How to start an online business with Printful

Resources

Guides

Store setup checklist

billing <\/a> works at Printful."},{"key":"shipping_settings","title":"Select a shipping method on Printful","text":"Let us know what shipping method you want for your orders. You can do that by going to your Dashboard > Stores > Edit > Shipping<\/em>.<\/span>"},{"key":"fulfillment_settings","title":"Set up fulfillment preferences on Printful","text":"Your orders can be either imported to Printful and fulfilled automatically or imported as drafts. Importing drafts means you\u2019ll manually have to confirm each order to continue with fulfillment."},{"key":"sync_products","title":"Push products to the store","text":"There are two ways you can sync products with your ecommerce platform and push them to your storefront: 1. The Product Push Generator (available with most Printful integrations). Go to Stores > Add<\/em> and complete each step. 2. Manual Sync. First, add a product to your storefront, then head to your Printful Dashboard > Stores > Sync<\/em> and hit Refresh data<\/em>. The products on your store will show up on Printful. There you can edit each product, select variants, and upload your graphics.<\/span>"}]},"legal":{"title":"Legal","subtitle":"Let\u2019s sort out the legal side of running a business.","image":"https:\/\/static.cdn.printful.com\/static\/v876\/images\/checklist\/checklist-legal.svg","alt":"legal","altEditButton":"","items":[{"key":"register-your-business","title":"Register your business","text":"Consult a professional to make sure that your store follows all the necessary business laws. Here\u2019s a beginner <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//blog//how-to-start-a-business-in-usa/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">guide<\/a> on how to do it.<\/p><\/span>"},{"key":"tax_obligations","title":"Consult a tax professional","text":"We charge a sales tax, but the exact rate and the way it\u2019s calculated depend on your location, so make sure to read more about it in <a href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////help.printful.com//hc//en-us//articles//360014009780-How-is-sales-tax-calculated/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our article<\/a>. We also charge <a href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////help.printful.com//hc//en-us//sections//360004130499-VAT/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VAT<\/a> (value-added tax) on products sold in the European Union. We can\u2019t offer legal advice on taxes, so please consult a tax professional to find out what taxes to set up for your store and read Printful\u2019s <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//policies//terms-of-service/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tax policies<\/a>.<\/p><\/span>"},{"key":"submit-tax-information-to-printful","title":"Submit legal and tax information to Printful","text":"Head to Dashboard > Billing > <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//dashboard//billing//legal-info/">Legal info<\/a><\/em> and add your legal info to make sure your invoices are valid. Then, add your tax information and certificates.<\/p><\/span>"}]},"marketing":{"title":"Marketing","subtitle":"Now it\u2019s time to roll up your sleeves and do some marketing magic to get your first order and keep them coming in.","image":"https:\/\/static.cdn.printful.com\/static\/v876\/images\/checklist\/checklist-marketing.svg","alt":"marketing","altEditButton":"","items":[{"key":"be-your-own-pr-specialist","title":"Be your own PR specialist","text":"Spread the word about your brand with your friends, family, coworkers, and other people you meet, and invite them to check out your store and social media. Remember to be authentic and try not to be too pushy. Give people a reason to share your story!<\/p>\nFor tips on how to successfully create and carry out your product marketing strategy, check out our<a href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////www.printful.com//academy//marketing//product-marketing-101/"> in-depth video course<\/a>.<\/p><\/span>"},{"key":"make-your-online-store-easy","title":"Make your online store easy on the eyes","text":"You only have one chance to make a good first impression when a shopper lands on your store, so use it wisely. A <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//blog//how-to-design-a-professional-online-store/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mobile-friendly, easy-to-use, and visually consistent website<\/a> will help you make that good first impression. Choose a theme that reflects your brand and tell your brand story on your <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//academy//lessons//how-to-write-an-effective-about-us-page/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">About us<\/a> page.<\/p>\nTo help you create a good-looking online storefront, we built a <a href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////printful-demo-store.myshopify.com///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">demo store<\/a>. Check out how you can display your products, organize your catalog into different categories, and more. Take a look, get inspired, and steal a couple of good ideas!<\/p><\/span>"},{"key":"set-up-social-media-accounts","title":"Set up social media accounts","text":"A strong social media presence will drive traffic to your store and increase sales. Depending on your customer demographic, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are all great platforms to explore. Instagram is particularly useful for showing off your designs, because it\u2019s meant for marketing visually appealing products. Feel free to use <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//production-footage/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">these production and behind-the-scenes photos and videos<\/a> in your marketing campaigns to show your customers how your products are made.<\/p>\nIf you ever need inspiration and ideas for your social media channels, be sure to follow <a href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//printful///">Printful on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p><\/span>"},{"key":"work-on-getting-your-first-review","title":"Work on getting your first review","text":"Product reviews in ecommerce add invaluable social proof and help build brand trust. Read our blog to find out <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//blog//how-to-get-more-product-reviews/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how to get product reviews<\/a> and manage <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//blog//how-to-handle-bad-reviews///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the bad ones<\/a> (yep, it happens).<\/p><\/span>"},{"key":"motivate-customers-to-buy","title":"Motivate customers to buy","text":"Offering customers free returns, worldwide shipping, and discount codes are just some of the ways of <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//academy//lessons//10-sales-psychology-tricks-to-increase-conversions/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">driving more sales<\/a>.<\/p><\/span>"},{"key":"encourage-user-generated-content","title":"Encourage user-generated content","text":"UGC is any type of content created by your customers. From social media posts to testimonials and comments, UGC will provide extra social proof reassuring potential customers that it\u2019s a good idea to buy from you."},{"key":"experiment-with-advertising","title":"Experiment with low-budget advertising strategies, like:","text":"1. Creating a referral program 2. Collaborating with influencers by giving them free products in exchange of content related to your product 3. Posting in communities where people talk about issues your product can solve (Quora, Reddit, Facebook groups) 4. Giveaways on social media platforms<\/span>"},{"key":"custom_branding","title":"Customize packing slips and shipping labels on Printful","text":"Add a short message (or discount code) for your customers on your packing slip that\u2019s sent with every order, and upload your logo for the shipping label. Go to your Dashboard > Settings > <a href=https://www.printful.com/"//dashboard//settings//store-defaults/">Stores > Branding<\/em>.<\/p><\/span>"},{"key":"use-free-advertising-tools","title":"Use free advertising tools","text":"There are countless free advertising options at your fingertips. Check out our list of <a href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////www.printful.com//resources//ecommerce-marketing-tools/"> ecommerce marketing tools <\/a> that will help you grow your business!"},{"key":"measure-the-success","title":"Measure the success of your marketing strategies","text":"Tools like Google Analytics, session recording tools (like <a target=\"_blank\" href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////www.hotjar.com/" rel=\"noopener\">Hotjar<\/a> or <a target=\"_blank\" href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////www.crazyegg.com///" rel=\"noopener\">Crazyegg<\/a>), and A\/B testing tools (<a target=\"_blank\" href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////vwo.com/" rel=\"noopener\">VWO<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" href=https://www.printful.com/"https:////www.optimizely.com/" rel=\"noopener\">Optimizely<\/a>) are among some of the most popular.<\/span>"}]}}" :all-checkable-items="["find-your-niche","do-a-competitor-analysis","printfile_guidelines","learn-about-our-printing-techniques","create-your-design","create-products-for-future-use","order_samples","choose-pricing-strategy","choose-a-memorable-store-name","buy-a-domain","create-a-logo","choose-platform-or-marketplace","payment_processor","set-up-shipping","return_policy","customs_disclaimer","place_test_order","payment_method","shipping_settings","fulfillment_settings","sync_products","register-your-business","tax_obligations","submit-tax-information-to-printful","be-your-own-pr-specialist","make-your-online-store-easy","set-up-social-media-accounts","work-on-getting-your-first-review","motivate-customers-to-buy","encourage-user-generated-content","experiment-with-advertising","custom_branding","use-free-advertising-tools","measure-the-success"]" :marked-checklist-items="[]" :checklist-on-site-ads="{"research":[],"creating-products":[],"branding":[],"store-setup":[],"printful-setup":[],"legal":[],"marketing":[]}" :is-english="true" :is-japanese="false">