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Etsy Review
Etsy is a legit online marketplace that connects individual vendors to buyers, who are shopping for handmade, crafty and unique items. Etsy has been accredited and has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau.
Pros
- Easy to set up & maintain your store
- Market to a large audience – 45+ million active Etsy buyers
- Built-in analytics to analyze your performance & make data-driven decisions
- No shop fees
Cons
- Opportunity to sell only handmade, unique or vintage items.
- 3 types of fees: $0.20 listing fee, 5% sale fee, 3% + $0.25 processing fee per transaction
Jump to: Full Review
How Does Etsy Work?
Founded in 2005 and based in Brooklyn, New York, Etsy is an online e-commerce company that deals in handmade items and craft supplies. It was founded by Rob Kalin, Chris Maguire, Jared Tarbell, and Haim Schoppik.
Etsy allows you to;
- Turn your ideas into a successful business.
- Connect to millions of buyers on its platform.
- Start, manage and scale your business.
- Connect and exchange with buyers.
- Keep your information safe and secure while transacting with buyers on the platform.
How Much You Can Earn With Etsy?
Who is Etsy Best for?
Etsy is best for individuals looking for a platform to sell their handmade items and crafts. It is also best for buyers looking for an online marketplace to purchase unique handmade products.
Etsy Benefits: What Does Etsy Offer?
Account Dashboards
Etsy dashboard enables you to track your orders, visits, revenue, shop views, and listings.
Products
The company allows you to sell physical and digital products on Etsy marketplace.
- Physical products; you can add photos and products variants to your shop
- Digital products; allow customers to download their products after purchase.
Multi-Selling Channels
Etsy allows you to sell your products on Etsy marketplace or your website. You can also sell your products in person since the platform is integrated with Square.
Reports and Analytics
You can access your shop’s revenues, conversion rates, orders, and ad visits on the Etsy stats page.
SEO Tools
Esty provides you with tools to help you appear in more searches within your marketplace. It also allows you to use tags to improve your product ranking on the platform’s marketplace.
Add Blogs
You can add your blog to your pattern website
Access the Etsy Marketplace
By creating an account on Etsy, you automatically get included in the Etsy marketplace and can access a wide audience of potential customers. Additionally, Etsy has two marketing programs which include;
- Etsy Adds; you enroll for a fee, after which your products will appear in advertisements throughout the Etsy marketplace.
- Etsy Offsite Ads; like Etsy Ads, you enroll for a fee, but your ads will appear on Google and other search engines.
Etsy Offsite is optional for sellers under $10,000 in annual sales. However, the program is mandatory for sellers whose sales are above $10,000. Additionally, Offsite Ads have their fee ranging from 12% to 15%, depending on your annual sales.
Etsy Requirements
To open an Etsy Shop, you need to;
- Select your shop’s language, country, and currency.
- Choose your shop name.
- Connect your bank account to your Etsy shop.
- Be 18 years and above to own an account.
- Items listed must be handmade, vintage, or craft supplies.
- Need to provide great customer service and maintain trust with your buyers.
- Vintage items must be 20 years old.
Etsy Fees
When you sell your products on Etsy, there are 3 types of fees you’ll be charged.
Listing Fee: $0.20/listing
This fee is applied to each listing you publish on Etsy. Note that listings on Etsy expire in 4 months, and you need to renew them to keep your listings live.
Transaction Fee: 5%
Etsy will keep 5% of your total sale amount.
Payment Processing Fee: 3% + $0.25 per transaction
You’ll be charged this fee for each order you receive.
What Can You Sell on Etsy?
You can sell 3 main types of products on Etsy: handmade items, vintage stuff and craft supplies.
Main Etsy categories:
- Jewelry and accessories.
- Clothing, shoes, bags and other fashion accessories.
- Wedding and party essentials, decor, etc.
- Home and living – decor or everyday home essentials.
- Toys and entertainment.
- Art and collectibles.
- Craft supplies and tools.
- Gifts and gift cards.
- Printables – planners, calendars, etc.
Etsy Payout Terms and Options?
You can set to withdraw your earnings weekly on Mondays when registering your account. The money will be sent to the bank account you entered when creating your account.
You can also receive your money daily. For instance, shop owners in Canada must have at least CAD25 in their account each day to receive their funds. If you don’t hit the minimum threshold, you won’t receive your earnings.
Once the funds are released, it will take 3 to 5 working days for funds to reflect on your account.
Etsy Reviews: is Etsy Legit?
Having an A- rating on Better Business Bureau, 1.8 rating on Trustpilot, 3.38 rating on Sitejabber, and a 3.9 rating on Consumer Affairs, Etsy can be said to be reliable and legit.
According to most sellers, Etsy has large customers; hence you won’t spend too much on marketing campaigns. Other sellers also liked the platform’s simplicity since it accepts various payment methods. However, some complained that Etsy has many sellers and most often will side with the buyers in case there is a dispute. It is worth noting that Etsy’s positive reviews outweigh its negative reviews; thus, Etsy is trustworthy and legit.
| Website | Rating |
|---|---|
| Better Business Bureau | A- |
| Trustpilot | 1.8 |
| Sitejabber | 3.38 |
| Consumer Affair | 3.9 |
What Are the Etsy Pros & Cons?
Etsy Pros
- Easy to set up and maintain your store.
- Huge customer base.
- Report and analytics features help you analyze your performance.
- Has multi-selling channels.
Etsy Cons
- Numerous fees.
- You can sell only handmade, unique, or vintage items.
How Good is Etsy Support and Knowledge Base?
Etsy has frequently asked questions sections and help center pages with answered questions, clear instructions, guides, videos, and blogs. You can also contact them via email or social media accounts like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Etsy also has a community forum where sellers and buyers engage, ask questions, and receive answers from the Etsy support team or seasoned Etsy sellers.
Etsy Review Verdict: is Etsy Worth it?
Most sellers like Etsy shop managers because it is easy to join and use. Additionally, the sellers produce unique and quality handmade vintages, provide excellent customer service and let Etsy handle the rest.
Nonetheless, it is hard for sellers to compete in the platform’s huge marketplace. Additionally, sellers do not have full control over their accounts. Etsy can raise fees, change how shops rank on Etsy search engines and even suspend or deactivate your account, and there is nothing much you can do about it. Etsy is a reliable and trustworthy e-commerce site worth trying despite these challenges as you can earn up to $537.50.
How to Start Earning With Etsy?
Step-by-step process of opening your shop on Etsy. What’s best is that setting up your Etsy shop is easy and doesn’t require you to have a business license.
Step 1 – Open Your Shop
First of all, create your Etsy account. It’s a simple process where you have to enter your email address and set up a password.
After logging in to your account, it’s time to open your shop.
Opening a shop on Etsy is easy:
- Click the ‘Sell on Etsy’ button at the top right corner of Etsy.com.
- Click ‘Open your Etsy shop.’
- Select your shop language, country, and currency. Once you do that, click ‘Save and continue to move to the next step.
- Finally, choose your shop name and click ‘Save and continue.’
Note that you need to open your shop on a desktop web browser. Once your shop is live, you can manage your shop via Etsy app on your smartphone.
Step 2 – Finish Your Shop Setup
After you’ve signed up and created your shop name, you should take a few more steps to complete your shop setup to start selling your items.
Complete the following sections to finalize your shop setup:
- Shop logo and banner: Create and upload clear, high-quality photos representing the type and style of your products. Note that the logo and banner make a first impression on shoppers, so make sure it is appealing.
- Shop announcement: Share a short message welcoming shoppers.
- About section: You should share the story behind your products – why you have created this brand and your brand vision. You can upload photos and videos showcasing your brand story as well.
- Shop members: Introduce your team members or your partners to your shoppers. People like seeing what’s happening behind the scenes and who stands behind the business they’re shopping from.
- Shop policies: Set up your shop policies for payment, shipping, exchanges, returns, custom items, or other important guidelines.
If you are a US seller, I highly recommend you purchase USPS Shipping Labels on Etsy after you have completed your store setup. This way, you can save up to 30% more than if you have purchased shipping labels with USPS regular retail rates.
Step 3 – Add Listings to Your Shop
After setting up shop sections, you can start adding products to your shop. Etsy calls each product you add to your shop a listing.
Here’s how to add a listing to your shop:
- Open Etsy.com, navigate to ‘Your Account and click Shop Manager.
- Click Your Shop (or Listings, if you are an existing seller)
- Finally, click ‘Add a listing.’
Step-by-step process to adding products to your store:
1 – Add photos (and a video)
I recommend you upload at least 5 high-quality photos of your products from different angles. You can also upload a video showcasing your item.
Note that the video maybe 5-15 seconds long and will not contain sound once uploaded.
2 – Choose your thumbnail image
A Thumbnail image is what catches potential buyers’ eyes and makes them open your listing over your competitors’ ones.
The first photo on your listing automatically becomes the thumbnail. However, you can drag and drop images to change their order and set the most attractive one as a thumbnail.
3 – Add listing details
Add a listing title and select your product category so that shoppers can find your listing when they search for specific items.
4 – Describe your listing
Describe your item in detail so the shoppers can understand what they’ll be getting if they purchase from you.
5 – Add your inventory and pricing
Add the price and quantity of your items. If you’re offering more than 1 variation of your product – e.g., different colors/sizes – you need to indicate it on this step.
6 – Set up shipping
Choose how you want to ship your item. You can either set up your shipping profiles that will be charged to buyers or offer free shipping.
If you are located in the US or Canada, you can also use the calculated shipping. The shipping cost will be calculated based on the item’s weight and size.
7 – Publish or save your listing
Finally, when you complete all sections of your listing, you should review it and publish it right away or save it as a draft.
Step 4 – Do Marketing, Branding & Promotion
A marketing strategy is a key to success in your Etsy shop. You need your listing to show up at the top of Etsy’s search, and you need your listing to stand out from the competition.
But how do you do it?
Important tips for getting started with Etsy marketing:
- Optimize your shop for Etsy search. Make sure you select the right category for your listing and add relevant keywords in your title and description. You can also add your location to be found in local searches.
- Link social media to your shop and create daily posts to promote your products.
- Offer discounts to encourage shoppers to buy your product over your competition.
- Consider investing in paid ads. Etsy lets you advertise your products with Etsy Ads starting from $1 daily. Advertising will push your listing to appear higher than unpaid listings.
Join the Etsy community to network with Etsy sellers and shoppers.
Sites Like Etsy
| Etsy | Amazon | eBay | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing per month | Etsy Plus is $10 | Starts from $14.99 | Starts from $29.95 | Starts from $29 |
| Trial period | 30 days | 30 days | 90 days probation period | 14 days |
| Best for | Online e-commerce platform | Online shopping platform | Business to consumer sales | Building website and online store |
Etsy vs. Amazon
While Amazon is the best platform for online shopping, Etsy is an online marketplace with millions of sellers and buyers. In terms of the trial period, both online marketplaces have a 30 days trial period. Amazon is available worldwide, while Etsy operates in the US, UK, Canada, and some countries in Asia and Europe.
Compared to Etsy, Amazon’s pricing plan starts from $14.99 per month. Moreover, Amazon’s net worth is $438 billion compared to Etsy, whose net worth is estimated to be $61.933 billion.
Etsy vs. Shopify
Shopify Summary
- Free 14 day trial period available
- Build a new website in under 2 hours
- Over 100 payment gateways supported
- Over 6000 apps to improve your store
While both Etsy and Shopify are easy-to-use online sales channels, these platforms represent 2 radically different ways to reach buyers. Etsy is an online marketplace that has millions of active shoppers. On the other hand, using Shopify, you have to build your shop and put a lot of marketing efforts into reaching and attracting potential buyers.
Like Etsy, Shopify also accepts various payment methods. Compared to Etsy, Shopify has a 14-day free trial. As for pricing plans, Shopify pricing starts from $29 per month compared to Etsy, whose pricing plan starts from $10 per month.
Etsy vs. eBay
eBay Summary
- High user traffic – over 187 million users
- No listing fees for small scale sellers
- Promote your listing from as little as 1%
- Quick processing time for payouts
Etsy and eBay connect sellers to buyers through their platforms. Compared to Etsy, eBay has 147 million active buyers and 17 million active sellers. Like Etsy, eBay is also available worldwide.
While Etsy charges $0.20 per listing, eBay requires you to pay a monthly or annual subscription for more than 50 listings. eBay has a 90-day probation period compared to Etsy 30 days free trial.
Etsy vs. Amazon Handmade
Amazon Handmade is a great alternative to Etsy to consider. While Amazon Handmade is focused on handmade items, it still isn’t especially well-known as a place to find unique items. On the other hand, Etsy is known for being focused on selling handmade items and is visited by millions of shoppers when they need to buy artsy, handmade, or unique stuff.
Like Etsy, Amazon Handmade allows you to list as many products. While Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee on each item, Amazon Handmade product listings are free. Compared to Etsy, Amazon Handmade has only 14 categories to list products.
Etsy vs Big Cartel
Big Cartel is another good alternative to Etsy because it focuses on smaller, artistic stores. However, there’s not much room for scaling up your business. That’s why people who start with Big Cartel usually move to Etsy once they are ready to upscale.
While Big Cartel has a Gold package that allows you to sell up to 5 products for free, Etsy’s trial period is 30 days. Compared to Etsy, Big Cartel pricing plan starts from $9.99 per month.
Etsy FAQs
What is Etsy?
Does Etsy charge a monthly fee?
It charges $10 per month on Etsy on Etsy Plus package. However, Etsy Standard package is free to all sellers.
Is Etsy trustworthy
Etsy is safe because it has a secure payment system and protects buyers’ and sellers’ information. It also uses two-factor authentication security feature to keep your account safe.
How does Etsy make money?
Etsy makes money by charging sellers fees when they list or sell products on Etsy marketplace.
Can I get scammed on Etsy?
You can get scammed on Etsy, so proceed with caution if you see any suspicious messages from buyers. Read more on Etsy scam alert here
Will Etsy refund me if scammed?
Etsy will refund you if you get scammed. But you must prove that the item was not delivered.