Etsy Seller Interview: Wrapped Up in Jewelry

I’ve shared plenty of Etsy tips so far, but it’s always great to reach into the community and learn from others’ experiences. I’ve interviewed Laurelann of Wrapped Up In Jewelry to hear a bit about her business and how she’s managing it day-to-day. Welcome to my first entry in what I would love to become a regular Etsy seller interview series.

Want to get involved and help this series expand? Contact me!

About Wrapped Up In Jewelry

I went to high school with Laurelann, so I’ve watched her jewelry-making skills blossom over time. It’s wonderful to be able to connect with other creatives and witness their business growth — and there’s a lot to learn from this seller!

You can check out just a few of her pieces below, but click the image to see her most up-to-date work on sale!

1. The Creative Process

Tell me a little about your shop.

My shop is filled with unique wire-wrapped jewelry, made with gemstones, crystals, and beads! Most pieces can never be replicated, but similar styles are represented across my inventory.

How do you stay inspired to create?

I follow so many other artists on Instagram, where I primarily manage my social media. Some also do wire-wrapping, and others are just phenomenal artists of other sorts! They inspire me to try different styles and wire weaves, and sometimes other people come to me with things they like about what I do and ask, “But can you do ‘x’?” and it brings a whole new challenge that’s fun and exciting for me.

2. Running a Business

What advice would you give to other Etsy sellers?

Etsy sends out a lot of tips by email, and those can be really helpful to read through! Etsy also has a list of key dates available at your disposal where it actually recommends when to host a sale, so take advantage of that. And also, no one will find your shop if you’re not actively advertising it or actively using your social media, so as much as it sucks to feel glued to your phone at times, it’s the best way to reach your audience.

What’s been the best decision you’ve made for growing your business?

I attended a networking event that also doubled as having advice about best tips for using Instagram, and it was a lot of fun while also being informative! I got to make new connections that I still talk to and interact online with (the event was back in June!), and the tips for social media have been invaluable. I’ve since been using those bits of information to help friends kick-start their social media pages!

3. Is Etsy the Best Choice For Your Business?

Recently, Laurelann has shifted her business efforts from Etsy’s platform to her own website, a move that many creatives have been adopting over time. I was interested in hearing her thoughts about the great Etsy vs. independent website debate, so below, Laurelann shares her insight!

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Over the summer, Etsy announced increasing their seller fees from 3.5% to 5%, and I personally couldn’t understand the justification for that when I didn’t feel that they were doing enough to help my shop be seen. I was doing all of my own marketing, and I didn’t anticipate that that would lighten at all if I stayed with Etsy or considered their paid plans that they were intending to implement and have since begun offering.

I noticed a lot of other small businesses like myself were posting to their Instagram stories about it, also confused or angry about the increase in fees, so it felt good to know I wasn’t alone. I talked with a few of them about all of this, which included conversations about whether to stay on Etsy or to find other modes for selling our items.

Quite a few people talked about Wix, and after playing around with it, I found I liked it! It allowed me to have it help me build the website and have some fun in customizing it; I think my favorite part was that it built me a color scheme from my logo! It can run expensive for the start-up costs if you go that route with Wix, but I’ve been enjoying it. I think it’s worthwhile to invest in if your business seems to be bustling well enough, but otherwise, Etsy has a really lovely Pattern service to have a customized website that you can purchase a domain for, and that’s a great move too!

Etsy Seller Interview Wrap-Up

Connecting with the crafting community can offer some great discussion about the pros and cons of sticking with a third-party platform to do your selling. Ultimately, the choice to make the most of Etsy, create your own custom website, or do a weird hybrid of both (as this blog is going for), is deeply personal and depends on the bustle of your business.

I’d like to thank Laurelann for sharing her experiences and taking the time to answer my questions. Etsy has created such a diverse community of products, niches and creatives, that you simply can’t learn from just one person. From jewelry to knitting to beyond, every industry offers unique challenges and growth points.

As Etsy shifts its policies, do you find it’s moving in a direction that helps your business? We’d love to hear your thoughts below!