Etsy is the go-to online marketplace for handmade goods, but it isn’t the only option out there.
After all, Etsy is huge, and it can be extremely hard to get customers to notice you. Nearly 30 billion global buyers spent over $2.8 billion on the site in the last year alone. You may find it hard to compete if you’re not dedicating tons of time and marketing money into your personal store.
If you’re looking for some great alternatives to Etsy where you can sell your handmade arts, crafts and products, here are a few to get you started.
Zibbet
Zibbet is a global marketplace for crafters, independent artists and vintage collectors. There are currently 55,395 other artists on the site selling pillows, pots, paintings, photography and more. You can import your listings from Etsy or re-upload them to Zibbet, and the plans starting at $5 a month. If you sign up for a plan, there are no transaction fees, like on Etsy.
Folksy
If you’re in the United Kingdom, you can try out Folksy, which features more than 15,000 designers in the area. The items must be mostly handmade and have to include original designs. With a basic Folksy account, it’s pay as you go, and you will be charged £0.15 plus VAT per item listed and 6% plus VAT sales commission. If you sign up for £45 per year, there is only a 6% + VAT sales commission.
Handmade Artists Shop
Handmade Artists Shop started from the Handmade Artists forum, which was a community of a small group of artists that talked about their craft. You can sign up for a paid subscription, which is $5 a month or $50 a year if you pay up front, and there are no other hidden fees. You get paid only through PayPal, and you can list as many products as you’d like, unlike other online marketplaces.
Aftcra
Aftcra is a site for American-only handmade goods. There are no fees to list your goods, but they do take a 7% transaction fee on every sale, and you cannot sell anything for less than $10. The categories on the site include clothing, kids and baby, home furnishings, accessories, paper goods, jewelry, celebrate and arts and handicrafts. The site has been around for four years, and its name is an anagram for “a craft.”
Everything you wanted to know about starting and running a small business. In one place. Check out our FREE small business classes in our Back To Biz program.
Amazon Handmade
Amazon Handmade is Etsy’s biggest competitor. You have to apply to sell on the platform, which charges a referral fee of 15%. If you are deemed eligible, you can get the $39.99 monthly fee waived. However, if you sell more than 40 non-handmade items per month, you will have to pay that fee. If you want to get listed on the site, you need to make handmade, hand-altered or hand-assembled goods. Some of the categories include home décor, beauty and personal care, party supplies, accessories, baby, pet supply and bedding. The biggest advantage of getting onto Amazon Handmade is that you will have access to hundreds of millions of buyers across the globe.
IndieMade
You may want to forget about the typical marketplace and go out on your own. If so, you can try IndieMade, a website creator specifically for artists who want to sell their work. It’s like Squarespace or WordPress, but it’s specifically for artists. Their plans range from $4.95 to $19.95 per month, and you will have your own domain and online store with PayPal and Etsy integration. The advantage of having your domain is that you can appear high on the Google search engine results page and build your brand at the same.
Shopify
Another way to circumvent the marketplace model is to set up a Shopify site. Shopify is for ecommerce stores in general and costs $29 to $299 per month. You can accept credit card payments, Shopify payments or external payment gateways like PayPal and Amazon Payments. Every plan features unlimited storage, the ability to offer discount codes and a website and blog. The site has a page specifically for artists, and will let you try out a 14-day free trial before signing on the dotted line.
Getting started selling your handmade goods online
Whether you join a national or global marketplace, stick to a smaller platform or go for the bigger ones, you can get your name out there in 2018. All it takes is a few clicks of a mouse, and you’ll be on your way to building your handmade online store.
Everything you wanted to know about starting and running a small business. In one place. Check out our FREE small businesses classes in our Back To Biz program.
