Tonka Park » etsy

Save Money Each Month With PayPal

Matt — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:13:59 +0000

The focus of most our client work is with businesses selling their products through Big Cartel and similar sites like Etsy, Storenvy and even Open Cart. We wanted to make sure that everyone out their is getting to keep as much money as possible for each sale when using an online hosted shopping cart that uses paypal for checkouts.

So a quick tip for those using Paypal, head over to the fees page, https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_fees-rate-about, and see if you qualify for a lower merchant rate. All it takes is a quick form application submitting for approval to be granted the lower rates. Once you are applied then you most likely will immediately be moved from 2.9% per transaction to 2.5% and perhaps lower depending on your monthly sales volume.

This should save you some money each month which can be used towards things like a Big Cartel Theme from Tonka Park.

If you are using a different merchant provider such as Authorize.net or Braintree make sure to check if you can get a better per transaction merchant rate based on your monthly sales volume.

Any other tips for saving money when using online hosted shopping cart solutions?

Big Cartel vs Etsy Shopping Cart Review Link

Matt — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:32:01 +0000

Many people have seen my review of the technical design advantages of using Big Cartel instead of Etsy but I came across this wonderful post from a few months back with more details comparing Big Cartel and Etsy.

http://pbrigitte.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/big-cartel-vs-etsy/

It should also be noted another option similar to Big Cartel in design features and Etsy in social community is Storenvy.com. I plan to cover a few items on using storenvy here on the blog in the next week. Keep posted.

Follow me on twitter to get updates in between blog posts.

7 Reasons to use Etsy.com

Matt — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:08:08 +0000

Trying to figure out where to setup shop is a difficult task. Many individual crafters, artists and photographers search for the perfect place to sell their creations. With the online marketplace options growing in number by the months sometimes it is hard to choose where to setup shop.

Let’s take a look at why Etsy.com is the right place for you as an creative handmade artist.

The Community

Of course the biggest reason to use Etsy is the vibrant community they are so proud of creating. With thousands of buyers and sellers on the site at all hours of the day, forums and rotating feature products it is a great place for an artist to start.

I create things

If your products are handmade then Etsy.com is definitely the best place to start. Etsy is a community of buyers and sellers of handmade goods. If you want to instantly fit into a marketplace then this is where you want to start.

I sell vintage items

Do you love vintage items? Have you been collecting them for years and now find yourself in the perfect position to start selling vintage clothing and other items? The Etsy community loves vintage items. The artists and buyers are always looking for new vintage finds and Etsy provides great tools for your shop products to be searched by all buyers.

I sell crafting supplies

If you are selling supplies that are used exclusively in the craft and artisan creations then again Etsy will help expose those supplies to thousands of artists.

No web designer needed

With Etsy there is no technical knowledge required other than following forms and directions. If you can run the digital camera and upload your photos and fill out some forms online then you should be all set. No HTML, no custom designs, no web designer needed.

Payment Gateway and Security

When you sell with Etsy you inherit their chosen payment options and security. The buyers have the same payment choices on all shops within Etsy and are comfortable with it.

Complimentary products and shared carts

One thing that is often overlooked is that the shopping carts carry from store to store on Etsy. So someone can shop for handmade cards and also get a necklace from two separate shops in the same transaction. This can allow partnerships or simply a better shopping experience for buyers.

So those are the 7 reasons I would choose to use Etsy. Etsy.com is a great resource for those making handmade products or selling vintage items. The community is the greatest benefit along with taking out some of the technical challenges of other options.