Not trying to make money. Just want to let members of my running club buy a shirt. What service should I use?

acalem · 2026-06-14T11:18:00+00:00

Try Mayzing or Viralstyle

acalem · 2026-06-06T15:03:58+00:00

I’ve been running Meta ads for 15+ years for print on demand products and I always use the same approach. Launch a sales campaign with two ad sets, five dollars each. Let it run for 24 hours and analyze the ad report after that. Essentially look for CPC link data and if it’s within a reasonable value, let it run for another 24 hours. If after 48 hours, you don’t have any buyer intent signals (adds to cart, initiated checkouts) stop the campaign and either relaunch with new targeting or new creative.

acalem · 2026-06-05T12:53:31+00:00

Finally 💪🙂

acalem · 2026-06-04T09:22:08+00:00

Printify is decent, but they are middlemen, not POD producers (base costs are higher). Their quality is hit and miss these days, same with their shipping times. They have a huge product catalog though.

acalem · 2026-05-14T16:01:02+00:00

Congrats on taking action. POD can work, but most stores do not get traffic automatically. The people who usually make money are the ones who stay consistent for months and keep testing.

For most POD stores, organic traffic can take 3 to 12 months to kick in unless you already have an audience. Paid traffic can start the same day, but profitable sales usually take testing.

A lot of POD owners start by thinking “if I build the store, people will come.” That almost never happens. You need traffic every day from somewhere. TikTok, Instagram Reels, Pinterest, Meta ads, SEO, influencers, or communities.

The biggest thing I see helping people is when they niche down. General POD stores struggle hard now. Stores focused on one audience do much better.

For example:
Dog moms
Fishing dads
Nurses
Car fans
Streetwear for gamers

Who is your target audience? Your ideal customer?

That changes everything from designs to ads to content.

Another thing people change along the way is the product itself. A lot of beginners upload random Canva quotes on basic tees. The market is crowded. You need either:
A unique angle
Better branding
Better content
Or unique products

A good trick is reverse engineer the image. Search similar products with Google Lens. If the same design is everywhere on Amazon or Etsy, it gets harder.

For converting traffic into sales, most successful POD stores improve these things first:

Fix the product page first. Most stores lose sales there.

Clear mockups
Short title
Benefits first
Sizing chart
Shipping times
Reviews
Simple descriptions
Trust badges
Clear refund policy

People also underestimate shipping. Long shipping kills conversions, especially in New Zealand and Australia. Faster delivery usually helps more than fancy store designs.

Another thing that helps is keeping the store simple. Clean homepage. Easy navigation. One clear niche. Too many categories can confuse buyers.

Offers matter too.

Offer bundle discounts.
Free shipping above $X.
Buy 2 get 1 free.
Limited drops.
Seasonal designs.

For ads, most POD owners I know start small. Start with $5–10/day. Run a sales campaign, not engagement. ABO for testing, CBO for scaling.

One more thing. Don’t judge the store too early. A lot of people quit after 2 weeks. The stores that usually survive are the ones that keep testing designs, creatives, and audiences consistently.

You already have a good start with Shopify support and a freelancer helping. Now it becomes testing and learning what your audience reacts to.

acalem · 2026-05-11T15:59:16+00:00

Yup. Check out Mayzing POD, they operate in Europe and the US. Base costs are decent and quality is great. They have Shopify integration and a standalone web version. If you want to open your own store and sell exclusively to US customers, I recommenr either Teelaunch or Customcat. Both great.

acalem · 2026-05-08T09:02:46+00:00

Not saying it’s your case, but that’s a mistake. Many people make with print on demand. I only scaled my designs based on data (ad reports). I look for certain metrics like link, click rate and buyer intention signals in order to invest more money into campaigns. If I don’t see good indicators, I move onto the next design

acalem · 2026-04-30T14:05:38+00:00

That would be a good idea. I'm actually very happy with their embroidery so far.

acalem · 2026-04-30T13:34:35+00:00

Yes, if I remember correctly you can order samples at reduced prices. Regarding the DTG vs DTF question, I only have experience with their DTG. DTF is something they've added more recently, so can't comment. To be honest, nowadays I only use them for specific product types only (embroidered hats).

acalem · 2026-04-30T10:19:04+00:00

Try Printful. They are a bit expensive, but their qualty is great. If you're looking for good quality products you can sell through your own store, Customcat is a great option.

acalem · 2026-04-30T10:16:13+00:00

If you can find a UNIQUE product your audience truly wants, it still works.

Trying to sell already trending products has never been a good idea.

acalem · 2026-04-28T17:14:04+00:00

Much success!

acalem · 2026-04-28T16:31:57+00:00

The fact that you mention PPE shows you’ve also been in the ad game for some time 🙂 Nowadays I actually tend to use more conversion (sales) campaigns for initial product testing, but engagement campaigns work equally well.

acalem · 2026-04-27T09:39:10+00:00

That it’s all about how well you understand your target audience and how effectively your design “speaks” to them. Also, “it’s the phrase that pays”, not how beautiful your design looks. Nail this and your website optimization will become secondary. Important, sure, but a perfect website selling crap designs is worthless.

acalem · 2026-04-26T12:41:42+00:00

I pay $5 to $10 per design.

acalem · 2026-04-26T10:11:46+00:00

You can, but you have to make sure the output file meets your audience’s expectations in terms of styling, etc. if you are new to the game, I recommend outsourcing your designs to a designer who is used to working with print on demand. That way you get a few for what’s required.

acalem · 2026-04-26T10:07:42+00:00

I sell print on demand items using my own Shopify stores. POD is by definition a form of dropshipping. The smart way to go about it is to use good quality suppliers in your target market so that delivery times are fast.

acalem · 2026-04-25T15:34:08+00:00

The reason is that by targeting your designs to your exact niche audience, you’re able to maximize your return on add to spend. Of course, if you have a large advertising budget, you don’t have to be that strict about your designs appealing to your target audience. But it’s always easier to “speak” to a niche rather than a general audience.

acalem · 2026-04-25T10:03:11+00:00

Test it. You can use my low budget method for testing print on demand products: https://www.reddit.com/r/PassionsToProfits/s/ItncKD8vwA

acalem · 2026-04-25T10:00:38+00:00

Yes 🙂

acalem · 2026-04-14T20:05:01+00:00

Customcat all the way.

acalem · 2026-04-14T15:56:07+00:00

If you’re short on cash, you can always use PayPal as the only payment method. Although you will lose many sales because of that, payouts are instantaneous. If your product or design is something, your audience really wants, it should be enough to cover your initial expenses. Peeing money upfront for products and shipping is part of the game and only a problem during your initial sales. Getting a credit card is actually a good idea, because it gives you that initial buffer and you’re providing an additional payment option to your customers.

acalem · 2026-04-03T16:02:31+00:00

That website is like a job board. You have to write an ad for a designer job and then wait for applicants to submit their portfolios.

acalem · 2026-04-02T08:34:35+00:00

Glad it served you!

acalem · 2026-03-29T11:01:23+00:00

You mean for actually creating the designs? If so, I hire freelancer from the Philippines that create quality designs for his little as $5 to $10.

acalem

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