The Ultimate Guide to Etsy Shipping

If you’re about to open up an online Etsy store, then you need to swot up on the best Etsy shipping practices to streamline your business. Here’s everything you need to know about this topic!

When you are an artist sometimes it is hard to start your own business. Making things is your forte, not facts and figures.

Etsy shipping helps you by figuring out all the shipping calculations for wherever your customer is located.

This lets you spend more time creating and less time budgeting. Here we tell you all you need to know about Etsy shipping and how it can help you be successful in your crafting business.

The Ultimate Guide to Etsy Shipping

Once you have created your item and placed your listing, you need to consider shipping on Etsy.

When you receive your orders the customer will input all their information and Etsy will let you buy the label through their system.

They do all the postage calculations for you. Your responsibility is making sure your packaging and weights are accurate and to figure out what your actual costs are.

Here’s how to do this and use Etsy’s shipping and handling to boost your profits while keeping you competitive.

Planning Your Packaging

When you are creating your physical products for sale on Etsy consider how you will get it to the customer.

When you are shipping Etsy products you need to make sure the craft remains safe in transit.

You also want it to fit into the smallest and lightest packaging possible to save money for your customer.

Take an item you have made and try some different packaging options. Try all the different priority rate options that USPS offers (these will give you some of the lowest postage rates in the US).

If those are clunky and not quite right you can use your own packaging that fits better.

Be creative in your packaging to find the prettiest way to get your product safely to its destination.

Create some branding materials for the outside of your package and wrap the item inside in some nice tissue. Details are what sets your business apart.

Once you find the right fit you can move on to get the specs and details of your packaging.

Measure and Weigh

When you input your Etsy shipping profiles it will ask you for the measurements of the package you will be sending and it’s weight.

Take your practice run and measure all angles of the package (length, width, and height). Take these numbers and round up to the nearest whole number (if you measure 14 5/8″ round up to 15″).

Write all these numbers down and then use a scale to weigh your package. You can use a postage meter with a scale or you can use a normal scale.

Keep in mind that a postage meter will have a much more accurate weight than a bathroom scale.

When you weigh your package note down the lbs and ounces. You’ll also round these up to round numbers. So, if you have a measurement of 1 pound 9.78 ounces you’ll round up to 1 pound 10 ounces.

Make sure you know your scale. If you’re using a scale that isn’t so accurate it’s a good idea to round up a couple ounces.

When you’re talking about shipping it’s much better to overestimate than underestimate. Nothing will kill your business faster than having packages returned to you for insufficient postage.

A package return could add a week or more onto your delivery time. This means that a repeat sale from that customer is very unlikely.

Price Points and Using Shipping To Boost Profit Margins

The best part about using the shipping feature Etsy offers is the access to the Etsy handling fee.

This is where Etsy helps you out by giving you some more profit to pay you for the time it takes to package and ship the item.

The best part about this is you can remain competitive in the marketplace.

When a customer searches for what you’re selling they will be given all the different products that apply to the query.

You want your pricing to be comparable to the other items listed. Pick a price that is similar to the others available.

Now if this price is $1-$2 less than what you had hoped to be making, fear not! You can add a handling fee in each of your Etsy shipping profiles.

Now, don’t go crazy. You don’t want your customer to have a heart attack at the shipping price when they check out (your handling fee is included in the shipping price without being itemized) but, add those couple extra dollars into that cost.

Now, you’re still competitive and don’t look overpriced but it doesn’t kill your bottom line.

Etsy Shipping Profiles

One of the best features of the entire shipping process on Etsy is the ability to create as many shipping profiles as you want.

This means that you don’t have to stick to a one size fits all model in your shop.

Heavier, more labor-intensive products need additional processing time and a higher handling fee.

Products that are sitting, waiting to be shipped, and only have to be slipping into an envelope can be shipped quickly with minimal handling.

You can then pick the best shipping profile for each individual listing as you post them.

This keeps your customers happy because they are receiving an accurate timetable on when to expect the item and aren’t overpaying on shipping for small, easy to ship, items.

Use Shipping and Handling To Your Advantage

We hope these Etsy shipping tips will help you in your Etsy crafting business.

Remember that customers on Etsy are expecting to have to pay to ship so use it to your advantage.

Make sure you accurately weigh and measure your packages. Do a trial run of shipping every different item in your Etsy shop. Keep the supplies you need on hand.

You don’t want a hold up on shipping supplies to contribute to missing a shipping deadline.

Use the handling fee to build in that profit buffer to keep you competitive without hurting your bottom line.

Looking for some more information on shipping outside of the Etsy Marketplace? Contact us for some great postage solutions.

On   /   Cost of Postage, Postage Meters, Saving Money With Postage Meters, Shipping   /   Leave a comment