Etsy is a venue, not a retailer. Etsy's role is to connect the buyer and the seller. This means when a customer places an order on Etsy, you are entering into a direct transaction and personal relationship with that individual customer (facilitated by Etsy). With a community of sellers rapidly approaching 300,000, knowing how to set your shop up properly, establishing a strong brand as well as making you items easy to find is key to your success. This is where Project Zen Online can give you that much needed upper hand. In addition, to insure your efforts and visibility are maximized in a slew of viable competitors, Social media marketing is an immensely powerful tool and is a must especially because search engine optimization can be difficult when just using Etsy.
Think of Etsy as a 24/7 street market filled with some of the most unique handmade and vintage products available worldwide. A perfect place for a crafter who is wanting to dip their toe into the exciting waters of ecommerce. Even if you are a well established shop owner looking to dramatically expand your customer base, Etsy is one of the most widely used ecommerce venues and is a great spot if you are selling:

• Personally handmade goods and crafts
• Vintage items (20 years or older)
• Handmade and/or commercial crafting supplies

What you need to know before choosing Etsy as your ecommerce solution:

• No upfront or monthly cost
• 3.55% transaction fee
• .20 per sku
• You can only sell the items listed above
• Transactions are limited to Paypal, check, bank transfers or money orders and can take several days to complete.
• Communications with others are limited to "Convos" (not used for unsolicited advertising or promotions) and customer feedback.
• There is a cost to market and advertise on the Etsy site. This is why social media marketing is a must.