07 - Modular Systems
This involves creating products that can be broken down into smaller, interchangeable parts or components. And then customers can combine, customise, or expand according to their preferences.
The key advantage of a modular system is its flexibility and scalability, allowing customers to tailor the product to their specific needs or upgrade it over time. This also gives your product a interactive and fun element.
Compatibility is key. For physical products, this might involve standardised sizes, connectors, or attachment points. For digital products, it could mean compatible file formats or templates that can be combined.
Once you have developed the system, then your product range can be expanded into ‘starter kits’ which include all the essential modules, ‘expansion packs’ which includes additional components for customers who have purchased the starter kit, and so on.
Examples
Modular jewelry system with length can be adjusted to make a necklace or a bracelet, and pendants have connectors that can be attached to a necklace or a earring hook
Modular digital planner where users can choose from different layouts, themes, and add-ons like habit trackers or budget sheets
Modular, stackable tv cabinet system
Modular cat furniture
08 - Functional Art
This combines aesthetic appeal with practical use, offering decorative pieces that also serves a purpose (or functional pieces that looks so good it can be a decorative piece).
The product can even be transformative in appearance or function. This adds an element of interactivity which encourages customers to interact and engage with the product. For example, a picture frame with movable magnetic elements.
Examples
Decor with hidden storage compartment
Luggage tag that includes an AirTag compartment
Candle that becomes a planter after finish burning
Wall art with lighting
09 - Innovative Use
This strategy involves identifying and promoting unconventional or lesser-known applications of a product that enhance its value or appeal to a new audience. Highlight unconventional or innovative ways to use your products. This often means highlighting a secondary benefit or a feature that’s not immediately obvious.
Think about whether your product have any secondary benefits or uses. Reframing your product to highlight that can help you tab into a new group of target customer. For example, a hydration cream may also be effective in reducing redness, which can help you target customers with sensitive skin if done properly.
This can work by just pointing out the ‘hidden’ way to use your product, even without changing the product. For example, a naturally low-sugar, low-fat snacks can be marketed as a ‘weight-loss’ snack alternative.
Examples
Add an attachment to a small desk light to become a phone selfie light
Metal board as a defrosting board as metal transfer and dissipate heat quicker
Essential oil that seconds as a bug-repellent
10 - Cross-Niche Innovation
This involves taking successful style, elements, techniques, or ideas from another niche and applying them to your own. The thing from the other niche doesn’t need to be innovative itself, it just needs to be novel to your niche. Doing this helps you stand out by offering something fresh and unexpected.
For example, if retro style is popular for clothing, then applying them in kitchen appliances can be a novel concept. Or for digital products, if mobile-compatible design is popular for invitation templates, then applying that feature for an airbnb welcome sign can help you stand out.
Examples
Using the Japanese gold repair technique kintsugi (usually for ceramic cups and bowls) and bring it to other products like DIY kits
Using a popular material like leather to create a flower bouquet with leather petals
Ocean resin (usually made for chopping boards) technique for jewelry
11 - Retro Revival
Retro is cool now. Tapping into the ‘old’ can help bring nostalgia in customers. Think about incorporating vintage aesthetics, colours, and styles into modern-day products.
Research and pinpoint the most iconic trends from past decades, such as the bold colours and geometric patterns of the 1960s, the earthy tones and bohemian vibes of the 1970s, or the neon and metallics of the 1980s. Consider the cultural elements that defined those eras, like music, fashion, and interior design, and how they can be incorporated into your products.
As the retro trend has been around for a while, doing this for some niches may not help you stand out. For example, retro wall art and retro dresses are already pretty common. So research your niche and see if your competitors are embracing this trend.
Examples
1980s-inspired Instagram templates featuring neon colours and retro fonts
VHS tape keychains
Modern take on retro board games
Retro game console art
Bohemian-inspired mirror with a rattan frame
12 - Digital Interactivity (for digital products)
Interactive digital products go beyond static files by encouraging customers to actively engage with the content. This strategy improves customer experience by offering digital products that involve interaction and hands-on activities.
By providing both digital interactivity (like fillable PDFs) and printable components (like cutouts or templates), digital product sellers can stand out on Etsy by adding another layer of value to customers.
The two main types of interactivity:
Digital Interactivity: Products that involve direct digital engagement, such as fillable forms, clickable elements, and dynamic content. These could be interactive PDFs where users can type directly into fields, check off tasks, or navigate through hyperlinks to different sections or additional resources.
Physical Interactivity with Printables: Digital products that encourage physical interaction, like printables that require cutting, assembling, or decorating. These could be printable templates for crafts, DIY projects, or decor that customers physically create or customise at home.
Examples
A digital cookbook that includes fillable shopping lists, interactive meal planners, and printable recipe cards or pantry labels
An interactive PDF workbook with fill-in-the-blank exercises, drag-and-drop activities, and printable colouring pages
A printable kit to create children art projects with instructions that encourage users to cut, fold, and assemble their creations
13 - Dynamic Digital Designs (for digital products)
Digital products with movement and multimedia elements can stand out on Etsy.
By offering animated or video-based digital products, it creates a more immersive and engaging experience for customers. It also captures attention on the Etsy search page if you showcase the feature using listing video as it autoplays when the mouse hovers over listings.
Examples
Animated birthday e-invites
Video templates for Instagram reels
Looping animated iPhone screensavers
Video product mockup templates
