Honey, if you run a print-on-demand Etsy shop and you want to make serious sales this Q4, listen up. We are officially one month out from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which means it’s go time. Not “think about it later” time... FREAKIN GO TIME! Q4 is hands down the most exciting and the most chaotic season on Etsy. Search traffic is exploding, buyers are in a full on shopping frenzy, and if you play your cards right, this is when your shop can go from quiet to “cha-ching” real quick.

Now, I’m not just talking theory here. I’m a multi six figure print on demand seller, and this is my fourth Q4 running my Etsy business! I started this shop four years ago, and this year, I’m on pace to break seven figures in total sales!. So when I tell you I know a thing or two about how to crush Q4… I mean it.

There are very specific strategies that you need to have in place right now if you want to maximize your potential to make sales. The sellers who plan ahead always win. These are the exact seven steps I take every single year to prepare my shop for the holiday rush. These are the same ones that have helped me scale from a brand new Etsy shop to a multi six figure business. Set yourself up to not just survive this holiday season, but to absolutely dominate it.

Before we kick this off, let me say “heyyyy girl heyyyy” real quick!

Hey there! I’m Shay Lynn

I am a top 1% Etsy Seller, am the proud owner of a multi-six figure Print on Demand & Etsy Business, a six-figure Shopify Business, and creator of the Print on Demand Playbook and The Niche Navigator. In 2023, I did $250,000 in sales running my very own Print on Demand and Etsy business. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE what I do and want to help others achieve financial freedom and find success with their own Print on Demand Business Ventures!

Now that we have our pleasantries out of the way, lets get into the meat and potatoes of this thing!

STEP BY STEP GUIDE:

1. Adjust Your Shipping Prices (Yes, It’s Time)

Every single print on demand company adds a small shipping surcharge around the holidays. Teelauch, Printify, Printful, Gooten, you name it! It’s typically and usually about 40 cents (american, USD) and it catches a lot of sellers off guard. That might not sound like much, but when you’re selling dozens or even hundreds of items, that adds up quickly (my first year I lost out on 1,000$ for not accomondating for this!)

You need to get ahead by INCREASING your shipping prices to combat these surcharges. Etsy likes shipping to not go over $5.99. So if you increase your shipping, and it is going to go over this price, put the extra 40¢ into you listing price so that you keep your profit margins intact. Etsy tends to favor listings that don’t have unusually high shipping, so it’s all about balancing the numbers while protecting your bottom line.

2. Sign Up for Etsy’s Cyber Sale

This is one of the easiest wins of the entire season, yet so many sellers forget to do it. Etsy hosts an annual Cyber Sale Event where participating shops get featured in major holiday shopping promotions! Its totally free to sign up and if you get selected, Etsy will feature your product and promote it for free which is a MASSIVE visibility boost.

You can find it inside your Etsy Shop Manager under Marketing → Sales and Discounts. Scroll down to the bottom where it says “Cyber Sale” and sign up right away. Etsy usually requires that you run a 25% off discount around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but honestly, that’s a sale I recommend doing anyway. They also say that you need to offer global shipping however, last year, I was featured during the event even without offering global shipping, so don’t overthink it… just get your shop on the list. You never know when Etsy’s algorithm might spotlight you to MILLIONS of new shoppers.

3. Set Your Christmas Cutoff Dates

Here’s where a lot of sellers trip up: they forget to set cutoff dates for Christmas orders. Every print on demand company gets completely overloaded during the holidays, and delays are inevitable. This goes for shipping partners as well! The best thing you can do for your sanity (and your customer satisfaction) is to set clear order deadlines.

For domestic U.S. orders, I like to cut things off around December 10th–12th. For international customers, I draw the line earlier, usually November 30th (Again I am US based). Post these dates everywhere: your shop banner, your descriptions, and even on a separate listing photo slide so there’s no confusion. The clearer you are upfront, the fewer angry “where’s my order?” messages you’ll get later. It also means less bad reviews of people not getting their orders in time or flooding your inbox asking, “Will this arrive in time?!?”” Think of this step as customer service insurance.

4. Update Your Shipping Profiles

If your listings currently say that orders ship within 1–3 business days, now is the time to change that. Once Q4 hits, shipping networks get backed up, print providers get busier, and delays happen… even with the best companies.

Update your profiles to reflect a longer processing time, like 3–5 business days or even up to 7 business days, depending on your supplier. It’s better to under promise and over deliver than to promise lightning fast shipping and end up with unhappy customers. Etsy tracks on time shipping as part of your shop score to obtain and keep a best seller badge, so protecting your metrics here will help you stay in good standing all season long and into 2026.

5. Ask for Reviews Before the Rush

This might sound small, but it’s such a freakin power move. Etsy’s algorithm loves shops that have recent, positive reviews. The more reviews you have going into November, the more trust your listings build with both Etsy and your potential customers. In turn, Etsy will automatically start to push your listing organically to the first search page which means more eyeballs on your products!

Now is the perfect time to start reaching out to buyers who haven’t left a review yet. A friendly follow-up message (or even a small “thank you for supporting my small business” note in your packaging) can make a big difference. Reviews are social proof — they tell Etsy your shop is active, reliable, and delivering great experiences. And the more momentum your listings have, the higher they’ll rank when it matters most.

6. Start Running Etsy Ads

If you’ve been on the fence about ads, Q4 is the time to try them. I personally only run ads during th Q4 holiday season, and it’s always worth it. Holiday shoppers are ready to buy, they’re not just browsing. They are here to spend their money and a few dollars a day in ad spend can easily turn into hundreds (or thousands) in sales when done strategically.

Start small if you need to. Even a $2–5 per day budget helps build listing traction. The key is starting early enough that Etsy’s ad system has time to learn which listings convert well. Think of ads as fuel for the fire, they help your best listings get seen by more ready-to-buy customers during the busiest shopping months of the year.

7. Get Your Mind Right (Seriously)

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP! This last step might be the most important. Q4 is magical… and it’s also madness. Packages will get delayed. A customer will type in the wrong address. Someone will message you in all caps because their order didn’t arrive yesterday. It happens to everyone… even the most seasoned sellers!

The best thing you can do for yourself is to expect it. Go in knowing that a few hiccups don’t mean you’re failing… IT MEANS YOU ARE MAKING MONEY AND THAT YOU’RE BUSY! Take a breath, stay professional, and remember: this is the busiest e-commerce season of the year. If things feel a little chaotic, it’s because you’re right in the middle of a thriving shop’s biggest opportunity!

And if (or honestly, when) you run into any of these issues, whether it’s damaged packaging, a lost order, or a customer who needs their shipping address updated, don’t panic. Your print on demand provider will usually have your back. Most companies, especially Printify, are fantastic about resolving these kinds of problems. If something is lost in the mail or arrives damaged, they’ll typically send a replacement free of charge. You can reach out to their live chat support or message them directly about specific orders, and they’re usually quick to respond and super helpful in getting everything straightened out.

Bonus Strategy: My Secret Holiday Pricing Trick

Okay, I don’t even know why I’m giving this one away, but let’s talk pricing. This strategy has made me tens of thousands of dollars every Q4. Now it might seem a little crazy at first so stay with me…

At the end of October, when search volume on Etsy is peaking, I lower my prices slightly on new or seasonal items. Not my bestsellers, those stay steady. I’m talking about listings that I believe are going to perform well but don’t have traction yet. I might shave off a few dollars so I’m still profitable, but not at my full margin.

Why? Because Etsy runs on momentum. The more sales and reviews you get, the higher Etsy pushes your listings in search. By offering a slightly lower price now, you build that momentum because customers are more inclined to pay a lower price for an item they love before the real buying frenzy hits. Once your listings starts to sell, it moves to the first search page, and pick up badges like “Bestseller” or “Popular Now,” you can slowly raise your prices back up to where you want them. By the time Black Friday rolls around, you’re ranking high and making the profits you originally planned for. It’s the ultimate long game strategy that works every single time.

Final Thoughts

These are the exact steps I take every single year to prepare my Etsy shop for Q4. When you plan ahead, you’re not just reacting to the chaos… you’re ready for it. By the time the holiday traffic hits, your listings are polished, your prices are optimized, and your shop is positioned to thrive.

If you’ve never been through a Q4 before, don’t worry. Every seller starts somewhere, and this is the perfect time to level up.

And if you’re brand new to Print on Demand or feel like you need a roadmap to get things running smoothly, that’s exactly why I created The Print on Demand Playbook. It’s my step by step course that teaches you everything from launching your Etsy shop to designing profitable products, mastering SEO, and scaling for consistent sales.

Inside, you’ll get over 9.5 hours of video training, 45 video lessons, FREE TEMPLATES, and all the behind the scenes strategies I use in my own business. Plus, when you join, you’ll get access to exclusive bonuses like content calendars and font guides to help you hit the ground running!

Click the image below to take a peek!

7 Proven Etsy Print on Demand Strategies to Maximize Your Etsy Sales This Holiday Season