I’ve been running an Etsy shop for a while now and it’s doing pretty well. I’m getting about 30 sales each month which brings in roughly $1000. Now I’m considering starting a Shopify store to run at the same time.
I’ve been reading some scary stories about people having their entire stores copied by competitors. Is this actually something that happens often? What can you do to prevent someone from stealing your store design and products?
Another thing I’m wondering about is domain names. Should I buy multiple versions like mystore.com, mystore.net, and mystore.shop? And what’s the best way to set up professional email for the business?
Has anyone here run both Etsy and Shopify stores at the same time? I’d love to hear any tips or things to watch out for.
the copying thing’s overblown. yeah, it happens, but most competitors are too lazy for exact copies. focus on getting your shopify seo dialed in first - that’s way more important than buying extra domains. i’ve been running both platforms for 6 months. shopify takes more work upfront, but the customization pays off.
honestly, professional email’s simple - grab google workspace or basic hosting that includes email. don’t overthink domains, .com works fine. my biggest mistake? not setting up proper analytics on shopify from the start. etsy gives you decent data, but your own store needs better tracking to see what’s actually working.
Running both platforms at your volume is totally doable. Your biggest headache will be keeping inventory synced - manually updating stock on both sites gets old fast. I’d start with Shopify’s basic plan and grab an app like QuickBooks Commerce or Sellbrite to handle inventory automatically. For domains, just stick with .com unless you’re worried about trademark issues. Most dual-platform sellers I know focus on driving traffic to Shopify and let Etsy do the organic discovery work. You’ll make better margins on your own store since you skip Etsy’s fees, but expect your direct sales to build slower.
Made the jump from Etsy-only to both platforms about 18 months ago. With your sales volume, it’s definitely worth trying since you’ve got proven products. But heads up - the transition wasn’t smooth. Shopify customers are way different from Etsy buyers. They’re pickier about shipping times and want way more product details. My conversion rate sucked for months until I rewrote everything with better specs and photography. One thing that really helped - I used my Etsy reviews as social proof on Shopify. About the copying thing, I’ve seen it happen but mostly to high-volume stores. At 30 sales monthly you’re probably fine. Focus on building your brand story instead of stressing about copycats. Yeah, it’s more work, but having your own customer data makes remarketing so much easier.
Been running both for two years. Yeah, store copying happens but it’s not that bad - just watermark your photos and write your own product descriptions instead of copying manufacturer specs. Copycats usually go after easy targets anyway. For email, skip Google Workspace and get basic business hosting that includes professional email. Way cheaper and works just as well. Here’s what no one tells you: Etsy buyers want that handmade vibe, but Shopify customers expect fast shipping and polished service. You’ll handle each platform differently. Extra work pays off though - your own store means you control your brand and customer relationships.