There are some big benefits to selling on TPT, like the fact that teachers show up at the site ready to buy. 🙌🏻 But TPT also has its limitations. And maybe you’ve considered selling on your website instead. As a website designer that’s set up several WooCommerce shops for TPT sellers, I want to walk you through the pros and cons of selling on TPT vs. your own site, and why you don’t have to choose one over the other.

The Pros and Cons of Selling on TPT

Let’s start with TPT. Most teacher sellers land on TPT first when they decide to sell resources online, and it makes sense. Selling through an established marketplace is the quickest way to grow your revenue. But after a while, you might realize that selling through TPT has downsides, too.

✅ The Pros

• It’s easy to set up your store on TPT. They’ve done the hard work for you. You just have to upload your information, and you’re product listing is complete.
• Teachers are familiar with TPT, and for the most part, they trust the products they purchase there as well. That makes hitting *add to cart* easier.
• TPT brings you traffic. You’re likely putting in effort to attract buyers to your store, but so is TPT! They are running ads, suggesting new stores, sending out newsletters, and more.

❌ The Cons

• All those benefits come at a cost, though (literally). TPT takes a sizeable chunk of your profits with every purchase.
• You don’t have control over how your shop looks. You can’t fully brand your shop or select a layout. 
• You don’t have a way to communicate with buyers. Sure, there are notes to followers, but those haven’t historically performed well. TPT doesn’t allow you to collect emails at checkout or follow up with buyers to offer discounts or incentivize reviews.

The Pros and Cons of Selling on Your Website

Selling on TPT isn’t your only option. You can also sell on your website. There are big benefits to having more control over your products and sales, but it does require a bit more work on your end. Let’s look at the pros and cons.

✅ The Pros

• You have complete control over your shop. You get to decide how it looks, what the customer experience is like, and how you connect with buyers.
• You can fully brand your store. That means your shop feels like you and feels like a seamless extension of your brand.
• There’s more money in your wallet. When you use platforms like WooCommerce, you actually keep a larger percentage of each sale. Meaning you make more.
• You can grow your email list. When people buy a product from your website, you can automatically add them to your email list. You can even follow up about providing testimonials and use abandoned cart sequences to recover lost sales.

❌ The Cons

• There’s more setup involved. More control also means a bit more work. You’ll need to create your site shop and set up any automated funnels that run after a purchase.
• Driving traffic can be a challenge. You’re website shop doesn’t have the familiarity that TPT has, which means it takes more effort to drive traffic. But that’s just part of the game (and it’s doable with the right plan).

Which Should You Choose?

So, should you stick to selling on TPT or sell on your website instead? Here’s the secret. 🤫 You don’t have to choose! Your business actually benefits when you lean into both.

TPT is a well-known marketplace that can introduce you to new buyers and help you get your name out there. Your website allows you to offer your buyers options (especially with districts blocking access to TPT), puts more money in your wallet, and serves as a backup to your TPT store.

Want to sell on your website? Want more ownership over your products? Learn how to create your site shop in my course, Settin’ Up Shop with WooCommerce! This course is for WordPress users who want a step-by-step guide to launching their own shop. You don’t need to be tech-savvy or have years of WordPress experience. I’ll guide you through each part of the process!