Good reasons to adopt personalisation in your Print on Demand shop
Get your customers to do their bit, and they'll be all the happier for it.
The magic of the Internet coupled with the fully automated aspect of Print on Demand services tends to make us forget that there are real people behind the orders we see in our application. But there are: each item purchased was the subject of love at first (human) sight, and then added to the shopping cart with real (human) fingers. That's a touching thought.
In parallel with this somewhat impersonal vision of the brand-consumer relationship, a major trend in online sales has been developing for some time: the personalisation of products by the customer. What if we saw new technologies as a way of reconnecting with brand-customer relationships and more responsible consumption patterns rather than a way of distancing ourselves? This is a relevant question for a large part of the public: indeed, according to a study conducted in 2019 by Comcap, 50% of the consumers interrogated said they were interested in buying products with personalised graphic designs. Good thing our products exist and are specially designed to be decorated with graphic designs. In addition, we offer you the possibility to enable a personalization option on some of your visuals. Coincidence? We don't think so.
So, customisation by the client; what do we mean by this? Without designing the whole thing (fortunately: that's your job), it's about leaving a little room for your client's personalisation in your visual. Here, for example, the only part that has been personalised by the client is the first name of the lucky dad in question:
Between Print on Demand and the personalisation trend, there's obvious chemistry; let's take a look at some of the reasons why it is beneficial for your shop to ride this wave.
The growing desire to own unique products
In an era of faster fashion than ever before, the development of the customisation trend underlines consumers' desire for alternatives. The principle of mass production advocated by industrialist Henry Ford a century ago seems to be starting to clash with the individualism and need for self-expression of everyone, especially the younger generations. Indeed, according to ComCap, 55% of Generation Z respondents said they want to own personalised products that no one else is likely to have.
There is a real (and understandable) need to move away from the B to C (business to consumer) relationship to become a co-creator and express individuality, but also a desire to enjoy more sustainable products: while tons and tons of clothes are thrown away every day after a handful of uses without even being recycled, the personalised product promises a much longer life. After all, if your customer is involved in the making of their product AND if it fits them completely, there's no reason why they'd want to part with it for a long time, is there? And even if it's a gift, logic dictates that they will keep it for a long time (unless it was given by a wicked mother-in-law or a slightly disturbed ex, but that's another story).
The (nice) prospect of optimising your margin
According to ComCap, one in five consumers is willing to pay as much as 20% more for a personalised product. We can see the gleam in your eye from our offices in the south of France, that's for sure. This is all the more interesting because the customisation option you can take advantage of as a user of our application is available to you free of charge, and the production of a customised product will cost you no more than the production of a conventional product.
According to a McKinsey study, the current leaders in customisation have proven that it is possible to increase revenues by 5 to 15% by developing this aspect of their business. Thus, offering one (or more) customisable items will allow you to increase your turnover without further investment on your part. However, be careful not to overdo it: first of all to remain competitive, but also because it is important to see your customer as a partner who must feel like a winner.
Customer satisfaction at its best
Customisation options are a real customer retention boost for any business. It's easy to see why: allowing you to add your own touch to a product in a variety of ways, letting the customer do their own thing, all contribute to solidifying your relationship, significantly increasing customer satisfaction and enhancing their loyalty to your brand. The numbers don't lie: according to BCG-Google statistics, customers in a shop with a lot of customisation options are 110% more likely to add more products to their shopping carts and 40% more likely to end up spending more than they originally planned.
It is also mentioned in this study that buyers of personalised products are 20% more likely to recommend the shop where they bought them, compared to a classic online shop. It can therefore be said that beyond maintaining the loyalty of an existing customer base, personalisation is becoming a marketing tool in its own right. Indeed, customers who are proud of their purchases or gifts that match them perfectly will be inclined to share content highlighting their cherished products on social networks. You get paid, then you get advertised. What a wonderful arrangement.
Why use Print on Demand by TPOP to offer customisable products?
We are certain that our Print on Demand service and the trend towards personalisation go hand in hand. First of all, the 100% stockless aspect of our service combines perfectly with the unique and exclusive character of the customisable products. Nothing is planned in advance, everything is automated: so there's no reason for you to end up with tons of the same product on your hands because its message doesn't match your customers. We've also worked to perfectly adapt our application to the customization options: like all your other products, you'll be able to integrate them to the usual platforms (Woocommerce, Etsy and Shopify) without any problem.
Customisable products with TPOP: Instructions for use
Our customisation option works simply: when creating a product, after selecting the "Customisable product" option beforehand, the aim is to put an initial visual on it, without forgetting a space where the personalised message can be placed later. When your customer places an order (well done!), your task will be to send us the personalised visual according to your customer's wishes. If you need more details to get started on this crazy adventure, don't hesitate to consult our tutorial written for this purpose.
The magic of the combination of Print on Demand and personalisation lies in the fact that the production of the product can be launched in two clicks. According to Comcap (as you can see, we're fond of statistics), 48% of consumers say they are willing to wait longer to receive their personalised products. Surprise them pleasantly by opting for our super-fast service: from the validation of the final visual, an order can be produced and dispatched in just 2 days.
As an entrepreneur AND a marketer of your brand, it's important to stay aware of the trends in your industry and do your best to adapt to them. In a crowded world like online shopping, the high demand for personalised products is an opportunity for you, and we are honoured to allow you to happily join the party. Design and support individuality: personalisation is waiting for you.