Recently in the Facebook Showit User Group, a designer posed a question that seems to hang over many creators these days: is it still worth making and selling Showit website templates considering how saturated the market feels? It’s a valid question—after all, the sheer number of templates out there can make it seem like the party’s been going on for ages, and you’re just now showing up.
Well, let’s break it down. Is there still money to be made with Showit templates? And if so, how can you get a slice of the pie?
Hi, I’m Caitlin. I specialize in SEO for Showit websites, and whether you’re seasoned in the industry or just starting out, there are a few things you need to know before deciding if it’s worth creating and selling Showit templates.
The Market for Showit Templates: Big Numbers Don’t Lie
If you’ve heard of Tonic Sites, you know they’re the big fish in this pond, and for good reason—they recently shared that they’ve made $15 million just from selling Showit website templates. That’s a staggering number that points to one obvious fact: there is a significant market for website templates, especially on a platform like Showit.
But let’s get a bit more analytical. From an SEO perspective, there are over a thousand searches per month in the U.S. alone for “Showit templates,” and another 720 for “Showit website templates.” Both have consistent search volume, meaning potential customers are out there actively looking. The demand is real, folks.
Even beyond general searches for “Showit templates,” there are 10s to 100s of monthly searches for industry-specific templates—dentists, massage therapists, and more—where people are looking for a good website template solution, even if they aren’t yet locked into Showit. This shows that there’s opportunity not just in the general market, but in very specific niches where people want tailored, ready-to-go solutions.
Passive Income Potential: Time to Reclaim Your Weekends
One of the greatest aspects of selling Showit templates is the passive income it provides. If you’re currently doing custom Showit website designs, you might be pricing your customization packages around $1,500. With two clients a month, that’s $3,000—respectable, but it comes with a significant time investment and all the usual headaches of client management. Essentially, you’re trading your hours for dollars.
Templates, on the other hand, allow you to work once and get paid repeatedly, without being tied to a client’s timeline or countless revisions. Imagine creating a beautiful, industry-specific template and seeing sales come through month after month—while you’re off focusing on new projects, growing your business, or, you know, actually having a weekend off. It’s the kind of revenue that keeps on giving.
The Real Challenge: Marketing Your Templates
Of course, creating an amazing template is just half the battle—getting it in front of buyers is where many designers get tripped up. Selling from your own website is ideal, since you get to keep 100% of the commission (minus payment processing fees), but you have to bring in the traffic.
Your other option is to use third-party marketplaces like Creative Market, which has built-in traffic but comes at the cost of a 50% commission fee. Ouch. In the long run, your own website is always going to be the better choice for retaining profit, but this means you need a marketing strategy to get eyes on your products.
This is where SEO comes in. Investing in SEO can significantly improve your chances of getting noticed, but it’s not a quick fix. Getting on the first page of Google for a competitive term like “Showit templates” will require a time commitment and a financial investment. If you’re serious about making a splash in the template market, taking SEO seriously is essential. If you’re interested in going down that path, feel free to book a strategy call with me—I can help you figure out exactly what it would take to rank your site effectively.
The Key to Success: Be Creative and Niche Down
Now let’s talk about standing out. There are already tons of Showit templates out there that look pretty similar. If you want to be successful, you have to do something different. Showit is growing and evolving beyond its origins as a platform for photographers and designers. It’s now a solid choice for a wide variety of industries—health and wellness professionals, coaches, even brick-and-mortar stores.
Think about creating templates for highly specific industries. A wedding photographer and a boudoir photographer are both photographers, but their branding, aesthetics, and site needs are vastly different. The more specific you get, the better. This kind of laser-focused approach allows you to capture niche audiences who don’t want a cookie-cutter solution. Instead of being lost among a sea of “photographer templates,” you could dominate the search for “Showit template for family photographers” or “Showit template for chiropractors.” People are more willing to pay for something that feels custom to their needs.
Pricing: Don’t Race to the Bottom
It can be tempting to price your templates lower than everyone else in an effort to attract more buyers. But that strategy often leads to a “race to the bottom” where everyone ends up undervaluing their work and making less money overall. Tonic Sites sells their templates for around $1,500, and while you don’t necessarily have to match that, the important thing is to value your work appropriately. You’ve poured your creativity, experience, and energy into making these templates—don’t sell yourself short.
Showit templates already command higher prices compared to those for other webste building platforms. For example, Squarespace templates can start as low as $400, and WordPress templates might go for just $70. We don’t want Showit templates to head in that direction, where prices drop to a point that undervalues the unique flexibility and customization they offer. Remember, quality sells, and buyers are looking for something that is going to add value to their brand—if you market your product right, they’ll be willing to pay a fair price.
Conclusion: Get Creative, Go Niche, and Go for It
So, should you bother selling Showit website templates? Absolutely. The market isn’t just alive—it’s thriving. There’s clear demand, and the passive income potential is a huge advantage over custom work. But here’s the catch: to be successful, you need to be strategic. Don’t just create another generic photographer template; get creative, think about niche markets, and consider industries that are underserved on Showit.
If you put in the effort to differentiate your templates and market them effectively—especially by investing in SEO—you can absolutely find success in selling Showit templates. It’s about standing out in a crowded marketplace, valuing your work appropriately, and understanding that quality sells. There’s plenty of room at the table for you, as long as you’re willing to bring something unique.
So, yes, it’s worth it. Get started, think big, niche down, and let your creativity shine. The market is waiting, and it’s ready for something different—something only you can create.
