You’ve undoubtedly heard about the wild results of successful shops on Etsy. In this article you’ll figure out what to sell on Etsy for beginners. More importantly I’ll show you that you can make money on Etsy in 2023 with dropshipping and digital products.
There are endless possibilities for what to dropship on Etsy. But you don’t want to just create products, you want to know what to sell on Etsy to make money. Keep reading to learn what to sell on Etsy right now.
The key to Etsy success might seem like product creation, but in fact the key to Etsy success is research. Learning to research top selling products and fill gaps in the market is the secret sauce to becoming one of the successful shops on Etsy.
I share products I love with you through affiliate links, which means if you buy something through one of these links, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Can You Make Money on Etsy in 2023?
There are so many options for online selling platforms these days. Most commonly I am asked about the differences between selling on Etsy vs Amazon.
Etsy started out as a handmade marketplace which has since expanded to include dropshippers, digital products, and re-sale products. The overall reach of Etsy is lower but the competition for product placement is lower as well.
Amazon is of course, the largest company that has ever existed. The massive reach of Amazon cannot be overstated, however the competition for your product to be seen is extremely high.
Sensationalized YouTube videos would have you believe that beginning your selling journey on Etsy in 2023 is impossible. I would disagree wholeheartedly. Access to views is extremely cheap through Etsy advertising. Selling on Etsy fees are extremely low and the barrier to entry is practically non-existent.
You can make money on Etsy in 2023 so long as you become a master researcher.
Successful Shops on Etsy
Shoppers on Etsy are searching for keywords every second of the day. It must be remembered that you cannot change what they are typing into the search bar. However, what you can do, is work backwards so your product shows up in their results.
Online articles love to overcomplicate Etsy keyword research. I figure the reason they make it seem so difficult is because they earn affiliate commission off companies with paid solutions for Etsy keyword research.
Find Etsy products for generic keywords at the top of search results provided that they show high sales volume. For example, you might search Halloween shirt and see some cute designs that you could easily expand upon. Now, go to Google and type Halloween shirt. Google will start to suggest search terms they think are relevant.
The successfully selling shirt you saw on Etsy was for moms. So continue typing ‘Halloween Shirt for Moms’ into the Google search. Google will continue narrowing your search request into even longer tail keywords. That is literally all a long tail keyword is.
You can become one of the successful shops on Etsy by targeting long tail keywords with less competition. If I were creating a listing for a Halloween shirt, I would take the search terms: ‘Halloween Shirts for mom and dad’ ‘ Halloween shirts for mom and daughter’ and ‘ Halloween shirts for pregnant moms’ head back over to Etsy and see how relevant the top results are for those terms.
6 of the Most Successful Shops on Etsy
Planner Kate – stickers and organization
Caitlyn Minimalist – handmade jewelry
World Incense Store – crystals
Happy Kawaii Supplies – beads and sprinkles
Digital Curio – digital graphics
Luff Design Studio – print on demand
Use the most successful shops on Etsy as a guide for how to create a best selling product. They focus on what to sell on Etsy to make money, not whatever they feel like making.
Notice how the most successful shops on Etsy create an overall brand concept. The brand concept can be about the theme of the product, who the product is meant for, or what results the product creates.
Success on Etsy snowballs into more success. Understanding what to sell on Etsy for beginners takes laser focus and strategy, some of which becomes easier after you’ve got a steady client base. Without a doubt the top selling shops still use long tail keywords and focus on what to sell on Etsy right now from a trend standpoint. But, they have the benefit of showing up on generic search terms in addition to the extra work they might put into Etsy keyword research.
Etsy Drop Shipping Suppliers
I won’t gate keep any information when it comes to learning to dropship on Etsy. That is to say, I’m going to name names on my favorite Etsy drop shipping suppliers.
My 3 Favorite Dropship Companies for Etsy
- Printify – print on demand shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, and more
- Gelato – calendars
- Teelaunch – welcome mats, metal signs, sports balls (U.S. only)
Under the Printify umbrella you are actually able to partner with numerous drop shipping companies. My two go to print on demand suppliers are Awkward Styles and Monster Digital. Not all print on demand companies are created equal and those two consistently, outperform their competitors on quality, customer service and price.
I found Gelato when I had a very specific print on demand vision for a 2023 calendar. Designing the product in the Gelato portal was a little tricky, so I instead designed the entire thing in Canva and uploaded the completed design to Gelato.
Teelaunch is not as well known compared to other Etsy drop shipping suppliers. What I love about Teelaunch is their unique collection of print on demand products. If you want to make money on Etsy in 2023 this diverse product line up will set you apart from the standard print on demand crowd.
Dropship on Etsy
Why would you want to dropship on Etsy in 2023? Learning to create remote passive income streams is by far the most important skill going forward.
The next major sales holiday is Christmas. You can research what to sell on Etsy for Christmas just like the example we did above for Halloween. Use the Etsy keyword research tips in this article to target specific long tail key words. Once you know what to sell on Etsy for Christmas, then create accounts for all the Etsy drop shipping suppliers above.
Use Canva to create designs, upload those designs to the dropship supplier, then link your products with your new Etsy store. Voila, before the end of the week you can have a fully functioning Etsy store creating passive remote income.
What to Sell on Etsy for Beginners
Do not overthink your Etsy store products. Passion and profits do not always have to align. Focus on profits when it comes to creating your Etsy store. Subsequently, you will have more time and money to pursue your passions if you create a thriving remote passive income business.
Any guru who tells you to focus on your passion is confused about how to stand out in the digital space. People become passionate about things they are excelling at. You will love every email ding when it shows money hitting your Etsy account.
Instead of trying to make the market fit your passion, you should figure out what your passion truly is. Chasing your real passion will motivate you to work on your Etsy business in a strategic and data based way. Simply creating a business because it supposedly aligns with your passions is not sound business advice.