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New subbie here. I have been torturing myself for years trying to decide whether or not to do an etsy shop. I became disabled and I need a new way to get my stuff out there. Thx.
That free shipping thing is terrible for those of us not in the US, our shipping is very expensive and adding that to the price puts it far above any competitors
@methven Arundell Unfortunately I'm in South Africa, with the added problem of the total unreliability of the post office and the fact that parcels are not tracked all the way to delivery.
Thars exactly hoe i experienced etsy over the last years. I used to love it... but ive placed my shop on holiday mode start of this year and not sure how i want to proceed. In essence im just a hobbyist.
Ok no. You had me at the "Force people to give free shipping." You have no idea how much time and money you saved me from this video, girl. Thanks a bunch!
As a shopper I absolutely agree about the manufactured goods on etsy. I am looking for artisan made, cottage business products, not mass market goods. It is also frustrating to search because using specific words (trying to refine) just adds goods instead of narrowing down the search.
I left Etsy. Not happy with them at all and now they are forcing you to use their outside advertising and charging you for it. It is required. It's like they're turning into a mafia, our way or the highway.
That's why I opened a Shopify shop. I would also like to add that I had a Bonanza account for years and they arbitrarily changed their payment terms to requiring Paypal. As I am banned from Paypal because a partner against whom I have a court judgment embezzled $14,000, that account was closed down. I'm sure Shopify's terms may change as well; but at least I now own my own domain and shop.
No one who has a shop on Shopify owns their own shop. Shopify owns it. You cannot host your Shopify shop where you would like. A Shopify shop can never be sold. Wordpress.org with WooCommerce is a better alternative. There you do own your shop.
I'm glad I came across this. I was going back and forth on if I should start my store with Etsy. A couple of recent reviewers I've watched have said the same thing. I especially have a problem with having other stores being including in my store.
Yes, elizabeth! It's unfortunate that they've chosen to advertise other shops in your shop because something like that would NEVER happen on your own site!
About branding, that hit me hard. I'm starting a handmade business and buy my supplies from different shops on etsy. I feel really bad because I can't remember the names of these shops. I just say " bought it on Etsy". I don't want that to be me and my business. I want my customers to remember my name and see my hard work to prefect the products I create. Thanks for the perspective. This was the best and detailed video I've seen!
Yes! Anonymous shops are why I don't buy supplies on Etsy anymore. But I have kept all my invoices from when I did, so I at least (theoretically) have a record of where my jewelry findings and stuff came from, if I can find the invoices.
:))) I got banned permanently the day after I got my first sale. I didn't get a warning email beforehand, nor do I get any when I got bannned either. I tried to make an appeal and ask them why they banned me, and all they say was that I violate one of their house rules. I asked them to elaborate on which rules it is that I violated as I believe that I'm in the clear, and I also said that if I really did violate any of the rules, I would be gladly fix the problem. They replied my email the next day with what seems like an automated response, saying that after comprehensive review, they decided to ban my shop permanently, and I'm not allowed to make an account to sell or even buy things there, and that the decision is final & they won't respond to any further inquiries. I mean.. wow. They really try to cut the ties off without explaining the reason why I got banned, and even though I would never buy anything from Etsy after this (because yes, I'm pissed), it's kinda insulting that they have to go as far as prohibiting me from buying stuffs there 😒😒 The weird thing though, even though I'm pissed with how they treat their sellers, a part of me don't really care anymore lol. I've heard and seen alot of videos on my youtube dashboard about other etsy sellers saying why they hate etsy or suggest other people to quit (like this video), and I finally experience it myself and understand why people hate Etsy, so I wasn't totally surprised or expected them to lift the ban. Sorry about the long rant 😂 Just want to get this off my chest.
Same here. After doing some investigation, this seems to be a HUGE, underreported problem. Open store, make first sale, shop closes without warning, usually before you get a chance to print the label. I shipped out my first product today and came home to find my shop suspended. Screw them. Im going to consider it a blessing in disguise. Open your own store!!
Woah placing other sellers’ links in one’s shop? That’s really messed up, your abusive relationship analogy is spot on! Was thinking of opening an Etsy shop but this has made me think twice, great video btw.
Yes, Pixelles, if you open a product listing on Etsy to look more closely at it, and then scroll to the bottom, you will see photos listings of similar items in other shops. That's definitely not keeping your shop's interest in mind!
I was really ticked off a few months ago when I sent a friend a link to a product in my shop using Facebook Messenger. The link to my ONE product that I sent to ONE person included links to basically the same product that they could get in several OTHER Etsy shops! I felt violated......obviously I didn't want to send my friend links to other shops that they could support, instead of MY shop. Grrrr! Etsy truly wants to make the most sales possible, regardless of whose shop the sale comes from.
My sister and I have started our own business and it hasn’t been going well especially now with the what’s going on. It’s really nerve wrecking and scary because we’ve already invested so much into our products that we’re afraid we won’t be able to sell. Thank you so much for your input!
Hi Brittney! There's always the fear that you won't sell your items, but if you keep working at it and promoting your items, you are bound to make sales. Just keep working at it. And remember, you won't ever sell any if you don't put them out there.
Thank you. I kept being told to sell my art on Etsy but I been listening to people like yourself. Think I will make my own page . Yep 👍 you and several others have said the same. Really thank you so much for your experience.
Hi there, please don't be discouraged. If you were thinking about putting your beautiful work/product on Etsy, please do so. She did say that she had used it for over a decade. It's only her experience. Putting yourself out there is a very good idea. You will learn so much that appeals to you and your needs. Don't let just one person sway you from stepping out on your own. I too am working on an Etsy shop. I tried ebay and loved it. Now I am excited to open my Etsy shop. Just wanted to send you some encouragement. Always test things out for yourself, that way you will know how it works for you. Much success to you!😁🌹🌈❤☀
It’s not a bad thing to be on Etsy. It can help people find you. But much better to also set up your own site alongside Etsy, so you can drive traffic to your web site and sell there without having to live by Etsy rules and decide what’s best for your own shop.
By Etsy's terms: "if your shop made $10,000 USD or more total sales in any consecutive 365 day period after February 20, 2019, you will be required to participate in Offsite Ads for the lifetime of your shop even if you fall below that threshold at a later period." You can opt out if you made less than $10,000 USD in that same time period. You can view the full terms here: www.etsy.com/legal/advertising/
hahha, yeah, Etsy was my "bad boyfriend" too 😂. I also have been on Etsy since really early on and I miss the good old days. Especially the last years have snow-balled terribly for sellers (and buyers!) on Etsy. I have sooo many thoughts about this. But the upside is, especially with the newest (horrible!) changes with the offsite ads etc folks are being literally FORCED to leave Etsy and finally create new (more independent) selling options for themselves. (I can't AFFORD to stay on Etsy, so I HAVE to leave) And now, they have the experience of selling under their belts and they know now exactly what they need and want. Also, times have never been easier to establish yourself outside of Etsy. This wasn't so easy years go. Etsy's horrible policies are driving good talent to make better business choices for themselves even if it is really hard and there is a lot at stake financially. So yeah, thanks Etsy for finally making it truly bad enough that I can finally, truly leave your platform!
While Etsy can be useful for many sellers, it's important to not put all your resources into Etsy since they can change things on your at any minute for any reason.
Omg I needed to see this! I have been wanting to start an Etsy store for a long time but now I’m thinking of trying something different instead. Btw...you are adorbs!
I never did an astounding amount of sales but I did ok. I did notice in the past year my sales literally stopped. Full stop. Thanks for explaining this. So very sad how it's changed from the way it used to be.
@Liz P. Just chuckling a bit. Etsy is already just like all the other marketing venues. I just let my Etsy Shop sit there, it's really cheap advertising and I reference the brick and motar stores that buy my creations by mentioning them by name in my product description. Example - I might say - you can also buy this at the XYZ Shop in Columbus, Ohio. LOL, I haven't been brave enough to put in their phone number - YET. This is my way of sticking it up Etsy's (eBay and Amazon)behind. Afterall, they've been sticking their crapola up mine for years.
It is definitely good to keep your shop open on autopilot because there ARE buyers there, but it's not the same as your own site. And Ed, just be careful with your wording because it's against Etsy's terms of use to send buyers offsite.
OMG!!! I shut my Etsy shop down a few years ago because of the fees. The more I sold, the more expensive it was... and I didn't even sell that much. I was thinking about revamping and reopening on the platform, but not after this video. Thanks so much for the info.
That's so true! NEVER DO PRIME! lol I almost died on holiday season trying to get my art printed, packaged and shipped to FedEx by 1pm EST every damn day and STILL got customers complaining and amazon forced refunds because they were late by one day. NEVER DO PRIME you make $ but you lose your soul.
That's why I always advocate for having your own website and your own email marketing list. That way you retain control over all the aspects of your business, and you make changes when YOU want to, not someone else.
Hi Mei, I think Etsy shoppers are generally nice (a handful of them are rude, of course, but if you are nice to them, they understand that there is an actual human being on the other side) and we can certainly not blame them for not reading our descriptions. Etsy recently made a point to bury descriptions. On mobile you need to scroll far down and click a button to open the description box. On desktop, all you get is the very few words of your description in the right hand side column. I guess that not that many shoppers will click the inconspicuous "learn more" link. Workaround: if we need to pass on crucial info to our shoppers (about the buying process for personalized item for instance, or how our DIY supplies work), we need to rely only on the 10 pictures. Which are not translatable in nature. That's an issue for digital sellers who sell internationally. Anyway. Oh, and after all those years, there is still no video feature in listings like on Amazon. Another argument against Etsy is their links from Pinterest. When somebody browses Pinterest, there can be one of your pictures with the title of another of our listings, because of the related items feature that bear the same url. Or worse: one customer's picture from the reviews with the title of another of your listings. This is annoying. Most of my Etsy traffic comes from Pinterest but nobody ends up buying (I run the test over a weekend with the help of Google Analytics) because the picture they saw on Pinterest was a different product than the one they are redirected to (and because prices in Pinterest rich pins do not include VAT, but is very much included in the Etsy listing, but that's another story that only pertains to European shoppers). Another argument against Etsy is that it is so famous that this is the go-to place for hackers to copy and paste your listing entirely and resell your items in their Shopify shops. I don't know if they use software to do that, but that's pretty concerning. This is one go-to sites for copycats too, but eh *sigh* I agree with the abusive relationship, fees, competition and branding arguments (Can we get mere bold text, please?!) Grrrr. Etsy is both a blessing and a curse. I am grateful it helped me bring food on the table but it's time for me to move on.
Hey Stephane! Long time no chat. Yeah, I hear you, Etsy is quite the double edged sword. Lots of pros, lots of cons, but ultimately so out of your control. People who learn to play the Etsy game will have a lot of success and I've seen you just have to keep up with their changes and with on trend keywords. That's realy good to hear about your experiences with Etsy customers! We have a happiness guarantee, and make it our goal to do anything/everything we possibly can to make everyone happy. Thank you for generously sharing all your feedback, tips and insight!
@@stephane6833 Of course I remember you! You were/are killing it on Etsy with your cool paper sculpture patterns. I love your work :) Would love to hear more about how you're doing these days!
Really enjoyed this. I'm a leathercrafter and looked at ETSY awhile back. Was blown away by the amount of ' handmade ' leather goods that have been ordered from Made in China websites. And the competition. Some is certainly good but if we all make the same thing and all are at the same flea market, nobody is going to make money.
Your videos have been a blessing for me! I'm disabled and unable to work and would like to sell my artwork and handmade things for extra income. I'm learning so much from you! You really are providing a much needed public service, especially for people in my position. Just wanted to say thank you!!
I opened a shop, but I quit making an effort almost immediately because I tried several times typing in my tag words, and even my exact description and my shop would not come up. I also typed in the name of my shop in the search bar and it didn't come up. I told my friends about my shop and they couldn't find it when they searched for it.
Etsy's search function is definitely not intuitive and if you do not have the lettering exactly right, it can't find things that are "close enough" to what you're looking for. It's a very frustrating system for both buyers and sellers.
My shop's name is: Corona Leather Shop. I must type it all together or it won't show up. That's the sad reality. I have to tell everyone, every time, and yet, not much success with the platform. Good luck to you and best wishes!
@Jess LP Oh, no. That's odd! The shop is active, I just checked. This is the direct link: www.etsy.com/shop/coronaleathershop You can also find us as "Corona Leather" on FB and Insta. Thanks for bringing this to my attention and very best!
here is a point I feel compelled to make. who here is old enough to remember the shopping mall? well you rent a store or kiosk in the shopping mall because of organic traffic. the mall advertises and promotes ..as does etsy your ads get promoted on google! you get traffic and potential customers from etsy's platform. the mall store I rented years ago I had to be open as long as mall was open i had to abide by whatever rules the mall laid out and some were ridiculous but i paid to be in the pool of customers they had and could always make money. any cleaver seller can work around fees and rules. especially to tap into the flow of potential clients. is it a good idea to steer clients to your website at some point? yes it is but until you personal square space website generates thousands of visitors a day etsy is a great alternative. I have squarespace and they are great but they dont have a customer pool. I love squarespace and I dig etsy. especially the digital download scene where shipping has no impact. point is there are always rules there are always things we cant control it doesn't make it abusive it just makes it business and you need to be resourceful to succeed. tha is for your video btw I know being a creator is lots of work I appreciate your time
I'm actually old enough to remember when malls were actually a destination & a hangout. :-) You made several good points in your post, but the "abusive" part goes beyond following the rules for a mall shop. In the real world, a store in a mall is able to promote its own image, product line, branding, etc.; a shop on Etsy not only looks basically like every other shop on Etsy, the shopkeeper is actually required to accept advertising for their competitors attached to every product in their shop. (Kind of like walking into a Macy's store and finding ads for Kohl's on every shelf.) Shops in a mall determine what policies they implement for dealing with customers; Etsy determines your policies for you, and in situations where they provide an option (e.g., "free" shipping) they penalize shopkeepers for taking advantage of any option that makes them different from other shopkeepers. Shops in a mall can choose whether or not they opt into additional in-mall advertising with their own branding & content; Etsy just instituted a rule where successful shopkeepers are required to pay advertising fees for ads run outside the mall, with the placement, timing, content, design, etc. of the ad entirely determined & created by Etsy. Malls in the real world frequently base their advertising on the presence of "name" chains and interesting smaller shops; Etsy pushes all its shopkeepers to advertise the "Etsy" brand rather than their own. There's more but I don't want to belabor the point any further. You're absolutely correct about needing to follow rules in a physical mall (or even for a standalone store in a city or town), but the way Etsy has been changing its rules, along with the new rules it has begun requiring shopkeepers to follow, are beginning to move well outside the bounds of their real-world counterparts.
@@nairbvel several excellent points and yes the new ad promoting email I got is pretty lame 15% and enrolled by default lol. anyways great points for sure now ubwant my orange julius! from the mall food court!
@@InsightfulImagery Definitely Orange Julius if you were in a rush... Farrrell's if you had some time and a bit of cash... and Hot Shoppes Cafeteria if you wanted real food. :-) Wow, you're taking me back down memory lane, thanks!
I had that ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP. The way they allow shoppers to leave bad reviews because you refuse to give them a FULL refund knowing that your product was made perfectly. I was shut down and took a huge bite out of my income =( Im glad I left
I'm so sorry to hear that, A&J Creations. This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say you should have your own site. Leaving it up to someone else's control can be so scary and frustrating.
Thank you SO much for this video!! I'm about to open a print/sticker shop for my art, and was planning to go solely with Etsy, but was scared off big time by all the fees and the lack of shop individuality. I'm now going to focus on a website that I create, with Etsy bringing in customers outside of my marketing efforts. Thank you for all this information!!!
I’m going to start an Etsy shop just to get my feet wet but once I gain momentum I aspire to transition to my own platform. Thank you for the feedback!
Great planning, Vida! Etsy is not a bad place to start out, considering the built-in traffic, but you definitely do not want to end up relying on Etsy for your business in the long run. Good luck getting started!
First time viewer. Good subject! Love your simple, direct approach to information! No distractions, no 'waffle' no going down 'rabbit holes' TFS!!! New subscriber.
I don’t like how Etsy jewelry shops in particular get away with such vague descriptions, gold chain instead of gold-plated chain, Pearl instead of plastic Pearl...buyers are unaware and think they are getting a better value than they actually are. And totally agree - so much manufactured products that were clearly not designed by the shop owner. Such a double standard🤔 thanks for reminding me why I don’t like Etsy.
I like you... errm your video. You speak clearly, you don't wave your hands or a product around, you don't ever talk down to your listeners. You are a pleasure to learn from. I figure you know this, but I'll be glad to send the positive vibe your way: you've earned it. I have a LOT to learn (haven't opened my first shop yet). Maybe I'll watch a few more of your videos before taking the plunge!
I commented a few months ago. I was content with etsy at the time. Since then, they have decided to control how often I show up in the search results because my shop was doing extremely well. I had about 500 orders in que at any given time I had increased my processing time to accommodate. Long story short, even though everything is shipping on time, etsy has filtered me out of the results until I get way further ahead. Small business on etsy is supposed to be controlled by the seller but Etsy steps in way too often. I am looking into other avenues.
This is the problem, unfortunately - you don't have control because it's not your site, and Etsy can decide how much you are shown or not and you can't do anything about it. I would definitely keep your Etsy for the traffic you do have, but start moving customers over to your own site.
You are 100% correct about everything you said. I have been on Etsy since 2008 and was very happy with the additional income it was generating. 2018 was my best year ever then everything changed. They changed their algorithms and my sales dropped 85%, 85% !!! My holiday sales were horrible! I can remember when they only allowed hand crafted items. You couldn’t buy things wholesale and resell them. Now that is pretty much all you see, cheap $hit from China... example: Prints selling 6 for $19.95. How can artists compete with that??? I tried the “free shipping” because it would put my listings ahead of those that didn’t offer it...BS! Nothing change ...my sales became even worse! My sales have dropped to just a handful a month. They are no longer the wonderful, handcrafted artisan’s showcase! They have become just like everyone else, wayfair, amazon Do not bother.
I found Etsy frustrating and awkward from the beginning. I've had my shop in vacation mode for months now because I cringe at the idea of going back to it. Time to go. I'll just have to get stickers for all my business cards, lol.
Yes I feel like if you can get your own site up and running and direct your customers there you will be better off in the long run, with one central place for them to find you that's branded.
I am thinking about hand making my own products and sell it on Etsy. But the fees and rules did not make sense to me and I feel it was not fair to be a seller there. Thank you for confirming my thoughts. These are all great tips and information. Thank you!
Thank you so much for watching, Paliwa! It's not a bad thing to have a shop on Etsy, because they have built-in traffic where people can just stumble upon your products if they're searching. But it's definitely a bad thing to rely on Etsy for all your business because you don't have control of what they change on their site or when.
Happy to help, as always, Jenna! I realize this is just one side of the story, and many successful Etsy shops will whole-heartedly support Etsy. But you're right, it's all about energy management. Etsy can come later in your business, once you've got your own platform running, it just shouldn't be the focus! :)
I am working on notes to include in orders to drive Etsy customers to my 'real' website. The fee that most annoys me is that the listing fee is repeated every time I sell an item. Even when there is still 'available' stock remaining. That .20 cents per sale adds up on top of everything else. Good cover of the topic!
Yeah. I can also see how for people who sell lower priced items, that .20 cents can also be a big splinter... Good idea to start redirecting traffic/customers from Etsy to your own website. Just be careful that you're doing it within Etsy TOS, since we don't to completely get off of Etsy especially if you've got some sales coming from there! A sale is a sale is a sale 😄
It's even worse if you sell one of a kind handmade items or vintage. Renewal after renewal after renewal. Work your numbers what your credits are and what your fees are. It's in your reports in your shop manager. You will find out just how high Etsy fees really are. It's crazy. Yet everyone keeps repeating the mantra Etsy fees are 8% plus .20 plus .25 credit transaction fee. Not true!
That is a very good idea. I started doing that last year and now my own website is competing with my Etsy store. Offer free shipping on your website and let your Etsy customers know that there are better deals if they go to your website.
When Cafepress did this kind of thing to all of its shopkeepers ten years or so ago, it felt like a divorce. A divorce from an ugly, lying, mean, cheating and hateful partner. A partner you loved so much you wanted to have it's babies forever. It colors every relationship after. You never trust completely again. AWESOME analogy.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful exploration of the limitations and value of selling on Etsy. You confirmed a lot of things I suspected might hinder my ability to promote my products the way I would like to. Looks like it’s time for a dedicated webpage!
I'll take that random compliment for sure! 😂 Thanks for watching! I'm going to be doing a live workshop here on Wednesday! If you're subscribed, hit the bell to be notified when it starts!
Mei, such excellent advice, offered up in your clear, concise manner, and with a smart, alternative suggestion! Thank you for your continued, refreshingly intelligent guidance. I deeply admire and respect you.
I only used Etsy for their Pattern by Etsy platform. I plan to move it to square space some time this spring. I already have the URL and have been using it for months. I’m a crochet artist and pattern writer, so I plan to leave all my patterns on Etsy so that my shop can focus strictly on finished product. All my pattern sales now are passive income. This is such a great video!
I will say, while I agree with a lot of what you're saying. I will say that if you do a great job of communicating with your customers it boosts your brand image. Customers will feel differently if you're very polite, informative, and quick with your answers to questions, and informing customers of possible better choices or options for their purchase....oh and YES...People don't like to read, so just assume that no one reads anything you have for info in your listings.
They screwed up when they open the doors to China. I put my shop on vacation 2 years ago when they decided that you have to give them your social security number in order to set up the shop.... Etsy has become EBay’s step sister.
Wow!" Etsy is like an abusive relationship "... those were my EXACT words last night. So true, especially with this new ad thing thier doing. I'm working on my own platform now. It's not easy but I'm determined to learn as I go.
Just starting to think about selling my hand made products on-line, so glad I ran across your video so I know better what to do and what platforms work best. Thanks you!!
Depending on what you sell it could work out well... AND if you don't really need your Etsy sales money to pay for your basic human needs (shelter, food, security, etc.) 👍
i’m starting an online store and i was debating whether or not to start on etsy when i saw your video. so many of my favorite artists have talked about the excessive fees, annoying algorithms and just generally the greediness of etsy and your video definitely helped me make what i hope is the right choice! (using my own site to sell)💜✨
all my relationships has been abusive....friends, parents, and now Etsy, ha!. You are totally right, it is like an abusive relationship, the feeling is the same. And with this off site adds tyranny they get to point where I can compare Etsy with my narcissistic parents. Great video!
Boy you really hit the nail on the head for me with one statement. I used to sell on there and stopped. When you said that when people are sharing where they got something they say "Etsy" and you are sooooo right!!! I never made that connection and heard it a million times from people! Yes, that is enough to really make sellers think isn't it? Etsy did not sell it to you...I did ! wow . such a great video. Thank you
It's one of the most frustrating parts for me, Gail, because the maker of the item (the supposed whole premise of Etsy itself) is lost to the Etsy behemoth. It's really unfortunate.
Everything you are saying is everything I've been struggling with. Especially customers comparing me to Amazon and eBay when my items are handmade to order.
That's just sad. This is also why it's hard to build a brand in an eCommerce marketplace where competition is crazy. If you can, go with your own website!
Very good video, and very well thought out, too. I'm almost in total agreement with your points, and based on what I've been hearing, I've got a few friends who have stopped selling on Etsy. Sadly, I was captivated by one thing you said: You said you don't really get to make an additional profit at all from your shipping. But you're really not supposed to do that no matter what. Your profit margin is mainly figured into whatever your item prices are. That's fine. However, you're supposed to put at least some of your profit right back into your business. Artesans and craftspeople, going it alone, need to understand that. Your reinvestment into your business includes shipping materials and shipping option. That always needs fine tuning, I know. As a former curator and a buyer/collector, I hear sellers whining about the shipping costs THEY had to pay, how THEY make no profit from shipping costs. Well, I'm usually the one paying fir shipping, a customer doesn't want a load of drama along with the purchase. But you dealing fairly and not profiting from the shipping charge how it's meant to be! Your profit never comes from shipping costs, unless you actually contract your customers to agree to pay you shipping and handling charges! Did you ever wander over to eBay and see a $20 item with a $55 shipping fee?? -- which you know is going toward lousy First Class Mail Parcel! The dishonesty there is the failure to separate the shipping cost from shipping and handling charges/fee. False advertising, in other words. Sorry this ran so long. It's truly a great video and I think you're doing well on You Tube. Please meditate on what I tried to express. :)
Yep, what Phianett indicated. Etsy wants the seller to suck up the shipping charges, so the customer doesn't have to pay. What this ultimately means to a seller, is putting the shipping charges back into their product listings cost, so they can cover the costs of shipping.Which gives Etsy more $$$ in fees, when a product sells, because it's being charged at a higher price. Ultimately, it's the customer who loses out, or the seller if they don't bump up their product costs. But Etsy gets to claim a "free" shipping tag to attract customers to their platform, while their fees with every sale, goes up.
Yes, what I meant was that I do not receive any type of profit from shipping costs. Every penny of what comes in from shipping is allotted to postage and packaging. I don't keep the money from shipping costs, but now Etsy is taking some of that as their own profit, meaning I am actually losing money from the purchase to then cover the shipping.
I've been selling online for 10+ years, and added an Etsy shop in 2013. You are so right about the "abusive relationship" Etsy has with its sellers. This past year most of my Etsy sales have tanked, not a good reason for this- and fees continue to rise. With mandatory transactions processed through Etsy, fees were @ 6.5%, today they are 8% (rise in January). This is FVF & transaction fees. I don't use Etsy's shipping labels cuz they almost always FU, and I end up paying for labels that don't print correctly or at all. I have to pay for Stamps.com for international sales, and that's getting too much too. As of this month Etsy has made it mandatory that sellers participate in an new Etsy Outside Ads program, which is basically an "Affiliate Links" program where they are the beneficiary of all % on sales (click ads to shops) in addition to FVF & listing fees. Equals out to about 20% FVF per item (not counting original listing fees). If you sell lost cost items which much of your inventory needs to be on lower end to compete, you'll not be making any money and tanking along with me. Hard to know what to do- do I go back to Ebay?
Hi Cheryl, it's so frustrating isn't it? This exact situation is why I advocate for having your own website for sales and your own email list. This way YOU have control over your business and your customers and not a third party.
I really haven't started my Etsy store, just haven't taken the time. But I was leaning towards doing one with the tools that Square has, since I use that for card payments at craft shows. Have you ever looked at their services to compare with others?
Hi Derek, I don't see that they have a marketplace, so they're a site builder more like Shopify. In that case, I don't see much benefit to using Square over Shopify. At their $26/mo level, you can do almost exactly the same things as on the $29/mo Shopify plan. The benefit to Shopify is a massive app marketplace to integrate anything you want, many of those apps can help boost your marketing and sales. For example for Tiny Hands, my jewelry biz, almost 50% of my sales/income comes from my subscription product, the Necklace of the Month Club. I couldn't even do something like that on Square's site builder.
I would suggest getting your Shopify up and running and then opening Etsy, so that as you get Etsy customers you can refer them back to your own website in your marketing materials that you mail out with their orders.
I consider online stores like etsy's and Amazon as a marketing tool for my own store. Is it against TOS to include literature in your packages that direct the customer to my own website?
I signed up to Etsy a few days ago and I wish I would have seen this video 1st because what you are saying is on point. They deactivated two of my products without notification they’re reasoning was that I was using medical or giving medical information regarding my moisturizer, the word “hyperpigmentation” which just simply means dark skin pigment, maybe they should have googled the work if they didn’t know what it meant. So needless to say have deactivated my account.
Hi! I'm really sorry to hear about what happened to your Etsy shop. I have a free RUclips livestream tomorrow where I'll talk about ways and strategies to grow your business online without relying on social media and Etsy. I think you're going to learn a lot from it too. Here's the link in case you want to join: ruclips.net/video/T8OwwdFpQxM/видео.html Don't forget to click on the bell notifications icon so you get notified when we start. Hope to see you there!! ❤️
I opened my shop almost 4 weeks ago and no sales yet....I've looked at competitors and I know my things could sell, they were nice enough and its priced right. You are correct when you say they favor other shops. I've had Etsy Ads and that's not helping
It's so frustrating, Samantha. 4 weeks is still pretty new, though, so don't be too discouraged. Try tweaking your tags and titles for SEO and see if that helps.
Thank you so much for this video! I am atm in the process of building my own website and this video reassures me! And I decided to do it for all the reasons you have pointed out! It is soooo frustrating to have to compete with such low price and I hate the fact I can’t figure out one month was amazing and the other one a disaster! Thank you!!!!
I currently have a thriving business on etsy, my issue with moving to another platform is I do not have the computer skills to build another shop much less the time. I own my own url but that's all . My product is doing well because I invented it, no one else makes them and I own the intellectual copyright. I would love an amazon store but I don't know anything about building one.
Hi Corina, you might find my Amazon videos helpful if you would like to sell on Amazon. ruclips.net/video/A5zOogTHpcQ/видео.html I also have a blog about setting up your own site on Shopify in an hour: www.creativehiveco.com/how-to-build-your-own-website-with-shopify-in-under-1-hour/ You may also want to join my Facebook group - there's 24k creatives sharing advice on just these types of topics! facebook.com/groups/creativebizmarketing
Along with pricing, email lists have been a big weakness for me. I plan on closing my Etsy shop for good at the end of March so I better figure out how this email thing works!
I'm glad you mentioned the mass produced items. I am trying to find molds for resin, and so many of them are straight off Aliexpress or Alibaba. The pictures are horrible, it looks very scammy. I'm not sure if I can trust the quality of these products and pay triple the price than it is on those mass produced products and just wait the month.
It can be such a gamble to know which way to go on those types of things. Could you maybe just order one and see the quality when it arrives and go from there?
Hi I’ve been wondering how and where to sell my craft. I’ll be following along on my personal journey to make my passion a profitable one. I’ll need all the help I can get as I’m not technologically savvy. Looking forward to seeing how to go about it. I was on Etsy years ago but never ‘broke through ‘. Hoping with your help I can make a go of it.
Great points. Etsy charges 3-% not 15% like Amazon. Shipping is a part of expenses that you can claim on taxes. And you can do a work-around for that. Etsy is a great starting point. Just don't rely solely on them. Edit 3/2020 Etsy now charges up to 15% for those making 10k or more a month.
I noticed the other product suggestions while in someone’s shop as well, but because of my quality standards, I have never clicked on one. If the niche and quality are good enough, I the buyer won’t get distracted by the other product suggestions.
Hi Jennifer, certainly if the person is solely interested in your work then there is less concern there. However giving the option to shop around can lead to clicks away. I'm glad it doesn't happen to you!
Marketing. Using Facebook ads that direct to your site, including your site in your marketing material, using email marketing to bring customers to your site, and using social media in general.
I used to sell on Etsy for a couple of years. I had many listings making good money and all of a sudden without warning they shut down all of my shops for no reason. They continued to bill me afterward. Luckily I have multiple channels to sell on including Amazon so it didn't totally disrupt my operations. Do yourself a favor. Get off Etsy
Did they also deactivate your account? I'm a total newbie and first minutes after I open the shop they deactivated my account (not even an email sent) I'm afraid that they keep charging for the single listing I could open even with my account deactivated.
The reason the 5% comes out of your shipping fee too is to prevent people inflating shipping prices so they can lower their product price, eBay had people doing it years ago so they changed their policy
LOVED this video! Very informative and helpful! Just a tip: when you started talking about Etsy's fees, the constant sliding animation of the yellow info bar across the bottom became a little dizzying. Next time you plan to have several pop-up tidbits consecutively, maybe consider keep the animation or transitions more simple. Thanks again for making this though! You have a new subscriber :)
Your channel gives me the best value for the knowledge I'm looking for in the craft world. I was selling on ebay left with 100% feedback but closed shop because of the spoiled customers that ebay breeds and did not want to jeopardize my brand. I decided to try Etsy and also have great feedback and exposure but theirs always that fear of buyer ransom aka haters..it's basically becoming a polished turd with all the fees. After watching your video you inspired me to look at shopify or to develop somehow my on website. Thank you!
I want to sell my jewellery on etsy (I'm 13). I ordered everything, and I'm soo excited.. I really don't want ro make my own site tho.. No one will see it and i will probably bot sell anything..
Nedopia! I think that Etsy is a great place for you to start selling your jewelry and trying it out to see how it goes. I'm impressed and excited that at 13 you are ready to set up shop and I wish you so much luck getting started! But BE POSITIVE!! The more you learn about online business and the more effort you put into getting your shop name the better you'll do. ❤️
Hi ..I think you have to be 18 to sell as your not allowed PayPal until that age not sure about bank cards. Folksy is the English alternative only people living in the uk can sell on there.
Hi nedopia I am sure you will get sales either way but if you want to get more traffic you can ask your parents if you can make an insta account for your buisness they mostly get many fans in a few days I made an experiment to put (as an example) resin in your username and I got 50 followers without doing anything they want to see pictures of stuff you are doing (if you can make a good quality pic) and most of them will be supporters that will buy a second or even a third time just to support you. I recommend that you watch a few other videos of mai (I hope I spelled that right) like how you price products or so if you haven’t watched them already :)
If you're looking a cheaper alternative besides Shopify I HIGHLY reccomend Big Cartel!! They charge NO start up fee, NO transaction fee, NO listing fee and is about half the price of Shopify. It's what I use for my shop and I really like it! 100% legit and a blessing 😄
Big Cartel is a fine site. The benefit to Shopify is a massive app marketplace to integrate anything you want, many of those apps can help boost your marketing and sales. For example for Tiny Hands, my jewelry biz, almost 50% of my sales/income comes from my subscription product, the Necklace of the Month Club. I couldn't even do something like that on Square's site builder.
Great video, thank you! Yup, my Etsy shop is set up and I let it go on its own. I do get sales from it from time to time. But I mainly depend on my website as well as a store that I have my products in for sales. Still setting up my Shopify store, and hope to be ready to go live with it before the New Year! :)
@@CreativeHiveCo it sure looks like 2020 is the year of my Shopify store! Several ways for me to bring traffic....if you can suggest any more, I'd appreciate the input! 1. I want to look into understanding SEO more and maybe get a Shopify consult. 2. Keep my website domain displayed on my Etsy banner. 3. Since I already have a website up and running, I'll need to transfer the domain once I'm ready to go live with my Shopify shop. Customers/visitors won't notice any changes other than a different theme layout (which I really like, btw). During my past two craft fairs that I've participated in, I spoke about my products to a lot of people whether they purchased something or not. And I handed out a lot of business cards with my website info on it. 4. I'm really excited about being able to put links into my Instagram posts directly to the product on my website. 5. Research retail stores to develop wholesale accounts.
@@HawaiiGirlAdventures You have a good, well-thought out plan, Lovena! I didn't spot anything that's a red flag, but will say that #5 is going to be HUGE! The biggest thing that will generate you traffic is sales is the act of *outreach*. The more outreach you can do, the more results you will get. It's all about figuring out how to do that at scale!
@@CreativeHiveCo Hope you had a great holiday/merry Christmas! Since my free trial is up in 2 days, I've left WIX and am now on Shopify. I've just completed setting up my FB store in order to tag products on Instagram. This is such a cool way of "outreach" and so wished I had done this sooner! I also installed the SEO Optimizer Auto-Pilot app onto my Shopify shop. Now I have to work on deciding which product I want to wholesale and getting product line sheets/order forms together.
Hi! New to your channel and found this video very informative. I like how you’re very analytical which is something I greatly appreciate as I’m a data analyst. Excited to learn more from you! Thanks for the detailed analysis!
Hi. I just saw your video and it did answer a lot of my questions. However, I need to know if I would be penalized if I leave Etsy? I have only been there for a month and already do not like what I’m hearing.
Dammit! Wish I would have watched this earlier. I started an Etsy shop doing print on demand products. In 2 weeks I’ve made about 10 sales. But after, shipping, listing, transaction, fees. I prolly make about $1 per sale. Plus, I’m in Canada so the conversion rate is ridiculous. Oh crap, I think I’m losing money!!!! Ugh!!!!
That's super frustrating, Abe. I have a couple of videos on pricing that you might find helpful. ruclips.net/video/E84R362yfHE/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/BzMBA4CCZHQ/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/v3J_0bnEpjE/видео.html I'd love to hear if they help you!
I have been going back and forth on wether to sell on Etsy. I did create a shop, and tried to practice filling out the info for one listing, but unfortunately I’m now stuck.. ugh! I’m so lost on what I’m doing and don’t know how to finish filling out the rest of the info it wants. After watching your video, maybe there’s a reason why I’m stuck. Because Etsy is not the place for me to be. I’m new to the selling world, trying to get my handmade party decor out there for others to enjoy & purchase. I really enjoyed your video and appreciate the time you took to talk to us about the selling platforms, as well as how Etsy works. Thank you for being so kind.
Thanks for your kind words, Diana! I'm sorry that you are feeling stuck with Etsy. It can be a good place for new sellers to start to see how their products sell. You could also try Facebook or Instagram to test the waters.
Wow, I feel sad. I was planning on going on etsy to sell origami and duct tape creations. But guess not anymore, anyone know where I should sell it instead???
Etsy is not a bad place to start out, considering the built-in traffic, but you definitely do not want to end up relying on Etsy for your business in the long run. Good luck getting started!
I havet Etsy, but as far as the 15-20% fees, it's still way better than trying to sell in a brick and mortar retail environment. I have had sellers wanting to double my price, making the product completely unaffordable. Typically they take 30-50% of the sale if it's on a consignment basis.
Yes, in-person retail is a whole other animal, which is why you want to make sure that you are priced correctly so those percentages they take from you are doable. Not everyone likes this setup. The comparison I'm making here is between Etsy and your own branded site, so you have more control over your online business.
I don't think the problem is Etsy I just think that a lot of people don't know how to handle a business. Before signing up to a platform you have to know how much you spend to set up prices so you can make profit. I really don't understand this comment section full of people complaining about paying for ads and stuff.. If you want your business to grow then you will have to advertise it and of course you must pay for that. If your concurrent have low price and you don't want to lower yours then find another way to attract customers. Your product may be 15€ while your concurrent's product is 6€ it does NOT mean you'll not sell. It's up to you. You can tell yes my product cost more but we use good materials , yes it cost more but we ship in 3 days, yes it cost more but there is a longer guarantee. It's up to us the platform can be " shitty" but we can find solution in order to not lower our prices and stuff. But I still think getting your own website is better.
Thanks for your thoughts, and I agree wholeheartedly! It takes a lot to run a business, and a lot of people do not understand that a lot of hard work and research goes into it.
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New subbie here. I have been torturing myself for years trying to decide whether or not to do an etsy shop. I became disabled and I need a new way to get my stuff out there.
Thx.
Great advice thank you
Impatient customers are on many platforms. Etsy is not the only one. Buyers are fussy simply because there's money and feelings involved.
Creative Hive Good morning I’m on Esty as well my sales are asking like I want . I’m think about getting off there as well
I send package to Canada to a customer still trying to reach the customer. To see if they got their Gift Basket
That free shipping thing is terrible for those of us not in the US, our shipping is very expensive and adding that to the price puts it far above any competitors
@methven Arundell Unfortunately I'm in South Africa, with the added problem of the total unreliability of the post office and the fact that parcels are not tracked all the way to delivery.
@Creative Revival I subsidize the postage out of my profits to such an extent, it's just not worth it any more.
@Creative Revival The objective is to make money for ourselves, not Etsy or the postal carriers, isn't it so?
Claire Stubbs I have no views at all since I stopped paying for Advertising!
@@sweetladycraftshop567 That's really all they want from us.
Very True! everyones says "I bought this product off Etsy" and you never know who the seller was or grow the sellers brand.
Exactly, Avery! It's so unfortunate that a maker's brand identity is lost on Etsy.
It's probably mass produced in China 😪
this always happens, no matter who or what. something starts out great and then later they get greedy and it gets worse and worse.
yep
Greed and lack of accountability.
Mostly greed.
After they went public, it's all about the investors.
Thars exactly hoe i experienced etsy over the last years. I used to love it... but ive placed my shop on holiday mode start of this year and not sure how i want to proceed. In essence im just a hobbyist.
Ok no. You had me at the "Force people to give free shipping."
You have no idea how much time and money you saved me from this video, girl. Thanks a bunch!
I'm glad that it was helpful to you, Mariama! Thank you for watching!
As a shopper I absolutely agree about the manufactured goods on etsy. I am looking for artisan made, cottage business products, not mass market goods. It is also frustrating to search because using specific words (trying to refine) just adds goods instead of narrowing down the search.
Etsy's search function leaves so much to be desired!
I left Etsy. Not happy with them at all and now they are forcing you to use their outside advertising and charging you for it. It is required. It's like they're turning into a mafia, our way or the highway.
All of the changes are so frustrating, Denise!
It’s not required. You can turn ads off
@@frgarcia89 It's required for all shops making more than $10,000 a year...other shops can opt-out.
That's why I opened a Shopify shop. I would also like to add that I had a Bonanza account for years and they arbitrarily changed their payment terms to requiring Paypal. As I am banned from Paypal because a partner against whom I have a court judgment embezzled $14,000, that account was closed down. I'm sure Shopify's terms may change as well; but at least I now own my own domain and shop.
No one who has a shop on Shopify owns their own shop. Shopify owns it. You cannot host your Shopify shop where you would like. A Shopify shop can never be sold. Wordpress.org with WooCommerce is a better alternative. There you do own your shop.
I'm glad I came across this. I was going back and forth on if I should start my store with Etsy. A couple of recent reviewers I've watched have said the same thing. I especially have a problem with having other stores being including in my store.
Yes, elizabeth! It's unfortunate that they've chosen to advertise other shops in your shop because something like that would NEVER happen on your own site!
About branding, that hit me hard. I'm starting a handmade business and buy my supplies from different shops on etsy. I feel really bad because I can't remember the names of these shops. I just say " bought it on Etsy". I don't want that to be me and my business. I want my customers to remember my name and see my hard work to prefect the products I create. Thanks for the perspective. This was the best and detailed video I've seen!
Yes! Anonymous shops are why I don't buy supplies on Etsy anymore. But I have kept all my invoices from when I did, so I at least (theoretically) have a record of where my jewelry findings and stuff came from, if I can find the invoices.
:))) I got banned permanently the day after I got my first sale. I didn't get a warning email beforehand, nor do I get any when I got bannned either.
I tried to make an appeal and ask them why they banned me, and all they say was that I violate one of their house rules.
I asked them to elaborate on which rules it is that I violated as I believe that I'm in the clear, and I also said that if I really did violate any of the rules, I would be gladly fix the problem. They replied my email the next day with what seems like an automated response, saying that after comprehensive review, they decided to ban my shop permanently, and I'm not allowed to make an account to sell or even buy things there, and that the decision is final & they won't respond to any further inquiries.
I mean.. wow. They really try to cut the ties off without explaining the reason why I got banned, and even though I would never buy anything from Etsy after this (because yes, I'm pissed), it's kinda insulting that they have to go as far as prohibiting me from buying stuffs there 😒😒
The weird thing though, even though I'm pissed with how they treat their sellers, a part of me don't really care anymore lol. I've heard and seen alot of videos on my youtube dashboard about other etsy sellers saying why they hate etsy or suggest other people to quit (like this video), and I finally experience it myself and understand why people hate Etsy, so I wasn't totally surprised or expected them to lift the ban.
Sorry about the long rant 😂
Just want to get this off my chest.
I'm so sorry to hear this. That has to be so incredibly frustrating!
Same here. After doing some investigation, this seems to be a HUGE, underreported problem. Open store, make first sale, shop closes without warning, usually before you get a chance to print the label. I shipped out my first product today and came home to find my shop suspended. Screw them. Im going to consider it a blessing in disguise. Open your own store!!
Woah placing other sellers’ links in one’s shop? That’s really messed up, your abusive relationship analogy is spot on! Was thinking of opening an Etsy shop but this has made me think twice, great video btw.
Yes, Pixelles, if you open a product listing on Etsy to look more closely at it, and then scroll to the bottom, you will see photos listings of similar items in other shops. That's definitely not keeping your shop's interest in mind!
But ebay and amazon also do this
I was really ticked off a few months ago when I sent a friend a link to a product in my shop using Facebook Messenger. The link to my ONE product that I sent to ONE person included links to basically the same product that they could get in several OTHER Etsy shops! I felt violated......obviously I didn't want to send my friend links to other shops that they could support, instead of MY shop. Grrrr! Etsy truly wants to make the most sales possible, regardless of whose shop the sale comes from.
Yes! The fees have become INSANE! I wish someone else would start a handmade site like Etsy originally started out as.
That's a dream of mine Stacy! Maybe one day!
My sister and I have started our own business and it hasn’t been going well especially now with the what’s going on. It’s really nerve wrecking and scary because we’ve already invested so much into our products that we’re afraid we won’t be able to sell. Thank you so much for your input!
Hi Brittney! There's always the fear that you won't sell your items, but if you keep working at it and promoting your items, you are bound to make sales. Just keep working at it. And remember, you won't ever sell any if you don't put them out there.
I’m going through the same problem right now 😕
Thank you. I kept being told to sell my art on Etsy but I been listening to people like yourself. Think I will make my own page . Yep 👍 you and several others have said the same. Really thank you so much for your experience.
Thank you for your kind words, Lisa!
LISA of the Clan Mac Innes :
@Amber Hall I would start on Etsy while I start my own Website
Weeeeeeell you just killed my idea of putting my stuff on Etsy. Thanks! :D
It's not the worst place but it's also not the best if you want to retain control of your business overall.
Hi there, please don't be discouraged. If you were thinking about putting your beautiful work/product on Etsy, please do so. She did say that she had used it for over a decade. It's only her experience.
Putting yourself out there is a very good idea. You will learn so much that appeals to you and your needs. Don't let just one person sway you from stepping out on your own. I too am working on an Etsy shop. I tried ebay and loved it. Now I am excited to open my Etsy shop. Just wanted to send you some encouragement. Always test things out for yourself, that way you will know how it works for you. Much success to you!😁🌹🌈❤☀
Don't hesitate to put your products on Etsy. As bad as it is, it is a good place to start!
It’s not a bad thing to be on Etsy. It can help people find you. But much better to also set up your own site alongside Etsy, so you can drive traffic to your web site and sell there without having to live by Etsy rules and decide what’s best for your own shop.
lol, me too
Thank you, l left Etsy years ago, too many fees, and favoritism, I'm doing my own website now
Good for you, Crystal! The favoritism was getting to be pretty blatant, wasn't it?
So your own personal website. Like Instagram?
How is your website going? I'm looking to transition away from Etsy too.
HEY!! How did you get your own website? I'm looking into it!! pls help
しゅにシュニ you can either use Shopify, square or wix.
Now they’re forcing artists into paying for ads. Some can opt out, if you make “enough” you cannot opt out.
I hardly make anything on Etsy, and I cant opt out either.
oh jeez is this advertising tacked on behind the scenes? they already take a huge percentage....grrrrr
leatherandjade arts really? I wonder what makes the difference. Some have details at the end of the email to opt out.
By Etsy's terms: "if your shop made $10,000 USD or more total sales in any consecutive 365 day period after February 20, 2019, you will be required to participate in Offsite Ads for the lifetime of your shop even if you fall below that threshold at a later period." You can opt out if you made less than $10,000 USD in that same time period. You can view the full terms here: www.etsy.com/legal/advertising/
That’s horrific.
hahha, yeah, Etsy was my "bad boyfriend" too 😂. I also have been on Etsy since really early on and I miss the good old days. Especially the last years have snow-balled terribly for sellers (and buyers!) on Etsy. I have sooo many thoughts about this. But the upside is, especially with the newest (horrible!) changes with the offsite ads etc folks are being literally FORCED to leave Etsy and finally create new (more independent) selling options for themselves. (I can't AFFORD to stay on Etsy, so I HAVE to leave) And now, they have the experience of selling under their belts and they know now exactly what they need and want. Also, times have never been easier to establish yourself outside of Etsy. This wasn't so easy years go. Etsy's horrible policies are driving good talent to make better business choices for themselves even if it is really hard and there is a lot at stake financially. So yeah, thanks Etsy for finally making it truly bad enough that I can finally, truly leave your platform!
Aww, Lynne, it's so sad in a way, isn't it? It was such a great community. I wish your business the best in this next big step! 💖
@@CreativeHiveCo Yeah, I miss the old Etsy. Thank you for the well wishes 💫
Wow, I am so not down for another abusive relationship…
While Etsy can be useful for many sellers, it's important to not put all your resources into Etsy since they can change things on your at any minute for any reason.
Omg I needed to see this! I have been wanting to start an Etsy store for a long time but now I’m thinking of trying something different instead. Btw...you are adorbs!
Thank you, Laurie! Definitely not bad to start out on Etsy if you want to try it out, but don't put all your eggs in the Etsy basket long term!
I never did an astounding amount of sales but I did ok. I did notice in the past year my sales literally stopped. Full stop. Thanks for explaining this. So very sad how it's changed from the way it used to be.
@Liz P. Just chuckling a bit. Etsy is already just like all the other marketing venues. I just let my Etsy Shop sit there, it's really cheap advertising and I reference the brick and motar stores that buy my creations by mentioning them by name in my product description. Example - I might say - you can also buy this at the XYZ Shop in Columbus, Ohio. LOL, I haven't been brave enough to put in their phone number - YET. This is my way of sticking it up Etsy's (eBay and Amazon)behind. Afterall, they've been sticking their crapola up mine for years.
It is definitely good to keep your shop open on autopilot because there ARE buyers there, but it's not the same as your own site. And Ed, just be careful with your wording because it's against Etsy's terms of use to send buyers offsite.
OMG!!! I shut my Etsy shop down a few years ago because of the fees. The more I sold, the more expensive it was... and I didn't even sell that much. I was thinking about revamping and reopening on the platform, but not after this video. Thanks so much for the info.
That's so interesting to hear, Kate! It's almost like it starts compounding on itself somehow.
I so agree with you about Etsy not being the same...it was great for DIYers but now it's too manufactured.
It's such a shame too because it was such a great creative community when it started out.
The "abusive" relationship sounds EXACTLY like Amazon.
Ain't that the truth. 🙄
That's so true! NEVER DO PRIME! lol I almost died on holiday season trying to get my art printed, packaged and shipped to FedEx by 1pm EST every damn day and STILL got customers complaining and amazon forced refunds because they were late by one day. NEVER DO PRIME you make $ but you lose your soul.
Oh my God I thought she same thing!
That's why I always advocate for having your own website and your own email marketing list. That way you retain control over all the aspects of your business, and you make changes when YOU want to, not someone else.
no it did not
Hi Mei, I think Etsy shoppers are generally nice (a handful of them are rude, of course, but if you are nice to them, they understand that there is an actual human being on the other side) and we can certainly not blame them for not reading our descriptions.
Etsy recently made a point to bury descriptions. On mobile you need to scroll far down and click a button to open the description box. On desktop, all you get is the very few words of your description in the right hand side column. I guess that not that many shoppers will click the inconspicuous "learn more" link.
Workaround: if we need to pass on crucial info to our shoppers (about the buying process for personalized item for instance, or how our DIY supplies work), we need to rely only on the 10 pictures. Which are not translatable in nature. That's an issue for digital sellers who sell internationally. Anyway.
Oh, and after all those years, there is still no video feature in listings like on Amazon.
Another argument against Etsy is their links from Pinterest. When somebody browses Pinterest, there can be one of your pictures with the title of another of our listings, because of the related items feature that bear the same url. Or worse: one customer's picture from the reviews with the title of another of your listings. This is annoying. Most of my Etsy traffic comes from Pinterest but nobody ends up buying (I run the test over a weekend with the help of Google Analytics) because the picture they saw on Pinterest was a different product than the one they are redirected to (and because prices in Pinterest rich pins do not include VAT, but is very much included in the Etsy listing, but that's another story that only pertains to European shoppers).
Another argument against Etsy is that it is so famous that this is the go-to place for hackers to copy and paste your listing entirely and resell your items in their Shopify shops. I don't know if they use software to do that, but that's pretty concerning. This is one go-to sites for copycats too, but eh *sigh*
I agree with the abusive relationship, fees, competition and branding arguments (Can we get mere bold text, please?!)
Grrrr. Etsy is both a blessing and a curse. I am grateful it helped me bring food on the table but it's time for me to move on.
Hey Stephane! Long time no chat. Yeah, I hear you, Etsy is quite the double edged sword. Lots of pros, lots of cons, but ultimately so out of your control. People who learn to play the Etsy game will have a lot of success and I've seen you just have to keep up with their changes and with on trend keywords.
That's realy good to hear about your experiences with Etsy customers! We have a happiness guarantee, and make it our goal to do anything/everything we possibly can to make everyone happy.
Thank you for generously sharing all your feedback, tips and insight!
@@CreativeHiveCo hi Mei, I am flattered that you remember me ❤️
@@stephane6833 Of course I remember you! You were/are killing it on Etsy with your cool paper sculpture patterns. I love your work :) Would love to hear more about how you're doing these days!
@@CreativeHiveCo ❤️ I'll send you an email after Christmas 😉
@@stephane6833 Can't wait :) Happy Holidays!
Really enjoyed this. I'm a leathercrafter and looked at ETSY awhile back. Was blown away by the amount of ' handmade ' leather goods that have been ordered from Made in China websites. And the competition. Some is certainly good but if we all make the same thing and all are at the same flea market, nobody is going to make money.
This is all very true, and it's disheartening when you make something by hand to see the non-handmade "competition".
im so happy that found this video before starting a etsy shop
I'm so glad you found it helpful, Joanne! Thanks so much for watching.
Your videos have been a blessing for me! I'm disabled and unable to work and would like to sell my artwork and handmade things for extra income. I'm learning so much from you! You really are providing a much needed public service, especially for people in my position. Just wanted to say thank you!!
Thank you so much for that, Jennifer! I really appreciate it so much!
Thanks for this. I am so over etsy and their ridiculous fees and rules. Bye Etsy!!
Thank you for watching, Seriously Creative!
I opened a shop, but I quit making an effort almost immediately because I tried several times typing in my tag words, and even my exact description and my shop would not come up. I also typed in the name of my shop in the search bar and it didn't come up. I told my friends about my shop and they couldn't find it when they searched for it.
K. W.M. Samething happened to me! No views at all since I stopped paying for advertising....:(
Etsy's search function is definitely not intuitive and if you do not have the lettering exactly right, it can't find things that are "close enough" to what you're looking for. It's a very frustrating system for both buyers and sellers.
If you don't pay for adds you will not have views.
My shop's name is: Corona Leather Shop. I must type it all together or it won't show up. That's the sad reality. I have to tell everyone, every time, and yet, not much success with the platform. Good luck to you and best wishes!
@Jess LP Oh, no. That's odd! The shop is active, I just checked. This is the direct link: www.etsy.com/shop/coronaleathershop You can also find us as "Corona Leather" on FB and Insta. Thanks for bringing this to my attention and very best!
here is a point I feel compelled to make. who here is old enough to remember the shopping mall? well you rent a store or kiosk in the shopping mall because of organic traffic. the mall advertises and promotes ..as does etsy your ads get promoted on google! you get traffic and potential customers from etsy's platform. the mall store I rented years ago I had to be open as long as mall was open i had to abide by whatever rules the mall laid out and some were ridiculous but i paid to be in the pool of customers they had and could always make money. any cleaver seller can work around fees and rules. especially to tap into the flow of potential clients. is it a good idea to steer clients to your website at some point? yes it is but until you personal square space website generates thousands of visitors a day etsy is a great alternative. I have squarespace and they are great but they dont have a customer pool. I love squarespace and I dig etsy. especially the digital download scene where shipping has no impact. point is there are always rules there are always things we cant control it doesn't make it abusive it just makes it business and you need to be resourceful to succeed. tha is for your video btw I know being a creator is lots of work I appreciate your time
So appreciate your thoughtful comment! 👍
I'm actually old enough to remember when malls were actually a destination & a hangout. :-) You made several good points in your post, but the "abusive" part goes beyond following the rules for a mall shop. In the real world, a store in a mall is able to promote its own image, product line, branding, etc.; a shop on Etsy not only looks basically like every other shop on Etsy, the shopkeeper is actually required to accept advertising for their competitors attached to every product in their shop. (Kind of like walking into a Macy's store and finding ads for Kohl's on every shelf.) Shops in a mall determine what policies they implement for dealing with customers; Etsy determines your policies for you, and in situations where they provide an option (e.g., "free" shipping) they penalize shopkeepers for taking advantage of any option that makes them different from other shopkeepers. Shops in a mall can choose whether or not they opt into additional in-mall advertising with their own branding & content; Etsy just instituted a rule where successful shopkeepers are required to pay advertising fees for ads run outside the mall, with the placement, timing, content, design, etc. of the ad entirely determined & created by Etsy. Malls in the real world frequently base their advertising on the presence of "name" chains and interesting smaller shops; Etsy pushes all its shopkeepers to advertise the "Etsy" brand rather than their own. There's more but I don't want to belabor the point any further. You're absolutely correct about needing to follow rules in a physical mall (or even for a standalone store in a city or town), but the way Etsy has been changing its rules, along with the new rules it has begun requiring shopkeepers to follow, are beginning to move well outside the bounds of their real-world counterparts.
@@nairbvel several excellent points and yes the new ad promoting email I got is pretty lame 15% and enrolled by default lol. anyways great points for sure now ubwant my orange julius! from the mall food court!
@@InsightfulImagery Definitely Orange Julius if you were in a rush... Farrrell's if you had some time and a bit of cash... and Hot Shoppes Cafeteria if you wanted real food. :-) Wow, you're taking me back down memory lane, thanks!
I had that ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP. The way they allow shoppers to leave bad reviews because you refuse to give them a FULL refund knowing that your product was made perfectly. I was shut down and took a huge bite out of my income =( Im glad I left
I'm so sorry to hear that, A&J Creations. This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say you should have your own site. Leaving it up to someone else's control can be so scary and frustrating.
Thank you SO much for this video!! I'm about to open a print/sticker shop for my art, and was planning to go solely with Etsy, but was scared off big time by all the fees and the lack of shop individuality. I'm now going to focus on a website that I create, with Etsy bringing in customers outside of my marketing efforts. Thank you for all this information!!!
That's great, Audrey! I'm so happy to hear that you are going to work on both at once - I think that is such a smart way to go.
I’m going to start an Etsy shop just to get my feet wet but once I gain momentum I aspire to transition to my own platform. Thank you for the feedback!
Great planning, Vida! Etsy is not a bad place to start out, considering the built-in traffic, but you definitely do not want to end up relying on Etsy for your business in the long run. Good luck getting started!
That's what I have been thinking for a long time be there for a time while also trying to do some local sells so I won't rely 100% on etsy.
First time viewer. Good subject! Love your simple, direct approach to information! No distractions, no 'waffle' no going down 'rabbit holes' TFS!!! New subscriber.
That totally makes my day! Thank you!!
I don’t like how Etsy jewelry shops in particular get away with such vague descriptions, gold chain instead of gold-plated chain, Pearl instead of plastic Pearl...buyers are unaware and think they are getting a better value than they actually are. And totally agree - so much manufactured products that were clearly not designed by the shop owner. Such a double standard🤔 thanks for reminding me why I don’t like Etsy.
Would like to see stats on how long shops stay on Etsy and where they migrate to....
Yes, there isn't a standard for transparency there which is disappointing!
I thought I was crazy for staying away from ETSY (AND eBay)...and every reason you gave is what I was thinking! Thank you for reassuring me!!!
You've got the right idea, Courtney!
I like you... errm your video. You speak clearly, you don't wave your hands or a product around, you don't ever talk down to your listeners. You are a pleasure to learn from. I figure you know this, but I'll be glad to send the positive vibe your way: you've earned it. I have a LOT to learn (haven't opened my first shop yet). Maybe I'll watch a few more of your videos before taking the plunge!
Thank you so much for your kind comments, and good luck starting up your business!
I commented a few months ago. I was content with etsy at the time. Since then, they have decided to control how often I show up in the search results because my shop was doing extremely well. I had about 500 orders in que at any given time I had increased my processing time to accommodate. Long story short, even though everything is shipping on time, etsy has filtered me out of the results until I get way further ahead. Small business on etsy is supposed to be controlled by the seller but Etsy steps in way too often. I am looking into other avenues.
This is the problem, unfortunately - you don't have control because it's not your site, and Etsy can decide how much you are shown or not and you can't do anything about it. I would definitely keep your Etsy for the traffic you do have, but start moving customers over to your own site.
You are 100% correct about everything you said. I have been on Etsy since 2008 and was very happy with the additional income it was generating. 2018 was my best year ever then everything changed. They changed their algorithms and my sales dropped 85%, 85% !!! My holiday sales were horrible!
I can remember when they only allowed hand crafted items. You couldn’t buy things wholesale and resell them. Now that is pretty much all you see, cheap $hit from China...
example: Prints selling 6 for $19.95. How can artists compete with that???
I tried the “free shipping” because it would put my listings ahead of those that didn’t offer it...BS! Nothing change ...my sales became even worse! My sales have dropped to just a handful a month.
They are no longer the wonderful, handcrafted artisan’s showcase! They have become just like everyone else, wayfair, amazon Do not bother.
I'm really sorry to hear that, Diana. What's most frustrating is they do not listen to seller feedback.
Gurrrrl...you covered it ALL! This video needs to be the number 1 video for those considering Etsy!
LISTEN TO HER!!!!! PRICELESS INFO
Thank you for watching, Andrea!
I agree . I am so frustrated trying to market on Etsy and so many products not handmade at all . It’s shameful .
It's true! Etsy was so much more community-oriented and maker-friendly when it started.
I found Etsy frustrating and awkward from the beginning. I've had my shop in vacation mode for months now because I cringe at the idea of going back to it. Time to go. I'll just have to get stickers for all my business cards, lol.
Yes I feel like if you can get your own site up and running and direct your customers there you will be better off in the long run, with one central place for them to find you that's branded.
I am thinking about hand making my own products and sell it on Etsy. But the fees and rules did not make sense to me and I feel it was not fair to be a seller there. Thank you for confirming my thoughts. These are all great tips and information. Thank you!
Thank you so much for watching, Paliwa! It's not a bad thing to have a shop on Etsy, because they have built-in traffic where people can just stumble upon your products if they're searching. But it's definitely a bad thing to rely on Etsy for all your business because you don't have control of what they change on their site or when.
Mei you are saving me so much pain. I'm not on Etsy to begin with so I can channel my energy to more effective options. Thank you.
Happy to help, as always, Jenna! I realize this is just one side of the story, and many successful Etsy shops will whole-heartedly support Etsy.
But you're right, it's all about energy management. Etsy can come later in your business, once you've got your own platform running, it just shouldn't be the focus! :)
I am working on notes to include in orders to drive Etsy customers to my 'real' website. The fee that most annoys me is that the listing fee is repeated every time I sell an item. Even when there is still 'available' stock remaining. That .20 cents per sale adds up on top of everything else. Good cover of the topic!
Yeah. I can also see how for people who sell lower priced items, that .20 cents can also be a big splinter... Good idea to start redirecting traffic/customers from Etsy to your own website. Just be careful that you're doing it within Etsy TOS, since we don't to completely get off of Etsy especially if you've got some sales coming from there! A sale is a sale is a sale 😄
It's even worse if you sell one of a kind handmade items or vintage. Renewal after renewal after renewal. Work your numbers what your credits are and what your fees are. It's in your reports in your shop manager. You will find out just how high Etsy fees really are. It's crazy. Yet everyone keeps repeating the mantra Etsy fees are 8% plus .20 plus .25 credit transaction fee. Not true!
Make sure you add the .20 and other fees to your product price.
@@donnaanasse5177 well what's the truth?
That is a very good idea. I started doing that last year and now my own website is competing with my Etsy store. Offer free shipping on your website and let your Etsy customers know that there are better deals if they go to your website.
When Cafepress did this kind of thing to all of its shopkeepers ten years or so ago, it felt like a divorce. A divorce from an ugly, lying, mean, cheating and hateful partner. A partner you loved so much you wanted to have it's babies forever. It colors every relationship after. You never trust completely again. AWESOME analogy.
Thank you so much, Cyndi!
Your point about sellers who charge very little making impossible to compete is right on.
It is crazy, and it crashes the market for the rest of us.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful exploration of the limitations and value of selling on Etsy. You confirmed a lot of things I suspected might hinder my ability to promote my products the way I would like to. Looks like it’s time for a dedicated webpage!
You can do it, Whitney! Taking control of your brand is going to feel amazing. 💖
This is so random but like this girl has the best jawline I've ever seen lol
I'll take that random compliment for sure! 😂 Thanks for watching!
I'm going to be doing a live workshop here on Wednesday! If you're subscribed, hit the bell to be notified when it starts!
I agree with all your points! (BTW, You’re so cute.) Too many artists, myself included) are NOT very good business heads. Thanks for articulating.
Thank you so much for watching, Bobby Gene!
Mei, such excellent advice, offered up in your clear, concise manner, and with a smart, alternative suggestion! Thank you for your continued, refreshingly intelligent guidance. I deeply admire and respect you.
Laurie, thank you for your kind and generous comments! I appreciate you, and thank you for your time watching this!
I only used Etsy for their Pattern by Etsy platform. I plan to move it to square space some time this spring. I already have the URL and have been using it for months. I’m a crochet artist and pattern writer, so I plan to leave all my patterns on Etsy so that my shop can focus strictly on finished product. All my pattern sales now are passive income.
This is such a great video!
Sounds like you have a great plan!
I will say, while I agree with a lot of what you're saying. I will say that if you do a great job of communicating with your customers it boosts your brand image. Customers will feel differently if you're very polite, informative, and quick with your answers to questions, and informing customers of possible better choices or options for their purchase....oh and YES...People don't like to read, so just assume that no one reads anything you have for info in your listings.
All of this is so true, James. It sounds like you have a great read on your customers and anticipating their needs.
they just change their algorithm all the time
me : Instagram is that you?
😂😂😂
They screwed up when they open the doors to China. I put my shop on vacation 2 years ago when they decided that you have to give them your social security number in order to set up the shop.... Etsy has become EBay’s step sister.
Allowing manufactured items was such a blow to the handmade makers.
I never gave them one but would not, I will leave anyways for how they have been acting.
Wow!" Etsy is like an abusive relationship "... those were my EXACT words last night. So true, especially with this new ad thing thier doing. I'm working on my own platform now. It's not easy but I'm determined to learn as I go.
That's fantastic! I've got lots of videos here to help with marketing, and also lots of resources on my website. creativehiveco.com
Just starting to think about selling my hand made products on-line, so glad I ran across your video so I know better what to do and what platforms work best. Thanks you!!
I appreciate you watching, Debbie! I'm glad you found this video helpful!
I'm so happy I found your channel. I am excited to get started.
Welcome!! I'm happy you found me too!
Wonderful video. I really hope this gets the views it deserves, this is so smart and a lot of small artists and sellers need to hear it!
Thank you so much, Jaybay! I appreciate that!
Thanks for all the advice. I used to sell on Etsy 4 yrs ago and I recently considered about reselling at Etsy.... Not anymore....🏃🏽♀️
Depending on what you sell it could work out well... AND if you don't really need your Etsy sales money to pay for your basic human needs (shelter, food, security, etc.) 👍
I make feather earrings and different types of necklaces.
Is it possible to only have a few items in your Etsy store with a link to a web page shop where they can find more products?
No. You aren't allowed to direct Etsy shoppers off Etsy to your own site, per Etsy terms of use.
I like you and your common sense, intelligent approach to business. Subscribed
Thank you for your kind comments, Abi! And for subscribing! 💖🙏
i’m starting an online store and i was debating whether or not to start on etsy when i saw your video. so many of my favorite artists have talked about the excessive fees, annoying algorithms and just generally the greediness of etsy and your video definitely helped me make what i hope is the right choice! (using my own site to sell)💜✨
That's awesome, television kid! I'm so happy for you!
all my relationships has been abusive....friends, parents, and now Etsy, ha!. You are totally right, it is like an abusive relationship, the feeling is the same. And with this off site adds tyranny they get to point where I can compare Etsy with my narcissistic parents. Great video!
True! So is Yelp an abusive relationship. it's our current system in general. A parasitic model.
I'm so sorry that's been your experience, Lucia! I hope that you can find a platform that works for your business!
Boy you really hit the nail on the head for me with one statement. I used to sell on there and stopped. When you said that when people are sharing where they got something they say "Etsy" and you are sooooo right!!! I never made that connection and heard it a million times from people! Yes, that is enough to really make sellers think isn't it? Etsy did not sell it to you...I did ! wow . such a great video. Thank you
It's one of the most frustrating parts for me, Gail, because the maker of the item (the supposed whole premise of Etsy itself) is lost to the Etsy behemoth. It's really unfortunate.
I want to start on etsy then make my own website at the same time so i can promote my website then hopefully get off etsy kinda fast
You can definitely do it that way, Luna! The point is to not get completely stuck there, so that's a good plan.
I am doing the same!
Everything you are saying is everything I've been struggling with. Especially customers comparing me to Amazon and eBay when my items are handmade to order.
That's just sad. This is also why it's hard to build a brand in an eCommerce marketplace where competition is crazy. If you can, go with your own website!
Very good video, and very well thought out, too. I'm almost in total agreement with your points, and based on what I've been hearing, I've got a few friends who have stopped selling on Etsy.
Sadly, I was captivated by one thing you said:
You said you don't really get to make an additional profit at all from your shipping. But you're really not supposed to do that no matter what. Your profit margin is mainly figured into whatever your item prices are. That's fine.
However, you're supposed to put at least some of your profit right back into your business. Artesans and craftspeople, going it alone, need to understand that. Your reinvestment into your business includes shipping materials and shipping option.
That always needs fine tuning, I know. As a former curator and a buyer/collector, I hear sellers whining about the shipping costs THEY had to pay, how THEY make no profit from shipping costs. Well, I'm usually the one paying fir shipping, a customer doesn't want a load of drama along with the purchase.
But you dealing fairly and not profiting from the shipping charge how it's meant to be! Your profit never comes from shipping costs, unless you actually contract your customers to agree to pay you shipping and handling charges!
Did you ever wander over to eBay and see a $20 item with a $55 shipping fee?? -- which you know is going toward lousy First Class Mail Parcel! The dishonesty there is the failure to separate the shipping cost from shipping and handling charges/fee.
False advertising, in other words.
Sorry this ran so long. It's truly a great video and I think you're doing well on You Tube. Please meditate on what I tried to express. :)
I thought she meant she did not profit from shipping, so why should Etsy profit from her shipping charges ... I may have misunderstood.
Yep, what Phianett indicated. Etsy wants the seller to suck up the shipping charges, so the customer doesn't have to pay. What this ultimately means to a seller, is putting the shipping charges back into their product listings cost, so they can cover the costs of shipping.Which gives Etsy more $$$ in fees, when a product sells, because it's being charged at a higher price. Ultimately, it's the customer who loses out, or the seller if they don't bump up their product costs. But Etsy gets to claim a "free" shipping tag to attract customers to their platform, while their fees with every sale, goes up.
Yes, what I meant was that I do not receive any type of profit from shipping costs. Every penny of what comes in from shipping is allotted to postage and packaging. I don't keep the money from shipping costs, but now Etsy is taking some of that as their own profit, meaning I am actually losing money from the purchase to then cover the shipping.
I've been selling online for 10+ years, and added an Etsy shop in 2013. You are so right about the "abusive relationship" Etsy has with its sellers. This past year most of my Etsy sales have tanked, not a good reason for this- and fees continue to rise. With mandatory transactions processed through Etsy, fees were @ 6.5%, today they are 8% (rise in January). This is FVF & transaction fees. I don't use Etsy's shipping labels cuz they almost always FU, and I end up paying for labels that don't print correctly or at all. I have to pay for Stamps.com for international sales, and that's getting too much too. As of this month Etsy has made it mandatory that sellers participate in an new Etsy Outside Ads program, which is basically an "Affiliate Links" program where they are the beneficiary of all % on sales (click ads to shops) in addition to FVF & listing fees. Equals out to about 20% FVF per item (not counting original listing fees). If you sell lost cost items which much of your inventory needs to be on lower end to compete, you'll not be making any money and tanking along with me. Hard to know what to do- do I go back to Ebay?
Hi Cheryl, it's so frustrating isn't it? This exact situation is why I advocate for having your own website for sales and your own email list. This way YOU have control over your business and your customers and not a third party.
I really haven't started my Etsy store, just haven't taken the time. But I was leaning towards doing one with the tools that Square has, since I use that for card payments at craft shows. Have you ever looked at their services to compare with others?
Hi Derek, I don't see that they have a marketplace, so they're a site builder more like Shopify. In that case, I don't see much benefit to using Square over Shopify. At their $26/mo level, you can do almost exactly the same things as on the $29/mo Shopify plan. The benefit to Shopify is a massive app marketplace to integrate anything you want, many of those apps can help boost your marketing and sales. For example for Tiny Hands, my jewelry biz, almost 50% of my sales/income comes from my subscription product, the Necklace of the Month Club. I couldn't even do something like that on Square's site builder.
@@CreativeHiveCo This was so helpful!
Do you recommend starting a Shopify store at the the same time you open your Etsy shop? Or should you wait? Thanks
I would suggest getting your Shopify up and running and then opening Etsy, so that as you get Etsy customers you can refer them back to your own website in your marketing materials that you mail out with their orders.
@@CreativeHiveCo excellent suggestion! Thank you so much!
I consider online stores like etsy's and Amazon as a marketing tool for my own store. Is it against TOS to include literature in your packages that direct the customer to my own website?
No, it's not. It's against their terms to place them in your online shop to direct them off-site, but you can put in your packages what you like.
Most things I buy from Ebay and Amazon have the sellers website on my bill...
I signed up to Etsy a few days ago and I wish I would have seen this video 1st because what you are saying is on point. They deactivated two of my products without notification they’re reasoning was that I was using medical or giving medical information regarding my moisturizer, the word “hyperpigmentation” which just simply means dark skin pigment, maybe they should have googled the work if they didn’t know what it meant. So needless to say have deactivated my account.
Hi! I'm really sorry to hear about what happened to your Etsy shop. I have a free RUclips livestream tomorrow where I'll talk about ways and strategies to grow your business online without relying on social media and Etsy. I think you're going to learn a lot from it too. Here's the link in case you want to join: ruclips.net/video/T8OwwdFpQxM/видео.html Don't forget to click on the bell notifications icon so you get notified when we start. Hope to see you there!! ❤️
I opened my shop almost 4 weeks ago and no sales yet....I've looked at competitors and I know my things could sell, they were nice enough and its priced right. You are correct when you say they favor other shops. I've had Etsy Ads and that's not helping
It's so frustrating, Samantha. 4 weeks is still pretty new, though, so don't be too discouraged. Try tweaking your tags and titles for SEO and see if that helps.
Thank you so much for this video! I am atm in the process of building my own website and this video reassures me! And I decided to do it for all the reasons you have pointed out! It is soooo frustrating to have to compete with such low price and I hate the fact I can’t figure out one month was amazing and the other one a disaster! Thank you!!!!
I'm so happy to hear that you are working on your own site! That is so exciting and such a good business decision!
@@CreativeHiveCo yes! It is a very nice feeling! Thanks for all your amazing advices
They charged me for listings after I closed my shop down..
That's terrible, Lila! I hope you were able to contact someone there to discuss it.
I currently have a thriving business on etsy, my issue with moving to another platform is I do not have the computer skills to build another shop much less the time. I own my own url but that's all . My product is doing well because I invented it, no one else makes them and I own the intellectual copyright. I would love an amazon store but I don't know anything about building one.
Hi Corina, you might find my Amazon videos helpful if you would like to sell on Amazon. ruclips.net/video/A5zOogTHpcQ/видео.html I also have a blog about setting up your own site on Shopify in an hour: www.creativehiveco.com/how-to-build-your-own-website-with-shopify-in-under-1-hour/ You may also want to join my Facebook group - there's 24k creatives sharing advice on just these types of topics! facebook.com/groups/creativebizmarketing
Along with pricing, email lists have been a big weakness for me. I plan on closing my Etsy shop for good at the end of March so I better figure out how this email thing works!
I have a video for that, Nepheryn! I hope you'll take a look! ruclips.net/video/_1dx3MDrE-0/видео.html
@@CreativeHiveCo Not sure why I'm just seeing this but I will, thanks!
I'm glad you mentioned the mass produced items. I am trying to find molds for resin, and so many of them are straight off Aliexpress or Alibaba. The pictures are horrible, it looks very scammy. I'm not sure if I can trust the quality of these products and pay triple the price than it is on those mass produced products and just wait the month.
It can be such a gamble to know which way to go on those types of things. Could you maybe just order one and see the quality when it arrives and go from there?
Hi I’ve been wondering how and where to sell my craft. I’ll be following along on my personal journey to make my passion a profitable one. I’ll need all the help I can get as I’m not technologically savvy. Looking forward to seeing how to go about it. I was on Etsy years ago but never ‘broke through ‘. Hoping with your help I can make a go of it.
Hi Deborah, here's a video I made that discusses just that! ruclips.net/video/HgpwgYUaNqA/видео.html
Great points. Etsy charges 3-% not 15% like Amazon. Shipping is a part of expenses that you can claim on taxes. And you can do a work-around for that. Etsy is a great starting point. Just don't rely solely on them. Edit 3/2020 Etsy now charges up to 15% for those making 10k or more a month.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing your experience. That changes my plan. thanks !
Thank you for watching, hope it gave some perspective!
I noticed the other product suggestions while in someone’s shop as well, but because of my quality standards, I have never clicked on one. If the niche and quality are good enough, I the buyer won’t get distracted by the other product suggestions.
Hi Jennifer, certainly if the person is solely interested in your work then there is less concern there. However giving the option to shop around can lead to clicks away. I'm glad it doesn't happen to you!
An abusive relationship. That's hilarious and so true!
Your video made me rethink putting my products on there so thank you for your candor 💃🌹
I'm glad it was helpful, Melanie! It's not a bad thing to have a shop on Etsy, but it's definitely a bad thing to rely on Etsy for all your business.
How do you suggest bringing traffic to your new site and getting the same sales you got on Etsy??
Marketing. Using Facebook ads that direct to your site, including your site in your marketing material, using email marketing to bring customers to your site, and using social media in general.
@@CreativeHiveCo how much to spend on facebook ads percentage of revenue wise? and does my facebook page need to be updated?
I used to sell on Etsy for a couple of years. I had many listings making good money and all of a sudden without warning they shut down all of my shops for no reason. They continued to bill me afterward. Luckily I have multiple channels to sell on including Amazon so it didn't totally disrupt my operations. Do yourself a favor. Get off Etsy
Wow, Crai0098, that's crazy! I'm sorry that happened to you, but glad you had yourself on other platforms.
Did they also deactivate your account? I'm a total newbie and first minutes after I open the shop they deactivated my account (not even an email sent) I'm afraid that they keep charging for the single listing I could open even with my account deactivated.
@@yuukianimedrawings874 that happen to me today I literally open the store, and then they deactivate my account ☹️did they tell u what happen?
The reason the 5% comes out of your shipping fee too is to prevent people inflating shipping prices so they can lower their product price, eBay had people doing it years ago so they changed their policy
It's unfortunate that they don't just remove the sellers doing that instead of punishing everyone on the site.
LOVED this video! Very informative and helpful! Just a tip: when you started talking about Etsy's fees, the constant sliding animation of the yellow info bar across the bottom became a little dizzying. Next time you plan to have several pop-up tidbits consecutively, maybe consider keep the animation or transitions more simple. Thanks again for making this though! You have a new subscriber :)
Good to know, Paulina! Thank you for watching!!
Your channel gives me the best value for the knowledge I'm looking for in the craft world. I was selling on ebay left with 100% feedback but closed shop because of the spoiled customers that ebay breeds and did not want to jeopardize my brand. I decided to try Etsy and also have great feedback and exposure but theirs always that fear of buyer ransom aka haters..it's basically becoming a polished turd with all the fees. After watching your video you inspired me to look at shopify or to develop somehow my on website. Thank you!
I don't think you'll be unhappy having your own site, and you can always keep your Etsy as an additional revenue stream.
@@CreativeHiveCo that's a good way of looking at it.
I want to sell my jewellery on etsy (I'm 13). I ordered everything, and I'm soo excited.. I really don't want ro make my own site tho.. No one will see it and i will probably bot sell anything..
Nedopia! I think that Etsy is a great place for you to start selling your jewelry and trying it out to see how it goes. I'm impressed and excited that at 13 you are ready to set up shop and I wish you so much luck getting started! But BE POSITIVE!! The more you learn about online business and the more effort you put into getting your shop name the better you'll do. ❤️
Hi ..I think you have to be 18 to sell as your not allowed PayPal until that age not sure about bank cards. Folksy is the English alternative only people living in the uk can sell on there.
Hi nedopia I am sure you will get sales either way but if you want to get more traffic you can ask your parents if you can make an insta account for your buisness they mostly get many fans in a few days I made an experiment to put (as an example) resin in your username and I got 50 followers without doing anything they want to see pictures of stuff you are doing (if you can make a good quality pic) and most of them will be supporters that will buy a second or even a third time just to support you. I recommend that you watch a few other videos of mai (I hope I spelled that right) like how you price products or so if you haven’t watched them already :)
If you're looking a cheaper alternative besides Shopify I HIGHLY reccomend Big Cartel!!
They charge NO start up fee, NO transaction fee, NO listing fee and is about half the price of Shopify.
It's what I use for my shop and I really like it!
100% legit and a blessing 😄
Big Cartel is a fine site. The benefit to Shopify is a massive app marketplace to integrate anything you want, many of those apps can help boost your marketing and sales. For example for Tiny Hands, my jewelry biz, almost 50% of my sales/income comes from my subscription product, the Necklace of the Month Club. I couldn't even do something like that on Square's site builder.
@@CreativeHiveCo that is true!
Great video, thank you! Yup, my Etsy shop is set up and I let it go on its own. I do get sales from it from time to time. But I mainly depend on my website as well as a store that I have my products in for sales. Still setting up my Shopify store, and hope to be ready to go live with it before the New Year! :)
Amazing! So 2020 will be all about your Shopify store, yeah? Do you have a plan for how to bring traffic to it?
@@CreativeHiveCo it sure looks like 2020 is the year of my Shopify store! Several ways for me to bring traffic....if you can suggest any more, I'd appreciate the input!
1. I want to look into understanding SEO more and maybe get a Shopify consult.
2. Keep my website domain displayed on my Etsy banner.
3. Since I already have a website up and running, I'll need to transfer the domain once I'm ready to go live with my Shopify shop. Customers/visitors won't notice any changes other than a different theme layout (which I really like, btw). During my past two craft fairs that I've participated in, I spoke about my products to a lot of people whether they purchased something or not. And I handed out a lot of business cards with my website info on it.
4. I'm really excited about being able to put links into my Instagram posts directly to the product on my website.
5. Research retail stores to develop wholesale accounts.
@@HawaiiGirlAdventures You have a good, well-thought out plan, Lovena! I didn't spot anything that's a red flag, but will say that #5 is going to be HUGE! The biggest thing that will generate you traffic is sales is the act of *outreach*. The more outreach you can do, the more results you will get. It's all about figuring out how to do that at scale!
@@CreativeHiveCo Hope you had a great holiday/merry Christmas! Since my free trial is up in 2 days, I've left WIX and am now on Shopify. I've just completed setting up my FB store in order to tag products on Instagram. This is such a cool way of "outreach" and so wished I had done this sooner! I also installed the SEO Optimizer Auto-Pilot app onto my Shopify shop. Now I have to work on deciding which product I want to wholesale and getting product line sheets/order forms together.
@@HawaiiGirlAdventures WOW. You're making amazing progress! Go Lovena!!
That's true about branding. I asked someone where they got their dog collar bow and all they said was Etsy.
Yes! "Etsy" is such a common refrain and the individual brands are lost there.
Hi! New to your channel and found this video very informative. I like how you’re very analytical which is something I greatly appreciate as I’m a data analyst.
Excited to learn more from you! Thanks for the detailed analysis!
Welcome aboard, Danyos! Thank you so much for your comments!
you're right
Hi. I just saw your video and it did answer a lot of my questions. However, I need to know if I would be penalized if I leave Etsy? I have only been there for a month and already do not like what I’m hearing.
No, there is no penalty for leaving Etsy. If you move to your own platform, you just need to have a plan in place to drive traffic to your own site.
Dammit! Wish I would have watched this earlier. I started an Etsy shop doing print on demand products. In 2 weeks I’ve made about 10 sales. But after, shipping, listing, transaction, fees. I prolly make about $1 per sale. Plus, I’m in Canada so the conversion rate is ridiculous. Oh crap, I think I’m losing money!!!! Ugh!!!!
So why do you sell them cheap in the first place?
That's super frustrating, Abe. I have a couple of videos on pricing that you might find helpful. ruclips.net/video/E84R362yfHE/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/BzMBA4CCZHQ/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/v3J_0bnEpjE/видео.html I'd love to hear if they help you!
I have been going back and forth on wether to sell on Etsy. I did create a shop, and tried to practice filling out the info for one listing, but unfortunately I’m now stuck.. ugh! I’m so lost on what I’m doing and don’t know how to finish filling out the rest of the info it wants. After watching your video, maybe there’s a reason why I’m stuck. Because Etsy is not the place for me to be. I’m new to the selling world, trying to get my handmade party decor out there for others to enjoy & purchase. I really enjoyed your video and appreciate the time you took to talk to us about the selling platforms, as well as how Etsy works. Thank you for being so kind.
Thanks for your kind words, Diana! I'm sorry that you are feeling stuck with Etsy. It can be a good place for new sellers to start to see how their products sell. You could also try Facebook or Instagram to test the waters.
Wow, I feel sad. I was planning on going on etsy to sell origami and duct tape creations. But guess not anymore, anyone know where I should sell it instead???
Etsy is not a bad place to start out, considering the built-in traffic, but you definitely do not want to end up relying on Etsy for your business in the long run. Good luck getting started!
I havet Etsy, but as far as the 15-20% fees, it's still way better than trying to sell in a brick and mortar retail environment. I have had sellers wanting to double my price, making the product completely unaffordable. Typically they take 30-50% of the sale if it's on a consignment basis.
Yes, in-person retail is a whole other animal, which is why you want to make sure that you are priced correctly so those percentages they take from you are doable. Not everyone likes this setup. The comparison I'm making here is between Etsy and your own branded site, so you have more control over your online business.
I don't think the problem is Etsy I just think that a lot of people don't know how to handle a business. Before signing up to a platform you have to know how much you spend to set up prices so you can make profit. I really don't understand this comment section full of people complaining about paying for ads and stuff.. If you want your business to grow then you will have to advertise it and of course you must pay for that. If your concurrent have low price and you don't want to lower yours then find another way to attract customers. Your product may be 15€ while your concurrent's product is 6€ it does NOT mean you'll not sell. It's up to you. You can tell yes my product cost more but we use good materials , yes it cost more but we ship in 3 days, yes it cost more but there is a longer guarantee.
It's up to us the platform can be " shitty" but we can find solution in order to not lower our prices and stuff.
But I still think getting your own website is better.
Thanks for your thoughts, and I agree wholeheartedly! It takes a lot to run a business, and a lot of people do not understand that a lot of hard work and research goes into it.