What are Templates and Why Are They Important?
Templates are pre-designed files or formats that can be used as a starting point for creating various types of documents, designs, or digital content. They save time and effort by providing a ready-made structure that users can simply customize to fit their needs. Templates are commonly used in a variety of fields, including graphic design, website development, marketing, business, and education.
For example, in graphic design, a template could be a pre-designed business card or social media post that a designer can quickly adjust for a new client. In the case of website development, a template is often a pre-built webpage that can be modified to create a custom website. These templates help individuals and businesses avoid starting from scratch every time they need to create something new, increasing efficiency and consistency.
Types of Templates
Templates can vary widely depending on their intended use. Some common categories include:
- Graphic Design Templates: These include templates for business cards, brochures, flyers, social media posts, and presentations. They are typically available in formats compatible with design software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Canva.
- Website Templates: Pre-designed web pages or entire website layouts that can be customized for various platforms such as WordPress, Shopify, or Squarespace. These templates typically include a combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code, as well as images and other assets.
- Document Templates: Templates used for creating standard business documents, resumes, reports, or spreadsheets. Common tools for these types of templates include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Excel.
- Video Templates: These are pre-made video editing projects that can be customized to create professional-looking videos quickly. They can be used for social media videos, YouTube intros, or even corporate presentations.
- Presentation Templates: These are templates designed for creating slideshows or presentations, often in PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote formats.
Why Templates are Popular
Templates are essential because they save time, improve productivity, and ensure consistency across projects. Instead of spending hours designing from scratch, users can customize pre-designed templates, leading to faster results and higher-quality outputs. Templates also make it easier for non-designers or beginners to create professional-quality work. Whether you’re building a business website, preparing a presentation, or creating marketing materials, templates offer a simple and effective way to get started.
Platforms for Finding and Selling Templates
There are several platforms available that provide templates for various industries and purposes. Some of the most popular and best platforms for finding and selling templates include:
- Etsy Etsy is one of the largest online marketplaces for handmade, vintage, and digital products. It’s a great platform for selling templates, especially for graphic design, planners, digital prints, and social media templates. The ease of use, broad customer base, and built-in marketing tools make Etsy a top choice for sellers.
- Pros: Large customer base, ease of use, low startup cost.
- Cons: High competition, listing fees, and transaction fees.
- Creative Market Creative Market is an online marketplace specifically designed for digital products like fonts, graphics, website themes, and templates. This platform has a huge audience of designers, marketers, and small business owners looking for creative resources.
- Pros: Focused on creative assets, large potential customer base, and excellent tools for sellers.
- Cons: Commission fees on sales.
- TemplateMonster TemplateMonster is a platform that specializes in website templates, WordPress themes, and other related digital assets. If you create website templates, this is a great platform to consider for selling them.
- Pros: Focused on website themes and templates, large audience of web developers and designers.
- Cons: Higher commission rates than some other platforms.
- Envato Market (ThemeForest and GraphicRiver) Envato Market is one of the biggest marketplaces for digital assets, including themes, templates, graphics, and other design-related items. ThemeForest focuses on website templates and themes, while GraphicRiver specializes in design resources like Photoshop templates, infographics, and social media templates.
- Pros: Large marketplace with significant traffic, great for both website and graphic design templates.
- Cons: High competition, and it may take time to get noticed as a new seller.
- Gumroad If you want to sell templates directly from your own website without relying on large marketplaces, Gumroad is a good option. Gumroad allows creators to sell digital products with minimal hassle and gives you full control over your pricing and branding.
- Pros: Simple to set up, low fees, you keep full control over your brand and pricing.
- Cons: No built-in audience, meaning you need to drive your own traffic.
How Much Can You Sell Per Month and How Much Money Can You Make?
The amount you can earn selling templates depends on several factors, including the platform you choose, the quality of your templates, your marketing efforts, and how much you are able to charge for your products. Here are some estimates based on different platforms:
- Etsy: Successful Etsy shops can make anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per month, depending on the number of sales and the type of products they sell. If you sell templates for $10 to $30 each, it’s possible to make a decent income from Etsy, especially if you have multiple products listed and optimize your shop for search.
- Creative Market: Creative Market is a premium platform, and sellers can often earn higher prices for their templates. Experienced sellers report making between $1,000 to $10,000 per month, particularly if they create high-quality, niche templates.
- Envato Market (ThemeForest and GraphicRiver): Envato’s marketplace can be highly profitable, with top sellers making $10,000 or more per month. New sellers can expect to earn anywhere from $100 to $1,000 per month as they build their portfolio.
- Gumroad: Gumroad offers flexibility, but your earnings are directly tied to the effort you put into marketing. Sellers on Gumroad report making anywhere from $100 to $5,000 per month, depending on their audience size and promotional strategies.
Conclusion
Selling templates online can be a lucrative business if you choose the right platform and create high-quality, in-demand products. Platforms like Etsy, Creative Market, TemplateMonster, and Envato Market offer great opportunities for template creators, while Gumroad gives you the freedom to sell directly from your website. By focusing on niche markets, consistently uploading new products, and engaging with your audience, you can build a profitable template business and earn anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month.
In Summary:
- You can sell a variety of templates including graphic design, website, document, and video templates.
- The best platforms for selling templates include Etsy, Creative Market, TemplateMonster, Envato Market, and Gumroad.
- On average, successful sellers can earn between $500 to $10,000+ per month depending on their marketing efforts and product offerings.
With a strategic approach and dedication, selling templates can be a sustainable and profitable business model in the digital world.