15 Sep, 2019 · By Jonathan Silvers · 5 comments

Why I Left Etsy. And Should You?

15 Sep, 2019 · By Jonathan Silvers · 5 comments

In this video, I discuss the details of why I left Etsy in favor of my own website and my experiences with that platform over the course of six years.

Comments

Diane

— 15 Jan, 2020

New crafters need more info on which platforms to choose and this video is very helpful! I’ve had BOTH my own website and Etsy shop for 9 years, and talking about the Etsy search vs. google search, there is one point worth making:

When you DO get a click through to your own website, the customer is ON YOUR SITE. If you get a click through on ETSY, your potential customer sees OTHER shops, and “related items” so they are drawn away easier from your Etsy shop than from your own website. My metrics show the cost to acquire a sale through marketing is better on my own site, even though many would think it’s harder – after all Etsy has a lot of users on the platform right?
Well yes it’s hard at the beginning, but with the right Search Engine optimization on your site, you will BUILD your traffic through organic (non-paid search) on Google, and it’s yours -not Etsy’s. everything you do on your own site builds the future in terms of legitimacy on Google, and THAT is the heart of all Ecommerce businesses large and small.
Best of luck with your new venue! Lovely products :)
Diane

Andi Vonrockin

— 12 Jan, 2020

You hit the nail on the head. Sadly Etsy used to be “crafter” driven, now it is investor driven. Trying to achieve the Amazon business model will ultimately hurt their “handcrafted” business model because we are crafters and small independent businesses mostly sole proprietors, not corporations that crank out merchandise at an assembly plant at record speeds for peanuts. Where is that fine line between good and bad? What’s good for some is bad for others. Thank you for taking time away from your craft to explain this so clearly. It may save some of us the heartache od learning things the hard way. You are truly a craftsman and I appreciate that. I’m going to go check out your store now!

Amanda

— 30 Dec, 2019

Hi! Thanks so much for posting this video. I do paper crafting like cards and such and I’ve been thinking about whether or not I want to start selling on Etsy and this was a really good video to help decide that. It might be a good start for me since I make small items, but still a lot to look into. Thanks so much! And keep your amazing work coming!

Gale

— 30 Dec, 2019

Love your work

Cris

— 06 Oct, 2019

Thank you for explaining the ETSY thing. I don’t like the idea that there is so much that is NOT handmade anymore on ETSY. It’s very easy to understand why you left and I wish you much success with your own website. I purchased your tree and have gotten many compliments on it. I share your posts on my page. You have amazing designs!! Thank you!

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Why I Left Etsy. And Should You?