So, you want to start a wedding stationery business or creative business online. Should you start an Etsy shop or launch your own e-commerce site?

Or, maybe you already launched your own e-commerce site. But now you want to explore Etsy to expand your brand’s online presence and increase profits.

But–is opening an Etsy shop worth it? For stationers, calligraphers, and creatives, this is a *big* topic of discussion.

When it comes to Etsy, stationers and creatives often end at a roadblock of frustration. Why start an Etsy shop if I can promote my own website? Can an Etsy shop be profitable when there’s *so much* competition out there? Is opening an Etsy shop worth it or will it cheapen my brand?

It’s enough to make any one want to bow out from the world of Etsy.

Stationers and creatives often complain that Etsy is a tough gig. But sometimes the issue is our mindset about the platform.

You can easily get overwhelmed listening to all the negative noise out there about Etsy. And, it’s especially easy to get discouraged if you already have an Etsy shop, and it isn’t doing well.

I love selling on Etsy because I’ve developed a strategy to make my shop successful, and I can help you do the same. But first, let’s focus on why you should start your wedding stationery business or creative business on Etsy.

In this post, I outline three reasons why opening an Etsy shop is worth it for creatives.

I. Etsy has a huge, built-in audience.

I like to think of Etsy as a mix between a social network and an e-commerce site. It’s a great place to promote your brand to a large audience of buyers. And Etsy has a massive, built-in audience of 60 million buyers.

It’s not like promoting your brand on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. When people shop on Etsy, they don’t get distracted by a 15-second video of a cat or stumble upon a quick and easy recipe. 🙃 In a nutshell, they aren’t there for information or entertainment.

Etsy shoppers are there for one purpose: to buy something.

Plus, 81% of Etsy shoppers are also repeat buyers.

It's difficult to build an audience, retain clients, and expand your brand’s presence through your own website–especially when you first start your wedding stationery business or creative business online.

But you can do all of that right on Etsy’s platform.

Their large audience is incredibly lucrative, whether you’ve been in business for five minutes or five years. And if you know how to leverage their massive audience, it’s easier to make your Etsy shop be profitable.

myth: "etsy is oversaturated"

As of 2019, Etsy had 2.5 million sellers. This can be overwhelming for our very niched industry. So, why start an Etsy shop if your items are going to get buried in Etsy search?

Here’s the thing: All of these sellers are not selling the exact same item in the exact same way. Yep, there are a lot of people selling wedding invitations on Etsy. But there’s something about your invitations, your process, and your brand that make it different from other Etsy sellers.

And when you learn to tap into your uniqueness, it’s easier to stand out in an “oversaturated” market and make your Etsy shop profitable.

II. Etsy buyers are looking for one of two things: handmade or DIY.

Quick–search the word “wedding invitations” on Etsy and see what comes up. You’ll find everything from invitation templates to laser cut, wood wedding invitations.

That’s because Etsy buyers want one of two things: something handmade or something DIY.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A calligrapher can sell both high-end calligraphed envelopes and a DIY calligraphy kit in the same shop. She can profit from both types of buyers.

But it is a major pain point of frustration when you’re trying to leverage Etsy’s audience. So, is opening an Etsy shop worth it for stationers, calligraphers, and creatives? Or will it cheapen your brand?

if you're selling handmade goods...

Why start an Etsy shop for your luxury handmade goods if they’re going to end up right next to a cheap, DIY alternative? This is something I hear a lot in the creative industry.

There was I time when even I thought my wedding invitations were sinking in a sea of templates. That is, until I realized that I wasn’t competing against shops who sell templates. Not really, anyways.

When a bride searches for “wedding invitations”–whether it’s on Google, Etsy, Instagram, or Pinterest–she’s going to be shown a lot of options at first. And that’s okay. She’s in the research phase. As she continues her quest, she will narrow down her search inquiry. If she’s a DIY bride, she’ll continue to look for templates. If she dreams of letterpress, she’ll add that to her search query.

By this point, she’s not even seeing templates in her searches anymore.

And, Etsy won’t cheapen your brand because your item will now appear in search results that are relevant to that luxurious handmade item she wants.

If she’s looking for something handmade and you’re selling what she’s looking for, she’ll find you. And, shoppers looking for handmade items are willing to pay more than those looking for DIY.

Case in point: It’s the same reason why I recently spent $207 at Ginger House Textiles on Etsy for handmade pillows. Sure, I could’ve found a pattern on Etsy and bought my own fabric. But I am not a DIYer. I searched high and low on Pinterest, Instagram, and Google for months. I checked stores like Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, and Serena and Lily. But, eventually, I found an Instagram post with the perfect pillows, linking to this shop. Et voilà! Now, we’ve got fancy, handmade pillows on our living room sofa.

if you’re selling diy items…

The same applies to DIY shops–you’re looking for the buyer who isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and get crafty. Don’t get discouraged if your items end up next to someone selling luxurious handmade goods.

If she’s a DIYer and you’re selling what she’s looking for, she’ll find you.

myth: "etsy shoppers are only looking for a deal"

Yes, some Etsy shoppers are looking for a deal. But that’s also the nature of any online marketplace. Many online shoppers are price shopping.

But as for the others? They are looking for something unique that they can’t find anywhere else. And they’re willing to pay almost anything to get it.

I’ve seen so many others get discouraged because of this mindset, and it’s just completely false. You can sell to luxury clients on Etsy. Just take a look:

III. Etsy, when done right, can create a quick cash injection into your business.

Etsy is one of the quickest ways to turn a profit. There is a misconception that it can take a long time to start making money on Etsy, but that’s just not true.

Take a look at the stats below from my secondary Etsy shop, where I sell editable invitation templates.

Within the first two months of opening, I made more than $4,000. For something that’s almost completely passive, that’s a lot of money in a very short amount of time!

But–you have to optimize and market your shop strategically.

What does that even mean? It means things like adding new products regularly, pricing for profit, and setting up your shop for success with SEO (or search engine optimization).

When you represent your brand well (and strategically) on Etsy, it’s so much easier for you to turn a profit.

myth: the etsy algorithm takes too long

It can take between 30 to 60 days to see if your newest item is gaining popularity through Etsy search. Sometimes, though, it doesn’t even take that long for an item to rank on the first pages of Etsy.

It can take up to six months to rank on Google, 30 to 90 days to gain traction on Pinterest, and ranking on Instagram is a whole different ballgame.

One last thing…

I hope this article will help you make a more informed decision about whether to start an Etsy shop. My goal is to help you get your business set up for success. Etsy is such a great place for a quick-win, whether you’ve been in business for five minutes or five years.