Etsy doesn't let you build a full website—it's a product marketplace where you create a shop with individual listings. Your Etsy shop acts as a storefront within their ecosystem, complete with your shop name, logo, banner image, About section, and product grid. You can customize shop sections to organize products by category, add shop policies, and write detailed item descriptions, but you're limited to Etsy's templates and can't add custom pages or truly control the design. To maximize your Etsy shop presence, treat your About page like a homepage. Include your story, production process, location (Canadian sellers benefit from local search), and what makes your products unique. Use all 10 product photos per listing, write keyword-rich titles and tags, and ensure your first photo is compelling since that's what appears in search. Set up shop sections so visitors can browse by product type rather than scrolling one endless feed. Etsy previously offered Etsy Pattern, a website builder for sellers, but discontinued it in 2024. If you need an actual website alongside your Etsy shop, consider these options: - Shopify: CAD 39–399/month, integrates with Etsy to sync inventory, works well for Canadian small businesses needing e-commerce - WordPress with WooCommerce: More control, hosting costs CAD 15–80/month depending on traffic, steeper learning curve - Squarespace or Wix: CAD 20–50/month, easier for non-technical owners but less flexibility Many small businesses run both an Etsy shop and a standalone website. Etsy brings built-in traffic and trust but takes 6.5% transaction fees plus payment processing. Your own site costs more upfront but you control pricing, branding, and customer data. At Ottawa SEO, we typically recommend starting on Etsy to validate demand, then adding a WordPress or Shopify site once monthly revenue exceeds CAD 3,000–5,000 so the investment in a proper website pays for itself through lower per-transaction costs and email list building.