Tech Updates: Etsy Shopper Survey Results & Payment Enhancements

Vanessa

Story by Vanessa

Published on Dec 18, 2008 in Etsy News

Photo by DrikaB

A big thank-you to everyone who took our brief Shopper Survey! We’ve been working on a number of important payments-related enhancements and your feedback is critical. These surveys are a fast and efficient way to get structured feedback from many of you; they complement our usability testing, traffic analyses and financial metrics.

We wanted to share some of the results of this survey with you:

  • In the five days that the survey was offered, we received close to 3,000 responses from shoppers throughout the United States and in the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand! Clearly, the Etsy community is global, and one of our follow-up surveys in the New Year will focus more on international buyers and sellers.
  • PayPal was the overwhelming current preferred method of payment, with 90% of respondents preferring to log in directly to PayPal to make purchases, rather than to not log in and use a credit card processed by PayPal (PayPal calls this ‘Guest Checkout’).
  • In response to our question about future methods of payment, PayPal was also the winner by a 40% margin over the other possibilities presented: credit cards processed by Etsy, credit cards processed by PayPal, Direct Debit, Google Checkout and Amazon Payments.
  • Etsy’s site search was the number-one way respondents said they find items on Etsy. As noted recently by VP of Product Management Sara Hicks, we’re working hard to make improvements so stay tuned. Browsing categories and Favorites were the next most popular ways to find items on Etsy.
  • Speaking of Favorites, 95% of respondents said they actively add items to their Favorites and 50% said they add items to their Favorites almost every time they visit Etsy. 75% of respondents said they regularly purchase items they’ve added to their Favorites. We knew Favorites were important and this was a welcome confirmation.

We also received many thoughtful responses to the open-ended survey questions about Etsy’s current checkout process and overall shopping experience. The responses ran the gamut from “Everything is amazing!” to “It’s terrible! Fix it!” Many respondents said they found the jump to PayPal during checkout confusing at first. We’re going to be incorporating Etsy branding into the PayPal checkout pages linked from Etsy to lessen the confusion experienced by some new buyers.

And as noted last month by CEO Maria Thomas, we’re going to be offering sellers the option to pay their Etsy bill using PayPal in the coming weeks. These enhancements are a small part of a comprehensive look at all payments processes on Etsy. Improving the checkout process and shopping experience on Etsy is one of our major focus projects for 2009.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the survey. We’re reading and listening and putting your constructive feedback to work.

ps
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Discuss: 86 comments

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  • MelissasMelange

    MelissasMelange says:

    Thanks for this update. As a seller it was very informative. I can't wait to hear more information and see the improvements that will be a result of this survey.

    3 years ago

  • additionsstyle

    additionsstyle says:

    Thanks for all the great information. It is good to know that paypal is the perfered method of payment by most people, and of your future plans to change the checkout process.

    3 years ago

  • moonstr

    moonstr says:

    yaaaay! thanks for the update!

    3 years ago

  • gretchenmist

    gretchenmist says:

    thanks for keeping us informed, it's good to know what's going on behind the scenes. also, that DrikaB bag is a beauty :)

    3 years ago

  • organikx

    organikx says:

    Great to hear about the changes etsy is considering making due to the responses from this survey!

    3 years ago

  • neverenoughhours

    neverenoughhours says:

    Paying my bill by paypal is going to be fantastic! It will save me currency conversion fees.

    3 years ago

  • LaurenAlexander

    LaurenAlexander says:

    Very good news! Thanks!

    3 years ago

  • SteampunkSupply

    SteampunkSupply says:

    Excellent update! I'm really happy you're working so closely with buyers and sellers!

    3 years ago

  • NovemberRoseAtelier

    NovemberRoseAtelier says:

    Yeah! The improvements sound wonderful!

    3 years ago

  • maryjanefrances

    maryjanefrances says:

    cool, thanks guys!

    3 years ago

  • bijougirldesigns

    bijougirldesigns says:

    Thanks for the info. I love doing surveys, and I love finding out what people said!

    3 years ago

  • sillylittlelady

    sillylittlelady says:

    Neato Torpedo Dudes!

    3 years ago

  • christiecottage

    christiecottage says:

    Great to read and bravo for the upcoming pay etsy bill with paypal!!! Thanks!

    3 years ago

  • BlackStar

    BlackStar says:

    Thanks for the update. And thanks to Stella for posting this story in the forums.

    3 years ago

  • secretjewellz

    secretjewellz says:

    I'm so glad we will have the paypal option for paying our Etsy bills and further improvements to the checkout system. Also we need for the international buyers to see what price they are paying for a item in there currency.

    3 years ago

  • ShineAndSparkle

    ShineAndSparkle says:

    Great! Thanks for the update!

    3 years ago

  • 4TheSparrowsNest

    4TheSparrowsNest says:

    I agree....surveys are fun, and the end result helps us all. LOOVE to hear about the option to pay Etsy bills using paypal...woo!

    3 years ago

  • thefunkyfelter

    thefunkyfelter says:

    I'm happy to know that Etsy is responding to the survey, and also happy to know the survey results. I think the survey was a great idea and hope that Etsy chooses to do more in the future on other site topics.

    3 years ago

  • stephaniek

    stephaniek says:

    Good to know, thanks!

    3 years ago

  • AlloverArt

    AlloverArt says:

    Thanks for this! :)

    3 years ago

  • HighlandBooks

    HighlandBooks says:

    Thanks for your ongoing great work :) some good stuff here.

    3 years ago

  • MrFilthyRotten

    MrFilthyRotten says:

    Great update! Thanks!

    3 years ago

  • annejulie

    annejulie says:

    Thank you for the update! As a seller, I look forward to the new option to pay my Etsy bills using PayPal! How great!

    3 years ago

  • IcingOnTheCupcake

    IcingOnTheCupcake says:

    Thank you for keeping us informed!

    3 years ago

  • willowdiamond

    willowdiamond says:

    I agree on PayPal. however, the number one thing I've been waiting for from Etsy and that has never happened is new themes. I'm really tired of the same old orange and white and it's been that way for years. please new themes!

    3 years ago

  • piperewan

    piperewan says:

    thank you for the update, and i am looking forward to knowing what improvements will be made to the checkout in the future.

    3 years ago

  • ccbgknikolich

    ccbgknikolich says:

    Thanks so much for the update. I look forward to a great 2009 here on etsy.

    3 years ago

  • laralewis

    laralewis says:

    i'm looking forward to being able to use paypal to pay my bill. keep up the great work!

    3 years ago

  • MetalheartDesign

    MetalheartDesign says:

    thank you for the info!

    3 years ago

  • isewcute

    isewcute says:

    thank you thank you! Can't wait to pay my bill with paypal!

    3 years ago

  • LeelaBijou

    LeelaBijou says:

    Great! Thanks for the update!

    3 years ago

  • Majestyinc

    Majestyinc says:

    yay! Thanks......

    3 years ago

  • DiBeauDesigns

    DiBeauDesigns says:

    Thanks for the update. Wow! Responses from 36 countries. Looking forward to paying Etsy bill with Paypal account.

    3 years ago

  • cutebabytwo

    cutebabytwo says:

    I would love to be able to pay my Etsy bill using PayPal, Yeaaaaa!!! Thank You,

    3 years ago

  • SparklePaw

    SparklePaw says:

    Very exciting! Thanks!

    3 years ago

  • treasurefield

    treasurefield says:

    I totally missed the survey, but since so many of us love using our Favorites, I'd really like to see the need for organizing them addresed. Thank you!

    3 years ago

  • earlybirdcreations

    earlybirdcreations says:

    Thankyou so much for keeping us informed!

    3 years ago

  • walkingchick

    walkingchick says:

    I think everything that you have been doing is great but I would also love to pay etsy payment with my pay pal. thank you for a great site.

    3 years ago

  • LegendaryTigerHero

    LegendaryTigerHero says:

    Hooray for making it easier to buy our stuff!

    3 years ago

  • pamelatang

    pamelatang says:

    Thanks for the wonderful news and for all your continuous efforts to make Etsy such a great venue! Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

    3 years ago

  • theeye

    theeye says:

    oh I could just jump for joy right now. YAY...! we spoke.. and you listened!!!!!! *happy dance*

    3 years ago

  • HoneysuckleLane

    HoneysuckleLane says:

    Thanks so much for the update and for continually working to make etsy the best place for both seller and buyer.

    3 years ago

  • nakedtile

    nakedtile says:

    I can't wait to pay my Etsy bill with Paypal. :)

    3 years ago

  • popsiclestick

    popsiclestick says:

    I would *heart* paying my bill with PayPal! Also, it only crossed my mind today, but I saw someone else mention having a way to organize (or at least search) our favorites. I think that would entice our "fans" to be more active in following their favorite sellers' favorites - otherwise, it can really be overwhelming. Thanks so much!

    3 years ago

  • sungazer

    sungazer says:

    Thank you! I'm glad you're addressing search and improving PayPal's integration. I second the suggestions that it be possible to organize one's favorites.

    3 years ago

  • SixOSevenJewels

    SixOSevenJewels says:

    Thanks! Great news!

    3 years ago

  • ImogensGarden

    ImogensGarden says:

    hooray for bill pay with PayPal!

    3 years ago

  • TerisTreasure

    TerisTreasure says:

    Thanks for the info, I am really excited about paying the Etsy bill with PAYPAL! What a God Send!

    3 years ago

  • worksofwhimsy

    worksofwhimsy says:

    Looking forward to paying my bill with Paypal! Thanks for the update.

    3 years ago

  • oldworldprimitives

    oldworldprimitives says:

    This is great news, thank you!

    3 years ago

  • dragonhouseofyuen

    dragonhouseofyuen says:

    it was good to take part - thanks !

    3 years ago

  • vivikas

    vivikas says:

    Cool, thanks for the update!

    3 years ago

  • JetWhitePonytail

    JetWhitePonytail says:

    Thanks for the update---As someone mentioned above, having a way to organize faves would be a great improvement.

    3 years ago

  • Lavatican

    Lavatican says:

    You are great.

    3 years ago

  • thegypsyjewels

    thegypsyjewels says:

    I very nearly had a heart attack when I read TECH UPDATE in my email today~ no Tech Update thought ..just fluff~as usual

    3 years ago

  • waxandwool

    waxandwool says:

    I have always loved my favorites and a method of batch organizing would be fantastico. Thanks for sharing the summarized survey results.

    3 years ago

  • VedaArtsFabrics

    VedaArtsFabrics says:

    wicked cool...

    3 years ago

  • fragmentsbyedith

    fragmentsbyedith says:

    Great update. Helpful to know.

    3 years ago

  • anakim

    anakim says:

    Thanks for the update! I'm glad we'll be able to pay our Etsy bill!

    3 years ago

  • anakim

    anakim says:

    I'm glad we'll be able to pay our Etsy bill through Paypal!

    3 years ago

  • LindaCaterpillar

    LindaCaterpillar says:

    I am pleased. Pleased we can soon pay the Etsy bill through PayPal. Pleased Etsy offer the opportunity to give feedback through surveys and share the outcomes. Pleased Etsy listen and act on what they hear. Pleased "Search" will be improved. Pleased Etsy branding will be incorporated into the PayPal checkout pages to lessen the confusion experienced by some new buyers. I hope all this happens soon.

    3 years ago

  • Sinta

    Sinta says:

    Looking forward to the improved site search ^_^

    3 years ago

  • Iammie

    Iammie says:

    good information!

    3 years ago

  • f2images

    f2images says:

    Sounds like some great feedback. Good idea with the Etsy branding on Paypal page. I'd still REALLY like to see ways for buyers to organize their favorites....I think this increase return for buying by a HUGE factor. I'd love it to work like "Sections" where individuals can organize their favorites into whatever categories are important to them...whether it be "gifts, myself, art ideas" or "jewelry, photography, sculpture". Emiko ;)

    3 years ago

  • artsyfingers

    artsyfingers says:

    Congratulation your survey was successful .It will be very helpful If we can pay etsy bill with PayPal . Thank you.

    3 years ago

  • mouserkinsmagic

    mouserkinsmagic says:

    I am SOOOO happy to hear that sellers will be able to use PP for fees...YAY! I was having to: *make a sale transfer the money from PP to my checking account *then turn around and send the money here....o_O PP for fees will be a BLESSING...thank you!

    3 years ago

  • dbabcock

    dbabcock says:

    Thank you for sharing those results; and thanks for listening and acting on suggestions such as being able to use PayPal to pay Etsy fees.

    3 years ago

  • beautifulbridget

    beautifulbridget says:

    Thank you for all you do, you guys rock!

    3 years ago

  • beachhouseblues

    beachhouseblues says:

    Thanks for the great info.

    3 years ago

  • poppyandclover

    poppyandclover says:

    I appreciate that Etsy is a thoughtful company that is always looking for ways to improve the overall experience for everyone. Thank you!

    3 years ago

  • pinkshowercurtain

    pinkshowercurtain says:

    Thanks for keeping us all informed. :)

    3 years ago

  • jkcreativedesigns

    jkcreativedesigns says:

    Thanks for the info. I still think, though, that buyers should not be able to keep things in their carts without paying for them. Once they log out of the site, the items should go back into the seller's store. This would eliminate issues with non payment.

    3 years ago

  • softjaz

    softjaz says:

    Improvements are good. Thanks for adding to our knowledge and information.

    3 years ago

  • calzephyr

    calzephyr says:

    Wow, I'm surprised that the turnout rate for the survey was so low. It probably should have been better advertised so that Etsy could have a larger pool of data to work from.

    3 years ago

  • jodieflowers

    jodieflowers says:

    Awesome!

    3 years ago

  • SimpleTraditions

    SimpleTraditions says:

    i love the rust square tiles bag!!

    3 years ago

  • iheartchelsyanne

    iheartchelsyanne says:

    Was anything mentioned about offering your own currency within your own country? It's too bad that my fellow Canadians lose money when they are in the same city even...

    3 years ago

  • hearthsidetreasures

    hearthsidetreasures says:

    Sounds like great improvements! Thanks for making it easier for etsy buyers and sellers to make transactions easier and less confusing!

    3 years ago

  • malam

    malam says:

    aaaaah i can't wait to be able to pay my bill with paypal!!!!

    3 years ago

  • EvesOriginals

    EvesOriginals says:

    Etsy as always ROCKS!!! Thank you for listening to us and in continuesly making the effort to improve etsy. It makes bringing newcomers ie: buyers & sellers that much more easier to refer when one has great experiences like this on etsy! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you and Happy Holidays to all that make Etsy the great place to sell & buy that it is and has become!

    3 years ago

  • mamafamilias

    mamafamilias says:

    so happy that the etsy to paypal transition will be smoothed over. almost all of my sales have been to first time Etsy buyers and the most frequent catch has been that transition.

    3 years ago

  • DeNovoStyle

    DeNovoStyle says:

    I'm new to Etsy, and I'm so glad they do research for improvements. Paying our selling bill with Paypal will be great.

    3 years ago

  • artnomadix

    artnomadix says:

    Well done doing the survey ! And implementing 'changes' ! How about implementing another simple but extremely useful, practical, and 'needed ' Change. T hat of, placing a US$ sign INFRONT of EVERY PRICE throughout the purchase process, for those non US buyers, who find the site and item they want to purchase from other means, not thru Etsy, and purchase without realising they are really going to be paying far more than they think, because they haven't 'seen' that they are paying in USD ! They so often think they are paying in the $ of their own currency, only to find out from PayPal that it's in USD and they then don't complete the sale !

    3 years ago

  • Marsye

    Marsye says:

    Great!!!!!!! Been waiting for this!

    3 years ago

  • Tina669

    Tina669 says:

    Great! Thanks for the update!

    2 years ago