5 TpT Store Mistakes to Avoid

So, you’re going to start your Teachers Pay Teachers store?! YAY! I couldn’t be more excited for you. One of the best reasons to start your own TPT store is to make passive money using skills you already have as a teacher.

There’s a few mistakes I made while creating my own TPT store and I don’t want you to make the mistakes I did! Keep on reading because I’m going to break them all down for you and what to do instead!

Mistake #1: Not niching your TPT store down

I’m sure you’ve suffered from shiny object syndrome before. I know I have! You might see a cool resource and want to make something similar to it. The best thing you can do when you start your TPT store is to niche down. What do I mean by niching down? Picking a niche for your TPT store simply means a subject area that you are passionate about and can consistently create amazing resources for. So, let’s say you love teaching math, then your TPT store niche needs to be creating math resources. Is it okay to sometimes do resources outside of your niche? Absolutely. In the beginning, niching down helps you get known for something from teachers who are looking for your products. As they say “The riches are in the niches!”

Use your TPT store niche to get creative with your products

Use your niche to get creative and make products you're passionate about.

TPT store covers should use have continuity

Mistake # 2: Having different covers for your products

I made this mistake big time. When I first started my TPT store, I had all different covers with different fonts, colors, etc. I don’t want you to make that mistake. Part of niching down and getting noticed is having a look that’s consistent in your TPT store. I recommend using your brand palette and just a few colors and consistently use the same 1-2 fonts. I teach you how to do this and have a classy looking store inside of From Zero To Cha-Ching! If you’re not great with cover design, you can easily outsource this on TPT Facebook groups or UpWork. I had a cover made for me so I can easily use it on every product in my store.

Showing a preview of your TPT products allows customers to trust you

Mistake # 3: Not showing previews of your products

A few years ago it was trendy to put the word “PREVIEW” on the top of your product previews. It made sense at the time because everybody was doing it. What I’ve found is products sell better if a buyer can actually see what they’re going to get before they purchase. Just like going into a store to find the perfect pair of jeans. You’ll likely want to try them on before you spend your money. The only exception to the rule is something like my Tutoring Business Contract Template which was created by a lawyer. I have a preview on the top because this was a very expensive product to make. So, there are exceptions but for the most part you want your products to be uninhibited so your potential customer can see exactly what they’re going to get.

You're likely pricing your TPT products too low

Mistake #4: Pricing your products too low

Pricing products can be tricky but I can almost guarantee in the beginning you’re going to price your products too low. There’s not a formula you can follow but rather thinking about the time you’ve put into a product and the value you’re going to give your customers. I don’t recommend looking at similar products to price because then you’ll likely underprice your products. Stop overthinking the price and charge what your products are worth!

Blogging about your TPT products will increase sales over time

Mistake #5: You’re not blogging about your products

This is one of the biggest mistakes I made early on. I thought that just because I put my products on the TPT website they would magically sell. Of course, if you have the right SEO (search engine optimization) words, you might have sales. I teach an entire lesson on SEO inside of From Zero To Cha-Ching. After watching the lesson, one of my students, Tara, made a sale that day after she changed the title of her resource! Blogging about your products is going to help with their visibility. Start by finding the common problems your ideal customer has and use your product(s) as the solution to their problems. Blogging is a long game, so be patient and you’ll see an increase in sales over time.

So there you have it! The 5 TPT store mistakes to avoid and what to do instead. If you’re looking for a way to create resources that sell and you don’t have a lot of time, then From Zero To Cha-Ching might be the solution for you! Click here to learn more about this $97 course!