Update: Since writing this post Big Cartel has now come out with a 300-item plan. It’s $29.99 and sounds like a great alternative — some of you had mentioned that 100 items wouldn’t be enough and so you’re sticking with Etsy. Well… things have changed, and the limit is now 300.
Also — Etsy now offers coupon codes at checkout, something that used to cause Etsy sellers a lot of frustration.
***
Disclaimer: This post is my opinion and is based on my experiences only. Please look to this as a reference as we all have different experiences/expectations on selling handmade. What works for you may not be best for me, and vice versa. The purpose is to shed some light on both shopping cart systems. If you have questions or comments, be sure to leave a comment! We can have a discussion there, so if you leave a comment please check back for an answer {everyone is welcome to reply to a comment} :]
My background on selling handmade:
I opened my very first handmade shop in November 2008, and that was with Etsy. I started by selling jewelry. However that failed me {which I am so glad it did!} and in January of 2009 I was selling sewn accessories. In March I added my signature ruffle, and in January of 2010 I switched to Big Cartel.
My friend, Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy helped bring me to Big Cartel. Thanks, Linds!
I believe I had over 320 sales through Etsy when I switched to Big Cartel.
What made me want to switch?
There were many, many reasons, and for me the choice was clear: If I wanted to have a successful business I needed to move to a site like Big Cartel. {I’ll elaborate on this below…}
What is the difference between Etsy and Big Cartel?
My professional experience has shown me that they are nearly night & day. Both offer “opposing” services and features, however, to me, both “opposing” services and features have their own THUMBS UP and THUMBS DOWN viewpoints. Bottom line, both are necessary for success.
Before we break them down, take a look these…
This is Etsy’s front page:
…and Big Cartel’s front page:
This is a shop banner on Etsy: {it must be this size}
…and a shop banner on Big Cartel: {can be any size}
This is a shop homepage on Etsy:
…and a shop homepage on Big Cartel:
Update >> My shop homepage looks like this:
OK, now that you have some visuals, let’s Talk Shop for reals.
Again, this is not a comprehensive list — it’s just my opinion and the features that stood out to me/I used the most:
Etsy…
Pros:
- offers many newsletters featuring: News, Finds, Teams, Success, and Labs. These are via email; anyone can sign-up
- teaches you how to buy, sell, and search the site through a bajillion articles and forums
- you can have an unlimited amount of items listed
- allows you to “heart” (favorite) shops and items you find
- you can list an unlimited # of items
- has an in-system messaging system (they call it a Convo)
- allows you to leave feedback on a buyer/seller; allows you to see how many sales a shop has had
- has a great community for learning how to buy and/or sell {LOVE this feature!}
Cons:
- the in-system search bar can be distracting to buyers when they are shopping (they come to your shop but end up visiting and/or buying from another)
- the shop header is micro and has pixel limitations of 760 x 100 {for a visual, see Etsy shop banner image above}
- customers can see your sale information (what sold and the date). If you are new to selling or put your shop on “vacation mode“, you could be showing customers a low number of sales or a large gap between sales {this could leave a negative impression on a wavering customer}
- Etsy has fees {I’ll discuss this later}
- your shop cannot be customized aside from the header design {which has pre-set measurement} and the names of sections within your shop
- as a buyer, you have to create an Etsy account {to buy} and a PayPal account {to pay}
Big Cartel…
Pros:
- when someone visits your shop all they see is your shop! There aren’t other shops nearby to distract the visitor
- there are three monthly packages to pick from ($0, $10 or $20) and your bill will never exceed that number
- you can completely customize your shop. You need to know HTML, but that can easily be learned {or you can hire someone!} Examples of this on my shop are adding buttons to my Blog or Count Up post, newsletter sign-up, custom footer content, custom styling within each page {About Me, FAQ, etc.}
- as a buyer, you only need a PayPal account to shop a Big Cartel site
- you’re able to design your shop to match your blog {or another website you run}
- when you receive a message from your shop’s Contact Me page, it is delivered to your email inbox and you can reply via email. With Etsy, you receive a Convo notification in your email inbox but then have to log-in to Etsy to reply. Kinda a lot of work…
- you can still browse their store directory to find new shops
Cons:
- The feeling of “community” is missing
- If you aren’t able to write HTML to customize your shop, or have it hired, your shop can look a little bland or mass-produced {like an Etsy shop, where all shops look the same}
- their home page is more like a “welcome” page — it’s completely different from Etsy {no search bar, etc.}
- you can only list 100 items for sale
*Please note: You may find additional Pros and Cons to Etsy and/or Big Cartel. The above bullets simply state my experiences and what stood out to me the most.
For me, moving to Big Cartel was a no-brainer.
Because Etsy charges a fee to sell, there is a direct relation to how much you have to pay with the price of the item that sells {it’s 3.5% of the selling price.} That means if you sell higher-priced items, you pay more when they sell. What else does that mean? The more successful you are, the more you have to pay.
{cue whining}
And soon enough, my bills were well over $100/month and I thought, Is this worth it?! What happens when I double my daily sales?
At the time I really started to consider moving to Big Cartel, I was making consistent sales. And $100 is a lot of money! I could purchase a few ads with that amount, I could buy materials, I could hire an assistant {gasp! And I did a few weeks ago!!!!!!!!! Yeow!} — it was easy to see how I could be spending that money elsewhere and in a way that would benefit me in the long run.
Then I had a thought: I wonder how many people are visiting my shop through the help of Etsy? And you know me, Miss Independent, I clicked over to my Google Analytics page {click here to read my post on Google Analytics} and well…. There was my answer.
According to Google Analytics, over 70% of all Etsy shop traffic was from:
a.) my blog
b.) a blog I sponsor
c.) or other sites like Twitter, Facebook, or blogs hosting a Gussy button
I thought, I’m paying $100+/month to a company that is hardly “working” for me?!
But wait, don’t whip out your glaring eyes just yet…
Etsy provided me with a giant bucket of tools to help me build my shop.
All the positives I listed about Etsy above — those were giant tools that helped me build success. But clearly it was time to set up a shop on my own. I had spent months building up a community within my blog, my Etsy shop, and finally on Twitter and Facebook. Gussy was {and is} growing at such a fast rate that I thought, Gus, you need to be smart with your money!
And so I updated my business plan, got to work in Photoshop and had a new shop the very next day.
Yeah, when I get excited, I like to really “up” my productivity ;]
So what are my ending thoughts?
I strongly, strongly, strongly, strongly encourage building a community before flying solo. I really don’t think my shop would have the buzz it has today if I hadn’t started with Etsy {or another community-building website}. There are just so many great things about it Etsy!
I support Etsy — I heart it — I highly recommend it.
Everyone needs to be part of a community — even your handmade shop!
However, no one business plan is perfect {or works for everyone} and so one of my favorite quotes…
“to keep our balance, we must constantly shift”
…instantly comes to mind. It was time to shift.
Remember! Anyone can start a business, but it takes some hard-core dedication and learning to keep it running successfully.
If you have a how-to question I totally recommend you learn the answer yourself. Do some research on the web! I could make a list 2 yards long of all I learned from doing my research. Ahh, it is so invigorating! We are all so talented and can accomplish so much! I am cheering you on with encouragement! Learn this first-hand for yourself! Do it to better yourself and your business.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- what do you want to accomplish with your business?
- how can you get there? {break this down in as many steps as it takes}
- how can you create buzz?
- how much $ in fees am I spending each month?
- where is the majority of my traffic coming from?
- how can I increase this?
I would LOVE to hear your thoughts/questions/etc. Leave a comment! Let’s engage in a discussion!
PS. Monday starts my mini-series on business {part 1}, organization {part 2, Tuesday} and Q&A {part 3, Thursday}. Hope you’ll come back!
Girl – are you preaching to me today? I’m sooooo on the fence about this one! Did you have a big gap in sales? Did you have to work hard to get folks to the new shop?
Etsy bills are KILLING ME!
A tiny, teensy-eentsy gap. I had enough people that knew my links that they found me! And I think the process of Big Cartel’s check-out is way easy, especially for non-computer people. It’s very smooth.
If you give people enough of a notice, or create enough of a buzz, they’ll find you :]
What a great post. I am nowhere near having a shop of my own for all of the product ideas I have in my head, but this is great information for me and the future of my business. You put a lot of thought and planning into this post and I think it will be so beneficial to so many people. I can’t wait to read more on this series!
Amy – I feel like you just spoke my words. I am constantly thinking about product ideas and starting a shop and blog but just haven’t made it off that fence yet! Gussy, I love this post and think it’s great input. I look forward to your other business related posts!
I’ve been considering setting up a shop sometime in the not-too-distant future. I’ve looked at both Etsy and Big Cartel, seeing as how everyone I know that sells handmade uses one of those two. I think this post helps a LOT to see what the major differences are – and how they can work for me! Thank you so much!
Thank you, thank you. That answers so many questions. I didn’t realize that there was a “set” fee each month for Big Cartel. It definitely is a money saver when you get to your level of business! I had not doubt that when you switched you would still have people all over your Big Cartel site. People are looking for you, lady! (I mean that in a non-stalkerish kind of way. No worries.)
Congrats and thanks for the research. :)
Great thoughts Maggie! We looked at Big Cartel awhile back, and at least then, even on the highest plan, they capped the number of items you could have at 100…certainly not a big deal for a lot of people, but for us, we decided that wasn’t a good fit. It could have changed since then, but that was a big consideration for us!
Hey Jodi! Yes, Big Cartel still limits 100 items for sale… kinda a deal-breaker for some people.
I am so happy that I found you… I am trying to get my ducks in a row so that hopefully in the new year I can quit my day job… thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and write these articles… It is so helpful for so many people!!!
It’s changed – Big Cartel now has a cap at 300 items. Which is a lot more. Perhaps enough to switch…
I am so glad you’re doing this business mini-series! I counsel small businesses at all stages (http://www.osbdc.org), and you are doing something very important by PLANNING and EVALUATING your strategies. I’m excited to see your ideas on organizing.
Beautiful post! It’s interesting to read because I met with the new Etsy team here in Berlin last month. It was very cool – but I really felt ready to venture off on my own. As a person figuring out how to make my business work from TWO countries, I’m really excited to be switching to Big Cartel. Your post definitely confirms my plan.
Interesting enough – my husband and I are currently working on the future shop HTML as I pause to read your post. Very cool!
Katie
In your opinion, would it be better for someone starting a new shop to start with Etsy and switch later to Big Cartel? Or just start with Big Cartel?
If you haven’t created a buzz about your shop — meaning people don’t know about you and/or where to find your wares, I strongly suggest starting with Etsy. It will teach you so much! You can sign-up for their weekly e-newsletters.
Big Cartel isn’t going to bring you much traffic. You are required to do that, through Twitter, Facebook, a blog, email, newsletters, etc.
However, you can always start with Big Cartel — don’t feel like you CAN’T do that :] You just have to work really, really hard to spread the word!
Thanks for the advice!
I love reading your blog!
Many thanks for all the great comments. I’m pretty new on the online shop thing. I also prefer to start with Etsy and then move to Big Cartel later due to the conditions you said above. However, I have one concern about etsy. I designed my product and it is homemade but not handmade by me ( i did have someone do it for me with my direction). I’m not sure if i can sell my original design in etsy if it’s not handmade by me.
If this cannot apply in etsy, can you suggest any other site that can be an etsy alternatives except the handmade by me condition.
thanksss in advance for any suggestions :)
Onn
Hi, @onn, according to the new guidelines, it is OK as long as you make it explicit that YOUR design is handmade by someone else. For instance, you could introduce this person as the manufacturer of your creation in the “About” page of your shop…
GREAT POST!! THANK YOU; GUSSY!
Thanks – I just learned a lot! And I love the Gussy enthusiasum!
Thank you for sharing this side by side comparison based on your experiences. Since my business is brand new, the Etsy site works for me right now, but as my sales grow, and if my monthly Etsy fees begin to increase over $20 a month on a regular basis, I will definitely consider switching to Big Cartel! Just looking at the two store fronts is a HUGE difference!
Everyone has different experiences with Etsy. Some sellers are on the front page ALL THE TIME, whereas others aren’t. Some have their work featured in Etsy Finds emails, others don’t. Little things like that can help Etsy generate a lot of buzz for you.
I wouldn’t put the limit to $20/month in fees with Etsy — I think there are more factors that can contribute to your decision to leave and venture on your own. It’s like riding a bike, when you can definitely, 150% do it on your own, it’s time to take the training wheels off.
okay, that is some awesome information! Thank you for this fabulous post! I am hoping to open up shop in a few months… but I guess I am curious about how you build community through etsy? there is just SO much that (like you said) could distract your potential customers away from your site. I guess what I’m asking is how did you build your community through etsy in spite of it? I am adding new features to my blog all the time and trying to create human interest and a whole lot of artistic flare! {it’s a lot of work!}
*Some times Etsy has “meet ups” in your city – they had one in Minneapolis a few months ago. Go to those!
*Research Etsy Street Teams in your area!
*Heart other shops/items on Etsy — sellers will find you (and your shop!)
*Add an Etsy app to your Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/#!/apps/application.php?id=89186614300)
*Create a Facebook Fan Page
*Visit the Forums and leave comments…
Thank you!!!! :)
I have an etsy shop that I rarely promote. I am a zibbet gal!
http://www.zibbet.com/madeonfifthstreet/sell
Once I am community established however I will look into Big Cartel!
Have a great day and thanks for the info!
Sarah
thanks for taking the time to write this post – it was extremely helpful. i had no idea you were paying $100 in fees each month!! now i completely understand the switch. etsy is still working just fine for me but it is good to better understand the advantages of Big Cartel for future reference.
Etsy is SO GREAT at helping you create buzz. Plus, the free information they give you via e-newsletter is pretty much priceless.
Wow! Thanks for this. I am just now trying to learn the ins and outs of the crafting business. I am really new as in… really have no back stock yet mostly just what people have ordered. Organizing is on my agenda so I can start crafting more regularly. I had never even heard of Big Cartel until now. Thanks so much for sharing!
Glad I saw ya on Priddy Creations!
Thanks Maggie! This post really gets me thinking on the future of my Etsy shop. Have a wonderful day!!!!! But, if it weren’t for Etsy than I wouldn’t have found you and I also wouldn’t be the proud owner of 3 Gussy’s!
xoxo~Meg
oh Meg, you make me blush ;]
Great post…I sell on etsy mainly for “play money”, but we recently have been relying on it for money to put into an emergency fund for our family. I don’t have the time to list new things daily and the only business I have are repeat customers, so as much as I want to make the move to Big Cartel, for me personally, it’s not the right time. Thanks for doing the comparison, it actually answered a lot of my own questions about it. :)
i LOVE etsy and would love to head to big cartel. the problem is that if you don’t have any buzz, or a large blog following like you and lindsey (pleated poppy) do, its hard to get traffic. i love the traffic from etsy, and the community the provide. but not the shops carrying the EXACT SAME PRODUCT FOR HALF THE PRICE. you can easily get lost in the sea of etsy sellers, but it also encourages you to find your own way to stand out. great post on the pros and cons maggie. i see a lot of sellers making the switch to big cartel AND keeping the etsy shop a bit smaller just for the traffic. i can’t wait til my etsy fees are $100+! ;)
Jenna ~
I think this is a perfect example of how we all experience different things with Etsy and Big Cartel. For me, I wasn’t getting much traffic from Etsy. But my blog was doing me wonders.
It is SO important to know facts like this.
To everyone: Be careful before you make a serious change like this. Know your information, your sources of traffic, etc. This is YOUR business, and you are responsible for educating yourself on things like this.
Great topic!
Thank you for the wonderful and oh so informative post!! This definitely reminds me of the importance of tracking your traffic, both for your blog and etsy shop…I have only just started asking folks who purchase from me how they found me and my shop, and the answers are so informative, I know I should’ve started that much earlier. The focus of your post was perfect…Etsy is the way to go if your business is not well known, but once it hits a certain stage, it may be time to expand!! thanks again:) xo
sheesh, you summed up all that I had to say in a compact paragraph. Why couldn’t I have done that?! ;]
xo!
Thanks so much for the info–you’ve introduced me to a new option to consider when the fees start racking up. This was really helpful.
Wow, thanks so much for such a great post! Lots to think about… like directing my paid for ads to somewhere other than Etsy, where it’s oh so easy to stumble into someone else’s shop!
Wow! I am embarrased to say I didn’t even know about Big Cartel. I am impressed! Thank you so much for the wonderful information. I have to say I cringe every time I pay my Etsy bill, this is definately somthing to look into. Thanks so much!
Great post, Gus!
Very helpful. xoxo
Thanks, Dove.
Awesome post! I’m bookmarking for future reference.
Super helpful. I don’t have a big following/buzz, but I’m too cheap to fork over the Etsy fees in order to build one. So I keep it all on my blog. I’m still thinking about Big Cartel…
There are plenty of things you can do without having to pay:
-find blogs that do free giveaway posts
-create a FB fan page
-use Twitter to spread the word
-use your blog to spread the word…
Very informative, thank you for sharing!
(I am not sure what happened to my previous comment)
This has answered so many of my questions after just opening my Etsy shop and then hearing all about Big Cartel – I think Etsy will be awesome training wheels for a while, but as I spread the word more and add more items that people like, I would love to make the switch. Thanks so much for this post! SUPER HELPFUL!!!! :)
http://josiahsnest.com
http://moriahann04.etsy.com
Thanks so much for sharing your research. This is very helpful. I have been trying to figure all this out. Thank you!
loooove this!
As you know Gus, I have been thinking about this lately. Maybe it will be in my future, but the HTML part scares me! Thanks for a great post!
…you can learn some HTML :]
Great post! Thanks for all the information!
I have wondered about the differences between these two crafting sites. I keep getting questions about whether I use them from people I know. Thanks for the education – especially with the images of the differences between the two!
I started my business with a web host, then found a more suitable made-for-mom-business hosting provider (ShoppePro). I have been happy there and learned a lot about getting myself out there and working on search engine optimization. I am just starting my blog and social network advertising.
Gosh you are smart. I’d love to sit and pick your brain for a while.
O WAIT. I GET TO! :)
Thanks for the post! I have started with Big Cartel but wonder if I should also have an Etsy shop for a while just to help increase traffic.
My thoughts are this: It never hurts to test something out. Educate yourself, test it, see what happens. If anything, I encourage you to sign up for their newsletters or read through some forum topics. You can learn so much!
Wonderful post! Thank you so much for sharing your experience- definitely words of wisdom!
Thank you so much for this entry. I was completely taken aback by my lack of knowledge about Big Cartel! Thank you for honestly opening up about both sites!
Thanks for your blog! I am really considering moving to Big Cartel. I was curious about why your domain says your name and not Gussy? I am considering buying a domain, but am deciding whether I should use my name or my business name.
You can type http://www.shopgussy.com and you’ll be redirected to my Big Cartel shop.
Thankyou for sharing this information! I have been
contemplaiting a switch for a couple of months now.
I am noticing a lot of traffic everywhere except
my etsy shop…ie.. blog, fb, twitter. It has been great
for getting started online though. I knew nothing when I started
and have learned a lot. I am finding that having to
join to buy is a pain for some and that is hurting
business some. Thanks again, lots to consider.
Great post! There are so many e-commerce solutions, and Big Cartel is definitely an awesome one! I think Big Cartel is a really good way to go as long as you’re not selling a ton of products… BC sites get a little tricky at that point.
I run a web design company over at http://www.sheamediaco.com and the shopping cart we use for most of our artisan clients is E-Junkie (http://www.e-junkie.com). It’s marketed as a “Fat-Free Shopping Cart,” which means it doesn’t have a ton of extra stuff that you as a small business will never use. It integrates with any website, and it uses PayPal or Google Checkout as the merchant service. Prices are awesome… $5/mo for 10 products, $50/mo for 1000… everything else is in-between.
So if you’re serious about being a full-time artisan seller, there are a lot of options. And whether you have 5 or 500 products, it’s good to look at all the possibilities.
you are so, so right! thanks so much for sharing a little about e-junkie! :]
Thank you so much for this great information. It was really nice to hear the comparisons from someone who has done them both. I hope I reach the ‘problem’ of too many dollars in fees… I will love that! And then I will know where I can move to! ;)
Hi!
I found your blog via a photo of one of your bags I found on etsy I saved to my computer. I just love the look of your stuff.
I’m a SAHM trying to get her shop at Etsy going (ok, I actually have 3 separate shops) and found the link to your blog. I love this post of yours as I had never heard of big cartel. Now you have me wondering if I should switch…. I don’t have a huge amount of sales coming in but enough to give me a little fun money to buy things for my girls. My situation is I’m a Canadian living in Italy with my husband… I have 2 wee ones so I can’t get a job right now so this is why I’d love to get my business going. Would love any feedback you could offer or ideas!
Thanks so much for sharing your inspiring story on how “Gussy” got started… gives me hope maybe I can get things moving.
Melissa
http://www.lissylee77.etsy.com
http://www.bellastyledesigns.etsy.com
http://www.eyepoetry.etsy.com
This is a fabulous post. I discovered Big Cartel about a month ago and I have not looked back. I love having my own shop, with my own shopping cart. I am trying hard to personalise it
This is a fabulous post. I discovered Big Cartel about a month ago and I have not looked back. I love having my own shop, with my own shopping cart. I am trying hard to personalise it, but my knowledge or html is pretty basic.
Can you give any tips or links to any tutorials for how I could add the side bar buttons to my blog and also set up a newsletter that ppl could subscribe to?
my blog
my shop
Sorry for the double post!
Hi,
Great info. So I’ve been using Facebook to advertise my handmade sewn items and have been doing good. But not getting a whole lot of other people other than friends of a friend type of thing. So many of my friends have said they have had success on Etsy and have encouraged me to do the same. I decided to open up a shop on Etsy next week to get exposure. I think if it is successful and I find I’m paying too much I’ll then switch to Big Cartel??? Would you have just started out with Big Cartel if you had known what you know now??? I have had so many people ask me if I have an Etsy shop they can browse so that’s why I decided on it. I had never heard of Big Cartel till I heard it on your blog.
I think I would have still started with Etsy. You have to start somewhere, right? :]
Etsy is super great, but it gets very competitive and is easy for customers to leave your shop. And you don’t want them to leave!
Hey there MW,
I feel like I’m where you were in 2008. I have the desire to start a handmade business, only a few of the skills, and I’m ready to learn whatever I can! Thanks for putting up your story and all the other helpful things you’ve posted. My question at this moment is… Were BigCartel and Etsy your only choices? I’ve heard that wordpress has some shop plugins through Ecwid that are free–no fees at all! Is there a benefit to BigCartel that should keep me from something like that?
I don’t have any experience with hosting a shop through WordPress… I would do a google search and see what kind of reviews people are leaving.
Thank you for this great post! I decided to go with Big Cartel as well, even though I hadn’t tried Etsy. The benefits for me were having your own shop and control over the look of it, a one off fee each month and the ability to then drive traffic from my blog and Facebook to the shop. I am in very early days yet but loving the professional, artsy vibe of big cartel and very simple layout and ease of use as you said.
I’ve noticed on BigCartel website the product description under the photo also has a number by it (41, 5, etc) I was wondering what these numbers are…
those numbers were just for me to track inventory :]
Didja know Etsy has Vacation mode now? Smart move on their part, maybe they saw your post and knew they were losing people!
I have forwarded this to so many handmakers who are also on the fence, as we all were before reading this! Thanks!
I absolutely loved this. I came across BigCartel the other day and I just opened my shop on etsy in September. My mouth dropped at the idea that I might have made a mistake in picking a venue. I know that Etsy’s community will help me expand and promote my items to more people. But I loved that BigCartel allows you to shop at the store without having to be a member.
Eventually I might have to do the same thing you did.
Thanks for all the info!
You can always change and go somewhere else. Maybe go ahead and buy the domain you want to use so you can mask the Big Cartel domain they give you? Just to be prepared :]
thanks a lot for sharing this. i just opened my shop on etsy in october but reading this post made me interested in a big cartel shop. Do you think i can have two shops? (etsy and big cartel)?
Awesome information. Thank you so much for sharing. I get decent traffic and have learned so much from friends I’ve found on Etsy. However, the fees can get high. Definitely using Analytics and keeping an eye on traffic is helpful.
I would like to point out that at this time, Etsy seems to be dismantling their social community resources. They have shifted some key links around, placing the feedback link under circle and favorites links– meaning there is a better chance of click-away now.
And the moderators have been muting etsy users that speak about these problems– and others– in the etsy forums.
Wow..great post! I will be bookmarking this!
I opend my etsy shop back in November.. I just dont know if Big Cartel had an audience for my kind of craft
Oh and dose big cartel have fees??
Very informative. As an artist who has only recently stepped into the world of online selling, I have tried out both Etsy and BigCartel and decided on going with the latter as well. Thanks for the insight.
My concern is that I am having a devil of a time customizing my big cartel shop. And I’m not wild about the Tonka Park themes you can buy. Any tips on designers who can customize it for me without paying a bundle are greatly appreciated!
I’m loving this good info. Thanks for sharing your experience & knowledge!
Thank you, as someone who has been frustrated with etsy on some level for a while this has given me an understanding of what bigcartel would involve.
Thanks so much for posting this!! I started my etsy shop in September and have had some great success with locals that have found me on there. I am desperate to be able to quit my day job in a few years and sew/create/craft full time!! All of your information is so helpful!! Way to go!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Your posts have been invaluable to me. Thank you for sharing you experiences. I started this adventure (avoiding going back to my day job from being laid off) a little while ago. I have read many of your posts to keep me engaged, inspired and courageous with this new journey. This one came to me at just the right time. I think I am ready to set up shop!
Sara Stokes turned me on to your blog when I told her I had the idea to sew for my livelihood and I have been with you ever since. Thanx again.
Hi
Your post is exactly what I was looking for as I am thinking of opening a big cartel shop (already on Etsy). So thank you for your wealth of information.
Hey, thanks for the post, just thought I should point out that big cartel has upped their products – you can have up to 300 now!
C
So glad to read this post. My mom and I are opening a business and were trying to decide which one to use. We actually chose big cartel last week because you only have to pay one fee and that just seems super simple. Plus I love that you can customize your own shop and make it yours! And when someone visits, they are visiting just your shop.
It was good to read all the pros and cons listed out. Thanks!!
Hi Gussy,
I found you through “Under the Sycamore” I actually tapped your button ( on my iPhone ) on the sidebar by accident. I scooted around your shop and wound upon your blog. I read your success story as well as this VERY informational post. congratulations, God speed!
I’m trying to teach myself how to blog and learn HTML and photo manipulation…though I do it sporadically. I need to set some specific goals and follow my passion.
Your story is so inspiring.
My story…My hubby and I have a drywall company in a mountain resort town. Things are getting tight ( even though we made through the first difficult years of the economy shift. I also have a 6 year old and 1 year old. I do the business bookkeeping from home. My position saves us money, it doesn’t bring in any income. I want to contribute to our income, from home, handmade. I dabble in lots and need to figure out a niche.
Were not making unnecessary purchases right now or I’d pick up some cute Gussy Ruffles for my little girl, right now.
Your name is catchy an memorable, I’ll be back.
Thanks
~Cristy
Oh this is a fabulous post!! Learning tons… I was curious what type of cart system you were using – everything looks so seamless and great! Thanks for the info and tips!!
WOW! Thank you so much for sharing your input and experience. This REALLY helps a lot!
Great article! Right now I’m thinking moving to any community :) This article helped me to get a better idea about 2 ones :) Thank’s and congratulations about nice page!
Hi,
Your post was very insightful on the differences, but the main difference that I am wondering is the traffic. Does Big Cartel or Etsy do anything to help drive people to your store? I created a blog, and ive tried everything to get traffic coming to it but it seems nothing works!
Thanks
Miller
@Miller Marcus, Etsy features their sellers, and Big Cartel does too — but not in the same way. The reason I left Etsy is because I had a strong community and they were visiting my store through my blog. The high seller fees I was paying with Etsy didn’t make sense when the traffic to my store was coming through my blog (or my Facebook page, Twitter profile, etc). I’d encourage you to build your social media community — share photos of you creating your products, share a glimpse into your studio, share the heart and story behind what you do :) Those things were very successful for me (and many of my handmade friends) and helped so many relationships form. Good luck!
Heya! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any issues with hackers?
My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing months of hard work due to no back
up. Do you have any methods to prevent hackers?
Cardamom is quite possibly my faoivrte spice, and I can’t get enough of citrus right now. The winter blues just hit me this week, and there is nothing like a beautiful pomelo to cheer me up. Lovely post!
You make so lovely thngis, I especially like all the flowery stuff! I think I’d like to have some felt squares in soft pastels because I have some ideas in mind I could make with them.I wish you a happy New Year filled with lots of jolly crafting!
I think this is one of my most recent favoeitrs from you. Your technique is amazing! Also, I love how you used an unnatural color like hot pink for the cheeks–it really adds to it. This one is truly incredible, how long did it take to work on this one?Love it.Au Revoir!!Marisa
Fascinating blog! Is your theme custom made
or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with
a few simple tweeks would really make my blog
stand out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Kudos
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Hello, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your website in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in
Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, superb blog!
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