Best Selling Platforms for Planner Businesses
It’s no secret that the planner industry has blown up in recent years. Many people use planners to keep track of their busy lives, and some people use them as a creative outlet. Whatever the reason for using a planner, there are now more people than ever who are looking to ditch their overwhelm and get more productive.
If you’re looking to jump on the bandwagon and sell your own planners, there are a few things you need to know. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the 4 best places to sell your planner online with the pros and cons for each site.
Related Post: Is Selling Digital Planners Profitable? (+ a Monthly Profit Potential Calculator for Digital Etsy Shops)
1. Online Marketplaces
An online marketplace is an e-commerce site that offers a variety of products from different sellers. Shoppers can go onto these marketplaces and browse around, compare prices, and buy products with the convenience of shopping all in one place. In fact, they enjoy shopping on these platforms so much, they spent $1.86 trillion globally in 2018!
Many sellers enjoy selling on marketplaces because it’s easy to set up and launch your shop, you have the backing of a trusted and established brand (meaning, customers have less guards up when it comes to the safety of spending money on that particular platform), and you already have a large customer base built into the website, making your marketing efforts a lot easier!
With that being said, not all marketplaces are best utilized for those selling printable planners. Check out our top suggestions on selling planners online:
ETSY
PROS
- Built-in customer base
- Easy to set-up
- Tons of online resources
CONS
- Etsy listing & transaction fees
- Requires vast knowledge on marketing techniques
Etsy is one of the most popular platforms for selling handmade & digital goods, and it’s a great place to sell planners.
The main benefit of Etsy is that it has a built-in audience of people who are interested in buying handmade goods. This means that you’ll have less work to do in terms of marketing your items, since people who are browsing Etsy are already interested in that type of product (plus, they’re already in the mindset to purchase something!).
Another benefit of Etsy is that it’s easy to set up and use. You can create a listing for your planner in just a few minutes, and there are plenty of resources available to help you get started. They’ve made it easy to take payments and send out the digital file to your customers email, so you can literally set it up and forget it.
The main downside of Etsy are the fees. You’ll have to pay a listing fee for each planner you sell, and you’ll also be charged a transaction fee. These fees can cut into your profits, so you’ll need to take them into consideration when pricing your planners. Make sure to factor in the Etsy fees when setting your price so that you don’t end up losing money on each sale.
It also goes without saying a lot of work goes into running an Etsy shop. In addition to designing and creating your planners, you’ll also need to take care of customer service, and driving traffic to your Etsy shop utilizing a variety of techniques, such as:
- SEO & Keywords
- Etsy Ads
- Sales & Coupons
- Social Media
- Relationship Building
If you’re not prepared to put in the work, Etsy may not be the best platform for you.
Related Post: The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Successful Printable Etsy Shop
AMAZON
PROS
- Utilize KDP to sell physical planners
- Hands off logistics
- Well-know & trusted platform
- Large customer-base
CONS
- Can’t sell digital planners
- Requires fees per item and percentage of sales price
- Competitive marketplace
If you plan on selling physical copies of your planner, Amazon is another great option. The main benefit of Amazon is that it’s a well-known and trusted platform. People are used to buying things on Amazon, so they’ll be more likely to purchase a planner from you if they see it listed on Amazon. It’s also a very user-friendly platform, so you won’t have any trouble getting started.
One of the major benefits of selling on Amazon is that they handle a lot of the logistics for you. They’ll take care of the payments, shipping, and customer service so you can focus on creating and selling your planners. It’s a huge burden lifted off of your shoulders, and it can make selling planners a lot less stressful.
Another benefit of Amazon is that it has a huge audience. Millions of people use Amazon every day, so you’ll have a much larger potential customer base if you sell on Amazon. People love and trust Amazon, so selling on the platform can help you build trust with potential customers.
While Amazon is a great platform, there are a few downsides to selling on the site. The first is that you’ll have to pay fees to sell on Amazon. These fees can range from $0.99 to $3.99 per item, and you’ll also have to pay a percentage of the sale price. These fees can add up, so you’ll need to take them into consideration when pricing your planners.
The other downside of Amazon is that it’s a very competitive marketplace. There are millions of products listed on Amazon, so you’ll need to work hard to make your listing stand out. You’ll need to optimize your listing and use keywords so that people can find your planner when they’re searching on Amazon. You’ll also need to be competitive on price since people can easily compare the prices of different sellers. This can be a challenge if you’re just starting out, but it’s something you’ll need to consider if you want to sell on Amazon.
2. E-Commerce Site Builders
If you want to have a little more control over your products and your shop overall, you may want to step away from online marketplaces and develop your own store.
An ecommerce website builder is a platform that helps you build an online store designed to be customizable and intuitive, often using the simplicity of a drag and drop builder. This makes it a great option for those who want the uniqueness of having their own website, but want to avoid the maintenance and technicalities of building a website from scratch.
A good ecommerce website builder can help you tackle the hassles of running an online shop and get you set up with a functional online store quickly. That way, you can impress customers and start making sales right away!
Let’s dive into the ecommerce site that we recommend for selling planners online:
SHOPIFY
PROS
- Easy to set-up
- Easy to use
- A lot of built in features
CONS
- Marketing falls on seller
- Monthly platform fee
Shopify is a great option for selling planners if you’re looking for a professional platform without the hassle of building and managing a website from scratch. The main benefit of Shopify is that it allows you to create a professional-looking online store. People will take your business more seriously if you have a well-designed store, and it can help you build trust with potential customers.
Another benefit of Shopify is that it’s easy to use. You can create a listing for your planner in just a few minutes, and there are plenty of resources available to help you get started. Shopify comes with a ton of features to help you run your business, and it’s easy to scale up as your business grows.
The main downside of Shopify is that you’ll have to do your own marketing to bring in traffic to your store. Shopify doesn’t have the same built-in audience that marketplaces, such as Etsy or Amazon, has, so you’ll need to put in some extra work to market your store and bring in potential customers.
Additionally, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee to use the platform, and you’ll also be charged transaction fees. These fees can cut into your profits, so you’ll need to take them into consideration when pricing your planners. Make sure you factor in all of the fees before you decide whether or not to use Shopify.
3. Build a Website
Another option for selling planners is to create your own website. This option gives you the most control over your business, but it also requires the most work.
The main benefit of having your own website is that you can build it exactly the way you want. You’re not limited by the features of a platform, so you can create a truly unique experience for your customers. Additionally, you’ll have full control over your marketing and can use any methods you want to bring in traffic to your site.
Most importantly, you’ll keep 100% of the profits from your sales since you’re not paying any fees to a platform. This option gives you the potential to make the most money, but it also has the highest startup costs. You’ll need to pay for hosting, a domain, and marketing, and you’ll also need to put in a lot of work to get your site up and running.
As for the downsides, the biggest one is that you’ll need to do everything yourself. You’ll be responsible for your own website design, hosting, security, updates, and marketing. This option is a lot of work, but it can be very rewarding if you’re willing to put in the effort.
If you’re serious about selling planners, then having your own website is one of the best options. It requires the most work, but it also gives you the most control over your business. You’ll be able to create a truly unique experience for your customers, and you’ll keep 100% of the profits from your sales.
WOOCOMMERCE
PROS
- Easy to set up
- Free to use – no monthly fees or transaction fees
- Utilize exisiting website to create online store
CONS
- Little to no support
- Need your own domain
- Responsible for your own security and updates
- Marketing falls on seller
WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to turn your WordPress site into an online store. It’s a great option for selling planners if you’re already using WordPress for your blog or website.
One benefit of WooCommerce is that it’s easy to set up and use. You can create a listing for your planner in just a few minutes, and there are plenty of resources available to help you get started.
Another benefit of WooCommerce is that it’s free to use. You won’t have to pay any monthly fees or transaction fees, so you can keep more of your profits. Additionally, WooCommerce is a great option if you’re just starting out since it has low startup costs.
The main downside of WooCommerce is that it doesn’t have the same level of support as a platform like Shopify. WooCommerce is a self-hosted solution, so you’ll need to find your own hosting and set up your own domain. Additionally, you’ll be responsible for your own security and updates. Marketing is also up to you, so you’ll need to put in some extra work to market your store and bring in potential customers.
Best Selling Platforms to Sell Planners Online
These are a few different options for selling planners, and the best one for you will depend on your needs and preferences. It’s important to consider all of the factors before you decide which option is best for you.
If you’re just starting out, Etsy or Amazon might be the best option since they have low startup costs. Shopify is another great option for those just starting out, but you’ll need to pay monthly fees and transaction fees.
If you’re looking for more control over your business, then creating your own website might be the best option for you. This option requires more work, but it also gives you the most control over your brand. You’ll be able to create a truly unique experience for your customers, and you’ll keep 100% of the profits from your sales.
No matter which option you choose, be sure to put in the work to market your business and bring in potential customers. The best way to sell planners is to create a great product and market it to the right audience!
Which platform do you think fits your needs best? Is their a site that you’re using now that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
