38. Do I Need to Order Samples Before Selling a Print-on-Demand Product? | Etsy Tips for Sellers

In today's episode, I'm answering the question, do I need to order samples before selling a print-on-demand product? And my answer is no.

I don't think you need to order a sample before you start selling a print on demand product.

And I know that might not be the advice you hear from others.

A lot of people will tell you that you should absolutely always order a sample first.

And listen, if you can order one, great.

I'm not saying not to order one.

there are absolutely benefits to having the product in your hands.

You can see the actual print quality.

You can get a better sense of the size and weight of the item.

You can feel the material.

You can see how the product is packaged and what the unboxing experience is like.

And you may notice little details that are hard to pick up from a mock-up or product description.

Another really big benefit is that you can use that sample to create your own photos and videos if you want.

You can take lifestyle photos of the actual product and show the size and details more accurately.

And I especially like it for that second video slot.

Not the one people can see from the search page, the one that lives inside your listing.

Here, you could put a more raw, unedited video of someone holding or using it, and then use that exact same video in every single listing for that product type.

So yes, samples can be really useful, but I still don't think they need to be a requirement before you list a product.

In today's episode, I'm answering the question, do I need to order samples before selling a print-on-demand product? And my answer is no.

I don't think you need to order a sample before you start selling a print on demand product.

And I know that might not be the advice you hear from others.

A lot of people will tell you that you should absolutely always order a sample first.

And listen, if you can order one, great.

I'm not saying not to order one.

there are absolutely benefits to having the product in your hands.

You can see the actual print quality.

You can get a better sense of the size and weight of the item.

You can feel the material.

You can see how the product is packaged and what the unboxing experience is like.

And you may notice little details that are hard to pick up from a mock-up or product description.

Another really big benefit is that you can use that sample to create your own photos and videos if you want.

You can take lifestyle photos of the actual product and show the size and details more accurately.

And I especially like it for that second video slot.

Not the one people can see from the search page, the one that lives inside your listing.

Here, you could put a more raw, unedited video of someone holding or using it, and then use that exact same video in every single listing for that product type.

So yes, samples can be really useful, but I still don't think they need to be a requirement before you list a product.