Etsy 101 Lori Paximadis Cleveland Handmade clevelandhandmade.com What is Etsy? International online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods and craft supplies • Vintage = 20+ years old • Craft supplies can be commercial or handmade Founded in 2005 15 million members worldwide 900,000+ active shops Why sell on Etsy? Easy and inexpensive way to set up an online shop Founded in 2005 Big name, lots of press and brand recognition 15 million members worldwide 900,000+ active shops Not an auction site — you control the price What does it cost? Listing fee: 20¢ per listing • Up to 4 months (or until sold) • Multiple quantity of same item = 20¢ charged up front, then 20¢ each time one sells until quantity runs out to automatically relist • Can manually relist (marketing strategy) Etsy fee: 3.5% • Only when an item sells Payment processing fees: • Paypal: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction • Etsy Direct Checkout: 3% + 25¢ per transaction Fee example $30 item Item cost Listing fee Etsy fee (3.5%) Fixed processing fee Processing fee percentage (2.9% for Paypal; 3% for DC) Net proceeds Paypal Direct Checkout $30.00 $30.00 – 0.20 – 0.20 – 1.05 – 1.05 – 0.30 – 0.25 – 0.87 – 0.90 $27.58 $27.60 How do I get started? Set up an Etsy account if you don’t already have one. Once you have an account, click on Sell in the upper left corner. Seller setup is very easy; the system will walk you through. You need a credit card to link for payment. List your first item. How do I list an item? Under Your Shop in the upper right corner, choose List New Item. Enter all of the information about the item, following the prompts. The system will walk you through it — super easy! Once your item is listed, it will show up in searches and may appear under Recently Listed on the first page. What do I need to know about tags? Tags help buyers find your items in search. You can have up to 13 tags for each item. necklace pendant copper enamel sterling silver stone blue turquoise round stack robins egg (no apostrophes allowed in tags) OOAK (stands for “one of a kind”) ClevelandTeam (team tag) What happens when my item sells? You’ll receive an email from Etsy. Package and ship promptly. Leave feedback for your buyer. If you have another, or can make another, and your listing is not set up for automatic quantity renewal, renew it. How do I get paid? Paypal (2.9% + 30¢ per transaction) • Link your Paypal account on the Shipping & Payments page • Payments deposited directly into your account Etsy Direct Checkout (3% + 25¢ per transaction) • Must link a US bank account (just like direct deposit) • Includes Etsy gift cards Check or money order • Use at your own risk! How do I get help? Help link in upper right corner: • Links to all kinds of help • Especially recommended: Site Policies—Dos and Don’ts, and the Seller Handbook Forums Labs (videos) Teams! • Local, social, specific focus • Open and closed • Range from casual to hardcore What is Cleveland Handmade? Started as an Etsy team in 2007 with about two dozen people who met on the Etsy forums. More than 600 members as of June 2013. Mostly social, casual cross-promotion and support. First Cleveland Handmade Market in 2008 with about a dozen vendors in a coffee shop. The 2012 Cleveland Handmade Last Minute Market had nearly 100 vendors and more than 4,000 shoppers. In transition to a membership society open to all artists and makers in Northeast Ohio. Four keys to success on Etsy 1. Great product priced right. 2. Clear photos. 3. Stellar customer service. 4. Marketing. Have a great product priced right Take care and pay attention to detail in your craft. Research the competition — style, price points, photos, descriptions, etc. Think inspiration, not imitation. Outright copying is a big no-no. Remember to include the costs of selling online (listing fees, Etsy fees, payment processing fees, packaging and shipping supplies, etc.) as well as your marketing costs when determining your price. Price consistently across all venues. Cheap doesn’t always win. Take clear photos Clean and uncluttered Product should be the star In focus Natural light Multiple angles (up to 5 photos) Scale/real-life use Anticipate buyers’ questions Give stellar customer service Respond to inquiries and fill orders promptly. Put thought into your shop policies — research what others are doing for ideas. Package your items well, in line with the image of your shop. Include several business cards! Communicate clearly. Ask questions. Marketing, marketing, marketing! Unlike in Field of Dreams, Etsy does not work under the plan known as “build it and they will come.” Customers may happen across your shop while browsing or searching, but if you want to make a lot of sales, YOU are responsible for driving customers to your shop. Etsy Search Ads • Keyword based • $5 & up per week Google Product Ads • Included with your listing — make sure it’s turned on under shop settings. Other ways to market • Websites and blogs o Link and/or Etsy Mini on your own website or blog o Guest blogging o Featured artist interviews o How-tos o Purchased advertising • Facebook, Twitter, et al. • Circles and hearts/favorites on Etsy • Relisting • Business cards, postcards, etc. • Traditional advertising (newspapers, newsletters, etc.) • Press releases • Donations — use with caution • Cross-promotion with other artists • Shows • Coupon codes/promotions Marketing tips Start slow. You don’t have to do everything all at once. Pick one or two things, get good at them, and see how they work. Check your stats/analytics. Tweak, tweak, tweak. Low-key rather than in-your-face marketing is all the rage today. Build a presence. Be authentic. Questions? Etsy 101 Lori Paximadis Cleveland Handmade clevelandhandmade.com
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