Platforms for selling print-on-demand products

Introduction to Print-on-Demand Ecommerce

Print-on-demand has been rising in popularity as a way for businesses to sell customized products online without the need for upfront inventory or fulfillment management. Here's an overview of how print-on-demand works and the immense opportunities it presents:

Defining Print-on-Demand

Print-on-demand means products are printed on-demand when a customer places an order, rather than stocking pre-made inventory.
This eliminates the need to predict demand or waste money on unsold merchandise.
Common print-on-demand products include books, clothing, phone cases, art prints, and more.
After an order is placed, print providers like Printful, Printify, and CafePress handle production and fulfillment directly.
Print-on-demand allows creators to focus on their designs rather than logistics.

Growth of Print-On-Demand

The print-on-demand industry is expected to reach $984 billion globally by 2027 according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Growth is fueled by rising demand for customized and niche products that traditional retailers can't provide.
Print-on-demand enables testing new product ideas without high startup costs or risks of overproduction.
It removes barriers for independent artists and creators to sell their work online across the globe.
Streamlined production and fulfillment enables creators to rapidly scale their businesses and revenues.

Benefits Over Traditional Retail Models

No upfront inventory costs gives businesses a quick way to get started.
No concerns about wasted, unsold merchandise or excess stock sitting in warehouses.
Easy to test niche product ideas without the typical risks and large capital requirements.
Flexibility to frequently change designs based on demand signals instead of relying on seasonal collections.
Production and fulfillment handled entirely by print providers like Printful and Printify.

Types of Print-On-Demand Products

Some popular products sold successfully using print-on-demand:

Apparel - t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, bags
Home decor - posters, wall art, pillows, mugs
Books - paperback, hardcover, photo books
Accessories - phone cases, face masks, stickers
Stationery - notebooks, journals, cards

Business Opportunities

Print-on-demand opens up many new business opportunities for entrepreneurs and creators:

Sell customized and personalized products tailored to customers' unique needs.
Outsource production and fulfillment completely to print providers.
Launch lean ecommerce stores quickly and affordably.
Partner with leading print-on-demand platforms for maximum reach.
Focus entirely on design and marketing efforts rather than operations.

Nonprofits can also leverage print-on-demand for fundraising merchandise and spreading awareness for their causes. For example, the ACLU sold print-on-demand t-shirts with empowering messages and raised over $200k.

The low barriers to entry make print-on-demand ideal for testing ideas before investing in mass production. Businesses can validate demand for new products without the risk of being left with excess inventory.

Choosing the Best Print-On-Demand Platform

When getting started with print-on-demand, choosing the right platform provider is the most critical decision:

Top Print-On-Demand Platforms

Some top platforms to consider:

Printful - Wide product selection and high print quality. Best for scaling established brands.
Printify - Massive fulfillment network with lower costs. Ideal for testing new product ideas.
Teespring - Known for t-shirts, apparel and accessories. Great for viral campaigns.
Redbubble - Caters to independent artists and creators. Perfect for original designs.
Zazzle - Highly customizable products. Best for niche personalization.
CafePress - Focuses on promotional products. Ideal for nonprofits and events.

Product Selection

Printful offers posters, clothing, home decor, accessories and more. Over 300 products available.
Printify integrates with numerous print providers and product options. Massive global fulfillment network.
Teespring specializes in apparel like t-shirts, hoodies, hats and accessories.
Redbubble has wall art, stationery, and home decor products perfect for original art.
Zazzle enables highly customizable products like mugs, shirts, and tech accessories.
CafePress focuses on basic apparel, mugs, and shirts for promotions and giveaways.

Print Quality

Printful is known for using high quality printing, inks, and materials fit for premium brands.
Printify quality varies based on the individual print provider used from their global network.
Teespring and Zazzle offer standard quality prints well-suited for viral campaigns.
Redbubble features many products from independent artists printed on-demand.
CafePress quality is better suited for promotional giveaway items rather than retail sales.

Pricing and Profit Margins

Printful pricing and margins are on the premium end given the high quality.
Printify margins vary greatly based on the print provider's locations and capabilities. Easy to test different providers.
Teespring and CafePress tend to have lower margins but work well for large campaigns.
Redbubble margins are smaller due to their large product selection and focus on artists.
Zazzle strikes a balance with solid margins on most customizable products.

Scalability and Growth

Printful has excellent scalability through its API integrations and retail partnerships. Ideal for established brands.
Printify's massive fulfillment network enables easy global scaling for growing product lines.
Teespring focuses heavily on viral, social-driven growth making it easy to scale individual campaigns rapidly.
Redbubble is built primarily for independent creators to share their work rather than high-volume sales.
Zazzle and CafePress work better for niche brands rather than aggressive growth.

Evaluating your product lineup, design needs, and growth goals is key when picking the right print platform. Market testing different providers is highly recommended.

Selling Print-On-Demand with Marketsy.ai

Marketsy.ai makes it incredibly easy for non-technical founders to add print-on-demand products and start selling quickly without any web design or coding.

Marketsy Print-On-Demand Features

With Marketsy you can:

Add print-on-demand products to your store with one click of a button.
Seamlessly connect and sync product listings from suppliers like Printful and Printify.
Manage inventory, orders, and shipping automatically.
Use built-in marketing tools to promote products and boost sales.
Handle payments, taxes, shipping labels and tracking with no hassle.

Onboarding Print Providers

Marketsy allows you to:

Instantly integrate suppliers like Printful, Printify, and others.
Automatically sync product listings, variants, and pricing.
Auto-route orders and enable real-time tracking.
Update inventory levels and shipping rates in real-time.
Provide customers with up-to-date production time estimates.

Promoting Print-On-Demand Products

Marketsy offers powerful built-in features to promote your print-on-demand products:

Email and SMS marketing tools to re-engage customers and drive repeat sales.
Targeted Facebook and Instagram ad capabilities to reach potential new buyers.
Automated post-purchase upsells and cross-sells to increase order value.
Ability to easily create coupon codes and sales campaigns.
Email pop-ups and more to collect customer contacts for marketing.

Tips for Print-On-Demand Success

Here are some tips for maximizing success with print-on-demand:

Research profitable niche markets and closely monitor trends.
Create social media content consistently to build reach and engagement.
Experiment with various digital marketing channels to drive targeted traffic.
Leverage influencer collaborations and promotions to expand awareness.
Continuously analyze data and metrics to optimize your sales process.
Use promotions like free shipping to incentivize first purchases.
Send follow up emails and offers to previous customers to boost repeat rates.
A/B test product listing copy, pricing, images to increase conversion rates.

Success Stories

An apparel brand used Printful with Marketsy to scale to over $7 million in sales.
A nonprofit organization sold print-on-demand hoodies to raise funds and awareness for their cause.
An artist started her own store selling illustrations on prints, mugs, and other products.
An author self-published print books with Printify and reached thousands of readers.
A wedding planner used Zazzle to create custom wedding favors and gifts.

The possibilities are endless with print-on-demand ecommerce!

Conclusion

Print-on-demand provides a powerful way for entrepreneurs to sell customized products online without inventory costs or logistics headaches. As the industry continues its rapid growth, the opportunities to build a successful print-on-demand business are immense.

Choosing the right platform for your product lineup and business goals is crucial to maximize success. Leading providers like Printful, Printify and others each offer unique advantages and capabilities.

Tools like Marketsy.ai make it incredibly easy to get started selling print-on-demand products right away without any technical skills. By handling store setup, product listings, order management, and promotion, Marketsy enables entrepreneurs to focus entirely on their designs and marketing.

The time is ripe to capitalize on the massive print-on-demand opportunity. With Marketsy's innovative platform, it's never been simpler to turn your ideas into a thriving ecommerce business. Try Marketsy.ai today to launch your own online store!