Alison J Prince · Lesson 46 of 128

5 - Where to Sell Your Products (A: Marketplaces & B: Shopify)

Alison J Prince

***ETSY UPDATES from Coach Alexis:  

Hi 0-100k friends,

New $15 onboarding fee is required for new shops opening on the Etsy platform.
 
If you sell on Etsy you may have started your day with an email from Etsy’s CEO in your inbox. Some people are confused by this email. Others don’t seem bothered at all and still others appear to be in a full panic.
 
While the impact of the Etsy email is yet to be fully known, here are some of the takeaways that I had from the email and from my further reading this morning:
 
- Etsy is trying to avoid a “race to the bottom” and competing with other sites like Amazon, Shien and Temu.
- Etsy is trying to “get back to its roots” and maintain themselves as an artisan and craft item platform.
- Etsy is continuing the use of allowing for production partners and you as the designer, but is really going to be enforcing that the shop owner truly is the creative entity behind the unique designs offered in each shop. More strictly enforcing their no resale policy.
- Etsy is adding in new parameters regarding the use of AI. AI generated images will still be allowed when utilizing your own designs, will be restricted in other areas (ex: you cannot sell AI prompts for chat GPT to other sellers).
 
A few things I think can help you as a seller:
- Be sure your shop is set up, complete and looks legitimate. (be sure you have seller policies, a return policy, shop sections, etc..)
- Make sure in the “about shop” section you give detailed information about how your products are made, who you are as a seller, what your mission is, etc. This is an added layer that communicates to Etsy and buyers whether you actually handcraft your items or whether you hand design your items and have somebody else help you make those items. Transparency is key.
- Ensure you are not reselling. If you are buying things off Shien, Temu, AliExpress or using stock images from those sites, you will likely get shut down fast.
- Make sure you stay updated on Etsy Seller Policies. Etsy holds you accountable when you sell on their platform for always knowing about changes and updates- so it is your job to be sure that you read those things in addition to my post here. Remember you are the business owner, they will hold you responsible for the knowledge.
 
Below are two articles that helped me better understand some of the new changes. I hope they are helpful to you: