Hesitant about opening an Etsy shop?
There are a ton of pros and cons to choosing to sell your products on Etsy. Depending on which person you ask, you’re going to get varied feedback. I’ll be the first to admit Etsy isn’t perfect, but it is a great platform for people just getting their online businesses started. In my opinion, if you’re selling any type of handmade good, you can’t afford to not be on Etsy.
Great place to start
When you’re just getting started, there are several reasons why Etsy is a perfect place to begin selling. The start up costs are extremely low, there are no reoccurring fees for membership or subscriptions, and it’s relatively easy to set up.
Although you will eventually want to expand your business and set up your own website, try Etsy first. There’s a lot of automation included and the platform is there to propel your success.
Built in traffic and buyers
No matter what type of handmade product you’re selling, you’re entirely more likely to be found on Etsy than a standalone website. Etsy has it’s own search engine and maintains its own traffic. Someone searching on Google might never find your website since Google is going to provide a much higher number of results.
People actually visit Etsy, search for items, and are ready to buy. They are prepared to purchase and feel confident in doing that on Etsy. People know Etsy, trust Etsy, like Etsy, and want to spend their money there.
Organization
Etsy keeps everything nicely in one place. You have an inbox for communicating with potential buyers, which connects to their orders once you make a sale. All orders are organized so you can easily see which are waiting to be shipped and which have been completed. Etsy allows you to make private notes on orders so you can keep up with exactly what is going on with each.
Shipping labels can be purchased and printed within Etsy. If you do your shipping through the platform, they automatically notify the buyer and provide tracking information. It truly is as streamlined as it could possibly be; they make it easy for you!
Within your listings, you can also keep track of inventory on hand by adding an available quantity to each item. Etsy kept the sellers in mind when setting up the shop back ends and it’s an organized creatives dream!
Support System
Every time you make a sale, Etsy also makes money. They want you to flourish and set you up for success from the beginning. Once you begin to grow, the algorithms recognize and will send even more traffic your way.
Etsy has a great seller handbook full of tips and advice to being the best shop owner you can be. They also have forums where you can discuss wins, goals, problems, and issues that you might have as a seller. There’s truly a community within Etsy to support growing businesses.
Convinced yet? Read more about how I used Etsy to turn my hobby into a business and how I made over $1,300 in my very first month selling on Etsy!
Need some a cheerleader and some hand holding to getting started on Etsy? Check out my e-course for creatives who are ready to sell online. I will guide you from zero to Etsy biz – you’ll have your shop up and running in less than a week!
I love buying from Etsy and supporting makers… plus it’s so much nicer to get original, handmade items. I don’t sell on Etsy, but this is a great guide for people who are considering it. I’ll pass this on to anyone who it may be relevant for.
Thanks so much Monashee! : )
Great post! I have a few crafty friends that should 100% be using this. I didnct know Etsy’s system was so robust!
Thanks Laura! Please send all crafty friends my way! : )
Thanks so much this was really helpful!!
I’m excited to open up a shop on Etsy and turn my hubby into a business I’ve been wanting to do this for quite some time now,
I’m excited to get going but a little nervous at the same time.
So glad you found it helpful! It is an exciting time to start something new and being a little nervous is totally ok. Once you jump in, things that once seemed scary become second nature : )