Etsy is an ideal platform for small to medium-sized retailers, with global outreach and a wide community of users. Etsy provides a range of opportunities to promote your brand and retail your unique and creative products. However, limiting your product line and deciding what to sell on Etsy can be overwhelming.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to experiment with your product offerings (with limited cost) and discover the ideal products for your customers—print-on-demand.
If you are a small to medium-sized retail operator who wants to streamline the scope of your operation, read on to find out your best options for what to sell on Etsy (and how to use print-on-demand to determine what to sell in the long term!)
Determining Your Personal Niche
Before considering product ideas, it’s essential to determine your niche. It can be tempting to skip over a niche out of fear of limiting your audience. But a strong niche positions you as a go-to Etsy seller and helps you reach the right customers.
Think about your interests, abilities, and areas of expertise. What do you do best? What do you bring to the table that nobody else does? Are you great at funny sayings or slogans? Are your designs unique and creative? Are you interested in a particular genre of movies or literature? All of these are potential niche areas that can help you speak to your target audience.
Identifying Your Target Audience
Think of your target audience as your dream customers—those who you can identify with, and who want what you can offer.
Picture your ideal customer. Get as specific as possible. Who are they? How old are they? What is their income level? What do they value and care about? What are their interests and needs? What are their pain points? And, most importantly, how can you solve them?
It’s important to identify your target audience before you decide what to sell—not the other way around. Your product line, product description and store description, and marketing efforts should all be created with your target customer in mind.
Product Ideas for Your Etsy Business
So…what can you sell on Etsy? A better question might be what can’t you sell? There are countless possibilities—but here are a few top-selling product ideas to get you started:
Jewelry
Handmade jewelry is an Etsy staple and is popular with those who like unique accessories and appreciate customized craftsmanship. You can explore a variety of styles, designs, and materials as you market bracelets, necklaces, and even earrings on your Etsy shop.
T-shirts and clothes
Etsy is an ideal platform to market personal wear like customized T-shirts and clothing. You can experiment with a variety of styles and designs to suit the interests of your target audience.
Personalized gifts
From mugs and tumblers to name plates and key chains, there are numerous opportunities to market personalized gifts to your target audience. Use your imagination and explore different designs, colors, and styles to attract customers with your uniquely crafted gift ideas.
Personalized Planners and Calendars
Planners and calendars might not sound exciting at first glance, but don’t underestimate the market for customized office supplies! Whether a person works from home or in an office setting, people love expressing their individuality with colorful and creatively crafted planners and calendars.
Personalized Notebooks and Journals
Another paper product that sells often on Etsy is notebooks and journals. People love to sport their personal flair while promoting their mental health or keeping track of all-important to-dos.
By using your imagination and creativity, you can tap into the preferences of your target audience and provide quality notebooks and journals for your target audience.
Pet Accessories
Personalized items aren’t just for humans! From tags, collars, food dishes, and water bowls to comfy pillows and beds, pet lovers tend to invest in the appearance and comfort of their furry friends.
Digital Art and Designs
Whether it’s wall art or your phone’s wallpaper, digital art, and related items are ideal products to market on your Etsy store. Be imaginative and get creative as you work on your art and appeal to your target audience.
Home Decor and Art
An Etsy store is also a great place to market conventional home decor items like art pieces, candles, customized picture frames, or even random knick-knacks. Seasonal items also provide an opportunity to satisfy your target audience and drive sales.
Party and Special Occasion Decor
Special occasions like birthday parties, baby showers, graduation celebrations, and even wedding ceremonies and receptions call for themed decor. From superheroes to princesses to perfectly curated baby shower supplies, special occasion decor is all the rage. You can offer plates and cups, cupcake toppers, balloons, banners, and even invitations—all curated to extra special and unique themes for your niche audience.
These are just a few ideas for products that you can sell on Etsy. What you sell is less important than how you sell it (and who you’re selling it to.) The most important factor is to market products that compliment your niche and which are compatible with the needs and interests of your target audience.
Pros of Selling Products on Etsy
Etsy enables your small to medium-sized retail operation to function with the flexibility of a variety store and the adaptability of a flea market—without having to maintain an inventory or pack up and transport unsold items!
Offering a range of products allows you to tune into your audience’s demands, understand your customers, and reduce the risk of choosing the wrong items to invest in. Etsy empowers you to adapt to changing trends and to even upsell supplies associated with your product lines.
Cons of Selling Different Products on Etsy
Selling a wide range of products isn’t always the answer, however. Running an Etsy shop takes time.
You need to analyze sales, interpret trends, verify the quality of your product line, and communicate with customers—all while perfecting your craft in order to meet the demands of an ever-changing market.
Creating multiple product listings and descriptions, sinking marketing efforts into them, and ensuring that everything is up-to-date can consume time and money.
The biggest disadvantage to selling multiple different products, however, is the cost of creating individual items. Fortunately, with print-on-demand, you can eliminate that con. POD takes away the initial cost involved in expanding your product line.
Since products aren’t printed until an order is placed, there is no order minimum or initial investment—meaning you can experiment with a range of products as much as you want!
How Print-On-Demand Can Make Selling Multiple Products on Etsy Easier
The print-on-demand business model is perfect for retailers who use or want to use Etsy for their online store.
By outsourcing all your printing needs to a POD service, the printing, packaging, and shipping of the products that you sell on Etsy are all handled by someone else.
A print-on-demand supplier frees you from the hassle of having to maintain an inventory, and since you don’t pay for your products until the sale is made, you operate a low-risk business arrangement.
You’ll also save time on logistics—time that can be put into growing your business through marketing, engaging with customers, or generating new product ideas.
Conclusion
Etsy offers a world of possibilities for you and your online store. By tuning into your niche and your target audience, and taking advantage of the benefits of print-on-demand, you can offer the products you want targeted to the people who want to buy!
When you determine a strategic product line and utilize print-on-demand, you can streamline your operation and scale your business to maintain profitability and attract new customers.
Running an online business and looking for more tips? Check out our post on marketing strategies for print-on-demand businesses next!