How to start an Etsy shop in 5 simple steps – Ultimate guide

Are you wondering how to start an Etsy shop? Etsy is one of the largest platforms where you can sell your crafty products. Working on an e-commerce basis, it doesn’t focus on objects that are easily available.

If you browse Etsy, you will find that almost all the products are artistic. That means it is the perfect website to sell your handmade products on. 

Etsy began operating in 2005 and since then, 35.8 million shoppers visit the website to buy products. If you start selling on Etsy, you will have access to their wide customer base.

You can easily take advantage of this exposure. Not everyone knows about this amazing opportunity of selling to this many people. 

But these things are difficult. It’s easy to get an idea about something but difficult to actually go through with it. Similarly, many people raise questions like, how to sell on Etsy? Or, how to start an Etsy Shop? Well, there’s a simple way to do it. Just follow these steps.

Step 1 – Register to Get Started

The first step to selling anything on Etsy is to register yourselves. There would be a link which says, “Sell on Etsy”. You should click on it. When you press that button, another page will open.

If you scroll down that page, you will find another option that says, “Open Your Etsy Shop”. Simply click that option to get started. And just like that, you will be done with the first step.

Step 2 – Set Up Your Shop

After you’ve followed through the first step, you might ask how to start an Etsy shop? Well, the next step simply involves customization. You can alter the settings for your very own shop through the options available. This includes adding in your location, language, and currency.

This information will help in targeting a specific customer base according to your preferences. After all, it won’t help you or the customer if you have language barriers or are located in different areas. Different currencies can also create major problems. 

It is then suggested that you also set up a distinctive name for your Etsy store. This way customers will remember you and know where to shop.

Setting up a basic or common store name might get mixed up with the other Etsy shop names. Make sure the name also relates to the product you are selling. 

Step 3 – List Your Products on Your Etsy Store

After setting up an Etsy store, many people immediately start asking, how to make money on Etsy. This step will tell you how – You start listing your products on your store. However, listing products isn’t as simple as it may seem. 

You need to have a title, photos, and a description for your listing. Your title should match the actual product. Furthermore, when you list your products, make sure that there are professional photographs available. Unprofessional photography often causes many potential buyers to turn away or to browse through. 

Set the most attractive photograph as the thumbnail for your craft. The product thumbnail is what will attract potential customers to take a closer look at your item. It will motivate them to read the description.  

The description, however, is another critical element that you must nail if you want to sell your craft on Etsy. 

Step 4 – Describing Your Listing

This key part involves adding a description that includes all the relevant details about your product. This is the component that will convince your customer to buy it. Make sure you include details such as the material, size, and additional features, etc.

Additionally, if you mention the amount of stock that is left, the customer might be convinced to buy the product. 

It is also very important to include keywords that will optimize your product for the search engine. Mention keywords in the description that relate to your product and aren’t simply trending. 

Etsy stores have a feature that allows you to add 13 tags to your product. These can be very helpful in broadening your reach. Use it! It will help in increasing your target audience. 

Step 5 – Pricing at Your Etsy Store

For Etsy, you need to take a look at your costs before you start selling your products in your store. Another most important aspect of how to make money on Etsy involves the fees that the platform charges you.

When you look at the listing fee, it might seem like the bare minimum, but do consider the long-term effects. What looks so little might be a shark underneath. 

The Etsy seller fee includes the listing fee (20 cents per item), and transaction costs (5% of the total price), etc. To add, there is also a fee for processing payment or the option for PayPal. Other than this, you might need to incur shipping and promotional costs as well to sell on Etsy. 

Make sure that your pricing takes all these costs in consideration. 

Additional Pro Tips

After completing all the above steps, you can preview your listings. Assuring that everything is perfect, simply post your product listing online and start selling on Etsy. You can make amazing use of Etsy’s promotional tools.

The feature of adding your own profile and your store’s biography can exponentially maximize your sales. Other than these, you can also use SEO techniques to improve your Etsy business. 

While you might have a good understanding of how SEO content works, Etsy SEO has some differences from the rest. Studying Etsy’s SEO and applying it to your store and product listings will accomplish a lot for you. 

The Esty business is here for the long run. It is the perfect marketplace to try out if you’re looking to sell your crafty artwork. But when you do, make sure that you keep all these steps and amazing tips in your mind. These will be sure to help you. They won’t simply temporarily sell 1 or 2 products but will make your Etsy store a star business. 

It will be an experience worth trying and by the end of it, you will have your own Etsy Store. 

Now in order to start selling successfully on Etsy, follow my ultimate guide: How to sell on Etsy successfully in 10 steps – Ultimate guide.