⚠ WARNING! I do NOT censor people or delete comments, even if you disagree with me, or post something not-nice about me. HOWEVER, TH-cam DOES censor them. If you want to post a negative comment, the following things will get it removed & potentially get you auto-blocked from my channel by the algorithm: 1) If you leave a comment that is insulting to someone or would be considered "mean" 2) If you "reply bomb" (e.g. reply to lots of other comments really fast) 3) If you make a not-so-nice comment about how I look. I would like as much discussion, both good or bad, to be able to happen. So please keep these things in mind before leaving a "negative" comment. Thank you 🙏
Been following your channel for years and will continue to follow, you always put out excellent information. So don't understand the comments about your looks---there is nothing wrong with the way you look, it is so absurd. Just ignore and keep up the good work. Keep laughing all the way to the bank!!
Haha thank you! Yes, some people will even just throw it is as a little side-comment, and the algorithm flags those comments almost immediately. In that case there, I'm much more understanding that it does, but yes, it does mean the entire comment gets flagged!
There is no spot for me to leave a comment only fir me to reply to comments already posted. Which doesn't sit well with me since I am an active follower of yr channel and learn from yr channel and therefore I am a supporter of yrs. Any help this is my question and it may seem dumb, But I'm Not much of a technical person when it comes to computers cell phones and what not, When I was growing up in school I just basically missed the computer age as it sprung into the world, So everything that I know is basically self-taught, I'm an artist but an artist that uses my hands in paint rather than an artist that is digital, I'm getting into this whole world of t-shirt design which is a very big interest of mine and it's a business that I want to try and get into. My question here is this if I were to create a Print on demand account and start creating t-shirts with basic slogans how do I put them on esty
I'm surprised you didn't mention the Etsy bug that has been in existance for about 4 years now, that automatically suspends new shops for "copyright infringement" when they upload their first product, one that isn't infringing. Etsy laters denies anythign was done, and most people get access to their shops back after 90 hours or so.
i think she covered it by saying they suspend new users to test if youre human or something even though you added all your credit cards and passport etc but they still mess with you, so you just got to accept it as etsy is the boss so they make the rules, its good to read abotu these things before i start soon and get a shock when i get suspended
I've had this just happen to me, I appealed and they have refused to reinstate my account - any advice as this is mega frustrating as I had only opened the store a few days ago
i think you should not email them especially, if you have no idea what they are complaining about. Because it states if they deny your appeal, you will not be able to reinstate your account again@@TobyHolland-mi1gc
Great tips Sarah, I wouldn't have thought of upfront. Even if you use your own website instead of Etsy/Amazon etc, these tips ensure a good customer experience, which is then totally your own responsibility, rather than a 3rd party website.
Saying things that need to be said. Good on you. Etsy has a reputation for banning stores for seemingly no reason. You have told people what the reason may be.
It's true, they don't communicate their reason for banning people well at all! The most common reasons are: 1) There are LOTS of scammers on Etsy. So new stores are often pre-cautionary banned, and those pre-cautionary new store bans can be easily appealed. Etsy is just testing you to make sure you're a real person, essentially. They don't communicate about this ban at all and people just suddenly get banned before they have listed any products often, and don't understand why. 2) Having a low customer satisfaction score, which is much harder and less likely to be successfully appealed. 3) Selling copyrighted products - which is also much more difficult to appeal.
I'm a mom of 7, trying to make money from working online. I appreciate your videos and your tips. You seem so sincere and sweet, and I really enjoy listening to you. I'll bet your momma is proud of you! Good job, sweetheart! Keep on shining!
Thanks for yet another great video, Sarah! I have a small POD store, and I love to learn as much about this business as possible. My biggest problem though is the feeling of "overwhelm". I feel there are so many things I should do, ought to do, that I might not yet know that much about (SEO for instance), and everything feels urgent, and because I'm still learning I don't know what is really urgent and should be prioritised, and what is urgent but don't need to be on my list of the 10 things I should prioritise first. Could you do a video on simplifying the most important steps to get ready to sell products, and different strategies to try to get your first sales? Anyhow - I love your content and your straight forward approach to things, keep it coming!
Thank you! And actually, I kind of did make that video. It was my latest video. Have you watched it? th-cam.com/video/Phucc1uMllw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=FLqXkpNxHZnOKtir It's really not that complicated. It comes down to: 1) Identify a product/customer base that you can do different/better. 2) Create products for it. Only add in products good enough that you would buy. Quality over quantity. 3) Be descriptive in your title/tags/description. Don't overthink it, just do your best to be descriptive. 4) Keep adding new products regularly, because the way the Etsy's algorithm works as I described in the video, it will help it a lot to just keep adding items regularly. You could set yourself a small goal, like add 1 per day. If your products are both great, AND fill a gap in the marketplace, that is the key to fast sales. Most people don't do that though. They just focus on niches with lots of great options already and don't add to it/improve it.
Really helpful. Had never considered the 'out of stock' angle before. Maybe one solution is to limit inventory numbers, then refresh, but not ideal if you don't want to intervene in your processes too often.
That is an interesting idea. Something I'd note is that you also don't want to go out of stock continuously as this also impacts your algorithmic rankings (this includes your own store, as Google isn't a fan of stores going out of stock all of the time). But it is an interesting idea to manage your risk! This is literally something I have dealt with, so its a genuine, serious thing to think about before jumping into a product with no alternative suppliers.
I'm thinking another idea would be to keep your own stash of inventory at home. If you suddenly run into a supply chain issue, you can still fulfill orders (although with a higher shipping cost). It keeps your customers happy, and also buys you some time to update your store listing, or find another supplier.
Lots of competition means that there is lots of demand, which means lots of room to profit, especially if you find the less competitive subniches within the competitive niches 😉
😂😂 thanks so much, I got so frustrated when Etsy closed my account for no reason and even told me that they won’t reintegrate it and don’t want to tell me why.
Not Selling unique colors is definitely a good point. I have even looked at other apparel stores and the majority of the products they sell are black or gray with colorful artwork. Maybe one or two are unique colors
I love this! This is really an important information. My next action is to change from *that* provider to another provider. Yes, I do agree with prioritize customer experience and satisfaction because I have buying shirt and sweatshirt myself. I remember that regret and your video reminds me not to make our own future or current customer from bad experience so the most logical thing to do is go for quality. Thank you for this. I was starting to populate my Etsy store and this is eye opening for me. Thank you again. 👍👍👍
Saved. Great information. As someone who is just creating their PoD enterprise, this will help ensure that I get started on the right foot with a foundation off which I can build and minimize setbacks.
Fab video thank you! I got banned from etsy, they didn't email me to tell me why and they didn't tell me why when i asked them via an appeal! How is anyone supposed to improve if they don't tell you!? 🤔 🤦♀️
So, due to large amounts of scam accounts being created every day on Etsy, they temporarily "ban" a lot of new accounts. That is what the suspension message I showed at 0:02 was - it was a "new account suspension." If you appeal this "ban" they will reinstate your account very fast, usually within a week. This account was reinstated in about 3 days after appealing it. It is very, VERY common to get "banned" within your first few days (sometimes within your first hour!) and people mistakenly believe that they have been legitimately banned. They'll sometimes even blame POD and say that is why they were banned, even though POD providers like Printify have a direct integration and are an official app partner with Etsy. It sounds like this was your "ban" - however, they do NOT explain it. You can see my suspension message didn't explain it. They just ask you to appeal it. It is confusing. The reason Etsy seems to do it, is to stop the scam accounts. The scammers don't appeal the ban, because they know they'll get caught. From Etsy's perspective, it is crucial that they stop scammers, because they are processing payments. Credit card companies like Mastercard/Visa do NOT tolerate scams. They have to be more careful than say, TH-cam, which isn't as vigilant at stopping scammers in the YT comments. It is annoying, and frustrating, but it isn't personal, and you weren't banned for doing anything wrong 🙏
Valuable tips, clear narrative, good examples. Well, POD isn't a straightforward market area. I'm going to read your book! Thank you! Of course, I'm subscribing to your channel.
Wow ! Your videos are so intelligently informative. You instill such a confidence in those looking for answers by simply knowing your craft so well. Love it.
Etsy banned me with no warnings and no explanation why. I make all my own designs and don't put words on my products to avoid copyright. I have all 5 star reviews. I've called Etsy and emailed multiple times with no explanation why I was banned
@justbrowsing1236 nope, they stopped responding. I moved to shopify and I feel so liberated. I always felt pressure to produce designs as fast as possible on etsy to stay in their algorithm which ended up not being my best work. There was also that fear in the back of my mind that i could be banned at anytime since I heard of a lot of stories just like what happened to me. No clear violations, original artwork, tried to do everything according to their policies. On shopify I can now truly create my own brand. Without those worries.
My biggest pet-peeve is how the size designation is too arbitrary not just between brands, but within brands too. Furthermore, the a "large" in women's wear is not a "large" in mens... A "large" size might be medium for another person. I don't understand why we don't use universal measurements such as shoulder-widths, hip-widths, chest and waist circumference, and arm/leg thickness all in centimeters. That way, it doesn't matter what a brand considers to be "large" or "medium" etc... I refuse to buy from a store that doesn't list the dimensions of the product. (I could care less for the packaging dimensions.)
That actually happened to me with the colors with fulfill engine. Heather prism peach and Heather prism lilac were ones they offered and they were the only print provider with them… it became my most popular and then they discontinued it or completely ran out idk. Had to go over to Printful to get the orders fulfilled.
Thank you Sarah! It is super great to see the in-depth explanation videos that you provide that highlight copyright laws and detailing, in this video, the culture of customers and the pitfalls of ecommerce. Some ethical considerations and duties that many "drive-thru" You tubers skip and/or ignore just to earn cash is a significant problem of individual responsibility nowadays, but the best parts is that the information that you provide is transparent, considers the ethics of ecommerce, and an excellent springboard for the viewer to embark on their own extended research and walk down the 'print on demand' path with more confidence. I am retired from teaching, in Tasmania, but too old to retire and too young to hire, therefore I am building my own multiple stream ecommerce business. And 'print on demand' seems like a nice little creative side hustle.
@@WholesaleTed it would be great if one day on your travels you randomly saw someone wearing your tshirts in real life, i know it would be rare even for someone popular like you but that would be a nice sense of satisfaction no doubt!
No idea why the algorithm brought me here but as someone who shops on Etsy a lot it was a very interesting video! Thank you for emphasising how important reviews are, I usually don’t bother but will definitely make more of an effort in future. ❤
You have such an interesting accent. This was a very informative video and gave me things I hadn't thought about as far as making sure quality matched across providers.
In a way I think this is your most important video. Avoiding those bad reviews is the number one thing. And choosing products that will avoid bad reviews is more important than trying to find Niche that no one else is in it's going to possibly compromise your reviews.
Thank you for posting this Sarah, although it's nothing new, but people need to be reminded. Of all the print provider out there, and if you could only choose one, which would it be? And, what do you feel is the maximum providers one should have so it makes the whole backend process run more smoothly. I know the more you have the more headaches, issues, confusion, time and effort. Whereas keeping these more streamlined provides a more seamless process, like having just one or two, 3 max. Would love your thoughts. Thanks heaps! :)
Thank you! And that is easy, Printful. Very high quality control through their entire catalog, which is comprehensive, multiple print shops worldwide. Nothing compares. But it's also the most expensive. Printify requires more research since to have a variety of items to sell, will require multiple print providers. But it's much cheaper. Pros and cons!
Bingo. I was making full-time income on two different etsy shops. out of nowhere one day they banned me and all my shops.... for a bs copyright claim. And I was being CAREFUL. I'm still trying to bounce back two years later.
Wait, wait, wait, you're a New Zealander like me! That's awesome!!!! Haven't really found others, especially not in my field! I originally came from Auckland and lived in Palmerston north for about 10 years, but it's so cool to see a New Zealander here!!!
The more I'm learning about POD the more I feel longer term you need to build your own shop and drive your own traffic but also use the big platforms. Just accept sometimes you'll get blocked when it's not fair so need accept it as part of the process
I find it very hard to believe that someone would even want to leave a negative comment on your channel or about you in any way because your always so nice and you help so many people and you are actually very easy on the eyes and i can tell that its all genuine. I mean you even go out of your way to tell people how to leave negative comments without getting them censored like is their such a thing as too nice? anyway your channel is great love it thanks.
You brought up things that I haven’t heard addressed by anyone else. We all need tips on best practices for customer service and yours were great. Thank you!
Also consider the quality of t-shirt. I have shirts that are great other than the fact they are really really thin, and shirts that are on high quality fabric.
I've tried both Monster & Swift. When I ordered samples, I had a higher % of bad prints, including, crooked, too high. Etc from those 2 shops than good prints. I now use Awkward Styles exclusively & I never, ever get bad prints.
Honestly, I recommend that everybody on a third party marketplace diversify & start building their own brand. Take your store name, purchase the URL for it, install a Shopify store, and start building it up.
Your video is incredibly informative and provides invaluable insights for anyone involved in the print-on-demand business on platforms like Etsy and beyond. If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in the print-on-demand industry, what would it be, and why do you think it's the most crucial tip for success in this competitive field?
I agree! Starting in the POD industry can be both exciting and competitive, and offering a single crucial piece of advice is a valuable exercise. Focusing on niche selection and conducting thorough market research is essential for success in the competitive print-on-demand industry. Great work!
Your video offers a wealth of information and invaluable insights that can greatly benefit individuals engaged in the print-on-demand business, both on platforms like Etsy and elsewhere.
Indeed! , Her passion for helping small business owners like this one shines through brightly! her request for a video on simplifying key steps and strategies for success is spot on, and her dedication to making complex topics more accessible is truly commendable. Keep up the fantastic work, and I'm looking forward to your future videos! 👏🛍🚀
I agree! Starting in the POD industry can be exciting and competitive, and emphasizing niche selection and thorough market research is essential for success. Great Job!
As a Dad (of a 6y old print shirt fan ^^) and as a business salesman and picky german... Well laid out plus important story (that can not be told enough) ... the become rich superseller with AI etc. etc XXXX $ earnings quickly each month clickbaits may want to include some intel at some point of customer care... because: you invest 100$ to sell 100$ but you sell much better (and more) to a happy customer with positive side-fx (mouth to mouth adds, reviews, YT discussions) - Cheers
Several years ago a wresting toy manufacturer was getting complaints the new figures didn't have bendable elbows, and the company's reply was "Chinese New Year"
Really, really good points of view. I started RB shop recently as a side hobby for now. But it made my wife thinking about going in POD totally. She was thinking about it years ago but well... It was dark time for us back then and idea died. But it's up again and all this information will be really helpful. I analyze a lot of information about this market for some time and it's really, really useful info. Thank you.
Thank you! I highly recommend she watches my previous video if she is just getting started, hopefully it'll help her have success faster: th-cam.com/video/Phucc1uMllw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=FLqXkpNxHZnOKtir
Thanks for all the tips. That was my biggest fear at the time in choosing my printify provider. Now with this help, I can make a better background check! Also, is there any chance you would make a tutorial, on how to build your on website with POD? Thank you again for all your tips!
It has happened to me once, I fought it because the design was mine, another time was a cheaper t-shirt. I now use only one brand and I am more expensive.
Honestly, I think more people like you should raise their price and increase their quality instead because as I said in this video here, raising your price often helps you, not hurts you: th-cam.com/video/Phucc1uMllw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=FLqXkpNxHZnOKtir
iv been with Etsy for like 3 weeks .. for some odd reason i got a account suspension and they have not even emailed me .. i thought maybe i had to pay a fee or bill but thats not the case either , im stumped .. i guess its off to EBAY! lol
I didn't fully understand the last part - if you choose e.g. Monster Digital as a print provider, people that live in Europe have to pay a lot for shipping and wait a long time for their product. You said that the Hoodie is printed in the USA, Europa, Canada and Australia - but all these are different print providers and you have to choose one, right? I don't understand how it is possible to provide a cheap and quick shipping for every country... Maybe I understood something wrong. I live in Germany and would like to provide a quick shipping with low costs around Europe, but maybe then I will miss a lot of income due to people that live in the USA, right? Hope you can help me!! xx
Hey Sarah! Thanks for your video and advice! In regards to your comments on the location of printers, is it possible to sell a tshirt that has an option for different printers on the same listing for people to choose which is going to get to them sooner or do you have to create a separate listing on your store?
I thought that was my biggest nightmare but nope. Printiful has brought a new nightmare. Their 'system' is reverting to old files. So if you replace a file with a new version and make new mockups and listing pics...a customer will place their order and their item will be printed from the PREVIOUS FILE. Let's say you ordered a sample of said item and printiful denies it's existence. Seriously. They say the customer got what they ordered and have no explanation to why MY SAMPLE was a completely different background color than the print file they insist was never changed. I will be uploading the correct file AGAIN and making an order out of pocket for my customer tomorrow and then spend the day moving my items off their platform. It isn't just the error but the denial there was an error. I can't be with them if their system is reverting files. Period.
Totally, I absolutely, 100%, recommend everybody build up their own store. You can still sell on Etsy, AND purchase the URL for your store name. Having a successful Etsy store linked to your store will also help your store in the Google search results too. Absolutely recommend doing this!
Don't you have to pay for the thousands of listings that you publish and maintain via Etsy? There is a Fees section, they charge 10.5% for every order you make, so you can see these sites selling $1 digital art, so you lose 10.5% of every $ spent. If they charge $0.16 per listing and you said some of these sites post thousands of listings, for 1000 listings that's $160 without selling anything. Nobody seems to mention that it's not simply a case of sitting and waiting, it's sitting, waiting and costing yourself money too....
...question: If my POD store/product starts getting popular, how can I cover the cost of the POD production (which is to be paid up front) if I don't have a large savings or CC? ...I wouldn't want to have the momentum of sales being halted and bad reviews left for not being able to provide what I advertised... storefronts like Etsy hold customer payments until production is started, and production is held until the POD company is paid... see my conundrum? 🤔...
Leave it to you to find something I didn't know!! Great video. I remember you doing a video on png is it possible the person who gave the graphics to My Locker the pixels were not high quality? That is what I am thinking, your thoughts?
Thank you! And I gave each print provider the exact same file, and it was optimized for printing, which is why Monster Digital's print came out so nice. You might find the full video interesting to watch :)
I have absolutely heard of it happening but it is extraordinarily rare because by doing that, the Etsy store is putting itself heavily at risk if it gets caught. That is a bannable offense, if you got caught, you'd instantly get banned - no warning.
It is true. And that is the compromise! I think that is probably the main "theme" in this video. I've seen a lot of videos from people promoting selling unique items, and promoting the potential profits from it, but they also DON'T talk about the risks. I have been stung by all of these in some way-or-another, and so I've learned overtime that there is a flipside to a lot of this stuff too. And so it's really up to each individual, risk vs. reward. But I think it is good for everyone to know what the risks are, so they can go in and choose to make them, if that make sense!
What currency do you use if you have a split demographic? Example, US and Australia. Do you set currency as your location for tax purposes or set it for you main customer base?
When you already have orders but your on-demand provider is out how do you switch providers and can you use print on demand just for plain t-shirts with nothing on it and can they do Fabrics like just organic cotton linen and wool do you have the video on these sorry to be a pain
I'm sort of confused by this question, because the video answers that directly? As the video shows, selling pucks is risky because you have only 1 supplier that could have supply chain issues, which would destroy your store, whereas if you sell t-shirts, you have an abundance of suppliers and so even if your current supplier goes out of stock, you can just switch to a new supplier. As the video points out, you can choose to sell both, but if you choose to sell the pucks, you're taking a big risk, and most TH-camrs who push the idea that selling t-shirts is bad and instead people should selling "unique" products like pucks, do not in-turn also state the added risk involved, which I think everyone should know about before they make the decision to sell a risky product 🙏
⚠ WARNING! I do NOT censor people or delete comments, even if you disagree with me, or post something not-nice about me. HOWEVER, TH-cam DOES censor them. If you want to post a negative comment, the following things will get it removed & potentially get you auto-blocked from my channel by the algorithm:
1) If you leave a comment that is insulting to someone or would be considered "mean"
2) If you "reply bomb" (e.g. reply to lots of other comments really fast)
3) If you make a not-so-nice comment about how I look.
I would like as much discussion, both good or bad, to be able to happen. So please keep these things in mind before leaving a "negative" comment. Thank you 🙏
How could someone make a not-so-nice comment about the way you look?! You look wonderful!
Been following your channel for years and will continue to follow, you always put out excellent information. So don't understand the comments about your looks---there is nothing wrong with the way you look, it is so absurd. Just ignore and keep up the good work. Keep laughing all the way to the bank!!
Haha thank you! Yes, some people will even just throw it is as a little side-comment, and the algorithm flags those comments almost immediately. In that case there, I'm much more understanding that it does, but yes, it does mean the entire comment gets flagged!
Can you do a shopify vs etsy
There is no spot for me to leave a comment only fir me to reply to comments already posted. Which doesn't sit well with me since I am an active follower of yr channel and learn from yr channel and therefore I am a supporter of yrs. Any help this is my question and it may seem dumb, But I'm Not much of a technical person when it comes to computers cell phones and what not, When I was growing up in school I just basically missed the computer age as it sprung into the world, So everything that I know is basically self-taught, I'm an artist but an artist that uses my hands in paint rather than an artist that is digital, I'm getting into this whole world of t-shirt design which is a very big interest of mine and it's a business that I want to try and get into. My question here is this if I were to create a Print on demand account and start creating t-shirts with basic slogans how do I put them on esty
I'm surprised you didn't mention the Etsy bug that has been in existance for about 4 years now, that automatically suspends new shops for "copyright infringement" when they upload their first product, one that isn't infringing. Etsy laters denies anythign was done, and most people get access to their shops back after 90 hours or so.
I hope that information saves someone some hair-tearing. Well posted.
i think she covered it by saying they suspend new users to test if youre human or something even though you added all your credit cards and passport etc but they still mess with you, so you just got to accept it as etsy is the boss so they make the rules, its good to read abotu these things before i start soon and get a shock when i get suspended
I've had this just happen to me, I appealed and they have refused to reinstate my account - any advice as this is mega frustrating as I had only opened the store a few days ago
@@TobyHolland-mi1gc Maybe you're not real
i think you should not email them especially, if you have no idea what they are complaining about. Because it states if they deny your appeal, you will not be able to reinstate your account again@@TobyHolland-mi1gc
omg I feel like a movie star. I've hit the big time. in your scroll of cat t-shirts @4:53 you showed my listing 🤣🤩
But any sales?
Great tips Sarah, I wouldn't have thought of upfront. Even if you use your own website instead of Etsy/Amazon etc, these tips ensure a good customer experience, which is then totally your own responsibility, rather than a 3rd party website.
Saying things that need to be said. Good on you. Etsy has a reputation for banning stores for seemingly no reason. You have told people what the reason may be.
It's true, they don't communicate their reason for banning people well at all! The most common reasons are:
1) There are LOTS of scammers on Etsy. So new stores are often pre-cautionary banned, and those pre-cautionary new store bans can be easily appealed. Etsy is just testing you to make sure you're a real person, essentially. They don't communicate about this ban at all and people just suddenly get banned before they have listed any products often, and don't understand why.
2) Having a low customer satisfaction score, which is much harder and less likely to be successfully appealed.
3) Selling copyrighted products - which is also much more difficult to appeal.
I love that you talked about supply chain! So many startups have long lead times because they don't anticipate supply chain issues.
I'm a mom of 7, trying to make money from working online. I appreciate your videos and your tips. You seem so sincere and sweet, and I really enjoy listening to you. I'll bet your momma is proud of you! Good job, sweetheart! Keep on shining!
Thanks for yet another great video, Sarah! I have a small POD store, and I love to learn as much about this business as possible. My biggest problem though is the feeling of "overwhelm". I feel there are so many things I should do, ought to do, that I might not yet know that much about (SEO for instance), and everything feels urgent, and because I'm still learning I don't know what is really urgent and should be prioritised, and what is urgent but don't need to be on my list of the 10 things I should prioritise first. Could you do a video on simplifying the most important steps to get ready to sell products, and different strategies to try to get your first sales? Anyhow - I love your content and your straight forward approach to things, keep it coming!
Thank you! And actually, I kind of did make that video. It was my latest video. Have you watched it? th-cam.com/video/Phucc1uMllw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=FLqXkpNxHZnOKtir
It's really not that complicated. It comes down to:
1) Identify a product/customer base that you can do different/better.
2) Create products for it. Only add in products good enough that you would buy. Quality over quantity.
3) Be descriptive in your title/tags/description. Don't overthink it, just do your best to be descriptive.
4) Keep adding new products regularly, because the way the Etsy's algorithm works as I described in the video, it will help it a lot to just keep adding items regularly. You could set yourself a small goal, like add 1 per day.
If your products are both great, AND fill a gap in the marketplace, that is the key to fast sales. Most people don't do that though. They just focus on niches with lots of great options already and don't add to it/improve it.
Really helpful. Had never considered the 'out of stock' angle before. Maybe one solution is to limit inventory numbers, then refresh, but not ideal if you don't want to intervene in your processes too often.
That is an interesting idea. Something I'd note is that you also don't want to go out of stock continuously as this also impacts your algorithmic rankings (this includes your own store, as Google isn't a fan of stores going out of stock all of the time). But it is an interesting idea to manage your risk! This is literally something I have dealt with, so its a genuine, serious thing to think about before jumping into a product with no alternative suppliers.
@WholesaleTed thanks for the tip, good timing as I'm hunting for cool products to sell for Christmas. Will certainly bear this in mind! Nga mihi nui 👍
I'm thinking another idea would be to keep your own stash of inventory at home. If you suddenly run into a supply chain issue, you can still fulfill orders (although with a higher shipping cost). It keeps your customers happy, and also buys you some time to update your store listing, or find another supplier.
Another great video! Quality is always a good way to go. T-Shirts do have a ton of competition but I love them.
Lots of competition means that there is lots of demand, which means lots of room to profit, especially if you find the less competitive subniches within the competitive niches 😉
😂😂 thanks so much, I got so frustrated when Etsy closed my account for no reason and even told me that they won’t reintegrate it and don’t want to tell me why.
Not Selling unique colors is definitely a good point. I have even looked at other apparel stores and the majority of the products they sell are black or gray with colorful artwork. Maybe one or two are unique colors
I love this! This is really an important information. My next action is to change from *that* provider to another provider. Yes, I do agree with prioritize customer experience and satisfaction because I have buying shirt and sweatshirt myself. I remember that regret and your video reminds me not to make our own future or current customer from bad experience so the most logical thing to do is go for quality.
Thank you for this. I was starting to populate my Etsy store and this is eye opening for me. Thank you again. 👍👍👍
Saved. Great information. As someone who is just creating their PoD enterprise, this will help ensure that I get started on the right foot with a foundation off which I can build and minimize setbacks.
Fab video thank you! I got banned from etsy, they didn't email me to tell me why and they didn't tell me why when i asked them via an appeal! How is anyone supposed to improve if they don't tell you!? 🤔 🤦♀️
So, due to large amounts of scam accounts being created every day on Etsy, they temporarily "ban" a lot of new accounts. That is what the suspension message I showed at 0:02 was - it was a "new account suspension." If you appeal this "ban" they will reinstate your account very fast, usually within a week. This account was reinstated in about 3 days after appealing it. It is very, VERY common to get "banned" within your first few days (sometimes within your first hour!) and people mistakenly believe that they have been legitimately banned. They'll sometimes even blame POD and say that is why they were banned, even though POD providers like Printify have a direct integration and are an official app partner with Etsy.
It sounds like this was your "ban" - however, they do NOT explain it. You can see my suspension message didn't explain it. They just ask you to appeal it. It is confusing.
The reason Etsy seems to do it, is to stop the scam accounts. The scammers don't appeal the ban, because they know they'll get caught. From Etsy's perspective, it is crucial that they stop scammers, because they are processing payments. Credit card companies like Mastercard/Visa do NOT tolerate scams. They have to be more careful than say, TH-cam, which isn't as vigilant at stopping scammers in the YT comments.
It is annoying, and frustrating, but it isn't personal, and you weren't banned for doing anything wrong 🙏
Or to be safe, call it limited or something, just in case of supply worries or contact them to find out about item to see if there is lots
Valuable tips, clear narrative, good examples. Well, POD isn't a straightforward market area. I'm going to read your book! Thank you! Of course, I'm subscribing to your channel.
Wow ! Your videos are so intelligently informative. You instill such a confidence in those looking for answers by simply knowing your craft so well. Love it.
Very detailed nuanced feedback for POD operators. Thanks!
Etsy banned me with no warnings and no explanation why. I make all my own designs and don't put words on my products to avoid copyright. I have all 5 star reviews. I've called Etsy and emailed multiple times with no explanation why I was banned
Did you get any answers so far?
@justbrowsing1236 nope, they stopped responding. I moved to shopify and I feel so liberated. I always felt pressure to produce designs as fast as possible on etsy to stay in their algorithm which ended up not being my best work. There was also that fear in the back of my mind that i could be banned at anytime since I heard of a lot of stories just like what happened to me. No clear violations, original artwork, tried to do everything according to their policies. On shopify I can now truly create my own brand. Without those worries.
My biggest pet-peeve is how the size designation is too arbitrary not just between brands, but within brands too. Furthermore, the a "large" in women's wear is not a "large" in mens... A "large" size might be medium for another person. I don't understand why we don't use universal measurements such as shoulder-widths, hip-widths, chest and waist circumference, and arm/leg thickness all in centimeters. That way, it doesn't matter what a brand considers to be "large" or "medium" etc... I refuse to buy from a store that doesn't list the dimensions of the product. (I could care less for the packaging dimensions.)
That actually happened to me with the colors with fulfill engine. Heather prism peach and Heather prism lilac were ones they offered and they were the only print provider with them… it became my most popular and then they discontinued it or completely ran out idk. Had to go over to Printful to get the orders fulfilled.
Thank you Sarah! It is super great to see the in-depth explanation videos that you provide that highlight copyright laws and detailing, in this video, the culture of customers and the pitfalls of ecommerce. Some ethical considerations and duties that many "drive-thru" You tubers skip and/or ignore just to earn cash is a significant problem of individual responsibility nowadays, but the best parts is that the information that you provide is transparent, considers the ethics of ecommerce, and an excellent springboard for the viewer to embark on their own extended research and walk down the 'print on demand' path with more confidence. I am retired from teaching, in Tasmania, but too old to retire and too young to hire, therefore I am building my own multiple stream ecommerce business. And 'print on demand' seems like a nice little creative side hustle.
Thank you! And yes, it is honestly just so much fun to create and design things and then know that people around the globe are wearing your creation.
@@WholesaleTed it would be great if one day on your travels you randomly saw someone wearing your tshirts in real life, i know it would be rare even for someone popular like you but that would be a nice sense of satisfaction no doubt!
No idea why the algorithm brought me here but as someone who shops on Etsy a lot it was a very interesting video! Thank you for emphasising how important reviews are, I usually don’t bother but will definitely make more of an effort in future. ❤
I like how you're always smiling Ted :)
You have such an interesting accent. This was a very informative video and gave me things I hadn't thought about as far as making sure quality matched across providers.
In a way I think this is your most important video. Avoiding those bad reviews is the number one thing. And choosing products that will avoid bad reviews is more important than trying to find Niche that no one else is in it's going to possibly compromise your reviews.
Reasons why I banned Etsy from my browser.
Thank you for posting this Sarah, although it's nothing new, but people need to be reminded. Of all the print provider out there, and if you could only choose one, which would it be? And, what do you feel is the maximum providers one should have so it makes the whole backend process run more smoothly. I know the more you have the more headaches, issues, confusion, time and effort. Whereas keeping these more streamlined provides a more seamless process, like having just one or two, 3 max.
Would love your thoughts. Thanks heaps! :)
Thank you! And that is easy, Printful. Very high quality control through their entire catalog, which is comprehensive, multiple print shops worldwide. Nothing compares. But it's also the most expensive. Printify requires more research since to have a variety of items to sell, will require multiple print providers. But it's much cheaper. Pros and cons!
Bingo. I was making full-time income on two different etsy shops. out of nowhere one day they banned me and all my shops.... for a bs copyright claim. And I was being CAREFUL. I'm still trying to bounce back two years later.
Wait, wait, wait, you're a New Zealander like me! That's awesome!!!! Haven't really found others, especially not in my field! I originally came from Auckland and lived in Palmerston north for about 10 years, but it's so cool to see a New Zealander here!!!
The more I'm learning about POD the more I feel longer term you need to build your own shop and drive your own traffic but also use the big platforms. Just accept sometimes you'll get blocked when it's not fair so need accept it as part of the process
All I got from this, is that Ebay and Etsy reward monopolies, and sites with fake reviews that help prop their websites up.
Hello from the past Sara! Thanks for new video! So glad to see you again ❤
Lovely to see you again from the future, 9:23am on a Friday morning 👋
I find it very hard to believe that someone would even want to leave a negative comment on your channel or about you in any way because your always so nice and you help so many people and you are actually very easy on the eyes and i can tell that its all genuine. I mean you even go out of your way to tell people how to leave negative comments without getting them censored like is their such a thing as too nice? anyway your channel is great love it thanks.
You brought up things that I haven’t heard addressed by anyone else. We all need tips on best practices for customer service and yours were great. Thank you!
Is it me, is Etsy becoming like TH-cam and Facebook? Account banned or suspended without notice, explanation, or reason?
Also consider the quality of t-shirt. I have shirts that are great other than the fact they are really really thin, and shirts that are on high quality fabric.
I learn everytime I watched your video. Can you do also videos about digital products because I think those are not risky to sell 😁☺️❤️
Thank you! And I actually plan to make a video about digital products soon!
I learned a lot from your video. A lot of information in under 16 minutes. I took a lot of mental notes. Thanks for that.
Thank you for covering the fulfillment side of PoD. Great new insights.
I've tried both Monster & Swift. When I ordered samples, I had a higher % of bad prints, including, crooked, too high. Etc from those 2 shops than good prints. I now use Awkward Styles exclusively & I never, ever get bad prints.
Etsy cancelled me twice for no reason as a new store. Lost appeal. Still fighting Etsy. Starting Shopify store instead. Etsy needs to be sued.
Etsy is garbage!
This is why i want to oppen a store on shopify
Honestly, I recommend that everybody on a third party marketplace diversify & start building their own brand. Take your store name, purchase the URL for it, install a Shopify store, and start building it up.
@@WholesaleTed thank you
Shopify Kicks people off their platform also....
@@kwebber9248not really. It’s EXTREMELY common for Etsy and very rare for Shopify. And Shopify will give you the reason while Etsy won’t.
@@kwebber9248just get a regular web hoster and woocommerce...
1:50 The Swiftpod print looks more detailed and less yellow.
But maybe it's different in person.
Great video Sarah. Been subbed a few years now. My humor sometimes sucks. Keep it up ❤
Your video is incredibly informative and provides invaluable insights for anyone involved in the print-on-demand business on platforms like Etsy and beyond.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in the print-on-demand industry, what would it be, and why do you think it's the most crucial tip for success in this competitive field?
I agree! Starting in the POD industry can be both exciting and competitive, and offering a single crucial piece of advice is a valuable exercise. Focusing on niche selection and conducting thorough market research is essential for success in the competitive print-on-demand industry. Great work!
Your video offers a wealth of information and invaluable insights that can greatly benefit individuals engaged in the print-on-demand business, both on platforms like Etsy and elsewhere.
Indeed! , Her passion for helping small business owners like this one shines through brightly! her request for a video on simplifying key steps and strategies for success is spot on, and her dedication to making complex topics more accessible is truly commendable. Keep up the fantastic work, and I'm looking forward to your future videos! 👏🛍🚀
Agree! In the POD industry, niche selection and market research are vital. Great work!
I agree! Starting in the POD industry can be exciting and competitive, and emphasizing niche selection and thorough market research is essential for success. Great Job!
As a Dad (of a 6y old print shirt fan ^^) and as a business salesman and picky german... Well laid out plus important story (that can not be told enough) ... the become rich superseller with AI etc. etc XXXX $ earnings quickly each month clickbaits may want to include some intel at some point of customer care... because: you invest 100$ to sell 100$ but you sell much better (and more) to a happy customer with positive side-fx (mouth to mouth adds, reviews, YT discussions) - Cheers
Happened to my redbubble account 😢
This is great information. Thank you. I think this video will save me from headaches.
Several years ago a wresting toy manufacturer was getting complaints the new figures didn't have bendable elbows, and the company's reply was
"Chinese New Year"
THANKS FOR THE INFO SARAH!!
And thank YOU for watching! 🙏🙏🙏
Really, really good points of view. I started RB shop recently as a side hobby for now. But it made my wife thinking about going in POD totally. She was thinking about it years ago but well... It was dark time for us back then and idea died. But it's up again and all this information will be really helpful. I analyze a lot of information about this market for some time and it's really, really useful info. Thank you.
Thank you! I highly recommend she watches my previous video if she is just getting started, hopefully it'll help her have success faster: th-cam.com/video/Phucc1uMllw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=FLqXkpNxHZnOKtir
Thank you for all the great info! ❤
Loved your tips! Thanks for the share.
Thanks for all the tips. That was my biggest fear at the time in choosing my printify provider. Now with this help, I can make a better background check!
Also, is there any chance you would make a tutorial, on how to build your on website with POD? Thank you again for all your tips!
Thank you! And that is a great idea for a video, I'll put it on my video idea list :)
Thanks on this Information 👏👏 " Just keep going " 💪💪
got my store up runing but need to add some more ideas on my store.
You are so thorough in your videos!❤
Thanks for sharing this information!
It has happened to me once, I fought it because the design was mine, another time was a cheaper t-shirt. I now use only one brand and I am more expensive.
Honestly, I think more people like you should raise their price and increase their quality instead because as I said in this video here, raising your price often helps you, not hurts you: th-cam.com/video/Phucc1uMllw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=FLqXkpNxHZnOKtir
iv been with Etsy for like 3 weeks .. for some odd reason i got a account suspension and they have not even emailed me .. i thought maybe i had to pay a fee or bill but thats not the case either , im stumped .. i guess its off to EBAY! lol
The only companies making any significant profit from print on demand is the companies that fulfill the orders.
Brilliant advice. Thank you very much Sarah
Thanks for the great tips again, Sarah!
I really like that in the unique product example case the company that hypotheticly went m.i.a actually is called m.i.a.
haha dang I was wondering why I couldn't hear your accent, it's because we have the same one XD
thanks for these tips
Love from Christchurch
So basically, the sellers get punished for the providers issues which incentivizes the seller to only sell boring normal products. Gotcha.
I didn't fully understand the last part - if you choose e.g. Monster Digital as a print provider, people that live in Europe have to pay a lot for shipping and wait a long time for their product. You said that the Hoodie is printed in the USA, Europa, Canada and Australia - but all these are different print providers and you have to choose one, right? I don't understand how it is possible to provide a cheap and quick shipping for every country... Maybe I understood something wrong. I live in Germany and would like to provide a quick shipping with low costs around Europe, but maybe then I will miss a lot of income due to people that live in the USA, right? Hope you can help me!! xx
Hey Sarah! Thanks for your video and advice! In regards to your comments on the location of printers, is it possible to sell a tshirt that has an option for different printers on the same listing for people to choose which is going to get to them sooner or do you have to create a separate listing on your store?
I no longer trust print on demand very much like why can my grahic tees rub off do easily
I thought that was my biggest nightmare but nope. Printiful has brought a new nightmare. Their 'system' is reverting to old files. So if you replace a file with a new version and make new mockups and listing pics...a customer will place their order and their item will be printed from the PREVIOUS FILE. Let's say you ordered a sample of said item and printiful denies it's existence. Seriously. They say the customer got what they ordered and have no explanation to why MY SAMPLE was a completely different background color than the print file they insist was never changed.
I will be uploading the correct file AGAIN and making an order out of pocket for my customer tomorrow and then spend the day moving my items off their platform. It isn't just the error but the denial there was an error. I can't be with them if their system is reverting files. Period.
Interesting, thank you for sharing. Printful are my main POD supplier, and I haven't run into this issue. I'll keep an eye out for it!
I am curious and hopefully assume when you source from these providers you keep all design rights right?
When you cancel an order- customer cannot review anymore- its wrong what you say
I will just start with digital products all this is overwhelming.
Thanks a lot a very good information
Any info on why Etsy won’t allow me to advertise products in my new shop. This makes no sense. How am I supposed to get sales if no one knows I exist?
Thank you for this very useful information.
have your own website with good SEO
Totally, I absolutely, 100%, recommend everybody build up their own store. You can still sell on Etsy, AND purchase the URL for your store name. Having a successful Etsy store linked to your store will also help your store in the Google search results too. Absolutely recommend doing this!
Don't you have to pay for the thousands of listings that you publish and maintain via Etsy? There is a Fees section, they charge 10.5% for every order you make, so you can see these sites selling $1 digital art, so you lose 10.5% of every $ spent. If they charge $0.16 per listing and you said some of these sites post thousands of listings, for 1000 listings that's $160 without selling anything. Nobody seems to mention that it's not simply a case of sitting and waiting, it's sitting, waiting and costing yourself money too....
Can you do a video on how to market our store?
Hmmm when I shop on easy it tells me when an item is in low stock.
...question: If my POD store/product starts getting popular, how can I cover the cost of the POD production (which is to be paid up front) if I don't have a large savings or CC? ...I wouldn't want to have the momentum of sales being halted and bad reviews left for not being able to provide what I advertised... storefronts like Etsy hold customer payments until production is started, and production is held until the POD company is paid... see my conundrum? 🤔...
I tried to do the Printify and Etsy, for some reason I got banned from Etsy after the first upload and it wasn't even live yet.
It's a bug, check other comments :)
@@N3WH0R1Z0NS Thanks, first time hearing it.
there's no way a company called M.I.A would disappear
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing
Can i find a free course on how to build a store?
happens with any platform that uses stripe for their payments or stripe radar.
Leave it to you to find something I didn't know!! Great video. I remember you doing a video on png is it possible the person who gave the graphics to My Locker the pixels were not high quality? That is what I am thinking, your thoughts?
Thank you! And I gave each print provider the exact same file, and it was optimized for printing, which is why Monster Digital's print came out so nice. You might find the full video interesting to watch :)
Thanks for your videos, they are the best and I think you are a brilliant instructor. Do you offer one on one mentorship?
Thank you, and no, I don't do any mentoring, I'm sorry!
So many great points .. thank you Sarah! ❤
Excellent information!
Do Etsy sellers ever buy products from other sellers just to try and complain about the product and get the competition banned?
I have absolutely heard of it happening but it is extraordinarily rare because by doing that, the Etsy store is putting itself heavily at risk if it gets caught. That is a bannable offense, if you got caught, you'd instantly get banned - no warning.
Some items, good ones to sell, are front China, no chances to change them though
It is true. And that is the compromise! I think that is probably the main "theme" in this video. I've seen a lot of videos from people promoting selling unique items, and promoting the potential profits from it, but they also DON'T talk about the risks. I have been stung by all of these in some way-or-another, and so I've learned overtime that there is a flipside to a lot of this stuff too. And so it's really up to each individual, risk vs. reward. But I think it is good for everyone to know what the risks are, so they can go in and choose to make them, if that make sense!
What currency do you use if you have a split demographic? Example, US and Australia. Do you set currency as your location for tax purposes or set it for you main customer base?
When you already have orders but your on-demand provider is out how do you switch providers and can you use print on demand just for plain t-shirts with nothing on it and can they do Fabrics like just organic cotton linen and wool do you have the video on these sorry to be a pain
Dear Ted, I have a query..when we create an account on printify, will they be suppliers of cloth as well.
Why do you have to sell either shirts or pucks..... why not both as well as other stuff .... why limit yourself to just one??
I'm sort of confused by this question, because the video answers that directly? As the video shows, selling pucks is risky because you have only 1 supplier that could have supply chain issues, which would destroy your store, whereas if you sell t-shirts, you have an abundance of suppliers and so even if your current supplier goes out of stock, you can just switch to a new supplier. As the video points out, you can choose to sell both, but if you choose to sell the pucks, you're taking a big risk, and most TH-camrs who push the idea that selling t-shirts is bad and instead people should selling "unique" products like pucks, do not in-turn also state the added risk involved, which I think everyone should know about before they make the decision to sell a risky product 🙏
Thank you very much of your Tips
Are you still living in NZ? I live in Oz. Can I sell POD from Printify in the US Etsy??
I still live in New Zealand! Yes, that is exactly what I do. I use USA based POD print providers.