Etsy used to be about true handmade, but now theres far too many shops who buy bulk from china, call it 'handmade' and sell for peanuts. How are genuine makers supposed to compete with all these 'professional' shops ?
Absolutely agree with you. Me and my wife create rustic decor and so many shops are now ordering items from Alibaba in China, have it shipped to Amazon for there Amazon shop. They then create an Etsy shop, say its handmade but have Amazon deliver it to the customer. True handmade shops are being hurt by Etsys desire to turn the platform into Amazon.
I agree with you too! But I was wondering - can we complain to Etsy about stores like that? Or at least about particular listings? Because it is not only us as creators who is suffering, but Etsy's image too
I tried complaining a while ago, even sent screenshots of listings showing photos that were identical to the listing photos on Alibaba- never had a reply. 😕
@@chrish4544 hein that's good to know! Thanks! I'll try contacting the Etsy support then to see their point of view on it. Because it really upsets me seeing the chinese not-handmade stuff here
About 10 years ago I was doing pretty well on Etsy. Not great sales but I was working it and it was steadily improving. I felt like I was getting the hang of it and would do well. Then out of nowhere Etsy overhauled everything and my sales plummeted to about a 3rd of what they had been. Thousands of long time seller saw their sales nose dive and never recover. Some stuck it out but I gave up on it. I just felt that I didn't have it in me to keep learning and relearning how to market Etsy every time they changed the rules.
The rule changing drove me nuts! I, too, gave up on etsy after having my listings removed only to see months later that an abundance of sellers were now marketing what I was trying to sell without any issue at all(!)
I started my store (woodworking stuff) around October, and had pretty good success with one particular item (a tea bag holder). It's a side hustle for me, so three or so orders a week is all I was really looking for. Things went well through the end of January, and I had one good custom order in February that really bumped me up. It's been pretty much dead since then. I'm still hunting for that first 100 sales (currently at 43). I'm honestly not really trying to make a ton of money, more trying to get established and not lose money. Definitely feels like zero momentum right now though, which makes it hard to want to put time into it.
I'd say to keep offering different kinds of product and see what takes off. RUclips is a lot like that too. There are a lot of youtubers who started out making one kind of video but tried multiple things until they started gaining a good following.
I'm starting up another business (I already have a home bakery) of natural products and am looking for someone to supply me with wooden tea boxes!! Your customers are out there .. I'm living proof!!! Never give up 😁❤
There is another BIG issue.. price dumping! Many sellers are giving their products almost for free, (especially digital products) and looks like many of them are on Etsy just "for fun" and not because they are trying to get an income. This applies to new shoppers as well as to established ones, that offer "bundles" with tons of products for peanuts.. (have you already seen bundle with 2-3 millions icons??) This is totally destroying the business and it's caused by the sellers alone! 😤
This is so true. There are those that want the sale but don't want the profit and will be out of business within a year or less. It makes it hard for those of us who put our hard earned work into our products only to have them not sell because jane store decided she could get the sale with dumping her prices. Humm Not a good Business model and you will loose in the end. Trust me i have been there. So i always say there is a customer out there who wants your product . Price it properly and you will build a strong customer base. That really is the end game. To have regular customers who love your products no matter what jane next door does. Besides what quality work does she offer at such low prices. You get what you pay for, so shine and show off those products and make jane see that you have what it takes to be successful. You got this Girl.
They price lower to be competitive and it helps them be found. Sadly one has to post alot of listings. This vide of course won't mention that. I would look at digital products for additional income if things are not going well for a shop. I actually opened a shop for video clips. Still building it.
Yea, when my shop was going strong I got hit with something and it was unclear what it was. But now I hired someone to deal with it, its the photos. You can never use a photo you find online. Everything has to come from you start to finish.
Yes, yes, yes! Even when I was in art class in high-school, we were told that painting a picture from someone else's photo is plagiarism. Unless you decide to do a painting where you use say, one piece of furniture from one internet photo, another piece of furniture from another internet photo (and so on) to create a whole different visual (changing the color of the objects and even the position of them is also recommended, and researching various images of the same item to get different angles). I would have loved to have made an art piece out of an adult coloring book (choosing a picture, using my techniques to make it look real, and then selling the picture), but the legal regulations make this quite complicated. One thing I know for sure is that I would not be able to print copies of that finished picture and sell them. 😕
My Etsy sales are down by half from 2020 and 2021. It is so upsetting! I put my heart into my shop. I do seo and proper keywords and title/tags. I honestly feel like things are going downhill with Etsy. There is too much on there. I've noticed so many people switching to their own website. If you can drive your traffic yourself I almost think your own website is better especially since when someone clicks on your etsy listing they recommend other sellers to your potential customer.
Well yeah that is just common sense that your own website would be better. It's also a lot of work that some people do not have the marketing skills to get done. Or advertising ability. One thing is for sure though. The bigger Etsy gets, the crappier a platform it will become for small shops.
I have a shop on Etsy and have had for about 10 years. Last year my sales increased by a large amount because I sell home decor items and many people were stuck at home and redecorating their homes. I do not use Etsy Ads. The fees were 3% when I started. They are now 6.5%, plus the listing fee. This is a side job for me, but I do well for my niche. Another con is Etsy is near impossible to get a hold of. Sellers really have no way to contact them.
I actually think that professional photos are a negative. When I see a shop with professional photos my first thought is that the product is mass produced in China. I look for the photos that are clearly taken in someone's home. Does anyone else do this?
Looking at the fees Etsy is charging, I think it's the worst platform to sell things - just my opinion. RUclipsrs promoting Etsy and not talking about the rip-off fees are just trying to blind the viewers. I'm glad you spoke about the pocket damaging issue here - Etsy fees!
I try to be balanced and honest with everyone but I disagree that it’s the worst platform. Etsy has been so good for us but we acknowledge that it is not perfect nor for everyone.
I just opened my shop today and got it activated and I'm really looking forward to earn from my products. These tips were perfect for me and came at the right time. Thx 😊😊😊
I am wondering. My shop has been opened for about 5 months and only 1 sale and I doubt that sale because the purchaser is not reachable. I’ve done everything, I think correctly and nothing. Perhaps digital art is not all that. I get likes but no conversions and it has led me to slow down uploading new work. Not sure what to do anymore. I’ll keep going but I may just give up if I don’t see more sales.
I have to disagree with the point about cases: you can do everything right and customers can still open a false case against you. Many products are not worth tracked shipping and some foul people use that to claim things never arrived when they in fact did. But I still liked the video💚
The truth is nobody cares about the underpriced items. Specialty items are worth it and people pay the price if you are producing quality. One of the biggest problems for creators is that they fail to estimate their worth, the cost from conception, travel, sorting materials, creation to advertising and the duration till the product sells. If you do not know how to price your product and underrate your prices you are wasting your time. Learn how to train you customers and target quality oriented buyers or you will forever be making nothing for a mere list of items to sell. Control the price so that it rewards you with your lifestyle choice and you win.
I recently started buying stuff from etsy and for the most part it's okay mainly because of the small competition and easy interaction with the seller about what type you wanna buy but one issue I've had is that some items are crazy expensive since they're hand made and the new items that are listed have average prices I'm not sure if it's intentional or not because it's the only store apart from ebay and Facebook marketplace or even mercury where you buy something and just hope that the price doesn't jump
Inflation changes prices because of supplies, postage, etc. Handmade should always cost more than something that wasn't. Time, creativity, high expenses to put out top quality sorely lacking in big box stores is worth it. Also supporting small businesses helps society grow trust. Small businesses get charged more taxes, that gets passed on to the customers, and we don't get the discounts on our supplies that the big box stores get. God bless. 🙏✝️🇺🇸
You basically have to give away your tshirts if you want to compete and make a sale , I don’t see how people make a profit from the products and the Etsy fees if they are selling shirts for $10 and $15 my Gildan shirts cost $5 depending on the sizes so how can they make money I’m lost and they charge $4 and $5 shipping so you going to make maybe $2 profit
Hey, i just wanted to show some gratitude to you. Your advices help me a lot and I follow each and everything you say to achieve etsy success. Thank you so much. I just wanted to ask you if you can make a video on how to create an attractive etsy logo and banner for a shop.
Etsy sucks. I have there over 300 products listed but they treat me like thugs. They freeze my shop from time to time, they diactive my products, they disconnect my shop from my supplier, they even put a ban on my payment account. It looks like they are doing everything possible to push me away. And obviosly I will go away, just need to set up my new store first. will go with shopify.
I don't know if it is worth it to me. I've been selling on ebay for 15 years and have a perfect rep; however, all of a sudden I have had quite a few lying buyers saying shoes aren't the size marked, or that other things are not what I am claiming in my listings. Ebay just gives them their money back and I lose the sale. I don't understand why this is happening and value my reputation & am a very honest person. I am not interested in getting into something else that I have to deal with all kinds of issues. Right now I'm not sure what I will do, but I am looking for an Ebay replacement.
This was quite insightful (even for a part-time seller, like myself, who has been on Etsy since 2012). While I know you are trying to keep your videos upbeat and overall positive... I would also note that with the increased number of buyers, and perceived competition with Amazon, that Etsy has narrowed their scope of customers to buyers only. They have lessened their support for sellers compared to how they have been in the past. With the addition of these other companies, they have allowed more "handmade" (but not actually handmade or vintage, just looking like they are) items from overseas. This can drive the prices for certain niches way down (to where legitimate sellers can no longer make a profit). Group this with bugs that they allow in their mobile apps and website and I often question what is going on with them. But, at the end of the day I don't feel like there's much of a choice for selling crafts online. The pros still outweigh the cons (in that you can still be somewhat successful - more so than on your own).
Why does easy allow copyright brands to be sold 🤔 example starbuck logo mug and Disney characters etc... I have seen hundreds of shops selling logo and characters trademarked. Love your videos and spirit ❤️
I genuinely think most people are just out there risking a lawsuit with their sales lol. Disney licensing was around $5,000 a year last I checked...Little Timmy selling his mickey mouse paintings down the road isn't paying that licensing fee lol.
Not true just open a shop got scammed buyer said I didn't sent the correct item esty gave them all the money back including shipping that Iaid for and the buyer sent back a rock so scammed esty will do nothing for me just closed my shop
I would say no. It’s not lucrative anymore unless you’re a big manufacturer. Been there since 2016 and sales have dropped. If I wanted to drive my own traffic, I’d just do my website instead.
Etsy has killed the goose that laid the golden egg. I believe it’s treading water at best and mostly downhill from here, for individual sellers and, later, for shareholders.
@BibleTalk101 That's why they are treading water. They are going to lose the people that made them great and become trash that people no longer buy from. They are almost at the top of the cliff.
Hi. I have an etsy shop for keychains. I've had this shop for a few months and I havent gotten a sale yet. I am trying to go through and make sure I have the right pictures, tags, titles and descriptions with all my items I have for sale. Do you have any other tips that could help out with sales?
I looked at your shop and I think what you have is a good start but I'd definitely add more variety to your keychains. Try making keychains based off of things that people like. And you could make different shaped coasters as well. The other thing I would say is maybe take photos of your product outside just before the sun sets to get better lighting on your product.
I also looked at your shop and agree with Chaylee B. A better variety of keychains would be beneficial, of everything I saw the only one I think would sell is the duck one. I like the coasters, they are pretty so maybe try adding a variety of colors and styles with those as well, keep in mind that coasters are kinda a one and done purchase though.
i tried them couldn't download a 3d product. put on revews cant download product got a message from her and said no fare so i got in touch with her she said im hard person if if i would give her good rev she can help me she said if i have a bad rev i dont care because my stars are good i am don with them
Hi Kate- Love your videos! Do you have any knowledge of the legal aspect of selling items with scripture on them? I have searched hi and low to make sure I have my basis covered and keep finding conflicting information. Thanks!
You can used scripture from the King James Bible with no issues because it is not copyrighted. Most if not all the other versions have copyrights on the actual text, that's a big reason why they keep coming out with new versions - money. People do sell items with verses from other versions so there must be a way to do it. But no worries with the King James Bible.
I’m concerned about inflation, and if anyone will even be buying “cutesy” things anymore. My daughter and I had just started doing homemade crafts, but not sure how things are going to go. 😢
I will disagree with you. What has happened the last two years? COVID. Lockdowns. Internet sales period have skyrocketed. I have been a seller since 2007. Handmade products not using machines to manufacturer my product. Etsy was originally was a handmade platform. Professionalism is manufactured goods. That is the shift in Etsy. There is no phone support on Etsy. They have from the get go taken a cut of the postage fees in each sale. I will agree with you on one thing. Etsy is the monopoly, but if you are truly creating handmade goods you will NOT be making money when you break it all down.
I agree. They do not support sellers. Also vendors are leaving, stock is dropping. Etsy is in the business of building their brand, not yours. I think its an easy entry level, but do not put your eggs in one basket. They need to spend all those great profits on more dedicated seller. When I had a problem, it was impossible to talk to a live human and all my emails (including one to Josh Silverman CEO) all I got was form emails.
Advertising on Etsy is a joke ! Very few shops can be on the 10 first pages ! And a survey stated that most buyers were not searching beyond the 3rd page ! So it is hopeless to be seen, no matter how much you paid for advertising, as we are millions of sellers, not hundreds ! Once I was searching for something, and there were sponsorised items till page 74 !!! (seventy four)
Yes I understand competition can be difficult, however that’s why external marketing is so important to bring traffic to your shop. Such as using social media, an email list, collabs, etc. New shops can not rely on Etsy’s organic traffic until they’ve started making sales.
As always, another video jam packed with excellent information!!💛Currently creating products to open shop, but I have a video request! There are 2 particular items that I plan to sell where a portion of the sale will go to a specific charity. What is the best way to handle this and are there any Etsy tools or apps that can help me keep track? I plan on contacting the charity in advance. Thanks for you help!!!
@@KateHayes I reported shops that were blatantly re-selling viking and gothic jewelry that I already saw on Aliexpress. No reply months later..... Same for shops with medical claims, selling products in order to become pregnant, or rituals to bring husband back. No reply. Shops are still there.
I think you gave etsy a pass on the commission piece here. Over the last number of years it has nearly doubled AND the offside ads, which BTW you have no choice over is excessive and personally too frequent and not economic.
There are a lot of different opinions on this.. I personally think it’s still worth it as you can build the fees into your pricing if you are smart about it and any online marketplace will have fees. To me the organic traffic is worth it but I realize not everyone feels this way!
@@KateHayes fair enough but the offside ads looks like pure greed to me. 3 of my last 4 sales have been through this method, its a killer blow paying close on 25% in fees for these. When they were introduced the indications were it would be 10% of sakes which, I could live with but its a lot higher for my shop woodhitwonders. I'll struggle on
Hi Kate: I am a subscriber I always listen to you talk about Etsy but I would have to disagree with some things. I’ve been in business for 25 years and I’m 59 years old so I’ll use that for my expertise. I think what you are saying is good for people who want to make a business out of this and be on here for a few years like a stay at home mom or someone who wants a second job that they really need money from but if it’s somebody like me who just wants to sell 40 items or maybe even 70 items I think a lot of what you said was over complicated. It’s not that hard to take good pictures and make a banner you can just take a picture of your closet with vintage clothes and use that for the banner you can always create a name some of these things are just not that complicated you don’t need that much gloss that you will be paying for. You don’t need cards and all this papers and stuff!! When sellers would put that in the box I wouldn’t even look at it I would recycle it or throw it away. I knew already which shops I really liked I had them favored it and stayed with some of them for years. I’ve been on Etsy since 2010 and I have bought almost everything for my home and my clothes on there. I think I’ve probably spent around $50,000 on Etsy since 2010 but everything is worth it it can all be resold!! I only deal in vintage and buy old vintage items which are forever gaining momentum. I will tell you how I felt as a buyer. I looked for the cheapest shops that did not put too much into their logos, banners, owner photo and such because very often they would have cool vintage stuff for super cheap with really low shipping and they were also willing to do deals like go down a couple of bucks. I’m just telling you what it’s like from the buyers end and I was able to get many, many really good deals that weren’t that much more than the thrift shop. Today everything is overprice out of control and we’ve got inflation with a recession coming so now is the time when I would never want to shop on Etsy!! I have looked at the prices and they are very high. But I still look for those cheap people who don’t put too much into their logos or their packaging or anything else because those are the ones where you will get the best Deal. The more fancy and complicated the shop the quicker I stay away. However this is just for me buying vintage and I’m not buying crafts that are handmade or going to more high-end store like you would have selling more glossy things or high and things. Just my two cents I wanted you to know there’s also my type of shopper out there and remember I have probably spent $50,000 decorating my home, buying clothes and buying tons and tons of stuff and I don’t regret any of it. Very little of it has gone off to the Goodwill or been a mistake. A seasoned shopper will know what to get and they will be thrifty. Thanks for all you do. And lastly a lot of people are living simpler lives and decluttering so they’re not wanting to get a whole bunch of stuff even though it sounds like I’ve spent a lot my stuff is actually quite minimal but it’s really high-quality. Especially my beautiful vintage clothes those are for ever valuable my home items I will keep till I’m 90 so they’re not going anywhere. But people are also not wanting to be spending their wanting to be frugal so my advice is to go simple on an Etsy shop. Thanks again
I agree that for a seller hoping to go full time I’d invest in all the logo/branding/paper etc but too much if you’re just wanting to sell a few things every year
@BibleTalk101 I didn't that at all. I too am a seller on Etsy. I have been there for years. It is not that hard, and I don't spend loads of money on fluff that isn't necessary. My products are one of kind and speak for themselves. They sell because they are unique, not because I spend tons of money or time on extras to try to sell them.
I disagree. I have over 150 listenings and all I get are favorites. Favorites don't pay the bills! I did my SEO, Tags as far as photos in POD world they are all the same so again it's impossible to break through this market and I'm even advertising both on Etsy and Facebook and nothing. If you haven't joined Etsy and started selling by 2019 you and I are screwed. Etsy favors start-rated sellers and every niche you search in the first 3/4 of pages are splashed with best sellers. Etsy sucks they don't even have a new seller category on the home page for us to try and get started. Waste of time, money, and energy its sooooooo over Saturated in every niche now, especially with everyone wanting to work from home. If I don't make anything by Dec 15 I'm shutting the shop down and moving on! I have to pay $0.20 per listen plus advertising and you make no money garbage!!
Do you have coupons that go out for people who favored? I do for people who favored, have the item in the cart, and if they buy again. Also I run sales every other week or every 2 weeks
@@sageinspiredjewelry9222 Short anwser Yes but I disagree with that entire method because then the customer start to learn that if they favorite an item wait a day they get a discount coupon saving them more and the sell less.
@@sageinspiredjewelry9222 That's another mistake yes I've done it and than stopped. Why? Because do we want to create that for us to? What do I mean well you will start making it public to everyone on Etsy that says hey add something to the cart wait a day and you'll get a coupon making your profits even worse! Profits are already though no need to make that worse with coupons!
I have uploaded first 30 coloring pages designs targeted for girls and women this week :D so excited to see if I get any traffic and sales, shared on my instagram and youtube as well :) good luck everyone!
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Hi Kate,
Where is your link, or suggestions for starting your photographs, taking good pics, social media etc.
Thank you in advance.
And "breaking thru a saturated market" ?? Suggestions? 😉
Etsy used to be about true handmade, but now theres far too many shops who buy bulk from china, call it 'handmade' and sell for peanuts. How are genuine makers supposed to compete with all these 'professional' shops ?
Absolutely agree with you. Me and my wife create rustic decor and so many shops are now ordering items from Alibaba in China, have it shipped to Amazon for there Amazon shop. They then create an Etsy shop, say its handmade but have Amazon deliver it to the customer. True handmade shops are being hurt by Etsys desire to turn the platform into Amazon.
@@jamesbailey6865 I knew about Alibaba but not the Amazon link, even worse! :/
I agree with you too! But I was wondering - can we complain to Etsy about stores like that? Or at least about particular listings? Because it is not only us as creators who is suffering, but Etsy's image too
I tried complaining a while ago, even sent screenshots of listings showing photos that were identical to the listing photos on Alibaba- never had a reply. 😕
@@chrish4544 hein that's good to know! Thanks! I'll try contacting the Etsy support then to see their point of view on it. Because it really upsets me seeing the chinese not-handmade stuff here
About 10 years ago I was doing pretty well on Etsy. Not great sales but I was working it and it was steadily improving. I felt like I was getting the hang of it and would do well. Then out of nowhere Etsy overhauled everything and my sales plummeted to about a 3rd of what they had been. Thousands of long time seller saw their sales nose dive and never recover. Some stuck it out but I gave up on it. I just felt that I didn't have it in me to keep learning and relearning how to market Etsy every time they changed the rules.
The rule changing drove me nuts! I, too, gave up on etsy after having my listings removed only to see months later that an abundance of sellers were now marketing what I was trying to sell without any issue at all(!)
I started my store (woodworking stuff) around October, and had pretty good success with one particular item (a tea bag holder). It's a side hustle for me, so three or so orders a week is all I was really looking for. Things went well through the end of January, and I had one good custom order in February that really bumped me up. It's been pretty much dead since then.
I'm still hunting for that first 100 sales (currently at 43). I'm honestly not really trying to make a ton of money, more trying to get established and not lose money. Definitely feels like zero momentum right now though, which makes it hard to want to put time into it.
I'd say to keep offering different kinds of product and see what takes off. RUclips is a lot like that too. There are a lot of youtubers who started out making one kind of video but tried multiple things until they started gaining a good following.
I'm starting up another business (I already have a home bakery) of natural products and am looking for someone to supply me with wooden tea boxes!! Your customers are out there .. I'm living proof!!! Never give up 😁❤
How is it going now?
Its worth it. Im not a big seller but honestly rake in about 800 a month selling pc accessories. It pays my water, electric and car insurance.
Hey,is 800$ your final income after all the ETsy listing charges etc?
There is another BIG issue.. price dumping! Many sellers are giving their products almost for free, (especially digital products) and looks like many of them are on Etsy just "for fun" and not because they are trying to get an income. This applies to new shoppers as well as to established ones, that offer "bundles" with tons of products for peanuts.. (have you already seen bundle with 2-3 millions icons??) This is totally destroying the business and it's caused by the sellers alone! 😤
This is so true. There are those that want the sale but don't want the profit and will be out of business within a year or less. It makes it hard for those of us who put our hard earned work into our products only to have them not sell because jane store decided she could get the sale with dumping her prices. Humm Not a good Business model and you will loose in the end. Trust me i have been there. So i always say there is a customer out there who wants your product . Price it properly and you will build a strong customer base. That really is the end game. To have regular customers who love your products no matter what jane next door does. Besides what quality work does she offer at such low prices. You get what you pay for, so shine and show off those products and make jane see that you have what it takes to be successful. You got this Girl.
They price lower to be competitive and it helps them be found. Sadly one has to post alot of listings. This vide of course won't mention that. I would look at digital products for additional income if things are not going well for a shop. I actually opened a shop for video clips. Still building it.
i bet that bundle sellers is people who doing copyright infringement that broke etsy, gumroad, etc
steal other's artwork and sell it for 'free'
Yea, when my shop was going strong I got hit with something and it was unclear what it was. But now I hired someone to deal with it, its the photos. You can never use a photo you find online. Everything has to come from you start to finish.
Yes, yes, yes! Even when I was in art class in high-school, we were told that painting a picture from someone else's photo is plagiarism. Unless you decide to do a painting where you use say, one piece of furniture from one internet photo, another piece of furniture from another internet photo (and so on) to create a whole different visual (changing the color of the objects and even the position of them is also recommended, and researching various images of the same item to get different angles). I would have loved to have made an art piece out of an adult coloring book (choosing a picture, using my techniques to make it look real, and then selling the picture), but the legal regulations make this quite complicated. One thing I know for sure is that I would not be able to print copies of that finished picture and sell them. 😕
My Etsy sales are down by half from 2020 and 2021. It is so upsetting! I put my heart into my shop. I do seo and proper keywords and title/tags. I honestly feel like things are going downhill with Etsy. There is too much on there. I've noticed so many people switching to their own website. If you can drive your traffic yourself I almost think your own website is better especially since when someone clicks on your etsy listing they recommend other sellers to your potential customer.
@Genevieve Johnston yes, youtube and courses seem to be the way.
Well yeah that is just common sense that your own website would be better. It's also a lot of work that some people do not have the marketing skills to get done. Or advertising ability. One thing is for sure though. The bigger Etsy gets, the crappier a platform it will become for small shops.
You forgot to mention that Etsy collects and remits sales tax for you. That is the main reason I don't go to my own website.
I have a shop on Etsy and have had for about 10 years. Last year my sales increased by a large amount because I sell home decor items and many people were stuck at home and redecorating their homes. I do not use Etsy Ads. The fees were 3% when I started. They are now 6.5%, plus the listing fee. This is a side job for me, but I do well for my niche. Another con is Etsy is near impossible to get a hold of. Sellers really have no way to contact them.
I actually think that professional photos are a negative. When I see a shop with professional photos my first thought is that the product is mass produced in China. I look for the photos that are clearly taken in someone's home. Does anyone else do this?
PlaceIt has been helpful in creating professional photos - even the free version.
Looking at the fees Etsy is charging, I think it's the worst platform to sell things - just my opinion. RUclipsrs promoting Etsy and not talking about the rip-off fees are just trying to blind the viewers. I'm glad you spoke about the pocket damaging issue here - Etsy fees!
I try to be balanced and honest with everyone but I disagree that it’s the worst platform. Etsy has been so good for us but we acknowledge that it is not perfect nor for everyone.
I just opened my shop today and got it activated and I'm really looking forward to earn from my products. These tips were perfect for me and came at the right time. Thx 😊😊😊
Congratulations!!
How did it go?
I'm guilty of saying "oh, I got this on Esty.." I will never say this again. Thanks for pointing that out.
You’re welcome! We are all learning!
I am wondering. My shop has been opened for about 5 months and only 1 sale and I doubt that sale because the purchaser is not reachable. I’ve done everything, I think correctly and nothing. Perhaps digital art is not all that. I get likes but no conversions and it has led me to slow down uploading new work. Not sure what to do anymore. I’ll keep going but I may just give up if I don’t see more sales.
I have to disagree with the point about cases: you can do everything right and customers can still open a false case against you. Many products are not worth tracked shipping and some foul people use that to claim things never arrived when they in fact did. But I still liked the video💚
Always do tracked shipping it will save you in a lot of situations
Add some % of such scammed orders to your prices cos it's unavoidable lose.
The truth is nobody cares about the underpriced items. Specialty items are worth it and people pay the price if you are producing quality. One of the biggest problems for creators is that they fail to estimate their worth, the cost from conception, travel, sorting materials, creation to advertising and the duration till the product sells. If you do not know how to price your product and underrate your prices you are wasting your time. Learn how to train you customers and target quality oriented buyers or you will forever be making nothing for a mere list of items to sell. Control the price so that it rewards you with your lifestyle choice and you win.
I will definitely get my own website. Is the best option in the long run
Great advice Kate! Especially love your advise about how you can still brand yourself on Etsy.
For sure! Lots of ways to get that name out there!
Thank you for the info, I am fully confident in opening my business.
what is your etsy shop's link?
You have taught me so much, thank you from South Africa!!!
Yay! So glad! 😁
Hi Kate, I love it when you say, "I'm a Wife and Mom." a woman must be proud of being a wife and mom.
Thanks for advising us newbies!!!😁
Of course!! :)
I recently started buying stuff from etsy and for the most part it's okay mainly because of the small competition and easy interaction with the seller about what type you wanna buy but one issue I've had is that some items are crazy expensive since they're hand made and the new items that are listed have average prices I'm not sure if it's intentional or not because it's the only store apart from ebay and Facebook marketplace or even mercury where you buy something and just hope that the price doesn't jump
Inflation changes prices because of supplies, postage, etc. Handmade should always cost more than something that wasn't. Time, creativity, high expenses to put out top quality sorely lacking in big box stores is worth it. Also supporting small businesses helps society grow trust. Small businesses get charged more taxes, that gets passed on to the customers, and we don't get the discounts on our supplies that the big box stores get. God bless. 🙏✝️🇺🇸
@@MyName-zd9pe I definitely agree 👍
You basically have to give away your tshirts if you want to compete and make a sale , I don’t see how people make a profit from the products and the Etsy fees if they are selling shirts for $10 and $15 my Gildan shirts cost $5 depending on the sizes so how can they make money I’m lost and they charge $4 and $5 shipping so you going to make maybe $2 profit
Nice insight. Pretty much knew this but it is good to have someone else back your thinking! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing! I really been thinking about it so, yea, very helpful
Awesome! Happy to help 🤗
Thanks, Kate! I always enjoy watching your videos!!!😍
You’re so welcome, Mary! Your comments always make my day 🤗
Hey, i just wanted to show some gratitude to you. Your advices help me a lot and I follow each and everything you say to achieve etsy success. Thank you so much. I just wanted to ask you if you can make a video on how to create an attractive etsy logo and banner for a shop.
Etsy sucks. I have there over 300 products listed but they treat me like thugs. They freeze my shop from time to time, they diactive my products, they disconnect my shop from my supplier, they even put a ban on my payment account. It looks like they are doing everything possible to push me away. And obviosly I will go away, just need to set up my new store first. will go with shopify.
I don't know if it is worth it to me. I've been selling on ebay for 15 years and have a perfect rep; however, all of a sudden I have had quite a few lying buyers saying shoes aren't the size marked, or that other things are not what I am claiming in my listings. Ebay just gives them their money back and I lose the sale. I don't understand why this is happening and value my reputation & am a very honest person. I am not interested in getting into something else that I have to deal with all kinds of issues. Right now I'm not sure what I will do, but I am looking for an Ebay replacement.
This was quite insightful (even for a part-time seller, like myself, who has been on Etsy since 2012).
While I know you are trying to keep your videos upbeat and overall positive... I would also note that with the increased number of buyers, and perceived competition with Amazon, that Etsy has narrowed their scope of customers to buyers only. They have lessened their support for sellers compared to how they have been in the past. With the addition of these other companies, they have allowed more "handmade" (but not actually handmade or vintage, just looking like they are) items from overseas. This can drive the prices for certain niches way down (to where legitimate sellers can no longer make a profit). Group this with bugs that they allow in their mobile apps and website and I often question what is going on with them.
But, at the end of the day I don't feel like there's much of a choice for selling crafts online. The pros still outweigh the cons (in that you can still be somewhat successful - more so than on your own).
Great info , thanks!
My pleasure!!
Thanks so much for the info!
Good points!
Why does easy allow copyright brands to be sold 🤔 example starbuck logo mug and Disney characters etc... I have seen hundreds of shops selling logo and characters trademarked. Love your videos and spirit ❤️
I was wondering about that too. I'd love to make fan-based products but I'm worried that I'll get sued if I don't do it the right way.
I genuinely think most people are just out there risking a lawsuit with their sales lol. Disney licensing was around $5,000 a year last I checked...Little Timmy selling his mickey mouse paintings down the road isn't paying that licensing fee lol.
@@KrazyLoveless this is exactly it. People don’t take the time to get the proper licensing and just do it. It’s a huge risk
I wish I could do Etsy, unfortunately it doesn’t work with my country (Armenia) 😔
Not true just open a shop got scammed buyer said I didn't sent the correct item esty gave them all the money back including shipping that Iaid for and the buyer sent back a rock so scammed esty will do nothing for me just closed my shop
I would say no. It’s not lucrative anymore unless you’re a big manufacturer. Been there since 2016 and sales have dropped. If I wanted to drive my own traffic, I’d just do my website instead.
Etsy has killed the goose that laid the golden egg. I believe it’s treading water at best and mostly downhill from here, for individual sellers and, later, for shareholders.
Hi mam what product were u trying to sell?
@BibleTalk101 That's why they are treading water. They are going to lose the people that made them great and become trash that people no longer buy from. They are almost at the top of the cliff.
Hello, I am from Morocco. I opened an account, but it does not complete. It stops when sending the password via the phone to my country
I just subscribed your channel. I love your videos and the way you talk. Thank you for sharing those tips.💕
Hi. I have an etsy shop for keychains. I've had this shop for a few months and I havent gotten a sale yet. I am trying to go through and make sure I have the right pictures, tags, titles and descriptions with all my items I have for sale. Do you have any other tips that could help out with sales?
I looked at your shop and I think what you have is a good start but I'd definitely add more variety to your keychains. Try making keychains based off of things that people like. And you could make different shaped coasters as well. The other thing I would say is maybe take photos of your product outside just before the sun sets to get better lighting on your product.
I also looked at your shop and agree with Chaylee B. A better variety of keychains would be beneficial, of everything I saw the only one I think would sell is the duck one. I like the coasters, they are pretty so maybe try adding a variety of colors and styles with those as well, keep in mind that coasters are kinda a one and done purchase though.
How do I post if I don't know thee weight of my products
I want to sell handmade stuff I love to crochet. Do you have a video on how to ship stuff properly
Good job slipping in the taylor brand commercial 👏👏. Well played
do you think ownprint is legit for etsy?
Hi ma Kate, Im stuck on setting up billing . any suggestion?
For any online business, is it necessary to open a business bank account?
Is there something cheap I could get to weight glass??
you need a postal scale.
i tried them couldn't download a 3d product. put on revews cant download product got a message from her and said no fare so i got in touch with her she said im hard person if if i would give her good rev she can help me she said if i have a bad rev i dont care because my stars are good i am don with them
So helpful...
So glad, friend!
I gave up on Etsy and Ebay - too much work and hassle for too little reward.
Hi Kate- Love your videos! Do you have any knowledge of the legal aspect of selling items with scripture on them? I have searched hi and low to make sure I have my basis covered and keep finding conflicting information. Thanks!
You can used scripture from the King James Bible with no issues because it is not copyrighted. Most if not all the other versions have copyrights on the actual text, that's a big reason why they keep coming out with new versions - money. People do sell items with verses from other versions so there must be a way to do it. But no worries with the King James Bible.
Great video 📹 👍
Thank you!
I’m concerned about inflation, and if anyone will even be buying “cutesy” things anymore. My daughter and I had just started doing homemade crafts, but not sure how things are going to go. 😢
I agree. I started a digital printing Etsy shop and I’ve only sold to people I know so far reaching 10 sales but nothing for ages.
I definitely understand that concern! ❤️
Yeah, I feel that, too. Discretionary spending has definitely taken a hit over the last several months.
I will disagree with you. What has happened the last two years? COVID. Lockdowns. Internet sales period have skyrocketed. I have been a seller since 2007. Handmade products not using machines to manufacturer my product. Etsy was originally was a handmade platform. Professionalism is manufactured goods. That is the shift in Etsy. There is no phone support on Etsy. They have from the get go taken a cut of the postage fees in each sale. I will agree with you on one thing. Etsy is the monopoly, but if you are truly creating handmade goods you will NOT be making money when you break it all down.
I agree. They do not support sellers. Also vendors are leaving, stock is dropping. Etsy is in the business of building their brand, not yours. I think its an easy entry level, but do not put your eggs in one basket. They need to spend all those great profits on more dedicated seller. When I had a problem, it was impossible to talk to a live human and all my emails (including one to Josh Silverman CEO) all I got was form emails.
I dont know what etsy you are on but the etsy Im on is filled with more art thiefs, copy cats and fraud then ever before.
I’m a Hayes too, you are very likely to find your family tree traces back to Southern Ireland if it’s not your husband name :)
Nice
My goals just to sell 7 bouls a months 20 each so I'd need 7 ppl about..
Advertising on Etsy is a joke ! Very few shops can be on the 10 first pages ! And a survey stated that most buyers were not searching beyond the 3rd page ! So it is hopeless to be seen, no matter how much you paid for advertising, as we are millions of sellers, not hundreds ! Once I was searching for something, and there were sponsorised items till page 74 !!! (seventy four)
Yes I understand competition can be difficult, however that’s why external marketing is so important to bring traffic to your shop. Such as using social media, an email list, collabs, etc. New shops can not rely on Etsy’s organic traffic until they’ve started making sales.
2021 I paid 1200 on Etsy fees…. So far as of July 2022 they had taken over 3k… I do not like this at all and plan to move away from it
As always, another video jam packed with excellent information!!💛Currently creating products to open shop, but I have a video request! There are 2 particular items that I plan to sell where a portion of the sale will go to a specific charity. What is the best way to handle this and are there any Etsy tools or apps that can help me keep track? I plan on contacting the charity in advance. Thanks for you help!!!
This seems like a ad for Taylor brands
Etsy permits mass produced machine made items because they get fees from these too
Reselling is officially against Etsy’s policy with the exception of craft supply items. They do suspend shops that do this.
@@KateHayes I reported shops that were blatantly re-selling viking and gothic jewelry that I already saw on Aliexpress. No reply months later..... Same for shops with medical claims, selling products in order to become pregnant, or rituals to bring husband back. No reply. Shops are still there.
No, that's why we're on strike. They ruined the site.
I think you gave etsy a pass on the commission piece here. Over the last number of years it has nearly doubled AND the offside ads, which BTW you have no choice over is excessive and personally too frequent and not economic.
There are a lot of different opinions on this.. I personally think it’s still worth it as you can build the fees into your pricing if you are smart about it and any online marketplace will have fees. To me the organic traffic is worth it but I realize not everyone feels this way!
@@KateHayes fair enough but the offside ads looks like pure greed to me. 3 of my last 4 sales have been through this method, its a killer blow paying close on 25% in fees for these. When they were introduced the indications were it would be 10% of sakes which, I could live with but its a lot higher for my shop woodhitwonders. I'll struggle on
Hi Kate:
I am a subscriber I always listen to you talk about Etsy but I would have to disagree with some things.
I’ve been in business for 25 years and I’m 59 years old so I’ll use that for my expertise.
I think what you are saying is good for people who want to make a business out of this and be on here for a few years like a stay at home mom or someone who wants a second job that they really need money from but if it’s somebody like me who just wants to sell 40 items or maybe even 70 items I think a lot of what you said was over complicated.
It’s not that hard to take good pictures and make a banner you can just take a picture of your closet with vintage clothes and use that for the banner you can always create a name some of these things are just not that complicated you don’t need that much gloss that you will be paying for.
You don’t need cards and all this papers and stuff!! When sellers would put that in the box I wouldn’t even look at it I would recycle it or throw it away. I knew already which shops I really liked I had them favored it and stayed with some of them for years.
I’ve been on Etsy since 2010 and I have bought almost everything for my home and my clothes on there. I think I’ve probably spent around $50,000 on Etsy since 2010 but everything is worth it it can all be resold!! I only deal in vintage and buy old vintage items which are forever gaining momentum.
I will tell you how I felt as a buyer. I looked for the cheapest shops that did not put too much into their logos, banners, owner photo and such because very often they would have cool vintage stuff for super cheap with really low shipping and they were also willing to do deals like go down a couple of bucks.
I’m just telling you what it’s like from the buyers end and I was able to get many, many really good deals that weren’t that much more than the thrift shop.
Today everything is overprice out of control and we’ve got inflation with a recession coming so now is the time when I would never want to shop on Etsy!!
I have looked at the prices and they are very high. But I still look for those cheap people who don’t put too much into their logos or their packaging or anything else because those are the ones where you will get the best Deal. The more fancy and complicated the shop the quicker I stay away. However this is just for me buying vintage and I’m not buying crafts that are handmade or going to more high-end store like you would have selling more glossy things or high and things. Just my two cents I wanted you to know there’s also my type of shopper out there and remember I have probably spent $50,000 decorating my home, buying clothes and buying tons and tons of stuff and I don’t regret any of it. Very little of it has gone off to the Goodwill or been a mistake. A seasoned shopper will know what to get and they will be thrifty. Thanks for all you do.
And lastly a lot of people are living simpler lives and decluttering so they’re not wanting to get a whole bunch of stuff even though it sounds like I’ve spent a lot my stuff is actually quite minimal but it’s really high-quality. Especially my beautiful vintage clothes those are for ever valuable my home items I will keep till I’m 90 so they’re not going anywhere. But people are also not wanting to be spending their wanting to be frugal so my advice is to go simple on an Etsy shop. Thanks again
I agree that for a seller hoping to go full time I’d invest in all the logo/branding/paper etc but too much if you’re just wanting to sell a few things every year
@BibleTalk101 I didn't that at all. I too am a seller on Etsy. I have been there for years. It is not that hard, and I don't spend loads of money on fluff that isn't necessary. My products are one of kind and speak for themselves. They sell because they are unique, not because I spend tons of money or time on extras to try to sell them.
I disagree. I have over 150 listenings and all I get are favorites. Favorites don't pay the bills! I did my SEO, Tags as far as photos in POD world they are all the same so again it's impossible to break through this market and I'm even advertising both on Etsy and Facebook and nothing. If you haven't joined Etsy and started selling by 2019 you and I are screwed. Etsy favors start-rated sellers and every niche you search in the first 3/4 of pages are splashed with best sellers. Etsy sucks they don't even have a new seller category on the home page for us to try and get started. Waste of time, money, and energy its sooooooo over Saturated in every niche now, especially with everyone wanting to work from home. If I don't make anything by Dec 15 I'm shutting the shop down and moving on! I have to pay $0.20 per listen plus advertising and you make no money garbage!!
Do you have coupons that go out for people who favored? I do for people who favored, have the item in the cart, and if they buy again. Also I run sales every other week or every 2 weeks
Also what is your store name? I would love to check it out
@@sageinspiredjewelry9222 Short anwser Yes but I disagree with that entire method because then the customer start to learn that if they favorite an item wait a day they get a discount coupon saving them more and the sell less.
@@sageinspiredjewelry9222 That's another mistake yes I've done it and than stopped. Why? Because do we want to create that for us to? What do I mean well you will start making it public to everyone on Etsy that says hey add something to the cart wait a day and you'll get a coupon making your profits even worse! Profits are already though no need to make that worse with coupons!
I wont ever buy anything from etsy ever again , horrible!, no payment protection for over seas buyers
Why does the title say 2023 but you talk about 2022?
Hi friend, we corrected the mistake. I think our team updated it since the tips are applicable to both years but wasn’t aware we discussed 2022 in it.
Thank you very help full. Recommend stop talking with your hands its very distracting .
Etsy is trash
I have uploaded first 30 coloring pages designs targeted for girls and women this week :D so excited to see if I get any traffic and sales, shared on my instagram and youtube as well :) good luck everyone!