Hi, I purchased XCarve Pro and now a laser and would like to start selling a few items to generate income for new tools and supplies. I looked at Etsy and placed a couple of items there but was surprised by the cost of commissions they charge. I was wondering about creating a new market place where the commission fee would be much lower. Since my goal would be to give makers an opportunity to have a place to sell with the lowest fees possible and I would only be covering costs. Is that something anyone would be interested in?
2 Likes
The caveat to that idea is that Etsy already has the customer base. There are alternative websites that do pair buyers with local makers, I’ve joined some, but the reason you don’t see them in your searches is because they don’t have the traffic to end up near the top of a google search. It takes a large customer base and some great SEO to end up at the top of a marketplace sort of search.
Here’s an example of a maker marketplace, one that actually has some decent website traffic…
https://patriotnationdesign.com/shop/
Ohh and if you do set something up, dont forget to put in place a DMCA and Copyright reporting method! You don’t want to be the one in court defending against why you didnt remove copyright materials.
1 Like
Many people use Facebook Marketplace. If you choose, you can buy into a level where you get e-commerce and add placement. Many people sell their work and designs on Ebay. Another website you might check out is Fiverr. You could go it alone with your own squarespace website. They have e-commerce hooks.
1 Like
Creating your own marketplace seems like a very ambitious project.
If you’re really locked onto the idea then maybe consider create a very niche site for a specific genre.
This will help you stand out as that’s one of the biggest challenges along with generating traffic to your site.
For example “Reverb” is a dedicated marketplace for guitar-related gear & they’re already known for that.
Most payment processors charge a fee also, so that’s something to factor.
That includes things like PayPal, Cashapp, & places that accept credit cards.
This is typically a 2-4% fee
“For example “Reverb” is a dedicated marketplace for guitar-related gear & they’re already known for that.”
And it’s now owned by Etsy.
1 Like
How much do you want with shipping cost to north Alabama.
Thanks
Jerry
I think you may have left a comment in the wrong thread
This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.