How to Make Money Using Etsy: A Guide to the Online Marketplace for Crafts and Handmade Products

eBay and Amazon had a dramatic impact on the way customers could do their shopping and on the ways entrepreneurs could reach new clientele with their products and ideas.  Just as these online giants changed the lives of old and new businesses and customers all over the world, so is the world of the site Etsy.com – this time for the creators and sellers of handmade crafts and products and the enthusiasts looking for one of a kind pieces to purchase.

For those who don't know what Etsy.com is, here is a bit of history. Founded in 2005, Etsy is a worldwide handmade community that spans over 150 countries with 6.9 million unique visitors a month and to date, the site has attracted over 400,000 sellers who collectively have sold over30 million items, generating more than $180.6 million in revenue.

Timothy Adam, a self-taught metal artist who has successfully been selling his products all over the world through his Etsy shop and author of the only Etsy resource of its kind, How to Make Money Using Etsy: A Guide to the Online Marketplace for Crafts and Handmade Products (March 2011), can guide crafters and sellers step-by-step through the many stages of selling online on this new outlet. How-to topics include:

• Establish your Etsy shop
• Effectively photograph your products
• Post your products to optimize visibility and increase sales
• Brand your business
• Use social media like blogs, Twitter, and Facebook to connect with buyers and grow your business
• Develop a good keyword and search engine optimization strategy
• Create compelling blog content to drive traffic to your Etsy shop

Whether an Etsy newbie or a veteran seller, any crafts entrepreneur can learn now market and sell their goods to a worldwide network of motivated shoppers. As a seller, it opens up a new audience of buyers for their products and for a buyer it is place to buy one of kind items - anything from accessories to woodwork  - knowing they are supporting artists.

In a world where nearly everything has been made by machines, the demand for handcrafted goods is growing. Crafters know how to make the products—now they can master the age-old craft of making money.