How to Find Low-Competition Etsy Niches in 2024 and 5 Examples

Etsy is the 4th most popular shopping website in the US. But Etsy’s allure isn’t because it’s the biggest. The site stands out because its focus is on artisanal, one-of-a-kind, or vintage objects, attracting a community of creators and shoppers passionate about quality and individuality.

If you want to start selling on Etsy, need niche ideas, or wish to refine your current offering to capture a dedicated audience, you’re in the right place.

Instead of focusing on trending Etsy niches, we’ll outline the step-by-step process for finding low-competition Etsy niches.

What’s an Etsy niche?

An Etsy niche is a market segment within the Etsy marketplace where sellers offer products tailored to specific interests or needs. A niche can be broad (e.g., custom t-shirts) or highly specific (e.g., hand-painted fairy garden accessories). The more specific the niche, the more targeted the audience. This specificity can lead to higher customer loyalty, as niche markets often attract dedicated buyers.

How to find low-competition Etsy niches: 4 steps

So now that we’ve established an Etsy niche definition, let’s go over how to find the most profitable one. Generally, you’ll have a better chance to become a top seller if you find a narrow, high-demand, low-competition niche.

The more specific your niche definition, the better. But first, let’s figure out your print-on-demand store’s place in the market.

Step 1: Decide on your store’s direction

According to Etsy’s market research data, successful Etsy shops often have a clear, well-defined niche, which helps them attract a dedicated and loyal customer base. 

Choosing the right niche for your store is essential—it directly impacts your visibility, search rankings, and overall sales performance on the platform.

Let’s explore three main types of high-demand niches you can consider.

Product-based niches

Product-based niches focus on a specific product type (e.g., mugs), creating a store that becomes a go-to destination for those items. Mugsby, for example, is an Etsy store that offers “gifts for all occasions” with a strong focus on drinkware. It sells a variety of custom and themed mugs. 

Source: Mugsby Etsy shop

This type of niche is ideal for sellers who are passionate about a particular product and want to develop deep expertise and an extensive range in that category.

Design-based niches

Design-based niches revolve around a specific aesthetic or style (e.g., cottagecore, steampunk, kawaii). Stores in this category sell a range of products unified by a common design theme. An Etsy store like HappyKawaiiSupplies exemplifies this niche through kawaii-inspired jewelry and decor items.

Source: HappyKawaiiSupplies Etsy shop

This niche is best for a creative seller with a strong sense of design who wants to offer a variety of products that share a cohesive look. It allows for flexibility in product offerings while maintaining a unique and recognizable brand identity.

Occasion-based niches

Occasion-based niches target products for specific events or celebrations. Stores in this niche focus on making special moments memorable with themed products. Popular themes include weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, and christenings.

For example, HelloTenfold offers a range of printable wedding stationery, invitations, and decor. 

Source: HelloTenfold Etsy shop

This niche is perfect for sellers who enjoy being part of life’s milestone moments and have a knack for themed creations. It requires an understanding of seasonal trends and the ability to anticipate what potential customers need for their celebrations.

Once you’ve decided on the general direction you want to take, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty. You can find profitable niches by exploring search results, analyzing competitors, and doing keyword research.

Step 2: Use Etsy SEO tools to evaluate demand

Once you know your general direction, you need to find out what people want. A great way to do this is by checking the search volume for keywords. This will help you discover popular search terms and determine what products people are looking for. Plus, you get product ideas and can find out who the current competition is, so that you can choose a niche with lower competition.

Erank is one of the most reliable tools for finding your keywords.

Source: Erank

Erank is an Etsy SEO (search engine optimization) site offering analytics tools and other resources to help sellers improve their Etsy business. With Erank, you can do keyword, market, and product research, track your competitors, and track marketplace trends. 

Erank is also an affordable tool. Here’s the pricing structure:

Source: Erank

You can sign up for Erank for free, but you should note that you’ll get a quota of 5 tokens daily that you can use for keyword research and other purposes. The quota resets at midnight EST.

Let’s start with creating an Erank account. To sign up for Erank, fill out the sign-up form fields and activate your account by confirming the email you get.

Once you log in, there are 2 ways you can find high search volume keywords from your dashboard. Click on Keyword Tool below the search bar or on the left side of the dashboard menu.

Source: Erank

Here’s a 2-minute video on Erank’s Keyword Tool, covering the various sections and metrics. You’ll learn what they mean and how to customize and filter them.

Now, we’ll take you through the step-by-step process of going from broad ideas to honed-in, clearly defined niches on Etsy.

As an example, let’s say you’ve decided to enter a product-based niche focusing on phone cases. Start by going to the Keyword Tool from your Erank dashboard, selecting your target audience’s country and the platform you’ll be selling on, and typing in a broad term. This is what you’ll see:

Source: Erank

In the Keyword Statistics section, you can see how many people search for this product (in other words, how popular it is), how many people click on a listing after looking for this product, and how big the competition is. These metrics are the first indicators that tell you if this product category is worth exploring.

You want the Average Searches, Average Clicks, and Average CTR to be green because that shows the product category has sales potential.

Etsy Competition is most likely going to be red. That doesn’t mean that this product is not worth exploring; it simply means you’ll need to figure out what makes your offering different from what your competitors have.

Now, scroll down to the Keyword Ideas section. We’re interested in two metrics: Average Searches and Etsy Competition. If you’re using the free version, you’ll only be able to see the competition.

Source: Erank

Focusing on products with Etsy Competition in green will increase your chances of becoming a successful business on Etsy.

Source: Erank

In this case, the viable products from the 1st page are:

• Simple phone case

• Snack phone case

• Dinosaur phone case

To get more details, click on the keyword. You’ll get information about the search volume, when this product is most popular, and where the people interested in it come from.

Note: Each time you click on a keyword or run a general search on a broad term, you spend 1 token. You get 5 tokens per day (the count resets at midnight EST).

Here’s additional information we get on the term “dinosaur phone case,” which had a low competition rate:

• On average, about 22 people search for this product monthly

• The CTR (click-through rate) is 82%, which means that buyers are interested in the search results they’re seeing (according to Erank, keywords with a high % may generate more views and sales than other choices)

• There are 853 other stores selling this product

• During the past 12 months, this product’s popularity peaked around August and January

• 60% of the searches come from the US, and 40% come from the UK

Source: Erank

Despite a high CTR, we wouldn’t recommend targeting the “dinosaur phone case” keyword because of the low monthly search volume (only 22 searches). This significantly limits your potential for sales. Plus, with 853 competing stores, the market is relatively saturated for such a niche product. While there are seasonal peaks in August and January, the inconsistent demand throughout the year adds to the challenge.

To find more successful products for your Etsy store, you should look for keywords that have a high CTR but also have higher search volumes relative to the degree of competition (the number of other stores selling the same). The best products will have searches, clicks, CTR, and competition in green.

To get more ideas for a narrow niche, scroll down until you see the following 2 tabs: Keyword Ideas and SERP Analysis.

Source: Erank

Under Keyword Ideas, you’ll see keywords that will help you find a narrower niche. Here, for example, you can see people look for “simple pink phone case,” which is a more defined product category than just “simple phone cases.” In this tab, you can also get inspo for further product idea generation.

Source: Erank

The SERP Analysis tab shows the average product price, most popular tags, average and total views, and more.

Source: Erank

You can find your lists under Keyword Lists on the left side of the dashboard menu.

Source: Erank

Doing your research this way means you’ll be able to:

• Gather a list of Etsy keywords that have sales potential

• Discover when specific keywords surge in popularity (you should list the products around 2 months before peak popularity)

• What’s the competition in a certain niche

Valuable read: How to Make Money on Etsy

Here are some Erank alternatives you can also explore:

• Alura has a Chrome extension with a built-in AI tool that analyzes reviews of a particular listing and reveals market gaps and opportunities

• EtsyHunt is a budget-friendly tool with the largest database of Etsy products on the market

• Marmalead gives targeted feedback on aspects like titles, tags, descriptions, and focus keywords

Step 3: Check the Etsy competition

Once you’ve found some keywords, go to Etsy and type the keyword into the search bar to see what comes up. We recommend also ticking the box Star Seller in the filter so you’ll see the results that get 5-star Etsy reviews, which means people like those products the most.

Source: Etsy

Go through the search results and note down the most popular stores. Then, go over each one and analyze their product listings, pricing, descriptions, and customer reviews to understand what makes them successful. Identify gaps or areas for improvement that you can capitalize on with your print-on-demand store.

Another tool you can use for free is EverBee. It’s an extension you can add to Chrome to analyze Etsy listings and find the bestsellers.

Source: EverBee

Once you add EverBee and type in “simple phone case,” for example, in the Etsy search, here’s what you’ll see.

Source: Etsy

Let’s analyze one of the top sellers in depth. Click on the product, then click the Analyze listing button with the small bee icon. Here’s what you’ll see:

Source: Etsy

As you can see, even with the free version of EverBee, you get valuable insights into competitor’s Etsy listings that include:

• How long ago the product was listed

• How many views the listings have

• What keywords (a.k.a. tags) the listing has

When analyzing competitors, look at their product photos and descriptions to see what stands out. High-quality images and detailed, compelling descriptions can significantly impact sales. Plus, pay attention to their pricing strategies, shipping policies, and customer service practices to use this information to improve your listings and offer competitive advantages.

Step 4: Decide on your USPs (unique selling points)

Here are a couple of questions you can ask yourself to determine your USPs:

• What unique features or qualities do my products offer that competitors’ products don’t?

• What materials, craftsmanship, or processes make my products stand out?

• What feedback have I received from customers that highlights the strengths of my products?

Here are specific tips to communicate your USPs:

1. Emphasize specific features: Detail what makes your products unique (e.g., if you use sustainable materials, mention the environmental benefits, etc.).

2. Showcase quality: Use high-resolution photos to highlight the craftsmanship and details of your items (e.g., include close-ups to show textures and finishes).

3. Offer personalization: Specify the types of customization available, such as name engravings or color options.

4. Highlight customer service: Outline your policies on shipping, returns, and response times. Provide examples of how you handle customer queries promptly.

5. Encourage reviews: Ask initial buyers for feedback and reviews to help you build credibility.

Valuable read: 21 Tips for How to Get More Sales On Etsy

Here are a few final insights into Etsy before we part:

• 68% of Etsy sales come from phones, so keep mobile users in mind when creating your listings

• Etsy attracts shoppers who look for items they won’t find elsewhere, so focus on offering unique products

• High-quality photos and detailed descriptions significantly increase your chances of making a sale

Valuable read: How to Succeed on Etsy: Your Complete 30-Step Checklist

Time to find your niche!

Follow the steps we’ve covered, and you’ll find high-demand Etsy niches with low competition. 

Drop any comments or questions you may have below, and we’ll get back to you. Best of luck!