I get a lot of questions about Etsy’s Vacation Mode. Mostly will vacation mode hurt my Etsy shop? So today I’m giving you the definitive answer.
Maybe. 😉
Let’s talk about it.
The reality is that using vacation mode for an extended period of time will hurting your listing rank in search. If you can’t fulfill orders for your shop for months in a row, when you come back from vacation mode, your listings will not be ranking as high as they were prior to you going on vacation mode. But using any other method of taking a break (like deactivating all of your listings) will cause the exact same issue.
So if you need an extended break for whatever reason, use vacation mode so buyers who do end up in your shop through old links will be able to sign up to be notified when you return. (That’s not possible if you just deactivate your listings and leave your shop “open” with no active listings.)
Have a shorter time frame? If you need a week or two off from fulfilling orders, vacation mode will not harm your shop. So here is how I decide whether to use vacation mode or to extend my shop processing time.
I ask myself one question. Am I willing and able to provide customer service during this short time?
If the answer is no, then use vacation mode. Maybe you don’t have access to your shop or you just flat out don’t want to deal with messages. When I’m on vacation trying to relax, I for sure don’t want to spend a single minute answering questions that are probably answered in my listing descriptions anyway.
If the answer is yes, you don’t mind doing some customer service daily when you’re not able to fulfill orders, then extend your processing times. Not because it’s any better for your shop’s search ranking, but because you will be able to make some additional revenue when you’re away and have orders waiting for you to fulfill when you are ready. Just make sure that customers are able to easily see that your processing times are extended by putting announcements in your listings and order confirmation messages.
Need some sample Vacation Mode Messages? Steal my top 5 here!
Happy vacationing!
-Sarah
