7 Simple Steps For Setting Up An Etsy Shop

If you design handmade items, provide craft supplies, or sell vintage items, Etsy, the online global marketplace built for selling creative goods, might be the right place for you.

Etsy has 138 million buyers and 3.5 million active sellers, and promises to build a community where creativity lives and thrives. Etsy empowers sellers to pursue what they love and help buyers to find something unique with a human touch.

So, if you have something to sell on Etsy, you need to set up an Etsy Shop. Fortunately, joining and starting an Etsy shop is absolutely free, but it is important to note that the platform charges basic selling fees and listing fees to get your products uploaded.

How to Set Up An Etsy Shop?

Before starting your Etsy Shop it is important to note that the reselling and selling of prohibited items and services is not allowed. You'll need to ensure that what you sell is in line with Etsy’s policies, meaning,duplication or coordinating pricing with other sellers is prohibited.

So if you're ready to open your own Etsy Shop, here is how:

Create an Etsy Account

The first step to opening an Etsy shop is to create an account on etsy.com. To register on Etsy, you'll first need to select 'sign in' on the homepage, then, select the ‘register’ tab in the pop-up and fill in all the necessary details to create your account.

You can also create an account on Etsy by clicking on the ‘Sell On Etsy’ link at the bottom of Etsy’s homepage. Additionally you can click on the ‘Select Your Etsy Shop’ button and fill in your email address to register with Etsy.

Besides this, you also have the option to create an Etsy account via your existing Google, Facebook, or Apple accounts.

Set Your Shop Preferences

Once you've created an Etsy account, you'll need to select ‘Open Your Etsy Shop’ to start creating your store. First, you need to select your shop’s language, country, and time commitment.

The language selected would be used to describe your listed products, and you will not be able to change the language after you've set your shop's default language. However, you can register for other languages to translate your items into different regional languages.

As far as the shop currency is concerned, choose the one that you'd like to price your items in. It is important to note that Etsy charges currency conversion fees if your bank’s currency is separate from your shop’s currency.

Finally, the time commitment section will ask whether you’re a full-time or part-time seller on Etsy. This is only for information purposes and will not affect your Etsy shop in any way.

Choose Your Etsy Shop Name

Once you've set up your shop, you'll then need to pick your shop's name.

Here are some things to take into account when choosing a name:

• Choose a name that helps customers to recognize your brand and the products you sell.
• Ensure that your shop name is 4-20 characters in length.
• Make sure that there are no spaces or special characters within your shop name.
• See that your shop name is unique and no existing Etsy member has the same name.
• Ensure that the name does not promote profanity or infringe on other Etsy members’ trademarks.

There are certain guidelines you need to make a note of before choosing a name for your Etsy shop:

• Don't use abstract names as customers may find it difficult to recognize your brand.
• You can use your own name, but it should be different from your Etsy username (in fact you can check whether your shop name is unique by searching on Google).
• Make sure to check the availability of your shop by clicking 'check availability' when creating an account, or by searching Google.

Stock Your Etsy Shop With Inventory

Add a Listing

Go to your account and click on ‘shop manager’.

Then, as a new seller on Etsy, click on ‘your shop’, where you can start uploading your products by clicking on ‘add a listing’.

Add Product Photos and Videos

Click on ‘Add Your Photos’ to add your product photos from your device. To upload the photos, click ‘Choose’. Remember, that your images should be at least 2000 pixels wide.

If you have different options for an item within the same listing, you can add those options as variations and upload their photos. You can connect the photos to your variations later in the listing process.

You can also add a 5-15 second video, so long as the resolution is at least 1080px. To upload your product video, click ‘Choose’. You can add only one video per listing, and once the video gets uploaded, it won’t have any audio.

Choose Thumbnail Image for Products

Etsy selects the first photo on a specific listing as the thumbnail image for such a listing, so drag the photo you want to choose as the thumbnail image to the first photo slot.

To change the position of the photo and alter its zoom settings, click on the ‘Adjust Thumbnail’ below the first photo of your product listing, and then select ‘Save’ to finalize your thumbnail image.

Add Product Listing Details

You must describe your product listings in detail so that there is a higher chance for your product to be found at the top in search results.

The product listing description will help your customers understand what your listing is all about, and should include the following:

• List whether your item is physical or digital in nature
• Add a description that informs your customers about the product, including product dimensions, size, the material used, the procedure for design, and other unique features
• Add your production partner, this is in the event you are just creating the original designs but getting them manufactured by an outsider (optional)
• Check the ‘Custom Orders’ box in case you provide customization for a specific product listing (optional)
• Add your listing directly in one of the sections if you have different sections for different types of products (optional)
• Put titles and tags so that it’s easier for customers to search for your products on Etsy. Remember, you have the option to put 13 tags on any of the product listings (optional)
• Add materials using item attributes

Add Your Product Inventory and Pricing

If you offer different product options, in terms of size or color for a specific item within the same listing, you can add these options as variations on Etsy. You can also offer a personalization option on the products you have listed on your storefront.

However, if you do not offer any variations for your products, then you can just add the price and quantity for a specific listing, which will appear in the currency that you have chosen. You can also increase the quantity of a specific product item in stock, this is in case you have multiple items for the same product.

Etsy charges a listing fee of $0.20 per listing, and is charged regardless of the quantity you have for a given listing. In addition to this, you can also add SKU numbers, which can help you keep track of the inventory on your Etsy shop.

Set Up Shipping

Once you have published your product listings, the next step is to set up how you'll ship your items. There are various shipping options to choose from, including carriers, pick up, drop-off, pricing, or delivery preferences.

To streamline your shipping, you can add shipping profiles for multiple listings. This'll save you time while adding products to your Etsy shop, and the type of shipping profile you select decides the shipping cost, processing time, and shipping service.

Your shipping rates need to be competitive to attract customers to purchase your products, for example, buyers on Etsy are 20% more likely to complete their purchase if the item ships for free.

Marketing Your Product Listings

To market your product listings in Etsy search results and other pages in Etsy, you can run ad campaigns. To set up an ad campaign on Etsy, you'll need to set your daily budget, then choose the listings that you wish to advertise.

These ads would be shown throughout Etsy including search, category pages, market pages on both website and the app. To manage your Etsy ad campaigns, you can access the advertising page on your Etsy account.

Publish Your Product Listings

The last step to display your listings on your Etsy shop is to save and publish them.

Unless you've saved your listing as a draft or have published it, your listing will not be saved. It is always better to preview your listings before publishing them, so you know how your listings will look to the shoppers. If there are items that you need to add later, you also have the option to save your listing as a draft.

To save your listings as a draft, you'll need to add the following details:

• At least one photo
• A category
• Price
• Quantity
• Shipping rates
• Title
• Description

In case you have not finalized those details, you can add temporary information and replace them with the final details later.

To access your draft listings, go to the listings page under ‘drafts', you'll be able to access your draft listings at any time as they never expire, and there is no limit on the number of draft listings that you can save. Since you have not set the date that your products were listed on, Etsy will not charge a listing fee until your listing is published.

Finally, you can publish your listing. Once you do so, your listing would be live to your customers on Etsy shop.

Choose Your Payment Method

The next step in setting up an Etsy shop is to select the payment methods that you want to offer. You can use Etsy Payments, if your country is eligible, as it is the preferred way to get paid from your customers in your Etsy Shop.

Click here to check the eligibility of your country for Etsy Payments.

The advantage of using Etsy Payments is that it provides your customers with various options to pay for their products. It also consolidates all the payments into your Etsy Payment account. In the event your country is not eligible for Etsy Payments, you can use a Paypal account to accept payments from customers.

Set Up Billing Details

In order to open your Etsy shop, you are required to enter a debit or credit card depending on the country you are located in.

You can use any of the following debit or credit cards:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• American Express
• Discover
• Carte Bleue (France)

In certain countries, Etsy demands a debit or credit card as proof of identity. To verify the card, you will be charged an authorization fee, which will be dropped from your statement as soon as your card gets verified.

Your card details are safe with Etsy due to their high safety and security standards. You can even add a prepaid card to your Etsy account, but only if it is reloadable. Non-reloadable prepaid cards cannot be used as your only or primary payment card, however you can pay your bill manualy with a non-reloadable prepaid card.

If you are located in Austria, Germany, or the Netherlands, then there is no requirement for you to have a credit card on file.

Selling Fees and Taxes

As an Etsy seller, you would have to incur fees and taxes for making sales on Etsy.

Here are the fees that Etsy charges on various occasions:

Open Your Shop

Finally, once you've completed all the details needed you can open your shop.

The web address to access your shop will take one of two forms:

• https://www.etsy.com/shop/yourshopname or
• https://yourshopname.etsy.com

Remember, even when your shop is open, you can still make changes.