Print-on-demand (POD) businesses have proliferated across the digital landscape, offering entrepreneurs the allure of low upfront costs, minimal risk, and a direct line to their creative passions.
However, amid this burgeoning market, a stark disparity exists between those who merely dip their toes and those who dive deep to unearth the riches beneath.
The secret to escalating your POD business to a realm of $10,000 a month or more doesn't hinge on outpacing the competition through sheer effort but rather, adopting a suite of strategies that distinguish you from the 99% who falter at the threshold of success.
Let's take a look at the 6 WORST Mistakes Etsy POD Sellers Make:
#1 Mastering One Product at a Time
A scattergun approach to product offerings can dilute your brand's impact. Instead, focusing on mastering one product category before expanding ensures depth over breadth. This focus allows for specialization, improving your product’s appeal and positioning in the market.
For the purpose of this article, let's focus on fashion apparel (T-shirts, Hoodies and Sweatshirts) as our go to example. This is where most of the money is when it comes to print on demand, and it's the perfect illustration to show the common pitfalls beginners make.
#2 Find Your Niche
For new Etsy sellers, carving out a niche is essential due to the intense competition within the marketplace. To make life easier for you, we've identified the Top 5 Niches for Etsy in 2024.
According to Dropshipping.com research, out of all the stores people set up with print-on-demand, 24% stay active in the long term. The fierce competition could explain this. It’s easy to start in print-on-demand, drawing in both newbies and pros. But, this low entry barrier also crowds the space. That’s why standing out is key. Success goes to those who find special niche markets, design great items, and promote well.
Mockup available HERE.
Focusing on a niche such as eco-friendly apparel or designs for specific professions for example, not only helps to attract a dedicated customer base but also allows sellers to command higher prices for the unique and relevant nature of their products.
Currently valued at $6.5 billion, the sustainable fashion market share is about to almost double by the end of this year to an estimated $10.1 billion dollars.
While fashion brands notoriously focus mostly on women as their target audience, men (aged 25–34) are actually the most likely demographic to purchase sustainable fashion products.
#3 Avoid Using AI Mockups
We have a whole blog dedicated to this topic: AI Mockups Etsy Ban.
This is a BIG one I assure you. Etsy have recently started closing down new POD stores that are advertising their designs on AI generated mockups. So what's the big deal? Well, as convenient as it is to use AI, they do not represent Real World Products, for example:
You might be selling a Bella Canvas 3001 T-shirt with your design printed on it, but AI has a tendency to generate a general t-shirt (not the specific product brand), so the collar might be too wide, the color accuracy will most likely be incorrect, and you know...
The model wearing the shirt just might have 13 fingers :)
Etsy's policy, while not outright banning AI mockups, emphasizes the need for listings to show "an actual representation of the product." The recent enforcement suggests a specific concern with AI-generated mockups, which may not always match the final product's look and feel, leading to customer dissatisfaction.
#4 Weak Product Listings
Tags & Description
One of the key elements in Etsy SEO is the use of well-optimized tags and descriptions. New sellers often make the mistake of not using all 13 available tags or using overly generic single-word tags like "T-shirt".
Another important factor to take into consideration is the first 40 characters of your description. This is where you want to hit those tags, for example:
One of your tags might be: "Single Mama T-shirt".
It's important that this phrase be added within the first 40 characters of your product listing for better SEO. So your description should read something like "Proud Single Mom T-shirt Mothers Day gift for her". Often, new Etsy sellers are unaware of this common mistake and get very few views as a result.
Product Photography
Visual presentation plays a massive role in online selling. Poor quality photos or images that don't adequately showcase the product can dramatically reduce the likelihood of sales. Effective listings should include high-quality photos in various use cases.
Source: Boho Babe Mockups
We would recommend looking at a top class and proven mockup provider like Boho Babe Mockups who provides all the colors you'll need across a variety of popular brands like Gildan, Bella Canvas and Comfort Colors.
They keep the same aesthetic, giving your store a much more professional feel. Clear, well-lit images help build trust and allow customers to appreciate the quality and details of the products.
Pricing Strategy
Most online sellers remain successful with a 20% profit margin. This is a good middle ground where you can sell products for a reasonable price while still keeping the lights on and comfortably running discounts here and there.
However, depending on the niche and product, there are sellers who report profit margins of up to 60%!
#5 Advertising Is Key
You've probably heard from many established sellers that advertising is not essential or necessary to grow your print on demand business on Etsy. Well I am here to debunk that myth.
While it might not be essential to run ads when you're an established seller with many products ranking organically, you will find it extremely difficult to stand out on this platform unless you are willing to spend some money advertising.
"Following the example of the top 1% of print-on-demand businesses, you should design and add about 7 new products every month. To avoid overcrowded catalogs and customer decision paralysis, review your offering regularly."
Source: Printful
The important thing to note here, is that once you've spent enough money advertising a great product, it will eventually start to sell, and in turn rank for some keyword search terms. You're ad spend doesnt end there, just because you've ranked now for that search term. In order to grow and scale your business, you'll need to introduce new products and with that, you guessed it! Advertise them.
#6 Stay Away From Copyrighted Themes
This is another BIG one! It might seem like an obvious point, but I can open Etsy right now and show you hundreds of stores making this mistake.
Whether it's Harry Styles or Harry Potter, you don't want to build your store on quicksand because that's exactly what it can become. Etsy might swallow you up and close your store in no time! If your store is closed for copyright infringement, consider your time on Etsy finished. You won't be able to open a new store and start over. Moreover, you also expose yourself to legal implications.
Here's a Youtube Video from Wholesale Ted, featuring the story of one Etsy seller who was sued for $250,000!
The story has a happy ending, but you certainly don't want to follow this path!