Starting a business: selling on Etsy or your own website?
We’ve been stuck inside – locked down for the past year and confined to the four walls of our bedroom/office/kitchen. We’ve been limited physically. But not necessarily mentally.
The restrictions have propelled a host of previous wannabe-business-owners into fully fledged entrepreneurs, because they’ve been forced to think outside the box. And we’ve all had to adapt and adjust to moving business online, which, let’s be totally honest, is damn hard work.
So, the question…
is why do you need a website to develop your shock-proof marketing strategy?
Marketplace platforms like Etsy, Fiverr and Not on The High Street have come into their own during the pandemic. The ease of navigating the website, the already established audience, the accessibility - it all sounds so perfect and ready to use, in principle. (More on that later!)
What if I told you there was a better way to build your business? A better way to ensure the longevity of it?
Will you choose Etsy or your own website to start your online business?
I’m gonna cut to the chase: create your own website.
Hold up! Don’t be disheartened - it’s easier than you might think and you don’t have to do it alone.
Granted, it’s not a ready-made platform where you can start selling your products/services straightaway (and there may be a little extra work in the short-term - sorry!)
“Okay Alice, but if Etsy is so easy to use and get started with, why should I bother with my own website? Why do I need a shock-proof marketing strategy anyway?”
Ah, don’t let the usability tempt you! Here are a couple of (flippin good) reasons why marketplace platforms might not be the best for your business:
You’re at the mercy of the giant corporation running the platform
You have no control over their rules and regulations
You don’t know where the corporation is headed: will they start charging unreasonable fees/will they make you jump through a hundred hoops?
Essentially, you’re building your business on borrowed land and with that, comes a whole lot of uncertainty.
If you’re still not convinced, consider these questions:
What happens if your account gets closed? (I’ve seen it happen before, for no apparent reason and the site usually claim that ‘something unspecified’ goes against their guidelines)
What happens when commission goes up?
What happens if Etsy becomes irrelevant/disappears into the ether/dissolves?
You’d be totally valid if you answered ‘I don’t know’ to those questions. And it’s totally valid to be tempted by the useful functions these platforms have.
I mean, Etsy really does look great from a customer’s perspective and as a seller, the back-end part of the website is fab too.
And I admit when you’re trawling the Google search engine results of ‘how to start a business and sell on Etsy’, you’ll be given plenty of convincing reasons by other sellers - it’s easy to use, you have an immediate online presence and it gives you a sense of safety.
You feel like you’re part of a community, there’s tech support, the guidelines are simple and easy to follow… overall, Etsy provides you with a clear-cut route to get your business off the ground.
Great. But remember those earlier questions? If you’re serious about your business and its long term goals, you need a contingency plan.
Cue your own *insert brand here* website!
With your own website, you can make a platform that’s completely personalised to your brand and its needs.
Which means:
You don’t have to pay commission or pay to use other platforms
You won’t be restricted to a single profile page so you can showcase your expertise and personality.
You’re in complete control of how your brand appears - there’s no word/photo/link limitations
You’ll own your platform, creating a space for you to be you
Which means you’ll become much more memorable (staying at the forefront of a customer’s mind is super positive - even if they don’t purchase a product/service now, they’re more likely to later on, if you’ve made a great impression!)
Creating a business on borrowed land means that people don’t remember your brand, you are not growing brand integrity.
I reckon if you’ve bought something off Etsy before you probably can’t remember who you bought it from or much about the maker/service provider, apart from their prices comparative to the ‘related products’. And price is not what you want to be remembered for. There is initially very little to differentiate us from the next guy.
So, here’s a few more reasons why you should consider having your own website:
By showcasing your personality on your own terms it’s easier to take your target audience on a journey towards sales conversion when there’s no distractions!
They can focus solely on your products/services, instead of pop-ups and ads that might draw them away
This also means you can personalise the way you channel a prospective customer’s journey - with appropriate guidance, expertise, products/services for that particular customer.
You can implement marketing techniques like SEO and newsletters, allowing your brand to have a wider sphere of influence
Your website lets you connect with potential customers and build trust with them = you and your brand become more memorable!
Compare this to Etsy, where you enter a world of distraction, with links to other people’s products, sponsored pages, adverts, annoying pop-ups... it’s designed to keep you scrolling.
Without a website you look amateurish, like a part-timer. People won’t be easily convinced that you’re serious about this business. They’ll be less likely to trust you, because you have less space and opportunity to show your personality.
Think about why people go to Etsy: they’re looking to buy something cheap. You’re way more likely to get customers who are looking for a bargain - they’ll buy the cheapest option and will probably take no notice of or remember WHO they bought it from. It’s all about the price of the consumable rather than the person/brand behind it which translates into impulse buyers. Not good for a long-term business.
So, you’ve got your website but how are you going to drive traffic towards it? How are you going to convert prospective customers into loyal, trusting and paying customers?
Search Engine Optimisation!
SEO is possibly the most important marketing tool in your small business pen-knife. It’s another great element to consider when you’re creating your shock-proof strategy.
It’s important to think about WHY people are using a platform:
They’re more likely to look to Google to solve a problem VS. Looking on Etsy to buy a product or service cheaply/for the best price they can find.
Short term, it’s easy and satisfying to make a quick sale on Etsy. But they’re unlikely to become a return customer/ someone emotionally invested in you. If you can position yourself as a problem solver and give value without someone needing to pay you, you can prove your credibility via your website and SEO.
All of this will contribute to a successful long-term and sustainable business and marketing strategy:
The target audience becomes invested in you and your brand, converting them to loyal/returning customers… down the line, people will recognise products/services as you and your brand, rather than the price!
As a small business, platforms like Instagram, Etsy and Fiverr are great ways to get your foot in the door.
But long-term, you should be focusing on building an audience made up of people you can connect with, people who trust you/relate to you/love you for you and your personality. They won’t just ‘love’ you for your price.
