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In 2020, Etsy had over 3.1 million active sellers, with many making significant income through the online marketplace platform.
It’s no wonder, then, that many people are curious about using Etsy to sell their crafts, decoration, art, vintage clothing, and other goods.
Creating an Etsy shop takes some work and may be slow-going at first, but once you build your audience and start making consistent sales, it is worth it!
Read on to discover the steps for selling your products on Etsy.
Create Your Etsy Shop
The first step of selling on Etsy is making your shop. Creating a shop is free. You won’t have to pay anything until you start listing items.
When you’re setting up your Etsy shop, you’ll need to choose a shop name. If you don’t already have a name for your business and don’t have any ideas, Etsy’s system will make some suggestions for you.
You’ll also want to set up your shop preferences at this time. The shop set up on Etsy involves choosing your currency and payment preferences. You’ll decide how you want to be billed and how you want to be paid.
One of the significant benefits of selling on Etsy rather than making your own website is that you don’t have to worry about programming or designing the web page. That’s all taken care of for you.
Start Listing Items for Sale
Listing an item will cost just USD 0.20. That will keep the item posted for four months or until it’s sold — whichever comes first.
That’s all you’ll have to pay until you make a sale. Then there’s a 5% transaction fee and 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee.
The title should say what the item is (of course!), while the description should provide more details like measurements, fabrics, notes about any tears or imperfections (for vintage clothing), and other things like that.
There are a few key things you need to keep in mind when listing your items.
Keyword Research
First, make sure you think about terms shoppers might search when you are writing the title and description of your listing.
This will help customers find you and get your shop as visible as possible. It helps to have a strong understanding of search engine optimization (SEO), so do some research.
Second, make sure your descriptions are accurate and do not leave out anything your customers might want to know.
Your customers will not be happy if you describe something as being in like-new condition and it arrives with a rip or a stain.
If they leave a bad review because your description was inaccurate, it could hurt your shop.
Finally, you’ll want to put a lot of thought into how you price your goods.
How much did you spend on supplies? How many hours of labor went into bringing this product to your customer? How much are other Etsy shops charging for similar items?
The most successful Etsy shops have fair prices that accurately reflect the value of the goods.
Market Your Shop
Don’t just wait for potential customers to stumble across your shop while browsing listings. It is best to market your shop actively.
An excellent place to start is by letting your friends and family members know about your new endeavor. They can be some of your best customers and can help you spread the word to others, too.
It’s also wise to start an Instagram account for your business to grow your audience. You can use things like hashtags to get noticed. It’s also a great way to have a consistent touchpoint with people who care about your business and your products.
There are a ton of different ways to market your Etsy shop. You may even choose to invest money in advertising — it can have a great pay off.
Whatever marketing path you choose, it is an essential step in making those sales!
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
What’s the best way to ship items that I sell on Etsy?Often, the best shipping method will depend on the size of the package and the destination. Remember that it tends to be significantly more expensive to ship things internationally. Compare the price of a flat rate box and a calculator for regular shipping from USPS.
As you experiment with your options, you will get a better sense of what works best financially for you depending on the scenario.
You should also check Etsy Plus’s discounts on shipping boxes if you have an Etsy Plus plan.
You have options when it comes to shipping.
Is Etsy Plus Worth It?Depending on what you want out of your Etsy business, it may be worth your while to invest in an Etsy Plus package.
Etsy Plus gives you access to a lot of perks that you don’t get with a standard Etsy account. You get access to advanced shop customization and gain the ability to let your customers make restock requests on sold out items.
You also will get a discount on things like ads and a customized URL if you sign up for Etsy Plus.
Whether or not Etsy Plus is worth it will really depend on what you want out of your shop. Some sellers will get a lot out of it while others might not. It is certainly worth investigating if it sounds like something you may find beneficial.
There’s lots of competition on Etsy and not every seller is successful.
Research can really make or break your business.
It is wise to read lots of FAQs and guides to selling on Etsy. Make sure you know Etsy’s seller policies like the back of your hand so you don’t make any rookie mistakes.
Also research your niche. Talk to other people who are successfully selling the kind of goods you want to sell. What have they learned along the way? There’s a lot to learn from those you admire in the Etsy business.
There are actually two choices you can use for your etsy shop URL.
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https://shopname.etsy.com
- https://www.etsy.com/shop/shopname
