Hello. My name is Viktoria Zhydok. I run my own business on Etsy and at the same time work with the trading agency Western Bid. Every day we communicate with Ukrainian entrepreneurs who want to sell abroad, but often do not understand where to start and where to “lay the foundation.”
In this article, I want to honestly talk about fears. Not made-up or theoretical — but those I hear almost daily from newcomers to Etsy. These doubts arise not because people are not willing to work, but because international sales seem to be something very complicated and unclear. Over the years working with Ukrainian sellers, we see well what most often stops people from taking the first step and prevents them from earning in foreign currency.
Fear № 1: International shipping
Honestly, international shipping is fear number one. And it’s completely understandable. How everything works abroad is very different from domestic delivery, which we are used to.
With a background in marketing, even before launching on Etsy, we had experience in online sales in Ukraine, including on marketplaces. The general logic was familiar: create a product listing, add description, photos, set up payment — and it seemed like everything was ready. So, from a technical point of view, Etsy didn’t look overly complicated.
But the shipping aspect, honestly, I underestimated at that time. I simply enabled free shipping, roughly incorporated some amount into the product price, and thought: “When I get an order — I’ll figure it out.” At that moment, it seemed like a logical solution.
When the first order came, the joy was immense. But a few minutes later — panic. How to ship it? What to pack? Who even ships abroad? How much does it really cost, and will shipping eat up all the profit?
Of course, we shipped the package — with help from acquaintances and the company Western Bid. But the first order ended up being unprofitable. The reason was simple: I hadn’t calculated the shipping cost in advance. And, trust me, this is a very typical situation for beginners. I have seen it dozens of times.
How to approach shipping correctly
To avoid such mistakes, it’s worth considering shipping even before launching your store. Not after the first order or “later,” but during the preparation stage. It’s important to immediately understand how much it truly costs to send your product and how these expenses influence the final price.
The second point — packaging. Sellers often don’t pay enough attention to this, but the size of the package can significantly change the shipping cost. One of our clients sells decorative products made from plywood. After a year of selling on Etsy, he noticed an interesting thing: when he managed to reduce the height of the package by just 2 centimeters, the shipping cost for a typical item decreased by approximately $10. If you calculate for 50 orders a month — that’s about $500 in savings. Essentially, that’s money he was previously just losing.
Could he have realized this right away? Yes. If he had understood the nuances of international shipping from the start and used a calculator. By the way, such a calculator is available even now: just enter weight, dimensions, and recipient country.
We offer over 20 shipping options to the USA and more than 15 to European countries. Overall, we send parcels to more than 100 countries worldwide. For example, our strategic partner Nova Poshta delivers shipments to the USA in 3–5 days, with prices starting from about $5. Thanks to high shipment volumes, we can offer more favorable rates and stable transit times.
Which products to choose
Another important point that is often overlooked at the start: not all products are equally suitable for international sales.
There are categories you shouldn’t start with. For example, liquids are generally prohibited for shipping. Cosmetics — a complicated category with many restrictions. Very bulky items often make shipping so expensive that selling becomes pointless.
So, it’s worth examining your niche realistically and choosing items that won’t create unnecessary headaches. For example, for the Ukrainian market, we can produce large custom furniture, but for Etsy, sell compact shelves or hooks. And if we’re talking digital products, the delivery question completely disappears — everything happens instantly.
Fear № 2: Pricing
The next common fear — how to set the right price. I hear this question constantly: “How much should I set so that people buy and I don’t go into loss?”
How to determine a competitive price
Start with understanding your cost price. When you know exactly how much it costs you to make a product, everything else becomes simpler. Search on Etsy, look at similar listings, and compare prices. This will help you understand whether your offer looks reasonable for the market and whether it remains profitable for you.
There have been cases where, after such analysis, sellers decided not to launch a product — simply because the market prices resulted in very low margins. Yes, you can set a higher-than-average price, but that often leads to no sales, especially at the start.
At the same time, I am not a supporter of undervaluing. Buyers on Etsy are quite sensitive to this and may perceive a very cheap product as low quality. One client once told me: “I was afraid to raise the price, but when I increased it by 20%, sales grew. People stopped thinking that the item was suspiciously cheap.” That’s a very telling story.
Fear № 3: SEO and Etsy’s algorithm
Another fear familiar to almost everyone — SEO and Etsy’s algorithm. For many, it sounds complicated and unclear.
In reality, it’s quite simple. Etsy does not look for the “most beautiful” or “most unique” products. The platform shows those listings that best match the customer’s query.
The algorithm does not evaluate aesthetics. It reads text: the title, tags, description. If a buyer enters, for example, “wooden jewelry box with name”, Etsy searches for listings that contain those words in the title, tags, or description. The more accurate the match — the higher the visibility in search. Photos start playing a role after the person has seen the product in the results.
Fear № 4: Communicating in English
Many beginners fear communication: “What if they write to me in English, and I don’t understand what to reply?”
It’s important to calm down here. Perfect English is not required. The main thing — politeness and quick responses. In everything else, online translators and ChatGPT can help. Etsy values good service, so it’s advisable to reply to messages within 24 hours — this is a basic rule to follow.
I always adhere to three simple principles:
- if you have a question — thank them;
- if a problem arises — offer a solution;
- if all is well — ask for a review.
Effective communication builds trust, encourages repeat purchases, and results in positive store reviews.
Conclusion
What most often stops newcomers from starting sales on Etsy?
Primarily — the unknown. Shipping, prices, SEO, communication with foreign clients seem too complicated. But most of these questions are resolved even before launching the store, if you understand logistics, calculate expenses, and get familiar with the platform’s basic principles.
Is it possible to sell on Etsy without prior international sales experience?
Yes. Practice from hundreds of Ukrainian sellers confirms this. Experience comes during the process. The main thing — don’t act randomly, but prepare: choose items that are easy to ship, calculate all costs, and set an appropriate price.
How to stop fearing SEO and Etsy’s algorithms?
Perceive SEO not as something technical, but as the language of the buyer. Etsy shows products that most accurately match the query. If you understand what your client is searching for and use these words in titles, tags, and descriptions — you are already moving in the right direction.
Online trading may not become easier, but it becomes more understandable when you analyze numbers and processes without illusions. And remember: success is achieved not by those who fear nothing, but by those who act, even while feeling fear.
