Etsy Shop Critique Checklist: Audit Your Shop in 30 Minutes

Etsy Shop Critique Checklist

When you work in your Etsy shop every day, it is easy to develop blind spots. This checklist helps you step back and evaluate your shop from a buyer's perspective. Set aside 30 minutes and work through each item honestly.

Shop First Impressions

• ☐ Is your shop banner professional and on-brand?
• ☐ Does your shop icon/logo look clear at small sizes?
• ☐ Is your shop announcement current and useful (not from two years ago)?
• ☐ Is your About section filled in with a compelling story?
• ☐ Do you have a shop video (optional but adds credibility)?

Listings

• ☐ Do your first photos stand out in search results? Test by searching for your product and seeing how yours compares to competitors.
• ☐ Do you have at least 5 photos per listing? (10 is better)
• ☐ Is your first photo on a clean, consistent background?
• ☐ Do photos show scale, detail, packaging, and the product in use?
• ☐ Are titles keyword-rich and front-loaded with the most important terms?
• ☐ Are all 13 tags used? Do they include long-tail phrases?
• ☐ Are all item specifics and attributes filled in?
• ☐ Do descriptions answer likely buyer questions? (Size, materials, care, delivery time)

SEO

• ☐ Are you using Etsy's search analytics to see which searches drive your traffic?
• ☐ Are your highest-traffic listings optimised with the best photos and descriptions?
• ☐ Do your tags match what buyers actually search for (not what you think they search for)?

Policies and Trust

• ☐ Are shipping policies clear — dispatch time, carriers used, estimated delivery?
• ☐ Is your returns policy fair and clearly stated?
• ☐ Do you respond to messages within 24 hours?
• ☐ Is your dispatch time accurate (do you actually hit it consistently)?

Pricing

• ☐ Do your prices cover all costs (materials + labour + fees + shipping supplies + tax + profit)?
• ☐ Is your pricing competitive for your market? (Not the cheapest — just competitive)
• ☐ Is free shipping offered or built into pricing?

Reviews

• ☐ Do you have mostly 5-star reviews?
• ☐ Are any negative reviews addressed publicly with a professional response?
• ☐ Are you consistently generating new reviews from recent orders?

Professional Audit

This checklist covers the basics, but a professional audit goes deeper — competitor analysis, pricing strategy, SEO opportunities, and growth planning. Contact Flowline Commerce for a comprehensive Etsy shop audit.