Etsy’s third-party e-commerce platform helps small entrepreneurs and creators reach a broader audience they might not have otherwise encountered, exposing them to (and hopefully selling to). This enables many to transform their skills and a few products into successful businesses, gaining traction and amassing reviews on a reliable website that clients are willing to buy from.
The struggle to compete against major brands to build an audience and drive traffic to the website so that those customers can make those purchases is real for creators and small e-commerce businesses. Customers have many choices from well-known companies that claim to provide precisely that if they search for a “hand-woven blanket” on Google. Due to this, many people use Etsy. They frequently find themselves with valuable, high-quality, and occasionally niche products to sell.
We’ll go over everything a seller needs to know about selling on Etsy in this post so you can see how to launch your Etsy store and set it up for success.
What is the Etsy Platform?
Etsy is an online marketplace for independent makers, crafters, and collectors established in 2005. Users can create online stores to sell their goods on Etsy. Women make up about 80% of sellers and are all independent artists.
A large marketplace with products from various sellers is being created to make it easier for customers to find excellent vendors. As of 2020, Etsy had more than 4.3 million sellers and more than 60 million products. The marketplace is expanding quickly, so buyers have many fantastic finds. For independent vendors selling handcrafted, one-of-a-kind, or niche goods, it’s somewhat similar to Amazon. While some sellers produce items as orders come in, others keep an inventory on hand. As their businesses expand, some sellers on the platform can scale significantly while others can stay small. Some platform sellers have thousands of reviews, a wide selection of goods, and even unique packaging with their brands on it. They’ve developed their “hobby company” into a full-time, profitable endeavor.
Here, sellers may use either organic search or marketed listings to offer tangible products, including apparel and home goods, digital downloads, retro things (20 years or older), and craft materials. They are free to do this on their terms, deciding when to send out goods, which shipping services to utilize, and how much to charge. Additionally, they have extensive control over their storefronts. They may permit or deactivate various third-party payment solutions, offering sellers a great deal of power while still giving customers a great deal of freedom that is advantageous to them.
Users may explore various product categories or conduct precise searches in the meantime. Once consumers locate a product they want, they may read thorough descriptions, see product pictures, read reviews, and look at the seller’s profile. To ask any queries, customers may even message the vendor directly. A direct, personable interface enables businesses to present a polished virtual shop.
What products may you sell?
On Etsy, you may discover a wide variety of things, but according to the company’s statistics, handmade items, antique items, and craft supplies are the three most popular product categories. About 90% of the products on the website are classified as handcrafted, which may include any of the following (and more):
- Handmade jewelry and apparel
- Handcrafted cosmetics
- Food, covering anything from sourdough starters to spice rubs to cupcakes.
- Real plants
- Home Decor
- Leashes and collars for pets
- Household items including dinnerware, chopsticks, and pillows
Party supplies are a kind of craft supplies that might be homemade, manufactured, or antique. If the item isn’t antique or a craft supply, it has to be handmade by the seller, who must mention everyone who helped with its production in the product’s “About” section. When it comes to handcrafted goods, there is no drop shipping or third-party curation of things to sell on the marketplace, improving authenticity.
Nine crucial recommendations for selling on Etsy
You may take measures to differentiate your shop and items from the competition when you wish to start selling on Etsy.
The following crucial Etsy selling advice is something you shouldn’t ignore:
- Post pictures of high quality.
- Original photos must be posted, but they must also be stunning. Users tend to choose the pages they look at most while surfing. Use crisp, high-resolution pictures that depict the product. For optimum results, add many photos to the product page.
- Search engine optimization.
- Many people use Etsy as a search engine to locate the goods they need, whether it’s a wreath for Christmas or a fifty-year-old sourdough starter. Use keywords in the product description and, to be safe, think about utilizing a variety of keywords in the product listing. Make sure each listing is optimized to appear in search results when customers are seeking whatever it is you’re offering.
- Give your shop the respect it deserves.
- Make sure your profile, which is connected to your company profile, is powerful, friendly, and accessible, choose a beautiful profile photo (which may be a bespoke logo), and utilize consistently branded imagery. Treat Etsy as a potential business opportunity if you want to make it a reliable source of revenue.
- Provide exceptional client service.
- Before purchasing, prospective consumers could get in touch and ask questions. Existing clients might contact you to check on a purchase or ask for assistance if anything goes wrong. Excellent customer service will encourage customers to make further purchases and provide positive evaluations. Both benefit your company.
- Even a little competition analysis session may teach you a lot.
- Do some research on the leading rivals in your field. You can examine how customers describe their items, what search phrases they appear for, how they set prices, and what other customers say about them. Make use of this knowledge to advance your own business.
- Obtain a following on social media.
- Like companies, some well-known Etsy producers have devoted fan bases, and these customers will gladly follow you on social media. Create an Instagram account, a Facebook page, or even a Facebook group to inform your loyal clients of everything occurring with your company.
- Do you want to encourage repeat purchases?
- Offer reductions on subsequent purchases. There are tools available on Etsy that let vendors create unique promo codes. These may be sent at any time, but you can also do so in the form of postcards or notes after a client converts, enticing them to make another purchase in the future.
- Activate your Etsy membership.
- Want to boost the credibility of your account and storefront swiftly? Become a part of the Etsy community. Engage in the discussions on the forums without being overtly promotional, and attempt to work with other vendors to develop alluring bundles. Trust is a powerful tool.
Is it worthwhile to sell on Etsy?
Most sellers agree that it is worthwhile to sell on Etsy, mainly if you include all seller costs in your price. It requires time, effort, and some initial money in the form of listing fees and other expenses related to selling on Etsy (which may include business licenses, product material or manufacturing costs, tax preparation, and more). Learning the platform and gradually building pace might also be sluggish initially.
Numerous noteworthy drawbacks need mentioning:
- On the platform, there is intense rivalry between the many shoppers and the many company owners.
- Unfortunately, this is nearly always true in business. If you have an excellent product, someone else will probably notice and attempt to create their version.
- Because there are so many alternatives and consumers are eager to try them, particularly at low prices, there is sometimes a lack of client loyalty. Although developing a brand may assist with this, consumers may be seeking handcrafted items but not necessarily yours.
- Building a following on social media or via an email list may be more challenging since you have to direct consumers away from your website to subscribe to your email list or visit your blog. It can be more difficult to elevate your brand on the platform truly.
Etsy often has more advantages than disadvantages:
- It is fast, simple to set up, use consistently, and affordable.
- It offers a far wider audience reach and the ability to connect you with an interested and dependable audience more quickly than your website probably would.
- It’s an excellent approach to reaching new markets, evaluating novel goods, and getting experience in company management without paying astronomical costs.
Conclusion
Even though selling on Etsy has both advantages and disadvantages, as we’ve already covered, it resembles a creator’s paradise in many respects.
On Etsy, there is a sizable, active, and loyal audience. Because the objective is to attempt to identify handcrafted goods from specialized artists, consumers are more ready to purchase from tiny businesses here than they may be on a website like Amazon. Compared to other platforms, the costs are also relatively reasonable, and it’s difficult to ignore how simple it is to set up and use.