7 Best Websites To Sell Print On Demand( Get Free Traffic)
In this blog post, I'm sharing seven of the best print-on-demand websites where you can get free traffic just by uploading your designs or products. Thousands, sometimes even millions, of people visit these websites every month. That means no need to promote on social media, no paid ads required, and no influencer ads.
All you have to do is create an account and upload. One of the websites on this list will probably shock you. It's a very well-known platform that you've definitely heard of before, but what many people don't know is that you can get free Marketplace traffic just by uploading to it. So, read to the end, and you will not miss this secret free traffic source. But first, let's talk about Etsy.
Etsy
I know that most people reading this are already familiar with Etsy, and despite all the recent changes and challenges, I still think that it is important to start with Etsy because it is still a powerful platform for selling print-on-demand, especially for beginners. Why? Because it's one of the best platforms in terms of consistent organic SEO traffic, and if you price your products right, you can still make great sales.
Etsy is a crafts and handmade marketplace, so you can most profitably sell their products like t-shirts, mugs, tumblers, calendars, wall art, personalized, and custom items. Now, Etsy gets over 428 million visits per month, and just a month ago, it moved from number four to number five in the US marketplaces category on SimilarWeb.
But keep in mind that there is indeed high competition, and that's since Etsy saw an explosion of new sellers during and after the pandemic. If you want to start selling on Etsy for free, then sign up as a seller. You can get 40 free listings on Etsy.
Shopify
Now, let's talk about Shopify. This is the hidden print-on-demand marketplace, and you might ask me, "But what is Shopify doing on this list? After all, it is an e-commerce website builder, not a marketplace, so how can it bring you free traffic?" Well, what if I told you that Shopify actually connects you to two hidden marketplaces that can bring you organic traffic from real shoppers?
The first platform is Google Shopping, where you can get free listings just by having a Shopify store. If you've ever searched for something like cat t-shirts on Google and started browsing shopping results at the top of the page, you've already seen this marketplace in action.
The first results that you will most likely see will be paid ads, but if you scroll a few more times, you will start seeing lots of organic listings from stores that didn't pay for ads. And of course, many of these results will be from Amazon, Etsy, or eBay, but Google Shopping doesn't just display listings from these large marketplaces. It also pulls product listings from independent Shopify stores, and this means that your Shopify store can appear here for free, which will send you traffic directly to your product pages.
Now, how do you get your Shopify products on Google Shopping? Follow these steps: Sign up for Google Merchant Center at merchants.google.com, connect your Shopify store to Google Merchant Center, install the Google and YouTube app on Shopify, and then connect it to your Google Merchant account.
Just provide your business name and country; then you will see that the free listings option is automatically enabled on your store. Optimize your product titles and descriptions to improve your chances of ranking on Google Shopping, and make sure that your shipping and return policies are very clear because Google ranks stores higher if they look professional. And that's it!
Your products can now show up in Google Shopping search results just like Etsy and Amazon products do, without you paying a cent in advertising.
Now, Shopify secret marketplace number two is called Shop App. It's Shopify's own marketplace. The Shop App is another secret weapon for Shopify store owners. Think of it as Shopify's own built-in marketplace where shoppers can discover and buy products from independent Shopify stores.
Now, what is actually the Shop App? It's an e-commerce shopping app similar to Amazon or Etsy but specifically only for stores that are using Shopify. Shoppers can browse products from thousands of Shopify stores in one place. If you list your products here, your store gets free exposure to these Shop App users.
Now, how do you get your Shopify store on this Shop App? Well, you don't have to do anything extra to join. If you have a Shopify store, you're usually automatically eligible to be included in the Shop App marketplace, but to make sure that your products are listed there, first, you need to have the Shop App installed in your store, and second, Shopify Payments option has to be activated in your store.
So, how much traffic can you expect from this Shop App? It has over 115 million monthly visitors, and about 70% of this audience is in the United States, so this is an audience with high purchasing power. While this isn't as big as Google Shopping, it's still a free way to get extra traffic without running ads.
And here is a bonus tip for you: even if you don't get immediate sales from the Shop App, it's still worth enabling it. It gives your store extra visibility, which can lead to repeat customers and brand recognition over time.
Alright, you know that Shopify is a paid platform, and although you can actually start a store and run it for just $1 a month for the first three months, I think it is important for you to be on Shopify and not only on Etsy and other free platforms because there is less risk.
Unlike Etsy or Amazon, Shopify will not ban your store for no reason, and also, you own your customer list with Shopify. You collect emails and data to remarket to your customers, and then you also get more control. Of course, you can build a real brand on Shopify rather than just being another seller on a crowded marketplace, and Shopify is easier to scale because once you start making sales, you can run targeted ads to scale your business further to the same customer base.
I still have a few other traffic sources to cover in this tutorial, but I wanted to tell you what is the easiest way for you to be on all of these platforms. Personally, I use Gelato for my print-on-demand business because it's not just another POD provider. They have local production in 32 countries, meaning faster delivery, lower shipping costs, and a lower carbon footprint.
Plus, their free plan makes it super easy to get started, and the best part is that it integrates seamlessly with Etsy, Shopify, Amazon, and even TikTok Shop, so you can sell across all these different platforms without any extra effort. Again, I will talk about all these other platforms later in the but how does it work with Gelato?
You will only pay for printing and shipping once the item is purchased in your store. Your customer pays you always more than you pay to Gelato, so depending on your niche and the type of products that you sell, your profit margin can be between 20 and 50%. You can offer a wide range of products, including t-shirts, mugs, posters, tote bags, phone cases, calendars, wall art, and so on.
Gelato gets 4.7 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, so it's not just my great experience, but a lot of people also like this platform. If you want to test the quality before selling, use my link here :………………….. it's gel.com/anastasia—to get 50% off your first order so you can see exactly what your customers will receive.
Amazon
The next platform that you should check out is Amazon. This one is actually the biggest platform on the list with 2.7 billion monthly visitors. Currently, it was actually over 3 billion last month, of which 85% are based in the United States. Now, there are two ways to sell print-on-demand on Amazon: one is called Amazon Merch on Demand, and two is called Amazon Seller Central.
So, Amazon Merch on Demand is a very selective and application-based program. It is truly difficult to get approved there, and if you're approved, you can sell designs on Amazon's products only. By the way, if you hear somewhere that you could buy an Amazon Merch account, be careful; you might just lose your money because it is against their terms of service.
The second one, Amazon Seller Central, is open to almost everyone. It is very easy to get your store approved and running. You can list any print-on-demand product using fulfillment providers here. As I mentioned earlier, personally, I connected my Amazon Seller account with Gelato in just a couple of clicks through their seamless integration, so you can read my full tutorial on this on my new website 7educate.com
But the short version is that all you need to do is basically upload your designs and select products, and when a customer buys your product on Amazon, Gelato automatically prints and ships it. You also get full branding and product control on this platform.
Now, how do you sign up for it? Go to sellercentral.amazon.com, click "Sign up," and choose between the individual plan, which is free, has no monthly fee but has a 99-cent commission per sale, or you could choose their professional plan that's $39.99 per month, unlimited sales with no commissions. Which plan should you choose?
Well, if you plan to sell fewer than 40 items per month, then you can go ahead with the individual plan, but if you plan to sell more than 40 items, then choose the professional plan because you will save money in the long term. Plus, professional sellers also get access to some advanced tools like bulk uploads, advertising, and brand registry.
TikTok Shop
The next platform I want to talk about is called TikTok Shop. This is a fantastic platform that attracts a diverse audience, but it is especially popular among younger people, so adults aged between 18 to 24 are 3.2 times more likely to make a purchase on TikTok Shop compared to the average consumer. And here is a quick guide for you to get started: Sign up for TikTok Shop.
To do this, head over to the TikTok Seller Center, and you can sign up using your existing TikTok account, email, or phone number. By the way, it's free to sign up, but keep in mind that TikTok charges a commission on each sale. Initially, there is a 1.8% commission fee for the first 90 days, which then increases to 5%, and that's for TikTok Shops based in the UK and the United States.
In other countries, commissions can be different. On TikTok, you need to create engaging, short-form video content to connect with your audience in a genuine way. Jump into trending challenges, use trending music and sounds, and show your products creatively, and you can get a bunch of viral videos, and sales into your shop will come without any paid ads.
eBay
Now, the next platform is eBay. This one is a big and the most recognized online marketplace in the world with 639 million visits per month, of which about 80% are users from the United States, and it's ranking number three in the US marketplaces. So, if you've ever bought or sold anything online, chances are that you've already used eBay, and the good news is that print-on-demand sellers can list their products here as well.
One thing to note about eBay is that business accounts tend to be taken more seriously than individual accounts, and if you plan to scale your store, it is worth considering selling something on eBay as an LLC or LTD to take advantage of business perks, tax benefits, and smoother operations in general.
Here is how you can start selling your POD on eBay: Go to ebay.com and click on "Sell" in the top right corner. Choose between a personal or a business account. Now, business accounts offer additional benefits. List your first product, making sure that you selected print-on-demand fulfillment.
Selling on eBay is not entirely free, but you can list a limited number of items without any upfront costs. Here is how the fees work on eBay: You can get free listings—it's about 250 free listings per month if you have a personal account. After that, each listing costs 30 cents per item. There is also another fee called the final value fee. When an item sells, eBay takes a percentage of the sale price.
There is also an optional eBay store subscription, so if you are planning to sell a lot of products, you might want to open an eBay store, which reduces listing fees and offers more features. Now, store plans range from $4.95 per month—this is the starter plan—and go up to $300 per month for an enterprise plan.
Walmart
And the next marketplace worth your attention is called Walmart. This is another massive e-commerce platform attracting 451 million visits per month, and it has over 95% users in the United States, and if you didn't realize, it's actually the third marketplace in the US after Amazon and eBay.
Unlike Amazon, Walmart's online marketplace has far less competition, making it a great opportunity for print-on-demand sellers that are looking to get in early. One important thing to notice is that the Walmart Marketplace is more selective about who can sell, so if you're based outside of the United States, it will be much harder because you'll have to register a business in the US.
Now, how do you start selling on the Walmart Marketplace? Go to marketplace.walmart.com and click "Join Marketplace." Fill out the application with details about your business and then wait for approval. Walmart has a vetting process, so it may take them between a few days and maybe a couple of weeks.
Once approved, list your print-on-demand products just like you would on Amazon or eBay. The Walmart Marketplace does not charge a subscription or a listing fee. It's free to join, and you can list your products there for free. However, Walmart takes a referral fee per sale, so this will vary by category of the product. Most product categories, including clothing, home decor, and accessories, will have a 15% referral fee.