If you’re running a paranormal or witchcraft business, setting up an online store is a vital part of building your brand and growing your customer base. Many business owners initially turn to platforms like Etsy for their ease of use, but the hidden fees and limitations can quickly add up. While Etsy offers convenience, it can limit your earning potential and brand growth over time. That’s where Mystic Realm Studio comes in. We specialise in helping paranormal and witchcraft businesses create their own fully customizable online stores without the platform fees and restrictions of third-party marketplaces.
Let us explain how Mystic Realm Studio can help you save money, retain more control, and ultimately grow your business by owning your own shop instead of relying on Etsy or similar platforms.
1. Etsy Fees vs. Owning Your Own Shop
One of the most immediate advantages of setting up your own shop with Mystic Realm Studio is the money you’ll save on Etsy fees. Etsy charges sellers in multiple ways, which can add up quickly and eat into your profit margins.
Etsy Fee Structure (at time of writing)
- Listing fees: Etsy charges $0.20 per listing, which may not sound like much, but it adds up when you have a large inventory.
- Transaction fees: Etsy takes a 6.5% fee on each sale, including the shipping cost.
- Payment processing fees: Etsy charges an additional 3% + $0.25 per transaction for processing payments, which can significantly reduce your profits.
In contrast, when you own your own shop with Mystic Realm Studio, you eliminate these recurring costs and keep more of your hard-earned revenue. Your only costs will be the initial setup and maintenance fees associated with your own website (which are minimal compared to long-term Etsy fees).
Even though you’ll still have payment processing fees from services like PayPal or Stripe, you’re likely to save a significant amount of money by avoiding Etsy’s transaction and listing fees.
2. Stops the Frustration of Funds Being Held by Third-Party Platforms
One of the most frustrating aspects of selling on third-party platforms, like Etsy or other similar marketplaces, is having funds held unexpectedly. This happens when the platform decides to freeze access to your earnings due to disputes, payment issues, or account reviews. For small business owners, especially in niche industries like the paranormal or witchcraft communities, this can lead to major cash flow problems, impacting your ability to restock inventory or invest in business growth. These dreadful fund holds are often out of your control and can last for days or even weeks, further straining your operations. Owning your own online store, such as the one offered by Mystic Realm Studio, eliminates the risk of your money being held by a third-party platform unfairly, giving you full access to your earnings at all times and ensuring that you are in complete control of your business’s financial health.
3. Full Control Over Your Branding
Another key advantage of owning your own shop is that you have complete control over your brand. On Etsy, your shop is just one of thousands, and it can be challenging to stand out. Etsy also limits the ways you can customize your storefront, making it difficult to create a unique brand experience for your customers.
With Mystic Realm Studio, you have endless customization options. We specialise in creating custom WordPress websites tailored specifically to paranormal and witchcraft businesses, ensuring that your brand shines and resonates with your audience.
Custom Branding Features:
- Unique themes and layouts: Create a shop that reflects your personality and the essence of your paranormal niche.
- Full ownership of your design: No shared templates or limited customization; everything can be tailored to your vision.
- Custom domain: Using your own domain name instead of an Etsy subdomain (like yourshop.etsy.com) enhances your brand’s professionalism.
By owning your own shop, you build brand recognition and trust with your customers, which are crucial for long-term business success.
4. Unlimited Product Listings
Etsy imposes limits on product listings through their listing fees. As mentioned earlier, each item costs $0.20 to list, and listings expire after four months unless renewed. For businesses with a wide variety of products, this can quickly become an ongoing cost.
With a Mystic Realm Studio e-commerce website, you can list unlimited products without worrying about additional fees. Whether you’re selling handmade spell kits, witchcraft tools, crystals, or paranormal services, you can showcase as many products as you like without any restrictions. This gives you the flexibility to expand your product offerings without added costs or hassle.
5. Your Own Marketing and SEO Strategy
When you sell on Etsy, you’re competing for attention with thousands of other sellers, many of whom are selling similar products. While Etsy offers some promotional tools, they don’t give you the same level of control as having your own website.
With Mystic Realm Studio, we set up your website with custom SEO (search engine optimisation) strategies to help you rank on Google and other search engines. You can optimise your product listings, blog posts, and pages to attract organic traffic meaning you won’t have to rely solely on Etsy’s internal search algorithm for visibility.
Benefits of Owning Your Marketing Strategy:
- SEO Optimisation: Tailor your content to rank for keywords related to your niche, such as “paranormal tools” or “witchcraft supplies.”
- Email marketing: Collect customer emails and build your own email list for future promotions, something that’s difficult to do through Etsy.
- Social media integration: Fully integrate your shop with platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to drive traffic directly to your store.
6. Create a Fully Monetizable Website
One of the greatest benefits of owning your own website is the potential to turn it into a fully monetizable asset. Beyond just selling products, you can incorporate affiliate marketing, sell ad space, offer paid content, or even create exclusive membership areas. All these revenue streams are not possible on Etsy, which limits how you can use your shop to earn money.
By setting up your store through Mystic Realm Studio, you can maximise your earning potential by diversifying how you monetize your website. Whether you’re selling products, services, or content, your shop can eventually pay for itself over time.
7. Building a Customer Base Outside of Etsy
When you sell on Etsy, you’re largely dependent on their platform for traffic. However, building your own store gives you the ability to establish a direct relationship with your customers.
Advantages of Owning Customer Data:
- Email list building: You can create and nurture your email list, which allows you to promote future products or services directly to your audience.
- Personalised shopping experience: Provide a customized experience for your customers, such as offering loyalty programs or tailored recommendations.
- Retargeting: Use tools like Facebook Pixel or Google Analytics to retarget your customers through ads, encouraging repeat purchases.
Owning your customer data is invaluable for long-term business growth and engagement, giving you more opportunities to drive sales and build customer loyalty.
The Conclusion
Owning your own online shop with Mystic Realm Studio offers substantial advantages over selling on Etsy. You’ll save money on fees, have full control over your branding, and be able to scale your business on your own terms. Not only will you own your digital asset, but you can also fully monetize it through multiple income streams, ensuring that your investment in a custom-built site pays off over time.
This Halloween, take advantage of our 20% off launch offer and make the move to owning your own paranormal digital asset. With just a £100 deposit, you can start building your business’s future and say goodbye to Etsy’s fees for good. Let’s get your spooky business started today!
