Etsy is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms, hosting more than 6.7 million active sellers and 91.6 million buyers in 2023. If you’re seeking a platform with traffic, then choosing to sell t-shirts on Etsy is the right call.
This guide will provide everything you need to know to start selling t-shirts as an Etsy seller, including how to design best-selling items and produce quality shirts.
We’ll also explore product sourcing and how to sell shirts on Etsy without inventory using Print on Demand and Printify.
Table of Contents
How to Sell T-Shirts on Etsy in 5 Steps With Print on Demand
Starting a t-shirt business on Etsy and earning money will take dedication and commitment, but it can be very rewarding. Follow our guide on the process, and take note of our handy tips.
1. Define Your Target Audience
Before selling t-shirts, you must know who you’re targeting. This allows you to focus marketing efforts and promote your designs to customers who are likely to buy from your t-shirt brand.
Many factors will define a target audience, including gender, age, income, location, family status, and religious and political views.
When you sell shirts on Etsy, try targeting a niche that will give you financial returns and is not over-saturated with competition.
Use tools like Google Trends – type t-shirts or tees, followed by keywords related to your unique selling proposition. Gather as much data as possible in the results, observing location, demographics, and related searches.
Also, look into Etsy search results for terms like trendy t-shirts, popular t-shirts, and keywords related to your brand.
Have some fun while learning more about niches by watching our video.
Expert Tip
“Etsy sellers can navigate the challenge of balancing trends and market saturation by focusing on product differentiation.
You should innovate in design, offer customization options, and emphasize quality to set your items apart.
Curating a smaller selection of high-quality, unique products allows for more effective marketing efforts. Stay informed about market trends to adapt your offerings and remain relevant.
This approach attracts customers and builds a lasting brand identity beyond short-lived trends.”
Simon Bacher
CEO and Co-Founder at Ling-App
2. Choose T-Shirts and Design Them
There are many ways to source products, including wholesaling and manufacturing your merchandise, but Print on Demand is far more manageable and easy to implement. Access the best customizable t-shirts for printing with Printify.
Select from a range of t-shirts in our Catalog and apply designs using our free Product Creator (previously known as Mockup Generator). Our services will help you create a best-selling t-shirt design for your brand and Etsy customers.
Go over the women’s, men’s, and children’s t-shirt sections and choose from hundreds of options made from high-quality fabric.
When making your selection, consider the t-shirt materials and style, available Print Providers and custom design options, and production and shipping costs.
Explore Printify’s best-selling shirts to list on your Etsy store:
Align your designs with your brand and niche, and make sure they’re original.
Or, if you’re planning to use pre-made designs, find royalty-free images from reputable sources. Try free Printify designs or our Shutterstock integration.
The rule of thumb for t-shirt designs on custom products is prioritizing simplicity whenever possible – unless your niche has a different demand.
Set up a recognizable brand palette and avoid using more than two fonts per design. Make sure any text and small details are readable and appealing.
Stick to limiting the number of colors per design and product variant. This will make the buyers’ choices easier and diminish decision paralysis.
Design with software and tools that work best for you. Alternatively, seek professional assistance from our Printify Experts program.
Once your design is ready, apply it to the product template using our Product Creator.
3. Set up Your Etsy Storefront
You’ll need to create an Etsy business account before continuing further. Check out our tutorial on how to start an Etsy store if you need more guidance.
Now, let’s see how to list your new products on Etsy.
Once you’ve chosen a t-shirt and applied a design using our Product Creator, adjust them, save your work, and edit product descriptions on your Printify product page.
Integrate your Etsy account with Printify. Click Add new store in the Manage my stores section, and enter the required account information. Once done, publish all your new products to Etsy in one click.
You can adjust the product descriptions, categories, tags, and pictures on Printify, keep the base information, or edit them after publishing on your Etsy account.
Pay special attention to these details to increase your t-shirt’s ranking in Etsy search results. Implement relevant keywords while keeping the text organic to compete with other sellers and establish your brand identity.
You can also learn how to take pictures for Etsy on our blog.
When calculating pricing, start with market research. Consider your competitors’ prices and calculate production costs plus Etsy fees.
Your price should cover all the expenses with a profit margin of around 30%-40%.
There are many pricing strategies, but consider these two options first:
- Stick with a smaller profit margin to get an advantage over your competition.
- Slightly raise product prices and generate more profit by increasing its perceived value. This approach can work well with audiences who put quality over price.
Remember to adapt your pricing to changes in your audience and market, and take advantage of holiday events for deals and discounts.
Is selling on Etsy worth it? Make an informed decision and read our blog’s detailed explanation of t-shirt pricing.
Log into your Etsy account and fill in all information required to continue. Insert your Etsy shop name, write a description outlining your unique selling proposition with relevant keywords, and complete all business information in the settings.
Upload your online store banners, add high-quality images for branding, and fill in the About section to align with your target market and buyer expectations.
The more information you display on your Etsy store, the better. This will increase your shop’s credibility with potential customers and help improve your t-shirt’s searchability.
4. Market Your Etsy Store
Marketing can provide lucrative advantages over your competition. If done well, you can attract more customers and sell shirts with higher profits.
Let’s look at the types of marketing you can implement:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is a great way to establish more relevance to your brand and increase your store’s searchability.
Implement Etsy SEO strategies by enhancing your shop’s listings with relevant keywords, tags, categories, and store information to provide more context and relevance for visitors and search engine algorithms.
Content marketing works in a similar way. Use blog posts or articles on a standalone website to discuss personalized shirts, custom products, shopping habits, and other related topics.
For example, share customer feedback and discuss creating eye-catching designs to build awareness, trust, and authority.
Social media is a crucial tool to communicate with your customers directly. Engage regularly with your audience on social channels to build your brand identity and direct traffic to your Etsy shop through promoted posts and discussions.
Leverage visual platforms like Instagram or Pinterest to showcase your personalized shirts further. Share images of your products and use relevant and popular hashtags.
Email marketing is a powerful tool frequently used in eCommerce. Whether you use it for order confirmations and customer support, or newsletters and promotional materials, it should be your prime channel to provide customers with helpful information.
Create an email list to inform your customers of new shirt designs or special offers. For instance, send a newsletter showcasing your best-selling shirts on Etsy and include exclusive discounts for subscribers.
On-site ads, known as Etsy Ads or promoted listings, are paid ads placed exclusively inside the Etsy marketplace. It’s a great tool for getting your store on the front page of Etsy search results.
Create Etsy Ad campaigns after your business has been running for about a month. This way, you’ll have some data on the better-performing products.
Promoted listings are easily configured in the Shop Manager section on the Marketing page.
Learn more about Etsy Ads on our blog.
Also, consider paid advertising through search engines. Etsy off-site ads promote listings on Google, Bing, and social media. This is a fixed Etsy campaign that stores are automatically enrolled in.
The program charges a 15% fee for successful conversions for shops that sold less than $10,000 and 12% for those above that.
This could result in unwanted losses. Therefore, Etsy sellers below the threshold can opt out of the program in the Off-Site Ads section on the Shop Manager Settings page.
5. Analyze and Adjust Your Store Accordingly
A month or more after opening your Etsy store and selling t-shirts, dive into the initial data and check what’s working and what isn’t. Use Etsy Analytics and connect to Google Analytics to acquire accurate and up-to-date information.
Monitor your t-shirt shop performance and adjust by altering or removing underperforming products or adding new ones according to the market.
Pro-tip
Expand your brand and add more products to increase profitability. Learn how to sell printables on Etsy from our blog.
Make It Happen Today!
4 Tips to Successfully Sell T-Shirts on Etsy
Setting up an online shop is only the first part of your eCommerce journey. Growing your Etsy t-shirt business will require dedication and patience.
Explore our tips to help improve your Etsy store and make it truly profitable. Incorporate these into your business plan and adapt what’s necessary to lead your brand to success.
1. Use Print on Demand for Fulfillment
What if you only needed to focus on designing and marketing your t-shirt line without the hassles of production, storage, and shipping?
Printify and Print on Demand make that possible. Pick a Print Provider, create designs, upload them to Printify’s Product Creator, make adjustments, and publish your listings. When the Etsy store receives an order, the Print Provider will fulfill it, from printing to shipping.
Print on Demand is a smart way to generate passive income, and Printify will connect you with dozens of Print Providers worldwide.
Recommended Reading
Etsy vs eBay, compare differences between the marketplaces, and get more eCommerce ideas for your Etsy store.
2. Release More Designs
Create various designs to get more views and sales on Etsy. The platform’s algorithm gives more visibility to stores with new listings and designs.
Increase your product numbers by adding shirts with different fits and fabrics, targeting specific segments of your audience.
Use the Printify Product Creator (formerly known as Mockup Generator) to speed up the process. Upload your best designs and re-apply them to different shirt models.
Use the Printify Product Creator to speed up the process. Upload your best designs and re-apply them to different shirt models.
3. Use Different Types of Shirts
Customize your products for every body shape, size, genre, and age.
Our Catalog offers dozens of t-shirt options. Even though Bella Canvas and Gildan are fantastic and some of the best-selling items on Etsy, check out other quality brands.
Explore Delta, American Apparel, and Hanes, and pick fabrics that fit your designs. Check out some of our best t-shirts:
The Delta 11730 men’s short-sleeve tee is light-fabric and comes in a relaxed fit, making an excellent option for comfort, oversized, mom or dad shirts.
The Hanes 5180 Beefy-T® short-sleeve t-shirt is also a relaxed fit but manufactured in medium fabric, combining comfort with extra resistance. These shirts will last ages and make great options for working or outdoor activities.
Printify also offers the leading eco-friendly t-shirt brands, including Stanley/Stella, Royal Apparel, and Econscious. These options add value to your product.
4. Try Selling Offline
Any Etsy shop owner from Australia, Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom can link stores and inventory to a Square account. This provides a point of sale for in-person transactions at fairs, trades, or even a brick-and-mortar store.
Square updates inventory amounts on the Etsy shop listings and manages payment processing.
To connect an Etsy account to Square, go to the Shop Manager and scroll down to Sell in Person in the left-hand menu. You can create a new account at Square or connect to an existing one.
Sell T-Shirts on Etsy With Printify
Upload best-selling designs to our Product Creator, publish your tees on Etsy, and start selling and profiting with Printify.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start a t-shirt business on Etsy?
Start selling shirts on Etsy using a print-on-demand service. Create awesome designs and apply them to our top-quality t-shirts from our Catalog and publish them to Etsy with ease. Once your Etsy business makes a sale, Printify fulfills your t-shirt designs and ships them to you or your customer.
How can I design t-shirts for Etsy?
There are many free software options to create t-shirt designs, but most won’t allow you to publish and fulfill your mockups. Fortunately, you can use our Product Creator (formerly known as Mockup Generator). Select from our list of quality t-shirt blanks and upload your designs, ready for printing.
How to make money selling t-shirts on Etsy?
If you don’t want to make everything from scratch, the easiest way is to partner with a print-on-demand platform. This lets you select from custom wholesale t-shirts and add your own designs to sell for a profit, requiring zero inventory with automated fulfillment.
Get Ready to Sell
We’ve covered how to make shirts to sell on Etsy, including product sourcing with Print on Demand, to publishing on an Etsy t-shirt shop.
Take your time, prepare popular t-shirt designs, and remember to monitor your store performance and market changes continuously. Count on Printify to help you start a profitable business venture with an Etsy t-shirt store. We wish you success!
