Stand Alone Website...

[felixncharlie]

Hello Everyone,

 

I may be getting ahead of myself here but I want to be prepared when it's needed. I'm going to start on Etsy but would also like a website as well. Back in the day, when I was making candles there were so many talented people making websites and I personally have used two of them I found on this site but they no longer are in business. I see most seem to go with Shopify now. So, if that is the way to go, does anyone have any good designers for a bath/body theme? I am not tech savvy at all so doing it myself is out of the question. I saw a few sellers on Etsy who offer templates and a class but I'm looking for all options.  I'm looking for easy for someone like me to be able to sell the products on a safe website. Thanks in advance.

[TallTayl]

I prefer big commerce to Shopify. Similar price points, but BC is slightly more powerful IMO. Pretty easy to set up, loads of fre templates you can plug and play.

 

wordpress woocommerce was nice when I used it a few year ago for an artist’s site. I liked the cart and data it provided.

[Kris10Tackles]

Having personal experience with Etsy and how it changed, I would avoid it. IMO it became a pay to maybe play, like give us money and we’ll consider sending people your way. I was giving them money but watching my stats plummet each month was incredibly frustrating. Versus pre going public I was getting a ton of eye balls, inquiries, and sales. Their fees also became ridiculous. Now if I see something on Etsy, I’ll check to see if that person has a stand alone website and will buy from there.

[TallTayl]

13 hours ago, Kris10Tackles said:

Having personal experience with Etsy and how it changed, I would avoid it. IMO it became a pay to maybe play, like give us money and we’ll consider sending people your way. I was giving them money but watching my stats plummet each month was incredibly frustrating. Versus pre going public I was getting a ton of eye balls, inquiries, and sales. Their fees also became ridiculous. Now if I see something on Etsy, I’ll check to see if that person has a stand alone website and will buy from there.

I use Etsy to reach customers that otherwise would never find me.  It’s a marketing tool in my toolbox. like you, when shopping places like Etsy and Amazon, I seek out the actual web stores I discover and buy directly. Most buyers I find like the perceived buyer protection Amazon and Etsy provide, so I let them complete their purchase wherever they feel most comfy. 😊 too many new sellers come and go. Having a stable presence on several platforms can enhance the feeling of legitimacy.
 

When you find your niche at Etsy (or Amazon or eBay, etc. ) it can be a super additional revenue stream. Plus, Etsy has been advertising hard so many people I meet ask if I have an Etsy.  I can say yes, plus my own web store that grants points for your purchases.  Win win. 
 

I’m in the process of expanding social media reach through Tiktok and Instagram. Why not? That’s where many of my target market hang out. It’s hard to market products to an empty room 👍🏻

[MilosCandles]

I use wordpress/woocommerce.  I am somewhat of a techie also.  BUT I watched many of this guys youtube videos on how to do it.

https://www.youtube.com/@darrelwilson

 

So many free items to do.  100% control over what I do.

 

Do not be afraid to hire someone on https://www.fiverr.com/ also.  Before there was ChatGPT I would pay people to write some of my pages and blurbs to help with SEO.