Planning to sell on Etsy!

Tanako 2021-09-20 18:05:35 UTC #1

I have picked an interest in Etsy and I have been preparing and figuring out what it is I want to sell. The reason for this interest is that I want something that can generate residual income apart from my day job and art. I have taken an interest in jewelry making and also incorporating that with my art so I will focus on digital art, bracelets, and earrings. I have also put a budget on the side for this and have purchased some merchandise to get started with and I'm very excited about it

So my question is, does anyone sell on Etsy? is Etsy the only platform you sell on? what advice do you have for someone who is new to the platform? any advice is appreciated.

joannekwan 2021-09-20 18:09:05 UTC #2

I sell on gumroad and storenvy, mostly because I don't like the renewed listing fee system that etsy has.

But regardless of selling platform, my number one tip is always double-check your customer's shipping address on google maps. Sometimes they forget to add an apartment number and need to be contacted to confirm their address. I've saved several orders from getting lost by doing this.

Tanako 2021-09-20 18:23:27 UTC #3

Oh i see. wow thanks a lot for the tip. that's very helpful.
and yes that Etsy fee is almost a nightmare. I have been watching videos upon videos trying to figure out if Etsy is really a good platform to start off. i also considered shopify but it has a monthly payment that is not on my budget right now and, I'll also have to do my own marketing and advertising i think.

Does gumroad let you sell physical merchandise? and i don't have much luck with that platform.
also, does storenvy also let you sell physical products as well?

joannekwan 2021-09-20 18:27:30 UTC #4

Yep, I sell physical goods on gumroad and storenvy! Gumroad is still largely digital focused, but I like having one storefront that has all my pdfs and physical merch in one place. Storenvy is focused on physical goods (so I just have my physical merch there) and they have a decent marketplace that collects everything.

I occasionally get sales through both marketplaces, but usually I just rely on self-promotion of the stores on my socials.

Tanako 2021-09-20 18:47:03 UTC #5

Oh that's awesome. Yes self promotion has always not been easy for me and i know it's important to post on social media to advertise but i can hardly keep up with it.
I went over to Storenvy and i didn't see a pricing option. is it free to list? and if so, how many products can you list? I'm considering checking it out and maybe using it.
have you also heard of Big Cartel? that's another platform that one can sell on however in order to get more listing slots you have to become a paid member, at least if you are listing more than 5 products.

joannekwan 2021-09-20 18:50:21 UTC #6

There is no limit to how many products you list on storenvy unlike bigcartel. And essentially it is free to post all of your products.
There is technically a listing fee, but that is only charged when you make a sale and it is deducted along with normal processing fees.

Legendofgenii 2021-09-20 18:56:59 UTC #7

Weddings, new baby and Christmas are the big ones on Etsy (for myself anyways). I sell personalised stationery, posters and digital files (editable invites, clipart etc.).

Research current trends and see what your competition is up to.

Tanako 2021-09-20 19:31:00 UTC #8

Thanks. i will be going with storenvy as well. I like the idea of products not being limited. it's a great option. the only think i don't think i like is that i wont have a designated domain name for my store which will be difficult when speaking to family about my products. i'll have to make sure i send them proper link to the website instead of a "www.example.com".

Tanako 2021-09-20 19:33:36 UTC #9

Oh that sounds cool. thanks for sharing.
I am actually venturing into digital products, Bracelets, earrings and maybe pins. haven't quite figured it all out yet. but i'm excited about making them and i am also looking into areas where i can sell them locally.

danitasibert 2021-09-21 00:00:38 UTC #10

does store envy not make you pay for listing?

joannekwan 2021-09-21 00:02:18 UTC #11

Not initially. Like I said, they only take a listing fee from your sale once you've made one, along with other normal processing fees. So their listing fee is bundled with the processing fee.
You can list something, never sell it and never get charged for having it up on the site.

EDIT: Same with gumroad!

nostalgicroxas 2021-09-21 10:04:31 UTC #12

You could make a "cardd" website -> cardd.co
It's set up to organize all your stuff (way better than weebly) and is meant to be minimal and easy to view on mobile and PC.

Tanako 2021-09-21 22:15:29 UTC #14

Just took a look at it. very cool. thanks for sharing. I do have some questions, is it suppose to be a portfolio website where you link other platforms you're in? because it does not look like a e-commerce website.

nostalgicroxas 2021-09-21 22:27:20 UTC #15

Correct it is a not an e-commerce site. It is a reference site like a business card. MOST people I've seen use it to set up links to their socials/websites all in one place so instead of saying "I'm in 29 sites" they just say "go here!"
But I have seen it hold info before, like the hate raid response info is organized on a cardd for people to read