MAC and Brie Make

So I’m doing a little experiment where I pit etsy against IRL markets.

It’s not a direct one-to-one fight, since I sell photography and paintings IRL, but sell gifts for artists and photography on Etsy. So my product lineup is a bit different.

Well, it’s been 3 months, the revenue *almost* a tie–Etsy has gotten be $82.40 in revenue while IRL has gotten me $88 in revenue. I only did two IRL markets since I bit off more than I could chew in life and got super burnt out.

I know that Etsy is pitched as this easy way to generate passive income, but I think I’ve spent just as much–if not more–time with my Etsy shop than I have IRL. It takes me a while to not only design the product, but to get mockups/photos, write descriptions, figure out my SEO, etc. But I’m doing something right, since even though I have low views/sales, my conversion rate is 2.7%, which is considered very healthy. Generally, conversion rates are anywhere from 1-3%, so I’m on the high end there.

Overall, I’ve been enjoying both for different reasons. I enjoy the designing and marketing aspect of Etsy, but I love connecting with people in IRL markets. I plan to keep doing both and see where it takes me.

(I’m just glad I also have a full time job! $172 in total revenue over three months is not liveable)