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