Starting a digital stationery business is one of the most exciting things you can possibly do, so there's no doubt you want to do things correctly. One of the biggest questions you're probably wondering as you get ready to launch your digital products is, "where am I going to sell everything?" This is a completely understandable and important question to ask, but answering it can be a bit trickier. There are two great ways to get started, and that's by using Etsy, an online marketplace, or building your own website.

Today, we're going to help you decide which is the best choice for you by considering various factors, then walk you through the set-up process of whichever path you take. This is part one of a two-part blog series, and today we’ll be covering the different elements you should consider when choosing between opening an Etsy shop and designing your own website, including :

Profits
Platform fees
Email list building
Traffic
Authority

You can read about a similar comparison we did between Etsy and Squarespace here.

Profits

The amount of money that's coming into your business influences how much money you're able to spend. Your profits can vary depending on the number of products you're selling, and that can also change the price you pay to list your products and sell them on your website or on Etsy.

Scaling on Etsy is a bit more difficult than doing so on Squarespace (our preferred website builder). If you're looking to supplement your income by selling digital planners and similar products, then Etsy is the perfect option. However, if you'd like to take your digital stationery business full-time, then building a website on Squarespace gives you the opportunity for more customization, features, and long-term growth.

If you're on track to reach your income goals or even surpass them, then it may be a good idea to invest in a personal website and possibly a professional designer to build a scalable, virtual home. It also leads us right to our next point to consider when deciding whether your own website or Etsy is better to sell digital products.

Platform Fees

Fees vary depending on what platform you choose to use to sell your products. Here's what you need to know about platform fees to make an educated decision when choosing a platform:

"You will be charged a listing fee of $0.20 USD for each item that you list for sale on Etsy.com or Etsy's mobile apps" (Etsy).
"When you make a sale through Etsy.com, you will be charged a transaction fee of 6.5% of the price you display for each listing plus the amount you charge for shipping and gift wrapping" (Etsy).
"There are no Squarespace transaction fees for Squarespace Commerce plans (Basic and Advanced). We charge a transaction fee of 3% on sales in the Business plan" (Squarespace).
An e-commerce site from Squarespace starts at $23 per month if paid annually.

We suggest using Squarespace as your website builder if you opt to build your own website – it's easy to learn, allows you to show up as a professional, and is also a great builder to use when DIYing your site or hiring a designer. When you subscribe to a Squarespace plan, you'll receive a free domain (such as the-pinkink.com) of your choice for one year, which will renew at $20 per year after that.

Because we love Squarespace so much, we're also giving you a discount code to take 20% off your subscription! Click here to get started.

Email List Building

One of the most effective ways to increase conversions and market your business is through email marketing. Building your email list is much easier through your own website where you have multiple opportunities and the space to promote your email list and can offer freebies to your audience. On Etsy, you only have so many opportunities to promote your email list, and sometimes, that precious space is better used for other purposes.

Email marketing is our personal favorite way to connect with our audience and then promote our digital planners and other digital products. If it's a key part of your marketing strategy, we suggest building your own website. If you're opting for a heavier social media presence to market your business, then Etsy may be a better option.

We love Flodesk and Convertkit.

Traffic

How many people are planning to visit your shop? The more website traffic you plan on having, the more potential you have to rank in search engine results. If you want more eyes on your shop, then building your own website is the way to go! Designing your own website eliminates the middleman and some of the chance your audience has to get distracted by the products your competitors are selling. Your website has the opportunity to tell your story and help you create a memorable experience for your viewers, while an Etsy shop is hard to distinguish.

If you have marketing experience, then you can do a lot with Squarespace’s extra features that will help you drive traffic. If this isn’t your strong point or you’re not even sure where to begin, check out my Digital Planner Academy to learn more about how to stand out and drive traffic to your digital product business.

We also talk about increasing your website’s traffic in another one of our blog posts, get the details here!

We’ll walk you through these steps in our free five-day challenge where you’ll get to watch me create a real digital planner and do so at the same time! Learn more and sign up here.

Authority

Starting your business on the right foot means showing up as a professional. In turn, that means building authority! Which will hold more authority to your target audience — an [ etsy.com/shop/yourshopname ] link or shopname.com? Chances are, they're going to find the second option more professional. While an Etsy shop is a great starting point, a branded website allows you to grow and pivot your business while still being seen as an authority figure by potential clients. You can build authority on Etsy by making sure your listings are SEO optimized. You can learn how to do that by clicking here!

Launch your Etsy shop with digital products to make passive income.

The bottom line

When should you choose Etsy?

Etsy is the perfect option when you don't have many products — possibly only a collection or two. When you have a lower budget, are focusing on social media marketing, and aren't expecting much shop traffic when you first launch.

Are you ready to open an Etsy shop? Learn how to have a successful launch in this blog post!

When should you build your own website?

If you've already built up a large audience interested in purchasing your products when you launch, you have a larger budget and product collection, or are looking to market your business in more organic ways such as through email marketing and SEO, then a professional website is a way to go!

If you’re ready to start building a digital planner business but you’re not sure where to start, check out our signature program, Digital Planner Academy. The Digital Planner Academy helps you learn how to start, build, and scale your digital planner business with done-for-you templates, processes, resources, and personalized feedback. You’ll be able to launch your business quickly and with confidence. Let's set up shop and watch the sales roll in!