How to Move From Etsy to Your Own Website Without Losing Sales

You've been putting in effort to build up your Etsy store. Yet when all is said and done, you end up having a big portion of your income going back into listing costs, transaction fees, and even advertising expenses.

So what can be done? Move from Etsy to your own site. That way, you make the rules and get to keep all the money.

In this guide, you'll get the exact steps you need to move from Etsy to your own website.

Key Benefits of Selling on Your Own Website vs Etsy

Why do you need to move from Etsy to your website?

This is why:

1. You earn more money

Etsy charges a commission on all sales made through its website. With your website, you will spend most of the time paying for fixed costs, which means higher profits from each transaction.

2. You have control

You are able to set prices, develop your policies, provide discounts, and apply your own design to your online store. In Etsy, you have no say in anything.

3. Free of competition

Etsy places the products of other sellers on the web page of your shop, so users may decide to buy other products as soon as they come out of your shop. In your online shop, there will be only those products that you sell.

4. You develop a brand

On Etsy, customers remember Etsy. On your own site, they remember you.

Why Sellers Are Leaving Etsy in 2026

So, now that we have discussed all of that, we must see the reasons why you, being an Etsy seller, may consider moving away from it.

• Listing Fee: $0.20 for each item listed, even if it does not sell.
• Transaction Fee: 6.5% of the order cost, which includes the shipping cost.
• Payment Processing: 3% + $0.25 per each completed transaction.
• Etsy Offsite Ads: 15% on sales attributed to Offsite Ads if your shop made under $10,000 in the past 365 days. 12% if your shop made $10,000 or more in the past 365 days, and at that point, it is mandatory for the life of the shop.
• Visibility issues: Some sellers report their listings becoming invisible despite the buyer searching for the product by using the exact keywords.

Etsy vs Your Own Website: Quick Comparison

8 Effective Steps to Move From Etsy to Your Website

Step 1: Audit Your Etsy Shop

Before you move anything, stop and look at what you have.

• Which products actually sell
• Which listings cost more in fees than they make
• Which items make you the most profit

Platforms like EverBee allow you to see your revenue, estimated fees, and best-performing listings all in one place with its product analytics feature, so you know exactly what's worth taking with you.

Then think about how to set things up on your new site. If you sell individual items on Etsy, try bundling them on your website instead. Bigger orders mean less lost to fees. Custom and private orders are also a perfect fit for your own site, since you skip the listing fee every time.

Step 2: Choose Your New Platform

The next stage is to select the platform for your online store.

OpoShop is an AI-based platform designed to help creators and sellers set up their online store without coding. This tool belongs to the EverBee line of software, including other solutions for research, SEO, and marketing. All operations on the platform can be done using AI algorithms.

Shopify is another choice. It gives you a tested checkout, hosting, and payment processing out of the box. Prices start at $39/month. Using Shopify Payments removes Shopify's extra 2% platform fee, but you still pay 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction in card processing.

It becomes easier to build a website when you learn how to do so on your own without needing to hire developers, especially if you do not have any coding skills at all.

Whichever option you decide on, make sure that your domain name is short, easy to spell, and easy to remember.

Step 3: Build Your Brand

Here is your opportunity to build your own brand experience beyond what you could ever achieve on Etsy. You can start by creating basic elements:

• Font style
• Color scheme
• Page layout

Next, you need to write an "About" page and make it personal. You should also have a set of clear and concise policies on shipping, returns, and custom work. Your website needs to be easy to navigate.

Trust is a critical element in any transaction. This is especially true for your first sale.

Step 4: Migrate Your Product Listings

Be careful not to simply copy and paste your Etsy listings over as is. Now is an opportunity to refine images, update your descriptions, and include keywords that are beneficial for Google.

Before writing, do some research with EverBee and its keyword research tool to see which keywords have been bringing you traffic on Etsy. This will inform you of how you can build on that success on Google.

SEO will be different in that case; therefore, change your listings accordingly. In case you're going to move on from Etsy, then a website launch checklist will assist you in preparing yourself for Google and others.

In case you're operating two online shops at once during that period, check out the sync options. There are apps by Shopify for doing the same, while there are plugins available for WordPress.

Step 5: Build Your Email List Before You Launch

The most important thing you have to take along with you is your email list. Unlike social media followers and Etsy customers, you have full control over the email list.

Even before launching your website, begin collecting email addresses. Provide a gift to encourage people to sign up:

• A discount
• A digital file
• A pattern guide
• A small tutorial

You can do this by advertising your email list through:

• Social media
• Etsy packaging
• About page on Etsy

But don't try to promote your outside store on Etsy, as that would violate Etsy's policies.

Step 6: Reestablish Customer Trust

One of the key benefits of Etsy is that customers have trust in this platform. If you decide to start your own store, you will have to earn their trust from scratch.

There are a few simple ways to do that:

• Include reviews. Take screenshots of reviews on Etsy and post them on your website. You can also create an account on Google Reviews or Trustpilot.
• Make checkout simple. Keep the process clean and your contact information easy to find. A clear, human-sounding return policy goes a long way.
• Get personal. Create an About page and put your picture and your life story. You get sales when people think that you are a person.
• Be active on social media. Posting frequently and answering questions quickly shows that you have a legitimate business.

The more confident buyers feel, the more likely they are to come back.

Step 7: Announce the Move to Existing Customers

You probably already have some customers. Tell them about the new site.

• Put a little card with your new web address and an enticement for visiting in every Etsy order.
• Tell your email list first. Offer subscribers exclusive early access or a special deal unavailable to others.
• Make the announcement through your social media network, and don't forget to do it again.
• Mention your domain name in the "About" page of your Etsy store or even include it in the FAQs.

Always stay excited about it. You're not going anywhere; you're expanding.

Step 8: Grow Your Website Traffic

Running a website with high traffic isn't something that happens once and never needs to be done again. It is an ongoing process that needs to begin right from day one.

• Content marketing: Create content in the form of blog posts, tutorial videos, or other helpful information that can get visitors to your website.
• Social media: Pick one social medium and get started there. After successfully building up an audience, you can then use the same audience to direct traffic to your site.
• Search engine optimization: Ensure your webpages have a fast loading speed and quality title tags that include the right keywords. Build backlinks from authoritative sites in order to boost credibility.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Moving from Etsy to Your Own Website

Here are a few things to avoid when moving from Etsy to your own website:

• Don't shut down Etsy immediately. Do both at the same time for a few months until your new site gains some traction.
• Don't forget to collect your email addresses before you go. Customers from Etsy will not magically follow you. If you don't get their information, you will lose them forever.
• Don't simply copy what you have on Etsy. Etsy SEO is different from Google SEO. Rewrite all your descriptions according to your new audience.
• Don't expect quick results. It will take some time for organic growth. Give your website six to twelve months to evaluate its performance.

How Long Does It Take to Move From Etsy to Your Own Site?

Depending on how many products you have and the level of customization that is desired, technical implementation could take from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.

However, the most difficult aspect of all is traffic. Building organic traffic can take from 6 to 12 months to build significant momentum, with a complete stand-alone business being developed for even longer periods of time. This does not mean you should wait, but rather begin early.

Generally, when a seller sets up a store on their website, they keep their Etsy shop active. Consider Etsy a lead generation tool that drives leads to a place where the relationship begins to develop.

The Bottom Line: Moving from Etsy to your own website is how you start building something you own. You keep more of every sale. You own the customer relationship. You set the rules.

The transition is not a weekend project. It takes time. So, you'll need to stay patient.

The first decision is the platform, and that is where most sellers make mistakes. If you want to skip the coding part, OpoShop lets you build a full online store with AI in a few clicks, using the product data you already have on Etsy.

Build your online store with OpoShop today.

FAQ about moving from Etsy to your own website

Is it better to sell through your own website or through Etsy?

Etsy is better for beginners needing built-in traffic and easy setup, while your own website is better for long-term brand control, higher margins, and fewer fees.

How much does Etsy take from a $1000 sale?

For a $1,000 sale in the US, Etsy takes about $95.25 in mandatory fees, not counting listing fees, ads, or shipping. That breaks down as 6.5% transaction fee, which is $65, plus 3% + $0.25 payment processing, which is $30.25.

Why are vendors leaving Etsy?

Vendors are leaving Etsy due to high combined fees, mandatory offsite advertising once they cross $10,000/year, and intense competition from mass-produced, non-handmade items.