Etsy is one of the largest online marketplaces with over 2 million sellers and 40 million buyers. Etsy is no longer just for handmade products, and sellers have really taken advantage of that over the last several years. When browsing Etsy, you can find everything from party invitations to vintage pieces of furniture, but those are not the only items that sell well on Etsy.
Digital products have become some of the most popular products available on Etsy. Etsy shoppers are searching for digital products every day, which means they are in high demand. This is good news for Etsy sellers because it increases their chances of creating passive income. Many Etsy sellers prefer selling digital products over physical ones for many reasons. The main reason is that they can earn from anywhere, at any time, without ever having to ship anything.
If you’re not already selling on Etsy, now is the time to create an account and get started. This blog post will help inspire you to start selling digital products on Etsy for passive income.
Benefits of selling digital products on Etsy
If you need a little convincing that digital products are the way to go on Etsy, look no further. There are numerous benefits to selling digital products on Etsy:
- Low upfront costs: Opening an Etsy account is free. Whether you create your digital products on your own or purchase them from a supplier, it doesn’t cost much to get started.
- Low maintenance: Once you list your digital product for sale on Etsy, customers receive their download after purchase. You aren’t required to do anything else. This is a set-it-and-forget-it type business.
- No shipping: Because you’re selling downloadable products, you aren’t required to ship anything out.
- No inventory: There’s no inventory to store since you’re selling digital downloads.
- Passive income: Because you aren’t required to do anything on your part once you receive an order, this is one of the best ways to create passive income. You can literally earn from anywhere in the world, at any time.
- Easy on the customer: Purchasing digital products is so easy on the customer because it saves them time and money. They also aren’t waiting around to receive a package in the mail. They get their products immediately upon purchase.
7 Best Digital Products to Sell on Etsy
Printable Planners
Printable planners are extremely popular with customers because they help them stay organized and focused on their goals. Printable planners are a group of pages designed to help with a specific task or goal. Another reason why printable planners are so popular is that they are cheaper than traditional paper planners since customers print the individual pages out themselves. After purchase, customers can easily download their printable planner and print the pages. Once printed, they have the option to put them in a binder or use them individually. There are numerous printable planners out on the market, but the most beloved types are:
- Budget planners
- Daily, weekly, monthly calendars
- Financial planners
- Meal planners
- Organizational checklists
- Weightless trackers, and more.
You can easily create printable planners for free using Canva. Canva has hundreds of templates to get you started with creating your own printable planners to sell.
Stickers
Many people think that you can only sell physical stickers, but that isn’t true. Etsy sellers are making a killing from selling digital sticker files. You can make a lot of money selling physical stickers, but you can sit back and collect passive income by selling digital stickers. How it works is — you’ll upload your digital sticker file(s) to Etsy and whenever a customer purchases, they’re able to download their sticker files immediately. Upon downloading, they will then either print their stickers at home or at their local print shop. The only thing they’ll need is sticker paper. Customers love purchasing digital stickers because they’re cheaper than physical stickers and they get to download them instantly instead of waiting for shipping.
If selling stickers appeals to you, but you have no design experience to create your own, no need to worry. You can take advantage of PLR Stickers. At PLR Stickers, you’re able to license sheets of stickers for as little as $5 to resell and keep 100% of the profits. PLR Stickers offers a variety of stickers for you to purchase and resell — from nursery and holiday stickers to stickers for nurses and teachers. No matter the niche, PLR Stickers has you covered.
PLR Stickers
Digital Art
Art is loved by people all over the world. Over the last several years, digital art has taken the internet by storm. Gone are the days when customers are purchasing physical art pieces online, paying ridiculous shipping fees, and waiting for them to come in the mail. Today, customers are taking advantage of digital art — where they are buying digital files of art and getting them printed out in the sizes of their choice. It’s really convenient for not only the customer but the seller as well, because they can sell from anywhere in the world. Sellers can make passive income from selling digital art files since there’s nothing to ship. It’s a win-win for everyone.
PLR Art is a digital art supplier that allows anyone to license a piece of high-quality art and resell it to their customers. There are many gorgeous art files available to choose from so that you can start your very own business selling digital art.
Templates
Selling templates on Etsy is a great way of making passive income. Templates are simply design files that allow the customer to edit and customize to make them their own. Customers can change the colors and fonts, add their logo, and any other information they want using websites like Canva. Templates are so easy and convenient to use which makes them extremely popular with customers. There are an abundance of templates that you could start selling on Etsy. The top-selling types of digital templates are:
- Ebook/Workbook templates – Customers can edit and customize to create their own eBook or workbook.
- Flyer templates – Customers can edit and customize to create their own flyer advertisements.
- Party invitation templates – Customers can edit and customize to create their own party invitations.
- Planner templates – Customers can edit and customize to create their own planners.
- Resume templates – Customers can edit information to create their own resumes.
- Social media post templates – Customers can customize to create their own social media posts.
- Website templates – Customers can edit and customize to create their own websites.
Guides & How To’s
Informational products such as guides and how-to’s are extra popular on Etsy. Customers are always in search of information and want it at their fingertips which makes these types of digital products so appealing. Think about what you’re knowledgable of and turn that information into a guide or how-to.
For example, if you’re a Real Estate agent and want to put out an informational product, it could be a guide titled something along the lines of ‘10 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Your First Home.’
If you are a beautician and want to put out a digital product to help other beauticians learn how to braid properly, your product could be titled ‘Your Guide to Properly Doing Feed-in Braids.‘
One great thing about guides and how-to’s is they are simple PDF documents. They don’t have to be very lengthy as long as they deliver the information promised.
Ebooks
EBooks are the most popular type of digital product on the market. A few reasons eBooks are so popular are because of their convenience, accessibility, and affordability. Believe it or not, eBooks are selling like hotcakes on Etsy and are among Etsy’s top-selling items.
Many people want to put out eBooks but have no writing skills or any clue how to create one. If this is your concern, you’re in luck, because no skills are needed at all when you leverage done-for-you eBooks from PLR Hustle. At PLR Hustle, anyone can license an eBook for as little as $5 to resell and keep all of the profits. PLR Hustle offers over 700 eBooks in a wide range of categories from diet and recipes to business and entrepreneurship. Categories include:
- Affiliate Marketing
- Business
- Finance
- Food and Drink
- Health
- History & Archaeology
- Home & Garden
- Law
- Mind, Body & Spirit
- Personal Development
- Religion
- Romance
- Science & Geography
- Teaching Resources & Education
- Technology & Engineering
- Travel & Holiday Guides
PLR Hustle
If you don’t have a website to sell your eBooks on, listing them on Etsy is a great idea, especially if customers are already on the platform searching for your eBook topic.
Drawings & Illustrations
Drawings and illustrations are another profitable digital product idea to sell on Etsy. Customers can use drawings and illustrations for a variety of things. Customers can turn drawings and illustrations into prints or use them for product designs such as t-shirts, phone cases, and coffee mugs. If you are an artist, selling your designs and illustrations is a no-brainer. If you don’t have much design experience, you can still use websites like Canva and PicsArt to help you with the process of creating your own drawings and illustrations. You can also purchase stunning designs and illustrations from Creative Market, but be sure to check the licensing info to be sure you’re able to resell.
What to consider when choosing digital products to sell on Etsy
Your skills
When it comes to choosing what digital products you want to sell on Etsy, it’s important to think about your skills. What are you good at? And if you’re not good at it, can it be outsourced or purchased for you to get started? While you don’t always have to focus on what you’re good at, it’s a good idea to use this as a starting point. Take what you’re good at and match that with what people are already online searching for, and you’ve got a winner.
Longevity
When coming up with ideas on digital products to sell on Etsy, think about products that have longevity instead of focusing on trendy products. When selling digital products that are evergreen such as certain eBooks, informationals, and printables, you ensure that you’ll be able to earn from them forever without having to change a thing. When you sell trendy products, you risk not making any sales once the trend has died down or always having to update your digital products to stay relevant. It’s best to choose evergreen digital products to ensure your revenue is consistent.
Demand
The most important thing to consider when choosing what digital products to sell is if they’re in demand. You could have the best digital product ever created, but if no one is searching for that product, you’ll never make any sales. How do you determine if a digital product is in demand?
- Do market research to determine if you have a solid idea. You can do this by searching for your topic. You’ll get to see how many products are listed and on certain marketplaces like Etsy, how much has sold. The more products that are listed, the more competition you have.
- Check out any competitors. Check the competitors in your niche who are selling similar items. Check how much they’ve sold, take a look at their reviews, and the different variations of products they’re selling.
- Keyword research. You can use keyword research tools to find out what customers are typing in to find products similar to your idea. Keyword tools are extremely powerful because they can give you insight into your customers and you’ll know what they’re looking for.
Final thoughts
Selling digital products on Etsy is a great way of making passive income. The thing to remember when choosing a digital product to successfully sell on Etsy is you want to choose what’s actually selling. If you choose the right digital product to sell, you can be well on your way to creating a lifestyle of freedom. Now that you know all the different types of digital products you can start selling, it’s time to choose one, set up your Esty store, and go all in.
