Chapter 2
Basic Training: Etsy Account Basics
IN THIS CHAPTER
Registering for a basic Etsy account
Signing in to your Etsy account
Navigating the Etsy Marketplace home page Managing your Etsy account
Populating your public profile
Lao Tzu, the father of Taoism, once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” (He also said, “Silence is a source of great strength” and “The sage does not hoard”; we’re still digesting those.) On Etsy, that one first step is becoming a registered user by signing up with the site. After that, you’re ready to embark on your own Etsy journey! This chapter gives you all the info you need to register with Etsy. It also introduces you to the Etsy Marketplace home page, shows you how to access your account settings and manage your account, and reveals how to populate your public profile. First, though, it conveys the importance of reading and understanding Etsy’s policies.
Avoiding Trouble: Reviewing Etsy’s House Rules and Terms of Use
When it comes to its rules and policies, Etsy doesn’t play around. Violating any of Etsy’s policies is grounds for expulsion from the site — and the “But I didn’t know it was a policy!” defense doesn’t fly. So, rather than going to all the trouble of setting up an Etsy shop only to have it go poof one day, we urge you to take a moment to peruse the site’s House Rules and review its Terms of Use. Here’s how to find them:
Scroll to the bottom of any Etsy Marketplace page; then, under the About heading, click Policies.
The Our House Rules page appears. (See Figure 2-1.)
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-1: The Our House Rules page.
Click the Buyers, Sellers, or Third Parties link to view Etsy’s House Rules for each group.
We cover these rules in more detail in Chapter 4.
Back on the main Our House Rules page, click the Terms of Use link.
The Terms of Use page appears. (See Figure 2-2.)
Etsy’s Terms of Use page is kind of like the site’s constitution. It sets out your rights and responsibilities on the site. This 14-point document covers maintaining your privacy, content requirements, proper use of services, termination, warranties and liability, indemnification, handling disputes, and other important legal-type stuff.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-2: Review Etsy’s Terms of Use.
Sign Me Up! Becoming a Registered User
Anyone can browse Etsy to see what goodies are for sale. But if you’re in the market to buy, or if you eventually want to open your own shop, you need to create an account with the site by becoming a registered user. Assuming you have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone, and an internet connection, becoming a registered Etsy user is super easy (and free, too)! Just follow the guidelines in this section.
In addition to being able to purchase items on the site, registered users can keep track of their best-loved items or shops by adding them to their Favorites, communicate with other Etsy members, and participate in the site’s community features. Part 5 has more information about all these options.
The screen images shown here were captured on a computer. They might look different on a tablet or smartphone.
In your web browser’s address bar, type
www.etsy.comand press Enter or Return.Etsy’s home page appears (see Figure 2-3).
Click the Sign In link in the top-right corner of your screen.
A Sign In pop-up window opens (see Figure 2-4).
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-3: Etsy’s home page.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-4: The Sign In pop-up window.
Click the Register button in the upper-right corner of the Sign In pop-up window.
A Create Your Account pop-up window opens. (See Figure 2-5.)
You can save a few steps by clicking the Continue with Google, Continue with Facebook, or Continue with Apple button to create your Etsy account. This section walks you through signing up for Etsy the old-fashioned way: by entering your info directly on Etsy’s site.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-5: The Create Your Account pop-up window.
- Type your email address in the Email Address field.
- Type your first name in the First Name field.
In the Password field, type the password you want to use to access your Etsy account.
Select a password that’s at least eight characters — one that you can remember easily but that won’t be too obvious to anyone else.
To read the terms of use, click the Terms of Use link; to read Etsy’s Privacy Policy, click the Privacy Policy link.
For more on Etsy’s Privacy Policy, see Chapter 4.
Click the Register button.
Etsy creates your account and sends a confirmation email to the address you supplied in Step 4.
If you don’t receive the confirmation email right away, check your spam folder to make sure it wasn’t intercepted.Open the email from Etsy and click the link that it contains to confirm your account.
You’re ready to go!
It’s a Sign: Signing In to Etsy
After you’ve created your Etsy account, signing into the Etsy website is a snap. Just go to www.etsy.com and click the Sign In button in the upper-right corner of the screen. Then, in the pop-up window that appears, type your email address in the Email Address field, type your password in the Password field, and click the Sign In button. (See Figure 2-6.) Because you are signing in for the very first time, Etsy texts a six-digit verification code to the phone number you provided when you registered; simply enter the code in a second pop-up window and click Sign In. (Note: Etsy may also send you a verification code the first time you sign in on a new device or in a new location.)
Notice the Stay Signed In check box in Figure 2-4. If you select this check box, you can navigate away from the site and return to it without having to sign in all over again. However, we don’t recommend that you choose this setting if you’re on a public computer (for example, at a library or internet cafe). Otherwise, a complete stranger could access your account!
What about signing out? That’s even easier than signing in. Simply click the Your Account button that appears in the header bar when you’re signed in and choose Sign Out from the menu that appears.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-6: Use your username or email address and your password to sign in to your Etsy account.
Home Sweet Home: Navigating Etsy’s Home Page
Home. It’s a word with many meanings. It’s where you live. It’s where your heart is. It’s where you hang your hat. It’s where the cows finally come. Simply put, it’s a place to which you always long to return. The Etsy Marketplace home page on the Etsy website is no different. As you use the site, you’ll often find yourself returning home — to the home page, that is. Whether you’re buying or selling, exploring or researching, Etsy’s home page is your home base. You’ve already seen the Etsy Marketplace home page. It’s the page that appears when you type http://www.etsy.com/ into your web browser. (Refer to Figure 2-3.)
Don’t freak out if your home page doesn’t match up exactly with what we show in this chapter. Etsy regularly experiments with the layout and contents of its home page.
The first thing you see when you visit the Etsy Marketplace home page is item listings — and lots of them. If you’re logged into Etsy your account, many of these listings will be tailored to your tastes, based on your activity on the site. (See Figure 2-7.) Other listings are promoted by Etsy sellers, and still more are recommended by Etsy’s own editors. Chapter 3 covers these listings in more detail.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-7: The Etsy Marketplace home page offers easy access to listings and myriad site features, and it’s easy on the eyes, too.
At the very top of the home page — as well as every other Etsy Marketplace page — is a header bar. This header bar contains an Etsy logo on the left side, which acts as a Home link; you can click it on any Etsy Marketplace page to return to the home page. If you’re not signed in, you’ll also see a Sign In link and a Cart link. If you are signed in, you’ll see a few different links, including the following:
- Favorites: Click this to see shops or items you’ve added to your Favorites list. (See Chapter 20 for more details.)
- Updates: If you’ve bought from a shop, favorited a shop, or favorited item, click this link to see updates on them, like if they’ve listed new items or if they’re running a sale or offering a promo code.
- Your Account: Click this link to open a menu that offers easy access to your profile, purchases and reviews, gift card balance, messages, offers, account settings, and more. (See the next section for more info.)
If you are logged in and have set up your Etsy shop, there will be one more link: in the header bar: the Shop Manager link. Clicking this link opens the main Shop Manager page. Chapter 7 covers the ins and outs of using Shop Manager.
Etsy’s header bar includes one more important feature: a Search field. When you know just what you’re looking for, you can search for it using that field. For more info on searching, see Chapter 3.
Below the header bar, but above the listings, you see a series of category links. You can click a category link to view listings in that category. Alternatively, you can hover your mouse pointer over a category link to view subcategories and even sub-subcategories. Chapter 3 talks about categories in more detail.
Scrolling down the Etsy Marketplace home page, you find a section labeled “Fresh from the Blog.” (See Figure 2-8.) This section contains direct links to newly posted content in Etsy’s blog, called the Etsy Journal. For example, you might see a link to an article about a particular Etsy shop or to a curated shopping guide. If one of the links piques your interest, click it to read the post; or click the Fresh from the Blog link to access older posts. Chapter 19 covers the Etsy Journal in more detail.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-8: Keep up with the Etsy Journal.
At the bottom of every Etsy Marketplace page, including the home page, is a series of useful links (see Figure 2-9), categorized as follows:
- Shop: This section contains links to shopping-related site features, like gift cards, a sitemap (which contains links to every category on the site), and the Etsy Journal. There are also links to the Etsy Marketplace for shoppers in the UK, Germany, and Canada.
- Sell: In this section, you find seller-oriented links. If you haven’t set up your shop yet, you’ll see a Sell on Etsy link, which you can click to get started. If you have set up your shop, you’ll see a link to Etsy’s Seller Handbook (discussed in Chapter 20). There are also links to Etsy’s Teams and Forums pages (see Chapter 18 for more info), and to information about Etsy’s affiliate program, which is designed to encourage social media influencers to highlight items on Etsy.
- About: Maybe you just want to find out a little bit more about Etsy. If so, you can use the links in this section.
- Help: The links in this section offer quick access to Etsy’s Help Center (covered in Chapter 20), to information about the site’s Purchase Protection program, and to your account’s privacy settings.
As shown in Figure 2-9, there is also a link to download the Etsy apps (available for Apple and Android devices) in case you’re looking to unshackle yourself from your desk and venture out into the wide world. (We talk more about both these apps throughout this book.) And there are links to connect with Etsy on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-9: Footer links offer easy access to tons of Etsy info and features.
Speaking of the Etsy app, if you’ve installed it on your mobile device, you’ll notice that the home screen looks a bit different from the one on the Etsy website. (See Figure 2-10.) Fear not: It has many of the same features and is extremely intuitive to use.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-10: The Etsy app home screen looks different but offers many of the same features as the Etsy Marketplace home page.
It’s All You: Exploring the Your Account Menu
Earlier we mentioned the Your Account menu. This menu is your Etsy portal to all things … well, all things you. From this menu, shown in Figure 2-11, you can choose from the following options:
- View Your Profile: Select this option to populate your public profile. (More on your profile later in this chapter.)
- Purchases and Reviews: Etsy keeps track of everything you buy on the site. To view this information, you select this menu option. See Chapter 3 for more about reviewing your purchases.
- Gift Card Balance: If you’ve been so lucky as to receive an Etsy gift card, you’ll see its balance here. You can also select this menu option to redeem the gift card. For more on redeeming gift cards, see Chapter 3.
- Messages: When one Etsy user wants to communicate with another, they use Etsy’s internal communication channel to send a message. To access and manage your messages, select this menu option. For more on messages, see Chapter 15.
- Your Offers: Some shops give special offers to their customers or send discounts to say thank you after you make a purchase. Select this menu option to view these special offers.
- Your Impact: Click this for an assessment of the positive impact you’ve made by shopping on Etsy.
- Account Settings: Select this option to open the Account Settings page. This page contains several tabs, each with a series of settings and options to help you manage your account. We talk more about managing your account settings in the next section.
- Sign Out: You choose this option to sign out of your Etsy account.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-11: The Your Account menu provides easy access to all things you.
As shown in Figure 2-12, the corresponding menu in the Etsy app (called the You menu rather than the Your Account menu) offers slightly different options, in a slightly different order, and sometimes with slightly different names. But its functionality is similar.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-12: The Your Account menu on the Etsy app.
Account Trackula: Managing Your Etsy Account
As you’ve no doubt noticed, the Your Account menu includes an Account Settings option. Clicking this option provides access to the following account-related pages:
- Account: This page (see Figure 2-13), shown by default when you click Account Settings in the Your Account menu, is where you change your password, update your email account, and close (but not permanently delete) your Etsy account. You can also connect your Etsy account to your Facebook, Google, and Twitter accounts so that your friends can find you on Etsy. (See Chapter 14 for more info.)
- Public Profile: You use this page, shown in Figure 2-14, to populate your public profile. (See the next section for details.)
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-13: The Account page.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-14: The Public Profile page.
- Preferences: In this page, shown in Figure 2-15, you establish your default language and currency. You also indicate your region (so that Etsy can send you customized content) and whether you’re open to receiving postal mail, phone calls, or both from Etsy. If you change any settings in this page, simply click the Update Preferences button at the bottom of the page to enact them.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-15: The Preferences page.
- Privacy: Privacy is important! That’s why Etsy includes various settings to protect yours. (See Figure 2-16.) These include options to clear recently viewed listings, download a zip file of your Etsy personal information, and permanently close and delete your Etsy account. Other settings pertain to findability, consent for cookies, and personalized advertising. If you change any settings in this page, simply click the Update Settings button at the bottom of the page to enact them. For more on protecting your privacy on Etsy, see Chapter 4.
- Security: Related to privacy is security. On Etsy, you can help ensure your security by taking advantage of two-factor authentication and reviewing your sign-in and device histories. These settings and histories appear in the Security page, shown in Figure 2-17. Chapter 4 covers security on Etsy in more detail.
- Addresses: To add a new shipping address, edit an existing one, remove an old one, or change the default, visit the Addresses page, shown in Figure 2-18. (Note: It’s super important to keep your address up to date! Otherwise, anything you buy on the site could get shipped to an old address.)
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-16: The Privacy page.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-17: The Security page.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-18: The Addresses page.
- Credit Cards: This page, shown in Figure 2-19, enables you to manage any credit cards you’ve used to purchase items on Etsy. Although you can’t use this page to enter a new credit card — that option is available only when you purchase an item on Etsy — you can use it to edit or remove any existing cards as well as set a default card.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-19: The Credit Cards page.
Emails: When it comes to receiving emails, Etsy gives you lots of choices. Some relate to notifications. For example, you can choose to be notified when someone sends you a message. Others are newsletters — for example, the New and Notable newsletter, which shares trends, recommendations, and upcoming events; and the My Seller Activity newsletter, which imparts insights on successful shopkeeping. You select which emails you want to receive from the Emails page, shown in Figure 2-20. (For more on keeping up with Etsy news, see Chapter 19.)
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-20: The Emails page.
For what it’s worth, we advise sellers to subscribe to all the emails Etsy sends out. It’s a great way to stay on top of what Etsy is promoting to buyers so that you can piggyback on their strategies! You probably noticed that these pages are part of the Shop Manager, even though they don’t pertain to shop settings per se. We know — we find this confusing, too. Best not to think too much about it. In any case, we cover Shop Manager much more thoroughly in Chapter 7.
The Settings page on the Etsy app contains slightly different options from the Account Settings tabs on the Etsy website. As shown in Figure 2-21, it features selections to adjust your push notification settings, access your privacy settings, manage your shipping address, change the appearance of the Etsy app on your phone, select your preferred language and currency, select a different icon for the app, read details about the app, and sign out of the app.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-21: The Etsy app Settings menu.
High Profile: Setting Up Your Public Profile
Everyone who joins Etsy has a public profile page. Why? Because being able to check out other Etsy members helps to inspire confidence in the site and the people who buy and sell on it.
An Etsy profile can (but doesn’t have to) include a profile picture, your first name, your gender, your city, your birthday, a brief bio, and a list of your favorite materials. Anyone who visits your Etsy shop can access your public profile by clicking your name or profile picture on any page in your Etsy shop.
To populate your Etsy public profile, follow these steps:
- Click the Your Account menu in the header bar and choose View Your Profile.
Click the Edit Profile link.
The Public Profile page opens. (Refer to Figure 2-14.)
To add a personalized profile picture, click the Choose File button.
A standard Open dialog box appears.
- Locate and select the photo you want to use.
Indicate your gender.
If you prefer to keep that information private, select the Rather Not Say option button. Alternatively, click Custom, and type a more accurate or personal descriptor.
Type your city in the City field.
As you type, Etsy displays a list of matching locales; click your town in the list to select it.
By entering your city, you enable Etsy buyers near you to find your shop in local search listings. Also, your listings will feature a special “local seller” badge in search results for Etsy users in your area.- Use the Month and Day drop-down lists to enter your birthday.
- Type a brief bio in the About box.
In the Favorite Materials box, indicate which materials you like to use, separating entries with a comma and a space.
You can add as many as 13.
- If you want your profile to include your shop, any favorite items or shops, and any teams you’ve joined, leave the check boxes at the bottom of the screen selected.
Click the Save Changes button.
Etsy saves the changes you made to your profile.
To get an idea of how your info will appear to others, click the View Profile button in the top-right area of the page. Then click the About Your Name link.
Etsy previews how your profile will appear to others. (See Figure 2-22.)
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 2-22: Preview your profile.