Etsy Vs. Dawanda: Two Websites to Sell Your Handmade Crafts
These Two Websites Allow You to Sell Your Handmade Crafts, but Which One is the Best?
I have opened up shops on both sites, shops that sell my original artwork and prints. I've been on Etsy for almost a year, and on Dawanda for five months. I've sold more things on Etsy and nothing, so far, on Dawanda. But making a choice on which one is better is easy for me. Dawanda wins hands down, and here's why.
Listing Fees
Shops are free to open on both sites, but Etsy charges a listing fee for each item. At only 20 cents per item it's much cheaper than somewhere like EBay, but the big problem with Etsy is their search engine doesn't work. What this in effect means is, unless your items have been newly listed, nobody can find your stuff. To solve this, you have to list and relist items every day. A 20 cent listing fee very quickly becomes a $1 to $2 listing fee, while people compete with each other to see who's listings are on the top couple of search pages. For people like jewelry designers it's a nightmare, as there are more than 200,000 jewelry items listed.
Dawanda, however, does not charge a listing fee. This means you can list and relist as many times as you want, it's still free. You also have a high placement on their search engine, as their search engine actually works.
The Site Search Engines
If you read the forums on Etsy, you'll see thousands of people complaining that the search engine doesn't work. You type in a search for "blue necklace" and you get paintings, t shirts, shorts, prints, anything but the blue necklace you actually wanted. Etsy administration has been ignoring their sellers and customers complaints about this issue for almost 2 years. Their search engine is still one of the worst on the internet, while their programmers waste their time creating pretty programs that nobody needs.
Dawanda's search engine is amazing. You type in your "blue necklace" search and up pops a couple of pages of blue necklaces. No shorts, no shoes, no t shirts, just necklaces. Dawanda wins hands down here too.
Ease of Listing
When you list a new item for sale, you have a lot of information to put in. Descriptions, photographs, keywords, prices, shipping charges etc. and it all takes time. Etsy sellers have been pleading with Etsy administration for the ability to have a template they can save, so listing a new item is only a matter of a couple of minutes rather than the 10-15 minutes it now takes. Etsy administration completely ignores them, and has yet to produce a template feature.
Dawanda's system automatically saves a template for every item you list. Listing a new item on Dawanda takes no more than 2 minutes, because all your information is already in there. Click a couple of buttons, add some new photos and you're done.
The Ability to Request Things Designed Especially For You
Dawanda has an amazing system where a shop owner (i.e.: you, the designer) can go into Style Lab and create a listing to do a special design for a potential customer. The customer then clicks on the "Create my style" button and can have their own design made by you. Wonderful idea, a unique product just for you.
Etsy used to have this feature. It was called "Alchemy" and was popular with sellers and buyers alike. Like many things on Etsy, though, it stopped working and Etsy has yet to fix it. It's on the long list of stuff they keep saying they're "getting to it" but nothing ever happens.
The Site Administration
As a seller, you want to be on a site where the administration (the site staff) are responsive to any problems or concerns you might have. Etsy, absolutely hands down, has the worst site administration of any website I have ever visited. I've had concerns, none of which were addressed or dealt with, and my friends recently were kicked off Etsy after they were harassed by a small group of sellers in the Forums. They were told by Etsy admin to report the people, so they did. Over and over again. Etsy admin responded by basically doing not much at all. Then, two weeks ago, after my friends complained for about the 50th time, they were told the complaint would be dealt with. Four hours later, they received an email from Etsy admin saying they were being kicked off the website for "too many conflicts with other sellers'".
The only conflicts my friends had had were in response to a small group of sellers lying about their products in the Etsy forums. So, on Etsy, if you think another seller is competition for you, it seems all you have to do is to keep harassing them. Eventually, after they have complained too much about you, they will be kicked off not you. .
Dawanda's site has probably one of the best administration staff on the internet. Very responsive to questions and concerns, and my friends who were kicked off Etsy have told me they have been welcomed by Dawanda and told the kind of abuse they received on Etsy will not happen there.
Overall, Dawanda wins over Etsy in every category. Etsy has grown too fast, and with site engineers who don't seem to know what they're doing. Etsy admin is young and talented, but they are also conceited and have little regard for their sellers. They also speak down to their sellers in the forums, and generally treat them like 5 year old children. Many sellers are angry with Etsy and many others are convinced Etsy is setting themselves up for a sale. At this point, a sale would be a good thing as new management could not be any worse than the current management is.
Dawanda is a new site, but is showing promise to be a powerful force in the internet marketplace. Their site is run with stereotypical German efficiency - basically everything works! And with an administration that genuinely seems to care about its sellers and buyers, this site really can't lose.
Published by Cassandra James
I'm a British-American writer currently living in Bangkok, Thailand. I've been writing for Associated Content since 2007 and was named one of AC's Top 100 Writers for 2008, 2009 and 2010. I primarily write a... View profile
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60 Comments
Post a CommentI think people should be aware, that since 419 scammers are so prevalent. We were contacted on etsy by one, who was kicked off quickly, and I was contatcted on Dawanda, on my first and only listing today, by a 419 scammer, who apparently was kicked off.
It is only a matter of time, if they haven't done it already, made up their own selling site, to scam people.
We joined etsy, may of this year, and have 38 sales already. It is hard to say why some people sell alot and some don't, but it is not always the sites fault.
They have grown quickly, so there was some things that were not working, but I have seen that etsy has been in the process of fixing them.
Like the new listing problem. Relisting everything to get it seen, is not the best way, or even a good way to go about it, and if people did it that way, it was their choice.
The best way is going through the circle network and some other things. Alot of people just want to list their items and wait for the sales to come in, but my wife has shown me, that there is alot more to do than that. She already works a type of sales job, so she knows what to do.
If you understand the etsy network, and tags and search targets, then you will likely get more, than if you just complain about the twenty cent listings.
I also joined dawanda a few days ago. No problem. They don't have to compete.
yes,,etsy #$%$ !!!!! i move to Dawanda and Artfire AND GOT MORE SALES from these two accounts...lets boycott Etsy..after chocked my money by high listing fees than treat u like a RUBBISH when u ask/email politely...
Robin, thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.
I quite like Coriandr.com, and sell my handmade buttons and other crafty things there. It's a newer site and on the rise. Try it, you'll like it. I have had things sit on Etsy for a LONg time, but sold quite a few on Coriandr.com in a short time
Thank you so much for this article! Although its almost 2 years old now, after reading some of the comments here, I have realized that the problems listed about etsy still do exist. As someone who's very new to online selling, this article is very beneficial. Thanks Cassandra, for an in-depth and informational piece, that not only helps existing sellers, but also people who are trying this for a first time.
I would like to ask two small questions to the author and anyone else who may answer: How do you compare Dawanda with other sites like ArtFire and Zibbet?
And could you please suggest any other sites like Dawanda/ArtFire etc.? Thanks once more!
When Dawanda opened their TOS stated no listing fees and a commision that WILL be implemented once they set up a billing system. At the beginning of 2009 they issued invoices asking for RETROACTIVE payments of their commision, beginning with June 2008, while their TOS as of 2008 did not mention anything about a specific date for the accrual of their commission on sales. This way they attracted sellers, by creating confusion about the moment of the billing of their commision fees which is 5% and by not using the word "retroactive" billing.
I have a shop on Etsy and I am doing well. I HAD a shop with Dawanda and I had sales there as well, but I closed it down after seeing what kind of tricky games they employ.
Best article ever!!! I thought I was alone!!! I currently sale on etsy as Orange on Broadway and I have great stuff but it is so lost on there. I have had complaints that have not been addressed at all. Sent a letter and it wasn't answered at all, 2 weeks later I sent it again. Then they respond to me like I am a child, basically telling me 'too bad'. People, buyers, are allowed to ask you for discounts repeatedly abusing you and you can't say or do anything about it. I can't stand it! what poor customer service. Thanks for the article. I say boycott etsy and let's all move to Dwanda!
Nena, old article or not, you're correct the same issues still exist at Etsy. I stopped selling over there last year as I couldn't, in all good conscience, support a site that is that terrible to artists. They have the worst reputation of any craft site and the guy who owns Etsy is an arrogant moron. They'll go bust eventually. Sites like that always do. Check out Dawanda. They're awesome.
I know this is an older thread, and as soon as I type this comment I'm off to see if Dawanda is still around!
I have had very bad experiences with Etsy...the ones outlined in this article such as the search engine not working and "featured sellers" given preferential treatment. I wanted to change my shop name and even though I KNOW two people (featured sellers) who have done that, I was told under NO CIRCUMSTANCES was I allowed to do that. When I pointed out to Etsy that two of their featured sellers had done just that, I was told to find somewhere else to sell my goods. So I'm tickled to know that Dawanda is out there and I'll definitely give it a shot. Etsy is even worse now with too many people, violating too many rules, and far too many suspious items that appear to be mass produced.