Etsy vs. Shopify: Which is Best for You? Part 1

Thinking about turning your love for stationery design into a business, but aren’t sure which e-commerce platform is the best one for you? You’re not alone! Many stationery designers just like you have a hard time choosing the right platform to sell their beautiful designs.

Two of the most popular platforms for stationery entrepreneurs are (drumroll please . . . ) Etsy and Shopify. So which one should you go with? While only you can decide the best e-commerce platform for launching your business, we’re here to help you make the best decision possible (without the decision fatigue). In this post, we’re talking about the differences between Etsy vs Shopify, the pros and cons, and which option is best for your business. Let’s jump in!

Etsy: An Overview

When you hear “Etsy,” the words “handmade” or “shop small” might come to mind. And for good reasons! Since its inception, Etsy has made a name for itself as the marketplace for anything handmade or vintage from designers, artists, hobbyists, and small business owners all over the world.

The beautiful thing about launching your business with Etsy is that they have great name recognition. That means that people are already visiting Etsy’s platform to search for stationery, invitations, greeting cards, Christmas cards, and more. When someone shops on Etsy, they’re already looking for the type of handmade and unique products that you’re already offering. That’s a win!

Pros of Selling on Etsy:

Whether you’re a hobby designer or a seasoned stationer, Etsy can be a great option for selling your stationery. Here are some great things about the Etsy platform:

1. Pro: Name recognition.

Like we mentioned earlier, Etsy is a well-known brand associated with small creative businesses all over the world. When you think of Etsy, you think stationery. Plus, Etsy has a built-in audience, ready to purchase what you’re offering!

2. Pro: Easy Set Up and Go!

That means there’s no hassle of creating your own website, finding the perfect domain name, securing your site, and making sure you’ve got a way to handle transactions. Etsy does all of this for you. Easy peasy.

3. Pro: Integrated insights and shop management on one dashboard.

When you open a business through Etsy, you’ll get up-to-date shop information and insights on your shop manager dashboard. It will help you create better listings, utilize tags, track insights, and handle your shop’s finances.

4. Pro: There’s an option to scale!

Let’s say your Etsy shop is thriving, but you really want to create a site with your own branding and offer more custom services. No problem! Etsy Pattern is a great next step. Choose a template and create a website with Pattern. Your Pattern site will easily connect to your Etsy shop, allowing you to manage your listings and sync your business in one spot.

Cons of Selling on Etsy:

Not everything is perfect. Here are some things you should know before you sign on the dotted line:

1. Con: Branding is difficult, and the competition is fierce.

When someone purchases something from an Etsy shop, the thing that is often remembered is that they purchased from Etsy, not the specific shop. If you’re hoping to gain brand recognition and have more control over how your store looks, Etsy may not be for you. Oh, and another thing? The competition is fierce. Etsy has been around for two decades. That means that there are more sellers out there, and you have to figure out a way to stand out from the crowd.

2. Con: Your business is tied to the platform.

That means that if Etsy ever goes down, your business will go down too. If they ever change their policies and decide that selling stationery or art prints isn’t in their guidelines, you won’t have a business.

3. Con: Email marketing can be difficult.

While Etsy is great for so many things, one thing that is lacking is the ability to collect your customers’ email addresses. You can view which customers liked your shop, but you can’t really do any email marketing.

4. Con: Extra fees.

Etsy needs to make money somehow, right? One way they do that is through listing fees. For every listing, you pay a certain amount (and those can rise or fall based on Etsy’s guidelines).

Shopify: An Overview

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that has been around since 2006. In fact, Shopify’s first store was their own (they sold snowboards). They created Shopify to be a solution to their own e-commerce platform problems.¹ And in the last two decades, it has become one of the biggest-selling platforms for business owners everywhere. Shopify is a great platform for business owners who want more control over their branding, storefronts, marketing, and independence.

If you’re looking to scale your stationery business, Shopify is a great choice. It has the capabilities to grow alongside your business at the rate you want to go. And if you’re wondering how to connect your Shopify store with PrintsWell, click here. So, let’s talk pros and cons.

Pros of Using Shopify:

Shopify is a great e-commerce platform for businesses of all sizes. Check out some of our favorite things about Shopify:

1. Pro: Full brand control.

If you’re not a huge fan of utilizing Etsy’s branding for your business, this platform might be a better option. You get complete control over . . . everything! From colors to fonts to design and functionality, the (branding) world is your oyster.

2. Pro: Option to scale.

Shopify can grow alongside your business. Whether you want to start simple or become a household name in the stationery business, Shopify can handle it! Let’s say your business is growing and you decide to open a brick-and-mortar shop in your town. You can still utilize Shopify then as well. This platform handles sales of all kinds, whether in person or online.

3. Pro: Powerful integrations.

Shopify has become a one-stop shop for businesses. You can start your business there, create and host your domain name, build your website, customize your store, track customer insights, and even do email marketing. If you need it, Shopify can probably handle it!

4. Pro: Built-in security.

You don’t have to worry about purchasing extra security measures for your store because Shopify takes care of that for you. That means your customers can feel confident in making their purchases on your site.

Cons of Using Shopify:

Shopify can be a great tool for your stationery business, but it can be a bit intimidating at first…especially when you compare it to Etsy. Take a look at some of the potential drawbacks here:

1. Con: Steeper learning curve.

If you’re not very tech savvy, you’ll notice that there’s a steeper learning curve to building out your Shopify store. Sure, there’s beauty in having full control over how your store and brand will look, but it means that you’ll have to put some time and energy into building your site. Thankfully, they offer drag-and-drop templates for easier setup.

2. Con: You need to bring your own traffic.

When you decide to open an independent storefront, you’ve got to find your own business and build your customer base. This is a normal part of every business owner’s story, but for people to visit your online store, you’ve got to get the word out. 

3. Con: Monthly Costs.

Using Shopify as your e-commerce platform means choosing them to host your site, handle card transactions and other payments, and more. Shopify offers monthly or yearly pricing plans based on the size of your business. Your transaction percentage rates change based on which plan you choose and if you choose to use a third party.

4. Con: You may have to hire an expert for customizations.

While Shopify offers customer support, you may have to hire a specialist through their Expert Marketplace to get your website to look exactly the way you want it to.

Remember, the best platform for you is the one that allows you to start now. Stay tuned for a more detailed comparison of Etsy versus Shopify in Part 2. Have questions or looking for a printing partner? We would love to partner with you. Contact our team today.