How to start an Etsy Store

Etsy is the largest online marketplace for creative entrepreneurs and independent businesses. With over 88 million active buyers in Q3 2022 according to Market Place Pulse. Etsy has become a go-to platform for artisans, makers, and creative entrepreneurs who are looking to showcase and sell their unique creations.

With its easy-to-use platform, flexible payment options, and global reach, Etsy is a great place to start and grow your online business. Whether you have a set of products designed that are made already or are just researching to see if it’s possible to be a successful Etsy Seller, this post will help you see what is needed to get your online store off the ground.

Why you should open an Etsy store? 

When you become an Etsy seller, you can turn your creative passions into a profitable business. With a few simple steps, a bit of dedication, and time, you can start an Etsy store and sell your handmade items to a global marketplace. 

There are 1000s of successful small businesses that now have full-time worldwide businesses created from the Etsy online platform. These sellers have paved the way to show what it takes to become a successful Etsy store. All you need is the right eCommerce and digital marketing strategies and tools to start getting sales. 

Below, you can learn more about the benefits of opening an Etsy store and the steps you need to take to get started.

Is Opening an Etsy Store Worth It?

If you are selling handmade or unique items that are not mass-produced then Etsy is the perfect platform for you.

When I was 16 I opened my first jewellery Etsy store and have since opened 2 more. My second store reached 300 sales within the first 3 months of being open. 

I will not disclose my stores as sadly there are a lot of copycats.

The best way to see how successful an Etsy store is is to sign up for eRank. This platform lets you track competitors and their sales. Watching what other sellers are successfully selling can help you design products that are also popular without copying. 

The key to opening an Etsy store that is worth your time and effort is by creating and selling products that are profitable.  When listing products you should always be taking into consideration of Etsy seller fees, product costs, and making time. The best way to see your profitability is by using our Etsy Fee Calculator.

If your products are profitable meaning you make money on top of your supply costs, time, and Etsy seller fees. Then tapping into the 88 million buyers on Etsy is a great way to test the water with your products without the cost of setting up a website.

What You Need to Get Started With Your Etsy Store

Profitable Product:

To sell on Etsy you need a product, this product can be physical or digital. But it must be your own design, vintage or handmade. Etsy is a great place to sell a variety of products such as boutique clothing to digital meal planners. But try and stick to a theme within your store. Selling different types of products can confuse your customers and might not look professional more like a jumbo sale.

Demand for your Product:

Is your product in demand? This is essential unless you already have a big social media presence or are willing to play the long game your products need to be in demand already. People need to be already searching for your products. This is why understanding SEO (search engine optimization) is super important. You can use Etsy tools like eRank to find popular search terms.

Know your products inside out

To create an Etsy Listing you need all the details about your product. So your customer can make an informed decision if they want to purchase. This involves taking measurements of your products, and knowing the materials it is made with. Listing if it comes in variations of colours or sizes. This all goes into writing a good product description.

Decide on a Brand Name:

The name of your store is important. This will be your brand name and how your customers will know you. Unless you have a great social presence try to create a store name with a keyword around what you are selling. If you already have a brand name on your social media profiles then use that brand name for your Etsy store if it is not taken.

Create Your Branding:

Your storefront on Etsy should be treated like a window to a physical store. To stand out from the other Etsy sellers I highly recommend you use branding such as graphics and set brand colours. Creating a cohesive look for your shop will make you look more professional and trustworthy.

Take Great Photos:

Just like branding your photos need to be professional and share the product well. When you have great photos your customers will more likely want to purchase as they can see what the product is. With modern phones these days there is no excuse for not capturing your products in a well-light white background. If you do not have a white background purchasing a whiteboard from amazon or a craft store will be a great investment.

Banking & Finances Organisation:

To start your store you will need to pay $0.20 per listing. For more on Etsy Fees see our Etsy calculator. To keep all your finances organized from the start we recommend creating a separate bank account. This will help when you come to do your accounting at the end of the financial year.

Packaging Materials & Shipping Costs:

Purchase some packing materials before you start so you are prepared when you get your first sale. Shipping programs are not necessary when you are first starting out but knowing how you are going to send your items and how much it will cost is vital to being profitable on Etsy. Use the Carriers website to see how much your item will be to cost and make sure you include this in your postage or item costs.

Now to Open Your Etsy Store

1. Open your Etsy Sellers account

To get started and open a seller’s account with 40 free Etsy listings use this link and follow the steps Etsy provides. If you do not already have a customers account Etsy will ask you to confirm your email address.

2. Set your Etsy Store Preferences

Enter your shop preferences like language, currency, and what type of seller you are. This helps Etsy take away the correct tax from your customers and learn more about your store.

3. Choosing your store name

As we discussed above this is an important step. You need to choose a brandable name with possible keywords. Your name has to be unique and not include any numbers or spaces. If you have a brand name already add that to see if it hasn’t already been taken.

4. Create your first Listing

Now it is time to list your items. To start Etsy suggests having 10 items…

I would suggest as many as you can. The more items you add the more likely your store will start to get traffic from using our Etsy SEO tips. However, to start I would just add one to get your account set up.

Each listing needs to have:

Photos – You can add up to 10 Photos on Etsy. Try to give a variety of different angles, you can also add some graphics to help describe the product.

Video – A great way to showcase the item is to share a video of the item in action or of an item on a spinning table.

The Title – This needs to be full of keywords to describe the item in one sentence

The Description – Make sure to add all your details of the time in the description. This is also a great place to share why this person needs this item.

13 Tags – This helps Etsy determine what your item is, we suggest using keywords that people might search

Inventory – add the number of items you have of each product to the listing. If it is a digital listing this might be unlimited.

Price of item – Add the price of the item that is profitable use our Etsy Calculator to get the right selling price of your items.

Cost of Shipping  – Choose if you want to offer free shipping or the price of shipping to different places in the world.

Product Variations – Add your product variations this is where your different sizes and colours will go. Make sure your inventory lines up correctly with the right variations.

5. Payment Information

Now add your payment information, this is how Etsy works out your Tax information, how you will get paid and where your bank is located. This is all the legal information Etsy needs from you to start your new online business Etsy store with them.

6. Promote Your Store

Congratulations your store is now open! You can now share your Etsy Store URL to your friends and family.

Your Etsy shop URL comes in two different formats replace the bold with your store name:

• https://www.etsy.com/shop/nameofyourshop
• https://nameofyourshop.etsy.com

7. Update Your Store Details 

Add an about you section to your store and a bio to help shoppers determine who you are and what you sell. You can include keywords in these areas to help Etsy also understand what you sell.

8. Add Your Store Policies

This is a crucial part of setting up your store. If you want Etsy to show your listings in search you need. to add your store policies. This will help show how legit of a business you are and how you are agreeing to look after Etsy’s customers.

Do not rush the process of setting up an Etsy store.

Creating a plan of what you will sell and how you will sell it will give you the upper hand.

* Disclaimer this post includes affiliate links *

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