Etsy FINALLY has a Competitor

Summary

In this video, Etsy coach Starla Moore explores the platform's alternatives, focusing on Go Imagine, a marketplace for handmade and digital businesses. Despite its low traffic, Go Imagine stands out for its seller-focused approach and commitment to charity. Moore interviews CEO John Link, discussing the platform's growth strategy, the Mosaic website builder, and the benefits of supporting a self-owned marketplace over shareholder-driven ones. She emphasizes the importance of community support for Go Imagine's success in the handmade industry.

Takeaways

• 🚫 The speaker, Starla Moore, emphasizes her unbiased approach to discussing Etsy's pros and cons, despite being an Etsy coach.
• 🔍 Starla has researched various Etsy alternatives and found that none come close to Etsy's global ranking in traffic.
• 🌟 She highlights 'Go Imagine' as a promising alternative marketplace for handmade and digital businesses, with a strong emphasis on sellers.
• 📉 Concerns are raised about Go Imagine's low traffic, which has led some sellers to close their shops.
• 🤝 Starla met with Go Imagine's CEO, John Link, to discuss the platform's values and long-term growth plans.
• 🤔 John Link emphasizes the importance of handmade work and the company's focus on supporting children in need through charity.
• 🛍️ Go Imagine offers a Mosaic plan for $10/month, allowing sellers to build a custom website and remain within the marketplace.
• 📈 Despite skepticism, Go Imagine reported a 28% increase in traffic year over year, contrasting with the flat or declining trends in e-commerce.
• 🛑 Starla acknowledges the cons of Go Imagine, such as its current limitation to US sellers and handmade products only.
• 🌱 She discusses the benefits of Go Imagine being self-owned, seller-focused, and having a strict application process for sellers.
• ✅ Starla commits to supporting Go Imagine and announces the integration of bonus content for Go Imagine sellers in her Etsy coaching program.

Q & A

What is the main concern of Etsy sellers regarding the platform?

The main concern of Etsy sellers is the negative buzz surrounding the platform and whether it's time to consider other marketplaces due to dissatisfaction with Etsy's treatment of sellers.

What is the role of Starla Moore in the Etsy community?

Starla Moore is the founder of the Handmade Alpha Academy for Etsy Sellers and manager at eRank.com, Etsy's most popular SEO tool. She is also an unbiased coach focusing on both the good and bad aspects of the marketplace.

What is the name of the Etsy alternative mentioned in the script?

The Etsy alternative mentioned in the script is called Go Imagine.

What are the key differences between Etsy and Go Imagine?

Go Imagine is a platform exclusively for handmade and digital businesses, with a strong emphasis on the actual sellers. Unlike Etsy, Go Imagine is self-owned, seller-focused, and has no plans to go public. It also has a charity focus, directing profits towards children in need.

Why did Starla Moore schedule a meeting with Go Imagine's CEO, John Link?

Starla Moore scheduled a meeting with John Link to discuss Go Imagine's values, long-term plans for growth, and to understand why sellers should invest their time and effort into this platform.

What is Go Imagine's stance on handmade products?

Go Imagine believes in the authenticity of handmade products, emphasizing that they should be made by hand, not mass-produced or created with tools like Canva or AI.

How does Go Imagine plan to address the issue of buyer traffic?

Go Imagine plans to focus on buyer acquisition after building a strong foundation of sellers. They are also offering a $10 per month Mosaic plan that allows sellers to build a custom website, which can be advertised to their audience while still being included within the shoppable marketplace.

What are some of the cons of selling on Go Imagine according to the script?

Some cons include that Go Imagine is currently only available for sellers in the US, it is only for handmade and digital products, and it is still in its growth phase, which means it may not have the same traffic as Etsy.

What is the Mosaic plan offered by Go Imagine and what are its benefits?

The Mosaic plan is a $10 per month service offered by Go Imagine that allows sellers to build a custom website for their products. It is cheaper than Shopify's basic plan and includes listings within the Go Imagine marketplace, providing a professional atmosphere for the brand.

How does Go Imagine support its sellers and what resources does it provide?

Go Imagine supports its sellers by providing a familiar interface, an updated listing builder, and a community app where sellers can interact and get updates from the CEO. They also offer resources and assistance for sellers who decide to join Go Imagine.

What is Starla Moore's stance on Go Imagine and how does she plan to support it?

Starla Moore is personally standing with Go Imagine and plans to incorporate bonus content for Go Imagine sellers into her Etsy coaching program. She is also inviting Go Imagine's CEO to join her community to provide resources and answer questions for her students.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Exploring Etsy's Alternatives Amidst Controversy

The speaker, Starla Moore, addresses the concerns of Etsy sellers regarding the platform's negative reputation and the question of whether to switch to other marketplaces. As an Etsy coach, she aims to provide unbiased insights. She introduces a new platform, Go Imagine, which focuses on handmade and digital businesses, and highlights its aesthetic appeal and seller-centric approach. However, she also points out the concerns raised by sellers about the platform's lack of traffic. Starla discusses her meeting with Go Imagine's CEO, John, to understand the company's values and long-term growth plans, emphasizing the platform's commitment to handmade products and its charity focus.

05:01

🛍️ Go Imagine's Market Position and Seller Benefits

This paragraph delves into the benefits and potential drawbacks of Go Imagine as an Etsy alternative. Starla outlines the platform's current limitations, such as its focus on US sellers and handmade/digital products only, and its growth phase, which may not yet offer the same traffic as Etsy. However, she also highlights the platform's advantages, including its self-owned, seller-focused model with no plans to go public, an easy-to-rank algorithm, and a familiar interface for Etsy sellers. Additionally, she mentions the Mosaic feature, which allows sellers to build custom websites for a fraction of the cost of other services like Shopify, and the platform's commitment to child-focused charities.

10:01

🚀 Supporting Go Imagine for a Seller-Centric Marketplace

Starla discusses the importance of supporting Go Imagine as a way to fight for a seller-centric marketplace that is not controlled by shareholders or billionaires. She emphasizes the need for sellers to be the support structure for the platform as it grows, contrasting this with the shareholder-driven focus of other marketplaces. Starla announces her decision to incorporate Go Imagine content into her Etsy coaching program and invites John, the CEO of Go Imagine, to join her student community to provide resources. She stresses the importance of sellers' voices in shaping the platform's future and the potential for Go Imagine to offer a safe alternative to Etsy.

15:05

🌟 Testimonials and Future Opportunities with Go Imagine

The final paragraph showcases testimonials from Starla's students about the impact of her Etsy coaching program and the benefits they've experienced. It also mentions other alternative platforms to Etsy, such as Artisans Cooperative and Folksy, for those who may find their values align more closely with those platforms. Starla invites viewers to a live event with John to ask questions and learn more about Go Imagine, and she provides information about her Etsy coaching program's enrollment period, emphasizing her commitment to helping sellers and artists grow their businesses.

💡 Insights on Marketing and Personal Growth from HAA

In this paragraph, a student of the Handmade Alpha Academy (HAA) shares their personal growth and success story, highlighting the value of the education and support they received. They discuss the practical skills learned, the step-by-step guidance provided, and the significant increase in their sales after joining the program. The testimonial emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the course, the affordability, and the transformative impact it had on their Etsy journey and overall business.

Keywords

💡Etsy

Etsy is an e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. It is the central theme of the video as the speaker discusses its current challenges and the emergence of an alternative marketplace. The script mentions issues such as Etsy's treatment of sellers and its shift away from its handmade roots, which has prompted sellers to consider other platforms.

💡Go Imagine

Go Imagine is presented as an emerging alternative to Etsy, a platform exclusively for handmade and digital businesses. The video discusses its aesthetic appeal, seller-focused approach, and charity orientation. It is used as a point of comparison to Etsy, highlighting differences such as its commitment to handmade products and a different business model.

💡Handmade

The term 'handmade' refers to items created by hand, emphasizing the craftsmanship and individuality of the products. In the video, it is a core concept, with the speaker advocating for marketplaces that truly support handmade artists and their work, contrasting with mass-produced items.

💡SEO tool

An SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tool is used to improve the visibility of a website or online store in search engine results. In the script, the speaker mentions eRank.com as Etsy's most popular SEO tool, indicating the importance of such tools for sellers to increase their discoverability online.

💡Traffic

In the context of online marketplaces, 'traffic' refers to the number of visitors a site receives. The video discusses the comparative traffic of Etsy and Go Imagine, noting that while Etsy has significantly more traffic, Go Imagine is growing and has a dedicated seller base.

💡Charity-focused Marketplace

This concept refers to a business model where a marketplace directs its profits towards charitable causes. The video highlights Go Imagine's commitment to donating profits to help children in need, positioning it as an ethical alternative to traditional profit-driven marketplaces.

💡Mosaic

Mosaic is a service offered by Go Imagine that allows sellers to build a custom website for a monthly fee. It is positioned as a cost-effective alternative to other website builders like Shopify, providing sellers with a professional online presence while also listing their products within the Go Imagine marketplace.

💡Seller-focused

Being 'seller-focused' means that the platform's policies and features are designed to support and benefit the sellers. The video emphasizes Go Imagine's seller-focused approach, including its application process, algorithm, and community engagement, in contrast to platforms that treat sellers more like mere suppliers.

💡E-commerce industry

The e-commerce industry encompasses all business activities conducted online. The script mentions the e-commerce industry's performance, noting that while it has generally stayed flat or declined, Go Imagine has experienced growth, indicating a potential shift in the market dynamics.

💡Marketplace

A marketplace, in this context, refers to an online platform where buyers and sellers can interact and conduct transactions. The video compares different marketplaces, particularly Etsy and Go Imagine, discussing their respective approaches to supporting sellers and attracting buyers.

💡Community

The term 'community' in the script refers to the collective of sellers and potentially buyers who interact within the marketplace. The speaker discusses the importance of community engagement, such as Go Imagine's community app, where sellers can connect, get updates, and ask questions directly to the CEO.

Highlights

Etsy's negative reputation has raised questions about the viability of the platform for sellers.

The speaker maintains an unbiased view on Etsy, discussing both its advantages and disadvantages.

A list of resources is provided to understand the speaker's stance against Etsy's treatment of sellers.

Introduction of 'Go Imagine' as a rising alternative to Etsy, with a focus on handmade and digital businesses.

Go Imagine's website is aesthetically pleasing and emphasizes the importance of sellers in the marketplace.

Concerns about Go Imagine's low traffic and the subsequent closure of shops by sellers.

Interview with Go Imagine CEO John Link to understand the platform's values and long-term growth plans.

Go Imagine's commitment to handmade products and its charity focus, with profits directed to children in need.

Go Imagine's refusal to go public, emphasizing a marketplace owned by its vendors, not shareholders.

Go Imagine's growth strategy focusing on building a foundation of sellers before buyer acquisition.

Introduction of Mosaic, a $10/month custom website builder for sellers integrated with Go Imagine's marketplace.

The pros and cons of Go Imagine, including its current limitations and future expansion plans.

Go Imagine's seller-focused approach, providing a familiar interface and updated listing builder.

Go Imagine's traffic statistics and comparison with Etsy's seller-to-visit ratio.

The benefits of Go Imagine's $10 Mosaic plan, including tax calculation and remittance services.

Go Imagine's alignment with child-focused charities and its community engagement through an app.

The speaker's personal support for Go Imagine and the announcement of incorporating bonus content for its sellers in her Etsy coaching program.

The importance of community support for marketplaces like Go Imagine to grow and compete with established platforms.

Invitation to a live event with Go Imagine's CEO for further Q&A and engagement with the community.

Testimonials from students of the speaker's Etsy coaching program, highlighting its impact on their businesses.

Transcripts

with all the negative Buzz surrounding

Etsy everyone keeps asking me the big

question is it time to abandon ship for

other marketplaces even as an Etsy coach

my objective has always been to remain

unbiased about the platform focusing on

both the good and the bad side of the

marketplace so if you're new here please

know that the what about topics have

likely already been covered in past

videos as much as I wish that I could

cover every good or bad thing about Etsy

every time I sit in front of this camera

it's just not a good use of my time or

yours with that in mind I'll have a list

of videos and resources down below that

will fill you in on some of the efforts

that my husband Mark and I have taken

against etsy's treatment of sellers so

far okay with that out of the way let's

discuss this Rising Etsy alternative as

well as the key differences between Etsy

and its new

Contender if you're new here my name is

Starla Moore founder of the handmade

Alpha Academy for Etsy Sellers and

manager at e rank.com etsy's most

popular SEO tool and over the last few

weeks I've been doing research on

different Etsy Alternatives comparing

their Global ranking in traffic to that

of etsy spoiler alert none of them come

even remotely close which is

understandable Etsy has occupied the top

of the handmade industry for so long

that it's very unlikely that any of its

competitors will ever rise to their

level even if Etsy is moved away from

its handmade rout Ro but of all the

marketplaces that I've researched the

one that stood out to me the very most

was go imagine a platform exclusively

for handmade and digital businesses

their website looked amazing and I

immediately noticed a strong emphasis on

the actual sellers who make up their

Marketplace definitely a promising sign

however within various Etsy communities

and Reddit forums I also noticed many

sellers mentioning that go imagine has

little to no traffic causing them to

eventually close their shop shops which

was so disappointing I mean

aesthetically this site looks amazing I

really wanted to be able to recommend

this Marketplace to my sellers but

obviously I also needed to know what

their long-term plans are for growth I

needed to know why sellers should put

their time and effort into this platform

and I needed to know that go imagine

wasn't just going to become another Etsy

filled with mass produced junk with my

list of questions in hand I scheduled a

meeting with go imagins CEO John link

because if anyone would have answers I

figured it'd be him during our time

together John made his values about

handmade abundantly clear I'm going to

say something pretty controversial here

handmade is not a passive

job it's not uh if you are a handmade

artist if you are a maker the whole idea

of handmade is it's something made with

your hands you have used your hands to

make each item speaking to him was like

a a breath of fresh air because where

most Marketplace experts I've chatted

with focused all of their attention on

personal company growth John basically

did the opposite in this meeting I

learned that go imagine is a charity

focused Marketplace directing profits

towards children in need through

multiple Partnerships and better yet

they have no plans on going public the

pivotal point that most sellers agree

served as etsy's disaster Catalyst now

i' go imagine we believe the internet

needs an alternative to having only Wall

Street owned marketplaces that are

focused on shareholder returns that's

why we launched a new Marketplace

concept where 100% of the profits from

our Marketplace go to help children in

need I was inspired by John's passion

and after demoing go imagins updated

listing builder for myself I started to

feel like I was spiraling into a weird

Etsy time machine not only could Etsy

sellers automatically import all of

their handmade and digital listings into

go imagine but the overall seller

dashboard and interface was nearly

identical to etsy's there was virtually

no learning curve because I already knew

where everything was which is all

amazing but it still didn't cover the

question what about buyer traffic how

much is actually sold through our

platform we were up 28% from the year

before uh and that's also a significant

number uh as well

especially because most of the

e-commerce industry has gone down um if

you look at the numbers for Etsy eBay

for Amazon uh e-commerce in general has

stayed flat or gone down during our

meeting I was skeptical but John

explained it as a chicken versus the egg

situation what comes first buyers or

sellers which makes total sense you have

to have sellers first otherwise there

will be nothing for buyers to well buy

so over the last few years go imagine's

Focus has been to grow their Foundation

of Sellers and now in 2024 they're

finally at the end of that seller

acquisition period and are about to move

in the diretion of more buyer

acquisition but this still left me with

another question sure many sellers are

probably happy to wait it out and

support go Imagine by listing their

items even if they only make occasional

sales during this growth period but

there are likely just as many sellers

who aren't willing to wait or even

sellers who don't know all of these

initiatives that are taking place behind

the scenes and who are just confused as

to why anyone would sell on a platform

that doesn't have as much traffic as

Etsy which is where John told me about

Mosaic essentially for 10 a month go

imagine allows you to build a custom

website for your products giving you a

professional atmosphere for your brand

and compared to shopify's $40 per month

basic plan I could definitely see how a

custom Mosaic site could be beneficial

for those who don't have the time or the

Techno how to build their own website

for go imagins marketing efforts this

means that they can offer sellers a

cheap website that they can advertise to

Their audience while also still

including all of those listings within

the shoppable marketplace while go

imagine grows and honestly after

learning this part I was pretty

convinced but there are a few downsides

that sellers should be aware of before

deciding to set up an account let's

weigh the pros and cons go imagine is

currently only for sellers in the US but

they have plans for an expansion into

Canada in the future the platform is

currently only for handmade and digital

products this means that if you're an

artist who relies on print providers for

your work you'll need to work with local

printers and ship those items yourself

and the art has to be made by you not

created with canva creative Fabrica or

Ai and lastly go imagine is still in its

growth phase which means that you may

not see the traffic that you've come to

expect on Etsy the pros go imagine is

self-owned and seller focused with no

plans to go public they are a genuinely

handmade marketplace with a strict

application process their algorithm is

easy to rank with and is Google shopping

friendly buyers have the option to

search within their state creating an

online alternative to craft fairs their

interface is familiar and their listing

Builder was recently updated to look

more like Etsy the platform is seller

focused and highlights what makes its

makers special rather than treating

sellers like Amazon employees while

traffic is low right now the overall

ratio from February to April is

promising with go imagine having over

600,000 visits further 6,000 sellers

versus etsy's 1.3 billion visits

stretched across 9 million sellers with

a $10 per month Mosaic plan sellers can

build a website that is significantly

cheaper than Shopify while also being

included within go imagins Marketplace a

pro that is worth it to me all on its

own go imagine calculates collects and

remits state sales tax for you the

platform aligns itself with child

focused Charities like Horizons for

homeless children Relief Nursery the

shine initiative and curious learning

they have both an app for Shoppers as

well as a community app that anyone can

join kind of like Instagram specifically

for handmade businesses and within that

app John himself is available to his

sellers every Wednesday where he answers

questions shares updates and helps his

community I know this Probably sounds

like a sponsorship but it's not I'm not

sponsored by go amagine nor am I telling

everyone to leave Etsy for go imagine

but over the last 5 years my sellers

have been asking why the hell have there

been no Etsy competitors if we want one

not owned by shareholders and

billionaires and we want one that

actually cares about the sellers and the

industry we the sellers have to be the

support structure for that Marketplace

as it grows if investers or shareholders

the business will focus on what the

shareholders want if a business doesn't

have shareholders and it's their vendors

in this case supporting them well now

the business can focus on the vendors

and focus on the buyers right because

they don't have a big daddy over their

head telling them what they have to do

because they own part of the company

instead they can focus on what's

actually meaningful and uh and that's

where we're at I mean that's the beauty

of where we're at right now nobody owns

us we own us this is our company which

is why I'm personally standing with go

imagine even as an Etsy coach and a

seller with no plans of leaving Etsy

because I'm ready for a new horse to

back in addition to Etsy and when people

with influence in this community like

myself speak up and talk about go

imagine their advertising can expand to

reach more buyers rather than stretched

across sellers and buyers with your

voice and mine and hopefully the voices

of any other YouTubers who are watching

this video we can put a shadow over Etsy

shoulder we can show them that there's a

better way to do things we can have a

reliable safety nut that allows sellers

to have a fall back in the event that

their policy abiding shop is ever

wrongfully suspended with no human

communication and I get it not everyone

is willing to back this horse some of

you are too busy to invest time into yet

another Marketplace especially one

that's still growing I get that and I

respect it but by joining in the wave of

this rising star and becoming an early

adopter we can at least finally say that

we're fighting for something and in turn

go imagine can redirect funds into more

buyer focused advertising efforts I've

spoken to multiple heads of etsy over

the years including my most recent

communication with etsy's head of

customer support and every single time

I've been met with the exact same lines

we thank you for your dedication to the

community we assure you that you're

concerns are being addressed your

feedback is very valuable but nothing

has changed nothing if anything it's

gotten worse so as one of etsy's leading

Educators I'm here to fight for go

imagine's position in the handmade

community and because of that I'm

announcing right here now that my Etsy

coaching program will slowly begin

incorporating bonus content for go

imagine sellers too not as an Etsy

replacement but in addition to the Etsy

Focus curriculum that I already teach

we've also added John into our student

Community where he'll be providing my

students with resources if they decide

to join go imagine and he's doing all of

this for free and I'm doing all of this

for free and we're doing it all for free

because while profits are important to

any business helping Sellers and artists

has literally always been my objective

and it's refreshing to see a marketplace

with the same values look go imagine

isn't the only handmade alternative

platforms like Artisans cooperative and

even folksy for those of you in the UK

are two that you may have already heard

of and if there values align more with

your own definitely check out these

Alternatives too but for me personally

as someone who started their career in

early childhood education go imagine's

Mission spoke to me which is why this

Friday we've invited John to join us

here on the Friday Bean where you can

ask him literally anything that you'd

like in the live chat I know this video

may not have answered all of your

questions so creating opportunities for

you to learn about this new marketplace

with us was a huge priority both for me

and for John you can set a reminder for

that that event up here and in the link

down below and I guess I'd be a really

bad marketer if I didn't also mention

that my Etsy coaching program will be

open from June 14th through the 24th for

public enrollment if you're interested

in learning more about that you can

visit join ha.com or click the link up

here I've talked a lot already so here's

a video from my students I have become a

better person through ha8 what I really

like about Styler is her honesty and

transparency there's so much that she

gives to people for free I'm like this

is an incredible framework for me to

build into and adjust to and adapt to

and all these things that I would have

never been able to figure out on my own

I was like reinvigorated about my

business when I started haa our armor

was featured in Lucifer season five

finale and the main actor got to war

things that we uh created here part of

the reason why we were able and ready to

do such a thing was because of the

alphas joining Etsy joining any online

platform you have question after

question after question question ha has

been the one place where I've got

answers for nearly all my questions you

guys and what you have done with the

handmade Alpha Academy has literally

changed my life and you get continued

help no matter where you're at in your

Etsy Journey that was probably the

biggest selling point for me the way you

teach it it's it's simple it's down to

earth I can comprehend it that's one of

the things I love about your teaching

style I don't think I ever could have

done it without being in the haa you're

step by step steps were fantastic I

don't know how you could not succeed by

following the step by step really um

instruction of how you lead us through

through haa the first like four plus

years that I was on Etsy I think I had

37 sales and we've gotten well over a

thousand since then I think I'm up to

1,200 self-based there's an amazing

Facebook group that will help you invest

in yourself is worth every penny and so

much more I look at my Etsy shop and I

look at my website and I am just in awe

of what I have done and I just look at

it every day and think wow I actually

think that for what you get you guys are

really really not charging enough I hate

to say that I've had thoughts to myself

where I've been like I'd give you guys

$3,000 for this course I see how

valuable It Is 2020 I did like maybe

$3,000 2021 I did

$10,000 a for me paid back for itself 6

weeks after I signed up for it I

definitely recommend it if you can

invest the the money the time investment

is not too bad well worth the money

there is nothing in all that I've taken

that I haven't been able to use for my

business absolutely just do it because

there's no what do you have what do you

have to lose and it's everything you

need in one place it's hard to buy an

education that will teach you practical

skills like we learn in ha take PL Do It

um first off the money back guarantee is

really a selling point for me she knows

so much about marketing and branding and

the psychology behind it so that's

really good knowledge to have and she's

so willing to share that so I would tell

everybody out there that's thinking

about it if you're ready for the step

and if you're ready to grow yourself and

your business it changes Our Lives

honestly