I hear a version of this question all the time, and I get it! The options out there for website platforms are endless are numerous and as a business owner, its hard to find the time to determine how to choose.
So if you've got five minutes, I'm going to break down the major differences between Etsy and Wix today as they pertain to selling online (e-commerce). In the near future, I'll be sure to touch on other platforms like Squarespace as well.
SIDE HUSTLE OR SOMETHING MORE?
So you've got a product and you want to sell it online, but where? The first thing you need to ask yourself about your product is, is this a side hustle or am I working hard to establish a personal brand? How much time you have to give to your business will determine where you want to start selling from.
While we all start somewhere, it is important to consider where you see this business going. What is its potential? What are your margins? Is it scaleable (ie. can it grow beyond just you having to complete every task?). Do you have time to market it and generate traffic to wherever you decide to host it?
No answer is right or wrong. It's just very helpful to think critically about your business idea and envion where you see yourself taking it... and now that you've thought about those questions...
ETSY
Etsy is great for a side hustle. They take a commission off the top of your sales but you can't beat the traffic they attract, as a massive site featuring so many small businesses. As a cottage industry style business, you benefit immensely from that traffic when it comes to a side hustle.
If you aren't going to have a lot of time to market your business intentionally, Etsy is good option to simply get your products online.
WIX
Now if, you have dreams to grow this product into an actual brand, I can't recommend Wix enough. And I'll speak specifically to the kinds of sites I design, that Wix seems to work so well for.
The sites I design are intended to be personal brand sites, where entrepreneurs can present themselves and their offerings online to establish the know/like/trust factor with their audience/community. They are all custom and are intended to give the business owner a wide umbrella (their personal brand) from which they can expand their offerings or pivot their brand.
WIX HAS EXCELLENT E-COMMERCE CAPABILITY ...
...so you can start selling your products right away with the added bonuses of: not losing commission on each sale, growing your email list effortlessly, managing an intuitive CRM system, taking bookings/scheduling automatically, managing and tracking your inventory, seamless shipping integrations, creating a community space online for your customers/clients, writing a blog, integrating your youtube channel.....
....you get it, the list of things you can do with your Wix website beyond selling your products goes ON and ON.
I ensure all search engine optimization is integrated on the sites that I build but as with all websites, it it is incumbent upon the business owner to drive traffic to their site through their own marketing means (social media, Facebook and google ads, blogging to increase their google ranking, etc). Regular and relevant content like blog posts and personal marketing efforts (as listed above) will generate the kind of traffic and google ranking required to make your business a true success.
So there you have it; a quick conversation comparing the Wix & Etsy. For a side hustle where your time to market your product is limited and your aspirations for what the business will become are modest, I would say Etsy is a fantastic place to start.
If, however, you're looking to establish a personal brand space online where you sell products and want the flexibility to grow and evolve your brand, I can't recommend Wix enough.
To see some of the personal brand Wix sites I've designed, view my portfolio and services here: