Etsy is an ideal option for any creative individual who wants to launch an online shop to sell their handmade products globally. The massive online marketplace boasts 24 million shoppers from around the world, and those buyers spent over $2 billion in 2015. This means that, with the right strategy, you can start generating profits with minimal investment.
What Makes Etsy Different?
With so many online marketplaces to choose from to sell your goods, you might be wondering what makes Etsy worthwhile.
First off, Etsy is known for helping shoppers find handmade items, as well as vintage goods, that they can’t find anywhere else. It isn’t the site that people think of when they want to shop for products that are mass-produced and easily found elsewhere.
Etsy shoppers also receive convenient recommendations that have been tailored to meet their preferences and tastes. This means that your items can get in front of more people who are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer.
Many of the items on Etsy can be custom ordered, and some sellers even produce their items as orders are placed, rather than having an inventory. As a seller, this means you’ll have less to worry about, and less upfront investment.
What You Can Expect When You Sign Up
Etsy makes it easy for people to set up their online shop and start earning profits from sales right away.
After setting up your account, you will need to establish your currency and your location. You can also choose a memorable name for your storefront.
Then you can pick your preferred payment methods to set how you wish to get paid, and you can choose your billing method to pay your Etsy fees with ease.
Once your account details and payment methods are in place, you can begin creating and posting your listings to start promoting your products.
Perks That Come with Selling on Etsy
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The ability to sell online affordably: You don’t have to pay any monthly fees to keep your Etsy shop open. Instead, you pay a minor listing fee when you post an item for sale. Once the item sells, Etsy takes a 3.5% commission, along with a small payment processing fee.
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Additional seller protection: Etsy also offers additional seller protection, which will assist you in the event that you have to deal with a dispute from a customer over one of your transactions. Basically, if you can’t find a way to resolve the dispute with the buyer yourself, Etsy will step in and help you fix the problem via their dispute resolution system.
A variety of ways to accept payments: You can accept payments from customers via a range of payment methods that include de