Should I Open An Etsy Shop Or My Own Website? [2023 Guide]
Should I open an Etsy shop or my own website? This toss-up between Etsy shop or website will be the first thought for many first-time shop owners and it’s not a bad question to ask!
Selling on Etsy vs own website is a legitimate question because you may think Etsy is an expensive and high-commitment platform, and having your own website will allow you to retain a higher level of autonomy and control over your shop.
Well, the good news is both thought processes are valid.
Because I also had the same concerns when I first helped my sister set up her Etsy shop, I will let you know some pros and cons on whether is it better to use Etsy or your own website.
I’ll also give some tips on selling on Etsy, and some tips on starting your own website if you decide to head the other way.
| Etsy | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Simple to set up | High number of sellers |
| Low cost to maintain | Products get copied easily |
| Trusted and reliable platform | Platform cannot be customized |
| Available community of buyers | Customer database is not yours |
| Non-commital as you can change your mind anytime | Hard to build brand loyalty with a number of sellers around |
| Own Website | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Can customize own look | Time-consuming |
| Customer database is yours | Effort to maintain the site day-to-day |
| You can choose companies with lower processing fees | |
Affiliate Link Disclosure
Some of the links here are affiliate links. I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. I hope you find the information here useful! Thanks!
Note – If you are super busy and you want to start making money selling digital products on Etsy ASAP, you can check out this and this Etsy course, which will step up your Etsy game and start earning within 3 months!
Alternatively, you can also check out this free Etsy Ebook that will share a list of best-selling products by month and teach you how to capitalize on seasonal trends to skyrocket your Etsy sales.
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Etsy Vs Website
The short answer to whether you should I open an Etsy shop or my own website is that in the long run, you should have both!
Etsy is a great e-commerce site for first-time sellers starting out and those looking for a low-cost, low-risk, tried-and-tested platform.
However, if you’re a seller looking to make it big eventually and increase your revenue stream from your shop in the long term, then you should most certainly work your way toward a website.
That doesn’t mean selling on Etsy isn’t worth it if you have your doubts about whether is it worth opening an Etsy shop.
Etsy definitely has its pros if you’re wondering if is Etsy a good site to sell on.
It’s an amazing platform for first-time shop owners. Here are the reasons why you should most certainly consider selling on Etsy if you’re first starting out as a seller:
- Setting up a shop on Etsy is simple and straightforward
- It costs nothing to set up an Etsy shop, and listing an item is affordable at $0.20 a listing. Transaction fees are 6.5% of a sale, while payment processing fees vary depending on your bank country.
- Etsy is trusted by many sellers and is an extremely reliable platform
- It already has a community of people keen on handmade and crafted items
- It is a non-commital and low-cost way of testing out products and services
That said, there are also the bad parts of setting up an Etsy shop. These include:
- The Etsy platform can seem saturated because there are a large number of sellers on Etsy
- Because of the large number of sellers, it’s easy to have your products or services copied though this can be reported and settled swiftly by the Etsy team
- You have to follow Etsy’s shop template and cannot set up your shop according to what you have in mind
- Etsy determines the fees you pay, as well as when the site is down for maintenance. You don’t also own your customer database technically, so if by some unfortunate hack Etsy goes down, so do all your customer contacts
- It’s hard to build brand loyalty as Etsy customers tend to look for the most value-for-money, affordable option instead of following specific sellers
So if you’re looking towards setting up a website, here are the benefits of setting up your own e-commerce website:
- You have the autonomy to customize your shop look
- You maintain your own database of customers
- You can choose a payment processing company that takes a lower cut when you sell a product
However, using your own platform most certainly also comes with its cons, namely:
- It is time-consuming to set up your own website, as compared to a platform like Etsy and Shopify where it is pretty much plug-and-play
- You spend time maintaining your website including having to fix it if it goes down or if it is attacked by cybercriminals
Selling On Etsy
So you’ve weighed the pros and cons between is it better to sell on Etsy or your own website and are now convinced that Etsy is your choice, for now, here are some quick steps to get you started on selling on Etsy:
1. Go To Etsy.com And Create An Account For Free
2. Select Your Desired Shop Preferences And Settings
3. Decide On Your Etsy Shop Name
4. Add Your First Few Listings
5. Choose How You Want To Be Paid And Launch Away!
So if you’re still in doubt about whether should I open an Etsy shop, I hope you realize by now that it’s actually really easy to start selling on Etsy!
Tips For Selling On Etsy
If you’re committed to setting up your very first Etsy store, you’ll want to be in the best position to succeed. I have some tips for you that will help you get your first Etsy shop soaring:
1. Use Keyword Research Tools Like Sale Samurai To Determine What People Are Searching For On Etsy
2. Take Good Quality Photos
3. Use All Thirteen Tags On Your Listings And Make Sure They Are Optimized
4. Have Excellent Customer Service
5. Publicize Your Shop On Social Media Platforms
6. Use Etsy Ads To Promote Your Listings
7. Review Your Etsy Shop Analytics To Optimize Your Shop
8. Build A Portfolio Of Good Reviews
9. Use Videos In Your Listings
10. Update Your Etsy Shop Regularly
Tips For Building Your E-Commerce Site
If you’ve thought should I sell on Etsy or my own website and decided to sell on your own website, then here are some tips for your e-commerce site:
1. Make Sure It Is User-Friendly And Simple
When you have your own website, it is tempting to get carried away with design and customization. The whole idea is to keep things simple, clean, and user-friendly so that you get people buying rather than being distracted by your design.
2. Remember To Market Your Website
As it’s on your own platform, you do not have the luxury of having a community that is already on the platform. So you’ll need to remember to market your own website, including promoting it on social media and also taking out paid advertising if the need arises.
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3. Have Clear-Cut Shop Policies
When you have your own shop on your own platform, you’ll need to be more mindful of your own shop policies as you will not have a third party to mediate and moderate if disputes arise.
Make sure you publicize your shop policies clearly on your website.
4. Use SEO To Drive Customers To Your Website
Because you’re now on your own, you should use SEO to drive customers to your website. SEO is a low-cost approach that can help you get customers in the long run to your website if done correctly.
I teach you how to triple your website traffic through Google right here!
5. Prioritize Customer Reviews
Whether you’re on Etsy or not, customer reviews are always important. Even more so if you are using your own platform, as customer reviews are a great driver of increasing sales.
6. Have Good Quality Photos
This is obvious regardless of whether you’re on your website or using Etsy as a platform. If people can’t see what you’re selling, they won’t buy it.
7. Have Good Customer Service And Post-Purchase Follow-Up
From the purchase up till the time the customer receives their item, you should make sure your customer service is top-tier. Especially so if you are on your own platform. The service doesn’t stop when you sell the product.
Building brand loyalty and having return customers is more worth it in the long run than constantly converting new customers.
FAQs
Do I Need A Website If I Have Etsy?
So, do I need a website if I have Etsy? If you’re looking to grow your Etsy shop into a bigger business, then you should most certainly have a website, even though Etsy is a great e-commerce platform to start off from.
Though the short answer is you may not need a website if you have Etsy if you’re just looking to run a short business.
So if you’re wondering if should I open an Etsy shop or my own website, the answer is if you’re thinking long-term, you should definitely work your way towards eventually owning your own website.
Should I Sell On Etsy And My Website?
Should I sell on Etsy and my website? You should sell on both Etsy and your website only if you are looking to test out the platforms or your products as it will cost time and effort to maintain both.
If you don’t have much time and are not concerned with branding then Etsy is the obvious choice for selling.
Having your own website will take up quite a bit of time as you’ll need to do your own troubleshooting, and maintenance and also keep it armored against cybercriminals (which are highly prevalent in today’s online shopping world).
Is Opening A Shop On Etsy Worth It?
Is opening a shop on Etsy worth it? Opening a shop on Etsy is one hundred percent worth it because it is simple to work with, is low-cost, and low-risk. Etsy favors sellers that have low prices and good reviews, so if you’re working your way towards those, you’re set for success on Etsy.
Selling on Etsy is also great because you have an established community of buyers, and you’re also working with a reputable and credible platform.
Can You Sell On Etsy And Your Own Website?
Wondering can you sell on Etsy and have your own website? Yes, if you have the bandwidth to, there is nothing stopping you from selling on both your own website and also selling on Etsy. Both platforms offer benefits and if you can sell on both at the same time, it would also bring about more sales.
If you’re looking to expand your e-commerce business and work towards your own website, then you can most certainly run both at the same time and eventually migrate to your website once you’re ready.
Do You Need A Website To Sell On Etsy?
Do you need a website to sell on Etsy? You do not need your own website to sell on Etsy as Etsy provides you with the platform to start selling, but you should eventually work towards having your own website if you want to build up your business.
Etsy takes a cut of your listings when you sell them and there are limited customization options on Etsy for your shopfront. So if you want to lower your transaction and payment processing fees, then your website is definitely the way to go.
Conclusion
If you’re still thinking should I open an Etsy shop or my own website, I hope this article has helped clear up your thought process on which approach is best for your budding business.
Both Etsy and your own website would have their own pros and cons and no one approach is better than the other as both can help your business grow if you know how to utilize each platform to its full potential.
I’m really curious to know which you decided to open – your own Etsy shop or your own website.
Tell me in the comments and let me know if my advice worked for you!
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