Earn More Money by Selling the Right Products
As a Print on Demand reseller, it’s important to always stay on top of new products and trends.
Why do some Print on Demand sellers seem to make a fortune while others barely survive?
Well, the answer comes in 3 parts:
- Creating A LOT of designs (& products)
- Optimizing EVERYTHING for sales (SEO, mock-ups…)
- Picking the best products.
In this post, I’d like to cover this 3rd part: choosing the right products to display. But how do we find these “most profitable products”?
Well, there are a few ways. Let’s cover them.
1. Competitor Research
Do you have a specific niche? Yes? Great.
In that case, dive into your niche and analyse your competitors.
“But how?” — I hear you think.
Well, just go to the platform you want to sell on… and search.
Do you want to sell dog t-shirts? Search for dog t-shirts. Click on designs & products that you like. Check their stores.
Tip: use generic search terms, for example indeed “dog t shirt”. Why? Because that the products that show up, rank the highest in the search terms. You now need to figure out what that is.
- Check the front-page products of the sellers
- Check pricing
- Check & identify unique selling points
Basically, find out what makes them stand out.
When I search for “dog tshirt”, I see that the top listings are all “custom tshirts” — meaning that you can add your own personalized text to it (as a buyer).
Once you have your answer → Start designing.
Tip: You can use great tools like www.kittl.com (I’ve just written an article about it), or my recommended & favorite all-in-one Print on Demand tool www.MyDesigns.io (more info & tutorial here).
FYI — for these “Custom” designs, you can also use MyDesigns by enabling Personalization (on the last step of the “Publish Products” phase).
2. Best-Seller Pages /Utilize Marketplace Insights:
Every online marketplace has “best sellers” or “recommended” or “top products” or whatever they may call it.
- Platforms like Etsy, Amazon, and Redbubble often have trending sections or best-seller lists. Regularly check these sections to see what types of products are currently popular among buyers.
- Many marketplaces also provide tools and analytics for sellers that can help you identify trending keywords and themes.
Let’s practically describe how to do this:
Step 1 — Find the list
Go to your platform of choice:
- Etsy: tick the “Bestseller” box in search.
- Amazon: open the “Best Sellers” tab.
- Redbubble: check the “Trending” feed.
Step 2 — Scan, don’t scroll forever
Spend two minutes on the first page.
Write down the products that repeat. Three times or more = a trend.
What to note
- Product type (mug, hoodie, poster).
- Exact wording of the title.
- Price range.
- Any badges: “Bestseller”, “Handmade”, “Eco”.
Now ask: “Can I improve this?”
- Maybe a cleaner layout?
- Maybe extra personalization?
- Maybe better mockups?
- Maybe better keywords?
Example
Custom mugs fill half of Etsy’s bestseller list this week.
Action: design a mug that lets buyers add a dog name. Keep price near the median you saw.
Tip: Check these numbers every Monday. Trends shift fast.
You don’t copy products. You copy demand.
→ You launch products with proof behind them.
Less risk, more sales, simple.
3. Leverage Social Media Insights
You can say whatever you want, but fashion will always follow trends.
Watch Instagram. TikTok. Pinterest.
Look at hashtags, not just posts.
E.g. Type “#dogmomshirt” or “#cottagecoremug”. See the top nine tiles.
For example, a while ago I came across these Ralph Lauren polo sweaters with teddy bears on it. All of a sudden, it seemed to be a hype. Many of my friends were wearing these teddy bear sweaters back then.
If you see something like this, why not create “your own version of polo bear designs”, without infringing on copyright of course?
- Spot the core idea. Example: retro sunrise lines behind any silhouette.
- Strip away brand names or trademarked phrases.
- Redraw the style with your twist.
- Maybe do a test on your social media profile: Post a teaser reel; gauge comments.
- Ten positive comments? Push product live.
- Negative feedback? Drop and move on.
Important!
DON’T USE logos, or copyrighted characters! Use public-domain or your own art only.
You might get banned.
So, follow influencers, pay attention to what they’re excited about, as these can be indicators of rising trends.
4. Use Free “Trends” Tools
Harness the power of Google Trends and similar tools, such as:
- ExplodingTopics
- Pinterest Predicts.
- PodCS PodSpy
- Sign up to TrendWatching’s free newsletter.
- Add Google Alerts for “your niche + trend”.
Uncover top eCommerce keywords, identify emerging trends, and capitalize on seasonal and viral waves.
Example workflow:
- Open Google Trends. Set region = “Worldwide”.
- Compare two ideas. Example: “sustainable shirt” vs “funny dad shirt”.
- Pick the steeper line.
- Draft one design today.
- Schedule launch before the peak search week.
Benefits: Stay ahead of the curve, offering products aligned with current market interests.
I also LOVE using PODCS. This tool has such great value:
It even says how much profit margin I could have!
5. Product Discovery Tools
The methods above get you started for free.
But when you want hard numbers — exact sales estimates, keyword lists, price spreads — you’ll need something extra.
The platforms mentioned below are paid, yet nearly all hand you a free trial.
I’d recommend you to use those trials to poke around, compare dashboards, and keep only what boosts your sales.
- EverBee — Chrome add-on that surfaces Etsy sales, revenue, and winning tags.
- EtsyHunt — tracks top Etsy listings, volume trends, and price ranges.
- Alura — keyword finder plus listing-grader for Etsy.
- PODCS — An all-in-one tool for selling designs across Amazon, Redbubble, more. Scans thousands of POD listings daily; flags rising niches fast.
- SaleSamurai — deep dive into Etsy tags, trends, and competition heat.
How to use it?
Well I’d say to just go to YouTube and search for a tutorial, but generally it comes down to:
- Enter your niche keyword.
- Sort by highest monthly sales.
- Note the top three product types and their average price.
- Check if the niche is growing (trend graph up).
- Design your version and launch while demand is hot.
P.S. It’s also important to use good quality print providers.
Check out Printful, Printify, Awkward Styles or even myDesigns. While these tools don’t really show “demand data”, it’s still important to check out their product offerings & quality.
6. Just be busy with POD
You live in this world. You see new ideas every day.
By doing the work — upload, design, tweak — you train your gut. Soon you spot trends without even trying.
Stay in motion. Don’t quit.
Quick wins / Tips
- List your best-selling items. Make color, style, or text tweaks.
- Upload these variations.
- Swap weak mock-ups for sharper ones.
- Keep notes on what rises and what flops.
- Improve a little every week.
Hustle daily, learn daily, sell more over time.
Key Takeaways
- Copy demand, not designs. Competitor pages and bestseller lists show what buyers already want.
- Scroll with purpose. Two-minute scans on marketplaces or social feeds can spark your next hit.
- Track the curve. Use Google Trends and paid tools to confirm if interest is rising before you launch.
- Data beats guessing. Free methods give clues; discovery tools give numbers — use free trials to compare.
- Iterate on winners. Clone your own best sellers with new colours, slogans, or mock-ups.
- Keep moving. Daily action sharpens instinct; the more you upload and tweak, the faster you learn what works.
