There’s an overwhelming quantity of options available to set up your online shop nowadays: custom made by hiring a professional, pre-build platforms, marketplaces, and there’s an equal amount of overwhelming information about them too.
I’m writing this from my very little personal experience (barely three weeks with TuzeitorShop) and several afternoons researching the Internet. Disclaimers said, let’s jump to the good stuff.
Shop stuffs
It will be much easier for you to make a decision if you have some kind of checklist of what you want your shop to be and work, and knowing exactly what stage are you in.
In my case, it was very important the shop would be easy to set up and update. There’s a lot of work already in designing, producing and learning to market my stuff; getting the accountability right, feeding the plants and feeding myself! So a little weight off was appreciated.
Also very important: I wanted my shop to be as trustworthy as possible and my future clients having a good shopping experience by counting with several payment method options, and transactions being made safely and without mistakes.
I’m a newbie and, except for you guys (warm sunshine and dog hugs for y’all!), nobody knows who I am. Having someone to trust me enough to buy something from me online is a big deal. I didn’t want to make mistakes while linking payment processing platforms with my website or doing/learning to do something wrong and make a horrible mess for everyone.
And finally, I didn’t want to invest a helluva money because, well, I’m just starting.
So, I chose Etsy. It has the pros and cons of every saturated online marketplace, but I think it wasn’t a bad choice for me to start. It’s a platform the client definitely can trust, it’s international and really easy to use for both sellers and buyers.
If you already have a good reputation and have some time or someone to help you, maybe consider options other than marketplaces. Do a good comparison between selling fees and consider what you already have, like a website of your own.
Stay put for more shop related faqs on issue 05!
Take care! :)
(Oh, and if you have any questions/suggestions/an extra bean-cheese burrito, contact me or leave a comment!)