Etsy as a sales channel for small sellers in Ireland

topcat72

Any opinions welcomed -
I've been an online seller ( registered small business, self employed part time) for about three years, selling mostly on ebay, as well as my own site and tentatively on amazon.
I want to lessen my dependence on ebay, which is where 80% of my sales currently are ( down from 100% last year, but still too high)
I'd love any feedback from anyone who has used or made a succes of etsy from Ireland - I've listed a few items there to see how it goes, but either i've the wrong products or its a slow site to get started on. My areas would be vintage peperbacks, advertisements, film memorabilia etc.

Fukuyama

AFAIK Etsy can be based on trends and marketing - less so pricing (like eBay). This can be good because you're no longer in a race to the bottom.

What's your marketing material like? I see people selling wallets, candles etc... with videos and social media marketing campaigns surrounding same.

jimmii

We use etsy just passed 1k sales on a bit over a year. There's a bit of trial and error needed for titles especially but once you have it right sales come quick enough. Half our sales are in USA so it might be trickier if you're doing bulky things that will be expensive to post.

paddylonglegs

jimmii wrote: »

We use etsy just passed 1k sales on a bit over a year. There's a bit of trial and error needed for titles especially but once you have it right sales come quick enough. Half our sales are in USA so it might be trickier if you're doing bulky things that will be expensive to post.

well done, sounds like its working for you.

I sell on Etsy and its so-so for sales. I work full time and do it as a side hustle so I don't necessarily have the time to get really in depth with my wording and keywords as much as I'd like to. Also, being full time, I don't have such a drive to make huge money from it.

If you sell vintage and the likes then it does sound like it would be a good platform for you. I always hear from various podcasts that photography is so so important. Its something I need to learn from also.

Would like to hear your own experiences OP as you make some sales

jimmii

We were lucky we got invited to be part of a test scheme that they unfortunately haven't rolled out where we worked with someone at etsy hq who helped get everything optimised made a huge difference.

paddylonglegs

jimmii wrote: »

We were lucky we got invited to be part of a test scheme that they unfortunately haven't rolled out where we worked with someone at etsy hq who helped get everything optimised made a huge difference.

Oh wow, very valuable. Seo is king

topcat72

Many thanks to all for the replies. All my items are ( physically ) small - most global psotage would not exceed €10 even on the largest . I've found it very slow however, and am unsure if it's beacuse I'm new to the site, or if I haven't listed enough items on it to reach some kind of theoretical critical mass to kick things off. Or if it really is more for artists and craftspeople , rather than what I sell.
Or if it needs more nurturing in the area of instagram and other social media to drive sales to it, which given the return may be too time consuming.

jimmii

We find IG definitely has a bigger effect than other social media when it comes to sales for some reason. Sales do take a while due to the way their search works the more sales you get the better you rank then the more sales etc just need to be a patient.

Fantomas9mm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057785960/etsy-as-a-sales-channel-for-small-sellers-in-ireland

Kinda related but unrelated……

If i want to set up a shop on Etsy selling original Art prints, what do i need to have in order legally ?

Do i need to setup a company and setup a business bank account ? Or am i getting too far ahead ?

What about paying tax on any proceeds ?

If there is a more appropriate thread for my question then please let me know.

Thanks