Google推广与平台佣金调整：Etsy费率上调至6.5%引发卖家罢工风波
在当今数字营销领域，Google推广作为最主流的SEM竞价推广教学选择之一，为全球商家提供了强大的流量获取渠道。然而，并非所有电商平台卖家都能轻松承担此类广告成本。近期，Etsy宣布将交易费率从5%上调至6.5%，这一决策直接引发了平台卖家的集体抗议行动。
From April 11 to 18, hundreds of Etsy sellers chose to close their stores, initiating a small-scale strike in response to the platform's increased fees. Although these sellers represent only a small fraction of Etsy's active sellers, the strike has garnered significant attention in the 21st century, where social media serves as a powerful "megaphone" for various messages.
根据Marketplace Pulse的研究，数千名Etsy卖家将店铺设置为“休眠模式”或直接闭店。参与罢工的卖家在近500万活跃卖家中占比不到0.1%，且其中没有顶级大卖。在Etsy排名前5万的店铺中，有略多于1000家店铺（占平台总GMV的3/4）也面临闭店，其中许多是由于罢工以外的原因。
According to research by Marketplace Pulse, thousands of Etsy sellers set their stores to "vacation mode" or closed them directly. The striking sellers account for less than 0.1% of the nearly 5 million active sellers, and none are top-tier sellers. Among Etsy's top 50,000 stores, slightly more than 1,000 stores (accounting for 3/4 of the platform's total GMV) are also heading toward closure, many for reasons other than the strike.
4月11日，Etsy将交易佣金比率从5%提高到6.5%，而2018年提高比率前为3.5%。此外，Etsy还收取0.20美元的listing上架费、3%+0.25美元的支付手续费，以及12%或15%的offsite ads费用（如适用）。尽管提价后，Etsy的收费标准仍低于亚马逊和eBay，但许多卖家认为这增加了他们的运营压力。
On April 11, Etsy increased its transaction commission rate from 5% to 6.5%, up from 3.5% before the 2018 rate hike. Additionally, Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee, a 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee, and a 12% or 15% offsite ads fee (if applicable). Although Etsy's fee structure remains lower than Amazon and eBay after the increase, many sellers feel it adds to their operational pressure.
Benchmark的合伙人Bill Gurley在一篇评价平台收费的文章中写道：“一个可持续发展的平台或市场是这样的：线上的价值明显超过线上收取的交易成本。如果目标是建立一个长期性的输赢通吃的市场，那么平台就不应该在包括定价在内的一些地方跟卖家对着干，高额的佣金比率很可能导致双方摩擦升级，卖家也只能把这部分的成本转移到消费者身上，进而导致平台消费者的流失，整个一本末倒置。”
Bill Gurley, a partner at Benchmark, wrote in an article evaluating platform fees: "A sustainable platform or marketplace is one where the value provided online significantly exceeds the transaction costs charged online. If the goal is to build a long-term, winner-takes-all market, the platform should not oppose sellers on issues including pricing. High commission rates are likely to escalate friction between both parties, forcing sellers to pass these costs onto consumers, leading to customer loss for the platform—a complete reversal of priorities."
2021年，Etsy上的卖家共卖出价值122亿美元的产品。2019年，Etsy的年销售额不到50亿美元，但在疫情的“推波助澜”下，Etsy获得了前所未有的存在感。许多卖家选择Etsy是因为其是定位非常精准的售卖手工制品、工艺品的电商平台，除此之外几乎没有其他选择。此外，卖家还反馈，Google推广和Facebook广告对他们来说成本过高，而选择Shopify建独立站也面临类似的成本问题。
In 2021, sellers on Etsy sold products worth $12.2 billion. In 2019, Etsy's annual sales were less than $5 billion, but with the "boost" from the pandemic, Etsy gained unprecedented visibility. Many sellers choose Etsy because it is a highly targeted e-commerce platform for handmade and craft items, with almost no other alternatives. Additionally, sellers reported that Google promotion and Facebook ads are prohibitively expensive for them, and building an independent site with Shopify faces similar cost issues.
无论是卖家圈里常见的加大曝光的广告渠道（如Google推广），还是自立门户的建站渠道，通常要价都比Etsy高。Etsy的“经济适用”是疫情这两年卖家们蜂拥而入的重要原因。然而，费率上调打破了这种平衡。
Whether it's common advertising channels for increased exposure (such as Google promotion) or building an independent website, the costs are typically higher than Etsy's. Etsy's "affordability" was a key reason for the influx of sellers during the two years of the pandemic. However, the fee increase has disrupted this balance.
回到罢工事件本身，尽管对Etsy的影响微乎其微，但却获得了极大的关注度。4月11日，#EtsyStrike这个标签成为Twitter上最热门的话题之一，在TikTok也有数百万的浏览量，在Instagram发帖量已破万。国外知名新闻媒体也进行了大量报道，成功掩盖了卖家流失的微不足道。
Returning to the strike itself, although its impact on Etsy is minimal, it has gained significant attention. On April 11, #EtsyStrike became one of the hottest topics on Twitter, with millions of views on TikTok and over 10,000 posts on Instagram. Well-known foreign news media also provided extensive coverage, successfully overshadowing the insignificance of seller attrition.
也有不少卖家对亚马逊和eBay的抽佣方式表达过不满，但#EtsyStrike这般影响力着实是首次。根据市场观察者的分析，大多数Etsy卖家在罢工活动结束后依旧会回到Etsy，因为与其他平台或Google推广等渠道相比，Etsy仍是一个相对成本较低且目标客户精准的选择。
Many sellers have also expressed dissatisfaction with Amazon and eBay's commission structures, but the influence of #EtsyStrike is unprecedented. According to market observers, most Etsy sellers will return to Etsy after the strike ends, as compared to other platforms or channels like Google promotion, Etsy remains a relatively low-cost and targeted option.
