Etsy and Shopify Work Better Together With Mesa

Etsy and Shopify 🤝

When merchants first launch an online business, it is often wondered whether goods should be sold on an ecommerce marketplace like Etsy or an ecommerce platform like Shopify.

Across the web, many discussions favour one of the two platforms, but the real question is - is it necessary to choose between Etsy and Shopify?

Contrary to popular belief, we here at Karmoon believe that it is not a case of choosing between the two platforms, but combining them both instead.

See, if you're already using Shopify and want to reach out to customers who like to purchase artisan products, setting up shop on Etsy should be a great component of your store's growth strategy.

As a result, this means that both parties will be involved in the development of an online business and the Mesa application handily allows stores on Shopify to effortlessly connect their Shopify data to Etsy’s platform.

So, for today's article, we are going to look at the reasons why Etsy and Shopify are better combined when utilised by ecommerce stores.

The Etsy Ecommerce Platform

Founded in 2005, Etsy is an ecommerce platform that caters to sellers who market handmade and/ or vintage products alongside bespoke and creative materials.

Now, in 2022, pretty much any product can be found on the platform, making Etsy a great place to start an online business.

Since its launch, the platform has expanded quickly, with sales increasing 71% year over year in the first half of 2020, according to DigitalCommerce360.

Launching with Etsy 🚀

There's no denying that starting your own business can be a challenge and venturing down the entrepreneurial path means entering uncharted territory.

This is one of the reasons why many entrepreneurs choose to launch their businesses on Etsy, as sellers advertise their products within the platform’s established marketplace.

The safety net of Etsy's platform makes it particularly easy for new customers to learn about a brand and its products with the assistance of the solution's product discovery tools.

Strengthening Businesses with Shopify

As sales increase, merchants will naturally begin to consider launching standalone online stores.

However, the first thing that you should know is that there are more flexible and advanced features on Shopify that can expand an operation whilst boosting customer satisfaction.

Merchants can use these solutions and enhanced platform insights to make data-driven decisions based on indicators that show how well an online store is performing.

It's also worth noting that while Etsy includes basic capabilities that appear to be sufficient at the start of an ecommerce journey, building an online store with the likes of Shopify would be the next obvious step as a business begins to evolve.

Omnichannel Retail 🛒

Even though many merchants may feel compelled to choose between the likes of Etsy and Shopify, the truth is that these platforms are not interchangeable.

Shopify is a website platform, whereas Etsy is an online marketplace, each with its own set of advantages. So, let's take a closer look at a few of these together in the section below:

Etsy Provides Access To Additional Buyers: On Etsy, there are 60.27 million buyers as of Q2 2020 and in 2018, more than 40% of consumers purchased multiple items on the platform. Therefore, opening an account on this marketplace will increase the visibility and exposure of an online store.

No Technical Skills Are Required To Sell on Etsy: Setting up an Etsy account is very straightforward. First, merchants must complete a five-step process to begin selling products on the platform.

Shopify Offers Additional Features: Etsy offers basic ecommerce services, which sellers can enhance with Etsy Plus. However, let’s suppose that you’re looking for more advanced tools to fuel your business and its growth, Shopify offers; abandoned cart recovery, extensive reporting, third-party connections and Shopify POS for those who are looking to build a physical store.

Customisation Is Possible with Shopify: There's no doubt that Etsy provides merchants with access to millions of potential customers. However, your store will be just one of 2.5 million active sellers. On Etsy, every seller's page looks the same and users are limited to photographs and product descriptions. On the other hand, Shopify offers merchants a wide range of design options as well as robust merchandising capabilities.

Develop A Brand Image with Shopify: Having an Etsy account isn't enough if you’re aiming to build a recognisable business. So, even though Etsy has a large number of shoppers, they are devoted to the marketplace rather than specific companies. However, with Shopify, merchants will receive a custom domain that helps online stores to build a powerful brand image.

These are just a few of the significant advantages of each platform that demonstrate how comparing Etsy and Shopify is like comparing apples to oranges.

Nonetheless, it’s worth mentioning that Etsy and Shopify provide online stores with access to different target personas.

Many successful businesses have begun their ecommerce journey with Etsy before turning to the likes of Shopify to scale the brand at hand. During this time, an Etsy presence is often maintained.

Therefore, the moral of the story is that within today’s omnichannel world, the key to success is being present wherever your customers are.

So, instead of trying to cut down on the channels that you are using, be sure that the unique advantages of each platform are understood before a way is found to incorporate the outlets that will boost a store’s growth.

Omnichannel Retail Challenges

Should you decide to embrace omnichannel retail, it should be noted that this ecommerce strategy comes with a specific set of challenges, for instance:

N0.1: Inventory Management

Keeping track of inventory is one of the most difficult aspects of omnichannel retail.

Merchants may encounter challenges such as; product visibility, order accuracy and confined inventory as well as other issues when selling across several channels, all of which might risk business continuity.

To simplify inventory management, be sure to keep SKU codes consistent across all channels, whilst updating stock levels in real-time.

N0.2: Product Information

The goal of omnichannel retail is to give customers a consistent experience across all platforms.

As a result, merchants must guarantee that product information is consistent across their whole brand.

However, as the company grows, unifying product specifics will become more of a challenge.

N0.3: Overstocking & Overselling

Overstocking happens when merchants stock products that they cannot sell and as a result, products that are stuck on the shelf will hurt profitability.

Additionally, not having real-time information about orders can lead to overselling and frustrated customers. Either one is bad for business.

N0.4: Order Management

Today’s path-to-purchase is anything but linear as consumers have the information they need to make data-driven decisions, often switching between channels before clicking the add-to-cart button.

Thus, being able to capture orders and process fulfilment across multiple channels is one of the biggest challenges for online merchants to face in 2022.

As a result, implementing an omnichannel ecosystem with the likes of Etsy and Shopify will play a critical role in improving customer experience whilst increasing the customers’ lifetime value.

The Omnichannel Game 🎮

The recognition that customers don't think in terms of channels is the first step toward omnichannel retail. Nevertheless, browsers will expect the greatest possible shopping experience across all channels and platforms.

The good news is that merchants can choose to integrate Etsy and Shopify to make the most out of both outlets and automating workflows by:

Syncing Etsy store listings and inventory with a Shopify store.

Notifying various departments whenever a new order has been created on Etsy.

Deleting listings when products go out of stock to avoid overselling.

Cataloging all receipts at the end of the month or updating a listing if a product on Shopify has been created.

Connecting Etsy and Shopify with Meta

Did you know that a custom automation workflow can be created for Shopify stores using Mesa's visual workflow builder?

If you feel like getting connected, simply follow these three easy steps:

Install Mesa on Shopify.

Sign up for Etsy (if you don’t already have an account).

Jump straight into Mesa’s workflow builder or use a pre-made template to get started.

The Right Move ♟️

Wondering whether the Etsy Shopify approach is the right move for your business?

Get started with Shopify’s 14-day free trial by clicking the link provided.

If you’re actively looking to work with a Shopify agency designer or developer to assist you with your business, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch to get started!