Etsy’s success among women, especially those aiming to contribute to their household income, is rooted in several key factors like its long-tail strategy, the rise of digital goods, and the use of AI.
One of Etsy’s biggest advantages is the ability to work from home, offering women the flexibility to juggle household responsibilities while earning. This is perfect for those with handcrafting skills like knitting, pottery, or painting. Many women have honed these skills over the years, and Etsy provides them with an easy-to-use platform to turn their talents into profit. Customers actively seek out unique, handcrafted items, and they’re often willing to pay for them. Once buyers find that perfect item, they’re unlikely to keep searching, which makes the competition among unique products on Etsy less intense compared to mass-market platforms.
Etsy’s success also heavily relies on its long-tail strategy, similar to platforms like Amazon. This strategy focuses on offering a wide variety of niche products that may not have mainstream appeal, but collectively, these smaller markets bring in considerable revenue. Etsy’s search tools make it simple for customers to find exactly what they want, making it an ideal marketplace for unique products like customized jewelry or handmade coasters. In fact, I’ve sold such items like handmade resin- coasters and bookmarks myself and found success immediately.
Another aspect of Etsy’s appeal is the ability to sell digital products, or information goods, which have little to no reproduction costs. Sellers can create printable art, e-books, or planners, which can be sold endlessly without extra effort. Using AI to create or enhance these products is also gaining popularity, allowing even new and unexperienced sellers to scale their offerings quickly.
However, Etsy isn’t without its challenges. Rising fees and regulations, like Germany’s Packaging Law, along with stricter return policies, make it harder for small businesses to thrive. These rules can be particularly tough on those who are just starting out.
Despite the hurdles, I still believe Etsy is a fantastic platform. Its combination of flexibility, ease of use, and potential for niche success makes it a great option for women looking to support their household economies. It’s empowering and allows for creativity, which is why I’m still a big fan of Etsy as a buyer.
Church, E.M., Oakley, R.L. Etsy and the long-tail: how microenterprises use hyper-differentiation in online handicraft marketplaces. Electron Commer Res 18, 883–898 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-018-9300-4
Lizenzero (2024): Deutsches Verpackungsgesetz auf Etsy: Das ist zu beachten, https://www.lizenzero.de/blog/deutsches-verpackungsgesetz-auf-etsy-das-ist-zu-beachten/ (accessed 10.09.2024)
Zary, V.(2015): Meet the 86%: This is why most Etsy sellers are women,https://fortune.com/2015/08/02/etsy-sellers-women-2/ (accessed 12.09.2024)
