{"id":9728,"date":"2022-08-04T10:00:53","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T17:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.surveyjunkie.com\/blog\/?p=9728"},"modified":"2022-09-22T12:03:04","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T19:03:04","slug":"how-to-sell-on-etsy-a-step-by-step-guide-for-beginners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.surveyjunkie.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-on-etsy-a-step-by-step-guide-for-beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"HOW TO SELL ON ETSY: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS"},"content":{"rendered":"

An income boost is always a welcome change, but it’s especially helpful in tough economies like this one. Whether you\u2019re looking to offset rising prices, cover monthly expenses or just make a little money to fund your extracurricular activities, now is a super time to start a side hustle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Side hustles can take many forms but selling online with an Etsy shop is a popular choice for creative entrepreneurs. You may even end up with more than a modest income boost. Find success on Etsy, and you could find yourself running an online store that generates six-figure sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

Intrigued? Read on for a detailed walk-through of how to sell on Etsy successfully.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is Etsy?<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"what<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Etsy is a worldwide marketplace for custom products. Some<\/span> 96 million buyers<\/span><\/a> visit Etsy each year to shop for craft supplies, handmade goods, or vintage items. Roughly<\/span> 7.5 million<\/span><\/a> active Etsy sellers serve those buyers. More than two-thirds (<\/span>71%<\/span><\/a>) of Etsy sellers manage their Etsy store as a small business — that is, as a way to generate profits and improve their financial independence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To start selling successfully on Etsy, you must do two things well:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Create products people love.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Merchandise those products so people can find them.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Master those two tasks and you’re on your way to building a thriving, profitable Etsy store.
    \n<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pros of selling on Etsy
    \n\"pros
    \n<\/b><\/h2>\n

    As you’d expect, there are positives and negatives to launching your own online store on Etsy. Let’s start with the positives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Etsy store setup and maintenance is easy.<\/b><\/h3>\n

    You can open an Etsy account and shop in minutes, and with zero technical knowledge. Etsy walks you through the process, which involves filling in text boxes and uploading photos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It’s (almost) free to open your Etsy store.<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Etsy doesn’t charge you to create your online store, but you will pay fees to list and sell your products. You’ll find more details on Etsy’s fees below.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Etsy has an audience.<\/b><\/h3>\n

    As noted above, 96 million people shopped Etsy in 2021. Get your products in front of the right subset of that audience and your small business can grow quickly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Buyers trust Etsy.<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Etsy already has the trust of buyers, and you can lean on that trust to start selling. If you opened a standalone online store, you’d have to build that trust over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Etsy Payments provides payment processing.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Your Etsy shop automatically has a shopping cart that accepts payments in your currency. This spares you the hassle of setting up your own merchant services. You will need to register for Etsy Payments and set up a payment account, but that process is straightforward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    You can find help and support from other Etsy sellers.<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Etsy publishes tons of resources to help you grow your online store. You can also join one of many online support groups for the Etsy community. Use those groups to share ideas, ask for help, and stay current on Etsy marketing strategies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Cons of selling on Etsy
    \n\"cons
    \n<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Etsy is convenient, but you will have to accept a few trade-offs as an Etsy seller. Below are five negatives to consider.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The marketplace is crowded with sellers.
    \n<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

    No matter what type of product you sell, you’re likely to face direct competition from other Etsy sellers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    You must market your Etsy store and products.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

    It’s not realistic to list your products and wait for them to sell. To be successful as an Etsy seller, you must market your goods on and off Etsy. You can promote your shop on Etsy through proper descriptions and photography. Off Etsy, you can market yourself through SEO, social media, your own website and word of mouth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Repeat sales can be challenging.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Etsy shops can struggle to generate repeat sales from their customers. This is because Etsy buyers often don’t pay attention to the shop name. They mostly retain the fact that they bought something from Etsy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Keep this in mind as you develop your logo and brand messaging — design these brand elements to be impactful and memorable.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Etsy fees can be confusing.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

    You’ll pay to list products and renew those Etsy listings. You’ll also pay a transaction fee, a payment processing fee, and, sometimes, an offside ads fee. You might also incur fees for optional programs like Etsy Plus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    You don’t make the rules.<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Etsy makes, and updates, rules that can impact the profitability of your online store. As an example, Etsy mandates<\/a> that sellers use Etsy Payments for payment processing. You don’t have a choice on that, even if you have a merchant services account that would charge you less.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    What are the shop policies for Etsy sellers?<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Speaking of rules\u2026Etsy has many. The rules for Etsy sellers outline prohibited behaviors, intellectual property, privacy, sanctions and trade restrictions, and shipping obligations. Plan on getting familiar with those policies early in the process so you don\u2019t encounter any surprises down the road.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Most notably, there are rules defining what you can and cannot sell on Etsy, explained below.<\/span><\/p>\n

    What you can sell on Etsy\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Etsy allows you to sell handmade goods, vintage items, and craft supplies only.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n