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After years of building websites for customization businesses, we’ve heard this question a hundred times: "Do I really need a website if I already have an Etsy shop?"
(Or Instagram, or Facebook, or ~insert your favorite platform here~.)
It’s a fair question. You see other businesses in your city with decked-out websites that look super professional, and you know you probably should have one, too. But building a website feels like… a lot of work.
And if you’re going to put in all of that effort, is it really going to help you get more sales? Why bother when Etsy or Instagram can bring in plenty of traffic already?
We get it. Selling on these platforms is easy. Way easier than building a brand-new website.
But having a business website that you control? That opens some incredible doors for your business that are currently closed off to you.
Curious what they are? Here are the five major benefits a website brings to your maker business.
#1 - You Finally Own Your Customer Data
There’s no doubt that Etsy makes it easy to get customers and sell products online.
But all of that ease comes at a cost.
Everything you do on a marketplace is controlled by the platform. They receive your customer data. They benefit from your shop traffic. And they decide what information they will and won’t share with you.
What does that mean for you?
Let’s say you work hard to promote your shop on social media. One hundred people visit your store, and a handful of them buy from you.
- If you have your own website: You get each customer’s name, email, and shipping address. You can build a mailing list to keep them engaged, turning them into repeat buyers.
- On Etsy: You don’t get that access. You can chat on the platform, but you can’t easily build an email list or contact them outside of Etsy.
When you own your data, you gain the power to send out Black Friday offers, or share holiday collections, or turn on abandoned cart emails (which are always very profitable!).
Your customer list is your most valuable asset — don’t let a platform keep it from you.
Find even more resources for building your business in our MakerFlo Pro business hub.
#2 - You Get to Build a Brand, Not Just an “Etsy Shop”
Be honest: When you buy something from Etsy, what do you remember about the shop?
Most people would say, “I got this on Etsy.” Eight out of 10 times, they don’t remember the specific shop name at all. The hard truth is this:
When you sell exclusively on a marketplace, you aren’t building your brand — you’re building theirs.
Now, if you want to grow and scale, you need to be memorable. You need to build your own brand.
How?
On a branded website. It’s the one place where you can share your story, show off your products, and use your logo and colors with no other business in sight.
Now, don’t get us wrong, we love Etsy and social media and we wholeheartedly recommend these platforms. In fact, we offer Etsy management as part of our services! But they are best used in combination with a professional website.
#3 - A Website Saves You Time
For makers like you, time is money.
Taking orders via DM or text is time-consuming. You have to process the sale manually, chat back and forth with the customer, and figure out exactly what they want, all before you even sit down to make the product.
A website makes these processes simple and automatic.
In your product listings, you can include customization options and previews right on the product page. Your customer knows exactly what they’re getting, and you get all the info you need without sending a single text.
Our goal for our clients is simple: The website should be so easy to use that your grandmother can customize a product and purchase it all by herself.
When your website is that automated, you are buying back your most precious resource: your time.
#4 - You Control the Customer Experience
If you’ve ever sold at a craft show, you know that the booth setup plays a huge role.
The moment a person looks at your booth, they get a feel for your brand. They might see your smiling face. They look at your product. And in a split second, they decide if they want to engage.
On Etsy, you don’t get to make the same impression.
You can show your product photos, but you can’t control the environment. You can’t show your face or tell a compelling story. Worse, you see links to other businesses pop up next to your products, threatening to take your traffic away.
With your own website, you have complete control over the design and content. You can choose what they see first and focus on telling your story. We call this subtle marketing, and it’s a powerful way to increase sales in a market that’s tired of pushy ads.
#5 - A Website Protects Your Business in the AI Era
We’ve all felt the shift since AI hit the scene.
The way people find information and buy products has changed for good. More customers are turning to AI for answers instead of searching on platforms directly. So the way they find your business is going to change.
Here’s a test. If a customer asks ChatGPT, “Where can I get a custom wedding tumbler in Tulsa?” will your business show up? If you don’t have a website, it probably won’t.
AI pulls its information from websites. So to make sure your business can thrive in the future, you need a home base on the internet that’s full of content about who you are and what you make.
On top of that, relying solely on third-party platforms is risky. The algorithm can change, your accounts can get banned, and your reach can drop anytime. The only way to secure your business for the long term is by building a permanent website that you control.
The Bottom Line
A website is an investment in the future of your business.
It allows you to:
- Own your customer data
- Build a recognizable brand
- Save time by automating orders
- Control the customer experience
- And protect your business from industry changes
Want to build a website, but not sure where to start? We can help! Esenay Digital specializes in building websites specifically for customization businesses like yours. We’ve helped more than 100 businesses build powerful, branded websites that bring in more traffic and sales, and we’re ready to help you, too! Click here to book a free call with us to learn more.
Want to connect with us more? Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
P.S. - Wondering what to include on your website to get more sales? Stay tuned for a future article where we will go into all the juicy details!
Thank you, Srishti and Arpit, for sharing your expertise with us!
Connect with MakerFlo by joining our free MakerFlo Makers Community and following us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Next up, find more great resources for growing your business by visiting our MakerFlo Pro resource hub.
