Unsure how to price your Etsy products or handmade items? If you’re a new seller, this is probably one of the major questions you have when starting your Etsy shop.
This ultimate guide covers everything from understanding your target audience, calculating your costs, setting your prices, and making sure your business is profitable. Learn how to price your handmade goods accurately and fairly.
One of the most challenging aspects of running an Etsy business is pricing your handmade goods. Pricing too high can discourage buyers, while pricing too low can undermine the value of your work and cut into your profits.
The biggest mistake I see Etsy sellers make is not pricing their items correctly. You have to account for your time, materials, and overhead expenses to determine the true cost of your products.
– Jess Van Den, founder of Create & Thrive
So how can you find that perfect balance for your Etsy shop? Good news, friend! In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about pricing your Etsy products, from understanding your target audience to calculating your costs and setting your prices.
In this guide:
- Understand Your Target Audience
- Calculate Your Costs
- Formula for Pricing Handmade Goods
- Setting Your Prices
- Make Your Business Profitable
- Consider Your Time Spent
- Account for Variable Costs
- Understand Your Profit Margin
- Consider Your Brand Value
- Stay Competitive
- Take Advantage of Etsy’s Tools
- Additional Sources
Understand Your Target Audience
Before you can price your handmade or Etsy store products, you need to understand your target audience. Who are your potential customers, and what are they willing to pay? Take a look at similar products on Etsy and other marketplaces to get an idea of what prices your competitors are charging.
You can also conduct surveys or talk to your customers directly to get a better understanding of their needs and preferences.
Here are some tips for getting to know your target audience for pricing your Etsy products:
- Define your ideal customer: Start by creating a profile of your ideal customer. This should include demographic information such as age, gender, location, and income level, as well as psychographic information such as interests, values, and lifestyle. It helps to imagine that you are creating an avatar of your ideal customer!
- Conduct market research: Conducting market research can help you gain valuable insights into your target audience. This can include surveying your customers, creating polls on social media platforms, using search engines to research current trends, and analyzing your competitors and similar items on Etsy.
- Use customer feedback: Listening to feedback from your customers or potential customers can help you better understand their needs and preferences. Encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings, and use this feedback to make improvements to your products and pricing strategy.
- Monitor your analytics: Use analytics tools such as Google Analytics or Etsy’s built-in analytics to track the performance of your listings. This can help you identify which products are most popular with your target market, as well as which marketing strategies are most effective.
Calculate Your Costs
The next step in pricing your Etsy products is to calculate your costs. It’s important that small business owners make a profit, after all! You need to account for all of the expenses associated with making your products, including:
- Materials: What materials or craft supplies do you use to create your products, and how much do they cost? Be sure to factor in the shipping costs and cost of materials.
- Labor: How much time do you spend making your products, and what is your hourly rate? This can be a bit tricky to calculate, but we’ll cover it in more detail later on.
- Overhead: These are costs that are associated with running your business. What other expenses do you have, such as Etsy fees, website hosting fees, office supplies, or additional fees that you MUST factor in?
Add up all of these costs to determine your total expenses.
Formula for Pricing Handmade Goods
Once you have your total expense amount, you can use the following formula to calculate your pricing and decide on your bottom line:
Price = (Total Expenses / Number of Products) + Profit
For example, let’s say you spend $100 on materials, $200 on labor, and $50 on overhead to make 10 products. Your total expenses would be $350, and you want to make a 20% profit. Using the formula above, your pricing would be:
Price = ($350 / 10) + ($350 x 0.20 / 10) Price = $35 + $7 Price = $42
The amount of profit you decide to make is totally up to you, but 20% should be the bare minimum. Decide if a $7 profit on a $35 expense is worth it to you (as per the example above). If not, increase it! If you decide to offer products at a wholesale price, you’ll definitely want this amount to be higher — at least 50% profit.
Setting Your Prices
Now that you have your pricing formula, you can set your prices for your Etsy products. Keep in mind that pricing is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Your prices will depend on your unique situation, including your target audience, the competition, and your costs.
Here are some tips for setting your prices:
- Be Competitive: Take a look at similar products on Etsy and other marketplaces to get an idea of what prices your competitors are charging. Try to be competitive, but don’t underprice your products. Underpricing can contribute to lowering the value of an entire market, so be sure to be fair to yourself! Take into account the quality of the supplies you use and your experience as well.
- Be Transparent: Let your customers know what goes into the pricing of your products within the Etsy product description. This can help them understand why your prices are what they are and can increase their perceived value.
- Test Your Prices: Consider testing different prices to see what works best for your business. You can try running a sale or offering a discount to see how customers respond, or try offering a more simple version of a current item that can be offered at a lower price point.
Making Your Business Profitable
Obviously, it’s essential to make sure your business is profitable! You don’t want to spend more money on making your products than you earn from selling them. Here are some tips for making your business profitable:
If you’re not making a profit…
Adjust Your Prices. If you’re not making a profit, you may need to adjust your prices. Setting a low price isn’t always the smartest. Look at your costs and see where you can cut back or where you need to charge more to cover your costs and make a profit.
Increase Efficiency. Look for ways to streamline your production process or reduce waste. This can help you save time and money.
Offer Additional Services. Consider offering additional services such as customization, gift wrapping, or expedited shipping for an additional fee. This can help increase your revenue and profits. Product add-ons are also a great way to increase profit, such as offering a deal on a second item if a customer adds something to their cart.
Diversify Your Product Line. Consider expanding your product line to include complementary products or services. This can help increase your sales and profits.
Keep Track of Your Finances. It’s important to keep track of your income and expenses to ensure that your business is profitable. Consider using accounting software or hiring an accountant to help you manage your finances.
Consider Your Time Spent
In the formula we discussed earlier, we briefly touched on the labor costs involved in making your products. However, it’s important to consider the time you spend on each product in more detail.
Determine how much time it takes you to make each product and what your hourly rate is. This will give you a more accurate estimate of your labor costs, which can significantly impact your pricing. Remember, your time is valuable, so don’t undervalue it.
How do you calculate an hourly rate for your handmade business?
Calculating Your Hourly Rate
Calculating your hourly rate is an important part of pricing your handmade products, as it helps you ensure that you are covering your time and labor costs. If you’re doing made-to-order items, this is especially important to create a profitable business!
Here is a formula that can help you determine your hourly rate:
Hourly Rate = (Total Expenses + Desired Profit) ÷ Total Hours Worked
Similar to the above method of calculating your product price, here’s how to use this formula to calculate an hourly rate for your handmade business:
- Determine your total expenses: Like above, this includes all of the direct costs associated with running your handmade business, such as materials, equipment, utilities, and marketing expenses.
- Decide on your desired profit margin: This is the amount of profit you want to make on each item you sell. The right price is totally up to you. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a profit margin of at least 20-30%.
- Calculate your total hours worked: This includes all of the time you spend on your business, including time spent making products, fulfilling orders, and handling administrative tasks. If you are unsure about your time spent, be sure to record your time spent during one of your creating sessions to get an idea.
- Plug these numbers into the formula: Divide your total expenses plus desired profit by your total hours worked to determine your hourly rate.
For example, let’s say your total expenses for the year are $10,000 and you want to make a 25% profit margin. You estimate that you will work 1,000 hours in the coming year. Using the formula above, your hourly rate would be:
Hourly Rate = ($10,000 + ($10,000 x 0.25)) ÷ 1,000 = $12.50 per hour
This means that you should aim to price your products at a level that covers both your materials and labor costs, as well as provides you with a reasonable profit margin based on your hourly rate.
Account for Variable Costs
In addition to your materials, labor, and overhead expenses, you may also have variable costs associated with your products. For example, if you’re selling perishable goods, you may have to factor in the cost of spoilage or decide what to do if an unexpected disaster strikes.
Or, if you’re selling vintage items, you may need to factor in the cost of restoring or repairing the products. Be sure to account for these variable costs in your pricing formula.
Understand Your Profit Margin
What is a profit margin? Your profit margin is the amount of profit you make on each item you sell, expressed as a percentage of the total cost of the item. To ensure that your business is profitable, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your profit margin.
Consider what percentage of profit you want to make on each product and factor that into your pricing formula. Keep in mind that your profit margin may vary depending on your target audience, competition, and costs.
For example, if you sell an item for $50 and it cost you $30 to make, your profit margin would be:
Profit Margin = ((Price – Cost) ÷ Price) x 100
Profit Margin = (($50 – $30) ÷ $50) x 100
Profit Margin = (20 ÷ 50) x 100
Profit Margin = 40%
This means that your profit margin is 40%, or $20 on each item you sell.
Your profit margin is an important factor to consider when pricing your handmade products, as it determines how much profit you make on each sale.
A higher profit margin means you make more money on each sale, but may also mean that you need to charge a higher price for your products. On the other hand, a lower profit margin may result in lower profits per sale, but may make your products more affordable and accessible to customers.
When determining your profit margin, it’s important to consider your business goals and market conditions. Aim for a profit margin that allows you to cover your costs, make a reasonable profit, and remain competitive in your market.
Consider Your Brand Value
Your brand value is the perceived value of your products in the eyes of your customers. Consider what sets your products apart from your competitors and how your brand value impacts your pricing.
For example, if you’re selling high-end, luxury products, you may be able to charge a premium price based on your brand value. However, if you’re selling low-cost, everyday items, you may need to price your products more competitively.
“When it comes to pricing handmade items on Etsy, it’s important to remember that you are not just competing with other Etsy sellers, but also with mass-produced items available at chain stores. Don’t undervalue your products just because they are handmade.”
– Lisa Jacobs, founder of Marketing Creativity and author of “Etsy-preneurship: Everything You Need to Know to Turn Your Handmade Hobby into a Thriving Business“
Stay Competitive
As we’ve mentioned, it’s important to stay competitive with your pricing. However, don’t let the competition dictate your pricing strategy. Consider what makes your products unique and how you can offer added value to your customers while creating a successful business.
Price your products accordingly, but be prepared to adjust your pricing if necessary based on market trends and customer demand.
Take Advantage of Etsy Tools
Etsy offers several tools to help sellers with their pricing strategy. Consider using tools like Etsy’s Pricing Calculator, which can help you determine your pricing based on your expenses and desired profit margin. Third party apps also offer “Compare Your Shop” tools, which allows you to compare your prices to other shops selling similar products.
Still need some help?
Check out these resources below for even more info about pricing your Etsy products and learning how to sell on Etsy.
- Etsy Seller Handbook: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/ The official Etsy Seller Handbook is a great resource for sellers looking to grow their business. It covers topics such as marketing, product photography, and pricing strategy.
- Handmadeology: https://www.handmadeology.com/ Handmadeology is a popular blog that focuses on handmade goods and Etsy business tips. It features articles on topics such as pricing strategy, branding, and social media marketing.
- Creative Hive: https://www.creativehiveco.com/ Creative Hive is an online resource that offers courses, workshops, and coaching for Etsy sellers. Their blog covers a wide range of topics related to running an Etsy business, including pricing strategy and profitability.
- Craft Business Magazine: https://www.craftbusiness.com/ Craft Business Magazine is a UK-based magazine that covers the craft industry, including handmade goods and Etsy businesses. Their website features articles on a variety of topics, including pricing strategy, marketing, and trends in the craft industry.
Pricing your Etsy products can be a complex task, but by considering all of the factors we’ve discussed, you can develop a pricing strategy that is both competitive and profitable.
Remember to be transparent with your customers about your pricing and always strive to offer added value. With these tips and tools, you can grow your Etsy business and achieve success. Good luck!
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