How to Sell on Etsy: Opening Your First Shop

How to Sell on Etsy: A Step by Step guide to opening your first shop today!

Are you interested in learning how to sell on Etsy? Do you spend all of your free time making and creating? Are you crafty and quirky? Welcome – You’re in the right place!

As I mentioned in 10 Things I’ve Learned After 10 Years on Etsy, this is my 10th year selling on Etsy. Since I’ve been selling for so long, I think I can finally say that I’ve gained enough knowledge on what to do, and what not to do, that it’s time I started sharing some of that with you.

I hope you’re ready for a deluge of Etsy talk, because after 10 years, I’ve got a lot to share!

Over the next few weeks I’m going to be sharing my thoughts on how to sell on Etsy. You’ll learn the basics of setting up shop (today!), what to sell, marketing and promoting your shop, tips on shipping & handling your products and more.

Are you ready?

Today, we’re going to talk about opening your first shop. I assume since you’re here, that you’re ready to get moving on your new Etsy shop?

Are you super excited?

I know I was. The day I opened my Etsy shop felt like the beginning of a very exciting journey.

But, before we get to the fun stuff, let’s get a couple of things out of the way…

You’re NOT Going to Wake Up Rich Tomorrow

Learning how to sell on Etsy is not as easy as you might have previously read online.

It’s not as simple as opening up a shop, listing a few products and waking up to millions in your PayPal account.

If you hear anything I say, make it this – DO NOT FALL FOR THAT LINE.

I promise, you will wake up with a broken heart instead of a full bank account.

You CAN’T Copy Your Way to Success

There are a million steps to being successful at selling on Etsy and a billion different ways to get there. What works for some might not work for others and what works for me, might not work for you.

The important thing is to love your craft, keep practicing and keep trying different things until you find what works for you.

Along the way, you’ll learn so much that when your time comes for success, you’ll be ready.

Did I scare you off from opening your Etsy shop?

No? Good, let’s move on, then…

How to Sell on Etsy: Opening Your First Shop

Decide what you’re going to sell. Be sure to choose something that you can imagine doing every hour of every day!

I sell paper goods, because I love to doodle and design. I could do it every day for a thousand years and never get bored with it.

You have to find your passion. Figure out what you love to do and then, sell it.

It’s that easy and that hard all at once. But, once you find your jive you’ll fall in love with your craft all over again.

Open Your New Shop

Head over to Etsy.com and click “Sell on Etsy” at the top right of the page.

When the new page opens, click the button that says “Open Your Etsy Shop” and then, click the “Register” tab at the top of the sign in box. Follow the remaining steps to set up your new shop.

Get to know the Etsy tools. Click around a bit and check out the dashboard, the stats page and the listings manager. These tools will be your new best friends.

Read the Etsy Seller Handbook! It contains a great deal of helpful information and best practices to get your new shop up and running the right way.

Set Up Your New Etsy Shop

Click the “Your Shop” tab at the top right of the page, then select “Shop Settings” and click “Info and Appearance”.

Fill out the information about your shop.

Use the “Shop Title” space to let your new customers in on what you sell.

For example, mine says “Greeting Cards, Personalized Stationery and More”.

This helps Etsy, Google and all the other search engines, categorize your new shop.

Upload your shop icon and shop banner.

Think of these as the signs in the front window of a brick and mortar shop. You want them to draw customers into your store.

Your shop icon goes everywhere with you on Etsy. If you buy a product, send a convo or post in the forums, you’re shop icon will shop up next to your name and the person(s) on the receiving end will see it. I recommend using a variation of your logo, a photo of a popular product or a photo of yourself.

Connect to your social media outlets.

This helps you gain customers and allows you to easily share new products.

Fill out the “Shop Announcement”.

This is a great spot to expand a bit on what you sell, include sales info. and share a bit more about yourself.

Be sure to save your Info!

All About Your Shop

Open your shop page and select “Edit Shop”. Fill in the blanks.

Add shop photos that showcase your favorite products, sneak peeks or behind the scenes peeks at your business.

Tell the world about yourself and your new business in the “About” section. Explain who you are, what you do, how you got started and how your business can help them.

Add yourself (and any employees – canine or human) to the “Shop Members” page.

Fill out the “Policies”. Let customers know how your shipping works, refund/return policy and payment processing.

Add FAQs about your products and your business.

Congratulations!

You’re new Etsy shop is ready for your new business. Now what?

Now, it’s time to get working on your new products and invest your free time into learning how to sell on Etsy.

I’ll be back next week with tips on how to list your new products to get the best results.

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Have a Spectacular Day!