The argument between Shopify and Etsy has been going on for many years. Shopify is a third-party platform that helps merchants create an online store, while Etsy is a marketplace (like Amazon or eBay). Both have advantages and disadvantages, but making the right choice for them depends on the trader's target market, their products, and their long-term business goals. Overall, Shopify is going to be the most expensive shipping option, simply because there are more chances of sellers charging high fees.
However, it's important to remember that Shopify also offers discounts on shipping rates through certain carriers such as USPS and UPS. It offers many integrations to help expand functionality and grow your business. There are also a ton of great tools to search on Shopify with branding and marketing solutions. Etsy, on the other hand, is a marketplace (like Amazon or eBay).
You'll be one of the millions of online sellers who sell in Etsy's own “store”. With a couple of simple steps, you can quickly open an Etsy store and start your e-commerce business. The good thing about Etsy Pattern is that you can synchronize Etsy ads with your online store (provided that you have an Etsy store) and manage both stores in the Store Manager function. In addition, you can sell other items outside of Etsy's permission list.
However, remember that once you build a store with Pattern, you have to get traffic for yourself, just like with Shopify. If buyers want to buy a product from Shopify sellers, they'll search for the product or company name instead of “Shopify”. First, we'll look at the factors of the seller's business goals. With Shopify, you can sell anything.
At the end of the day, you decide if you want to put your products online, right? Shopify is simply one of the best tools for taking your business to the digital world. So, even if you're a restaurant owner, considering having a Shopify website to promote it can be a good idea to reach more customers. Pattern is easier to use than Shopify, as there is a limit to the configuration settings made by Etsy. However, Shopify can provide many incredible and advanced tools to support the construction of your store that Pattern doesn't offer.
For Etsy, your domain should include “etsy” in the store name, which isn't very useful for building brand awareness. Shopify gives sellers more freedom when it comes to creating their stores. There are a lot of themes available both on the market and in the Shopify theme store. In the case of product listings with Shopify, merchants can customize anything to match the “personality” of their store and improve the user experience.
On the contrary, you'll have less control over your ads on Etsy, since there is a standard design and layout assigned to every store in the market. Another great advantage are third-party Shopify apps, which have multiple e-commerce solutions that can help you with marketing activities achieve your business goals. As for Etsy, sellers can use the Etsy app to sell on mobile devices. Etsy has marketing and advertising tools to get more followers.
You can receive immediate follow-up updates and share content on social networks such as Twitter or Instagram to help more visitors and buyers find you. They also have an Etsy Plus plan where merchants can get advanced customization, access discounts and benefits, and have a custom domain through Hover. If you created a Shopify store and want to integrate into the Etsy marketplace, Shopify also offers an app to make that happen. You can track your order and synchronize product details and information in real time.
Alternatively, you can hire professional experts from Litextension Shopify Partner to migrate your storefront from Etsy to Shopify. It's a never-ending question in the case of Shopify vs Etsy. Sometimes, investing in both platforms can be the optimal solution, which could lead your company to new areas that you didn't know were possible before.
