My post yesterday was part of the 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion. We were meant to ask a question and while I am sincere in wanting to hear your opinions on yesterday’s question, another one came to mind today. (And for those looking for the Color Theory Friday post, I’ll be postponing it until next week.)
As you may know, I decided to close my Etsy shop last year. The tasks of maintaining the shop and participating in teams and the forums really left me stretched thin. However, I’m beginning to wonder if maybe it’s time to open shop again.
I have no plans to join a team or to even peruse the forums. If you’ve ever been part of the forums, you’ll know that it seems there are too many who don’t search for their answers and tons of bitter trolls ruining the fun for everyone. Most of us probably have better things to do with our day than be someone else’s entertainment, so I’m sure you’ll understand why I wouldn’t visit.
Despite all that, I realize without a team to help me promote and without popping my head up in the forums, I’m wondering if it is really worth it. Would it even make up for the time suck of posting on Etsy…
So this is where you come in. My question to you: should I…would you…go back to Etsy and why?
Good question to which I have no helpful answer. As a shopper I both love and am overwhelmed by Etsy. Is your business suffering without Etsy? You just seem to have so many well thought out plans that means you can do it on your own. My two cents. Cheers.
Hey Yazmin!
This can be a hard choice, but boils down to this: traffic. I’ve waffled back and forth myself with Etsy versus another venue myself. So, I checked out the majority of newer sites out there and came to the conclusion that even with all the problems Etsy has, it still brings in more traffic than the other sites.
It used to be that my ultimate goal was to have my own wesbite with a shopping cart, but lack of funds, time, and desire to maintain it has left me pushing back that goal for the foreseeable future. I’m also not sure how much traffic I can generate on my own, which might make having my own site a really expensive experiment.
I guess the questions I would ask myself if I were you would be this:
1. Is my site generating enough traffic on its own, or do I need help from another site?
2. If my site isn’t generating enough traffic, could I spend the money I would pay in monthly Etsy fees on ads instead?
3. What are my time constraints like? Can I manage two jewelry shops effectively? How do I feel about splitting up my work into two shops?
4. Why do I feel like considering Etsy again? Why did I leave in the first place?
As a current Etsy seller, I can tell you that I do not visit the forums (I’m with you, toooo much negativity) and I’m no longer on any teams. Teams were awesome for exposure – since I left my last one, I’m never in treasuries anymore and forget about the front page. BUT the demands of being in a team was not something I wanted to do forever. Since I left, I feel a great deal less stress and feel like I’m getting in a good place with my work.
Ultimately, I would say that if you’re in a good place already, if Etsy is more a hinderance than a help, don’t do it. However, also consider that your last experience with Etsy doesn’t have to be your current one.
I hope this helps a little! (Sorry for the mega-comment!)
Wish I had something like an answer for you here. I am on Etsy because I don’t have the time or energy to invest in finding another venue for selling my wares. To me, the fees are nominal, and I dont’ mind having several slow months. I’m just excited to have a sale at all! That said, it’s not my primary means of living, just a hobby. So I don’t know if that helps you or not. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
Thank you for your comments. I appreciate them all.
Unfortunately, I can’t really say that I am missing business due to closing shop on Etsy, because when I closed my shop there I also subsequently decide to take a “break” so to say. I don’t have a true test to really compare it with.
I guess I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing out on additional business by not being on Etsy. Watching some of my friends become featured sellers also makes me wonder if I had stuck around as I cleaned up my shop, if that couldn’t have been me. And finally, is it worth having a separate shop if I’m not truly promoting it like I should?
I guess I’m no where closer to my answer than I was before, but again – thank you for responding. Something to think about. :)
What did you decide? I am considering re-stocking my Etsy shop (which I’ve let languish since I started a shop w/ Big Cartel) this summer as the Farmer’s Market I was planning on participating in here in Steamboat is full. You do still sell supplies on Etsy, right?
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I decided it wasn’t the time for me to open shop again. Between getting my hosting account hacked and all the sites infected, and getting pregnant, I just couldn’t spread myself that thin.
I also recently rethought my reasons for returning to Etsy. I think I felt it was an absolute necessity to have a shop, but after a post on Craft MBA (http://www.craftmba.com/2010/06/24/skill-price-and-etsy-as-business-incubator/), I think it worked well as an incubator for me, but I may have left too soon. Not that it was anything Etsy did, but rather how I was running my business at the time.
So, where I was decided not to return, I am now on the fence. I have other projects that I really want to work on and it may be time to use Etsy as an interim solution until I can get back to working on the jewelry business as a business and not a hobby.
I do still sell supplies on Etsy as I have time to post them.
Sorry if this wasn’t helpful for you Ann! Not sure if I swayed you either way. :/
Yazmin recently posted… Falling Out Of Love