Are you interested in opening your own online store through Etsy?
All sorts of products can be sold through a store on Etsy’s website. With a user-friendly platform and low, upfront costs, it’s easy to get started, and this is a great way to generate some money. Here, we’ll cover everything you need to know, including items you can sell, how to start your store, and tips to help you be successful on the platform.
What Should You Sell on Etsy?
Who doesn’t love a customized item to show off their style?
Etsy is a great place where people go to search for unique items. Be the one who provides them by selling items in your store that buyers couldn’t find anywhere else.
The types of things you can sell on Etsy go on and on, but here are some ideas to get your imagination going:
While Etsy will offer many products like this, you can customize them to make them your own. While many listings of socks, for example, are already available on Etsy, the design you have concocted in your head might not be yet — but you can make it happen.
Some of the most creative and unique items are available on Etsy. Let your imagination go wild when designing and deciding what you’ll list in your store. You might end up creating someone’s new favorite keychain or hat!
Remember that Etsy allows users to sell craft supplies, handmade items, and vintage goods. You can refer to their Prohibited Items Policy to confirm that you can sell the products you have in mind on their website.
Other Things to Consider Before You Open Your Etsy Store
Here are some things to remember while developing your online shop to ensure you have the best chance of making a profit!
Choose a Niche
What makes your store unique?
Let’s say you’re selling T-shirts. There’s no shortage of those available on Etsy.
By choosing a niche, you’ll be able to stand out in the seemingly endless listings your customers will encounter. By focusing on what makes your store unique, you’ll more easily get noticed by potential customers.
Branding
What does your shop’s brand say to buyers?
If you don’t have a specific focus or message, your store’s identity might look all over the place. By intentionally cultivating a personality or identity for your store, you can tell your customers a lot about your shop.
Some ways of accomplishing this include developing a logo, using consistent colors, or conveying a specific tone in your writing.
Legal Structures
What type of business are you running? Are you an LLC (Limited Liability Company), a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation? Learn more about different types of business structures here. Decide which best describes your Etsy shop and ensure you conduct your business correctly.
8 Steps to Set up an Etsy Shop
1. Create Your Etsy Account
If you don’t already have an Etsy account, start by creating one.
2. Set Up Your Bio
Once logged into your account, you can add a bio and profile picture. This is an opportunity to tell other users on Etsy about yourself! Get creative and show off your personality.
3. Create Your Shop
To create your store on Etsy, visit Etsy.com/sell and click “Get started.”
You’ll be prompted to answer some questions about your level of business experience and if you would like to receive resources on selling-related topics. You can answer them and hit “Next” or “Skip this Question.”
Then, enter your shop preferences and name your shop. Preferences will include your shop’s currency, country, and language and whether or not it is your full-time income.
You’ll also need to select a name for your shop. Your shop must be 20 characters or less, and it must be a name that no other shop uses. You can only use unaccented Roman letters and numbers – with no spaces.
You will be able to check the availability of different names. Etsy also provides tips for choosing the name of your store if you are running into difficulty. You can only change your shop name once after setting it, so pick wisely!
Once you’ve selected your name, press “Save and continue.”
Have any questions? Etsy offers resources to those looking to start their Etsy shop here.
Get started with your design today!
4. Create Listings
It’s finally time to list what you’ll be selling!
On Etsy.com, to create a listing, start with your Shop Manager. Click “Listings” or “Your shop” (if you’re a new seller). From there, click “Add a listing.”
Then, you can set up everything you need for your listing. This includes adding a title, category, description, tags, media, selecting a thumbnail image, details, pricing, marketing, and more. Be as detailed as possible when creating your listings! You’ll also need to set up a shipping profile.
Once you have everything set up how you want it, you can save or publish your listing. You can preview each listing before saving it.
Need more help? Etsy has excellent resources on this here.
5. Input Billing and Payment Information
To receive payment, you’ll need to input your payment settings. This includes your bank information so you can get paid and your debit or credit card information to pay money owed to Etsy.
Navigate to Etsy’s “How you’ll get paid” page and enter your information. You’ll also need to choose the country where your bank is located at the bottom of the page.
6. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication
We recommend turning two-factor authentication on for security purposes. Etsy will send you a login code before granting access to your account through a device or browser it doesn’t recognize.
You can access this code through a phone call, an SMS, or an authenticator app on your iOs or Android device. The authenticator app is the method recommended by Etsy.
7. Open Your Shop
Now you’re officially ready to put up your virtual “open” sign. You can now hit “Open your shop.” Congratulations!
8. Personalize Your Storefront
You’ll need to take a few steps to set up your storefront and prepare to sell.
What would you like customers to see when they visit your shop?
Bring your storefront to life with a shop logo and virtual banner. You can also set up a shop announcement to welcome your customers to your store. This is an excellent opportunity to build a brand, which we discussed earlier in this article. Arrange your listings however you like, or utilize featured listings. Think about what you convey to your customers through tone, color, etc.
Show your customers who you are with your About section. This really lets you tell the story behind your store. You can use photos, videos, and text to show your customers who you are and how you see your brand and store.
What would you like your customers to know? How are you going to manage your store? Think about your store policies, how long it will take you to produce items, and how you want shipping to work.
Make sure to include everything you need your customers to know. Inform your customers of shipping policies, payment options, exchange/return policies, processing time, and more by setting up your shop policies and shopping profiles.
Learn more about setting up shop policies here and about setting up shipping information here. Consider purchasing your USPS Shipping Labels on Etsy to save on USPS retail rates.
Create More Listings
Have more stuff you want to list? No problem! You can now add more products to your Etsy shop if you wish.
Promote Your Shop
If you want to get your products found and boost sales, Etsy has tips on promoting your store, including using Etsy Ads if you want to advertise your listings in the search results on Etsy. Social media is also a great way to promote your store.
Other methods to boost sales can be running sales or offering coupons, which you can do by going to “Sales and Coupons” in the “Marketing” section on Etsy.
Get Selling
Now it’s time to start selling. Ensure you provide an excellent experience for your customers so they will leave you good reviews. You may even become one of Etsy’s Star Sellers!
Tips for Making Your Etsy Shop Successful
Setting up your shop is one thing – being successful is another.
Here are some tips to keep in mind to set yourself up as best you can to see those profits come in!
Include High-Quality Photos of Your Products
Attractive, high-quality photos make all the difference. Your images should be a minimum of 2000 pixels wide and show many angles and close-ups of your product to show detail. Simple backgrounds and natural lighting are the way to go.
Write Creative and Detailed Product Descriptions
Stand out with a unique description. Search engines will use your first 160 characters as a meta description, so make sure it’s catchy and informative! After the first few sentences, get more detailed and describe your item as much as possible. Make sure to provide information like dimensions, materials, etc.
Study and Implement SEO
Ensure your shop is present on search engines by implementing SEO or Search Engine Optimization. Do a little research to find the best ways to implement SEO in your shop and listings, but some tips include using detailed product titles and using those first 160 characters of your description wisely. As mentioned, those first 160 characters will be used as a meta description.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does It Cost To Open an Etsy Store?
While opening your Etsy shop doesn’t cost you a penny, listing and selling items does. There is a listing fee for each time a listing is renewed and a transaction fee on all Etsy transactions. Keep these fees in mind when setting the pricing of your items! You can learn more about Etsy’s fees on their website.
Is It Worth It To Open a Shop on Etsy?
If you want to sell items online, Etsy is a great place to start! The upfront costs are low, and Etsy is user-friendly, making it an excellent option for those getting started selling online.
Starting an Etsy Store? Work With Us!
Are you ready to start earning money through an online Etsy store? Get started with The/Studio to create custom products, including patches, hats, coins, and more. With virtually limitless opportunities to make products your own, you can create truly unique products to catch your customers’ fancy on Etsy and keep the sales going.
Have any questions about what The/Studio can do? Contact us today, and we’ll be happy to help!
