Why My Etsy Store Closed Down
It's been almost a year since my last income report, so clearly, I have failed to make the business work for me.
What happened? You may ask.
In my last income report, things were going swell; however, Etsy closed my shop down permanently to my horror.
Oh, it was so frustrating and upsetting. I worked damn hard for that store, and in a second, just like that, months of work were gone.
Why did this happen? Let's say I ignored all the emails they sent me about copyright issues that my listing had.
Was it from the design itself or the listing title? I am not sure, but the warning signs were all there, yet I chose to look the other way, not thinking much of it. How dumb was I?
So please, for the love of God, follow the rules and don't get your store closed.
3 REASONS NOT TO GET YOUR STORE CLOSED:
Etsy doesn't have sympathy; bots run the system; if you do the wrong thing and do not follow the rules, the bots will shut you down and will not hear you out; it's done for. (Unless it's a mistake on their part, then you can try emailing them)
You won't be able to open up another store, your IP address will be flagged, and you won't be able to start again on their platform.
If you have other stores connected to your IP address, they will also be shut down even if nothing is wrong with them. They even shut down stores that are not even under your name; as long as it's using the same IP address, it's gone. For example, if your partner or roommate has a store. Say goodbye to those stores too. It's unfair, I know.
SO WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS?
Nothing, I was weeping for ages, I felt discouraged like I shouldn't be starting a business to begin with, or I'm not cut out for it, etc.
So it took me ages to get back on my feet, I went out to search for a new platform, but it just wasn't the same. Etsy is the easiest and low-cost platform for new sellers, and I didn't have much money for other platforms like Shopify since they run on a monthly fee, but it also requires more effort to gain customers.
Sure, relying on Etsy alone is a bad idea and having your website is the best, but this was the best place for me to start as a new business owner with low capital.
THINGS I COULD HAVE DONE AS SECURITY:
There were many lessons I have learned during this phase of my journey that I wish I had known sooner. There were security measures I could have set up for myself if something like this had ever happened.
Starting an email list is one of them. Many Etsy bloggers and small business owners swear by creating an email list from day one. Since my store was only a few months old, I didn't think I needed one but *sign I wish I did, that way I can communicate with my customers and let them know the issue and where to find me. If I had an email list, I would be able to migrate them to a new platform. However, It is what it is, and we must move on.
HOW I WAS ABLE TO GET BACK ON ETSY AND HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED:
Recently to my shock, I got a sales email from Etsy of an order. I was confused, but to my surprise, one of the many stores that I opened wasn't blocked by Etsy. It was a miracle, and I was overjoyed. But it got me thinking...why did this store not get suspended like the others. It was puzzling, but I decided to try again with Etsy using this store. However, it just wasn't the same anymore.
I tried to list the same stuff that wasn't flagged as copyright from my old store, but the traffic wasn't as high as it used to be, even after two months. I knew from my old store that the copyrighted listing was generating the most income, but it sucked, and I couldn't just list it. Or more like I was too scared to.
I decided this niche was not the way to go anymore and had to think of another one. Something safe. I looked at other stores doing well and experimented with them, but it's more complicated than it seems. The competition is high on Etsy, so doing things that everyone else is doing just won't cut it.
WHAT IS MY NEXT EXPERIMENT:
My new experiment is product mockups for Etsy owners. I chose this because I realised that the customers using Etsy or browsing Etsy the most are other Etsy owners. By creating for them, there is a likely chance of gaining repeated customers.
It may take more work than my old store since I have to take photos physically, but I believe in this project. I will update you on my journey and hopefully get to where I want to be.
Thanks for reading my blog, and I hope you found it helpful in any way.
Feedback is welcome since I am an amateur writer and business owner.
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