How Teachers Can Sell TPT Products on Their Own WordPress + WooCommerce Site (and Keep More Profit)

Introduction: Why Teachers Pay Teachers Isn’t Always Teacher-Friendly

Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) has helped thousands of educators share and sell lesson plans, worksheets, and classroom resources. But there’s a downside: TPT takes a significant portion of your earnings through platform fees, commissions, and transaction charges. Depending on your plan, you can lose anywhere from 20–45% of your revenue.

That means if you sell $10,000 worth of resources, you could take home only $5,500–$8,000. By hosting your own WordPress + WooCommerce store, you can keep 95–98% of your sales and gain full control over your business.

The Problem With TPT Fees

• Basic sellers: Keep about 55% of each sale (roughly 45% lost in fees).
• Premium sellers: Pay an annual fee (~$59.95) and still lose ~20% per sale.
• Transaction fees: Additional fees on every sale and file upload.

These fees add up, especially if you are selling multiple products each month. Over time, the lost revenue can be significant — money you could reinvest in your teaching business.

Why Sell on Your Own Website?

Hosting your own store has numerous advantages:

• ✅ Keep almost all your profits (only ~2–3% Stripe/PayPal fee).
• ✅ Build your own brand rather than relying on TPT.
• ✅ Collect your own email list of buyers.
• ✅ Sell not just digital downloads, but also bundles, memberships, or courses.
• ✅ Full control over pricing, promotions, and design.
• ✅ Add upsells or other digital products without restrictions.

Step-by-Step: How to Start Your Own Teacher Store With WordPress + WooCommerce

Step 1: Get Hosting & Domain

Choose a domain name that represents your brand or teaching niche (for example, yourname.com or classroomresources.com). Affordable hosting options include SiteGround, Bluehost, or a managed host. Aim for hosting that offers daily backups, SSL, and one-click WordPress installs.

Step 2: Install WordPress

Most hosts offer one-click WordPress installations. WordPress is a flexible and beginner-friendly platform that allows you to design and manage your online store without coding experience.

Step 3: Install WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that turns your website into a fully functional online store. It’s perfect for selling digital downloads like lesson plans, worksheets, and printables. You can also sell physical products, bundles, or memberships if desired.

Step 4: Upload Your Products

Export your TPT products and upload them to WooCommerce. Add clear titles, compelling descriptions, and focused tags. Use SEO-friendly keywords such as “4th grade math worksheets” or “editable lesson plans” to help Google and Pinterest users find your resources.

Tips for product pages:

• Use an attention-grabbing product image (create these in Canva with a consistent template).
• Write a short, benefit-focused opening sentence (what the teacher gets and how long it takes to use).
• List what’s included (PDFs, editable files, answer keys).
• Use the “Downloadable” product setting so customers receive files automatically after purchase.

Step 5: Set Up Payments

Connect Stripe or PayPal to accept payments. These platforms charge only ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (US standard rate), which is significantly less than TPT fees — leaving more profit for you.

Step 6: Enhance Your Store With Plugins

• Easy Digital Downloads: An alternative plugin built for downloadable products and simple checkout flows.
• Email Marketing Plugins: MailPoet, FluentCRM, or integrations with Mailchimp/ConvertKit to collect email addresses and send campaigns.
• SEO Plugins (Rank Math or Yoast): Optimize product pages and blog posts for search engines.
• PDF Stamping Plugins: Add buyer name or email to downloaded PDFs to deter sharing.
• Bundling Plugins: Offer multiple products together at a discount to increase average order value.

Cost Comparison: TPT vs. Your Own Site

Platform	Annual Fees	% Taken Per Sale	Your Profit on $10,000 Sales
Teachers Pay Teachers (Basic)	$0	~45% + fees	~$5,500
Teachers Pay Teachers (Premium)	$59.95	~20% + fees	~$8,000
WordPress + WooCommerce	~$50-100 (hosting + domain)	~2–3% Stripe/PayPal	~$9,700+

By switching to your own store, you can keep an extra $1,500–$4,000+ per year compared to selling on TPT — money you can reinvest in product creation and marketing.

Marketing Your Teacher Store

Pinterest Marketing

Pinterest is one of the largest sources of traffic for teacher-authored content. Create visually appealing pins for each product with keyword-rich titles and long descriptions. Pin to relevant group boards and your own boards consistently.

Building an Email List

Offer a freebie (e.g., a mini-unit, worksheet pack, or editable template) in exchange for an email address. Use a clear landing page and an automated welcome sequence. Even a small list of a few hundred engaged teachers can generate consistent sales.

Blogging for SEO

Write blog posts that target long-tail queries like “free 3rd grade fractions worksheets” or “editable morning work for kindergarten.” Each blog post should link to relevant products and an opt-in freebie to grow your list.

Social Media Promotion

Share classroom tips, short reels, and product previews on Instagram and TikTok. For Facebook, join teacher-focused groups (following their rules) and share helpful posts that link back to your blog or product pages.

Addressing Common Objections

Many teachers hesitate to create their own store. Here’s how to overcome common concerns:

• “I’m not tech-savvy.” WordPress is now click-based; many hosts offer one-click installs and guided setups. You can also hire a one-time setup from a developer at Polar Line Services.
• “What about traffic?” Start with Pinterest and an email list — these are predictable channels for teacher-audiences. Paid ads can be a later scale tactic.
• “Maintenance sounds hard.” Choose managed hosting, enable automatic updates/backups, or pay a small monthly fee for maintenance services.

Examples & Case Studies

Example: You sell a $5 worksheet. On TPT Basic (approx. 45% platform fee), you keep about $2.75. On your WooCommerce store using Stripe at ~2.9% + $0.30, you’d keep ~$4.55. That’s an extra $1.80 per sale — multiply by 500 sales and that’s an additional $900.

Real teacher-sellers often report reinvesting the savings into better product design, Pinterest templates, or email marketing tools — which compounds growth over time.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

Teachers Pay Teachers is a wonderful marketplace to start with, but if you want to maximize your income and own your brand, a WordPress + WooCommerce store is the smarter long-term play. You keep more of your earnings, build an audience you own, and gain control of promotions and pricing.

If you’d like help, Polar Line Services offers end-to-end setup for teacher stores — from domain and hosting to WooCommerce setup, product import, Pinterest-ready images, and SEO optimization.