As a print-on-demand expert and 7-figure seller I know that starting a business can feel daunting. And – it doesn’t have to be. With the right knowledge and tools anyone can successfully start selling print-on-demand on Etsy and Amazon. The process of creating a profitable print-on-demand business takes a few steps.
Let’s take a look at what those steps are so you can start building your successful business today…
(And of course in Low Hanging System we go into way more detail, but here is a nice primer…)
Research profitable products – What products are in high demand right now?
The first step to starting a print-on-demand business is researching and identifying profitable products. To do this, you can use tools like Google Trends, Amazon Best-sellers, and Facebook Audience Insights. They can help you identify products with consistent demand and high profit potential.
Trust me, finding the right products to sell is key to your business’ success. And you can find a wide variety of products to add to your inventory at Custom Happy. For example…
- coffee mugs
- beer steins
- shot glasses
- travel mugs
- tumblers
- water bottles
- t-shirts
- socks
- journals
- jewelry
- teddy bears
- Christmas ornaments
- candles
- pillowcases
- and more
Choose a niche and target market for selling print-on-demand on Etsy and Amazon
Once you identify a profitable product, you need to choose a niche and target market for your business. This helps you to create a consistent brand and message for your business. Plus, it makes it easier to reach and connect with potential customers.
As you start earning sales, you can expand your product line into other niches and markets and see which products perform the best. Then, you can double down and create more products for your most profitable niches.
You can find tons of new niche ideas when you click the link below:
Here are some master lists I use for outsourcing designs
Develop a unique brand and designs for your POD products
To stand out from your competitors, you should develop a unique brand and designs for your products. This helps to differentiate your products and make them more appealing to your target market.
In the past, I’ve shared a bunch of posts about how to get inspiration for new design ideas. You can find those posts below:
How to find charity-inspired design ideas
Creating new design ideas – A compilation of effective strategies
Etsy wedding trends – What you need to know for your design ideas
Turn current trends into fantastic, new design ideas for your ecommerce store
Summertime Etsy trends – What you need to know for your design ideas
Not feeling especially creative? Here’s a list of strategies to come up with new design ideas
Etsy back-to-school trends – What you need to know for your product and design ideas
Boost your sales during back-to-school season with these design ideas and tips
5 Ways to find what’s trending now on Etsy for design inspiration
How to make money selling candles online (design ideas you can sell all year!)
How to use your favorite news source to get design ideas to sell on Etsy and Amazon
The latest Etsy wedding and back-to-school trends (+ design ideas)
Holiday trends on Etsy – What you need to know for this year’s design ideas
Find a reliable supplier for your print-on-demand products
Once you have your designs and brand ready, you need to find a reliable supplier, like CustomHappy, that can create your products…
- in the quality you expect
- in the quantities you need
- and at a price that allows you to profit
This is an important step to ensure your customers are happy with their purchases. It also keeps your business running smoothly.
Create listings on Amazon and Etsy
Once you have your products ready, you need to create listings on Amazon and Etsy. Make sure your listings’ titles and descriptions are…
- keyword-rich
- concise
- well-written
- and include high-quality product images
This helps showcase your products in the best possible light. Plus, it increases your chances of making sales.
Below, you’ll find links to the product mockups my designers have created over the years. In this list, you’ll also find lifestyle images, which you can use to paint a picture for customers of what it would be like to own your products.
Print-on-demand general mockups
Baby Blankets
Free baby blanket product mockups to boost your ecommerce sales
Bracelets
Free necklace and bracelet mockups to give your sales a boost
Candles
Free candle mockups to give your sales a boost
Coasters
Free coaster mockups to give your sales a boost
Compact mirrors
Free compact mirror mockups to give your sales a boost
Free mockups for socks, compacts, and teddy bears to boost your sales during wedding season
Earrings
Free print-on-demand earring mockups to help boost your sales
Journals
Free print-on-demand mockups for journals to help boost your sales
License plate covers
Free Amazon and Etsy custom license plate cover mockups to give your sales a boost
Mugs
Make your ecommerce product listings pop with these engaging lifestyle mockups
Mockups and promotional resources for special anniversaries, events, and seasons throughout the year
Necklaces
Free necklace and bracelet mockups to give your sales a boost
Ornaments
Free Christmas ornament mockups to give your sales a boost
Passport holders
Free print-on-demand passport holder mockups to help boost your sales
Pillowcases
16 Unique (and free) pillowcase mockups to give your sales a boost
Free Amazon and Etsy custom pillowcase mockups to give your sales a boost
Socks
Free sock mockups to give your sales a boost
Free mockups for socks, compacts, and teddy bears to boost your sales during wedding season
Shot glasses
20 Unique (and free) mockups to increase your shot glass sales
Steins
Free ceramic beer stein mockups to give your sales a boost
T-shirts
Free t-shirt mockups to give your sales a boost
Teddy bears
Free mockups for socks, compacts, and teddy bears to boost your sales during wedding season
Travel mugs
20 Unique (and free) travel mug mockups to give your sales a boost
Make your ecommerce product listings pop with these engaging lifestyle mockups
Tumblers
Tumbler and wine glass mockups to give your sales a boost
Wine glasses
Tumbler and wine glass mockups to give your sales a boost
Print-on-demand holiday-specific product mockups
Optimize your listings – How do you optimize your listings on Etsy and Amazon?
Optimizing your listings is key to getting organic sales. Make sure to optimize your titles, descriptions, and images for the selling platforms you use in a way that appeals to potential customers. This helps your products rank higher in search results. And it increases your products’ visibility.
You can learn more about how to optimize your product listings by clicking the links below:
4 Easy “low-hanging” ways to optimize your products on Amazon and Etsy
12 Hacks to help you sell more Amazon print-on-demand products
How to get more sales on Amazon (even if you’ve had a slow start)
Surprising hacks to boost your Etsy sales
Etsy listing descriptions that sell: 8 tips for writing standout product descriptions
If I had zero sales on Etsy, here’s what I would do
Here are 5 tips on how to outrank your competition on Etsy (and fast)
You can also learn more about product optimization when you join my Easy POD Mastermind. Click here for more details.
Create a social media presence – How do you showcase a product on social media?
Building a social media presence for your brand and products is a great way to connect with your target audience. It also helps you drive organic traffic to your listings. You don’t NEED to use social media to be successful with the Low Hanging System. But platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest are awesome places to showcase your products and reach large audiences. That way, you increase your chances of making sales.
If you’re not sure what to post on social media or how to get followers, click the links below for tips and content ideas:
31 Days of social media content ideas (grab this free calendar!)
How to get more social media followers without creating extra content
Handle customer service – How do you provide excellent customer service?
Building a positive reputation is key to getting organic sales and building customer loyalty. Make sure to respond to customer inquiries in a timely and professional manner. And handle any issues that may arise quickly and to the customer’s satisfaction. This helps you build trust with your customers. And it increases your chances of getting repeat sales.
To expedite the customer service process and make it flow more smoothly, you can create ready-to-go script templates for inquiries you frequently receive. Below, you can find a list of customer service scripts I’ve created in the past:
Customer service scripts: Use these to handle any problems smoothly
Get your products included on gift guides (+ sample scripts)
Here are 10 script templates for tricky customer service scenarios
Here’s how to entice more people to buy from your Etsy shop (+ done-for-you scripts)
Covid-19 customer service scripts to help during the holidays
Etsy snippets, Gmail automation, customer service templates
That’s it!
These are the basic steps to starting a print-on-demand business. Remember, starting a business takes time and effort. But with the right knowledge and tools, anyone can do it. If you have any questions or need any support, just let me know. I’m always here to help you on your journey to success.
Happy selling!
I hope you find this post useful. If you have any other tips or pieces of advice you’d like to share about selling print-on-demand on Etsy and Amazon, please leave a comment below. And if you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends and followers.
P.S. Want to learn how to take your teddy bear listings to the next level? Take advantage of my fantastic Teddy Bear Bootcamp coming up on Feb 23rd… look out for a link for that! :)
Thank you so much Rachel
Thank you so much, Rachel!!!