It was back in the year 2005 that Etsy came into existence as one of the marketplaces that held the biggest limelight. Etsy is known for being the most popular platform that allows creators/influencers etc to sell their own products.
To date, Etsy is associated with over 54 million users which include approximately 38 million users as buyers and 1.98 million users as sellers. In addition to these fancy statistics, Etsy has a lot in store for you that you can easily discover once you are a part of the platform.
It is definitely one of the best things to know how can you sell your business on Etsy. Therefore, you are in the right place if you are looking forward to starting your own big business on Etsy because we are going to cover every possible detail that will guide you on how you can do it.
Sell on Etsy – Learn in just 7 Steps
It is very crucial to first understand whether or not you are actually looking to open your own Etsy Shop. If the answer to this is yes, then you need to understand that you are about to make a lot of money through Etsy. All you need to understand is the number of steps that is going to make the whole process an easy one to understand.
Let’s get started on the 7 easy steps to sell on Etsy that will surely turn the wind around.
Step 1: Visit Etsy.com and Setup
One thing at a time and the preliminary step to get started to sell on Etsy would be to visit Etsy.com. Click on Etsy and you will be redirected to the Etsy store.
Now that you have successfully visited Etsy, you can start with creating your own account if you don’t already have one. This is the first thing to consider if you are going to sell in Etsy in the future. An account of your own on Etsy is going to help you stand out from the audience.
Sign up with your regular email address and password or use your Google account. It is going to work either way for you. Add your details, images, and so on to get started with your own store on Etsy. Buyers can visit your profile directly from Etsy therefore, it is best recommended to keep it simple and professional.
Step 2: Choose the right ‘Shop’ Name
Your creative sense has a huge role to play here. Use your creativity to select a ‘Shop’ Name for you. Etsy is going to feature the same name for potential buyers. Go for a name that reflects your own brand.
Make sure to get a name that is easy for customers to read and understand. No one wants to pronounce a tough and complex name and hence, this is a pointer you need to consider before you choose a name for yourself.
It is extremely important to choose a shop name that is identical to your business. The username and Etsy URL that will be generated is going to have an impact overall. You also get the accessibility to change your name handle once, for which you will not require any approval from Etsy.
Some of the buyers add quotes and sayings in their Etsy Store name to keep themselves distinguished from the other stores. For shoppers, it is easy to look for your shop and discover them. Additionally, you can also include some verbiage (creative ones) that will help your Etsy business to stay apart from other stores.
Step 3: Shop Settings Customization
After signing up and deciding on the Shop Name, the next thing that you need to consider is how you can customize your shop.
Start with setting up your preferences and by deciding the ways you wish to sell your products. Additionally, you can also choose to select the language of your listed products and describe and talk about your items. There are tons of other factors to consider as well which include your trading currency, shipping charges, location for trade, and so on.
Customization of your shop is extremely crucial to help the audience distinguish your Etsy shop from others. Every option on the website is pretty straightforward to opt for. Therefore, go for mid-level customization that not only adds enhancement to your Etsy shop but is also an applicable choice for your business.
Step 4: Product Listings
There are many ways using which you can enlist your products on Etsy. This is a crucial point to proceed with Etsy if you are looking forward to sell on Etsy.
Some of the major points to consider before you define your products listings are mentioned below.
1. Add Images
As per Etsy policy, it is advisable to sellers to have a minimum of five pictures of every item that is listed in their inventory. Ensure taking pictures from different angles so that buyers have an idea of the product that are about to buy. In order to sell in Etsy, products images have a huge role to play. Click good pictures which are also high in quality so that it is presentable to the audience.
2. Adjustment of Thumbnail
Thumbnails are the first thing that a buyer encounters when they visit your store or come across any product that is listed on your store. Therefore, it is important to have a Thumbnail that adds value to what you are selling. Ensure to have thumbnails for every product that you list down on your website. It will add dept and helps potential buyers have a clear idea of whatever they are willing to purchase.
Also, be very much consistent with the products you sell so that it matches your brand outlook in the right way.
3. Sufficient listing Information
Every product that you decide to sell on Etsy must contain a name and description. This is important for the understanding of the customers. So that they have every little detail in description.
Etsy provides 13 tags for every product. Therefore, it is highly recommended to make wise use of these tags. When buyers look for buying products that is the first thing they look forward to. Products keywords help in locating the items in inventory. So, keep in mind to include the product keywords matching with your tags.
4. Quality and Pricing
When you list your product in the inventory, make sure to add the price for each product. All the costs and factors are included in the sale price. Additionally, also ensure that the quality of the stock, and also mention if the products and its variants are available as per the size and material.
5. Fixed – Shipping Fee
Shipping fee has a huge role to play and it needs to be done in the right way. Your shipping fee amount should entirely depend on a number of factors some of which include country of origin, processing time, size, and weight. Later, these information can be adjusted keeping in mind the requirement of the users.
6. Etsy listings require mandatory viewing
Ensure all the changes that your shop might need and put them in place as and when required. It is extremely important for a customer to feel the vibe when they look at your shop as a perspective of the customer helps in understanding the way your listings and shop is about to prosper in the coming time. All you now need to do is click on finish and voila, you are good to go.
Step 5: Payment Method
Well, this is another primary step that you need to consider when you are looking forward to selling on Etsy. Nowadays, not just with Etsy, people highly go opting for electronic payments that are also an easy alternative to consider.
For most sellers, the most effective way of making a transaction is PayPal or Payment via Etsy. Regardless of the fact that whether you are using a credit card or debit card, you are going to end up make hassle-free payments through Etsy. Some of the other alternatives that users can use include paying through Etsy gift cards or using the store credit.
Step 6: Includes Billing Details
The billing information mentioned on your bills depends totally on where you live and your origin. Etsy may require a credit card that is needed for authorization and even for your identification for that matter. Additionally, Etsy also comes with a card that you can willingly use to pay for fees and commission.
That is all. You are all set to globally sell on Etsy. Now is time to start optimizing your listed items. Don’t forget to promote them too as it is indeed the right thing to do when you are opening your very own Etsy store.
Step 7: Optimization
Last and the final one in our list of how to sell on Etsy talks about optimizing your shop. This helps in attracting more sales and helping people to understand the current value of your shop.
Coming up are some pointers that you can very much use to optimize your Etsy shop and drive more people to it.
1: Add your Profile
This section is extremely significant. This section of your profile must contain a short bio and should include your photo. This will allow visitors to distinguish themselves from other sellers and will keep you stand out of the crowd.
Furthermore, this is a great way to create personal links and associations with customers who are regular at your shop. Also, gives enhanced insight to your customer about the products that you are selling.
2: Store Bio Would Make More Sense
This is a part of your Etsy shop that needs some good amount of energy from your end. You can talk a lot about the eCommerce store in general and can also explain to customers who you are. Etsy offers around 5k characters to the sellers to write about their shop for people to know and understand.
In here, you can write about your shop, how you manage your shop, who you are, and so many other things that would comfortably be defined in 5k characters.
One thing that people value the most is transparency and hence, it is crucial that other users maintain it. Additionally, you can also opt for adding photos and images right from your workplace.
3: Shop Policies
The section will contain FAQs that will help customers to understand more about the product. Alongside that, as a seller, you can also mention the timelines that you have in mind. Processing and shipping guidelines are the best way to add more insight to the perspective of the customer. Customers are likely to understand the amount of time it is going to take them to reach out to their product. If you sell on Etsy and adhere to the return policy if it is applicable at your end.
4: Marketing Strategy
With the right tools for marketing, you can reach out to the right audience on social media which also is the most effective way of reaching out to the potential target. With Etsy, it becomes more flexible because of its marketing tool. With the help of the marketing tool, sellers can broadcast and sell on Etsy by highlighting their products on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Seller Fees on Etsy
There is a lot to consider if you are willing to explore the potential expenses. Etsy is more like a business and hence, listing fees are mandatory for Etsy sellers if they are looking to sell on Etsy. Below is a detailed listing fee for sellers who have their items highlighted on Etsy.
1. Listing Fee
You need to pay a fee of 0.20$ if you are going to list your product on Etsy. This is also true when you renew listings on Etsy. Before expiration, the listings on Etsy last for a total of 4 months. Therefore, you need to pay a fee unless the four months duration has passed or you are willing to list your item again on the website.
2. Transaction Fee
Selling on Etsy is an easy job to do. Therefore, every time you sell on Etsy, you will need to pay the transaction fee. Etsy, as a selling platform, will take 5% of the amount that you pay/price of the product that you sell. The shipping price is also included in the whole amount. For the products and items that don’t sell out, you don’t have to pay any transaction fee.
3. Payment Processing Fee
Choosing the right kind of payment options is very important. There are many methods that you can consider to use as a payment option to sell on Etsy. Every time when you make a sale on the platform and the mode used is Etsy payments, you need to pay a payment processing fee. In a total, you need to pay 3% of the total sale price along with 0.25% that will take care of the credit card amount.
Addition to the mentioned, you can also accept payments through PayPal but these are separate fees that that you directly pay to Etsy and there is no involvement of processing fee in the process.
4. Other Fees
Additional fees are also a part of Etsy if you wish to sell on Etsy. Set your own budget if you are going to promote listings on Etsy.
Offsite ads program allows users to promote their products on Google and somewhere online. All shops on Etsy are already assigned to take care of the following program.
Some More Tips to Sell on Etsy
Now that you have successfully optimized your shop and set it up, it is the right time to drive sales too. Here are some of the factors that contribute to add.
1. Hire a ‘Professional Photographer’
A visual approach adds a lot more depth than originality. We definitely need to see, touch, and experience the products that users are buying. The idea behind productivity is photography. Hero shots and lifestyle shots are some of the primary and this is how psychology assigns it.
The best way to do it is to understand and implement the combination of both hero and lifestyle shots. For instance, if you have an art and craft set, make sure to layout the beautiful patterns in a way that is easy to distinguish.
Also, you can add a maximum of 10 photos, therefore it is effective to make use of them in the most efficient manner. Driving sales are directly proportional to how you put up your high-quality pictures.
2. Financial Records
Bookkeeping is also important when you are managing a platform like Etsy. To start with selling on Etsy, financial aspects have a major role to play. Bookkeeping helps in understanding the direction of your Etsy business and the section it is leading to. Set targets and aim to achieve it to ensure if you are going for a profit or a loss.
The better you are with numbers, the best decisions you end up making.
3. Etsy SEO also adds Value
Well, all of you must have heard of SEO or Search Engine Optimization. SEO has a major role to play to enhance your visibility as well as to increase it. This works best on platforms like Google but Etsy SEO also helps in driving sales in the conducted manner.
The platform helps in defining the techniques of SEO and it varies from platform to platform. Google, Amazon, Flipkart, and so on have different ways to inject and channelize their SEO tactics. The same goes with Etsy. For all cases, SEO has the same set of rules and the basic ground values of SEO remain the same. Therefore, it eventually comes down to keywords and using them in the most effective way.
Do you know what people actually search for on Etsy? It is essential to understand the categories that you are dealing with and adjust the keywords in a similar manner to be the best. Make sure to use valuable keywords in the process so that is easy to search and match with your items on Etsy. This will also help to add products and help them stand out in the search results.
Alternatively, you can also opt for products to understand and optimize the keywords.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Etsy?
Etsy is a spot for small business owners who have skills to put on display to attract the audience. This is the best way to effectively work around.
Do you need a license to sell on Etsy?
How much worthy is it to sell on Etsy?
Takeaway
One thing to majorly highlight here would be how successful sellers have become being a part of Etsy. Many of them grew small and have turned into wonders by organizing their growth and by functioning in the right path.
For most people, the biggest hurdle is the willingness to start or sell on Etsy. You don’t need tons of people to follow you. As an individual, you can also start with your structure and work to manage and control it in the future.
With all the right ideas on your plate now, you too can start selling on Etsy in the most efficient way and that ensures to knock you with profit.
