Etsy is one of the most popular global markets, with around 90 million buyers worldwide. Starting an Etsy shop is a great idea if you have multiple hobbies and want to capitalize on them. It enables you to become a creative entrepreneur and sell your excellent products to a global clientele. Etsy can even streamline your task with its dropshipping model, allowing you to delegate the order fulfillment process to a third party. Your task usually starts with making an Etsy shop that reflects your brand. Later, you must follow the associated steps cautiously to get started with the selling process.

Do you wish to sell on Etsy but do not know where to start? Then, we are here to help you find the easiest ways to sell on the platform. With this blog, we will help you design and deploy your Etsy shop in minutes.  Let us delve deeper and learn more about how you get started with selling on this marketplace with a dropshipping model.

Understanding Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace that lets users create their e-commerce stores. It enables small creators and businesses to expand their reach. It means they can sell their items to a wider audience, exploring beyond their geographical boundaries. You may even use Etsy as a side hustle and later turn it into a lucrative business by selling your products. The best thing to do is build momentum and collect subsequent reviews on the trusted site.

If you are an independent business, DIY arts crafter, or collector, you can sell your products easily on Etsy. The platform is excellent for independent sellers selling unique and niche products like handcrafted items. Etsy aims to create an expansive marketplace of products from different sellers so customers can find excellent vendors. Etsy also has a transaction fee of 6.5% of the total transaction value of all your sales on the platform.

Benefits of Selling on Etsy

Etsy is a unique online marketplace that allows you to sell only original and custom items. It gives a platform for artists and small business owners to showcase their respective designs to global customers. Making an Etsy shop and selling products on it is beneficial because of the following reasons:

1. Access to a Huge Audience

Etsy exposes you to a large customer pool. The number of active buyers on the platform has also increased over the years because of the unique products available on it. Usually, you need to build your audience from scratch while starting your online store. It also takes a lot of time and finances to attract the attention of the audience. However, you will not face such issues on Etsy because it will already provide you with access to some existing customers. 

2. Quick and Easy Setup

Setting up an Etsy shop will hardly take you around 10 minutes. Moreover, you do not have to possess any kind of advanced tech knowledge to create a seller account. Nor does the platform charge you any money for creating an account. You will be charged only when you start selling on Etsy and publish your first product listing.

3. Selling Trendy Products

The easy setup process on the platform enables you to test your product ideas. Some Etsy categories have a relatively low barrier to entry. The most common example here is digital products. It enables you to identify trending products instantly that could be sold in other sales channels. The best part is that you can do this without a large upfront investment.

4. Low Starting Costs

You will have to pay a small fee to sell on Etsy. However, the platform’s listing fee is less than that of its competitors. For example, Amazon deducts a 15% referral fee for every product sale. Etsy, on the other hand, charges only $0.20 for every product listing. 

5. Multiple Marketing Opportunities

Designing products and listing them on the platform is simple and instant for all sellers. All you need to do is market and sell your products on Etsy as per your business requirements. Fortunately, the platform also offers you several marketing tools within the site. Sometimes, you may also use certain tools outside of Etsy to bring more customers to your online shop.

6. Extensive Learning Resources

You can get a vast collection of useful resources when you sell your products on Etsy. Moreover, you can learn several things about online selling, like search engine optimization (SEO) tools, product listings, and more, from the Etsy seller handbook. This helps you build an efficient audience and content strategy.

You can also take advantage of many online courses and other free or paid analytics tools apart from built-in Etsy seller resources. The most common examples include EtsyHunt, eRank, or Alura, which help you with market research and optimize your listings.

7. Community Support 

One of the unique benefits of selling on Etsy is the strong community support among sellers. This e-commerce marketplace provides forums and teams where you can connect with other sellers, share experiences, and seek advice. This community aspect promotes a collaborative environment. Moreover, Etsy also hosts virtual events and webinars to help sellers improve their businesses. This helps keep you informed about the latest trends and best practices in the e-commerce space.

10 Crucial Steps to Sell on Etsy

Once you are set on making an Etsy shop, you must learn how to sell your products on the platform to make money for your business. These include:

Step 1. Create Your Free Etsy Account

• Visit the website Etsy.com/sell and click on the “Get Started” option. 

• Then, enter your email address to get started with the process. 

Step 2. Open Your Etsy Storefront and Select Your Preferences

• Select your country, currency, and shop language in the ‘shop preferences’ section. 

• Choose a shop name for your new business by following the tips mentioned below: some text
  • Make sure that the name you select resonates with your business and the products you sell on the platform. 
  • Use a unique word inspired by different aspects around you. It may be related to nature, music, or simply the product you sell. 
  • You can even make a new word by combining two different words.
  • Make sure to use your own name to register your business. 

Step 3. Stock Your Etsy Shop with Relevant Products

• You can start adding your product listings after making an Etsy shop. This involves adding up to 10 images for each item. 
• You may even upload a video of up to 15 seconds to level up your sales. 

• In this phase, you must add the details for your listing by assigning it a category and adding your inventory with pricing, product descriptions, and shipping information.
• You can also decide whether to use the ads available on the platform to market your shop.
• Hit “Publish” or “Save as Draft” and come back to it later once you are done with all these additions. 

Step 4. Decide How You Want to Receive the Payments

Simply adding product listings and making an Etsy shop is not enough. You need to let the platform know that you want to sell your items and get some money. That is why the next step is:

• Add your personal information, address, and contact details. 
• Next, all you need to do is connect your bank account. 

Step 5. Pick Your Respective Shipping Options

You can choose two different options when it comes to shipping:

• Select shipping preferences on a per-product basis, or
• Apply the shipping settings to your entire store.

Step 6. Set up Billing for Your Customers

The best way to handle billing for both you and your buyers is through Etsy payments. However, your customers can also choose from numerous payment options or pay in their local currency to purchase your items. Here, the most standard payment options include credit card, debit, or Apple Pay. 

Step 7. Connect Your Etsy Storefront to Any ECommerce Website

You may already have an existing e-commerce website for your business. It can be either Shopify, Adobe Commerce, or WooCommerce, based on your respective requirements. So, all you need to do is connect your existing site to your Etsy storefront.

For example, if you sell your product on WooCommerce and still want to become an Etsy seller, you can integrate both platforms into the Etsy infrastructure for easier management. 

Step 8. Customize Your Storefront on Etsy

You can customize your Etsy storefront with more colors, fonts, product photography, and other custom additions. This particular storefront will be your customer’s first impression. That is why you must consider figuring out what visual story you want to tell regarding your business. 

Step 9. Go Live on the Platform

Now that you have completed all your edits and product listings, you can set up your Etsy store and go live with the new storefront. Get ready to dropship from Etsy and earn some profits soon!

Step 10. Share Your New Etsy Store on Social Media

You can enhance your business further by sharing the storefront on various social media platforms. For example, you can share the link to your store on Facebook and Instagram and get more visitors over time. This will help attract new leads and customers for your brand frequently. 

Final Thoughts

There is no denying that Etsy is one of the largest online marketplaces in the world. That is why it has the potential to turn your side hustle into a full-time business. So, if you are a small business owner looking for an efficient platform to promote your brand, then Etsy is the best place for you. All you need to do is have a business idea and product listings in mind to sell on Etsy. Lastly, Etsy is efficient for selling items because it's free to set up. All you need to do is create an account to open your store, upload your products, and dropship on Etsy. 

However, it is also important to create a professional business email for your business to enhance your branding. Neo, one of the best email hosting providers, is a great option for small businesses. It allows you to create an edu email account easily and offers add-ons like a one-page website and collaboration tools. You can create a free email address during the trial week and judge its features. So, make your Etsy store and power it with Neo today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. How much will it cost for me to sell on Etsy?

You need to pay a very meager amount to dropship from Etsy or sell on it. You can list your first item for just $0.20. Later, all you need to do is pay for off-site advertising, payment processing, and transactions when you make a sale on the platform. 

Q2. Is it worth selling my products and services on Etsy?

Yes, Etsy is worth it to start selling your products and services and increase your business's profit. You may sell various handmade, vintage, crafts, and other digital items on the platform. Etsy is the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to get your business started, with low selling fees and a simple interface. 

Q3. Is it easy to sell on Etsy?

Yes, it is easier to sell your products and services on Etsy. Most sales made through the global marketplace are protected against fraud. However, you may find scammers at times who try to persuade you to pay them off-platform by using wire transfers, gift cards,  or apps like Cash App or Venmo that are harder to reverse. If you remain cautious of such scams, this platform is safe for you to use.