| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| OklahomaJamie |
Posted - Sep 17 2008 : 12:31:07 PM
I have an Etsy shop set up, and have sold a few things on it. It costs me 36 cents for each $4.50 bar of soap I sell. That could really add up.
I'm wondering. Is Etsy worth it? or would it be more benefit to pay $5 to $10 a month for a website at the webhost of your choice?
I'm just wondering if maybe having things in Etsy gets more exposure or something? There's got to be some good reason there are so many etsy shops.
For those of you with experience in this, I'd sure like some input.
Thanks so much!!
Jamie |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| fiddlers wife |
Posted - Sep 27 2008 : 06:38:43 AM
I have both. I used weebly.com to set up my other site/shop and Paypal for the money stuff. Works great. Weebly is more like a blog and a tad trickier to maneuver at first (for the technologically challenged like me), but it's free.
www.handcraftedatwitsend.weebly.com
www.ginnymae.etsy.com
Restyled vintage elements featuring feed sack purses and totes |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Sep 18 2008 : 5:55:11 PM
That's a good point as well Country.
I think it's 1. hard to get people to even find your website out of the sea, out there, yet, people who go to Etsy are going there for specific things, and you rarely get something pop up that you don't want, when doing a search there.
But, 2, is country lawyer's point. I too don't really like giving my Credit Card info on a site I don't know much about! Etsy, I feel a little safer. And I would imagine a lot of people are like me in that respect.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| country lawyer |
Posted - Sep 18 2008 : 2:04:30 PM
As a consumer, I like etsy.
I have bought some things on individual websites and have had some problems "getting the goods." I had to deal with the PayPal dispute thing...got my money back, and never heard from that seller at all, but it was a hassle.
I have had ZERO problems with seller's on etsy. Zero. I don't hesitate to do business on etsy. I would hesitate on a person's website.
My two cents, for what its worth (probably about 2 cents)... |
| Brew Crew |
Posted - Sep 18 2008 : 09:11:12 AM
I don't have any sales on my etsy, and I really don't maintain it at all. I really just have a few things listed there for the purpose of having my name out there for search results that much more....I think I would do well if I kept it up, but I'm just as glad not to have the fees associated with sales. I use adwords as well, but we really don't get many clicks from them. Most of my hits come from referrals from sites I am linked with. Also, I my business blog gets lots of hits, which then lead people to my site. I think lots of people like 'behind the scenes' blogs; I know I do! HTH!
The Biz www.tvalahandmade.com
The Blog: http://blog.tvalahandmade.com/
The Bits www.happydalehobby.blogspot.com/
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| Jami |
Posted - Sep 18 2008 : 08:01:23 AM
Heather, you bring up a good point. I have my own website and an Etsy store as well as a Local Harvest store. When folks do a search for wool goods or yarn, the Etsy site comes up first, then Local Harvest. My "personal" farm site is always last of those 3 storefronts to come up, in fact is usually way down the list. The reason is that I don't purchase ad words, etc. I do have the words in my Megatags on my site but that is based on how many hits you get and you build up ratings through that. For my breed of sheep, I rank way up on the top page and sometimes the second search behind the breed registry site...just because I get so many hits. Etsy and other shopping sites must either pay for ad words or just get enough hits to get good ranking results on search engines?
I just started an etsy store and have had one sale within the first 3 days of opening it. This surprised me actually. I make very few sales of my handmade goods off of my farm website...most people go there for sheep and not for handmade stuff. It's good to have the audience you need by utilizing someplace like Etsy and it's hard to generate that audience when you're doing it alone.
Jami in WA
Farmgirl Sister #266
http://woolyinwashington.wordpress.com/ |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Sep 17 2008 : 6:23:23 PM
Here's a fee calculator that someone sent me. It figures Etsy as well as eBay fees. I sell more from Etsy than I do from eBay and it is much cheaper. I've thought about a website but the set up just drives me crazy. I'd rather be creating. I figure I have to market my online selling no matter whether it's an Etsy shop or a website so I just choose to stay with Etsy.
http://etsy.ppcalc.com/
Handmade Soap and More! - http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
PROUD FARMGIRL SISTER #100 |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Sep 17 2008 : 4:55:21 PM
The only thing is, getting traffic to your site. I wonder how much traffic you would get if you aren't listed on Etsy. You know what I mean?
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Sep 17 2008 : 4:17:25 PM
Jamie- the Google Web Hosting is only $10 a year. That is the one I use and you get your own domain name.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
