I looked at Etsy when I first set up Jaka Gems, but what concerned me the most about the system was the fees involved. Basic costs involved with Etsy are 20 cents per listing, then they take a 3.5% cut of each sale. Add to this the charges that Paypal adds, and you are getting hit with quite a few fees from your sales.
My thoughts so far (compared with Storenvy):
1. I appreciate that I have only just set up the shop, but considering that this is a paid platform, I honestly would have expected more traffic to my items when they first went up. On my Storenvy store when an item is first listed, it tends to have quite a bit of visibility, I see a spike in store visits which correlates directly with the time the item is listed.
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| Etsy stats screen shot |
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| Storenvy Stats screen shot |
3. Etsy allows me to list my items in Australian Dollars which, as it stands at the moment, is a clear advantage over Storenvy as this platform currently only allows listings in American dollars. I am based in Australia so would much prefer to be listing my items in $AUD. I should point out, however, that there are whispers floating around that Storenvy is looking to add a feature that allows international currencies.
4. Storenvy is still completely free. I know the old adage 'you need to spend money to make money' is probably ringing in your ears (as it is with me!) but Storenvy is FREE, and you get similar features as those that are offered to you on Etsy. Paypal are still taking their small cut of my sales, but on its own, this is very little. The thing I dislike the most about the payment system that Etsy use is that it seems to be a double up. They take a listing fee, then take a cut of the sale as well. Why not pick one and stick to it? This is something that has bugged me with Ebay as well for some time.
5. Both platforms have a very 'Community' based ethos, with store owner forums and the ability to follow users or shops. This is a fairly important feature of both platforms with each having similar ideas behind how they run it, although I think Storenvy does it slightly better with a more impressive 'news feed' of those that you are following. I think this feature has a lot to do with the spike in visitors when a new item is listed.
6. Both platforms can easily be linked to my Facebook page within a couple of minutes.
It is very early days, so I am not going to give you a final opinion on which one is better just yet. At first glance I would say that Etsy is a superior platform compared with Storenvy in some respects, but this is to be expected for something that you are paying for as opposed to something that is free. In saying this, however, the fees associated with Etsy (when added to that of Paypal) is somewhat of a turn off. I will certainly be giving Etsy more of a run than that of the couple of days that I have had it so far. I will wait and see how it pans out over the next few months before I decide on my final opinion.
What platform do you use? Have you used Storenvy or Etsy to sell your wares? What are your thoughts on the two platforms? Do you prefer a completely different platform? I would love to hear from you!
I have to say that I think the big draw with Etsy is really partially due to its exposure. If you've heard of handmade markets online you've likely heard of Etsy, but it is far from the only venue out there. I think Etsy predates Storenvy too, but not necessarily by much. I don't know that I agree that "you'll get better by paying for something" or not. I understand the sentiment, but in the newer business model I work with part of what "we" do is offer some of our best stuff up front for free. It's a huge attractor.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I didn't follow my traffic as much when I sold on Etsy and I had just started selling online as well. But the listing process alone makes Storenvy a lot nicer to deal with. While all the info is there both ways, you don't have to go back through pages to change something. I didn't care for the 10 section limit either. However I see its purpose. A store with too many sections can be overwhelming, but if you're super niched and choose to make lines your sections that can get sticky. At this point I have a shred of loyalty to Etsy because I started there, but I don't know that I'll be rushing back there to sell anytime soon if at all. Also some of my work, being of a spiritual nature, doesn't mesh with some of Etsy's updates to what you can sell and how you can phrase it.
Finally, while Storenvy isn't a strictly handmade market I think it is really neat that other indie businesses have the opportunity to sell their stuff too. This is great for when you're just starting out and may not have a website yet. Also hands down one of the best things about Storenvy (other than it being free to start of course) is that they have a fully customizable storefront.
There is absolutely no doubt that as a whole, Etsy has a far greater exposure than Storenvy. It has been around longer, has more users and I would suggest it has a far superior marketing budget than that of Storenvy. My point is, that you are paying for the service, so you are well within your rights to EXPECT more exposure. Keeping in mind that I have only been using it for a few days so I am only going on a 'first impression' view point, but the expected exposure that I had in mind when setting the site up is just non existent so far.
DeleteI completely agree with you on the item listing point. The Esty process is quite tedious at best whereas the Storenvy process is quick and easy and takes in the same information.
And yes, the fully customizable store front is definitely a massive plus for Storenvy. I haven't taken advantage of this feature just yet, but will be once a friend of mine has some time spare to write the HTML scrip for me! Of course, conversely, the stock standard pro forma provided is nothing special and without knowledge of HTML there is very little you can do!
Thanks for taking the time to respond!
I have never used Etsy, though I have an account. Simply don't care for the fees. It reminds me of a company that wanted me to sell on their site and - ooh, get excited - I would receive 70% of the purchase price.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to not like the exposure with Etsy. Google almost any handmade / handcrafted product, and you're going to see a lot of Etsy pages. I don't know if that increases sales, but Storenvy could take a page from their book.
With that said, I did create a store on Storenvy for several reasons: it's free, it's easy to customize, and there are no limits to products or categories.
For those who are not able or interested in altering the HTML and CSS of their Storenvy store, there are 0, nada, zilch options. There is one theme, and one theme only.
Additionally, Storenvy needs ... work. I don't really want to have a 'feed' on my main page; but don't have that option. I don't want to offer International shipping; but don't have that option. I want to offer different sizes and prices on a single item; but don't have that option.
Agree with everything you have said here Julie, especially the fact that Storenvy, as platform, needs some work.
DeleteFor me the biggest drawcard of the system was the fact that it is completely free. Whether or not it stays that way forever remains to be seen, but it is certainly the biggest advantage over its competitors.
There are three changes that I would make straight off the bat:
1. The statistics need a LOT of work, and dare I say it, need to more like those available on Etsy
2. I would really like to be able to list my items in Australian Dollars
3. They have recently added the number of sales to each persons marketplace store. I dont like this feature. Full stop. For stores that have been around for a while it may be ok, but for new stores starting out who have had few sales it is not so good. It is also not an accurate statistic for some as sales can come from other sources such as facebook or Etsy.
Thanks for checking us out here at Jaka Gems!
All of you make some great points. I think Storenvy needs work too, but I do think they are on there way. The market for them is going. As blogger more & more of the blogs im reading are opening shops & who do they open with? Storenvy, some even have shops on both platforms Storenvy & etsy. I have an account on etsy, ive bought from there & i also "tried"the process of opening a store but the fees got to me as always & the listing process? seriously? I love how easy it is to list on storenvy,many of us dont want to go through all the hooplah of doing an listing. the No fee is awsome. Its great for those of us like me who really cant afford to pay a monthly fee just to list items, this isnt my full time job & the profit I make now is enough to cover supplies & me. Then etsy charges a trans fee? i agree wi-th you, they should stick with one. Ive heard of ppl paying up to $80.00 month for fees. I love how on storenvy you can custom make your shop, the ONE KEY thing is making your shop stand out. I think both could take a page from each others playbook. I think storenvy is getting there & I will stay for the ride.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to give us your view point Santana, Again I agree with what you have said. I have been on Etsy for a few weeks now and am still not particularly impressed. I am still much preferring Storenvy. My points about the statistics still stand though, but as you have said, I will be hanging on for the ride!
DeleteHi I am based in Italy and I tried a similar service called DaWanda, look quite close to Etsy, they charge only a sale fee (I can't remember maybe a 7%) but the real problem is the traffic for your shop, I have more than 100 items for sale and I get only few hits (less than 10 / day). I have an account on etsy but I never tried to sell because I don't want to pay listing fee (plus an additional % sale fee) I also sell some items on ebay (I don't have a shop it cost too much) but they charge a lot of fees here in Italy I think something like 15% on sale price (ebay+paypal) plus in some case listing fees, that is exaggerate IMHO. I didn't know Storenvy and I will give it a try, I am fascinating about the fact that is compeltely free. I hope to get some traffic and exposure (the most important thing for a shop) for my items!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your impression and experience!
Hi GemsForSale.org - Let us know how you go with Storenvy! Certainly feel free to post your store link here so that we can check it out! You certainly have some beautiful stones - Do you facet them yourself?
DeleteGood comparison between the two. That's the thing with Etsy or any online store in particular. You have to work as hard to maintain your exposure and not just focus on the products you offer. Etsy's main advantage is that it has a lot more exposure, although of course, it also follows that you have more competitors. So regardless of whichever site you use or whether or not you pay the fees, you have to remember not to neglect marketing.
ReplyDeleteReach for Freedom Pty Ltd
I have only used etsy in the past and will not do so in the future. Very disappointing the costs add up, plus you get no traffic to your site since there are simply too many people selling on Etsy. Im looking for a new venue, any ideas?
DeleteMy biggest issue (like you) is that I can't list in AUD.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if this would cause confusion (and more work for me answering questions about the price difference from the page to the payment) with Storenvy.
Have you encountered this?
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