I only hear good things about Shopify, but it doesn't need to be either/or for Etsy, right? The Etsy marketplace of shoppers is vast and there's the potential for anyone to find what you sell (even if the site is a hot mess). Whereas, as you mentioned, you have to drive your own traffic to your Shopify website. So if you don't have an audience or followers, because your product is new, or you don't care for social media, it seems to me that *only* selling on Shopify might be foolish, and that you should definitely sell on Etsy also. What am I missing here?
You absolutely can do both, but at a certain point you might be spending too many plates. I met a woman many years ago who made these nice felt handbags, totes, and accessory Sleeves. She started on Etsy, got really popular, and moved to Shopify. I checked up on her last year I believe and she’s completely left Etsy now and is only focused on her own website.
Sure, if you get really popular and build an audience it's a no-brainer to have your own Shopify site. But I think you have to get the product and your brand to a place where the Shopify subscription isn't a risky liability first.
Or it motivates you to hustle. How many sales would you have to make to cover the $30 a month and the materials to make whatever thing you were selling?
I definitely think that it’s important before you jump into Shopify that you ready yourself for having to do the work yourself, like sales, promotion, advertising, etc. However, being in the fire like that will give you a street Level education that you just can’t get when operating on a marketplace like Etsy.
I only hear good things about Shopify, but it doesn't need to be either/or for Etsy, right? The Etsy marketplace of shoppers is vast and there's the potential for anyone to find what you sell (even if the site is a hot mess). Whereas, as you mentioned, you have to drive your own traffic to your Shopify website. So if you don't have an audience or followers, because your product is new, or you don't care for social media, it seems to me that *only* selling on Shopify might be foolish, and that you should definitely sell on Etsy also. What am I missing here?
You absolutely can do both, but at a certain point you might be spending too many plates. I met a woman many years ago who made these nice felt handbags, totes, and accessory Sleeves. She started on Etsy, got really popular, and moved to Shopify. I checked up on her last year I believe and she’s completely left Etsy now and is only focused on her own website.
Sure, if you get really popular and build an audience it's a no-brainer to have your own Shopify site. But I think you have to get the product and your brand to a place where the Shopify subscription isn't a risky liability first.
Or it motivates you to hustle. How many sales would you have to make to cover the $30 a month and the materials to make whatever thing you were selling?
I definitely think that it’s important before you jump into Shopify that you ready yourself for having to do the work yourself, like sales, promotion, advertising, etc. However, being in the fire like that will give you a street Level education that you just can’t get when operating on a marketplace like Etsy.
True, true!