*Please note: The term Etsy is a trademark of Etsy, Inc. This application uses the Etsy API but is not endorsed or certified by Etsy.

For the average consumer, Etsy is a treasure trove of merchants offering unique products and services, handmade items, and hard-to-find collectables. To a web professional, it’s a directory of thousands of potential clients. Successful Etsy sellers are entrepreneurs who have found ways to stand out amongst millions of other sellers. With a stand-alone website, they can take their business to the next level.

If being an Etsy seller is like having a booth at a giant virtual craft market, upgrading to a dedicated website is like opening up a brick and mortar location. Unlike a brick and mortar, however, entrepreneurs can create stand-alone websites without significant upfront investment. Ultimately, these entrepreneurs can use their sites to tap new markets, strengthen their brand identities, build customer loyalty, and diversify their sales channels.

Why product sellers need stand-alone websites

The first step to selling your web design services to an Etsy merchant is to help them understand the value a website brings to their ecommerce business. Your goal isn't to drive them away from the platform. Instead, you want them to understand why they should have both. 

Etsy provides sellers with a simple, streamlined way to advertise and sell their products. It also connects them to eager customers. Seller competition on Etsy is fierce. Even within a specific category or niche, sellers are competing against hundreds or thousands of other sellers. If a seller does find a profitable niche, you can be sure other sellers won’t be far behind. 

Standing out amongst the competition requires skill, and it can be difficult to build a strong brand identity without the ability to customize fonts, colors, layouts, and the overall user experience. With a professionally built custom site, your clients will have more freedom to build their brand. 

Listing, advertising, and transaction fees can also eat away at profits. A stand-alone site can function as a separate sales channel that helps sellers hold on to a greater percentage of their sales, and attract new customers in the process.

The good news is that sellers don’t have to choose between the benefits of Etsy and those of a stand-alone website. As a web professional, you can help them build a compelling presence online with control of their branding, marketing, and business–and without taking anything away from their successful Etsy business.

Taking business to the next level with a custom website

A Squarespace ecommerce website is not just a tactic to build a more substantial brand image, it’s a great opportunity for an entrepreneur to take their marketing to the next level. With Email Campaigns, they can build an email list with sign-up forms, so they can retarget the shoppers who are most interested in their products. Your clients will also enjoy access to a best-in-class suite of built-in marketing, analytics, and CRM tools that can help them better understand their existing and potential customers. These tools can even help them refine their approach on Etsy itself.

Your client’s new site can host blog posts and videos, and serve as a springboard for social media marketing. 

Integrating your client’s shop with their website

When an Etsy seller asks about the advantages of having an Etsy shop versus a website, ask them: why choose one when they can have both? Successful Etsy sellers have demonstrated their ability to stand out amongst the crowd. With a suite of ecommerce tools and full control over their branding, a stand-alone site offers them the potential to grow their business beyond a single platform. It also makes their business more resilient against potential changes on the Etsy platform.  

Your client’s new site can be as simple or as advanced as they’re ready for. If they’re ready to take full advantage of the Squarespace platform, their new website can build off of everything they’ve done on Etsy. 

The cautious seller who isn’t ready for a stand-alone ecommerce business can still take the step of commissioning a beautiful website for their business that can establish their brand and serve as a hub for their marketing efforts, while still redirecting customers to their Etsy storefront for the moment of purchase.

Importing Etsy products to your client’s new website

Doubling your client’s sales channels does not mean doubling their work. With Squarespace’s Etsy Product Importer, you can quickly sync your client’s Etsy storefront to their new site. 

It's a one-time process which then syncs inventories as they add more products to their Etsy shop. This way, they don't have to add new products on both platforms manually. This is possible using the connect an inventory and products extension. 

Once imported, your client’s website will show the following product details:

• Title and description

• Images

• Inventory

• Price

• Shipping sizes

Importing Etsy reviews to a Squarespace website

It can take months or even years to build a reputation on Etsy, which is a valid reason some choose not to leave it behind. Now, they don't have to. 

With Squarespace's Etsy Review Importer, they can bring along their glowing testimonials from the Etsy platform. Plus, it can build their web store's brand and reputation more efficiently. 

When you import the reviews, your client’s site will feature:

• Customer images

• Customer names

• Dates

• Product titles and images

• Review content 

• Star ratings

The tool imports up to 250 reviews, more than enough to show social proof and build trust in your clients' products.

Adding a local pickup option 

Aside from building a "forever brand," your clients have an additional advantage to selling on their own website: adding a local pickup option for customers to select during checkout. If your client sells large or heavy items, this can cut down on pricey shipping that eats into profits or causes hesitation in buyers. It can also help build a loyal customer base that’s close to home.

Squarespace's local pickup option (also known as click and collect) is free for customers, plus your client can still include their own shipping options. When customers buy items, they're removed from the client's inventory to prevent double-purchases. 

Using Squarespace’s Etsy Seller Dashboard

Your clients have access to the Etsy Seller Dashboard with a helpful checklist displayed on the Commerce panel. It's there to help them create a Squarespace storefront. 

Printing shipping labels 

Your clients in the United States can purchase and print Shipping Labels directly through Squarespace. This option is more cost effective than purchasing a label directly from a carrier and saves clients time by keeping their order and fulfillment workflow in one place.

Pitching your services to Etsy sellers 

Interested in adding Etsy sellers to your roster of clients? Then it's time to strategize. One way to reach this audience is through cold email. 

Use Etsy to find top-selling brands, fast-growing newcomers, and others performing well on the platform then check to see if they have a brand website. If not, try finding their email address—or reach out to them via the platform. 

In your message, it should include:

• Why they need a website

• Squarespace's Etsy-specific tools that make expanding their reach easier

• Your ecommerce website expertise

• A call to action, such as booking a consultation 

The following is an email template that you can adjust based on your business and location.

Hi [Name],

I noticed you sell on Etsy, but you don't have a website dedicated to growing and promoting your brand outside the platform.

Having your own website (alongside Etsy) is key to reaching your goals as an ecommerce business. It establishes your brand and reputation and attracts new customers, which can maximize your revenue. 

It’s also important to have your own platform to sell products that you control. Squarespace has Etsy tools to make building your website and expanding your reach easier.

I'm a Squarespace website professional who helps sellers like you build engaging online storefronts. If this sounds like a move you'd like to take with your ecommerce business, let's talk. 

Are you free [dates and times]? Book a consultation with me here [include link to your calendar through Acuity Scheduling], and we can discuss how to move forward with your business.

Best,

[Your name] 

[Your title]

[Your company]

[Your contact information]

Promoting your services online 

Social media, email marketing, and your website are the primary channels for promoting your services. So if you're looking to speak to Etsy sellers specifically, include the following talking points in your messaging:

• Have complete control over how your site looks and functions (e.g., a custom site improves the customer experience)

• Sell on multiple platforms to maximize sales

• No listing fees or transaction fees to eat up your revenue (outside of the payment processor you use) 

• Own your store forever (and maybe even sell it one day)

Start advertising your website services to Etsy shop owners

Every successful Etsy seller has an advanced understanding of how to build a successful ecommerce business. With a great stand-alone website, you can help them take their business to the next level, expanding beyond a single platform. Your expertise can empower these entrepreneurs to upgrade their marketing, branding, and margins. Ultimately, with a stand-alone site, they will be able to realize the potential that their already successful business really has. 

With the tools and tips we provide in this guide, you can make that happen. So start pitching your services to Etsy sellers today.

**This post was originally published on December 9, 2021. It has since been updated.

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