If you are wondering how to open an Etsy store then you are reading the right blog. I am not here to sell you any courses on how to open an Etsy store because I made the mistakes of buying courses when in hindsight it’s really self-explanatory and easy.
If you google How to open an Etsy store you will get overwhelmed by all the unnecessary information people put on the internet just to sell you something.
Let’s start with some basic information about what Etsy is and why you should consider using Etsy if you are less tech savvy and an e-commerce beginner.
So, what exactly is Etsy? To put it simply, Etsy is a large and growing online market place where individuals are able to sell their art, craft, vintage items and or anything custom made. This is important and I will explain more in detail later. Etsy is basically an Amazon but focuses on a more craftier product group.
Why you should consider using Etsy if you are less tech savvy and an E-commerce beginner. The answer to this question is that Etsy have made their platform incredibly user friendly. The start up process only takes a few hours and you will be verified and ready to list your products within a day. Moreover, With Etsy you seriously have to know little to nothing about online marketing which I will get into more details later on too.
Hopefully by now you feel slightly more relaxed about Etsy and have more confidence in the beginning of your Etsy start up journey. So, let’s get into the processes you need to take before opening your Etsy Store. In this blog, I list the 6 steps on how to open an Etsy store for beginners.
Step 1: Find the product you want to sell
Throughout these steps I will use a “theoretical example” to put things into perspective. From now I am Julie and I am an artist.
This step is very relative to your own craft, art or abilities to create a product. Since I am an artist, I will need to sell something to do with creating art. So, my product choice is going to be art.
Above I mentioned that the products you are selling are important because if they don’t reach Etsy standards then they will suspend your store and all you work will be gone and lost.
You can see Etsys product guidelines here
Step 2: Download Etsy market place
If you haven’t already created an Etsy market place profile, I highly suggest that you start with this. You should download the app on your phone or just search it on your desktop. They will ask you to create an account with your email and name.
Once you have created an account spend a few hours on Etsy market place searching for stores that are already selling products relatable to your niche. Because I am an artist, I am going to type in the Etsy search bar “art products”
This will quickly give you a great idea of what is working and what isn’t.
I “Julie” realized that there is a huge market for digital downloadable wall art or canvas printed wall art.
Upon going through all the stores, I realized that most of the stores doing the best have a theme. For example, a store sold printed wall canvas paintings of cowboys surfing. They had way more sales than the stores that just posted all different kinds of art.
A good tip is to like all these stores you find so you can use them for reference later.
I “Julie” love drawing naked bodies and realized not many people are drawing naked bodies on Etsy so I feel like I can find a niche in the art sections with my drawings of the human body.
Step 3: Find a name
This is always one of the most daunting tasks. Finding a name that you think sounds good can take hours and hours and in my opinion the name isn’t very important when it comes to Etsy stores.
You need to take into account that the names you are thinking of have probably already been taken. So how can you see if your name is available? You can use a website called brandsnag.
Another good way to seed up this process is to use a business name generator online. There are many and they are all free. Looka is a great example.
So, I went onto looka and gave them some key words and they gave me a bunch of Business names. I liked the name Conaked. I checked on brand snag and it was available.
Step 4: Create a logo and banner photo for your store front
For this step you need to create a profile on Canva. I would highly suggest that you get the pro version as it has a lot more options of images and templates you can use. You will be using Canva a lot for your Esty store so it won’t be money wasted.
For the logo: on Canva type in ETSY LOGO. There will be 100s of templates that you can play around with. This process is fun and really easy too. You don’t have to be a designer or artist.
For the Banner: Do the same as the logo. Type Etsy banners and have some fun. Go back to some of the stores you have favorited an see what kind of information they have added into their banners.
For example, I “Julie” noticed that some of the art stores have included some of their art in their banner so I think I will do the same.
Step 5: Draft your first product listing
Before you try to open your Etsy shop it is important to have your first product ready to list. The reason being is that part of the process to you opening an account Etsy will ask you to list a product. So be prepared for this.
So how do I get my first product in order?
There are 3 important steps here
You need product images.
You need copy-write for a product write up.
You need to find keywords to help buyers find your shop.
If you want more information on this than read my blog “how to optimize Etsy product listings for purchases”.
Step 6: Open your Etsy seller account
This step will require you to open an Etsy seller account. Here, you can just follow the steps that Etsy provide you with. They will ask you for payment details, Billing address and some general information about yourself. They will also ask you to list a product but you already have that organized so this step is a breeze.
Congratulations, you have now opened your first Etsy store. From here you will be able to add more of your products at the pace and time that you would like too. You can add a fun bio about your-self and tell the story of your store.
I would recommend adding some Frequently asked questions so that you do not get bombarded with questions from customers. You can read some frequently asked questions on my Blog “Common FAQs on Etsy”
If you’re thinking about opening an Etsy store, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First and foremost, make sure your store is well- executed – this means creating high-quality products that look great and are easy to find.
Secondly, make sure to promote your store effectively – this means creating unique and interesting content that will attract customers.
And finally, be sure to price your products appropriately – it’s important to make your products affordable for customers. If you take these tips into account, you’ll be on the road to success with your Etsy store!
