I’ve enrolled in many business and spiritual courses over the last few years to grow both personally and professionally. One of the best courses for creatives was Creator’s Roadmap created by the best Coach for Creatives Jennifer Alwood. Jennifer Alwood teaches about how, as a business owner, you shouldn’t “put all your eggs in one basket.” Let’s talk about what she means by this, and How to use Etsy to Sell on your Website.
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Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
When we talk about not having all your eggs in one basket, here’s what we mean. If you’re a creator of ANYTHING – content, jewelry, wreaths – you shouldn’t have your entire business on just one platform that you do not own yourself. For example, if you are in influencer, and you have 100K followers on Instagram, that sure seems great. But here’s the thing. You don’t own that platform. So when Instagram goes down, or they decide that you suddenly don’t fit the criteria for their platform (and these days, that’s bound to happen more often than not), you could lose those 100K followers in an instant.
So then what’s a creative to do? The idea is to diversify. And most importantly, build a platform that is ALL your own. So in the example I used before, if you’re an influencer, you’ll want to collect email addresses of your followers, so you can connect with them off of Instagram, should something happen. Same applies to Etsy sellers. Etsy even gives some tips for creating a website with their pattern platform here.
My recommendation is, of course, to create your very own Website that you have full control over. I wrote all about my Website Tips for Creatives here. That way, you can say anything, sell anything (that isn’t copyrighted to someone else, that is) and present it in a way that is all your own. And no one can tell you how to do things. You’re the boss!
A Website AND Etsy?
So maybe you already have a website, and you’re debating on opening an Etsy account as well. Or maybe you already have an Etsy account, but you aren’t sure HOW to differentiate what you sell on Etsy, versus what you sell on your website. I remember being in a coaching group with creatives and hearing one of the ladies say that she was going to sell items on Etsy and then offer the same items at a lower cost on her Website. I’m sure this Etsy selling strategy probably works. However, it felt wrong to me.
For example, would I just mention in my Etsy listing that I offer this same item at a lower cost on my website? That seemed – unethical. And maybe you’re like, grow up Lindsay, get a back bone! If you feel that way, that is totally fine. However, when I started this business, I decided that I wanted to do it right. I want to pay my taxes and report my sales tax. I want to make a lot of money, and bring value to this world through Party Decorations and Positivity, morally and ethically. That’s my shpeal (sp?). Take it or leave it.
Your Etsy Platform Arguments Dubunked
So, all that said, it did take me quite a while to figure out How to use Etsy to Sell on your Website. At first, I didn’t sell anything on Etsy that I sold on my Website and vice versa. But let’s face it friends. If you sell on Etsy, you know the power of their search engine. You know the power of the Etsy customer base. Or maybe you don’t. But having the insight into selling from both places, I can certainly see the positives in selling on the Etsy platform.
Etsy Competition and Cost
You might argue, “But there’s so much competition on Etsy!” And you’re right. There’s certainly NOT a deficit of Etsy sellers selling party decorations, that’s for sure. But just because you attempt to sell elsewhere doesn’t reduce that competition.
Most importantly, I hold the belief that the world is abundant. Meaning a few things. First off, yes, there is a competition! In fact, I find people copying my designs literally on the daily. But I don’t really care. Why? Because I hold the belief that no one can take away anything that is divinely mine. Meaning, if a customer is meant to find me and purchase my products, they will. It’s as simple as that. I can’t spend my days searching around on Etsy for copycats! What a waste of both my time and my energy, right!?
You might also tell me, Lindsay, they take 5%! And you’re right. It’s a LOT. But there’s a cost for everything. Running a website hosting, domains, credit card processing, and Paypal charges doesn’t come free either.
So my strategy – utilize them both so they work together to help you sell more. Not only so that you can make more money, but so that you can live your passion full time. So that you can make an impact on this world with what you truly love to do. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Why It’s so Much Harder to Get traction on Your Website
After selling on Etsy and my website for over two years, I realized something. Even though I’d made great traction on my Google ranking, and had some great results on Pinterest, I still wasn’t getting as good of results on my website sales as on Etsy. The reason? Well, there’s a LOT of factors to consider. One of them being, that for the life of me, my website is extremely slow. If you got to this page, then you know! LOL So, it could be that.
But there is another thing that your website doesn’t give your customers. Confidence. As you know, people buy things from people they like, know, and trust. And your website that someone found on Pinterest or through a Google search, doesn’t quite say, “I’m trustworthy! You are super safe buying on my website!” And even with all my photos and blogs, it’s still hard to get someone to trust that my website is a safe place to make purchases.
Etsy, however, has earned trust with buyers. People will buy anything from any seller on Etsy, because there’s no questioning the platform.
My Strategy for How to use Etsy to Sell on Your Website
So here’s what I do in terms of how to use Etsy to sell on your website. I was already selling digital party decorations on my website. And I was selling individual party decorations (both digital and printed) on Etsy. Customers were always asking me if they could buy the full party at a discount as a package. Or, if they were already packaged, inevitably customers wanted to purchase them separately.
It occurred to me that if I was selling individual items on Etsy, I could sell them as a package deal on my website, and vice versa. That way, I could mention in my Etsy listing that they could get the full discounted party package on my website. For example, you can see these Red Supercar Cupcake Toppers for sale on Etsy. I sell the full set of the Red Supercar Party Decorations on my website at a discount, which is much cheaper compared to buying them individually on Etsy.
In my Etsy listings, I also link to the blog where I write about that particular party. That way, not only can potential buyers see more pictures from that party, but they can also learn more about me and what I stand for as an entrepreneur. Therefore, creating that know, like, and trust factor. I feel like this is a win win. It feels ethical AND customers get more options and information!
What do you think? Do you sell on Etsy and your Website? What strategies do you use to cross sell on Etsy and your website? Leave me a comment below!
Other Resources
Here’s a few other websites that might help you with this topic of creating your own website as an Etsy shop owner.
Should you use Etsy or Build your Own E-commerce Site?
The Ultimate Guide to Opening an Etsy Shop
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about How to use Etsy to Sell on Your Website! I hope this gives you some ideas about how to cross sell items on your website and Etsy! Tell me below what you thought! I love to help you celebrate life through party decorations and beyond. Above all, I’d love to connect with you. Reach out to me on Instagram and let’s chat, or continue celebrating your life with The Celebration Effect.
xox
Lindsay
