Have you ever looked at a successful online seller and thought, “I could do that!”? Selling on Etsy is an accessible marketplace, opening the doors for many small hand-crafters just like you!
Have you ever wanted to make some extra money from your handicrafts and wished for an easier way to get started? If so, this is the guide for you.
And so, to begin with…
What is Etsy?
Briefly stated, Etsy is the world’s leading marketplace for handmade goods and vintage items.
It is a website where people from all over the world can find unique and creative goods. There are many different categories of items that you can showcase on Etsy, such as handmade goods, vintage items, and digital products.
These products will be listed under specific categories. This way, people won’t need to scroll through the entire site to find something specific.
Are you new to selling on Etsy? Here’s an easy tip–it is wise to only sell a few items per category then expand after accumulating more feedback.
As with any website, it has its own specific rules, one of these being that you must be at least eighteen years old to create an account.
Another thing that you must be is honest and upfront about the product you are selling, what materials you used in production, and if there are any flaws to the item that may not have been noticeable before. You should keep all of this information listed on your product page for someone who may purchase from your shop.
How to Start Selling on Etsy
Let’s start selling on Etsy!
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Deciding what to sell
If you’re new to selling on Etsy, you will want to look at what other people are selling and see if it’s something that would sell well for you.
The key is finding a niche that has the potential for success.
It doesn’t matter how good your item is or how much time you put into making it. If nobody is interested in buying it, it won’t sell.
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Getting your Etsy account
After you’ve decided on the product to sell, the next is to create an Etsy account.
Go to the Etsy website and click on the ‘Sign Up’ button at the top right-hand corner of the page. This will bring up a form where you can fill in all of your details so that your account can be created.
The second part is creating a shop; you can click on ‘My Etsy.’ If you already logged out, simply enter your Etsy log-in credentials, then proceed.
Scroll down a bit until you see the option to ‘open a shop’ and do that.
You will then be taken to another page where you have to enter more details about your product, how much it costs, and when it will be shipped out.
The third part is adding products, and this is what you will be doing the most.
Name your product, add a description, upload photos and then list it for sale! It’s that simple, really!
The fourth part is getting started; this means selling your goods to people who love handmade and vintage items just as much as you do.
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Creating your shop
To begin creating your shop, you must first choose a shop name.
Ensure that the name is easy to remember and specific enough so that potential customers can find it easily!
Secondly, you should add tags that will help people looking for specific items but don’t know what they are called exactly.
For example, if someone was looking for lace vintage dress patterns, you could tag your products with ‘vintage,’ ‘lace,’ and ‘clothing.’
Third, add a description to your shop to let people know what you sell in your store.
A common mistake that online sellers make is including too much information; the simpler it is, the better! You want to use all your space describing the item and the benefits of owning it. Then move on.
Many other things can be done to your shop, such as adding an ‘about me’ section, opening up for custom orders, and even selling products offline.
Start off by only listing three or four items in your shop; to give potential buyers some time to look around without being overwhelmed.
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Adding a picture
Adding photographs to your product is very important because it will show the exact item that the customer is buying.
You have to be careful not to upset anyone by breaching copyright, as Etsy will come down heavily on doing this.
There are many ways of taking pictures, but a common way would be using a camera or mobile device and then uploading them to your computer.
You can take pictures of the product inside and outside, one from above, to show off any detailing on the item.
Once you have uploaded your photos, you can edit them by cropping and adding a description to each; this is most commonly done using Microsoft Word or Photoshop.
Whew! Finally… After you finish editing the photos, it is time to add them to the item description.
Adding pics here is easy as there is a function where you can choose which image you want to use and add it on.
When taking pictures of any item, it is best not to have too many things in the background, or else it will look messy; remember that your product must be the main focus!
It is also a good idea to have more than one picture as this will show people what it looks like from different angles and help them get a better understanding of the item.
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Making your items stand out
No matter how unique your listings are, if you can’t sell anything, then all of that hard work was for nothing.
To do this, you must advertise your shop and its products as much as possible so that anyone interested will see them.
The most common way of doing this is by creating a Facebook page for your shop and making sure that all of your listings are tagged with relevant keywords so people can find them easily.
You can also advertise by listing your products in groups or forums on Facebook, adding them to group websites, and making sure that everyone knows about it when you run a promotion!
You can also create a blog for your shop where you can talk about your products; this is good because it makes it easier to find by people looking for information.
Many Etsy sellers often make a common mistake is to open their shop, enter the products, and fail to put in the extra effort. This can sometimes work. But it is best if you advertise as much as possible so no one will miss out.
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Dealing with customers
One of the primary reasons people buy things from a particular website or shop is because they have good customer service; luckily, this can also help you market your products and increase sales.
When a customer contacts you with a question or complaint, it is best to deal with them straight away; sending them an automatic reply saying that the answer will come back in 24 hours won’t look good as people are looking for answers now!
It is vital to make sure that you are always polite and friendly as this is the best way to make a great impression on your customer.
If you have had any bad experiences with buyers, it is best not to dwell on them as they can affect how people see your shop.
If someone doesn’t leave feedback for you, then it may not be worth worrying about as there could be many reasons for not leaving a review; this can be hard, though if it is your first shop or you are new to selling handmade products.
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Paying Etsy fees and adding postage costs
Etsy will charge standard fees for all of the goods sold in your shop, along with setting a commission on any sales that you make.
You can see each of these charges in the dashboard in your shop; this is all standard for every seller.
When it comes to adding postage costs, you have two options: either including the cost of posting with each item or having a separate listing for postage.
If your items are small, then it may be worth including the costs in the price of the item so that it is clear how much it will cost.
You can also choose whether you want your shipping price to be on the low or high side.
Etsy goes out of its way to treat all sellers equally. This means that they must charge the same for postage in each country and may not charge for posting non-Etsy items.
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Time and effort involved with selling on Etsy
Selling on Etsy is a great idea when you have a lot of time to devote to the process and are ready for some hard work!
To manage your shop effectively, you will need at least one hour each day; this adds up over time and can really take it out of you if you don’t have the time to go shopping or do other things that may be more important.
If you are planning on selling for a long time, it is worth finding someone to help you; this could be a family member, friend, housemate, or even an assistant who will work in your shop in exchange for a small commission.
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Advertising your products on Etsy
The best way to get visitors to land on your Etsy page is to advertise it. Therefore, you must optimize your page to make it easy for buyers to find it.
So what should you do?
Ensure that your shop has the correct categories and tags, as this can be found on the dashboard in your shop.
It makes it easier for people to find your products, and they will feel safer once they have seen that it is in the right place.
You must also add a banner or signature on your forum posts, as this helps direct traffic back to you and makes people much more likely to view what you have to offer!
Try and put up links on relevant subjects rather than posting random banners around.
For instance, consider adding a link in your signature when you post something about the business course you’re taking.
Getting people from social media sites to visit your shop is essential to selling on Etsy.
When using social media sites, it’s best to think about how you will promote your business; some social media sites will charge for advertising, but others won’t. Consider Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, TikTok, or other popular sites where you can showcase your talents.
Also, be sure to maintain professionalism (don’t spam people with posts) on such sites, so you don’t get negative results.
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Use Etsy as one part of an online selling business plan.
If you intend to sell your handmade items for a long time, then it is best to think about what you will do next; this can be hard when things are going great, but it will help with the future of your business.
One way to start moving into the future is to have an additional shop off of Etsy. This does not mean that you should close your current shop but instead use this to earn extra money.
My best advice for anyone who wants to open an out-of-Etsy store is to be fearless–take that first step. If you wait, then it may never happen, and you could miss out on a lot of potential business.
If you add the seller’s site to your existing page, you will also link to it. Thus, people visiting your Etsy shop can click the link to go straight to your other store.
This is very useful for anyone who has already made sales and doesn’t want the business to fall off as your current products start to run out.
The Bottom Line on Selling on Etsy
In this post, we gave you some insight on how to start selling your crafts and products online. You have much food for thought to consider now.
We know it can be a little daunting or overwhelming if you don’t have any experience with Etsy before, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try!
You will find it easy to start selling on Etsy in a relatively short time, making it a wonderful tool to earn money.
Start today by following these simple above-listed tips. Soon, you’ll find yourself a pro at selling on Etsy. And whether this crafting business is your main income or your side hustle, you will be on your way to success.
Today, she also serves as a content producer and sometimes editor. Her vast (and often surprising!) skillset enables her to conquer any challenges.
She loves writing about gardening, wellness, and raising healthy children. As a full-time author and parent of two children, Maureen knows a trick or two on these topics.
After gaining valuable experience in blogging and content production with the DIY Home & Garden team, Maureen branched out and started her own publication, as well. Now, she proudly publishes the website: The Perfect Parenting Place.
