The idea of a print on demand (POD) business is appealing: there are no minimum order quantities, no need to carry inventory, very low start-up costs, and numerous success stories. Who wouldn’t want to try it? If blank canvases don’t frighten you and you really want to try your hand at running a POD online store in 2021, this simple ‘how-to’ guide is for you. You’ll be a POD entrepreneur in no time if you follow our steps from researching a profitable product niche to marketing your products.
What is print on demand (POD)?
Print on demand (POD), also known as “on-demand printing,” is an e-commerce model that allows you to sell customised products that are only printed after an order is placed. You don’t have to keep any physical inventory when you use on-demand printing, instead, you sign up with a POD platform, which handles the printing and fulfilment for you.
Print on demand is a type of drop-shipping in which the merchant is not responsible for inventory management or shipping. All of those components are handled by a third party, and the seller incurs no stock holding expenses because they are not charged for the cost of goods until an order is placed.
Find a profitable niche with a great idea
You would be surprised how many people start an online shop without first evaluating the profitability of the product. The most important challenge on your eCommerce journey is to choose a profitable niche. A print on demand (POD) business can be established in two ways: by focusing on a product niche or by focusing on a subject niche.
A product-niche
A product niche POD business requires you to decide early on what type of product you will sell (or a selection of several similar products) and stick to it. For example, you could sell movie-themed pillowcases or t-shirts with humorous quotes. In this case, you will sell only pillowcases or only t-shirts, but in a variety of designs.
A subject-niche
A subject niche requires you to select a theme topic, for example harry potter and offer a collection of products with the theme being the same.
Where should you begin your search for a profitable niche idea?
Examining the best-selling products of 2020 would be a wise decision. And if you take the time to delve into the details, you might come across new trends that are just on the verge of becoming mainstream – exactly what you’re looking for.
The best places to start your investigation are
Amazon’s Bestselling Products — examine each department separately for additional ideas.
eBay Trending Products – it even tells you the search volume!
Etsy’s Best-Selling Items Provides a wide range of gift and product ideas.
Notonthehighstreet offers hundreds of one-of-a-kind product ideas from boutique designers.
Trendhunter – provides fantastic concept collections on a wide range of topics. Sign up for their trend & innovation newsletter to receive all sorts of new ideas delivered directly to your inbox.
Google Trends is an excellent tool for quickly determining the popularity of any topic because it visualises search queries from a variety of sources.
Create a strong marketing strategy for your store
This is one of the main aspects of your business plan for on-demand print. You must create and promote a single brand on the Internet, while at the same time confronting the competition. A strong advertising strategy for e-commerce can make a difference. You will actively market your shop as an online business across multiple platforms and websites. A multifaceted approach to online publicity is a must:
- Social media marketing
- Blogs and landing pages
- Influencer marketing
- Email marketing
Set up your store
Setting up your store is the first step in getting your on-demand printing business up and running. You can do this in one of two ways, depending on your POD platform: Connect a pre-existing store to the service. Print-on-demand services like Printful and Printify can be integrated with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Etsy. If you already have an online store, you can integrate it with your preferred POD platform and begin selling from there. CW on Demand offers a ‘Business in a Box’ meaning your website will be set up for you and pre-integrated so all you will have to concentrate on is the marketing.
Make use of the platform or marketplace on the POD site
Do you lack an e-commerce site? Choose a POD service that already has a marketplace. Sites such as Zazzle and Redbubble allow you to create a profile on their platform and sell and fulfill products on your behalf.
Sell your products
At this point, your shop is open to the public and your products are ready for printing. You can begin marketing your products and driving traffic to your website if you use a fulfilment service. If you use a marketplace, your provider will handle the majority of the sales and marketing for you; however, you can still promote your work by sharing your profile or product links with your customers.In any case, the ultimate goal is to get people to find and buy your products.
What are the best print on demand products to sell?
This can be a difficult question to answer in a one-size-fits-all manner. We mentioned earlier that the products you’ll have the most success selling will be heavily influenced by the niche you’re selling in, nonetheless, we can look across all of the different niches and POD suppliers to see which types of products are most popular in general.
The following are the top ten best print on demand products to sell:
- T-Shirts
- Hoodies
- Socks
- Hats
- Pillows
- Mugs
- Posters
- Stickers
- Phone Cases
- Tote Bags
Is it worthwhile to invest in print on demand?
Overall, a print on demand business model has the potential to generate a profit. The real answer is that it is entirely up to you. Even when you consider all of the great benefits of running a POD business, you will still need to be dedicated. However, with the knowledge you’ve gained from this article, you’re well on your way to launching a profitable POD business. Are you ready to begin?
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