How to Turn a "Want" Product Into a "Need" On Etsy

Stop Selling "Custom." Start Selling a Reason to Buy

Saying you make custom products sounds valuable—but "custom" alone doesn't give someone a strong reason to purchase.

In this episode, we break down how to take a product people merely want and position it around a need they already have.

Using a custom sign as an example, we'll walk through how a basic product can become an interchangeable first-day-and-last-day-of-school sign, a long-term family tradition, or a personalized classroom schedule that solves a recurring problem.

You'll learn how adding usefulness can:

• Make a purchase easier to justify
• Create urgency around when someone needs to buy
• Increase the perceived value of your product
• Support a higher price
• Give you a stronger product to advertise

Because more traffic won't fix a weak offer. Before you focus on getting more people to see your product, make sure you've given them a compelling reason to need it.

Your homework: Look at your product and decide whether it is currently a want or a need. Then ask how you can improve the product—or change the messaging—so it connects to a need that already exists.