How To Sell Printables On Shopify

Selling printables on Shopify can be a lucrative business if you have a knack for design and a strategic approach to digital sales.

With Shopify's comprehensive ecommerce platform, you can set up a store dedicated to digital products such as printables, which range from planners and art prints to educational materials and wedding stationery.

Once you create your unique designs with tools like Adobe Illustrator, the next step is to get them onto your Shopify store.

To kick-start your journey, you’ll need to open a Shopify account, which can begin with a free trial to get a feel for the platform. Selecting a visually appealing and functional theme is crucial because it sets the first impression and user experience for your potential customers.

After your account and theme are set, it's all about presenting your printables in a way that resonates with your Target audience and ensures they are of high quality.

By doing so, your printables can meet and exceed the needs of purchasers, giving your Shopify store the potential to thrive in competitive digital marketplaces.

Benefits of Using Shopify for Printables

When selling printables, Shopify stands out as a platform designed to simplify the process. Ease of Use is a top advantage; Shopify’s user-friendly interface means you can get your store up and running quickly with minimal technical expertise.

Shopify features built-in support for digital downloads, making it straightforward for you to sell your printable products. Once a customer purchases a printable, they'll receive an automatic download link, ensuring a seamless transaction process.

Below are key benefits that Shopify offers for your printable business:

Unlimited Products: List as many printables as you want, your inventory can be as vast as your creativity.
Payment Processing: Safe and diverse payment gateways are integrated, including PayPal, credit cards, and more.
Marketing Tools: Utilize built-in SEO features and content marketing tools to reach your target audience effectively.
Customer Support: Access to help around the clock means you’re never alone in troubleshooting or growing your business.

Your printable store also becomes part of a global marketplace, opening doors to an extensive audience. Shopify's analytics tools give you insights into your customers’ behavior, helping you tailor your printables and marketing strategies.

Here’s a quick comparison for clarity:

Feature	Benefit to You
User-Friendly Platform	Easy setup and management
Digital Downloads	Automated delivery to customers
Unlimited Product Listings	No cap on how much you can sell
Built-In Marketing	Boost visibility with SEO and content marketing
24/7 Customer Support	Get assistance whenever you need it

With Shopify, you're equipped with a robust toolkit to turn printable designs into a thriving online business.

Creating Your Shopify Store

Setting up your Shopify store is a straightforward process. You'll need to choose a plan that fits your needs, secure a domain to establish your brand, and select a theme that resonates with your audience.

Choosing the Right Shopify Plan

Shopify offers several plans to accommodate the size and scale of your business:

Basic Shopify: Ideal for those just starting out. It provides all the necessary features to launch your store, including website and blog.
Shopify: Stepping up from the basic, this plan offers better reporting and lower credit card fees, suitable for growing businesses.
Advanced Shopify: For scaling businesses, offering advanced reporting and third-party calculated shipping rates.
Shopify Plus: Tailored for enterprise-level businesses, with additional support and customization.

Each plan includes a 14-day trial, so you can start without an upfront investment.

Setting Up Your Domain Name

A domain name is your digital address, crucial for branding and making your store easily identifiable.

Choose a Unique Name: It should be memorable and reflect your brand.
Purchase Through Shopify: You can buy and manage your domain directly within the platform.
Consider SEO: A domain relevant to your niche can help with search engine visibility.

Selecting and Customizing Shopify Themes

Your theme is the layout and style of your store, and it should reflect the nature of your products.

Theme Store: Shopify offers a range of free and paid themes.
Customization: Use the theme editor to tailor colors, fonts, and layouts to your brand.
Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure the theme works well on mobile devices, as this is where many customers shop.

Your store's appearance sets the first impression for your customers, so take the time to personalize it to your taste.

Designing and Sourcing Your Printables

Before jumping into selling your printables on Shopify, you'll need to create a catalogue of attractive and functional designs. Whether you're crafting them yourself or sourcing them, quality and originality are key.

Creating Printables With Software Tools

Adobe Illustrator and Canva are two powerful software choices for designing printables. They offer a variety of templates and tools suitable for both beginners and experienced designers.

Adobe Illustrator: A go-to for vector designs, which means your printables can be resized without losing quality. It's perfect for creating intricate art and is favored by professionals.
Canva: Offers a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop features, ideal for those without extensive design experience. You can use free or premium templates and edit them to match your brand.

Hiring a Designer for Custom Work

If designing isn't your forte or you're looking for something unique, hiring a designer can be a valuable investment. Here's how to go about it:

Search for freelance designers on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr.
Review their portfolios to ensure their style aligns with your vision.
Clearly communicate your needs and expectations to avoid revisions and additional costs.

Sourcing High-Quality Design Templates

Sometimes the design workload requires a shortcut. Here's how you can source high-quality templates:

Look for template marketplaces online that offer commercial use licenses.
Ensure the designs are customizable so you can tailor them to your printables concept.
Verify the quality by checking reviews or downloading a sample when available.

Preparing Your Digital Products for Sale

Before you launch your digital store on Shopify, make sure your products and presentation are polished and professional. This is essential to attracting customers and encouraging sales.

Creating Appealing Product Listings

Product Images: Customers can't physically touch digital products, so you need to provide high-quality images that give a sense of what they’re buying. If you’re selling printables, show them in a context that demonstrates their potential use.

Description: Write clear, concise descriptions for your digital files. Highlight the features and benefits, and include any important details like file types and dimensions. Utilize bullet points to make the information easy to scan.

Tags and SEO: Use relevant tags and keywords in your product listings to improve search visibility on Shopify and search engines.

Setting Up Payment and Pricing Options

Payment Methods: Shopify supports various payment methods. Ensure you've set these up correctly to provide a smooth checkout process. Check that your payment gateway is compatible with selling digital products.

Pricing Strategies: Be strategic with your pricing. Consider the value your digital products provide and how much your target market is willing to pay. Use competitive analysis to set prices that are fair yet profitable.

Digital File Delivery: Make sure you have a reliable process for customers to receive their digital files post-purchase. This might be automatic download links or a secure delivery system that provides the files to the buyer.

Marketing Your Printables

Effectively marketing your printables on Shopify can significantly increase your visibility and sales. You'll want to focus on strong SEO practices, harness the power of social media and blogs, and develop effective email marketing strategies.

SEO Best Practices for Printables

Keywords: Research and utilize keywords relevant to your printables. Use tools like Google's Keyword Planner to find terms that customers are searching for.

Product Descriptions: Write clear, keyword-rich product descriptions for your printables. Ensure they are informative and highlight the benefits to the customer.
Image Alt Text: Use descriptive alt text for images, incorporating keywords where appropriate without stuffing.

Utilizing Social Media and Blogs

Social Media Platforms: Identify which social media platforms your target audience uses most and create a presence there. Use these channels to showcase your printables and engage with potential customers.

Blogging:

Share behind-the-scenes content, printable tutorials, or design tips on your blog.
Include clear calls-to-action that direct readers to your Shopify store.

Email Marketing Strategies

Email Lists: Build an email list by offering a free printable in exchange for sign-ups. This can turn visitors into repeat customers.

Regular Newsletters: Send newsletters with exclusive deals, new product announcements, and useful content to keep your audience engaged. Use a personable tone to connect with your subscribers.

Maximizing Sales and Revenue

To effectively boost your sales and revenue with printables on Shopify, it's crucial to build a clear sales funnel and utilize upselling tactics, as well as to leverage the efficiency of print-on-demand services.

Employing Sales Funnels and Upsells

Sales Funnel Strategy: A well-structured sales funnel is vital for guiding your customers through the buying process. Start by generating traffic with SEO and content marketing to attract potential buyers. Once they’re on your site, use strategically placed calls to action to lead them to your printables.

Upsell Techniques: While they're in the buying mood, suggest related products or premium versions. For instance, if they're purchasing a daily planner printable, you could offer a discounted bundle that includes a weekly planner as well. Employ plugins that can handle these upsells automatically, such as:

Product Recommendation widgets
Bundle & Save apps

Leveraging Print-On-Demand Services

Integration with Print-on-Demand: By using print-on-demand (POD) services, you add a layer of convenience and scalability to your store. These services mean you only produce a printable once it's sold, reducing the risk of unsold inventory.

Find a POD provider that integrates seamlessly with Shopify. Make sure they offer high-quality printing and reliable fulfillment to maintain customer satisfaction. Here are a few advantages of using POD services:

Reduced overhead costs
No inventory management
Automatic order fulfillment

Selecting a POD provider that offers a range of products can also broaden your sales opportunities. For example, beyond digital printables, you could offer physical versions or related merchandise.

Managing and Automating Your Store

Efficiently managing your Shopify store and automating repetitive tasks can save you time and allow you to focus on growing your business.

Using Shopify Apps and Plugins

Shopify's ecosystem provides a robust range of apps and plugins that can significantly streamline your store's operations.

Specifically for selling printables, you'll find apps in the Shopify App Store that cater to your unique needs. Some apps assist with product customization, while others automate file delivery upon purchase.

SendOwl and FetchApp are prominent apps for automating digital download delivery.
You can customize email templates within these apps to enhance customer interaction.

Apps not only help automate sending purchased files but can also manage inventory, track sales trends, and provide valuable insights into your store's performance.

Setting Up Automation for Digital Downloads

When dealing with digital downloads, ensuring customers receive their files instantly and securely is a priority.

Shopify's digital downloads app automates this process by instantly delivering a download link to your customer after purchase.
Automation services like SendOwl offer additional features such as PDF stamping to prevent unauthorized distribution.

Here's a simple guide to set up automation for digital downloads:

Choose an automation app from the Shopify App Store.
Install the app and configure the settings to match your digital products.
Ensure that the app automatically attaches the correct files to the respective products.
Test the purchase and download process to confirm everything works smoothly.

By setting up automation for your digital products, you can sell your printables with ease, knowing that each customer will receive their purchase immediately after their payment is processed.

Expanding Your Business

When you're ready to take your Shopify store to the next level, consider leveraging affiliate programs and pre-orders, as well as adding physical products to complement your digital offerings.

These strategies can help increase your average order value and give your customers more reasons to shop with you.

Exploring Affiliate Programs and Pre-Orders

Shopify Affiliate Program:

What it is: A way for you to earn commission by promoting Shopify or other products on your site.
How it works: You'll receive a unique affiliate link, and when someone signs up for Shopify or makes a purchase through your link, you earn a commission.

Pre-Orders:

Why it's beneficial: It allows you to gauge customer interest and secure sales before you fully launch a new product.
How to implement: You can set up pre-orders for upcoming printable products directly on your Shopify store. This can be managed by adjusting the inventory settings of your products to allow purchases when they are out of stock.

Offering Physical Products as Upsell Opportunities

Besides selling digital products, you can also offer physical versions of your printables to create upsell opportunities. Here's why it's a smart move:

Physical Products:

Increased perceived value: Customers often see physical products as having higher value.
Complementary sales: Tie-in physical items with your printables, like planners or calendars, which can be sold alongside your digital goods to enhance the customer's purchase.

By combining digital and physical products effectively, you'll not only provide more options to your customers but also create additional revenue streams for your business.

How to Sell Printables on Shopify

Benefits of Using Shopify for Printables