Reach millions of customers by selling products on Etsy

Etsy is by-far the most popular marketplace for artists and handcrafters to sell their creations. Millions of customers shop on Etsy every day looking for their next unique craft or art-piece. Now, with Shift4Shop, you can sell more products than ever before through Etsy’s marketplace in perfect harmony with your own online store.

sell products on Etsy

Table of Contents

Connect your business to Etsy’s handmade creator culture

Making a name for itself as the online marketplace home for anyone selling handcrafted, vintage, custom, or unique products, Etsy presents a whole realm of possibilities for eCommerce merchants. With a bit of customization and set-up, you can have your own storefront up and running on their marketplace quickly and easily. However, Etsy shops don’t come without limitations and fees — that’s where building your own online store with Shift4Shop comes in.

Connect your business

How to Start Selling on Etsy

Before you can start selling products on Etsy with Shift4Shop, there’s a few steps you’ll need to take first. Sooner than you’d think, you’ll have your Etsy shop and Shift4Shop store linked and ready for business.

Build your online store and Etsy shop

If you don’t already have a Shift4Shop store, you can easily set one up and build it custom by using Shift4Shop’s Online Store Builder. If you need to create an Etsy shop, you can do that easily by registering a new account and customizing your storefront.

etsy store

Connect your Shift4Shop store to your Etsy shop

Integrate your Shift4Shop store with Etsy using a multi-channel tool like Ecomdash or ChannelUnity, which can be found in Shift4Shop’s app store. If you’re already selling items on Etsy, you can migrate them using a shopping cart migration service like Cart2Cart. With these integrations, listing and managing your products is quick and easy.

connect etsy with Shift4Shop

Receive Etsy orders directly into your Shift4Shop store

Once customers buy products from your Etsy listings, the order data and information is automatically sent to your Shift4Shop store to be processed alongside the rest of your orders.

Receive Etsy orders

Your Etsy and Shift4Shop stores
stay synched

Keeping your Etsy shop and Shift4Shop store integrated means that inventory levels are automatically updated on both channels, making multi-channel selling simple.

Etsy and Shift4Shop

Why Shift4Shop is Perfect for Etsy Sellers

Shift4Shop is the best platform for multi-channel eCommerce.

Etsy Sellers

If you already have a Shift4Shop store, you can easily start selling your products on Etsy’s marketplace and take your business to the next level. Multi-channel integrations are easy to set up with Shift4Shop, making the process of moving your listings over to Etsy quick and easy. By selling on Etsy, you’ll have access to an entirely new platform frequented by millions of shoppers looking for products just like yours on a unique search engine and marketplace. One of the best parts about selling on Etsy is the exposure to high-intent targeted audiences that are already in the market for the products you’re selling; you just need to make the sale (and bring them to your eCommerce site in the process).

If you already sell on Etsy, then building an online store with Shift4Shop is a great way for you to stay integrated with a reputable marketplace while managing a storefront that’s entirely your own. With Shift4Shop, migrating and syncing your Etsy products and orders is easy; there’s several Etsy to Shift4Shop migration services that you can utilize to bring all your channels together and open your business up to a whole new world of possibilities. Once you have your own Shift4Shop store, you can customize your site without limitations so visitors can go from your Etsy shop to your online store’s highly-branded and curated shopping experience.

If you’re starting an online store for the first time, then Shift4Shop is easy to use and comes with all the tools you need to start selling online (or sell more than before). In combination with a powerful marketplace like Etsy, your business will stand out among the rest. Shift4Shop lets you choose your design, features, site layout and more to perfectly fit your business and achieve your success goals with customers; the sky’s the limit with Shift4Shop and Etsy working together.

Tips for Selling on Etsy

Optimize for Etsy SEO

Optimize for Etsy SEO.

Since Etsy has its own on-site search engine, you’ll need to optimize your listing title, category, keywords, and more so that your products show up high on search result pages.

product descriptions

Write creative and helpful product descriptions.

By writing product descriptions that provide all the useful information customers need while being unique and memorable, you’ll have happy customers coming back time and time again.

packing

Wow customers with packaging!

Make sure your customers never forget your shop by personalizing the unboxing experience with branded materials and surprises in every package.

Do your market research.

Do your market research.

Use Etsy’s platform to research what competitors are selling, how they’re writing descriptions and listings, what their branding and photos look like, how they handle pricing, etc.

Leverage social media!

Leverage social media!

Don’t forget to market your shop! Social media is one of the best ways to get the word out — Pinterest and Instagram are usually the go-to social sharing platforms for Etsy shops.

Renew your listings

Renew your listings regularly.

To keep your product listings up-to-date and stay at the top of search result pages on Etsy, be sure to renew them on a weekly basis.

product photos

Take great product photos.

Since Etsy is an eCommerce marketplace that you share with millions of sellers, you have a limited number of ways to stand out. Take advantage of high-quality product photography to catch users’ eyes and create a lasting first impression of your brand.

DON’T neglect your community!

DON’T neglect your community!

One major benefit of selling on Etsy is the built-in community aspect. Be sure to connect with users on Etsy’s forums and network with other sellers using Etsy’s team feature.

multi-channel

Go multi-channel with your shop.

You can break out of Etsy’s limitations by branching out to your own online store, which you can build with Shift4Shop. Your listings can exist on both, reaching customers from every angle.

Getting Started Selling on Etsy

If you want to start selling on Etsy, but you’re not sure what direction you should go in or which products to list, first make sure you’re aware of Etsy’s prohibited items policy. If you have products that may fit into one of their restricted categories, then you’ll be better off just selling it on your Shift4Shop store.

As you set up your Etsy shop, you’ll be presented with a few decisions that will factor into your selling strategy moving forward. It’s at this time that you’ll need to determine which products you want to list, how you want your listings to look, what you want descriptions to say, and how you’re going to approach your overall storefront. Going through this process can help you build a successful Etsy shop, which you’ll need to be ready to keep updated regularly.

Answer these questions as you develop your Etsy business plan:

  • 1
    Which of my products would benefit from Etsy listings?
  • 2
    What are other sellers doing on the platform that I’ll need to compete with?
  • 3
    How can my strategy improve upon my competitors’ on Etsy?
  • 4
    What approach do I want to take to brand my Etsy storefront?
  • 5
    Do my products comply with Etsy’s limitations and restrictions?
  • 6
    How will I categorize and tag my products using Etsy’s keyword tool?
start-selling

By answering these questions and further developing your strategy, you’ll be able to get a better idea of what you’re going to sell on Etsy and how you’re going to optimize their listings to benefit from Etsy’s search engine.

As you do market research on Etsy, take the time to analyze what other sellers are doing that exist within the niche you’ll be trying to reach. This can be extremely beneficial because you’ll have an example of what works on the platform as you explore its ins and outs. At the core of it all, customers on Etsy want to see unique products that they won’t find anywhere else. If you can provide that to your audience, you’ll see traffic start to build up fast towards your online store.

Shift4Shop includes everything you need to sell online

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to sell on etsy?
Selling on Etsy has a $0.20 cost per listing fee, a 5% Etsy marketplace transaction fee, plus a credit card processing fee of 3% + $0.25 per transaction.
Do you need a business license to sell on Etsy?
There are no Etsy specific business licenses, instead, you should treat your business like a brick-and-mortar store when it comes to the licenses and permits you need.
Do you need to pay taxes on Etsy sales?
If you sell products on Etsy, you must report and pay taxes on your net income.
Are any restrictions on the type of products you can sell on Etsy?
Etsy acceptable use policy includes items that represent legal issues but also items that go againts Etsy's values. These include Adult content, Hate items, Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, Drug Paraphernalia, Animal Products and Human Remains. Hazardous Materials, Recalled Items, and Weapons.
Is selling on Etsy better than selling eBay?
Etsy fees are less expensive than eBay. But sellers should keep in mind the different nature of these 2 marketplaces, Etsy is best for handcrafted items sold at a set price, while eBay commonly has used items and uses a price bid system.