Selling Website Templates for Passive Income: Top Etsy Digital Downloads
Selling website templates on Etsy can be a great way to generate passive income. While other digital products on the platform may sell for just a few dollars, website templates can be top Etsy digital downloads because they fetch prices of $200 or more, making them a lucrative opportunity for sellers. Furthermore, there is a significant demand for website templates, with thousands of searches conducted on Etsy each month. In this article, we'll take a closer look at how you can sell website templates on Etsy, from creating them to marketing them effectively.
Why You Should Sell Website Templates on Etsy
First, let’s explain the top reasons why you should sell website templates on Etsy.
Great for Passive Income
Selling website templates can provide an excellent source of passive income. Once you have created a template, you can sell it multiple times, meaning that you can earn money without having to continuously put in the effort. This is the ultimate leverage as compared to doing a custom website for a client and having to take time to find the next client and communicate with them to build the project.
High Price Points
As mentioned earlier, website templates on Etsy can fetch high prices. This is because they offer significant value to buyers, saving them time and effort in creating a website from scratch. This high price point can make website templates a lucrative opportunity for sellers. You can expect a minimum of $100 for your first website template and upwards of $300 or even $500 for your more intricate designs! At this rate, you could make $3000+ per month with only 10 sales per month!
High Demand
There is a significant demand for website templates on Etsy. According to Etsy SEO data on research tools like Alura, Everbee, Erank, there are thousands of searches conducted each month for website templates. Specifically, Squarespace templates get over 8000 searches per month! This means that there is a large potential market for sellers to tap into.
Wide Range of Templates to Create
There are countless different website templates that you can create, from simple landing pages to complex e-commerce websites. This means that you can cater to a wide range of customers and niches, increasing your potential customer base. You can make money online selling website templates for a variety of niches: coaches, photographers, yoga teachers, short-term rentals, and much more!
Low Barrier to Entry
It only costs $30 per month for a Showit subscription, which gives you access to sell templates. Alternatively, you can sell Squarespace templates without paying for a plan. This low barrier to entry means that anyone can start selling website templates on Etsy! This is awesome because most passive income opportunities cost thousands of dollars upfront to get started (ATMs, vending machines, stocks).
Access to Etsy's Search Engine
Etsy itself is a search engine, meaning that it's easier to get traffic and sales on their platform as compared to hosting them on your own website and having to get all the traffic yourself. By selling on Etsy, you can leverage the platform's built-in search engine optimization (SEO) features to increase your visibility and sales.
How to Create Website Templates
Now that you understand the immense value in selling website templates on Etsy for passive income, let’s discuss how to create website templates for sale!
Designing Website templates in Squarespace
With Squarespace, you can design your own website templates from scratch. This approach allows you to create unique templates that cater to specific niches or industries. Their drag-and-drop interface makes it easier than ever to create stunning websites that buyers will obsess over!
Designing Website templates in Showit
Showit is another awesome drag-and-drop website builder that allows you to create templates quickly and easily. Showit provides a wide range of design tools and features that can help you create stunning website templates. Showit is a bit more customizable than Squarespace, so you can sell your Showit templates for a higher profit than Squarespace templates.
Designing website templates in Wix
Wix is another website builder that you can use to design website templates. Wix provides a wide range of templates and design tools that can help you create professional-looking templates quickly and easily. Wix templates sell for $50-$150 so they are on the lower tier of website templates in terms of profitability, but there is still an opportunity in this niche.
Pulling Inspiration from Top-Selling Shops
One way to create website templates is to look at what's already selling well on Etsy. By analyzing the top-selling shops and templates, you can get inspiration for your own designs and create templates that are more likely to sell. Use Etsy SEO research tools like Alura to spy on your competition to see how much money they’ve made from their individual listings - this will help validate your upcoming designs.
Buying PLR Website Templates from Shops That Allow You to Resell
If you're just starting, you may not have the time or expertise to create your own website templates. In this case, you can buy PLR website templates from other shops that give you private label rights to resell them as your own. This can be a quick and easy way to start selling website templates on Etsy.
Giving the Website Template to Your Customer
When a customer purchases your website template, you can give them a PDF in the instant download section of Etsy. The PDF should say something like “congrats on ordering, here is the share key/invite link to access your website template!” Alternatively, if you are selling Squarespace templates, you will email the website access directly to their Squarespace email address.
How to market your website templates
Marketing your website templates is crucial to your success on Etsy. There’s no point in spending time designing website templates for passive income if you aren’t getting traffic! Here are a few effective marketing strategies to consider:
Use Pinterest for Free SEO Traffic
Pinterest is a great platform for promoting digital products like website templates. You can create pins that showcase your templates and link back to your Etsy shop. When creating your pins, be sure to use relevant keywords in your pin description and include your shop name and website template category.
Pay for Etsy advertising to boost your traffic
Etsy advertising is an effective way to get your website templates in front of potential customers. With Etsy advertising, you can choose to advertise specific products or your entire shop. You can set a daily budget for your ads, and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. You can start small with a budget of $2 per day and grow as you build confidence. Our rule of thumb is to pay for 30-50 clicks for a specific product, and if you do not get a conversion within 50 clicks, stop paying for ads on that product and have a look at the product to see if it needs any changing with the price, offer, description, etc.
Use Eye-Catching Mockups to Stand Out From Competitors
Mockups are a great way to showcase your website templates and help your customers visualize what their site could look like. You can use tools like Canva to create mockups that highlight your template's features and benefits. One secret tool we use for our website mockups is a free Google Chrome extension called “Go Full Page”.
Post on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
Social media is a great way to promote your website templates and attract potential customers to your Etsy shop. Post photos or videos of your website templates in action and link back to your Etsy shop in your bio or post captions. TikTok is especially useful because the platform gets more searches per day than Google, and TikTok videos show up in Google searches!
mistakes to avoid to be successful in selling website templates
To be successful selling website templates on Etsy, it's important to avoid the following mistakes:
Do not steal designs from Squarespace, Showit, Wix
Copying other designers' work is not only unethical but can also result in the suspension of your Squarespace, Showit, or Wix account. It's important to create original designs or obtain private label rights to resell designs legally.
Do not steal designs from others on Etsy
Just like stealing designs from Squarespace or Showit, copying other sellers' work is prohibited on Etsy. Not only will this harm your reputation, but it can also result in the suspension of your Etsy account which means you’ll be stuck selling on your own website and you’ll have to get all your own traffic.
Do not make website templates in unpopular niches
It's essential to do your SEO keyword research and find out which niches are in demand before creating website templates. You can use tools like Alura, Everbee, and Erank to find keywords with high demand. Avoid making website templates in niches that don't have much search volume or aren't popular among buyers.
Do not sell website templates that are very competitive
It's important to choose a niche that has a low level of competition to increase your chances of ranking well on Etsy. Otherwise, it can be challenging to attract customers to your shop and generate sales.
Final Thoughts on Selling Website Templates on Etsy for Passive Income
Selling website templates on Etsy can be a profitable business if you know how to do it right. By creating original designs or obtaining private label rights to resell designs legally, marketing your products on social media platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and avoiding the common mistakes mentioned above, you can create a successful Etsy shop that generates passive income. Remember to do your research, be patient, and always prioritize your customers' needs to keep them coming back for more.
*Some of the links on this page are affiliate links which means we get a percentage of the sale if you decide to buy. This does not cost you any extra, and we only recommend products that we use ourselves because they benefit our business.