How to open an Etsy shop

If you have a passion for craft, take into consideration to sell your items. Maybe somebody in the world needs your products. Or your handmade items are so beautiful that they have to be recognized and appreciated by someone else. Did you know that sometimes a handmade item can be an object that brings joy, and calm, and happiness? For example, I like to read beautiful quotes and see green plants in funny pots. Let's start with a shop, an Etsy shop, because you can sell your handmade creations in the whole world. Comparing to other selling platform, Etsy has integrated SEO and attract traffic to your store.
I am a seller too, so all the below ideas are from my learning and struggle and I hope they will be useful for you too.

Open an Etsy shop step by step

1. Choose a name for your business. Search online to see if the name already exist. Choose a name that represents your business. 
2. Start to open your Etsy shop from my link HERE to receive 40 free listing. After you use these listing, every new list will be $0.20. 
3. Read HERE about fees and taxes on Etsy. 
4. Follow the steps to set up your payment account and options. 
5. In your Dashboard, on the left side, in Settings, you have the option Shipping settings. Many shipping providers have websites and you can calculate the price for shipping your items in different countries. 
6. List an item. Be ready to upload 10 beautiful pictures for your item. Take the pictures on white background, in daylight. Keep them simple. 
7. Put a title for your item. Use a combination of 3, 4, 5 words that describe your item, for example: Crochet frog toy, Red Flower Earrings, Silk Wedding Dress, Kids Birthday Card. 
8. Write a beautiful and complete description of your item: what is it, for who, write about the colors and materials, size, how to use it, how to wash it if it is necessary. 
9. Put some tags. You have 13 tags to use. These tags will help your item to be discovered by shoppers on Etsy or Google. If your item is a pair of earrings, put tags according to their descriptions. Use combination of 2 and 3 words, for example: red earrings, long earrings, red flower earrings, and so on. 
10. Fill the space for categories, size, quantity, materials you used. Put a price. 
11. Choose a shipping option. 
12. Save. You list your first item. 

How to manage your Etsy shop

• Take it slowly. If you don't have experience selling online, don't despair! You will learn, by yourself, from others, online, how to manage your shop. Search online for everything want to know, using key words to find out something: how to put tags on Etsy, how to promote my shop, titles on Etsy, how to sell online and so on. Also, on YouTube you will find many other sellers that talk about from their experience. 
• First, read the articles that Etsy writes for everything that you need to know. The Seller Handbook HERE contains many useful information about how to write titles or descriptions, how to use tags, how to take pictures. 
• Join in the teams and communities on Etsy. In your Dashboard, on the left side, you have the option Community and Help. You can post your questions and get the answers from people that already know many details. 
• Take a look at others shops that sell similar items. Look at their pictures, descriptions and tags. 
• Take into consideration to promote your shop. You can have a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account,an Instagram account and a Pinterest account, all based and related to your work. 
• Be part of social media communities. Join in some networking teams, make friends. 
• Work everyday at your shop. List a new item everyday if you have the quantity. 
• Sign in for an account on Etsy Rank. This will help you how to find right tags, and you can monitorize your shop.  
• Be patient and confident. The sales will come. 

These are basic ideas for opening an Etsy shop. If you have any questions, leave a comment, I can help you. I am a handmade seller and I have learnt by myself everything about Esty and selling online. It was a struggle for me too. I don't know everything, but I try to say connected and informed because online platforms are continually changing. Recently, due to some technical problems, I had to close my shop and to open a new one, so I start it again with this work. 

You can find me here and if you give me a Like or Follow, it will help me a lot and I thank you in advance: 

Etsy Shop, Facebook Page, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter Account.