In recent years, Etsy has been the talk of the town, or in our case, the internet. After being founded in 2005, the platform won over artisans’ and customers’ hearts. With an estimated amount of over 60 million active buyers, Etsy is the first thing that comes to artists’ minds when they want to sell their items. It is also the most comfortable way that lets you start a successful business at home. 

Now you’re wondering how to create an Etsy shop business. How much money can you possibly make? How much time does it take to set a solid foundation for a successful Etsy shop? This article will answer all these questions. Want even more guidance from successful entrepreneurs? Sign up for our EWOR Platform, where you can gain access to over 17 courses and many other valuable resources. 

What is Etsy?

Etsy outlines itself as the global online marketplace for unique and creative goods. It’s home to a universe of special, extraordinary items, from unique handcrafted pieces to vintage treasures. People associate Etsy with art, collectables, handmade toys, vintage furniture, jewellery, clothing, and other handmade crafts. 

Unlike Amazon and eBay, although these online marketplaces serve the same purpose, everything is made, collected, curated, and sold by its sellers on Etsy. These sellers do everything from production to managing orders and sorting inventory. Etsy only allows its platform to interact between sellers and buyers, and it provides the freedom of doing every on its own to its users. Unlike Amazon or other online marketplaces, Etsy shops limit themselves to craft items only. Even though Etsy confines itself to crafts, it’s rapidly growing because of the strong support of its community.

Why ‌Sell on Etsy?

Despite its apparent distinctions, Etsy shop has many other advantages, which are essential for any new or seasoned seller. Such as:

Fast, Easy, Cheap

It’s really easy to set up an online store through Etsy. It is uncomplicated to add, edit, and update your products.

Etsy Has Loyal Customers

People are sceptical when it comes to buying something from the internet. It can take time for a new online store to grow and expand its presence if your platform hasn’t earned the audience’s trust. Etsy, however, has loyal customers, which is essential for a long-time business.

Etsy Can Act as a Testing Platform for Your Business

If you want to have a large business and want to know every corner of it, Etsy can be a perfect fit. You can kick-start your business on Etsy without getting all the headaches. You can learn all the things that you need for your handmade business, and you can also test your strategy. In this way, you’ll know your customer, passionately build your brand name, and, in the meantime, make a profit.

How Much Can You Make From a Successful Etsy Shop?

Generating profit from Etsy takes time, unlike other side hustles. Etsy might not be a perfect place to start if you want to make quick bucks. It takes massive efforts to grow your business on Etsy, and it requires passion and patience to build a successful Etsy shop. The more effort you give to it, the more the business rewards you. In this article, smartmoneymamas.com shared that an average seller sells around 20 orders monthly, while the maximum is up to 700. On average, a seller also made around €510 in monthly revenue as a side hustle.

How Much Does it Cost to Run an Etsy Shop?

Etsy does not charge you to open an Etsy shop account, but the seller requires paying €0.19 per item listed and an additional 5% for transaction fees. Apart from these fees, there are other costs, depending on your use. These are:

• Shipping fees
• Currency conversion fees, which may be required if your listings are in a different currency than the payment account’s currency
• Accepting Etsy payments will take 3% plus a processing fee of around €0.24 from your sale.
• Etsy Ads

How Do You Sell on Etsy?

Connect yourself to an extensive network of independent sellers by setting up a shop on Etsy. Here’s the step-by-step guide to how to start an Etsy shop:

Register

To create an account, go to Etsy.com, sign in and “register”. Give all the necessary information and accept the required terms and policy. After signing in, click your profile button, find the “Sell on Etsy” option, and click on it.

Set Up Your Shop’s Preferences

Set up your Etsy shop’s default language. In that language, describe your products, currency, and home country in which you will list your items.

Selecting a Name 

Be creative in creating a unique name for your Etsy shop. Your shop name should spark the  interest of your potential customers. After all, an exciting name is easy for customers to remember, and it will reflect your products and their values.

Creating Listings

Once naming of your Etsy shop is done, the next thing is creating a listing of your product. Add a single item or add multiple at the same time. If you are uncertain about your listing, Etsy has a guide.

Images Will Guide You to a Successful Etsy Shop

Images are essential for your listings, since the customer wants to look at something before buying it. You can upload up to ten images for one listing, and add videos. A short video gives an extra appeal to the product and also provides additional information and functions of the item. 

Listing Details

Set a title that represents your item, and provide an in-depth description. It can include who made the item, when, whether it’s a digital or physical product, what materials were used, etc. Take advantage of tags because customers find items by searching for keywords in the search bar. Analyse what a customer might type into a search to discover your item. 

Inventory and Pricing

Set the price for the items, sales tax, quantity, and variations such as colours, materials, sizes, etc. Link the images next to the variations, and add the SKU number.

Set Up Shipping

Etsy can calculate your shipping cost based on your postal code. Add the estimated processing time, where you will ship, shipping services you will offer, whether you include free domestic or international shipping and whether you charge a handling fee into the shipping price. Generally, you add an item’s size and weight in this section. 

Establish the Shop Policy

A policy section is necessary for the Etsy shop. This section will outline your processing time, shipping policy, payment options, and return and exchange policy. From this section, customers will get assurance regarding their purchase.
If you want more insights on this topic, here’s a guide on how to establish your own Etsy shop policy/

Set Payment Option

There are many ways to get money from Etsy for selling, such as PayPal, check or money order, Etsy Payments, etc. This section requires you to input your tax filing information, what kind of business you will operate, and other necessary details. It includes your full name, country name, date of birth, address, phone number, and last four digits of your social security number.

Billing Information

Operating an Etsy shop means paying Etsy fees such as shipping or currency conversion fees. Depending on your country, you may have to use a credit card to pay these fees. Choosing the auto-billing option will draw your monthly bill automatically.

Ready to Launch

Now that all the necessary steps are done, you can open your Etsy shop! Be sure to tell your friends and family to get some initial traffic. Plus, don’t be afraid to share the link to your Etsy with your social network – every bit of advertising helps!

Optimise Your Shop

Add an excellent bio and picture to your profile because you want your visitors to have a memorable browsing experience whenever they visit. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy explanation about who you are but should include at least some snippets of why you created your store, what your main products are, and why you enjoy making them. The message should be concise, but still memorable so that it helps you build a successful Etsy shop.

What Can You Sell on Etsy?

Etsy is famous for selling handmade and vintage products. It’s also possible to sell multiple types of products. Here are some ‌things which you can sell on Etsy:

• Jewellery
• Stationery Supplies
• Artwork
• Office Supplies

Conclusion

Now, that you have all the necessary details, you can open your Etsy shop! Do some little marketing, promote your shop, promote your listing on Google and social media, etc. With time and patience, you can also establish yourself as a successful Etsy shop owner.