If you are an artisan or collector of vintage items, you are aware that Etsy is an excellent online platform for turning your interests into monetary gains.
Etsy provides sellers with an excellent platform to start and grow their business, thanks to its vast customer base of over 45 million buyers and strong brand recognition. Moreover, if you are a beginner, Etsy also offers a website builder called Pattern, which simplifies the process of creating your own website.
Merchants who begin their retail journey on Etsy and opt to explore alternative options usually do so due to the limitations and increasingly strict rules of the Etsy platform.
Retailers often switch platforms in order to gain ownership of their store. If a retailer has a store on Etsy or any third-party marketplace, all the data is owned by Etsy, which makes it challenging to execute advanced marketing campaigns like automated emails or retargeting ads.
If your business expands to the extent where you wish to switch from producing items by hand to using external manufacturing, you will no longer be able to sell your products on Etsy. With the exception of vintage items, Etsy strictly forbids reselling. These limitations pose a challenge for scaling a startup business to the next stage.
If you’re an artisan considering options beyond Etsy, creating your own website might be the logical next move. Having an online store can serve as a solid foundation, allowing you to have control over your content, data, and customer list. Additionally, it provides the flexibility to also sell your products on marketplaces to boost your income.
1. Shopify
The starting point for monthly plans is $39, in addition to transaction fees.
Shopify is a comprehensive commerce platform that enables you to sell products through various channels such as online, retail stores, pop-up shops, and social media. Additionally, it provides a wide range of business tools and resources, including merchant loans through Shopify Capital, an advanced point-of-sale solution called Shopify POS, and local delivery tools.
With a user-friendly interface, Shopify’s multi-channel solution offers hundreds of customizable templates that allow you to accurately represent your branding.
Shopify allows you to have your store and customer list on your own domain, meaning you have ownership. It offers different plans and pricing options to cater to various business requirements. Moreover, Shopify provides robust analytics and integrated marketing tools for merchants. Many current Shopify merchants previously used Etsy and switched as they wanted to expand their businesses.
2. Big Cartel
Plans for up to 50 products begin at a cost of $9.99, while the first five products are free of charge.
Big Cartel, another option similar to Esty, is designed for artists, crafters, and entrepreneurs, offering a customized community and various resources. It provides customizable templates to align with your branding, the ability to utilize your own domain name, and several marketing tools.
Sellers are charged a fixed monthly fee based on the quantity of products they sell. Shoppers make purchases directly from your store and have the ability to contact you through a contact form.
3. Squarespace
To sell products, you’ll need one of the monthly plans starting at $18/month, in addition to transaction fees. The plans begin at $12/month.
If you’re looking for an ecommerce platform, Squarespace is a suitable option. It provides user-friendly templates with drag-and-drop design tools, making it beginner-friendly. Additionally, Squarespace allows you to import your Etsy site, enabling you to transfer your products and their URLs easily. Consequently, if you intend to switch platforms, Squarespace is a hassle-free alternative to Etsy.
Squarespace’s robust inventory system allows sellers to utilize its built-in social media tools for marketing products. Squarespace’s pricing plan is tiered and depends on the necessary features. The highest pricing tier of the service includes the option to sell gift cards or subscription products.
4. Wix
Wix is a platform that enables users to create websites containing ecommerce features and user-friendly templates through a drag-and-drop editing process. Furthermore, it allows users to personalize the templates to align with their own branding.
Wix provides you with the ability to track orders, receive payments through PayPal and credit cards, generate promotional coupons, and establish tax and shipping regulations for various locations. Additionally, Wix presents a range of monthly pricing plans based on tiers, along with a vibrant community, knowledge base, and phone support.
5. Etsy
Etsy is widely recognized as the leading marketplace for craftspeople and artists to establish a prosperous merchant-ship, offering a wide range of handmade goods. This platform facilitates the online sale of all types of handmade crafts, including vintage items and craft-related supplies, thereby enabling sellers to connect with a large customer base.
With a free account on Etsy, you have the freedom to sell products swiftly. The only costs involved are a nominal fee of $0.2 per listing (starting from December 2022) and a 5% commission on each sale made on this platform. Additionally, Etsy enables you to sell items from any category. The community on Etsy is highly engaged and proficient.
6. Folksy
Folksy, a highly effective online platform, offers a way to sell handmade goods efficiently. This craft marketplace aims to directly connect you with customers, which can greatly benefit in reaching your target audience and potential buyers.
The Folksy provides you with four main categories for selling your goods, which include jewelry and clothing, as well as art supplies.
The platform offers various types of items and designer-specific stores, making the directory easy to use and navigate. Additionally, it allows you to sell your handmade products at a low commission rate, which is beneficial for getting your merchandise started.
7. Cratejoy
Cratejoy is a popular marketplace for handmade goods and an efficient platform for subscribing to products. It provides a better platform for recurring purchases of items. To sell handmade goods effectively, it is crucial to connect with customers who are interested in making a purchase. Cratejoy takes care of this task for you.
The text can be rephrased as follows: The package includes a marketplace, as well as personalized stores. By utilizing customer management tools, you can conveniently modify the experience of your subscribers, including advanced shipping and renewal choices.
With the ability to build a custom website that is highly responsive and can integrate multiple apps, this online handmade marketplace offers reasonable pricing at 11.25% per transaction.
8. Spoonflower
Spoonflower, a well-known marketplace, serves as a connection between merchants and consumers who wish to purchase designer, handmade creative products. This platform offers more than just a space for selling handmade items; it also incorporates diverse digital printing technology and promotes eco-friendly, scalable, and sustainable production of these items.
The online artisan marketplace understands the worth of your hard work, so it provides a platform for selling various handmade products such as wallpapers, fabrics, home goods, and more. By doing so, it exposes you to a large customer base actively seeking your creations. To participate, you must agree with Spoonflower’s set retail prices for your products, allowing you to earn a commission of 10-15 percent from each sale.
9. World Wide Arts Resources
The World Wide Art Resources, presented by Wwar.com and Absolutearts.com, is an effective platform for artists, whether emerging or established, to sell and promote their handmade artisans. This platform offers a valuable opportunity to sell your handmade products and keep pace with success.
One of the most popular marketplaces for handmade goods is available to let you create your own free and premium website. Alongside Absolutearts.com, this platform provides various tools for promoting your portfolio on the site.
In addition, the platform and Absolutearts.com offer the opportunity to distribute your art information to the subscriber base on a weekly basis. The pricing is reasonable for users, with the option to sell up to 20 handmade goods with a free account. For the premium account, the cost is $55 per year and sales commissions are determined by tiers.
10. Storenvy
Storenvy is an efficient platform for all small businesses and indie brands to sell products here. The platform works with efficiency in opening up opportunities for small merchants with indie brands. Storenvy lets the merchants sell through the custom stores in the respective online artisan marketplace.
The market differs from other marketplaces by functioning as a social network space for shopping. Community members have the ability to vote for their preferred products. The greater the number of votes received by your products, the more visibility your business will receive in the feed, search results, and category pages.
The free marketplace for crafts provides the option to list a maximum of 1000 products and offers a premium plan for selling. By opting for the premium plan, you can sell your products at a starting price of $9.99 per month and an additional 15% commission on sales made through the platform.
11. Zibbet
Zibbet is a marketplace that is perfect for aspiring merchants who want to sell their handmade goods. It is ideal for makers, artists, and entrepreneurs who want to overcome barriers in merchandising with their innovative creations. Additionally, Zibbet enables sellers to easily manage and sell their products on other channels.
Whenever a sale is made on the Zibbet marketplace, the inventory figures automatically update in real-time across all your connected selling channels. Selling on Zibbet is a cost-effective choice, with fees starting at $6 per month per sales channel.
12. ArtFire
Artfire operates as an internet marketplace for individuals who sell crafts and handmade products. Through this specialized platform for selling handmade items, one can conveniently trade various goods such as craft supplies, vintage design items, fine art materials, maker-made media, and art items.
The ArtFire platform offers plans that grant users convenient access to an online craft marketplace where they can sell their products through a personalized shop. In addition to this, the platform provides a live customer service chat and another marketing tool, enhancing the ability to create a strong customer experience. Initially, the forum was established as a major jewelry supply company on eBay.
ArtFire has become a significant marketplace for merchants focused on expanding their businesses. The pricing structure for ArtFire begins with a monthly fee of $4.95, along with a listing fee of $0.23 per item. Additionally, merchants are required to pay a fee of 12.75% of the final selling price if the item is successfully sold.
