Chapter 1
All About Etsy
Etsy's mission is to enable everyone to make a living, making the things they love, and to connect makers with buyers from around the world. Founded in 2005, Etsy is a worldwide handmade community that spans over 150 countries. To me, as a seller, Etsy is a life changer, and as a buyer, I know when I make an Etsy purchase, I'm helping artists like myself.
Is Etsy the right online marketplace for you? Take a look at what some Etsy sellers and buyers are saying about Etsy and decide for yourself.
Etsy has given me courage as a seller to try new things! It was a new way for me to be able to do what I love. Easy to get started and maintain a shop. My creativity has come alive! As a buyer, I love it because I can make personal contact with those who actually MAKE what I purchase. That connection is very gratifying to me as a customer.
Etsy is an ENABLER!! They enabled me to be a successful at-home Mom!
I love Etsy! First thing I love is the simplicity of the design. I dislike clutter of ads all over, so Etsy does this well. I found all the things one needs to do to set up a shop super easy, and signed up for the weekly e-mails on what is new. I stay abreast in the forums, the Storque (Etsy's blog). I do tons of treasuries. That is where we get to pick twelve products from Etsy artists. One can even be our own now. Then it goes public for all to see. Just a fun thing, but it gets more views for those who see them. I also tweet my treasury to help out the artists I pick. I also created my own team, after finding out how many people right here in my own town were on Etsy. We call ourselves OCEAN—Oregon Coast Etsy Artist Network. This has helped me grow and share what we learn. All of us are older women who want to make a living, selling our art online. I love the new “Rearrange Your Shop” for our shop as this is just like a treasury now. I can do color and themes each month. I find the fees fair. I have no complaints with Etsy at all. I joined over a ½ year ago. I started with really poor photos, and did not know anything. I am doing 100 percent better now, and think I am going to go full time with it now. Because of Etsy, a retail shop in Las Vegas saw me, and I now sell wholesale to them! Life is good on Etsy!
Overall, Etsy is amazing for the small-time home crafter or small business owner. My partner and I launched our business on Etsy after deciding that we would be work-at-home parents and not get a “real” job. Etsy has given us so many opportunities in such a short period of time. We have a ton of support from:
1. Fellow sellers picking us to be in “treasuries,” some of which make it to the front page of Etsy (great for exposure!)
2. Admin picking us to be featured in e-mails
3. “Storque” (Etsy's blog) articles, which have taught us 60 percent of everything we now know about marketing and selling
4. Etsy forums, which has been great for asking questions, getting answers, and searching the archives for past discussions (even on topics unrelated to Etsy)
5. E-mail blasts, which include great finds for the buyer as well as seller's tips and tricks
The Etsy administration does a great job at addressing concerns, responding to e-mails, and in general, just continuing to upgrade Etsy to make it an intuitive, user-friendly experience for both seller and buyer.
As a buyer, Etsy is perfect for finding something handmade and one off so I won't see anyone else walking down the street wearing the same thing as me. As a seller, it's a unique place to sell around the world even when I'm asleep! Love it.
Etsy Defined—Etsy Terms You Should Know
Alchemy: Here is where buyers can request custom work.
Avatar: Your avatar is a small icon that shows up by your shop name throughout Etsy. The most prominent place is in one's Etsy shop. You will also see your avatar in the Etsy forums and various other places when you leave a comment.
B&M: Brick-and-mortar store. A physical store, like a gallery or boutique.
Convo (conversation): A conversation, or more commonly referred to in the Etsy community as “Convo,” is Etsy's internal e-mail system. Every user can be contacted through the Convo system.
Etsians: Everyone in the Etsy community, sellers and buyers.
Newbie: A newbie is a seller or buyer that is new to Etsy. There is no set length of time you have to be on Etsy to not be considered a newbie.
Feedback: Feedback is the rating system that Etsy has in place for sellers and buyers. Once an item is purchased, positive, neutral, and negative feedback can be given.
Forum: The Etsy Forum is where sellers and buyers can go to connect and learn from the community. Promote your shop and get real business advice. The Etsy Forum is closely moderated by the Etsy admin.
Hearts (favorites): Hearts are a user's way to mark an item or an entire Etsy shop as your favorite. You can view these hearted items and shops in “Your Etsy” area.
Kiss and Make Up: When you receive negative or neutral feedback from a seller or a buyer, you have the ability to have them reverse or change it. Through the “Kiss and Make Up” system, both parties have to agree, and it can be changed.
Marking: Word used in the Etsy Forum to mark a forum post so one can go back and find it later.
Public Profile: Your public profile is where you can tell a little about yourself. Both sellers and buyers have a public profile.
SEO: Search engine optimization. Getting your shop and items found on Google.
Shop Local: Find out what shops are in your area.
Shop Policies: Buyers want to find out if they can return an item, or how long it may take to have their item shipped. Your shop policies are the place to explain in detail important information about your shop.
Storque: The Storque is Etsy's blog. You will find tips for selling and amazing Etsy finds.
Teams: An Etsy Team is a group of sellers gathered to help one another. There are teams for jewelry sellers, painters, knitters, states, cities, etc. You name it, and there is probably a team for it!
Treasury: The Etsy Treasury is a user-curated shopping gallery. You can create lists of your favorite items for the world to see.
Virtual Labs: Live classes, chats, and a ton of resources for the Etsy community.
Your Etsy: “Your Etsy” is a user's admin area. This is where items are managed and your shop setup is located.
The Etsy community plays a huge role in the success of sellers and spreading the word about Etsy and the handmade movement. The Etsy community is made up of three very important parts.
The first part is the Etsy Storque, which is Etsy's blog. You will find the latest Etsy news, handmade trends, success stories, and even Etsy's Seller Handbook. The Seller Handbook is packed full of answers to any questions you may have about selling on Etsy. Along with Etsy's blog comes the Success Newsletters. These newsletters are very well put together and are designed to help sellers improve their shops on a weekly basis. I strongly suggest you sign up right away so you can start receiving the newsletter in your inbox.
Second are the Etsy Teams. The Etsy Teams are groups of like-minded sellers that are there to help one another. Team members are there to answer questions and help promote each other. Etsy even gives out Team grants to help with promotion and advertising.
The third vital part to the Etsy community is the Etsy Forum. The Etsy Forum is a vibrant, live forum, filled with sellers and buyers. If you have a question about selling on Etsy, or running a small business in general, the Etsy community is ready to supply the answers. You will find an admin announcement section that will keep you up to date with all the latest Etsy updates. There is a site help section for when you are wondering how something works. The business section is set up for business topics and is a tremendous resource full of information from other sellers and the Etsy admin. The critique section is where you would head if you are looking to have your shop or items critiqued by other sellers. It is always good to get a second, third, or even hundredth opinion. The promotion section is a fast-paced, never stagnant forum. You can shamelessly promote your shop and items here. There are even more sections to the Etsy Forum…it is definitely a place you should visit to learn and promote.
There are more parts to the Etsy community on and off Etsy. With the Etsy community in place, Etsy will continue to grow along with its sellers.