Discover Digital Guru: Buying on Etsy
A UNIQUE MARKETPLACE OF GOODS FOR ANY OCCASION.
WITH THE HOLIDAY season now well and truly upon us, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of gifts needed to be bought for your many friends and family. Rather than volunteer as tribute in the battle that is visiting your local shopping centre, why not give Etsy a go. Over the last two months we’ve looked at buying and selling goods on the popular online shopping site eBay, but now we’re shifting gears towards a store of a different kind – one specialising in unique, handmade and one-of-a-kind items sold by people all over the world. Described as a global marketplace of independent microbusinesses, Etsy says its mission is to “keep commerce human”. On the site you’ll find hundreds of thousands of stores selling anything from personalised jewellery, hand-made art, custom wedding invitations, even decorative cushions to make your couch really pop! In this guide we’ll focus on getting you up to scratch on the basics of browsing and purchasing items before next month showing you how to set up and sell goods from your very own Etsy store.
THE BASICS
GETTING STARTED. If you’re new to Etsy, visit www.etsy.com/ and click the sign in option in the top-right corner of your browser. You’ll then see an option to register for a new account – just provide an email address, first name and a password. Alternatively you can register using either an existing Google or Facebook account. The final step is to verify your email address by opening up the link sent to your inbox.
BROWSING. After setting up an account, it’s time to make your way towards the Etsy homepage. If you’ve already spent time browsing the site, you’ll see that the homepage has been personalised based on your activity. Starting at the top, you’ll find a series of suggested searches, plus any items that you’ve recently viewed or favourited. Continue scrolling to see just a few of the many categories and items available for purchase. At any time while browsing, click on an item to be taken to a page consisting of photos, a detailed description and reviews from (hopefully) satisfied customers who’ve purchased that product in the past. Also here you’ll find a link to the seller’s store – all shops on Etsy have their own page featuring every one of their items up for sale, organised by category.
SEARCH. Sitting at the top of the homepage (and every other page for the matter) you’ll find a search bar – click it to see a dropdown list of popular searches, or alternatively begin typing your query. Given the large number of items available on Etsy, it pays to be descriptive with your search – for example, you can exclude certain terms by placing a minus sign in front of a word. After hitting enter you’ll be taken to a page consisting of search results sorted by relevance – you can also sort by recency, price or reviews. If you know the name of an Etsy store you can search for it here too.
SAFETY. Like all online shopping occasions, common sense can go a long way in ensuring you get what you pay for. Remember that many of the sellers on Etsy are individuals or small businesses, so you can’t always expect the same level of service offered by larger retailers. Before
purchasing an item, be sure to read through the description and reviews left by other shoppers. On a store’s landing page you’ll also see how many customers have purchased items from that seller in the past – a high number of sales combined with a majority of 5-star reviews means things are unlikely to go awry. It’s also a good idea to review a store’s policy so you know where they stand on things like returns. If you do experience any issues with an order, you can ask Etsy for assistance
(which we’ll talk about later).
STEP IT UP A LEVEL
CATEGORIES. Have a rough idea of what you’re looking for? Then direct your attention to the row of categories displayed at the top of every page. Whether it’s art, craft or wedding supplies, every item on Etsy sits within one of these categories – hover over one of them to reveal an even larger collection of subcategories.
FILTERS. If you’re after something very specific, you may want to try applying a filter to your search. Displayed on the left-hand side of the results screen, you’ll find options to limit results to a particular category, colour, theme, size, or price.
FAVOURITES. Keeping track of items you’re interested in is easy thanks to the favourites tool. To save an item, click the heart icon displayed on or next to a product’s photo. You can also do the same for entire stores by clicking the icon shown on a shop’s homepage. To see a list of your favourites, click the profile icon displayed in the top-right corner of any page and select View your profile from the dropdown list.
PERSONALISATION. One of the biggest draw cards of Etsy is the number of stores offering personalisation. Many of the products available for purchase can be customised in some way, whether that’s through embroidery, engraving, illustration or printing. For items where this is available you’ll be asked to provide a name or description of what personalisation you’d like added.
CONVERSATIONS. Before parting ways with your cash, feel free to contact the seller to ask any questions about a listing. To do this, from a product’s details page click Message Seller. A list of your conversations can be accessed by clicking your profile icon and selecting Messages.
ETSY JOURNAL. In need of some craftspiration?
At the bottom of the homepage you’ll find a collection of blog posts covering different topics and occasions while also calling out some of the items available for purchase on the site. Just a few of the articles in the Etsy Journal include ‘A Jewelry Lover’s Guide to Citrine’, ‘Festive Entertaining Essentials’ and ‘How to Shop for Statement Lighting’.
STEP IT UP A LEVEL
PAYMENT. Sellers can choose to accept a number of payment methods for items sold via their store. Popular options include credit or debit card, PayPal, and Apple or Android Pay. You can also save credit card information to your account for future purchases.
SHIPPING. As a global marketplace of independent sellers, it’s important to take shipping into account, especially for stores located overseas. Sellers get to pick how their items are shipped, with some offering a range of both standard and express postage options. When searching for items you can filter results to include only those stores offering free delivery.
ORDER TRACKING. Purchased your first item? Congratulations! While Etsy will keep you up to date on when you’re order is likely to arrive (also shown on a product’s listing page prior to purchase), from your profile you can also see the status of your order plus a tracking number (if
available). Just click your profile icon and select Purchases and reviews from the dropdown list.
DISPUTES. While it’s unlikely that you’ll experience issues with an order, sometimes mistakes happen. Your first port of call will be to contact the seller directly – they’ll have three days to respond and resolve the issue. If the seller is unable to do this, you can then lodge a case with Etsy to review. To create your case, visit the Purchases and reviews section of your profile and select the problem – either that your order doesn’t match its description or hasn’t arrived.
REVIEWS. Like eBay, Etsy sellers rely heavily on good reviews to drive new customers through their digital doors. With this in mind, it’s common courtesy to provide feedback and a star rating after receiving your order. To do this, visit Purchases and reviews and select the order you want to provide feedback on. You can leave a review up to 100 days after receiving an item.
GIFT CARDS. Know someone who’s difficult to buy for? An Etsy e-gift card may be the perfect solution. Available at values of $25, $50, $100 and $250, simply visit www.etsy.com/au/
giftcards and pick from a range of designs before adding a special message. Gift cards last for four years and can be printed or emailed directly to the recipient.