10 Things To Do BEFORE You Start A Print On Demand Store... (Beginner Mistakes to AVOID)

10 Things to Do Before Starting a Print on Demand Store

In this video, Sarah discusses 10 important things that you need to do before starting a print on demand store. She also answers some of the most common questions about print on demand.

Only Add a Maximum of Five Color Variations to Your Product

• Adding too many color options can cause analysis paralysis and overwhelm customers.

• Certain designs don't look great in every color.

• Darker shades usually perform better for t-shirts, with black being the top-selling t-shirt color.

Check Your Print Provider Options Before Selling Internationally

• Print on demand services often contract out to third-party suppliers and manufacturers.

• Different providers have different pricing, production times, and are based in different countries.

• Choose the supplier based on where your customers are located.

Make Sure You Have a Credit Card or Money Set Aside Before You Start a Store

• You pay for the item, not your customer.

• With Printify, it's cheaper than Printful.

Create Designs That Are Unique and High Quality

• Use high-quality images and make sure they're unique.

• Don't use copyrighted material or trademarks without permission.

Optimize Your Product Titles and Descriptions for SEO

• Use relevant keywords in your product titles and descriptions.

• Use bullet points to highlight key features of your products.

Set Realistic Prices for Your Products

• Research competitors' prices and set yours accordingly.

• Consider factors such as production costs, shipping, and taxes.

Create a Brand That Stands Out

• Use consistent branding across all platforms.

• Choose a unique brand name that's easy to remember.

Test Your Products Before Launching Your Store

• Order samples of your products to test their quality.

• Make sure the packaging is good and the product arrives in good condition.

Set Up Social Media Accounts for Your Store

• Use social media to promote your store and engage with customers.

• Choose the platforms that are most relevant to your target audience.

Learn from Your Mistakes and Keep Improving

• Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

• Continuously improve your store based on customer feedback.

How Printify Works

This section explains how Printify works and how they charge for their services.

Transaction Fees

• Printify does not take any transaction fees.

• They check your store once a day for orders and fulfill them.

• They charge the credit or debit card that you added to your account in advance.

Payment Process

• The payment you receive is separate from the payment you make to the print on demand provider.

• Shopify payments take several days to arrive in your bank account, with payouts differing from country to country.

• PayPal can take up to 21 days to get your money.

Setting Up Payment Methods

This section explains how to set up payment methods for Printify and what options are available.

Adding Payment Method

• You need to add a credit card or some money set aside in advance.

• Credit cards are usually the best option because you have four to five weeks to pay back the balance without accruing any interest.

Copyright vs Trademark

This section explains the difference between copyright and trademark, and how it applies when creating designs for t-shirts.

Copyrighted Designs

• By default, all artwork is copyrighted when created.

• Small phrases cannot be copyrighted but can be trademarked.

• Use designs for inspiration and create your own version of it.

Trademarked Phrases

• Each country has its own trademark search engine.

• Trademarks must be filed in each country separately.

Conclusion

Printify charges only for manufacturing products. It does not charge any transaction fees. To use their service, you need to add a credit card or some money set aside in advance. When creating designs for t-shirts, it is important to remember that all artwork is copyrighted when created. Small phrases cannot be copyrighted but can be trademarked. Each country has its own trademark search engine and trademarks must be filed in each country separately.

Trademark Search

In this section, the speaker discusses how to conduct a trademark search and why it is important.

Conducting a Trademark Search

• Use the USPTO website to search for trademarks.

• Look for abandoned or dead trademarks that may be available for use.

• Conduct a trademark search in each country where you plan to sell your products.

Free Ebook Offer

In this section, the speaker promotes a free ebook on how to start a print-on-demand store.

Free Ebook Promotion

• Download the free ebook "The 6 Steps That 6 Figure Online Stores Use To Make Over $10,000 a Month" from the video description below.

• Learn how to utilize print-on-demand and dropshipping to build a successful online store.

Lifestyle Photos

In this section, the speaker discusses why lifestyle photos are important for advertising print-on-demand products.

Importance of Lifestyle Photos

• Generic mockup photos of products on plain white backgrounds are not effective for advertising.

• Lifestyle images featuring models using or wearing your product are key for running ads and selling products.

• Use Placeit, an online service that allows you to place artwork designs onto lifestyle ads featuring models without having to order your products in advance and take your own photos.

Using Placeit

In this section, the speaker explains how to use Placeit to create lifestyle images for print-on-demand products.

Creating Lifestyle Images with Placeit

• Choose which product you want from Placeit's selection of t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, pillows, hooded blankets and more.

• Upload your design or picture onto the product.

• Resize and place your design in the same position as your print-on-demand product.

• Placeit will generate a lifestyle image for you that is effective for advertising.

Selling More Than T-Shirts

In this section, the speaker discusses other types of print-on-demand products that can be sold besides t-shirts.

Other Print-On-Demand Products to Sell

• Leggings can sell for massive markups because they are unique and original.

• Consider selling other products besides t-shirts to increase profits.

Tips for Effective Upselling

In this section, the speaker provides tips on how to effectively upsell products in a print-on-demand store.

Price Anchoring

• Determine the price of a product by looking at similar products and their prices.

• When advertising an unfamiliar product, there is more flexibility in setting the price.

Repurposing Designs

• Print the same design on different products to create effective upsells.

• Not all designs work on all products. Patterns work well on pillowcases, blankets, leggings, and tote bags while single image designs work better on t-shirts and hoodies.

• Use models featuring both a t-shirt and mug in the same picture to upload either the same or slightly different designs for each when upselling customers.

Scarcity

• Scarcity can be an effective way to get customers to buy now. Add scarcity timers to three or four items that are on sale instead of having every item almost out of stock.

• Use apps like Sales Pop Master to add scarcity countdown bars.

Niche Selection

• Check if your niche is banned on Facebook before creating ads. Avoid overly suggestive adult product ads as Facebook has discretion to shut them down.

Note that these tips are specific to print-on-demand stores but may also apply to other types of e-commerce businesses.

Tips for Creating a Successful Print on Demand Store

In this section, the speaker provides tips for creating a successful print on demand store.

Scrutinize Your Products Carefully

• Be sure to read the rules very carefully as Facebook will scrutinize your products.

• It can be difficult to be objective about the things that we create.

• Stake out your most honest friend or family member that has a reputation for not beating around the bush to give you their true, honest opinion about whether your products or your store look ugly.

Illusionary Superiority

• Most of us suffer from the psychological oddity of illusionary superiority.

• Essentially, the vast majority of people think that they are above average.

Find Your Most Honest Friend or Family Member to Get Their Feedback

• Look for someone who is willing to give you their true, honest opinion even if it stings a little.

• If Domainer Swag had done this, then they probably could have avoided this disaster.

Download Free Ebook

• To learn more about starting and launching your own successful print on demand store, download our free ebook: The 6 Steps That 6 Figure Online Stores Follow to Make Over $10,000 a Month.

• You'll find a link on how you can download the ebook in the video description below.