How to Make Money Online with Etsy

Etsy describes itself as 'Your place to buy and sell all things handmade'. And if you're a crafter or artist, Etsy is definitely the place to be. Etsy is also used by buyers and sellers of vintage items. Read on to learn how you can make money online with Etsy.

Instructions

1. Visit the Etsy.com site and do some "research" by clicking around and seeing what others are selling on the site. When you're ready to submit your first listing, begin with Step 2 below.

2. Visit Etsy.com and select 'Sell' at the top of the page. This takes you to a 'How Selling Works' page with a good overview of the process.

3. Click on the blue, 'Sign Up to Sell' button on the right side of the page and choose 'Sign up now' on the login page.

4. Choose and enter a username. This cannot be changed later so give it some thought. As a seller, your store's web address will become username.etsy.com.

5. Once you've established your account, log into Etsy and click on 'Sell' at the top of the page.

6. Click on the green, 'List an item now' button.

7. Give your item a title and then type in the description and the materials used to create your item. Be thorough and descriptive because buyers on Etsy will often search by item name, color, materials, etc.

8. Choose a top-level category for your item from the drop down box. Then choose any related tags that describe your item.

9. Enter a price for your item and choose the quantity that you have to list.

10. Enter your shipping costs. If you choose, you can create profiles for different places you are willing to ship and this will save you time on this step later. Once you've entered your shipping info, click 'Next'.

11. Upload any photos you have of your item. As you might guess, Etsy is a very visual site so take good photos and try to upload more than one photo. Consider photos from different angles, closeups of details, etc. When you are finished uploading, click 'Next'.

12. Review your listing. If you need to make any changes, click on 'edit' or the pencil icon next to the area where you need to make changes.

13. Once your listing looks complete, click on 'Finish' to submit your listing to the Etsy site. Congratulations...you now have an online store. Good luck!

Tips & Warnings

• Etsy shops are free.

• Each listing costs 20 cents for four months (this includes up to 5 photos).

• Final sales fees are 3.5% of the sales price.

• Use your shipping costs to recover postage and packaging, but don't gouge buyers. See the US Postal Service article under 'Resources' below for some tips on low-cost and convenient shipping.

Resources

• A Free Way to Promote Your Etsy Shop