Sell Canva Templates on Etsy: A Simple Guide for Beginners

Are you familiar with Canva and enjoy using the app? Why don’t you turn your passion into income by sell Canva template on Etsy this year.

Plus, the Canva template is one of the HOT items that have high demand, which means a great opportunity to you to make some money.

The good news is, this business strategy is low in cost and you can basically do it from the comfort of your home!

All you need is some creativity and strategy to make it work.

Sound interesting?

Let’s dig right in!

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no cost to you.

Table of Contents

SELL CANVA TEMPLATES ON ETSY

How to sell canva templates on Etsy?

Selling Canva templates on Etsy can be a great way to monetize your design skills. Here are the steps to get started

1. Do proper Market Research and plan

  • Explore the Canva templates market on Etsy to identify popular categories and potential gaps in the market.
  • Determine your target audience and their specific needs. Consider their preferences, industries, and design styles.

This is the most important step of any type of business but especially in selling digital downloads such as the Canva template on Etsy.

Do not jump to Canva and copy the design you like from Etsy and start working. Trust me, I did that before it didn’t work and I waste lots of time.

Product market research involves searching for information on the product you are interested in, in this case, Canva templates.

If you google or search it on Etsy, you will get thousands or more suggestions and product listings on the Canva templates.

It’s too saturated.”

You might think… 

It’s saturated if you doing the exact same product in the market. 

To make yours stand out, it should be adding some value to what already exists or you provide a completely new template that is needed but not available in the market.

Make sense right?

But how to do this?

Be clear on what problem you are trying to solve with your Canva template

You can’t solve EVERYONE’S  problem. Pick a specific problem that you might help in providing the solution to.

For example, there are a lot of content creators, bloggers or even your family and friend who might have an interest in creating ebooks.

But, either they don’t have the time or creativity to create an interesting and attractive-looking ebook..

Well, guess what?

This is the gap. The demand.

You can solve their problem, by creating an ebook template where they can simply fill in the information to an existing template

A specific solution to a specific problem.

2. Who are you trying to help by selling Canva templates?

Again, a specific solution to a specific problem

Be clear about who is going to be your potential customer.

Know them. 

Is it a Business owner, school teacher, or content creator?

By describing your ideal customer, you’ll able to cater to what they really want. And really providing solutions to them.

This will help you design the best theme based on your potential customer

If you are targeting a younger, vibrant customer with your product, you can create a more colourful theme with a more fun design. Similarly, if you are targeting corporate-type of customers for more professional purposes, a sleek and minimal design will be more appropriate

Here are some potential customers you can target for your Canva template

Based on the requirement needed, design specific templates that are editable for their future use.

Potential customers

  • Content creators: YouTubers, Tik Tokers, Instagram influencers
  • Fellow bloggers
  • Freelancer 
  • VA
  • Writers: Ghostwriter, Content writer
  • Online Coaches
  • Tutor or teachers
  • Air BnB owner
  • Small business
  • Restaurant owner

Tips: Go where these people hang out online. It can be a specific forum, a general forum like Quora or even a Facebook group to find the problem, or issue they are facing that can be overcome by your Canva template

You might think,

I don’t think these people want to buy my templates. It’s too simple and other people have done it too.”

Don’t listen to your inner critics. 

Just look at the problem and create a potential solution. You might be surprised how much your template is needed. Because people want to move forward, FAST. and one way to do it is by outsourcing the work. The Canva template you created will come in handy. Provided, you really answer their problem

3. Draft your Canva template design

Once you are more clear about your target product and customer, its time to draft the design

Since Canva has endless options for design, it is easy to get stuck and spend a lot of time deciding on what works best.

So ideally, I suggest drafting the framework of your design on a piece of paper or any idea book you have

Tips: Having an idea book is a great way to store all your creative idea without forgetting about them. Toss any idea in that notebook)

It doesn’t have to be perfect, but just enough for you to get an idea of what element you want in your Canva template.

4. Sign up for Canva

Now you know specifically what to do, log in to Canva

If you still haven’t signed up, you can do so.

You can use Canva free or better, sign up for a pro account as there are more options for graphic and stock photos and have up to 1TB cloud storage!

Sign up Canva here and start creating your design now.

5. Create High-Quality Canva Templates to Sell:

  • Use Canva (+ other design tools) to create visually appealing and professional templates.
  • Ensure that your templates are easy to customize, with editable text, colours, and images.
  • Include a variety of designs within each template set to cater to different preferences.

Once you are in Canva, it’s easy to lose focus and spend hours not getting it right (Been there, done that)

Stick to what you have decided earlier in the drafting process. However, you might have idea expansion as you work on your templates.

It happens all the time.

If you are still targeting the same group of people with the same theme, you can do so. In fact, by batching your work like this, will save you lots of time

6. Share the Canva link to be used as a template

Now you have the product ready, its time to let the world know about your product

7. Set Up Your Etsy Shop to sell Canva Templates:

  • Sign up for an Etsy seller account if you don’t have one already.
  • Choose a memorable shop name that reflects your brand and niche.
  • Customize your shop’s appearance, including a banner, logo, and shop description.
  • Set up payment methods and determine your pricing strategy.

If you are about to start your Etsy store, get 40 FREE listings, yes free by clicking this link!

8. Create the best product image for Etsy

The thing with an online business platform of e-commerce is that you have to buy it based on how you view the product

The more attractive the product is, the higher the chances people will buy it

So create the BEST product image for ETSY

Highlight its best features, and why they need to purchase your template.

You can use Photoshop or even Canva to create the cover image. Make sure the size guide is provided along with the product image.

9. Create Compelling Product Listings

  • Write engaging and descriptive titles for each template listing.
  • Provide clear and concise descriptions, highlighting the features and benefits of your templates.
  • Include high-quality images or previews showcasing the template designs.
  • Use relevant tags and keywords to optimize your listings for search visibility.

Product listing is equally important as the keysearch part you did earlier on. You can’t just simply list your product and write a random keyword on the product listing

You need to use the keyword that people actually use to search for the product

Go to your top competitor and see how they advertise their product and learn from the best. Do not copy and paste exactly what they do.

Adapt and modify. Be creative

10. Upload and Deliver Your Templates

  • Prepare your template files in a format that can be easily downloaded, such as PDF or Canva links.
  • Create a downloadable file or set up a file delivery system using Etsy’s built-in digital download feature or a third-party service.
  • Make sure to include instructions on how to access and customize the templates.

11. Promote Your Shop

  • Market your Canva templates through social media platforms, design communities, and relevant online forums.
  • Create engaging content related to your templates, such as tutorials, design tips, or freebies, to attract potential customers.
  • Collaborate with influencers or bloggers in your niche to reach a wider audience.

There is no use if you have created such a good product but people don’t know about it

So promotion is important.

Similar to physical products, the promotion will help greatly with your product exposure.

You can do personal promotion using your social media, or use advertising services such as Facebook ads

It all depends on your products, budget and how fast you want to scale up your business

As a start, I suggest keeping the cost minimal and using social media platforms to promote your Canva template

Another thing that helps me greatly with my product is to go to a specific Facebook group/ community of my target customer and promote my product over there.

There are quite a few ways to promote your product. But if you are just starting, promoting it to your friends and family is a good start

12. Establish Strong Customer Support

  • Respond promptly and courteously to customer inquiries and messages.
  • Provide assistance or troubleshooting guidance if customers encounter issues with the templates.
  • Offer excellent customer service to build trust and positive reviews.

11. Monitor Performance and Iterate

  • Track your sales, customer feedback, and analytics to evaluate your shop’s performance.
  • Pay attention to customer reviews and feedback to improve your templates and customer experience.
  • Regularly update and expand your template offerings to cater to evolving trends and customer demands.

Once you have made your first sale, make sure to get feedback. Follow up with the customer and maybe ask them what you can improve on your product.

Remind them to give reviews on your Etsy store so it will help with the Etsy algorithm to notice 

By collecting feedback you can improve the next product you are creating based on the customer’s point of view.

Again, our aim is to provide the solution to the problem they are facing

Remember to familiarize yourself with Etsy’s policies, guidelines, and fees to ensure compliance and a smooth selling experience.

There you go, 11 simple steps to create your Canva template and start a digital product business on Etsy

My advice is don’t overthink this and just do what you can do best. Learn along the way and just start. Don’t wait until you learn EVERYTHING about Canva or Etsy.

Learn as you go and keep creating!

ETSY KEYWORD RESEARCH TOOL TO SELL CANVA TEMPLATES

To do proper market research, you need to use keyword research tools. There are a few keyword research tools available. Depending on your needs, budget and Canva template your want to create, you can select from the options I listed down here

1. Etsy Search Bar

If you are just started or have a limited budget, you can try using the Etsy search bar. Fill in the potential keyword you want to use for the item and evaluate the search item.

You can enter alphabetical order, for example, Canva template for content A.. B.. C and so on.Yes, some people might say that this trick is outdated and consume time.But, many people found a hidden gem or potential product to develop based on this method.

It is not practical in the long run since it is too time-consuming. But you can start off free so you got nothing to lose.

2. Keywords Everywhere

It’s a chrome extension and firefox add-on that will help you with keyword research.

You can use it for free for a limited time.

3. EverBee

EverBee is one of the best and most popular keyword tools used for Etsy. You can do product research on trending or high-demand products on Etsy. You also can see other listings’ revenue performance to see what type of products will give you high revenue.

The free version will only allow 10 searches per month. The paid version will give 30 to unlimited searches per month depending on the plan.

Sign up EverBee here to search for the best keyword for your Etsy store.

EverBee also has a chrome extension that you can download below:

4. EverBee Chrome Extension

5. Mangools or KWFinder

One of the best SEO tools with a lot of features that you can use to help improve your Etsy shop performance. Aside from keyword analysis, you also can do research on your competitors which will show you what is your competitors’ best keywords that they rank for.

Mangool or KWfinder keywords tool also allows you to search location-specific-longtail-keywords if you would like to market and focus on a specific location.

You can try to use their keyword tool below:

Pricing starts from USD 29.90 up to USD 89.90 per month depending on the plans and features.

Sign up Mangools / KWFinder here to search for the best keyword for your Etsy store.

6. Keysearch

Keysearch’s keyword research tool is more specific for Google Search, Amazon and Youtube. But you also can use it to research trending digital templates on Google and Amazon as well as the best keywords to improve your market on Etsy shop.

You can start with a free trial for one month and then the price will start at USD 17 / per month

Sign up Keysearch here to search for the best keyword for your Etsy store.

7. Marmalead

Pros: Comprehensive Etsy SEO tool, includes keyword research, listing analysis, and competition tracking. Provides data on engagement and trends. Offers a “Shop Health” feature to evaluate shop performance.

Cons: Can be overwhelming for beginners. Some features are only available in higher-priced plans.

Fees: Offers a free trial. Pricing plans start at $19/month.

8. eRank

Pros: Offers keyword research, listing optimization, competition analysis, and sales tracking. Provides data on trending keywords, tags, and shop performance metrics. Includes a browser extension for quick insights.

Cons: Interface can be complex for beginners. Some advanced features require higher-priced plans.

Fees: Offers a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $5.99/month.

9. Erank Checker

Pros: Helps track keyword rankings and monitor listing performance. Provides data on keyword trends, competition, and category analysis. Offers a user-friendly interface.

Cons: Limited features compared to other tools. Focuses primarily on keyword tracking and ranking.

Fees: Offers a free plan with limited features. Premium plans start at $9.99/month.

10. Keyword Tool for Etsy:

Pros: Generates keyword suggestions based on Etsy search queries. Provides search volume data, competition analysis, and long-tail keyword recommendations. Offers a user-friendly interface.

Cons: Limited features compared to other tools. Lacks in-depth data and analytics.

Fees: Offers a free plan with limited features. Premium plans start at $10/month.

11. Etsyrank

Pros: Offers keyword research, listing analysis, and competition tracking. Provides data on trending keywords, tag suggestions, and shop performance metrics. Includes a browser extension for quick insights.

Cons: Some advanced features require higher-priced plans. The interface can be overwhelming for beginners.

Fees: Offers a free plan with limited features. Premium plans start at $15/month.

12. EtsyRank (previously Etsy On Sale):

Pros: Offers keyword research, listing optimization, and competitor analysis. Provides data on keyword trends, tag suggestions, and listing grades. Includes a browser extension for quick insights.

Cons: Some features are limited to higher-priced plans. The interface can be confusing initially.

Fees: Offers a free plan with limited features. Premium plans start at $7.99/month.

It’s important to note that fees, features, and available plans may vary over time, so it’s recommended to visit each tool’s website for the most up-to-date information. Additionally, user preferences and needs may vary, so exploring multiple tools and utilizing free trials or free plans can help determine the best fit for your specific requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Create and Sell Canva Template on Etsy

Q: What is a Canva template?

A: A Canva template is a pre-designed layout created using the Canva design tool. It serves as a starting point for users to customize and create their own designs by editing text, colors, images, and other elements.

Q: Can I sell Canva templates on Etsy?

A: Yes, you can sell Canva templates on Etsy. Many designers and entrepreneurs have found success by offering Canva templates for various purposes on the platform.

Q: How do I create Canva templates to sell on Etsy?

A: To create Canva templates for Etsy, follow these steps:

  1. Sign up for a Canva account or log in if you already have one.
  2. Identify your target audience and the type of templates you want to create.
  3. Use Canva’s drag-and-drop interface to design attractive and customizable templates.
  4. Include placeholders for text, images, and other elements that customers can easily edit.
  5. Ensure that your templates are properly organized and easy to navigate for customers.
  6. Save your templates as Canva templates or export them in a format suitable for customer use (e.g., PDF).

Q: What type of Canva templates should I create for Etsy?

A: The types of Canva templates you can create for Etsy are vast, but some popular categories include social media graphics, business presentations, wedding invitations, blog post designs, resumes, planners, and e-commerce product templates. Researching and understanding your target audience will help you determine the templates that will sell well.

Q: How do I price my Canva templates on Etsy?

A: Pricing your Canva templates can depend on various factors such as the complexity of the design, the number of templates included in a set, the value you provide, and the market demand. Research similar templates on Etsy to get an idea of the price range and consider the time and effort you put into creating the templates.

Q: Can I use stock images in my Canva templates?

A: Yes, you can use stock images in your Canva templates, but it’s important to ensure that you have the appropriate license or permission to use those images commercially. Avoid using copyrighted or watermarked images without proper authorization.

Q: Should I offer instructions or tutorials with my Canva templates?

A: Providing instructions or tutorials can be beneficial for customers who may be new to using Canva or your specific templates. Clear and concise instructions can help customers understand how to customize the templates and get the most out of them.

Q: How can I promote my Canva templates on Etsy?

A: To promote your Canva templates on Etsy, consider the following strategies:

  • Optimize your Etsy listing titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords.
  • Use high-quality images or previews to showcase your templates.
  • Leverage social media platforms, design communities, and relevant blogs to reach your target audience.
  • Collaborate with influencers or bloggers in your niche to gain exposure.
  • Offer freebies or sample templates to attract potential customers and build trust.

Remember, these answers serve as general guidance, and it’s essential to adapt them to your specific circumstances. Etsy’s policies and guidelines may change, so it’s advisable to review the platform’s requirements and recommendations regularly.

Q: What is Canva?

A: Canva is a free online design tool that will help users create digital designs easily. By using Canva, users can create posters, flyers, and slideshow to name a few. 

You don’t have to be an expert when using Canva because the element used is just drag and drop.

Q: Should I buy the Pro Account?

A: The free Canva has provided elements that I think are enough for the beginner to get started. However, the free version does have limitations on elements that you can use.

The pro account allows you to have an unlimited element that will separate your design from the FREE version

But, if your customers don’t own a PRO account, they might get the watermark at the background of the element.

So, to be safe for the editable Canva template you design, use the free version so it will be accessible to ALL 

Q: What is the cost of starting Canva template business

A: If you are using the free Canva, ZERO COST is needed to start the Canva template business

But, if you are selling it on an online platform such as Etsy, there are some fees imposed on each listing

To know more about the listing fees, you can read this post

But! I have got this 40 FREE ETSY LISTING if you are just about to start your Etsy store. Check it out!

Q: How much money I can make creating Canva template

A: As a beginner probably around 5-100

If one Canva template you created costs between 5-10, selling 10 of it will already get you 50-100 USD in a month

And this is just the start

With zero to low cost to start the Canva template business, and you can sell it for like literary FOREVER, it is not bad to get 100USD in a month

For the first few months, just get familiar with Canva and Etsy and you can see the possibility of getting thousands and millions of dollars just by selling Canva template

Q: Where to sell the Canva template besides Etsy?

If you don’t want to spend on listing fees, you can start selling it on your social media platform. But, bear in mind this could limit the potential customer that is out of your reach. But this is a good start to sell it for free

The Pinterest platform is another good free strategy to promote your Canva template. Create a pin related to your Canva template 

Blog

If you own a blog, that is a GOOD start to sell it for free. And it will help boost your branding. And it will help with your blog traffic. More WIN to you!

Shopify

Q: Is selling Canva templates saturated in Etsy

YES if you selling the same thing over and over again

Research the market, and improvise the existing template to sell on Etsy. You will increase your chances of getting noticed if you are providing a good template, a nice design and a clear product description on the listing

Q: What other design program i can use other than canva?

You can use Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Figma, Notion to name a few

Identify which platform that you are familiar with so it will lessen the resistance to creating the product

SELL CANVA TEMPLATE ON ETSY

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