Today I’m going to discuss if Etsy is worth it for artists.
I’ve been on Etsy since 2016, and to be honest, I sometimes have a love-hate relationship with the platform.
You get great exposure when selling on Etsy, but the many fees can put a damper on it all.
In this post, I’m going to go over the pros and cons of Etsy and if it’s worth it for artists.
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Is Etsy Worth It For Artists?
In short, yes, I think Etsy is worth it for artists.
There are a lot of pros on Etsy for artists who are just starting out or looking to expand to new markets.
Etsy is definitely a great place to start when selling your art online, but I would not be exclusive to Etsy as competition is tough.
If you sell smaller ticket items such as stickers and greeting cards like I do, it can be hard to make a profit when there is a 20-cent renewal fee whenever it sells.
Benefits Of Selling On Etsy
Hands down the biggest benefit of selling on Etsy is getting your name and art out there. I started with Etsy and it gave me confidence to start my own website and expand to other platforms, such as selling on Amazon and selling my items wholesale.
Many customers head to Etsy when looking for original art and handmade items. That alone is a big benefit to selling on Etsy.
Pros & Cons Of Selling On Etsy
PROS OF ETSY
- Great exposure
- Easy to start a shop
- Community and support
- Low cost to start
CONS OF ETSY
- Competition
- Fees
- Listing fees & renewal fees
- High transaction fees
I want to mention that the cons I mentioned above are basically the cons of any online selling platform. Nothing is free, and if you sell with another platform there will still be fees. I do think Etsy’s fees are sometimes a little high, but there’s not much you can do about it. The exposure can outweigh the fees.
The cost of starting an Etsy shop is still much lower than starting a brick-and-mortar store.
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Do What Feels Right For You
At the end of the day, you don’t know if Etsy is worth it FOR YOU and your art if you don’t give it a try.
Maybe you’ll start an Etsy shop and it won’t be for you but you’ll learn something from the process. Or perhaps you’ll start an Etsy shop and it will open doors for you.
I prefer to get sales directly through my website because there are fewer fees and I am 100% in control. But, I have gotten lifelong customers because they bought from me on Etsy first.
Let me know about your thoughts on Etsy in the comment section below.
Thanks so much for reading!
-Amanda
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