If you've ever dreamed of turning your creative passion into a profitable business, selling on Etsy might be the perfect opportunity. With the rise of eCommerce, many people are flocking to Etsy, one of the best platforms for finding and selling handmade goods, which continues to grow year after year. With over 7.4 million active sellers globally as of 2022, Etsy is a notable success story. In this blog, we’ll cover the basics of getting started on Etsy, from setting up and growing your shop to mastering Etsy product descriptions.

With $13.5 billion in gross merchandise sales in 2021, this platform has demonstrated how much consumer demand there is for unique, artisan products including sentimental antique treasures.

Etsy's appeal is growing in Canada, and Canadian sellers are largely responsible for this expansion.

The platform offers numerous advantages for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs. Let’s take a look at these benefits: 

With a good plan and some hard work, selling on Etsy can bring in great profits and be very fulfilling.

Here are the steps for your Etsy shop setup: 

1. Account Creation

Begin by creating an Etsy account. Once you’ve signed up, click on “Sell on Etsy” and follow the prompts to set up your shop preferences, including your shop language, country, and currency.

2. Name Your Brand

Your shop name and branding are crucial. Choose a name that reflects your products and is easy to remember. Create a logo that tells the story of your brand and make sure it ties together all elements in your shop seamlessly. When your brand message is always the same, shoppers can spot it quickly and will come to rely on it more.

3. Product Listings

Create detailed product listings (we’ll go into more detail about this later) with high-quality photos, potentially enhanced using an AI image upscaler. 

Write clear, concise, and compelling product descriptions. Mention materials used, dimensions, and any special features. Pricing should reflect the value of your products while remaining competitive.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential for getting your products noticed on Etsy. SEO helps your products appear in search results when potential customers are looking for items like yours. 

Boosting your listings can really help you get noticed more often. When you look for something on Etsy, the site decides which products to show you by considering several things like how relevant the item is, how good the listing looks, and what past customers thought of their experience. 

Boosting your shop's visibility and drawing in more buyers becomes much easier when you get the hang of SEO best practices. Here’s how you can get started: 

1. Etsy Keyword Research:

Identify keywords that shoppers use to find products similar to yours. Etsy’s search suggestions, Google Keyword Planner, and other SEO tools are great for discovering the right keywords to use.

Use these keywords in your product titles, tags, and descriptions. Choosing relevant keywords can make it much simpler for people to spot your items in the sea of options available on Etsy.

2. Etsy Product Descriptions:

Incorporate keywords naturally into your product descriptions to improve visibility. Avoid keyword stuffing, as it makes descriptions hard to read and less appealing. Focus on providing engaging and useful information about your products. Consider the following points:

By improving your SEO, you make it easier for customers to find and purchase your products. Provide all necessary details to boost customer confidence in their buying decision.

3. Etsy Mobile Optimization:

With a growing number of shoppers using mobile devices, optimizing your listings for mobile is crucial.

Ensure your photos are of high quality and load quickly, and that your descriptions are easy to read on smaller screens. Mobile optimization also involves ensuring that your titles and key information are visible without needing to scroll extensively.

Since mobile users may have less patience for navigating long pages, a clean and user-friendly mobile experience can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates.

Making sure your shipping process runs smoothly can really boost customer happiness and help your store thrive. Here are some essential Etsy shipping tips to keep in mind: 

Shipping Basics to Get Started: Calculated Shipping 

If you decide to purchase shipping labels through Etsy, the package details from the order are automatically imported into the shipping label purchase page. The steps to set this up include: 

• Set up a shipping profile with calculated shipping
• Add size and weight information to your listings
• Add the calculated shipping profile to your listings

Canadian sellers can use calculated shipping if they ship with Canada Post. Calculated shipping means that when a buyer enters their address and chooses a service, Etsy will calculate the shipping and add it to the cost of the order automatically – making it as simple as possible for you! 

If you live in another country or don’t want to use calculated shipping, you can add your own shipping rates to your listings too! 

Partner with a 3PL: eShipper 

Partnering with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) like us here at eShipper can help streamline your shipping process. While you are the expert in your products, we bring the expertise in shipping to help your Etsy store thrive.

We offer discounted rates with most major carriers. Additionally, we have experience with Etsy and can help get your shipping details set up and ready for your customers. This lets you zero in on building up your business without distractions.

With the basics of your shop sorted out, you will want to turn your attention towards scaling up. Here are some tips for growing your Etsy shop:

1. Ensure Competitive Pricing

Research your competitors and price your products competitively. Consider your costs and desired profit margins. Offering bundles or discounts for multiple purchases can also attract more customers.

2. Optimizing Etsy Listings

Regularly update and optimize your listings based on performance data. Use Etsy’s analytics tools to track which listings are performing well and which may need some improvement.

3. Etsy Ads Strategy

When you advertise with Etsy Ads, your listings stand out, making it easier to reach buyers with a higher intent to purchase. 

You can use Etsy Ads to advertise your products across their search results and other pages on Etsy. Choose your budget, which listings to advertise, the customer countries you want to focus on, and they’ll do the rest.

4. Expand Your Product Line

Broadening the types of products available from your business might just catch the eye of more potential clients out there. Add fresh items to your lineup that match what you’re currently selling. This way, you'll see customers returning again and again, excited for another purchase. 

You may want to consider seasonal trends and holidays when deciding what new items you will add to your store. 

5. Provide Great Customer Service

Exceptional customer service is key to building a loyal customer base. Respond to inquiries promptly, address any issues professionally, and exceed customer expectations whenever possible. It makes a huge difference. 

6. Monitor Analytics

Track the performance of your store using the helpful analytics tools provided by Etsy. It's important to track numbers like how many people view your work, favourite it, or buy it. 

Leverage this information to refine what you're selling online. Use this data to refine your product offerings, set competitive price points, and develop effective advertising strategies to attract more customers.

7. Offer Free Shipping, Discounts, and Promotions

Want more buyers? Try adding free shipping as an option. Offering discounts and running promotions can help move older stock off the shelves while giving sales a nice bump. It’s important to switch strategies up at times. 

Understanding Etsy’s fee structure and policies is essential for managing your business effectively. Here are some things to keep in mind: 

1. Etsy Fees

Etsy charges several fees. They include a listing fee for each item you post, transaction fees when your items sell, and payment processing fees to handle the money. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main fees you’ll need to take note of: 

• Etsy Listing Fee: A minimal flat-rate fee of CAD 0.28 per item listed for sale (no matter the category or price point). This fee allows you to list your products for 4 months on the platform. After this timeframe, you'll have to renew the listing.
• Etsy Transaction Fee: This will be 6.5% off the total sale price including product, shipping, and any gift wrap. 
• Payment Processing Fee: This covers the cost of the payment processing, and is 3% off the total sale price, with an additional fixed fee of CAD 0.25.
  • Domestic/US orders: 3% + 0.25 CAD payment processing fee
  • International orders: 4% + 0.25 CAD payment processing fee
  • Plus a potential 2.5% currency conversion fee if listing in a different currency

2. Prohibited and Restricted Items

The following types of items are prohibited or restricted on Etsy:

• Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, drug paraphernalia, medical drugs and devices, and items making medical claims
• Animal products and human remains
• Dangerous Items: hazardous materials, recalled items, and weapons
• Hate Items: Items that promote, support, or glorify hatred
• Illegal Items: Items promoting illegal activity, and highly regulated items
• Internationally regulated items
• Nudity and mature content
• Violent Items: Items that promote, support, or glorify violence

Apart from these items, it’s important to keep in mind that Etsy advises against mass-produced or non-handmade items. Their focus is on unique, creative, vintage, and handmade products.

Conclusion

Etsy offers huge potential for creative entrepreneurs or small businesses to start selling and earn profitsprofiting from their unique products. 

We hope this blog has armed and empowered you to begin your Etsy selling journey – from crafting your Etsy product descriptions to your Etsy ads strategy. 

If you’re looking for some help in this process and getting your shipping strategy setup, reach out to us here at eShipper today and get your store up and running in no time.