Choosing Your E-Commerce Home: Etsy or Shopify?
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Starting an online business? You might be wondering where to set up shop. Etsy and Shopify are two popular choices, each with its own perks. Let's break them down to help you decide what's best for your business.
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Why Start on Etsy?
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Ready-Made Customers: Etsy is like setting up shop in a market with plenty of foot traffic, especially around the holidays; lots of shoppers are already there, looking for unique and handmade items.
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Easy Setup: Setting up your Etsy shop is straightforward. No need to be a tech whiz. There's also plenty of examples of successful stores that you can model after.
- Seller Community: Etsy has a friendly community of sellers. It's great for advice, support, and making friends in the business.
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Thinking of Moving to Shopify?
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Your Brand, Your Way: Shopify lets you customize your store so it looks and feels just like you want. You get more say in the design of how your customers get from point A to point B.
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More Tools: As your business grows, Shopify has more features to help you manage and expand. Check out all the possibilities on the App Store. But keep in mind, setting up Shopify to match your particular needs takes some time. And as things change in the business world, you might need to tweak your store now and then (or, if you're a perfectionist like me, always).
- Costs Could Be Lower: If your sales start to climb, Shopify's fees might work out cheaper than Etsy's. If your Etsy business makes more than $10k in a year, you'll be automatically enrolled in their "Star Seller" program subject to higher transaction fees with no option to opt-out.
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Summary
Etsy is a great place to start if you're new and want to get your products in front of customers quickly. It's user-friendly and has a strong community vibe.
But if you're dreaming big and want more control over your store's look, feel, and features, Shopify might be your next step. It's designed for growth, so you can build your brand just the way you envision.
Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Think about what's most important for your business right now, and choose the platform that fits those needs.
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I'm iiko, the owner of iikoshop. I've designed and produced over 60+ pins with over 2,500 sales worldwide and my products are carried by two brick-and-mortar stores.