You scroll through Etsy, mouth agape, wondering how some shops manage to sell so many of their products.
Their listings seem to be everywhere, constantly racking up sales like a well-oiled machine.
Meanwhile, your shop feels like a ghost town, with tumbleweeds lazily rolling through.
I know that struggle all too well.
When I first started my Etsy shop a few years ago selling t-shirt designs, I was totally lost at sea.
There I was, putting my heart and soul into creating beautiful, unique pieces…that absolutely no one was buying. It was beyond frustrating!
The issue, I soon realized, was that I wasn’t tapped into what buyers actually wanted.
My products were nice, but they didn’t really fit into any current trends or hot niches. They were getting utterly lost in the massive ocean of Etsy’s millions of other listings.
It was a huge wake-up call.
I knew if I was going to survive and thrive on Etsy’s hypercompetitive battleground, I needed to get smart about spotting hot product opportunities before they became oversaturated.
Does that sound like something you could use help with too?
Those sellers have done all the hard product research work for you!
Using those keyword tools I mentioned, you can analyze things like:
Their best-selling product listings
What they’re pricing items at
Which keywords and tags they’re optimized for
And more insider intel
You can even set up alerts to get notified when they add trendy new products that start getting tons of sales traction. Then dig into what’s making those new offerings such a hit.
Don’t just flat-out copy them, of course.
But do look for themes and patterns in what types of products, styles, aesthetics, and keywords are driving their massive success.
Use that as inspiration to put your own fresh spin on those hot-selling ideas.
Tip #3: Look at Social Media
What’s blowing up and setting the internet on fire lately across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and other influential social media platforms?
Those viral trends, hashtags, videos, and posts are a treasure trove for striking gold with fresh product ideas.
Maybe it’s a certain aesthetic or vibe like #CottageCore or #BohoHomeDecor that’s suddenly taking over everyone’s For You pages.
Or perhaps a niche product category like #PlantParentDesires (luxury planters and plant accessories) that millennials are obsessing over.
If you can create Etsy products tapping into those trendy themes while they’re still crackling hot, you could ride an enormous wave of elevated sales and demand.
This allows you to catch fire before the bigger brands inevitably pile on and supersaturate the trend.
So start doing some hashtag research related to your products or niche.
Join those communities, engage with influencers, and keep a keen eye on what ideas and aesthetics are bubbling up in popularity.
You’ll get incredible inspiration straight from the tastemaking source!
Tip #4: Check Out the Competition Beyond Just Etsy
Remember, Etsy isn’t the only game in town when it comes to selling crafts and handmade products online.
There’s a whole world of other e-commerce marketplaces and websites where similar products to yours are being sold and trends are brewing.
For example, let’s say your Etsy shop features vintage-style graphic tees and apparel designs.
You’d look at what t-shirt artwork and themes are currently smash hits on mega print-on-demand sites like Amazon Merch, Redbubble, TeePublic, and more.
Maybe you’ll uncover an untapped niche like “MushroomMania” or “RetroRevivalRave” styles that are wildly popular everywhere else but haven’t quite exploded yet on Etsy.
The same concept applies to any product category you’re selling – from home goods to accessories to art and beyond.
Check broad merchandise sites like Walmart, Target, Wayfair and others.
Their product offerings heavily influence what shoppers currently view as desirable. You can be an early Etsy adopter bringing those fresh hot sellers to the platform!
Tip #5: Don’t Underestimate Holidays and Seasonal Trends
From Halloween decor to Mother’s Day gift ideas to Back-to-School goodies, there’s a never-ending cycle of prime selling moments throughout the year.
Get ahead of the game by planning out seasonal product ideas, optimized listings, and marketing at least a couple of months in advance.
That way, when motivated shoppers start doing those early holiday or event searches, your listings will be front and center before the competition!
Brainstorm creative ways to blend your products and designs with different holidays, seasons, occasions and cultural events.
A seller offering decorative planters, for instance, could create custom designs for biggies like Christmas, Halloween, Easter and more.
Or someone making baby clothes could launch dedicated seasonal collections for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
This yearly cycle of holiday and seasonal trends is a constantly bubbling stream of piping hot product opportunities. But you need to be prepared early to fully cash in on those short buying windows of peak demand!
There you have it – a five-step game plan for scouting out the sizzling hot niches, trends and products that passionate Etsy buyers are ravenously desiring right now.
When you can beat the masses to those opportunities, your sales and visibility will be off the charts!
Yes, it takes some diligent research and effort to continually sniff out what’s hot.
But isn’t it worth it to bask in the thrill of a wildly successful, constantly bustling Etsy shop with orders pouring in as you delight customers worldwide?
Recommended Tools For Etsy
Design Nexus newsletter – Get simplified Etsy tips and modern marketing strategies — plus a free Digital Product Starter Kit!
Creative But Fine newsletter – This is your source if you want more detailed guides about Etsy and graphic design.
I have made an entire section of helpful and mostly free tools you can use to build a successful online business on Etsy. See the tools here.
Kittl – A go-to place for any person, who wants to make money with print-on-demand on Etsy.
Creative Fabrica. They have millions of cheap graphics that can elevate your t-shirt design.
Vectorizer – This tool transforms your image into a vector with seconds. scalable without losing the quality.
Disclosure: Some of the links above may contain affiliate partnerships, meaning, at no additional cost to you, NechEmpire may earn a commission if you click through to make a purchase.
I'm Miroslav, a passionate graphic designer, Etsy seller and AI enthusiast. At NechEmpire, I'm here to share my knowledge and skills. I want to turn your design passion into a successful online business.
