It’s easy to buy into the idea that if you set up an Etsy shop, hoards of paying customers will just find their way to your products and payments will easily get processed. But that isn’t the case. At some point, in order to sell more, you’ve got to do the work of driving more traffic to your Etsy shop. And if you’re going to put in all that marketing effort, you want to send customers to a site that you have control over.
Setting up your own online store gives you greater control over your creative business, makes it easier to connect with your customers, and can help you legitimize and grow your business.
While Etsy can be a great place to launch your handmade business, when you’re ready to take the next step, there are plenty of options available to help you graduate from Etsy!
So how do you know if you are ready to graduate?
1. Are your prices are higher than similar products?
2. Are you getting the sales that you want?
3. Do you want more control of your online shop?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, it might be time to move on…
When it comes to selling on Etsy, every aspect of your online shop, from the branding to the layout to the way you are (or aren’t) allowed to connect with your customers, is controlled by Etsy. And it can be frustrating to keep up-to-date on all of the site’s changes. Graduating from Etsy means you can finally have total control of your customers’ experience in your online shop.
Imagine your Etsy shop was shut down tomorrow. Where would you send your customers? How would you sell your products? Having your own online store can help insulate your business from potential shut downs and any changes Etsy might make in the future that don’t fit with your business.
Graduating from Etsy isn’t about jumping to the next hot platform. It’s about creating your own, branded space online (which is easier than you think) to engage with and sell to your customers and to show the world that you’re committed to taking your business seriously.
If you want to learn more about graduating from running a profitable handmade business check out the video below and head on over to creativelive.com/gradudatefrometsy and take control of your creative business!
