What is Etsy exactly?
Let’s start with the beginning: what is Etsy? Etsy is an American selling site used by millions of people. It also exists since 2005. We can find handmade products like decorations, jewelry, and accessories on this platform. Indeed, there are sellers and products from all over the world.
Etsy advantages and disadvantages
If you wish to sell your products, Etsy can be an interesting option. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of this selling platform.
Regarding the main advantages of selling on Etsy, there are:
Etsy does not need a presentation anymore. It is the reference for selling handmade products. This website has millions of customers each month. Consequently, you have the opportunity to be found by a large number of potential customers; it is one of Etsy’s biggest strengths. In addition, it is quite simple to sell on Etsy. You only need to complete your profile and add your products.
However, there are some disadvantages to Etsy too. The best-known ones are:
As you may have guessed, it is not free to use Etsy. Indeed, this company asks $0.20 per published product (not sold products). This fee is also renewed every 4 months. There are also transaction and payment processing fees. Etsy will take a commission on sales processed following advertisements they did for you.
Of course, there are many sellers on Etsy, and it may be challenging to stand out. You might need to pay for advertising. Finally, since it is a selling platform, you are limited in the construction of your pages. It is also likely that we do not find your products on Google.
Selling on an online store
More and more people are looking to online stores to sell their products. The creation process has been simplified in the last few years. With the arrival of the pandemic, many vendors also had to create an online store to survive.
For example, WebSelf allows you to create an online store easily. We believe that everyone should be able to sell their products directly on their website. Moreover, online sales did increase significantly in the last few months!
The advantages and disadvantages of selling on an online store
Should you have your online store? Let’s see the advantages of selling online with your website:
As we mentioned in our Facebook page against website article, a site has the main advantage of being flexible. It should not be taken lightly. With a beautiful design, you can stand out but also present your brand image. In addition, websites have the advantage of being indexed by search engines. Although there is still a lot of competition on the web, clients can find you on Google with an optimized site.
Finally, unlike some competitors, WebSelf does not take any commissions on your sales. We work with a monthly or yearly subscription. If you wish to use PayPal or Stripe for your online transactions, please note that these payment tools have user fees.
There are disadvantages as well regarding online stores. For example, there are:
If you wish to create a customized online store, it may be a little expensive if you want someone to do it for you. It may take time if you wish to create it yourself. Our piece of advice here is to inform yourself about all the different options available, so you can find the solution that suits you. Also, it is important to mention that to be displayed on the first search results on Google, you will need to work on your SEO. A good SEO strategy should include the right keywords, relevant meta descriptions, backlinks and content. The higher your online store will appear on the search results, the higher the potential of having sales will be.
Our conclusion
In sum, what is the best option? Should you sell your products on Etsy or on an online store? If you wish to sell on Etsy, the fees are low at first, but they increase with time. On the contrary, an online store is more expensive at first, but the fees decrease when the website is done. Our tip would be to try the two options if possible because you will be able to test the market and different potential customers. When you start to have sales regularly and begin to get credibility, you can transfer everything to your online store to avoid the commission fees. That way, there will be more money in your pockets!