One day when I was binge-watching my favorite show, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, on Netflix, I suddenly had an epiphany.
I needed a phone case that resembled my favorite character, Lewis Hamilton. I mean, who wouldn’t want to carry a piece of their favorite character with them all day? ?
So, I searched high and low for a phone case with his face or a quote written on it, but to my dismay, I couldn’t find anything.?
That’s when it hit me.
There must be tons of people like me desperately searching for a way to personalize their phone cases to their liking.
And that’s when it hit me again, like a ton of bricks. Selling custom designed skins and cases could be a profitable business venture!
So, if you’re like me and you’re tired of searching high and low for the perfect cases for your accessories, why not create your own?
It can be a great way to fill the gap between what people are getting and what they actually want.
And who knows? You may become the next big thing in the phone case world.
However, before diving into the vast world of e-commerce, it’s important to equip yourself with the necessary knowledge and skills to tap into this market successfully.
To help you get started, here is a step-by-step guide on how you can start selling custom skins and covers online.
A quick roadmap:
- Step 1: Discover the Gap in the Market – Make It Stand Out!
- Step 2: Determine Your Niche – Find Your Passion
- Step 3: Setup your store/segment
- Step 4: Invest in a Product Designer Tool
- Step 5: Manage your logistics
- Step 6: Spread the Word: Let the World Know About Your Custom Skin and Cover Business!
Let’s dive in and get started!
Step 1: Discover the Gap in the Market – Make It Stand Out!
To make your custom designed skins and covers business stand out, you’ll need to identify what makes your products unique. Think about what sets your designs apart from the competition.
Are your designs more colorful or abstract?
Do you offer more personalization options than your competitors?
One great way to identify gaps in the market is to read customer reviews of other phone case sellers. Look for common complaints or requests that customers have made, and use that information to create a product that meets those needs.
Also, according to a study by Allied Market Research, the global phone case market is projected to reach $36.75 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 7.5%.
This demonstrates the demand for mobile phone accessories and the opportunity for you to fill a gap in the market with your custom-designed skins and covers.
So, make sure you do your research, think outside the box, and identify what makes your products unique. That way, you can offer something truly special and capitalize on the growing demand for phone accessories.
Step 2: Determine Your Niche – Find Your Passion
Choosing a niche is a crucial step in creating and selling custom designed skins and covers.
It enables you to specialize in a specific area and cater to a particular audience, which can ultimately help you establish a unique selling proposition and attract loyal customers.
To determine your niche, consider your interests, hobbies, and areas of expertise.
For instance, if you’re passionate about sports, you could create designs that feature popular teams or athletes or cater to specific sports like basketball, football, or baseball.
(Source)
If you have a talent for creating intricate designs, you could specialize in that area and offer unique, highly detailed designs that stand out from the competition.
Once you’ve identified your niche, it’s essential to research the market and find out what your target audience is looking for.
Moreover, customers today are increasingly looking for businesses that offer customization options, which allow them to express their individuality and create unique products that reflect their personal style.
Transform your store into a design destination.
By integrating a product designer tool into your store, you can tap into this market and offer a wide range of customization options to your customers, from color schemes and images to text and font choices.
This will help transform your store into a design destination where customers can unleash their creativity and create unique designs that cater to their individual tastes and preferences.
Don’t miss out on this chance to elevate your business to new heights of success.
Step 3: Setup your store/segment
Setting up an ecommerce store for your custom skin and cover business is easier than you might think.
First, you’ll need to choose how you want to set up your online store. You have two options: a self-hosted ecommerce store or a hosted website. A self-hosted store gives you more control over your website, while a hosted website is typically easier to set up and maintain.
If you choose to go with a self-hosted ecommerce store, you’ll need to invest in web hosting, domain registration, and ecommerce software.
This can be a bit more complex, but it also gives you complete control over your online store.
On the other hand, if you choose a hosted website, you can use a platform like Shopify or WooCommerce to create your online store easily and quickly.
With PrintXpand, you can choose from a range of industry-standard themes to build your dream store hassle-free.
(Preview of Your Online Store’s Appearance.)
The themes are SEO-friendly and easy to integrate, allowing you to customize the design, add custom styles, and make variants as required. You can also customize the product listings and checkout pages to suit your store’s needs.
In addition to providing a great storefront experience, PrintXpand offers a range of back-end operations that help you streamline your print workflow. Their Web-to-Print ERP solution integrates with your online store, providing tools like inventory management and print job management.
With PrintXpand, you can also take advantage of multilingual and multi-currency support to reach a wider spectrum of customers. You can have different stores for different countries, and items with different themes, all with a single installation.
Whether you choose a self-hosted store or a hosted website, PrintXpand provides a range of web-to-print solutions that help you create a great storefront experience and streamline your print workflow.
Ready to start selling custom skins and covers online? Let PrintXpand help you set up your online store with ease and efficiency.
Step 4: Invest in a Product Designer Tool
The market for custom covers and skins is huge, and so is the competition. You’ll need a unique selling point (USP) to set your store apart from the competition. This is why investing in a skin and cover designer tool is a must.
A Skins & Covers designer forms the foundation of a personalized products business, so you need to be very careful about this one.
It shouldn’t complicate the process for your customers just after designing the products; it should be followed up by the same checkout process as for other general goods.
Our Product Designer is packed with features that make it easy for your customers to design custom skins and covers.
With a wide range of customization options, including adding text, uploading images, and choosing from a variety of pre-designed templates, your customers will love designing their own products.
Our tool is also compatible with other products, giving you the flexibility to expand your personalized store.
With our seamless integration, you can offer a hassle-free checkout process that’s consistent with other general goods. Plus, our designer tool is fully responsive, ensuring your customers have a great experience on any device.
Get started on your path to personalized product success with PrintXpand today!
Step 5: Manage your logistics
When it comes to producing your products, there are two main options: doing it yourself or using print-on-demand services.
If you’re ready to take on the production process yourself, it’s important to invest in a reliable shipping partner to ensure your products get to your customers on time.
On the other hand, print-on-demand services take care of the production and shipping processes for you. This means you can focus on marketing your products and growing your business without worrying about production logistics.
So whether you want to be a DIY boss or leave the printing to the pros, there’s a solution out there for you.
Step 6: Spread the Word: Let the World Know About Your Custom Skin and Cover Business!
Congratulations! You have set up your online store and are ready to start selling custom skins and covers.
But how will people know about your amazing products? Here are some tips to help you spread the word:
Leverage social media:
Share pictures of your products on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Use hashtags relevant to your business and engage with your followers to create buzz around your brand.
Collaborate with influencers:
Reach out to influencers in your niche and offer them free products in exchange for a post about your brand. This is a great way to reach a wider audience and gain credibility.
Offer Referral Programs:
Encourage your customers to refer their friends and family to your store by offering them incentives like discounts on future purchases. This not only helps you acquire new customers but also helps you retain your existing ones.
With these foolproof strategies, you can have your custom skin and cover business create a buzz in the market and give your customers the unique, personalized products they deserve.
Let’s make your business the “cover-star” of the e-commerce world together!
Five simple steps and you are ready to earn some extra revenue from your online store.
The benefits of selling custom skins and covers online do not only include this.
You have more buyers to reach compared to your traditional business, and the operational costs are reduced to a significant level as store maintenance and related expenses are almost eliminated.
Additionally, your business gets recognition, and you can expect to be a brand in the market if it goes well. If you are an online store owner or plan to indulge in some ecommerce selling, you should take this decisively and plunge into it before it gets more competitive.
At PrintXpand, we are here to support you in your journey of starting your own business venture by providing you with the necessary tools and resources.
Our product designer tool is easy to use and can be integrated into your online store with ease. With a range of industry-standard themes and a streamlined print workflow, you can easily offer your customers highly customizable phone cases that cater to their individual preferences.
Start your entrepreneurial journey today and brush up on your skills with PrintXpand.
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