Etsy Print-on-Demand: What Most Sellers Get Totally Wrong | Shubham Jain | Skillshare

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Etsy Print-on-Demand: What Most Sellers Get Totally Wrong

teacher avatar Shubham Jain

Watch this class and thousands more

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Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Watch this class and thousands more

Get unlimited access to every class
Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Lessons in This Class

    • 1.

      Introduction

      0:59

    • 2.

      Mindset Shift

      2:53

    • 3.

      Your Branding is Hurting You

      4:32

    • 4.

      Thumbnails & Image Strategy That Converts

      4:31

    • 5.

      Listing Optimization Like a Pro

      4:20

    • 6.

      Pricing Strategy That Drive Daily Sales

      3:15

    • 7.

      Product Descriptions That Don't Waste Time

      2:41

    • 8.

      Outro

      0:39

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About This Class

If you're an Etsy print-on-demand (POD) seller who's struggling with low sales, poor visibility, or slow shop growth — this course is exactly what you need.

Most POD sellers make the same costly mistakes: using white background images, copying corporate branding styles, underpricing their products, and relying on SEO alone. The result? Their listings get lost in the crowd, their products look generic, and their brand fails to connect with real Etsy buyers.

This course flips the script.

You’ll learn how to make your POD listings look handmade, personal, and trustworthy — without faking it.

Inside, we’ll walk through:

✅ The “handmade mindset” Etsy shoppers expect — and how to match it with POD
✅ Why corporate-style branding kills trust on Etsy
✅ The right way to use lifestyle mockups to increase conversions
✅ How to structure your listing images for maximum visual impact
✅ Pricing psychology and the secret 24-hour sale strategy
✅ The truth about Etsy SEO (and why obsessing over it is a trap)
✅ How to create listings that stand out in saturated niches
✅ The importance of social proof — and how to get reviews early
✅ How to tell your story to build a connection with buyers

Whether you're just starting out or trying to revive a dormant shop, this course is built to help you spot the problems, fix them fast, and move toward consistent, daily sales.

Want personalized feedback?
I also offer 1-on-1 Etsy shop consultations for POD sellers via Upwork and LinkedIn. If you want tailored help — from listing audits to pricing strategy — I’d love to support your journey.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shubham-jain-882529228/

Upwork - https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~011de8fdd810aace42


Taught by Shubham Jain, an Etsy consultant who’s worked with over 70 shops and helped sellers grow with smart, repeatable strategies.

Meet Your Teacher

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Shubham Jain

Teacher

Hi, I'm Shubham! With over 5 years of experience selling on Etsy and working as an Etsy consultant, I've helped more than 50 sellers optimize their shops, improve SEO, and increase sales. From crafting high-converting product listings to mastering Etsy's algorithm, I know what it takes to turn a struggling shop into a thriving business. My goal is to simplify Etsy's complexities and provide actionable strategies that actually work.

On Skillshare, I share step-by-step courses designed to help both new and experienced Etsy sellers boost visibility, attract more customers, and scale their business. Whether you're struggling with SEO, product photography, or marketing, my courses will give you the insights and tools you need to succeed. Let's unlock your Etsy shop's full potential to... See full profile

Level: All Levels

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Transcripts

1. Introduction: If you're a print on demand seller on Etsy or you're just getting started, you're probably doing a lot right. You found a supplier, you're designing products, and you've got listings up. But despite all that work, the sales are not coming in the way you expect. This course is going to change that. You're going to learn why most print on demand sellers are unknowingly repelling buyers, the psychology of its buyers and why it's different from other platforms. How to shift your brand and presentation to match what actually works on Xi. The real reason Is rewards certain sellers and why you don't have to look like a big brand to win. By the end of this course, you'll walk away with a clear action plan, a fresh understanding of what Is wants, and a shop that finally feels right to your target customer. Let's start by understanding where most people go wrong. 2. Mindset Shift: Most POD sellers treat Its like it's Amazon or their personal website. They upload generic mockups, basic white background images, slap on some SEO heavy titles, and hope for the best. But Its is a different beast entirely? It's not just a marketplace. It's a storytelling platform. Shoppers come to Its looking for something special, something with a so not something that looks disconnected and mass produced. Most print on demand sellers fail because they are trying to be too professional, too polished, too cold, and that just doesn't connect with its buyers. They use mockups that look like they belong on a fashion website. They write descriptions as if they're selling to a corporate client. They don't understand the culture of Ise, which is rooted in small business handmade, personal connection, and storytelling. So when shoppers scrawl through Its looking for a product and they see your product next to a cozy handmade looking product, they skip your listing, not because your product is bad, but because it does not feel personal. It does not look like it belongs on Itze. And that brings me to the next point. Now you might be thinking, but, hey, I'm not selling handmade products, and you're right, you're selling print on demand products. But here's the thing. Buyers don't care about your fulfillment method. They only care about the feeling. You can be a print on demand seller. But still feel handmade. That's what Isi wants. That's what the buyers want. Izzi shoppers are drawn to unique personal experiences, a connection with the seller or the story, the idea that they're buying something intentional, not something mass produced in bulk for profit. Your job isn't to pretend your products are hand sewn in your living room. But it is to present your brand in a way that feels small, thoughtful and human. This means choosing mockups that feel real and not corporate, writing in a friendly, approachable tone. Use JAGPT for that one. Making your branding and images warm, creative, and human again, highlighting your process, your story, your quality control. All the things that feel like you actually care. The moment you stop trying to look like a big brand and embrace your role as a small creative business, things are going to change. Your listings feel different. Your shop feels more relatable. Your products become desirable because now they fit the platform. Remember, you don't need to be big. You need to be believable. 3. Your Branding is Hurting You: Now, let's go to model number two. Your branding is hurting you. Let's get one thing straight. Itsy buyers are not looking for a brand that feels like Nike or Zara. They are not here for corporate, they are here for character. But what do most print on demand sellers do? They try to look like a premium lifestyle brand with high end ultra polished mockups. They use the same white background sterile product only images you'd see on major ecommerce websites. And then everything looks too clean, too staged, and too perfect. Buyers assume one thing. This seller is probably drop shipping or selling something generic, and that's not the assumption you want. When your branding feels too professional, too polished, too big business, it backfires. You lose the trust even before you get the click. You might think you're impressing people with your modern sleek look, but what you're doing is you're blending in with the mass market products and getting scrawled right pass by. So what's the fix? It starts with understanding what its shoppers actually want. How to make print on demand. Look handmade and authentic. The truth is you can absolutely sell print on demand and still feel handmade if you build that feeling into your brand. This means your shop should feel like it's run by a real person with taste, values, and intention, not an anonymous company pushing out digital designs. Here's how you start creating that handmade vibe, tell a small business story. Even if you're using print on demand, you're still the designer. You're the one picking the colors, writing the descriptions, testing ideas. That's handmade thinking, share that. Focus on personality, not polish. People want warmth and authenticity. Let your images, language, and branding reflect that. You don't need everything to look perfect. You need it to look personal. Highlight the human behind the product. Talk about yourself, your inspiration, your process, use your about section and even listing images to remind people, this is a creative business run by you. The goal is not to pretend that your product is physically handmade. It's to sell the experience of buying something personal, small batch, and thoughtful. You're not just competing on product, you're competing on feeling. And the first place this shows up, mockups. Choosing mockups that build trust. Mockus are one of the most powerful and misunderstood part of your Is branding. Mockups you choose tell the customer everything they should feel about the product. If you choose mockups that look like they came from a POD catalog, flat white background, zero personality, no context, you're signaling mass produced, uninspired, low effort. But on the other hand, if you use mockups that feels cozy, real and situational, suddenly your product feels like it belongs in someone's life. That builds trust, and trust leads to sales. Here's how to pick better mockup. Use lifestyle mockups. That means your product is in a real setting on a bed on a person in a home, give people a visual story. Avoid ultra professional lighting and overly retouched models. You don't want it to feel like a stock photo shoot. You want it to feel natural, something that could have been taken by a small business owner. Choose mockups with character. If you sell mugs, pick a mockup where it's on a rustic table next to a book. If it's a t shirt, choose a mockup with someone wearing it in a casual scene, not posing like a fashion model. And here's a hack. When in doubt, go to Ids, search for your product and apply a high price filter. Now scroll through the results. What do the thumbnails of those higher priced listings look like? You'll notice they almost always use lifestyle mockups with a handmade feel. That is not by accident. These sellers know their presentation, builds perceived value. And that's what you're going to start doing presenting your products like they were made with care designed by real people and meant for thoughtful buyers. 4. Thumbnails & Image Strategy That Converts: Why white background images don't work on Etsy? Let's talk about thumbnails. The very first image a buyer sees when they scroll through Its search results. Your thumbnail doesn't instantly catch attention, you've already lost the sale. One of the biggest mistakes I see print on demand sellers make is using white background images. This might work on Amazon. This might work on your personal website or a catalog, but on Its, it's a huge red flag. Isi is a visually driven, emotionally led marketplace. People scroll here looking for warmth, creativity, and style. A product on plain white background feels empty, clinical, and mass produced. Basically the opposite of what shoppers want. In fact, white background on your images can make your listings appear cheap or worse invisible because everyone who's using the default print on demand mockups end up looking exactly the same. No soul, no hard work, and definitely no clicks. That is where the lifestyle mockups come in. Lifestyle mockups are the secret weapon. A lifestyle mockup is any image where a product is shown in context, in real life setting, being used or worn by a real person or surrounded by elements that tell a story. And on Etsy, these kind of images win. Why? Because they help buyers visualize. They create an emotional connection. They make your product feel more real, more premium, and more wanted. So your job is to find mockups that feature real environments look natural, not staged, include soft lighting and textures. Make your product look like part of a lifestyle, and the best part is, you do not have to create these mockups yourself. There are great lifestyle mockup resources available online. First up, there is placed.net Now, from this side, you cannot download the mockups to your computer and use them. They are web only mockups, but their mockups are pretty nice. Next would be Envato Elements. By ad, I mean creativemrket.com. Next resource for mockup would be Is itself. I'm going to take example of a T shirt because it's the most common product. So just search for T shirt mockups and you'll find thousands if not hundreds of thousands of mockups. There is another website I have, it's freepig.com. All you have to do is you visit freepig.com and look for free mockups that you can download and use on your product. Again, it's going to take you some time, but you can get your mockups for free. Even their premium mockups are pretty good. Now, before you go to these websites and randomly choose yourself a mockup, I want you to do your homework, and the best place to do your homework is Etsy itself. You're not here to copy. You're here to notice what works and apply that to your own brand. Most people do their research by looking at best sellers, but that's not always useful. Some best sellers are winning only because of low prices or high ad spend. Their visuals might be bad, but their price is carrying them. Instead, go to the filter and apply higher price. When someone is charging 30 or $40 for a mug or a t shirt and still getting sales, it means their listing is doing the heavy lifting. They're winning on presentation, branding, and perceived value, not discounts. Look at their thumbnails. What kind of images are they using? What's in the background? Are they using real models, close ups, angled shots? How much personality does the photo convey? These are the sellers you want to learn from because if they can charge more and still sell, they've nailed their thumbnail strategy. Once you understand this, everything changes. You just need to make better choices with product mockups and pick ones that make your product feel like it belongs in someone's life because when your thumbnail connects emotionally, the click is automatic. 5. Listing Optimization Like a Pro: Now, let's talk about listing optimization. Today, I'm going to give you the exact seven slide image formula that gets attention, builds trust, and boosts conversion. Why images matter. Buyers and Itsy are not like buyers on Amazon. They're looking for handmade and meaningful products. And on Its, your images do most of the talking. In fact, most of the buyers don't even read the description. First slide is your thumbnail. It's everything. It's your hook. You want a clean, natural looking lifestyle mockup. Avoid overly professional cold product shots on white background. This is not Amazon. Your mockups should look warm, real and personal. In slide number two, show your product in a different setting. If your thumbnail showed a shirt folded on the table, now show it being worn. This helps the customer visualize the item in real life. Slide number three, zoom in and show some details if you can, the texture of the shirt, the print on the mug, the quality of the fabric. Give them a feel of the product with their eyes. This reduces doubts and returns. Now, again, if you can't find a zoomed in mockup, use an alternate angle here as well. Slide four is all about your brand. Let them know who's behind this. Maybe it's you and your laptop or your small team. Include claims like every order is quality checked, locally produced with care. Add your logos in a subtle way if it fits. Slide number five, social proof, reviews, sell. If you've got good ones, flaunt them. You don't have any reviews yet, it's still fine. Start building them through ethical review swaps. Once you have them, style them into your visuals, clean and consistent. Slide six is your final nudge. Promise great customer service. Say you will respond quickly and always mention your country of origin, not your, your product's country of origin. Made in the USA or handmade in Portugal builds trust. Just don't say China. Even if it's true, you're better off focusing on quality and care. And finally, slide number seven, a behind the scenes peak, people love knowing who made their stuff. Show yourself working on the design, sketching ideas, or packaging in order. Even if it's staged, it builds a handmade connection. If you're the one actually designing your products, what you can also do is do a little meet the maker image as your last slide. It builds tremendous personal connection, and it looks beautiful and makes people want to buy your product. Let's talk formatting. Always upload square images. It shows square thumbnails best across desktop and mobile. Rectangular images get cropped weirdly and weaken your impact. Also, don't upload all the time images because you can be smart with it and don't give repeated information across the images. For example, what I see some brands doing is they upload a T shirt image. So for example, they have ten images, ten colors of T shirts, and they upload one image per slide. I think it's pretty useless. In most cases, it's extremely useless and waste of space. Nobody's going to scroll through ten images, upload four images in one slide. Let's recap your seven slide emits tack. First is lifestyle thumbnail. Second is alternate setting. Third is close up Alternate setting. Again, this is optional. Fourth is brand and quality. Fifth is review highlights. Sixth is service plus country seventh behind the scenes Met the Maker. Use this formula on every listing, and you'll start seeing better clicks, longer time spent on your listings and definitely more sales. 6. Pricing Strategy That Drive Daily Sales: This is one of the most powerful strategies that I've used to take my Izz shop from slow and random orders to consistent daily sales. We are not just covering discounts. We're talking about price psychology and creating urgency. Let's talk about the daily sales strategy. The core idea here is simple, run 24 hour sales every single day. Its only shows a countdown for a sale if it's less than 36 hours. What you have to do is you have to use it to your advantage to create a sense of urgency. Or a fear of missing out. Here's how to run a 24 hour sales every single day. Go to marketing, then sales and discounts, click Run a sale, choose today's date as the starting date and tomorrow's date as the end date. Set the discount to 25%. Now, it just takes 30 seconds to do it every single day. Do it daily, and you'll see how much it compounds. Now, let's talk about why this works. When customers see a ticking countdown, they panic a little. They feel that nu By now or regret later. That's four more in action, and it boost conversion rate massively. It's one of the easiest psychological triggers to use because it's doing the heavy lifting here. Now, let's talk about the smart pricing math. Here's the formula of running the everyday sale without cutting into your profits. Raise your base price by 33.333 3%, then offer a 25% discount. For example, if you want to sell a shirt for $30, raise the base price to $40, offer a 25% discount, Your sale price becomes $30 again. Buyers feel like they're getting a $40 product for $30 and you're making the same amount of money. Let's talk about an unpopular pricing hack. Now, here's a sneaky but effective strategy, especially if your product has sizes and a lot of variations. Add a variation that no one will ever buy and price it lower. Much, much lower. Why? Because Dad variations price is going to show up on the search page. For example, if you go on Its right now and search for shirt, most listings that you open will have this price anchoring thing built into it. It might feel a little scummy, but it works and more clicks is equal to more sales. Another price hack is you dot $0.99. This is one of the oldest tricks in retail, and it still works today. People see 29 dot 99 and perceive it as a much better deal than $30, even though it's just a one penny difference, want to move more products, drop the last digit and you're done. Also enable abandoned card offers, recently favorited and post purchase thank you offers. They bring back people who almost bought and help turn one time buyers into repeat customers. 7. Product Descriptions That Don't Waste Time: Welcome to module number six, product descriptions that don't waste time. Let's be honest, most Its sellers will never read our product description, yet Is sellers waste countless hours trying to perfect them. Today, I'll show you how to write just enough to keep Its's algorithm happy and where to actually put the most important information. Here's the truth. 70% of Is buyers will never read your product description, and out of the 30% that do, most are only concerned about sizing or materials. So if you're spending tons of time writing a masterpiece of a description, you're probably wasting all that time. So what should you write, even if no one reads it? Its still reads your description, even if your customers don't. So here's what to do. Write a simple two to three paragraph blurb that includes what the product is. Who is it for material sizing or care information? A quick sentence about shipping or quality you can copy your title as the first line of the description for better SEO. Keep it natural write like you're talking to a friend. You're not trying to sell with this, feed it C's algorithm. Use AI to write your product description in seconds. This is where most people overthink it. You don't need to be a copywriter to write its descriptions. Use AI to write your product descriptions. All you have to do is feed it some key details. Here's what to give it. Product type, key features, any sizing or care information, shipping information, target customer or use case. Put all of that into Chat GPT or any writing tool and just say, write a short Is product description using this info, casual tone, keep it under three paragraphs. Three, four, five, you can select whatever you want. Do this for all your listings and you'll save hours across your shop. Now, where to actually put the important information. Here's the real secret. Don't rely on the description to sell your product. Put all the important information like size, materials, and fit into your listing images. Buyers scroll your photos way before they scroll your text. Your images need to do the talking. Use text overlays to highlight key information like material or texture, shipping from either USA, UK, or whichever country care instructions or use cases. Think of your product description as an SEO tool and you're listing images as your actual sales pitch. 8. Outro: Congratulations. You've made it to the end of the course. If you want personalized help with your shop, I offer one on one consultations regarding branding, SEO, and overall shop strategy. I worked with over 70 Is sellers to fix underperforming shops, optimize their listing, and develop strategies that actually work. You can connect with me on Upwork or LinkedIn. Both links are in the course description. My name is Shubam Jan, and I'd love to help you take your Isi store to the next level. If this course helped you, please write a quick review as it helps my teacher ranking on the platform. Thanks for watching.