eWay and Re-opening Etsy

Just applied to eWay (payment gateway, Australia) and just re-opened my Etsy store: ClearlyHelena at Etsy (right at this minute – still bare.  Maybe starts off with a Sale tomorrow! 😀 )

2 simple things that took a whole day.

eWay – payment gateway

eWay was recommeded to me a long while ago when I was going through the pains of finding a good, reliable, not too costly payment gateway that would fit my eCommerce shop (run by Ecwid).

However at that time, I ended up with 2CO.  I have no complaints about 2CO (2checkout.com). From memory, the application was a bit tedious. But not unexpected for a financial gateway that provides security to seller and buyer.

However in the last year, my life has been tumultous and filled with other needful things (house moving and restarting a new life).  So my store has been sadly silent.  The gateway unused.  And now my seller status has expired.

Which needs another new application to renew.

So I thought … time to give the highly reviewed Australian gateway eWay a go.  And that is what I did today.

In the process, I found out that a number of legal store policies pages were needed to run my ecommerce store: Shipping and Delivery Info, Returns and Refunds, etc.  Which again took more time for these ever delightful tasks.

Etsy

I was on Etsy many years ago when I was busy utilising my authorised Swarovski status to sell Swarovski Elements.  But when I decided to choose another business (& life) path to pursue, I let Etsy lapse.

Now I think it might be time to give Etsy another trial.

Lately I have read a number of moans and complaints from my online friends about Etsy.  Which is a worry.  However I also read a number of 2014 reviews about the best and most popular marketplaces on the net.  The top 3 are: Amazon, Bonanza (never heard of this and I must say, site did not look so good), and Etsy.  Ebay is also in the top 5.

Since we Aussies still cannot open an Amazon store after all these many long years, well … my choice for a trial has to be Etsy.

Anyone who has ever set up and Etsy store … or in fact, any ecommerce store, will know that the proper opening of such a beast is not a matter of minutes.  Nor a day.

There are all kinds of things you have to fill in: About me, shop policies, shop profile, shipping profiles, payment options, messages & announcement, profile and store logos. And all those very interesting stuff.

Now my Etsy store is up .. but right as of this minute, bare!

Give me a day or so.  Hmmm … might start off with a Sale! 😀