Starting an Etsy shop can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re selling digital products or printables. You set up your shop, list your first product, and… not much happens. No sales, low traffic … just crickets.
If you’ve been struggling to get your first sale, don’t worry, you are NOT alone. BUT, with the right strategy, you can start making sales FAST. This guide will walk you through the three most important steps to making your first digital or printable product sale on Etsy.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Step 1: Choose a Profitable Product
One of the biggest mistakes new Etsy sellers make is picking a product without researching demand and competition. Instead of guessing, use data-driven product research to find printable ideas that sell.
What to Look for in a Winning Product:
- Consistent demand: Look for products that people buy year-round, like budget planners, checklists, and helpful templates.
- Low competition: Find gaps in the market instead of trying to compete with thousands of similar listings.
- Seasonal trends: Leverage high-demand months with holiday printables, party games, and other seasonal items.
How to Find Profitable Ideas:
Use Etsy search suggestions and tools like EverBee or eRank to analyze search volume, competition, and pricing trends. These tools can help you spot high-demand, low-competition products, so you don’t waste time on products that no one is buying.
Step 2: Optimize Your Etsy Listing for Sales
Even if you’ve picked the perfect product, it won’t sell if your listing isn’t optimized. Etsy SEO, images, and pricing all play a huge role in whether shoppers click on your product listing or just scroll past it.
How to Create a High-Converting Listing:
- Use high-quality mockups – Showcase your product with professional mockups. Free tools like Canva or PlaceIt make this easier.
- Write a keyword-rich title & description – Use relevant keywords naturally in your title, description, and tags. Think like a shopper: What would you type into Etsy to find this product? Use the Etsy search bar, eRank or Everbee for keywords.
- Fill all 13 tags – Etsy’s search algorithm loves tags, so don’t leave any blank. Tags are very similar to keywords, but your characters are limited, so split up log tail keywords if you need to.
Pricing Strategy
Pricing matters! When you’re just starting out, consider pricing slightly lower than competitors to attract your first few buyers and build momentum. Once you gain reviews and sales history, you can adjust your pricing accordingly.
Step 3: Drive Traffic to Your Etsy Shop and/or Run Sales
If your listing is optimized but you’re still not getting sales, the issue is likely visibility.
Best Ways to Get More Eyes on Your Listings:
- Share your products on Pinterest: Pinterest is a powerful traffic source for digital products. Create eye-catching pins that link directly to your Etsy shop.
- Run a sale: Sales can increase conversions. Run daily sales until your traffic and sales become more consistent.
Bonus: Get 40 Free Etsy Listings
If you haven’t set up your Etsy shop yet, you can get 40 free listings when you sign up through my Etsy referral link. This lets you list products without paying upfront listing fees. Note: Etsy does currently have a $29 shop setup fee.
Ready to Make Your First Sale? Here’s Your Next Step
Making your first sale on Etsy doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow these three steps to start seeing results:
- Pick a product with high demand & low competition
- Optimize your listing with great mockups & SEO
- Drive traffic with Pinterest & strategic sales
Selling printable and digital products on Etsy is one of the best ways to create passive income, but success doesn’t happen by accident. With the right product(s) and strategy, you can start making consistent sales … even with a brand new shop!
You may also want to read How to Start Selling Printables on Etsy (Step-by-Step) or How I made my first sale on Etsy in 3 days!