Over the next two weeks I will be reviewing some of the most popular ways to sell your jewelry online. I have already covered selling jewelry on eBay.  In this article I'll be reviewing one of the most popular online forums for selling handcrafted jewelry...Etsy.

Etsy is an online marketplace for just about anything as long as it is handmade.  In their own words:

"Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers.

Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice:
Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade."

But if you think handcrafted means small, think again.  Last year people spent over $180 million on goods on the site.

The concept is simple, fees are minimal and the site is extremely easy to use: you create an account, open a shop and load your items for sale.

There is also a great sense of community on Etsy.  You can chat to other sellers in the forums and you can even use their Alchemy system to collaborate on designs with other jewelers.

Be aware that there are a LOT of jewelry sellers on Etsy.  You may have to be patient before you get regular sales.  Make sure that you promote your Etsy shop on any other sites that you have.

Another great thing about Etsy is that there are so many ways to showcase your shop items on your blog or site.  It has become so popular that a variety of external tools created by third party companies have sprung up to help sellers promote their Etsy shop.  Take a look at http://cr8tivity.com for slideshows and other widgets.

Jewelers with a strong theme to their jewelry tend to do best so try not to cram your storefront with a hodgepodge of random designs.  Stick to one or two collections and focus on gaining a reputation for that type of jewelry.  You can always add new designs and experiment with which sell best.

Appearance matters on Etsy too.  There is a specific way of photographing jewelry that has become so popular on the site that any jewelry photograph using the same angle almost screams "Etsy" to me.  Photographing your jewelry in a "set" is a common tactic too.  For example silver beach jewelry is often photographed on pebbles or driftwood, while books, leaves and roofing slate are other popular backgrounds.  This style of photography sets a "tone" to your shop or collection, and adds to the handcrafted feel.  Carry this through your packaging to encourage repeat purchases.  For example, a jewelry box hand tied with rafia and a sweet note saying "Thanks, please enjoy your jewelry." will appeal to Etsy buyers far more than any slick packaging.

As with any type of selling forum, try to get you branding and pricing established from the start and don't do too much experimenting too soon.  If you want to command $100 per necklace, then aim for that and don't start "apologizing" for your pricing by having slash-sales all the time.

 

Pros:

Easy to use

Attractive shop front

Niche site means that leads are pre-qualified as looking for handmade, unique designs

Low fees and a simple fee structure

You do not need to have your own merchant account (although you decide how to accept payments)

Cons:

Honestly, it's hard to fault Etsy for selling handmade jewelry.