Open an Etsy Store
Etsy is a Web site that allows users to create their own Internet storefronts to sell products they have created or bought elsewhere. Etsy's purpose is to bring buyers and sellers together; by opening an Etsy store, a seller can find buyers for his or her products. Here are the steps to open an Etsy store.
Steps
- Decide what you want to sell on Etsy. You should sell something that you know how to sell and feel comfortable enough selling that you can put your own sense of style into marketing it. You can sell a single type of product, or a related group of products.
- Look at what others are selling on Etsy for ideas on what you can sell then figure out how to sell that item or a similar item your way.
- Dos and Don'ts: Be aware that certain items cannot be sold on Etsy: alcohol, tobacco, drugs, drug paraphernalia, live animals, porn, weapons, recalled items, real estate, motor vehicles, items that promote hatred or illegal activity or items that are illegal where the seller lives. Most service-based businesses are also not allowed, unless they create a new item; mending and repair services are not allowed, but graphic design services are.
- Familiarize yourself with Etsy's rules. Look over the Dos and Don'ts section. These tell you what Etsy expects from you as the seller and what you, in turn, can expect from Etsy to support your business venture. Rules cover who can set up an account, how many accounts you can have and how you can and can't list the items you offer for sale.
- Get an Etsy account. You'll need to provide Etsy with your name, your user name, a password and the e-mail account to which Etsy sends you a confirmation e-mail to let you activate your account. You can also choose to receive their e-mail newsletter and to give them the name of anyone who referred you to Etsy.
- Pick a name for your store. Whatever name you choose for your Etsy store will be the name you have as long as you have your Etsy account and will serve as your Etsy user name; you'll have to get a new account if you decide to change your store's name. Your store name should be distinctive, but not too difficult to type into the Search field at the top of an Etsy page.
- Brainstorm a list of possible names, then search the names you're considering in Etsy to see if something similar already exists. You can't be totally different, but you want a name that won't be confused with another store's. (For good measure, you might also check to see if the name exists as part of a Web site URL, in case you want to have a separate Web site.)
- If you plan to sell several kinds of products, try to choose a name that is open-ended enough that you can add new products and discard old products without having to change your store name.
- Don't pick a store name that reads like an e-mail account handle or a chat room ID. Your store's name should look similar to that of a brick-and-mortar store, with most words capitalized and numbers used sparingly and judiciously.
- Create a banner. Your banner is one of the first things your prospective buyers will see. Etsy requires banners be 760 pixels wide by 100 pixels high, with a resolution of 72 dots per inch (Web standard). You can create your banner with Etsy's Bannerator, your own graphic software or contact a seller on Etsy who specializes in graphic design to make one for you.
- Make an avatar. An avatar is an identifying image for your store. Although an avatar is smaller than a banner, it should be an eye-catching, distinct image.
- Write your profile. A well written profile tells prospective buyers who you are, why they should buy from you and how your store operates. Your profile should have an opening paragraph that grabs the reader's attention, with the paragraphs that follow laid out in a logical, clear, concise and approachable manner. Include enough personal information so buyers can relate to you, but not so much that you sound less than professional.
- If you have multiple user names on Etsy, Etsy requires you to list them all in your profile. Likewise, if your store is collectively run by several people, each person must be listed in the profile, with his or her function in the collective.
- Your store's policies must be in compliance with Etsy's general store policies.
- List your items. You'll need to set prices for each item, write descriptions, tag them with keywords to enable buyers to search for them and include a photograph for each item.
Tips
- Even with a good selection of great products, a catchy business name, an eye-catching banner and avatar, a well-written profile and good promotions, expect to spend 6 months to a year to build up your business to the point that you have regular sales and repeat customers.
- Once you've set up shop, you'll need to promote your Etsy store both online and offline to build up your business.
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