Etsy is a popular e-commerce platform for handmade, vintage, and customized products, and it can be a great way for creators to sell their items and make a living. However, it can be tough to break into a crowded market, especially if you’re just starting out or if you’re in a highly competitive niche.
One way to increase your chances of success on Etsy is to find a low-competition niche. This means that there are fewer sellers offering similar products, which means that there is less competition for customers and potentially more sales for you.
Whenever I find YouTube videos about this topic or other blog posts, they talk about using and purchasing tools. My intention with this blog is that I can show you some FREE ways to find low-competition niches so that you can make more Etsy sales without spending even more money.
These tips do require a little more leg-work, but if you find some good niches, you’ll be well on your way to making more sales.
Research trends and see if there are gaps
Etsy has a section called “Trending Items” where you can see what products are popular right now. Look for trends that are relevant to your skills and interests, and see if there are any gaps in the market.
For example, if you see that personalized wedding gifts are trending, but there aren’t many options available, that could be a good niche for you to explore.
Looking at Etsy right before the holidays, you can see that these personalized birth flower gifts are trending, but also look at what you don’t see. It could be birth month gifts for pets, children, your housekeeping crew, or your favorite teacher. OR, you can try working with a different product (I got into a little more detail on this below). The point is… the possibilities are ENDLESS!
As you can see here, really popular gifts right now are these birth month flower items. Either jewellery or jewellery holders, but we can dig a little deeper to see where there might be a market in this popular area.
If you’re just looking at what’s popular and selling right now, one of the first suggestions is birth flower necklaces. There are over 22,000 search results, which would make getting onto the first page and breaking out into this niche very difficult.
So one good way of getting into this niche without soooo much competition is to find other items that aren’t as big, but still show up in searches, such as “birth month flower sweatshirts”. This is a much easier avenue to get into because there are only 3,000 search results.
Look at underrepresented niches and groups
Another way to find low-competition niches is to look for groups or communities that are underrepresented or underserved on Etsy. For example, if you’re a member of a marginalized community, you may be able to find a niche that caters to the needs and interests of that community.
For example, if you’re an avid gardener, you could try selling specialized gardening tools or products that cater to a specific type of gardening, such as indoor plants or organic gardening.
Or you’re a writer and author who took part in NaNoWriMo but can’t find anything to wear to showcase your pride, you might want to look into starting a section on your Etsy store specifically for authors and writers.
You can find TONS of niches just by looking into your own hobbies, career, and other interests, seeing what the search results are, doing some keyword research, and advertising through the proper channels.
Use keywords to find low-competition niches
One of the most effective ways to find low-competition niches on Etsy is to use keywords. Start by brainstorming a list of keywords that are relevant to your skills and interests, and then use these keywords to search for products on Etsy. Look for keywords that have low competition but still have a decent amount of search volume, as this could indicate a potentially profitable niche.
Consider seasonal products vs. evergreen
Finally, it’s important to consider the seasonality of your products when choosing a niche. Some niches, such as holiday decor or winter clothing, are only popular at certain times of the year and maybe even only in certain geographical areas (it’ll be a little difficult to sell personalized snow pants to someone in Florida).
If you can find a low-competition niche that is relevant all year round, you may have a better chance of making consistent sales, and then add a few seasonal items to your shop to spike sales during the holidays.
I hope these tips help you find some low-competition niches to help you grow your Etsy shop and get more sales! Good luck with your business, and happy selling!