases and Reviews" section on your Etsy account page. From your account page, you'll see a list of your purchases, and next to the order info you'll see a button that says "Download Files." You should be able to access all digital files you purchase on Etsy in this location. Hope that helps!
-[Name]”
Can I edit [x,y,z]?
“Hi [Name]! This item is a [Software Name] template. You’ll have the ability to edit just about everything you see on the screen. This includes font style, font size, font color, images, and page color. You’ll have your own copy of the template which means you can duplicate it as needed and create different color or style variations if you’d like. I hope this helps! If you have any more specific questions please let me know. - [Name]”
Note: If your product contains something like illustrations or artwork that cannot be indicated, you may want to add that to the above message.
Refund request when the item shows as already downloaded
“Hi [Name], Thanks for reaching out. On my end, it shows that the file has been downloaded and our shop policies state that there are no returns accepted on digital items due to the nature of the product. Once the file has been downloaded you should be able to access the template from there. However, if you're having issues with that, here's an additional link: [link]. If the issue persists, please let me know. - [Name]”
On reducing customer questions
There are a few ways you can try and reduce customer questions but I’ve found that no matter what you do, people tend to skim. I try to include important info that a buyer would need to decide to make a purchase in multiple areas to try and combat this. I fill out my shop FAQ section with answers to common questions, include access information in the product description, and include photos in the listing with the same information.
These things can help reduce the number of inquiries you get but the mobile design of Etsy often buries them and makes it a bit harder for a buyer to find if they don’t know what they’re looking for. If you implement just 1 of the 3 things I listed above, I would recommend going with putting information into the listing photos. Not only can you inject your branding, but it’s also an area a buyer is going to be most likely to interact with as they explore the product.
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