Things You'll Need:
- A craft or artwork to sell or vintage items
- Internet
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Step 1
First, get to know Etsy. Browse the site for ideas of crafts and items you can sell online. You can sell anything from digital photo collages to handmade soap to knitted hats on Etsy. Let your imagination run wild! If you can create it, you can sell it. You can also sell vintage clothing and other items on Etsy that are at least 20 years old.
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Step 2
Now sign up for a free account using your e-mail address. Think of a creative name for your online shop. Your username will be your shop name so choose it wisely. Think of something creative that describes what you do or are selling. SouthernScents, for instance, might make a great name if you're selling candles, but Jane1 won't be such a great name since it says nothing about your online shop.
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Step 3
Now you can list your items. It's free to open a shop but costs 20 cents to list each item. If you are selling three T-shirts, for instance, it will cost you 60 cents. This is very reasonable considering the amount of free advertising and exposure you will be getting. When an item sells, there's a 3.5% fee on the final sale price, not including shipping.
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Step 4
Be creative when describing your items and also keep in mind the importance of keywords. Use phrases that people will likely search for when they want what you are selling. "Creative art work," for instance, won't generate you as many hits as "Original collages, handmade." You can use the Google keyword tool to help you research what are popular related searches.
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Step 5
Good luck and have fun! Etsy is a great place to get inspired by fellow artists and crafters and make money selling your work without paying expensive advertising fees.
Comments
trillity said
on 11/15/2009 excellent article on how to make money online on etsy! I just started my own vintage shop a few days ago!! :D 5* rec
daintymoney said
on 8/10/2009 The biggest problem for using Etsy to sell your products is not on how to open a seller account but how to market your product page.
With thousands of Etsy members, the competition is very fierce and the pricing war is almost at a level of impossible to make profit.
I also summarized and simplified information about earn money with etsy. It is a summary article for people who wants a quick information for selling in etsy.
http://www.daintymoney.com/earn-money-with-etsy
izzytellsall said
on 4/30/2009 My wife loves shopping on Etsy--I wonder if she's ever considered selling there to make some money to support her habit ;-). I'll be sharing this article with her for sure. Thanks!
kristara said
on 4/30/2009 I never heard of Etsy. Seems like a great way to make some extra money. Thanks for the info!
WebScribe said
on 3/6/2009 New to me, too. Would've been perfect when I was drawing house portraits for holiday cards - but now I write, and love it! Thanks for great info that will come in very handy someday! 5*