If you are a small business and sell products, you need to be online. There are many ways to sell online, but having an e-commerce site is key. There are a number of options available including Shopify, Wix, Squarespace as well as social media platforms. If you are new to e-commerce, or it’s your first foray into the online selling space, Etsy might be the right fit for you. If your business falls within one of the three categories allowed to sell on Etsy, we suggest that you consider setting up a shop on Etsy. What can you sell on Etsy?
HANDMADE ITEMS
VINTAGE GOODS
CRAFT SUPPLIES
Why Etsy? Outside of the 81.9 million active buyers worldwide, there are a number of other reasons you should consider this platform. First off, the technical infrastructure is already set up for you along with marketing tools, online education and a built in audience that sees Etsy as a trusted platform. Etsy does take 5% of each sale, a 3% transaction fee plus .25 cents and a .20 cents US listing fee. These costs are minimal compared to the monthly costs for hosting an e-commerce website not to mention maintenance and there’s no getting away from transaction fees.
For a new business, it can be daunting and expensive to create an e-commerce site. Depending on your skill set, not everyone is a tech wizard. If you are an existing business with an e-commerce platform, you can also benefit from hosting an Etsy Shop. It can be a good compliment to your current marketing strategy and allows you to reach a wider audience.
Wondering what sells best on Etsy? We invite you to check out this list from Life Extension Blog posted February 1, 2022:
- Sticker
- Notebook and journal
- Jewelry
- Home decor
- Digital designs/Graphic designs
- Posters
- Toys & baby items
- Vintage items
- Organic cosmetics
- Sewing and Crochet Pattern
- Clothing
- Bags and purses
- Phone case
- Papercraft
- Candle
Speaking from experience, opening an Etsy Shop is relatively simple. Etsy provides all newcomers with an online Seller’s Handbook which answers many questions about shipping, finances, marketing, legal, taxes, reviews and much more. As with any platform, there is some time and effort required in the initial set up. You will need to think in advance about your name, branding, social media and how that will all come together just as you would with any business website.
If you are looking to take the leap in setting up an Etsy Shop, we recommend also linking Erank to your Etsy Shop. This online platform provides listing audits and advice on how to improve your Etsy listings. This saves much needed time and aids in the learning curve on how best to set up your Etsy listings. Erank provides suggestions on keywords, attributes and tags along with explanations as to the why behind their recommendations. Much of Erank’s recommendations fall under the heading of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) which improves people’s ability to find your Etsy Shop when searching on Etsy or Google. No matter what e-commerce platform one uses, SEO helps you be found online. If you want people to buy your products, you need to be found first. This platform will help you get started on the right foot.
We have suggested Erank as it is a free platform, simple to link to an Etsy Shop and easy to use. If your items are tied to trends, you may benefit from the PRO version ($9.99 US per month). Marmalead is the competitor of Erank and provides a similar service with some variations, but their starting price point is $19.99 US per month. So for those starting out who wish to keep costs to a minimum Erank will do the trick.
Lastly, Etsy has a large online community and there are a host of people’s experiences to drawn on that can help you find your way. There are many trying to sell their programs that make pie in the sky promises about exponentially increasing your sales, but there are others that provide matter of fact information. For that we landed on Kara Buntin who has a website and Etsy Shop called A Cake To Remember. Kara posts quite regularly to YouTube about her best practices, changes/updates to the Etsy platform and just general tips and advice. No big sales tactics, just straight up advice.
Do you need help setting up an Etsy Shop? Contact us today. We are happy to provide support in getting your Etsy Shop up and running.
Have You Considered Etsy As An E-Commerce Site For Your Business?
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