The print on demand industry is valued at around $4.9 billion, and is expected to continue growing. With that being said, if you’re starting a print on demand shop there may be quite a bit of competition. It’s important that while setting up your shop of personalized products that you have a strong voice and avoid mistakes.
Mistakes are going to happen, but it’s important to prepare yourself before you begin to avoid ones that could cost you. So, let’s look at the top mistakes to avoid when you start a print on demand shop.
To start, one of the biggest mistakes you can make when opening a print on demand shop is going in with little to no research. This goes for every aspect of your business. Keep in mind that building a successful print on demand shop is going to take time and patience.
You should be creating your personalized products with a target market in mind. Otherwise, how are you going to sell anything? So, before you go live, hit the internet and make a plan.
Having an easy to navigate store design is crucial for a print on demand eCommerce shop. Along with being intuitive, your shop should also look professional. Your website design can make or break a sale. When you’re designing your website, put yourself in the shoes of the customer. Make sure you’re as detailed as possible, and include:
Stick to what’s important. You don’t want to overload your shop with information that can confuse potential customers on what you’re selling. If you’re having trouble, you can always hire a content writer or website designer to assist you.
Another thing to consider is having your print on demand shop be mobile device friendly. According to data, about 73% of eCommerce sales are completed on cell phones and other mobile devices. Making sure your website translates to mobile is an absolute must.
Another common mistake beginners in print on demand make is displaying low quality images for their personalized products. If an image is blurry, or not sized properly, how are customers supposed to know what it will actually look like? Customers want to know what your designs will look like before they buy whether it’s on a coffee mug or a t-shirt.
Along with what you’re displaying on your website, using low resolution images or mis-sized files will cause issues with your print on demand products. How the personalized product turns out is going to depend on the file you submit. The last thing you want is for a customer to receive a personalized product with a blurry or misshapen image on it.
Just because you can print a design on any personalized product doesn’t mean you should. Test your designs to see what works on what types of products before offering them in your shop. When doing market research on your niche, figure out the items your target is buying, as well.
When you’re starting out, print on demand is typically a side hustle. When it’s not your main source of income, it can be easy to brush it off and not take it seriously. It’s important to remember that when it comes to online businesses, people are going to share their experience with others.
That’s why it’s crucial from day one to focus on customer service. In fact, you should be focusing on the customer experience as a whole. The customer experience starts the second someone clicks on your website. From start to finish, the process should be quick and easy. Customer service is a huge part of this, which means answering emails and calls to resolve issues as soon as possible.
The bottom line is that everyone makes mistakes when they’re starting a print on demand business. The best thing you can do for yourself is be prepared, and make sure you’re offering quality products. Personalized products should be displayed with quality images, and customer service should be the main focus. Your business should take off in no time!
