Do you currently sell customer products online? If so, is the process exhausting you?
This can be a common occurrence for individuals who run their own business selling unique personalized items online. According to Shopify, roughly 36% of online customers prefer customized products. Such a statistic shows that there is definitely demand for the types of items, but it can be challenging to meet said demand.
There is no need to have an overcomplicated process, though, and this post explains three essential ways to simplify the process of selling custom products online.
Streamline the Design Process
When selling custom products online, it can be difficult to create a smooth design process. This will often depend on the items you are selling, of course, but it is possible to streamline the process. One of the first aspects to consider when doing this is the use of online design tools. These tools can be offered on your website or integrate with platforms like Canva to allow customers to easily customize products.
The design process can be further streamlined by providing pre-designed templates. These templates should fulfil common customization needs, so you will have to review past purchases to determine the most regular orders. This will reduce the design time and effort needed for both you and your customers. It would also be worthwhile to offer clear customization options, such as colors, fonts, and images, to guide customers.
Simplify Order Management
While the design process can be time-consuming, you must ensure that order management is improved upon. This can quickly ruin a customer’s opinion of your online store, and that could quickly ruin your business’ success. Thankfully, there are numerous ways to do that. You might consider connecting your online store with a print-on-demand service to automate order fulfillment; this would eliminate the need to manage inventory.
Although communication is a necessity when running an online business, you do not have to be in charge of it. Instead, you can utilize automation to simplify the process of keeping customers informed. Automated emails can be set up to let customers know about order confirmations, shipping updates, and delivery times. This is assuming you have that information to hand, which is why you must partner with a reliable courier.
Any and all third parties you work with should send updates when manufacturing, packaging, or delivering customer orders. For example, Detroit Couriers provide real-time tracking updates on each delivery as well as signature confirmation, allowing you to know when orders have been successfully delivered.
Enhance the Customer Experience
With the design process and order management handled, the only aspect left to look at is the customer experience. The success of your business will hinge on how positive the customer experience is, so you must work hard to ensure no issues arise. This means providing excellent customer service from the very beginning. Inquiries should be responded to, concerns should be addressed, and issues resolved, all of this will build loyalty and trust.
If customers have good experiences, they are more likely to leave positive reviews. These reviews should be displayed on your website. Showcasing positive reviews and testimonials on your site’s homepage, for example, can build social proof of your company’s quality and encourage more sales from other consumers.
To conclude, selling custom and personalized products online can be a difficult task, especially when you have a broad range of products. However, following the three tips outlined in this post can help to simplify the entire process.
