How to become a successful Marketplace designer at Spreadshirt

What do Neo Rauch and spreadshirt Marketplace designers have in common? Correct, they both create artwork and offer them up for sale! Given, the commissions on the Marketplace don’t usually rake in $1 million of Brad Pitt’s money, but rather “only” $1.95 on average. But don’t give up on the Marketplace just yet: compared to Rauch’s work, these designs can be sold more than once, namely 7,832 times (the current record holder “I heart” design). That’s how the top 100 Marketplace designers are still able to earn an average of $180.97 per month. Take that Neo!

But how can you make it into the top 100 of the spreadshirt Marketplace?

Rule number one: keep it simple! Take a look at the bestselling designs in our T-Shirt Designer, for example. You quickly realize that the designs are kept very simple and are only one or two colors. That certainly makes sense, as many of our customers also end up writing some text on their shirt and use the designs to compliment their statement or even complete it. Products which only have one design on them are less common (29%).

Bestselling Designs

Current events are also a factor of success. Successful designers react quickly and creatively to current events (take Michael Jackson’s death as an example) and also create designs in preparation for large events (various sport championships) – be careful about copyright in these cases. You can also take into account our customers’ general wishes as they enter search terms into our designer.

Here are the most searched-for terms from 2009 to yesterday for the US:

1. heart
2. twilight
3. peace
4. wings
5. star
6. skull
7. music
8. crown
9. love
10. football

Another well-known Marketplace designer secret is that success often is found in niche designs which convert better sales as the usual blockbusters. These niches can focus on things like extraordinary animals, obscure sports or unheard-of cities. A good indicator for empty niches can be the often searched for terms which end up with 0 results:

1. s
2. yearbook
3. ?
4. 2013
5. bunco
6. sophomore
7. $
8. freshmen
9. 70’s
10. bearcat

A further success factor is, of course, the price. Too high, and no one buys it. Too low, and you earn peanuts. Here are a few numbers to help you out here:

• Average commission for sold designs (average): $1.95
• Average commission for sold designs (median): $2.00
• Highest paid commission for one design: $20.00

Well, I hope that leaves only the following question left to be unanswered: why don’t we have Neo Rauch’s paintings on the Marketplace yet?

If you guys have any further questions about stats, the Marketplace or the price of rice in China, please feel free to use the handy comment box below.