Etsy is popular among many people who are into selling digital products on Etsy. Not only does the platform provide the opportunity to sell handcrafted vintage items but you can also sell intangible items. These items are directly downloaded and don’t involve any shipping.
This guide is a comprehensive introduction to Etsy for beginners. If you’re somebody who wants to have his business set on Etsy, keep reading till the end. I’ll explain everything from how to set up your account to managing your listings and creating a brand.
What Are Digital Downloads And Why You Should Sell Them
Digital items are not physically present, so you can’t touch or feel them. They’re intangibles and are present in the form of audio, video, or other multimedia. These items can be easily downloaded and usually don’t need to be printed or brought in a physical form.
A few examples would be:
- Ebooks
- Fonts
- Calendars
- Planners
- Audiobooks
- Printables
- Notion templates
Now as to why you should sell them, here are a few reasons. First off, digital products usually cause little to no investment. For example, I could create a simple ebook on Google Docs and sell it on Etsy. And what I’d get in return would be 100% profit.
Secondly, you don’t even need to know a lot about what you’re creating. Suppose you’re creating a printable design. What you can simply do is go to Canva and create a simple design and just sell it on Etsy.
Thirdly, and this one’s my favorite, you don’t need to care about shipment issues. Just put the product ones, and forget about it. The fact that selling digital products on Etsy takes very little effort compared to selling physical products on Etsy makes the whole thing more profitable.
3 Steps To Start Selling Digital Products on Etsy
I’ve divided the whole process into steps so that it’s easier for you to absorb all the information and you don’t get too overwhelmed. Here are the steps listed below, and you can find the details in the next sections.
- Decide what you’re going to sell
- Create your products
- Open your Etsy shop
- Take care of Etsy SEO
1. Decide what you’re going to sell:
You can’t sell everything and anything, so it’s crucial to decide what you’re going to sell. An easy way to do this is by picking a niche and targeting a specific audience. And what’s a niche? It’s a segment of people having particular pain points, needs, and interests.
By picking a niche early on, you will save yourself from trying to sell to everyone. To have a successful business on Etsy, your product must be very unique and new. If your product is something like what everybody sells, you’ll be overshadowed. Remember, the very first thing you need to do is grab the attention of your potential customers. Because if your product appeals to their eyes, there’s a high chance they’ll buy it.
So start off by thinking of something unique. For example, just a few days ago, I was watching an entrepreneur selling T-shirts. Now you might think there’s nothing unique about T-shirts. But hear me out first, the guy selling T-shirts had a unique angle added to his product. He sold only those T-shirts that had cool business quotes and taglines written on them. This way, the target audience was cool business owners, entrepreneurs, and other people in the same space.
Bottom line? You don’t have to introduce something as new as an alien species to be unique. You can take an old idea and convert it into something really awesome.
Here are a few unique ideas on what you can sell on Etsy.
- Influencer Instagram Stories templates (10+ designs)
- Goal-setting workbook for entrepreneurs (interactive PDF)
- Fashion brand social media content calendar (monthly planner)
- Customizable email marketing templates for coaches (5+ designs)
- Digital vision board kit for manifestation (templates & images)
- Productivity planner for remote workers (weekly schedule)
- Small business brand style guide template (editable PDF)
- Instagram Reels video editing templates (5+ designs)
- Mindfulness digital journal (daily prompts & exercises)
- E-commerce product description templates (10+ examples)
2. Create your products
There are two ways to create your products. And yes creating your products comes before setting up your Etsy account. You might think otherwise but I’ll tell you in a while why that step comes after creating your products. So coming onto the two ways of creating products, here’s what you can do:
Either hire somebody to create designs for you or just create something on your own.
3. Open your Etsy Shop
This is getting interesting now. You’ve done the real work and now we just need to figure out how to create our store and make sales. Let’s get into the process.
Sign up on Etsy
The first thing you need to do is go to Etsy and sign up. Click on the sign up button and fill in the necessary information. Etsy will then send you a confirmation email. Confirm your account to become a seller.
Become a Seller
Click on the drop down menu and then choose Sell on Etsy to create your seller account.
Click Get Started on the landing page you’re now and answer some optional questions.
Agree to Etsy’s policies and choose the topics you want to learn more about.
Adjust your preferences
At this point, Etsy will ask you a number of preferences. For example, your store language. You have to be very careful when choosing your store language because you can’t change it once the store is made. Then, put the name of your country and currency.
Give a name to your Etsy shop
In this part, you can either put your own name, the products you sell, or something clearly abstract, but there are a few things you need to consider when selecting a name for your store:
- Your name must be 4 to 20 characters long without any numbers or special letters.
- Your name should have a focus keyword if you’re not using your name.
- You need to run a uniqueness check by searching it on Google. If somebody else is using it, change it.
Once you’ve chosen a name, click Save and continue.
Stock your shop
Now is the time to create your first product listing. You can’t ignore or skip this step, and Etsy charges you a $0.20 listing fee every time you wanna list a product except for the first time.
Now you know why I wanted you to create your product first. So that you can leverage the concessions on the first listing.
You can add up to 10 photos of your product. I suggest you add the best photos first and keep the others for the end. Make your storefront as catchy as possible.
Here are a few other things you can do to make your listing more attention-grabbing:
- Use a short title and add the most important keyword in the title to improve SEO visibility.
- Use the search bar to find out related products and use similar keywords for your product. This way, your product will be easily searchable.
- Make your descriptions breathable. Add spaces whenever necessary and fill this section with long tail keywords.
- Add all 13 tags and use long tail keywords to make the search experience better for your buyers.
Best Practices For Selling Your Digital Products
Once you’ve made a few listings and your store is running, you need to be consistent with some practices to start your sales.
- Create products that are high quality. Make great additions to your store by selling what’s in demand but has low competition. Also, sell what you’re passionate about. This way, people would see the quality you’ve put in.
- Showcase your products with the best designs ever. I’ve given you 2 or 3 options to make good designs but if you still feel designing isn’t your forte, hire somebody else to do it for you.
- Think of ways to stand out from your competition. Keep checking their stores and products and cover the gaps they have.
- Build your brand identity via your products. Don’t just sell like another seller, rather show your personality and add more YOU into your products.
- Remember, data never lies. Always analyze what the stats tell you and work accordingly.
- Add user friendly description for your products so they can resonate with your products better.
Once you start practicing all the things I’ve listed here, you’ll see a significant change in the growth of your Etsy account. But there’s another thing you need to do to see growth. And that’s marketing. Let’s talk about how you can market your Etsy store on various social media platforms.
Marketing Your Digital Products On Etsy
As a store owner, you’re likely looking for ways to increase visibility, reach new customers, and drive sales. And that is exactly what social media is gonna do for you. Social media can be a powerful tool in your marketing strategy, offering a range of platforms to connect with your target audience.
Instagram is a visual platform, making it ideal for showcasing your products and giving your audience a behind-the-scenes glimpse into your store. Here are some tips for marketing your store on Instagram:
- Use high-quality images and videos to showcase your products in the best light.
- Utilize relevant hashtags to increase visibility and reach a wider audience.
- Tag relevant influencers and brands to collaborate and expand your reach.
- Share user-generated content to engage with your audience and build trust.
- Run Instagram Ads to target specific demographics and interests.
Facebook is a versatile platform that allows you to share a range of content, from promotions and events to customer testimonials and product showcases. Here are some tips for marketing your store on Facebook:
P.S. Here’s an Etsy Facebook group where you can meet other sellers and buyers on Etsy and be a part of community.
- Share a mix of promotional and engaging content to keep your audience interested.
- Join relevant groups and engage with your audience to build a community. (This is a must)
- Post consistently on Facebook to build a following and eventually convert them to customers
- Utilize Facebook Insights to track your performance and adjust your strategy.
TikTok
TikTok is a creative platform that’s the perfect platform for showcasing your brand’s personality through short videos. Here are some tips for marketing your store on TikTok:
- Utilize relevant hashtags and challenges to increase visibility and reach a wider audience.
- Collaborate with influencers and brands to expand your reach.
- Share engaging content, such as dance and lip-sync videos, to interact with your audience.
- Check what other stores are doing to promote their products. Improve and scale.
Pinterest is the go-to platform for many people when they need ideas or inspiration. You can use Pinterest to your advantage as the market is quite unsaturated. You can add your products on Pinterest and drive sales to your Etsy products.
- Use vision boards to show your brand products and aesthetics.
- Share high quality videos and images of your products to make buying irresistible.
- Use Pinterest’s shopping feature to directly tag your Etsy products on Pinterest.
By following these tips and adjusting your strategy to fit your store’s unique needs, you can effectively market your store on social media and reach a wider audience. Remember to stay consistent, engage with your audience, and keep your content fresh and exciting.
Challenges You May Face By Selling Digital Products On Etsy
Selling on Etsy can be really profitable but it’s got some demerits too. Here are the few challenges that you may face while selling digital products on an Etsy store.
Copyright Infringement
Etsy is very serious about copyrights. So if you’re using a product that’s got a copyright claim, Etsy would remove your product along with the listing. If you want to take advantage of already existing designs or photos, make sure you’re choosing something that’s copyright-free. Otherwise, it can be a huge problem for you.
Dealing with copycats
While selling digital products on Etsy, you’ll find a fair share of copycats and you’ll see that their products are a little too similar to yours. It’s very frustrating to deal with such people but you have to know when you have to take action and when to ignore it.
Not being up-to-date with Etsy’s policies
Since you’ll run the store on Etsy, you need to be up-to-date with all of Etsy’s guidelines and policies. It’s better to be safe than sorry and reading all the boring but important stuff will only help you get stronger and secure.
My Etsy Shop
I’m telling you these details about Etsy, so surely I have had my fair share of experiences as an Etsy seller. Before I tell you more about my shop, know that next to zero people share their real stats on the internet. And since I want to keep everything 100% real, I’m sharing my shop details here.
My shop isn’t active these days because I eventually stopped adding more products and promoting it on social media, but I had decent sales back then. And I’m sharing my account despite it not being so great, because I want you to know that you can sell on Etsy too.
Other Successful Sellers On Etsy
Etsy is not just an ordinary platform to sell your digital goods but it’s also got lots of inspiring and moving stories. Let’s check out a few of them.
Patrick Roberts
Patrick Roberts has a store named ArtsCraftsCreativity. He’s made 10,497 sales till now. Patrick mainly sells wall arts, printables and templates for documents like termination letters, etc. Patrick’s average sale is for $4. If we consider that, Patrick has made over $42,000 by selling items that anybody could create easily.
Rachel Jones
Rachel Jones opened her Etsy shop in 2018, selling downloadable printables. Fast forward to 2021, and she was able to transition to working on her business full-time, earning an average of $10,000 a month in sales. Rachel credits her success to using tools like eRank to optimize her listings and stay ahead of the competition.
Ralu Petrea
Next, we have Ralu Petrea, the creator of the bestselling paperless planner on Etsy. Ralu launched her shop in 2018 with no followers, no business plan, and a brand name borrowed from a previous business that failed. But she didn’t let that hold her back. With dedication and hard work, Ralu was able to refine her product and reach over $90,000 in sales in just two years.
Kayla
Kayla, the owner of Amma Rose Designs, is another success story. She left her 9-to-5 job in 2018 to focus on her Etsy shop, selling business planners. With a lot of effort and dedication, Kayla was able to earn almost $100,000 solely through her Etsy shop. Her advice to new sellers? “The more time and effort you put towards your business in the beginning, the sooner you can kick your feet up a little.
These entrepreneurs, and many others like them, are proof that selling digital products on Etsy can be a viable way to earn a living. They’ve shown that with hard work, determination, and a willingness to learn and adapt, anyone can succeed on the platform.
So, what sets these sellers apart? For one, they’re all passionate about what they do. They’ve found a niche that they love, and they’re dedicated to creating high-quality products that meet the needs of their customers. They’re also not afraid to put in the work, whether it’s optimizing their listings, engaging with their customers, or continuously improving their products.
If you’re thinking of starting your own Etsy shop, take a page out of these sellers’ books. Focus on creating products that you’re passionate about, and don’t be afraid to put in the effort to make them successful. With dedication and hard work, you too can join the ranks of these successful Etsy sellers.
In conclusion, selling digital products on Etsy can be a lucrative way to earn a living, but it takes hard work and dedication. By following in the footsteps of these successful sellers, you can build a thriving business on the platform. So, what are you waiting for? Start building your Etsy shop today!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Etsy free?
What are digital products on Etsy?
Why Etsy is a great platform for selling digital products?
What types of digital products can I sell on Etsy?
How to find your niche and target audience on Etsy?
How to set up your Etsy shop for digital products?
How to create a seller account on Etsy?
How to choose a shop name and branding on Etsy?
How to upload and list digital products on Etsy?
How to optimize product descriptions and tags on Etsy?
How to set prices and delivery information on Etsy?
How do you get paid on Etsy?
Is selling digital products on Etsy profitable?
Can Etsy be a full-time job?
How to sell digital products on Etsy?
1. Pick a niche
2. Create a product
3. Make a listing
4. Sell on Etsy
