There are many ways for small businesses to sell products online. Hosting your own webstore on your company website is one option. This gives you great control over the presentation and payment features of your store. Men, speciellt för småföretag, you might not get enough traffic to meet your goals.
För högre volym onlineförsäljning, du kan gå med i en större onlinemarknad för att få en bredare publik och mer erkännande. Den överlägset största onlinemarknaden är Amazon, med över 6 miljoner säljare på plattformen. But Amazon is not the only major marketplace in the ecommerce landscape. Etsy är en annan mycket populär, men mer nischad, säljare på nätet. Etsy används främst för att sälja handgjorda eller anpassade hantverk, konstverk, och inredning.
Etsy är en mycket snabbväxande marknadsplats, mer än fördubblar det totala antalet säljare eftersom 2019. Marknaden genererade över $1 miljard in revenue in 2020 ensam, med över 81 million active shoppers. For small businesses that sell custom crafts and decor, Etsy is a highly attractive ecommerce marketplace. Självklart, it is not for everyone. Customers don’t turn to Etsy when they need replacement auto parts, till exempel. But if Etsy is the right market for you, there are tremendous benefits to selling on the platform.
To help small ecommerce businesses get started, here is a helpful guide on how to sell on Etsy for beginners.
How to Start Selling on Etsy: Vad du behöver veta
Du kanske undrar, “how do I sell on Etsy?” Selling on Etsy is a bit different than selling on Amazon or other online marketplaces. In some ways, Etsy has more requirements than other platforms, while in other ways it is looser. As for how to start selling on Etsy, the process is relatively simple. You begin by going to Etsy’s seller page and clicking the “Get started” button.
From here, you simply need to follow the prompts as they appear on your screen. Begin by registering your account, just as you would on any website. Efter det, you can start building your shop. Etsy will provide you with options for support which you can use as needed. You can also skip these options and dive right into building your online shop. Give your shop a name, enter your item info, and set up payment options for your shop. Don’t worry too much if your inventory is not finalized yet. You can always edit your item info later on.
Once the framework of your Etsy shop is in place, you can begin to customize your storefront page. Det här är ett bra sätt att anpassa din butik och låta kunderna se vad du säljer och vad ditt företags värderingar är. Det finns många sätt du kan ordna ditt skyltfönster för att göra det till ditt. Ett användbart tips är att fokusera på sätt att maximera kundernas engagemang när de väl hittar din sida. Du kan följa många av de grundläggande reglerna för skapa en effektiv målsida när du skapar ditt Etsy-skyltfönster.
Do you need a business license to sell on Etsy?
En av de vanligaste frågorna folk ställer är, “Do you need a business license to sell on Etsy?” The answer is technically “No.” Etsy itself does not require its sellers to have a business license. i alla fall, some states, municipalities, or countries do require a business license for anyone conducting business within their borders. Etsy itself does not require a business license. i alla fall, it’s a wise idea to check the laws in your area before getting started.
What are the requirements to sell on Etsy?
Because you don’t need a business license to get started, this is considered a great perk for many sellers. A lot of people turn to Etsy initially as a side gig to sell their handmade crafts to a broad audience. This can turn their craft from a hobby into an eventual business. But early on, obtaining a business license could be a major obstacle that could deter many sellers.
Med det sagt, there are some requirements if you wish to become a seller on Etsy. New sellers should familiarize themselves with Etsy’s Policy för förbjudna föremål. For most sellers, the prohibited items list is not an issue. Men det är viktigt att förstå vad som kan och inte kan säljas på plattformen.
Etsy har också detaljerade krav om handgjorda och designer artiklar som alla säljare måste följa. Etsy kräver att alla föremål som säljs på dess marknadsplats är handgjorda. Men, med sina egna ord, "handgjorda är ett spektrum". Vissa tillverkare tillverkar faktiskt sina produkter för hand för att säljas som de är. Andra kanske designar sina produkter själva men förlitar sig på produktionsassistenter för att skapa den färdiga produkten. These designers are permitted to sell on Etsy provided they operate within the rules and restrictions of Etsy’s seller policy. You can read the updated Etsy Seller Policy in full här.
How much does it cost to sell on Etsy?
When it comes to selling on Etsy, fees are minimal, but still important to be aware of. Etsy does not require a startup or subscription fee. So it is technically free to become a seller on Etsy.
i alla fall, Etsy does charge fees to use the marketplace. Most importantly, Etsy charges a small listing fee for every item listed in your shop. The Etsy listing fee is $0.20 for a four-month listing, with the ability to auto-renew listings.
Selling on Etsy fees are mid-level compared to other platforms. Etsy charges a 5% transaction fee on all sales. Så 5% of the price of your product goes to Etsy for each sale. Till exempel, a $100 craft sold on Etsy nets is $95 till dig, och $5 for Etsy.
There is also a Shipping Label Fee on Etsy to cover the costs of shipping your items. This varies depending on the shipping carrier(s) you choose, and the origin and destination of shipped items.
Other miscellaneous Etsy fees include a small payment processing fee, a Value-Added Tax, and optional fees for paid ads off-site.
I sista hand, the amount it costs to sell on Etsy depends on your sales. Because the fees are based on a percentage of your total sales, you should always make a profit. Whether that’s enough for you depends on your goals and how much you make.
Is Selling on Etsy Worth It? För-och nackdelar
Så, after learning all that, is selling on Etsy worth it? The answer to that question depends on your business. First of all, your business needs to sell items that meet Etsy’s “handmade” requirements. As long as that is the case, there are plenty of good reasons to sell on Etsy. Here are some pros and cons to consider when deciding if you should sell on Etsy.
Pro: Very easy to get started
Once you get started, there isn’t anything complicated about how to sell stuff on Etsy from a technical standpoint. The interface is intuitive, and Etsy does a great job to make it easy to manage your storefront and list products.
Pro: Huge marketplace
Etsy is the largest online marketplace for handmade crafts and decor. If you’re looking to sell your products online, Etsy has the highest volume of traffic of interested customers. For new small businesses, attracting new customers is one of the biggest challenges. Etsy can be a great way to solve that problem early on.
Pro: No business license or history is needed
Unlike other marketplaces, Etsy does not require you to have an official business license or an established reputation. You can simply start making handmade items one day, and become an Etsy seller the next.
Pro: Highly customizable
Etsy is the best place to go to sell custom items. That spirit of customization also extends to managing your Etsy store. Users have great control over their storefront layout, what they sell, and their shipping options. Selling on Etsy is a relatively hassle-free experience.
Con: Highly competitive
Storleken på Etsys marknadsplats kan vara både ett för- och ett nackdel. Medan den höga kundtrafiken är stor, det finns också en stor mängd säljare. Så att lära sig att sälja saker på Etsy kan vara lite knepigare än att bara lista dina produkter och vänta på att kunderna ska dyka upp. Du kan behöva använda några smarta marknadsföringsknep. Du bör också lära dig att göra dina produktannonser så tilltalande som möjligt för att sticka ut från konkurrenterna.
Con: Listing fees can add up
Om du vill lista många produkter i din Etsy-butik, you could end up spending money on listing fees. This means some sellers need to be selective about what items they list, at least in the beginning. As your sales grow, you may be able to add more listings to your store. But growing your inventory takes time if you want to avoid spending too much on listing fees.
Slutgiltiga tankar
I sista hand, the decision of whether or not to sell on Etsy depends on your business. If you fit the marketplace and have quality products, selling on Etsy is almost always worth it. Om inte, there are plenty of other ways to utveckla ditt företag uppkopplad.