Etsy Alternatives
Over the past year, I've slowly specialized much of my merchandise in my Etsy Shop to Handmade Home Decor, Crochet Fashions, and Craft Supplies.
The changes that Etsy has implemented over the years became hard to keep up with the variations of items I am selling.To be seen one has to participate in Promoted Listings.
Despite what many of the blogs and mainstream news articles I've been reading are saying, mainly, that people are supposed to be looking to eBay and Craigs List for bargains ~ Etsy was supposed to be a site that specializes in unique handmade items and vintage collectibles.
The holiday shopping season sales in past years were very dismal in comparison to previous yearsmore favorable to vintage sellers. I also sell on Moomettes Crochet which is eCrater.
I found out about an alternative venue that I am considering
The IndieMade premise is simple if you're a Seller:
- Import Items from Etsy List
- Import Items with one click
- Plans start at $4.95 per month up to $19.95 per month (as of this writing)
- Free Setup
- Free 30 Day Trial
- Free SSL Certificate
- Simple Control Panel
- Your Own Site (Build your brand with your blog, products, photo galleries, news and event calendar all on one site.)
- Custom Domain Options
- Customize the Look Templates
- Rich Text Editor (no HTML knowledge needed)
- Store
- Products
- Images (2-10 depending upon the plan chosen)
- Attributes and Options
- Sell Electronic Files
- Etsy Connect
- Reports
- Google Analytics
- Extra Pages
- Image Galleries
- Blog
- News
- Event Calendar
- Contact Form
- Integrate with Social Media Services
- SEO Optimized
- Free Upgrades
Shoppers don't need to register to purchase from your shop. Indie accepts Paypal and other methods of payments, and shoppers don't need to have a Paypal account to pay.
You can set up your shop in minutes, and choose among some lovely templates. and it doesn't take long at all for items to import. The process couldn't be easier! The FAQs and Help instructions are very easy to follow.
You can even create coupons for your customers and develop an email mailing list.
IndieMade's website builder comes with everything an artist needs to create a unique, professional website! Shop Now!
What does this new venue mean? You can continue to sell titems you have a passion for ~ and promote in the same manner as an Etsy Shop~ through Facebook, blogs and Pinterest.
The only difference I can see is that you won't be paying fees other than an initial shop setup. Hopefully, through viral marketing, the word will get out about Etsy alternatives and buyers looking for unique gifts, trendy handmade items, on Pinterest will discover this new online platform.
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© Frugal New England Kitchen
