Etsy has long been the place to go for beautiful handcrafted items made by individuals with a creative streak.
This online marketplace shuns mass production and favours the quirky, the unique, and the bohemian, with many viewing Etsy as a great alternative to places like Amazon when it comes to buying gifts for loved ones.
However, it isn’t only physical products that you can buy on Etsy.
Digital products make up a significant portion of sales on Etsy, and there are so many different types of digital products to sell on Etsy that pretty much anyone with the desire to do so can create an extra income with minimal time and effort required (that doesn’t involve selling Avon!).
So, whether you’re a single mom looking for a side hustle, you’re interested in monetising a hobby, or you want to replace your current job entirely, read on to find out just what the best digital products to sell on Etsy are, and how you can get started today.
What are Digital Products?
A digital product is a product that is bought online and downloaded by the customer, with no need for you to ship or deliver it.
The buyer can usually print out the product (these products are called ‘printables,’ or simply use the downloaded version of the digital product on their devices.
A printable could be a calendar, for example. The customer downloads the calendar onto their computer and prints it off themselves.
A example of a digital product that you wouldn’t print would be an eBook. eBooks are purchased online and downloaded to a device such as a Kindle, and they are enjoyed via the device – you are never actually holding a physical product.
There are a few different ways that digital products can be downloaded on Etsy.
Types of Downloads
Instant Download
An instant download is a product that the customer sees, purchases and downloads, without any changes being made to it.
Examples of an instant download could be a printable piece of wall art that has already been designed by the seller, and the customer just needs to download it and put it on the wall.
Editable Download
An editable download is a type of download where the buyer can change parts of the product themselves.
For example, they can open the file using a programme such as Canva and make small changes.
An example of an editable product would be wedding invitations, where the names need to be different on each invitation.
Customisable Download
A customisable product is where the seller is the one who makes the changes, based on the requirements of the customer.
The seller will upload a basic product to their store, and the customer will buy it and let the seller know how they want the product to be customised.
This could be cosmetics labels for example, where the seller would put the buyer’s business logo on the products.
Why Sell Digital Products on Etsy?
One of the best reasons to start selling digital products on Etsy is that your start-up costs are extremely minimal.
Unlike physical products, you don’t need to buy a tonne of materials and supplies. All you really need is a computer and a knowledge of how to use Canva or other software to create cute designs.
Selling digital products on Etsy also takes far less time than creating and selling physical products.
For every customer that orders a physical product, you have to painstakingly create that product. 1000 orders of something means you have to make 1000 copies of that thing.
With a digital product, you can simply create it once, upload it to Etsy, and never worry about it again (unless your customer needs something customised).
Another great benefit of selling digital products on Etsy is that you never need to be concerned with complicated shipping and delivery arrangements, costs and endless trips to the post office.
So, now we know why you might like to start your Etsy business, let’s take a look at the best digital products to sell on Etsy in 2022.
The 26 Best Digital Products to Sell on Etsy in 2022
1. Digital Planners
Digital planners are super popular on Etsy, and versatile to boot!
People who use tablets like iPads for planning things love to keep organised using a pretty digital planner, which they can use on apps like Goodnotes and Notability.
Digital planners can come in all different types of designs, topics and formats, and popular digital planners include wedding planners, party planners and packing lists, as well as basic personal daily planners.
2. Cosmetic Labels
Most vendors on Etsy are small business owners, and so it only makes sense that if they’re selling their products on Etsy, they would also buy supplies from other small business on Etsy!
Soap labels, jar labels, cosmetics tin labels etc. are all very popular and can really make the difference for somebody’s home cosmetics business.
With the rise in popularity of hand-poured candles and wax melts being sold on Etsy, creating labels for these products is also a great idea.
3. Logos and Branding Kits
Every business needs a logo and cohesive brand identity, and customisable logo and branding kits make it super achievable.
Examples of what your branding kits could include are 1 or 2 logos, business cards, a watermark, fonts and colour palette, website banners, email signatures and more.
As the seller, you would design brand kits in specific themes (feminine, minimalist, modern, boho etc.), and the buyer can purchase the kit, send you their business information, and you tweak the contents of each template so that it’s personalised for their business.
You could also do bespoke logo design and branding, where you create the design based on the buyer’s unique needs and preferences. Of course, this takes a lot longer to deliver, but you can charge more for these services, and if you’ve got a passion for graphic design, this could be a real money maker.
4. Invitations
Wedding invitations, party invitations, baby shower invitations and more are some of the top selling digital items on Etsy, with many people preferring to opt for the affordable option over the more expensive sites that were used more in the past.
Etsy invitations still have the personal touch without the price tag to match, and they’re easy for your customers to print at home.
You can also create editable templates (on Canva, for example), and then just share the Canva link with your customer after they’ve made the purchase, so they can customise the templates themselves and re-use them in the future.
5. Business Cards
Every business, no matter how small, needs business cards.
Pre-designed business cards where the customer can just add their business name and logo are huge on Etsy, and while it is a very competitive niche, it’s a great one to crack.
6. Cut Files (SVG’s)
Cut files are digital files that crafters can use with cutting machines like Cricut and Silhouette.
They can be used to make tote bags, babygrows, t-shirts, mugs, signs, paper crafts and much more.
The way that this works is that a keen crafter will cut files for their hobby or small business. home, work, or school projects.
There is a huge market for SVG files on Etsy, and a really great way of getting your designs noticed is by selling bundles of cut files that belong to a particular theme, such as Christmas or Disney.
7. Printable Wall Art
Whether you’re an artist, graphic designer, or you just have a keen eye for interior design, creating printable wall art could be just the thing for you.
You can even use fonts on Canva to create simple designs using quotes that people can print off and hang in their homes.
Cliché sayings such as ‘It’s Wine O’Clock’ or ‘Home Sweet Home’ do really well on Etsy, and they don’t take a lot of time to make at all.
8. Printable Planner Pages
We already talked about the benefits of using a digital planner to help you stay organised, but some people prefer to print out their planners and fill them in by hand (me!).
Buyers simply download and print out the planners at home and use them right away.
9. Stickers
Stickers are super easy to create and have always done well on Etsy.
Buyers simply download the designs and print them out themselves on sticker paper, meaning you don’t ever have to make the stickers yourself, just the designs.
You can even create digital stickers for people to use on WhatsApp or Facebook!
10. Gift Tags
By this point, I’m sure you’re thinking ‘wait – can everything be customised and printed from Etsy?’
Well…yes! It can!
You can easily sell physical gift cards on Etsy, but if you’re looking for digital products to sell on Etsy, you can simply design your gift cards and allow the customers to download them!
You have the choice of creating a simple design that cannot be changed, allowing the customer to edit the design themselves in Canva, or creating a template that they can request you personalise with their name/the names of their family members etc.
The possibilities are endless!
11. Greetings Cards
From ‘Thank You’ cards to birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and Mother’s Day, rarely a month goes by when there isn’t some kind of greetings card you need to buy.
Not only does selling printable greetings cards save your customers time, but they also have the option to customise them with names, messages etc. and all at a cheaper price than what a generic, store-bought card would cost!
12. Calendars
Just like the various types of planner, calendars will always be among the top selling digital products on Etsy, and you can create printable versions for people to write in themselves, or sell them as a purely digital product, to be used on a mobile phone, tablet or computer.
As soon as you develop an eye for feminine colour palettes and pretty fonts, you’ll be creating tonnes of stunning calendars to sell on Etsy.
13. Stock Photos
If you have a talent for photography, you can sell your photographs on Etsy as stock photos, grouped by themes such as boho, feminine, minimal etc. or by colour such as browns, pinks or blues.
Many bloggers and content creators need stock photos, and the ones on Etsy tend to be more quirky and creative than the larger, more ‘professional’ stock photo websites.
14. Lightroom Presets
Lightroom presets for Instagram and blog posts are some of the biggest digital products on Etsy, and with society only getting more addicted to social media, the demand is showing no signs of slowing down.
You can use Lightroom to create filter packages which people can download and use as they please.
15. Budget Trackers/Spreadsheets
If you’re great at using Excel or Google Sheets, you can create a spreadsheet designed to help people budget or manage their finances.
This can focus on budgeting, allocation of finances, creating a savings plan and more. You could also create a business spreadsheet to manage sales, expenses and profit, an inventory tracker and more.
I rely on Google Sheets for my two businesses, and my SEO spreadsheets (which I purchased online) have been a lifesaver when it comes to keeping on top of my stats!
16. Bookmarks
Printable bookmarks are another of the easiest digital items to sell on Etsy. If you have a creative streak then go crazy on Canva and create as many designs as you want!
Selling things like this works especially well if you bundle the products (selling a pack of 10 different designs, for example).
17. Etsy Shop Kit
Every Etsy seller needs beautiful branded content for their store.
From store icons to banners, every detail needs to be perfect, and some people would rather choose a pre-made design rather than creating their own.
A good shop kit will include a couple of store icons, a large banner, small banner, custom order template, reserved listing template and a profile picture graphic.
Create a template using a specific style (farmhouse, boho etc.) and allow your buyers to customise the templates themselves in Canva.
18. Website Themes
If you’re looking for digital downloads to sell on Etsy, then website templates and themes are always among the trending digital products on Etsy.
I purchased my theme from 17th Avenue (it’s the Mia theme if you’re interested!), who sell their themes on Etsy as well as their own website.
Creating a website that is both functional and well-designed is seriously difficult and requires coding knowledge, and most website owners prefer to buy website themes rather than building their own.
Themes for WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace are popular on Etsy.
The great thing about selling website themes is that they command a much higher price than other digital products, but they do take a lot of time to create and you will need to offer help and support the the buyers if they encounter problems while installing the theme.
19. Wallpapers
If you’re a digital artist, designing phone and computer wallpapers allows people to customise their devices at a low cost.
Ideally you should create wallpapers that can easily be used across multiple operating systems so that you aren’t excluding potential buyers.
20. Meal Plan Templates
Meal planners are a great way for people who are trying to lose weight to stay on track.
You can create printable or downloadable bundles containing a weekly meal planner, grocery lists and a food journal.
21. Sewing Patterns
If you already create sewing or embroidery patterns as a hobby, you’re leaving money on the table. There is a huge demand on Etsy for sewing, embroidery, crochet, quilting, cross-stitch and knitting patterns, especially since the pandemic has resulted in people not going out as much and looking for new creative pursuits.
22. Travel Resources
Planning a trip can be difficult, and many people new to travel don’t even know where to start.
Luckily for you, this means that travel resources are some of the best selling digital products on Etsy!
You can create printable travel planning bundles to help people organise themselves and plan the trip of a lifetime.
In a bundle, you could include: packing list; itinerary sheet; pre-trip checklist; budget planner; savings tracker; bucket list sheet.
23. Printable Menu Designs
It isn’t just restaurants who need menus (although brand new small business may well seek out menu designs on Etsy rather than paying a graphic designer). People need menus for all kinds of events – weddings, gala dinners and Christmas parties are just some of the events that may call for menus, and it really doesn’t take a lot of time to create a simple menu design on Canva.
24. Chore Charts
Chore charts are not only for families with children. They can be great additions to shared housing arrangements as well, particularly if you’re a student living with the kind of monsters that I lived with while I was studying!
Chore charts not only help households to stay organised, but they act as accountability tools as well, meaning that you can’t weasel your way out of doing the washing up just because you don’t feel like it!
25. Pinterest Templates
Pinterest template bundles are definitely one of the best digital products to sell on Etsy.
Every blogger on the planet uses Pinterest because it is such a great traffic driver, but creating beautiful Pins that people will actually click on takes time, as well as an eye for design that a lot of us just don’t have (me included).
By creating easily customisable templates that people can tweak in Canva to change the titles and pictures, you will save people a lot of time, and if they like your designs, they will likely keep coming back for more.
26. Social Media Templates
Editable social media templates can save businesses time, help them grow, and cultivate a cohesive brand image across all platforms.
Facebook banners, Instagram story posts, Twitter header images and Instagram feed posts are just some of the templates that you can create and allow buyers to customise themselves after they’ve downloaded them.
The idea is that you will make a bundle of templates with a specific theme or feel (e.g. boho, pastel colours, minimalist etc.) that people can use across all of their social channels.
Social media templates are also great for micro-influencers who might lack the experience and know-how to create a personal brand, and need a bit of a helping hand to get them started.
You can also include ready-made captions, highlight images, hashtags that can be copy/pasted and inspirational quote graphics.
How to Decide Which Digital Products to Sell on Etsy
When it comes to deciding which of the digital products to sell on Etsy are the best for you, you should start with what interests you the most.
If you select something that you have no interest in just because you think you can turn a quick profit, you will lose your mojo and end up hating what you’re doing.
Etsy is a space for creativity, and creativity only flourishes when there is passion behind it.
You should also spend time browsing on Etsy to understand what is already selling well, and how you can create a product that will stand out from your competitors. Ask yourself what you can offer that nobody else currently is, and develop your own unique design style to keep your customers coming back for more.
How to Handle Returns
A big concern for people who sell digital products on Etsy is how to handle returns.
When you are listing your digital products, you can state whether or not you accept returns. The usual practice for sellers with digital products is that they do not accept any returns.
This is because when somebody has already downloaded the material, they already have it. There’s nothing stopping them from printing out their wedding invitations and then requesting a ‘return’ and getting their money back without actually returning any product.
It might seem a bit extreme not to offer any returns, but it’s really just a way of protecting yourself, and if the buyer doesn’t agree with your returns policy, they don’t have to buy the product.
The Best Digital Products to Sell on Etsy | Final Thoughts
In this post, we’ve gone over a lot of digital downloads to sell on Etsy.
Some of them are super simple, while other require a lot of time and technical skills. Some of them are a far more passive source of income (such as the instant downloads), while others require a lot more hands on interaction with the buyer (like a branding kit or website theme).
It is important that you choose something that you are interested in and passionate about, as well as being able to handle the amount of work that comes with whatever you are selling.
If you work 40 hours a week and just want a side hustle, it is perhaps wise to choose something that is going to take up less of your time.
Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best in your Etsy business, and please share your experience in the comments section below!
Until next time,
XOXO
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