{"id":18512,"date":"2024-02-09T16:03:27","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T16:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/the-9-best-etsy-alternatives-to-help-power-your-online-store\/"},"modified":"2024-05-24T19:41:44","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T19:41:44","slug":"etsy-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/etsy-alternatives\/","title":{"rendered":"The 9 Best Etsy Alternatives To Help Power Your Online Store"},"content":{"rendered":"
By 2021, Ecommerce sales are predicted to reach 17.5% of retail sales<\/a>. The trend of online sales carving into traditional retail channels isn't new, and it's undeniable that online sales are going to continue to grow moving forwards.<\/p>\n One industry that has undoubtedly seen a boom thanks to the power of ecommerce is the vintage and handmade market.<\/p>\n Ecommerce platforms have given creative artists the ability to sell their handmade and vintage items, and this provides artists and craftsman a new outlet to sell their wares.<\/span><\/p>\n Etsy<\/a>, an extremely popular platform in this space, has been growing since 2005, with the focus of becoming the largest platform to satisfy creative minds. Chances are, if you've ever shopped online for artisanal crafts, you've visited Etsy.<\/span><\/p>\n However, popularity in an e-commerce site also means a high saturation of artists trying to sell their merchandise. If you've ever tried selling on Etsy, perhaps you found it difficult to separate yourself from the crowd.<\/span><\/p>\n Luckily, there are many other Etsy alternatives that allow aspiring artisanal sellers to find a competitive advantage and less saturated marketplaces.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a seller currently struggling with generating sales on Etsy, this list of Etsy alternatives is the perfect list to check out.<\/span><\/p>\n But first, let\u2019s find out what the largest platform for handmade and vintage items has to offer\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Etsy is an e-commerce site headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and was created in 2005. Etsy's goal is to allow buyers and sellers to connect over handmade, vintage, or craft supply items.<\/span><\/p>\n Unlike more generic online marketplaces such as Ebay, Etsy gives creative artists a chance to have a presence on a large selling marketplace that is solely dedicated to handcrafted and vintage items.<\/span><\/p>\n Some sellers have been able to use Etsy as their full time job, or at the very least, to make some side income.<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, Etsy has over 2.5 million sellers<\/a> as of 2019, and allow over 40 million buyers to get handmade gifts. On average, Etsy businesses contribute 12% of a household's total income<\/a>, so there's definitely a lot of money on this platform.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Etsy is undeniably the king of online artisanal goods. Despite market saturation, there's a reason many sellers turn to this platform and ignore the plethora of Etsy competitors out there.<\/span><\/p>\n So, let\u2019s break down a few pros and cons of selling your items on Etsy and why sellers choose this platform:<\/span><\/p>\n The main draws to using Etsy to sell your wares include:<\/p>\n Depending on what you want to sell, Etsy may or may not be for you. T<\/span>he market is very saturated, but the being on the first or second page can drive you tons of sales.<\/span><\/p>\n You should do your research before deciding if this is the right platform to get started with. If you think Etsy work for you, then perhaps these sites like Etsy will!<\/span><\/p>\n If you have a product that doesn\u2019t fit on Etsy\u2019s marketplace or want to tap into less competitive markets, consider these 8 other Ecommerce platforms to sell on instead!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n IndieMade provides artists a way to create simple websites in order to sell products through their own platform.<\/span><\/p>\n Not only does this help artists create a name for themselves, but it also helps take away the saturation of large Ecommerce platforms like Etsy. With IndieMade, you can create a beautiful website with a store, blog, shop, and more!<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how IndieMade works:<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s it! You can honestly start a full blown website with pictures, articles, products, and everything in a few simple steps.<\/span><\/p>\n In terms of pricing, IndieMade ranges from $4.95 to $19.95 per month<\/strong> depending on your plan.<\/p>\n For most sellers, a basic or standard plan will suffice, unless you want to sell more than 100 products or offer electronic files.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n IndieMade was created by artists who wanted to be seen but didn\u2019t want to struggle with the hassle of creating their own website from scratch. Plus, IndieMade doesn't take any cuts from your sales!<\/span><\/p>\n The Pros:\u00a0<\/strong>You get your own custom domain and website with any plan except the basic plan. Easy to setup and sell.<\/p>\n The Cons:\u00a0<\/strong>If you are serious about selling, you'll probably need more than a basic plan, which means spending money right out of the gate.<\/p>\n IndieMade Cost: <\/strong>$4.95 to $19.95 per month, probably $12.95 at least for most sellers.<\/p>\n Surprise! Amazon has a section for handmade stuff too. <\/span><\/p>\n Amazon Handmade has <\/span>2 main<\/b> requirements<\/b> in order to start selling with them:<\/span><\/p>\n Aside from that, your items must be in any of the following categories:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Amazon Handmade takes a <\/span>15%\u00a0<\/b>commission<\/b>, which can be very high for solo sellers who have a limited supply of products. <\/span><\/p>\n Plus, your products will only be listed in the Handmade section, meaning you can\u2019t go to Amazon\u2019s homepage and find your product.<\/span><\/p>\n However, this is an effective way to make money on Amazon<\/a> and to diversify your online sales channels compared to just using Etsy. Plus, given Amazon's track record, I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon Handmade grows year over year.<\/p>\n Keep these factors in mind when deciding on an alternative. Clearly, Amazon wants to separate themselves from Etsy by making their products \u201chandmade only\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n The Pros:\u00a0<\/strong>Set fees and very easy to get started.<\/p>\n The Cons:\u00a0<\/strong>You don't own your own website as you would with a site like IndieMade, and time will tell how large this platform will become.<\/p>\n Amazon Handmade Cost: <\/strong>15%..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What separates Zibbet from its competition is actually the fact that there isn\u2019t any competition. Zibbet wants you to sell as much as you can!<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s why their platform allows you to sell on multiple websites, including<\/em> Etsy. <\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it works:<\/span><\/p>\n A sales channel is basically one platform to sell on (Etsy, Zibbet Marketplace, A.C Moore Marketplace, and Stich). If you want to sell on all 4 of these sites for example, that would cost you $20\/month.<\/span><\/p>\n Just note, Zibbet requires a minimum of 2 sales channels, or $10 per month.<\/p>\n Plus, Zibbet doesn't cover external platform fees, such as Etsy's $0.20 per listing fee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Keep in mind that $10 to $20 a month is giving your products the potential to triple in sales! This can be very worth it for people who would prefer to test out multiple channels and don't mind paying a monthly fee.<\/span><\/p>\n The Pros:\u00a0<\/strong>Simple way to expand your reach for only $10 to $20 per month.<\/p>\n The Cons:\u00a0<\/strong>You still have to put effort in to grow multiple channels. More is not always better.<\/p>\n Zibbet Cost: <\/strong>$10 to $20 per month plus external selling fees (where applicable).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Storenvy is an online marketplace that's also one of the most popular sites like Etsy. Plus, Storenvy also uses a lot of on-platform promotion to<\/span> help highlight sellers. Here\u2019s how it works:<\/span><\/p>\n Storenvy gives sellers the opportunity to do their selling and promoting in one place. <\/span><\/p>\n Plus, this social network is already looking for the types of things you\u2019re selling! <\/span>Storenvy has a trending section and Editor's Pick section that help push awesome sellers to the front page to boost sales.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sellers pay a 15% commission, including shipping costs. There are no other fees.<\/span><\/p>\n Storenvy has a variety of paid store options, as well as a free plan. However, you honestly get a lot out of the free plan, and I recommend starting with this option to test out selling on Storenvy:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Although Storenvy doesn\u2019t aggressively monitor what types of products are posted on their marketplace, the following categories tend to do better than others:<\/span><\/p>\n There are other categories, but be sure to do some research before deciding if your product would fit well on Storenvy.<\/span><\/p>\n The Pros:\u00a0<\/strong>Simple way to start selling without paying upfront fees. Getting promoted would also boost your store.<\/p>\n The Cons:\u00a0<\/strong>Still have to rely on external promotion and to work to optimize your shop to show in organic listings.<\/p>\n Storenvy Cost: <\/strong>$0 to $29.99 per month plus 15% commission on sales.<\/p>\n Extra Reading – How to Avoid PayPal Fees & Maximize Income<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bonanza has become one of the best Etsy alternatives over the years and for good reason. After all, the site goes by the slogan ‘find everything but the ordinary,' so it's definitely a stellar hub for artisanal goods.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Bonanza has to offer:<\/span><\/p>\n Bonanza has buyers mainly interested in the same things as Storenvy. You can really find\/sell anything you can think of, which has helped it stand out from Etsy and other e-commerce platforms that focus on vintage and crafts.<\/span><\/p>\n You can start your own website through Bonanza with a click of a button and gain access to great features like Background Burner. <\/span><\/p>\n You can also just list your items on the Bonanza marketplace as you would on the Etsy marketplace, so it's the best of both worlds.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bonanza's Background Burner software also clears out your product background and makes listings look like they photographed in a studio, which is an exceptional feature since product images can make or break a sale.<\/span><\/p>\n If you want an Etsy alternative that is affordable and easy to setup, I definitely recommend checking out Bonanza.<\/span><\/p>\n The Pros:\u00a0<\/strong>Pretty much an Etsy clone but less saturated and very affordable.<\/p>\n The Cons:\u00a0<\/strong>Organic marketplace is still competitive, so you'll really have to optimize your listings and work to grow your account.<\/p>\n Bonanza Cost:\u00a0<\/strong>3.5% commission.<\/p>\nWhat is Etsy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Why Sell on Etsy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Pros of Selling on Etsy<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Cons of Etsy selling<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Top Etsy Alternatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. IndieMade<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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2. Amazon Handmade<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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3. Zibbet<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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4. Storenvy<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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5. Bonanza<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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6.