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Where to Sell Crafts Online: The Best Marketplaces

sell crafts online with etsy, amazon handmade and shopify

Selling crafts online is a great way to create a profitable side income. Many people are even turning their craft business into a full-time self-employed job. But how do you decide what platform is the best choice for you? 

With several enticing options, it can feel challenging to choose, and nerve-wracking to think about if you made the right decision. 

We’re going to dive into the best platforms to sell crafts online, and dish out all the details on pros and cons, listing prices, and so much more! 

Where to Sell Your Handmade Products Online

There are many different platforms to sell your crafts online, but here are the most popular:

Selling Crafts on Shopify 

Shopify is becoming an increasingly popular e-commerce site, and you’ve probably shopped there, or at least heard of it. Here are some of the pros and cons of selling crafts online on Shopify. 

Pros of Using Shopify to Sell Your Products Online

  1. If you are just starting, one great benefit with Shopify is that it is generally pretty simple to set up and utilize. 
  2. Shopify deals with customer transactions for you. People can use just about any e-payment method when they purchase your product on Shopify.
  3. Shopify also organizes items by product category which makes it easier and more visually pleasing for customers. 

Cons of Using Shopify to Sell Your Products Online 

  1. It costs money to utilize the site. There are free options, however, to have access to all features you have to purchase a Shopify plan and pay a monthly fee as a seller. 
  2. You have to use your personal email account. This can be annoying because your personal email can become flooded with Shopify notifications rather than having a separate business email with your brand name. 
  3. Shopify does also charge fees. You will be charged a payment processing fee along with another fee for the transaction. You can avoid some of these fees if you decide to use Shopify payments

Overall, Shopify has become a popular and useful option for people to sell crafts online. Though it does cost to have a plan, it is relatively inexpensive and gives you access to a great platform to sell your products to a large audience. You can learn more about selling with Shopify on their website FAQ page before deciding to sign up. 

Selling Crafts on Etsy 

Etsy is another great marketplace platform to sell handmade items online. In fact, Etsy is one of the most popular places to sell handmade goods. You can set up your own Etsy Shop on the platform too so it’s customizable! 

It also is one of the largest platforms for women with small businesses. You can find a wide variety of products on Etsy, including vintage items, handmade goods, homemade crafts, and even some digital product items.

If you don’t have a product idea, there are many great resources to get your ideas flowing.  

Here are some pros and cons to selling your crafts on Etsy. 

Pros of Selling Craft Items in an Etsy Store 

  1. Etsy is specifically for this kind of product. Selling handmade crafts on Etsy is the entire purpose of Etsy. Everyone who sells there or shops there is looking to sell or buy handmade crafts or products. 
  2. Etsy provides discounts on your shipping cost if you use their shipping method and get your shipping labels in-app.
  3. Etsy will give each seller data about their customers and orders. 

Cons of Using Etsy for Online Selling

  1. Etsy collects fees per listing and takes part of the profit from your product’s sale as a commission fee. The listing fee per listing on Etsy is twenty cents. Etsy also takes five percent of your earnings for each sale you make. 
  2. There are a lot of sellers on Etsy selling the same types of handmade products as you. 
  3. Pricing can get competitive. Since you are selling similar products to a large number of competitors, the way you price your product can sort of make it or break it sometimes. You do not want to go way over or way under the prices of another seller. 

Overall, selling on crafts through your own Etsy Shop comes with a lot of advantages. The commission fees are pretty low, and the audience is specifically seeking craft items.

Selling Crafts on Amazon Handmade

We all know and love Amazon, but Amazon Handmade is an Etsy alternative marketplace specifically for handmade crafts.

Here are some pros and cons to selling your handmade products on Handmade at Amazon.

Pros of Using Handmade at Amazon’s Online Marketplace

1. Celebrates and promotes individuals rather than large companies selling wholesale items.

2. There is no listing fee when you put your products on their online store.

3. You can offer customizable handmade items to your customers

4. There are lots of buyers on the Amazon platform looking for a unique gift or something special for themselves.

Cons of Selling Crafts on Amazon Handmade

1. Amazon takes a commission fee from each product you sell. It can feel like a pretty hefty fee at fifteen percent from each of your handmade goods.

2. It has not been around as long as other popular sites like Etsy.

3. Your Amazon Handmade account has to be approved.

Selling on Amazon Handmade is a newer and up-and-coming handmade marketplace that will probably see a lot of success. However, due to the high popularity of Amazon, we think this will also become a pretty saturated and competitive marketplace for handmade goods.

Final Thoughts on Places to Sell Crafts Online

Each of these sites has pros and cons, and there’s not necessarily one best option for everyone. Depending on your individual goals for your online business, one site might be a better fit than another.

In addition to the marketplaces that I talked about, there are other places to sell your items, such as Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media platforms.

You must think about the type of craft items you plan on selling, your monthly budget, and what kinds of start-up costs you can afford. The profit margin you end up with can also greatly depend on the online marketplace you choose, too. 

If you decide to go with an e-commerce marketplace, such as Amazon Handmade, the commission fees may be higher, yet there is not a monthly plan fee or a listing fee.

Ultimately what online selling site you choose is up to you. You should make your decision with a lot of thoughtful planning and consideration for your handmade craft business.

SmartCents Mom