How To Open A Second Etsy Shop & What To Consider Before You Do
Are you an Etsy seller with a successful first Etsy shop? Now you’re looking to expand your reach by opening a second shop?
It can be a great way to target a new audience or sell different products. But don’t underestimate the effort required to manage multiple Etsy shops.
In this blog post, I will guide you through the steps to start a second shop, outline the pros and cons of doing so and provide an alternative to having multiple Etsy shops.
Keep reading to find out why I decided against opening a second store.
Let’s get started!
How to Open a Second Etsy Shop: Step By Step Guide
1. Start by creating a new email address for your second Etsy store. Be sure to choose an email account that you will use exclusively for this business.
2. Go to Etsy.com and sign out of your current account. Then, create a new account using your new email address.
3. Once you’ve created your new account, you can begin setting up your second shop! Click on “Sell on Etsy” and follow the prompts to add your products, shop policies, and other important details.
4. Remember, each shop must have its own unique email address. That means you cannot have two shops under the same account.
5. You can use the same bank account info for both shops as long as you follow Etsy’s guidelines and keep all of your shops in compliance with their policies.
6. You can have more than two shops if you want! Just make sure to create different accounts for each one.
7. Don’t forget to promote your new shop! Use social media, Etsy ads, and other marketing strategies to get your products in front of potential customers.
8. Keep up with orders, customer inquiries, and other important tasks for both of your shops to ensure success.
Why You Should Open a Second Etsy Shop
Specific Terms of Use
If your shop sells products that have specific terms of use, opening a second shop can help you avoid violating Etsy’s policies. For instance, if you sell handmade items as well as digital products, you can create a second shop dedicated solely to digital products.
Better Marketing
When you have a diverse range of products, it can be challenging to market them to a single audience effectively. By opening a second shop, you can target specific audiences and create a more focused marketing strategy.
Increased Visibility
Creating a new shop means more listings, which in turn leads to greater visibility across Etsy’s search engine. That is especially true if your products belong to different niches that would benefit from their own shops.
Limiting Confusion
Running a single Etsy shop with many unrelated products can confuse customers, making it challenging for them to find what they need. Creating a second shop enables customers to quickly browse through only a specific category of products, making their shopping experience more enjoyable.
Opportunity for Branding
When you open another shop, it creates the opportunity to have a unique brand identity for each Etsy shop. Each store can have its own name, logo, and design that speaks to the products you sell, which increases recognition across Etsy.
It also becomes easier to use social media to grow your brand as each store’s social media profiles can be specific to the niche they serve instead of having a general account. With niche-specific social media accounts, you can join groups related to that niche, publish content that the niche connects with and you can become known and visible within a single niche. Specific is better than general and having two Etsy shops helps with that.
Why You Should NOT Open a Second Etsy Shop
Opening a second Etsy shop may not be as attractive as one might initially think. Here are some drawbacks to consider:
It is Time-Consuming To Manage Multiple Etsy Shops
Running one shop can be demanding enough, and having to manage multiple Etsy shops means double the workload. More items to keep track of, more orders to fulfill, more customer inquiries to answer, and more time spent on administrative tasks.
Many claim that Etsy rewards active shop owners. Being active in two Etsy shops is twice as hard and your first shop may suffer as a consequence.
It Can Be Expensive
Opening a second shop means paying additional listing fees and transaction fees, which can add up quickly. It may also require investing in more supplies or equipment to make new products that are unique to each shop.
It Can Be Tedious to Organize.
Managing multiple shops with different products, listings, and customer bases can be confusing and overwhelming. It takes time, effort, and creativity to keep both shops updated and relevant.
It Can Be Difficult to Promote Multiple Etsy Shops
Without a clear and distinct branding strategy, promoting two shops can dilute your marketing efforts. It can be challenging to attract and retain customers if your products and messaging are not cohesive.
You Need to Offer Unique Products.
Creating products that are distinct and different from what you offer in your first shop can be challenging. It requires market research, experimentation, and testing to ensure that the products are viable and profitable.
Multiple Etsy Shop Management.
Juggling multiple Etsy shops equals managing different inventory levels, shipping policies, and customer expectations for each shop. It requires a high level of organization and communication to avoid confusion and mistakes.
Tip: To make this easier, have 2 different browsers on your computer. Use one browser for one shop. That way you don’t need to log in and out constantly.
Potential for Mismanagement.
With multiple Etsy shops to manage, it can be easy to make mistakes, overlook orders or miss deadlines. This can lead to negative feedback, lost sales, and damage to your brand reputation.
Imagine sending the wrong item to a customer. Or the stress of handling returns and exchanges across two different shops,
Manual Uploads.
Uploading products, descriptions, and images across multiple shops is a tedious task that requires attention to detail. Errors like inconsistent pricing or incomplete descriptions can negatively impact sales.
In summary, opening a second store may seem like a good idea, but it has its pitfalls. It requires a lot of time, effort, and resources to manage multiple shops successfully. Careful planning, organization, and a realistic assessment of your capacity to handle additional workload are essential before embarking on this journey.
Alternatives To A Second Etsy Shop
If you have a shop on Etsy that is well established and successful, you may be looking to niche down by opening another shop. However, there are other ways to niche down.
You could open up an e-commerce store aware from Etsy that focuses solely on your chosen niche.
There are many benefits of having your own website Vs Etsy store, but there are also some drawbacks.
Conclusion
To open multiple Etsy shops is a simple thing to do. However, it isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly as there is a significant amount of extra effort required to manage multiple Etsy shops.
Having two Etsy shops can have a negative impact on your main (first) shop. You won’t be able to give it the attention it used to have and that may impact your search placement, visibility, and ultimately your orders.
I decided against opening another store on Etsy and instead decided to open niche-specific websites (using launch cart & printify) as I had proven the niche on Etsy and wanted to keep that store with a broader focus.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can You Have a Second Store on Etsy?
Yes, you can have a second Etsy store. According to Etsy’s guidelines, it’s perfectly acceptable to have multiple shops on the platform. However, it’s important to remember that separate shops should be created for different categories of products.
So, if one is planning to sell a completely different line of products or a different kind of service, they better open up a new shop on Etsy to keep everything organized.
Different shops can help them target different audiences and avoid buyer confusion. Moreover, each shop can have its unique marketing strategy, which can help in increasing sales and revenue.
Can You Have 2 Shops on the Same Etsy Account?
No, you can not have two shops on the same Etsy account. Etsy requires the accounts to be separate and use two different email addresses.
Is It Better to Open a Second Etsy Shop?
There are many pros and cons to opening a second Etsy shop that may apply to your situation. It is certain that if you open multiple Etsy shops you will be increasing your workload significantly.
Can I use the same PayPal account for 2 Etsy Shops?
Yes, you can use the same PayPal account in 2 Etsy shops. You need a different email address for each Etsy store but you can use the same PayPal account.
Can You Use the Same Bank Account for Two Shops?
Yes, you can use the same bank account in two Etsy shops. You need different email addresses for each Etsy store but can use the same Bank account.
Can I transfer listings from one Etsy shop to another?
No, you cannot transfer listings from one shop to another Etsy store. Etsy does not provide that capability.
If you are using a print-on-demand provider like Printify then you can easily copy the product from one Etsy store to another that way.
How to get 40 free listings on Etsy?
Simply click on this link: https://www.etsy.com/uk/invites/sell and invite your email address that you are going to use for your new shop. Click through the email you receive and you will get 40 free Etsy listings.
Can I delete my Etsy shop and start over?
Yes, you can delete your Etsy shop. Just follow these steps:
- On Etsy.com, go to Shop Manager.
- Go Settings and click Options.
- Select the Close Shop tab.
- Select Close Shop.
Think hard before you close your shop as it can be hard to grow your Etsy shop so don’t throw this away unnecessarily.
Can I have more than two Etsy shops?
Yes, You can have more than two Etsy shops but you will need a separate email account for each store.
