A goal I have for this blog is to help crafters get their craft business online. I know and have met people who sell crafts and know of Etsy, but due to various roadblocks, haven’t gotten their crafts online. Sometimes it’s a lack of knowledge or a specific skill, other times it’s just a lack of time or confidence. I have several years of experience in selling items online in different venues, and have a small but growing Etsy shop. I have a lot of great ideas for blog posts with valuable information, how-tos, and advice about setting up shop online, but first, I will write about some reasons why you should open an Etsy shop for your craft business.
1. Provide a web presence for your craft business.
Etsy provides an easy way to set up an online storefront for your business. It gives your crafts a home online where you can refer potential buyers. Having a place online makes every craft show not only an opportunity to sell your crafts, but an opportunity to market your shop. It makes it easier for your buyers to find and buy from you later.
2. It is an easy, low-cost way to try selling your items.
If you have never sold your crafts before, Etsy provides a venue for you to dabble and experiment. Depending on the show, selling at a craft show or fair for the first time can involve a big investment in money and time. Selling on Etsy, on the other hand, is easy to get started and inexpensive, too. It costs 20 cents to list an item, and a percentage of the sale price after it sells.
3. Etsy is where the buyers are.
Etsy is known as a place to find quality, unique handmade goods, and it is growing every day. Ever been to a sale or event and seen a vendor who was clearly in the wrong place? I recently went to a community garage sale event and saw someone selling handmade baby blankets in her garage. They were nice, but I can bet she didn’t sell a lot. The shoppers at the event were looking for garage sale deals, not full priced, handmade items. By selling on Etsy, you will have a chance to reach buyers who are interested in what you have to sell, and who are willing to pay a fair price for it.
4. Reach new markets.
Maybe you’ve been selling in the same local fairs for awhile, and many of your buyers already have your stuff. Or maybe your local market doesn’t have the highest demand for what you sell. Perhaps your items are meant for a specialized niche market. By selling on Etsy, you can reach that niche of buyers from all over the world.
5. Access to new opportunities, support, and advice from Etsy community.
What makes Etsy so successful as a marketplace for handmade goods is the community and engagement surrounding it. By having a shop on Etsy, you will be opening yourself up to new opportunities and will have access to a wealth of advice and support for your business. Etsy offers many opportunities to engage with a worldwide community through their forums, teams, blog, and more. Check out the Seller Handbook on Etsy to see just the beginning of the resources Etsy has to offer you as a seller.
These are only some of the reasons you may want to consider selling on Etsy, but I think they are pretty good ones! What are your reasons for setting up shop on Etsy? Share in the comments below!
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