Open an Etsy shop – a quick guide for entrepreneurs

Have you had an idea to open an Etsy shop?

But you’ve been postponing the launch of your Etsy shop for a long time.

You thought you would start 6 months ago but you underestimated all of the work that goes into setting up a shop.

Or maybe you just felt completely lost with everything that needs to be done to open an Etsy shop and get your business started. 

Certainly, taking the entrepreneurial plunge you’ve been dreaming of is turning into a nightmare.

You’re wondering where to start.

I get it.

I was at the same point as you when I wanted to open an Etsy shop.

If you’re struggling to open an Etsy shop, I can help you.

So, let me walk you through the basic steps of how to open an Etsy shop.

Above all, I’ll show you that being true to your creative self is not just a dream. Moreover, it’s easily achievable if you just follow these simple steps.

How to open an Etsy shop

1. Let’s open an Etsy shop

Firstly, log in to Etsy and click on the “Sell on Etsy” link at the top of the page.

Next click on “Open your Etsy shop”.

2. To open an Etsy shop set your shop preferences

Now you start setting up your shop by setting your shop preferences. To sum up this includes the language, country and currency that you would prefer to use.

3. To open an Etsy shop choose your shop name

Your shop name helps your business to stand out and helps customers recognise your business. Consequently, you should ideally choose a name that is easy to remember so your customers can find you.

But whatever you decide, Etsy’s guidelines are that shop names can be up to 20 characters long, contain no spaces or punctuation, and not be in use by another seller.

In addition, for extra help, you can look at Etsy’s top tips for choosing your Etsy shop name.

4. Stock your shop

Adding digital items to your shop is an easy process. I shall go over the basic steps to get you started but you can get extra help from Etsy.

Add images:

Etsy allows you to add 10 photos per item so that customers can see every detail of your product. To add a photo, click on “Add a photo” and upload your images from your computer. Your images should be at least 2000 pixels wide. Get help with creating your images here.

After that, choose the thumbnail image: The image in the first photo slot on a listing will be the thumbnail that appears in searches.

Add listing details:

You need to create a title for your product in 140 characters. To clarify, your title needs to describe the item in detail as well as contain keywords to help your product be found in a search.

After this you can provide a detailed description of the product as well as additional details like the product’s type and category. This post , in fact, explains how to write incredible product descriptions.

Etsy allow you to include 13 tags per listing. Overall, these tags help customers find your item when they search on Etsy. Tags can be any words or phrases made up of 20 characters or less. However, when choosing the keywords for your tags you do need to think like your customer. What would they type into the search bar to find your product, for instance?

Decide on inventory and pricing:

Add your product’s price factoring in the costs of materials and labour, plus any related expenses. If you like, I have a pricing strategy here to help you with this.

Next, add the quantity you have available. For example, for my digital items, I usually set this quantity to 100 and allow Etsy to renew it automatically until it sells out.

Now you can add variations. This is if you offer other options like colour or size.

Finally, add digital files: Upload up to 5 digital files here. You can also add a customized note to send to customers after they download your product

5. Choose how you’ll get paid

Choose where your bank is located and provide bank details for where you’d like your funds deposited. Etsy Payments is the main way sellers get paid and means you can accept credit cards, debit cards, and Etsy gift cards.

6. Set up billing

Depending on your country, Etsy might ask you to provide a credit card for identity authorization purposes. Likewise, you’ll also need a card on file so that Etsy can charge you selling fees.

7. Open an Etsy shop

Yay! You’ve opened your shop!

8. Customize your shop

Now you can start designing your store to make it easy to find, well organized and beautiful to look at. Click on “Edit shop” to get started.

9. Add an owner photo

Add an owner photo that shows your friendly face.  That is to say, one where you’re smiling and looking directly at the camera.  Moreover, this image must be a JPG, GIF or PNG file, smaller than 10MB and at least 400 x 400 px

10. Add a shop icon

Upload your shop icon using a photo or a logo for your business. Again, this needs to be a JPG, GIF or PNG file smaller than 10MB and at least 500 px x 500 px

11. Add a banner

You can choose a banner style that fits with the aesthetic you want for your shop. A Big Banner (1200 x 300) fills the top of your shop with one big image, or a mini banner (1200 x 160 px) allows more focus on your listings.  Alternatively, grab a ready-made banner template here.

12. Add a shop title

Your shop title is a short and sweet tagline which describes your shop in 55 characters. For example, my Abbey Gate Designs shop has the tagline: “Personalized party printables and beautiful wall art.“

13. Add your location

Include your location because knowing where in the world you are helps your customers connect with you.

14. Add a shop announcement

This allows you to share important, up-to-date information with your customers. Furthermore, you can talk about how customers can connect with you on social media or mention new products and special promotions.

15. Add an About page

This is where you can tell your customers a little bit about yourself and tell your unique story about how you started your business. It’s an important part of your shop as this is where customers can really feel connected to you. Get help with writing a killer About page here.

16. Add links to your social media

You can quickly link all your social media channels with store announcements, new listings, store milestones, great reviews, or specific items you’d like to promote.

17. Add your policies

Here customers can find out about your manufacturing, processing, returns and exchanges, and payment processes. In fact, policies are easy to add as Etsy lets you use their simple shop policies template which you can adapt to your needs.

It’s so easy to open an Etsy shop

And that’s it. Now your shop is up and running and as a result, you’re all set to enjoy a flow of passive income into your bank account. 

Let me know how you got on with opening your shop. Include a link and because I’d really like to take a look at what you’ve created.