The Complete Guide: How To Start An Etsy Business In 2024
Heads up: This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more.
Learn How To Launch A Successful Etsy Business As A Beginner
Are you looking to start an Etsy business? Are you an artist that wants to start selling your work on the platform?
Starting any project or business can be a little daunting – but luckily we’re here to guide you along the way. Read on to find how to start an Etsy business and make your selling dreams come true.
What is Etsy?
Etsy is an online marketplace where individuals can buy and sell unique handmade crafts, vintage items and supplies. It connects artisans and small business owners with a built-in global customer base – offering a platform to showcase and sell their products in a creative community. Selling on Etsy doesn’t require a website; sellers simply sign up and upload their products. Setting up an Etsy shop is absolutely free and in return, sellers agree to having a small percentage of their profits collected by Etsy once they’ve made a sale.
How To Start An Etsy Business
Before You Start An Etsy Shop
There’s multiple things you should be aware of before launching your Etsy store, including some important questions to ask yourself.
– What category do my products fall into, Vintage, Craft or Handmade?
– Will I be able to handle the shipping and packaging side of my business?
– How can I make my shop and my products stand out?
– Am I OK with Etsy fees and payment processing fees?
– How much time am I going to allow myself to produce items?
Other more logistical things to know is that Etsy sellers need to be over 18, despite those over 13 being able to purchase through the platform.
Once you’ve connected your bank account to your Etsy store, don’t forget about taxes too. Check your local rules and regulations around registering your small business and how much you can make before paying taxes. This isn’t as important at the beginning – but it’s good to know before getting started. Find out more about UK business tax here.
Finding Your Niche
Selling on Etsy will require you to stand out and establish a clear business image. By identifying a specific market or unique product category – you differentiate yourself from competitors and appeal to a targeted audience.
If you’re selling art, then developing a signature style will help to build a body of work that people can resonate with. Try considering what art you personally enjoy vs the art you make – if they’re the same then you clearly have a strong style. If not, that’s ok; it can take years before artists settle on a particular niche.
Boxing yourself into one particular style shouldn’t prevent experimentation and growth. Allow your business to develop in new ways whilst not overcomplicating things. This focus will allow you to develop a strong brand identity, create high-quality products and attract customers who are genuinely interested in what you offer. Ultimately, finding your niche increases the likelihood of success on Etsy’s platform – making it a crucial step in starting your business.
Print-On-Demand Products
A huge part of starting an Etsy business is deciding what products to actually sell. This is all dependent on what your craft is. For example, are you a painter, a jewellery maker, a digital designer or a vintage shopper? Whatever your business is – the products you decide to sell will be essential to your Etsy success.
A very successful commercial avenue that many artists, illustrators and designers decide to go down is print-on-demand. Etsy is a marketplace that focuses on craft and the handmade – but luckily this doesn’t exclude print-on-demand. As long as the design that’s being printed was originally created by you; then you’re all good to go ahead.
Print-on-demand eliminates the need for upfront inventory costs as products are only manufactured when an order is placed. This reduces financial risk for sellers, as well as production and shipping efforts.
What’s more is that print-on-demand usually offer a wide range of customisable products, allowing sellers to extend their product line with only one design. We tend to think of t-shirt printing with these kinds of businesses, when in fact there’s actually a massive range of items to choose from including: mugs, prints, cushions, phone cases, tote bags and more.
The good news is that print-on-demand companies like Printful integrate seamlessly with Etsy, making it convenient for sellers to manage their listings and fulfil orders efficiently.
Work Out Your Pricing
Now you’ve worked out what products you’re going to sell, it’s time to price them. To price your items on Etsy, calculate the cost of materials, production, and overhead expenses. Consider the time and effort invested, along with your desired profit margins. If you need extra help, you may want to use some pricing formulas.
It’s also important to research similar products to understand market trends. You don’t want to be dramatically over or under pricing items that have active competitors. Accurate pricing is essential as it affects profitability and customer perception. Underpricing may undermine your business, while overpricing can deter buyers. Balancing competitive pricing with fair compensation is vital for success on Etsy and selling online as a whole.
Use High Quality Imagery
The first thing a customer will look at on your Etsy listing is the image. Therefore, you need to make sure you’re using a high quality image that showcases your product in the best light.
Photography art and other creative products can be difficult but it’s such a crucial part of selling online. Here are a few things to consider that will massively help the outcome of your images:
– The set up
Make sure you have at least one image with a clear and clean background, so customers can see the item with no distractions. You may want to create a more visually interesting set up as your first photo, to grab attention.
– The lighting
Having good lighting is essential when taking product photos. Use a room that has a lot of natural light; a bright but cloudy day is actually preferred over direct sunlight. If you’re using artificial light, consider the bulbs that you’re using and the distance that you set them up from the product.
– The editing process
A lot of the product images you see online are edited. This isn’t a bad thing, as long as you’re not drastically changing the look of the product. Use photo editing to refine colour hue, lighting and other technical camera settings.
Employ SEO Tactics In Titles and Descriptions
Alongside your images, your Etsy listing has the space for a title and description. To tap into the huge built-in customer base that Etsy has – sellers can utilise SEO tactics. Effectively doing this within the text spaces in your listing can boost your shop’s visibility and increase the chances of attracting potential buyers.
To get started, conduct keyword research to identify relevant and popular terms. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your titles and descriptions and shop name to optimise search rankings. Your goal will be to appear as high up in the search rankings as possible.
As a general rule, ensure your titles are concise, descriptive, and include key product details. In descriptions, provide thorough and engaging information, utilising relevant keywords throughout. Avoid keyword stuffing and prioritise clear, informative content that resonates with both search engines and customers.
Boosting and Maintaining Sales
Once your whole Etsy shop is set up and your products are listed – it’s time to incorporate some other tips that can help boost your sales and keep them there.
– Use social media to send your loyal fans over to your Etsy store. Regularly promote your products on Instagram and use TikTok to make packaging videos that can draw in new customers.
– If you have the budget, you could activate some onsite ads. If you search for a product in Etsy’s search bar, there’s a very high chance you’ll see promoted products at the top of your results. Ads can be good to run on products that are very competitive.
– Collect good customer reviews! You can do this by being friendly in all communication with your customers, sending the items out in a timely manner and even offering discounts for returning shoppers. Building a good reputation will really help to establish your shop on the selling platform.
Is It Worth Starting an Etsy Shop?
Etsy is a great option for business beginners; it’s free, easy to use and comes with a massive customer base. This means that you can sell your products without having a following at all.
Although Etsy is easy to set up, it can take a while for those first few sales to come through. As with most small business ventures – you’ll need to be patient and work hard. Success won’t happen overnight, but it is definitely possible if you incorporate the steps discussed above!
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ON HOW TO START AN ETSY BUSINESS? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.
Also, don’t forget you can always share your art with us or tag us on Instagram @darkyellowdot.
Thank you for reading and if you found this article useful, share it around, that makes us happy. To receive more posts like this and updates, join our mailing list, everyone is welcome.
NEED MORE ADVICE?
ARTICLES TO HELP:
7 Factors To Consider Before You Start An Art Business
Selling Digital Art: Easy Ways For Artists To Start Making Money
13 Profitable Art Business Ideas You Can Start Today
SITES TO HELP:
COURSES TO HELP:
Etsy Launch: How To Open An Etsy Shop Like A Professional Seller
How To Sell On Etsy Using A Print-On-Demand Model
Selling On Etsy: How To Create A Successful Shop
