Turning your passion into a profitable enterprise or side hustle is more accessible than ever, thanks to the virtually limitless opportunities for showcasing and selling custom patterns and layouts. Everyday items from pens to coffee mugs to hoodies can be your canvas, as well as a launchpad to financial success.
A made to order design business is an e-commerce venture where products are custom-made based on individual customer specifications. In this guide, we’re discussing how to set one up yourself, with a few helpful suggestions on turning your creative dreams into reality with the help of your trusty laptop and some expert know-how.
Why Choose A ‘Made To Order Design Business’ Model?
The main reason for choosing a made-to-order business model is in its minimal barriers to entry. Whether it’s designing custom apparel, personalised jewellery, or made-to-measure home furniture, all you need to begin your venture is a bit of talent, an active imagination, plenty of ambition, and a reliable internet connection.
The appeal of e-commerce lies in its flexibility and scalability. Working from anywhere while reaching a global audience is difficult to beat.
Set Up Your Made-To-Order Design Process
The key to your success will lie in two key considerations: your communications and the quality of your products. Thankfully, both of these characteristics can be attained by ensuring that your made-to-order design finalisation process with client communications is smooth, streamlined, and maintains reasonable expectations.
For instance, you could use a JPG to PDF converter for sharing your initial designs or drawings with potential customers in a more professional, high-quality format that will be more reflective of your end results. Similarly, equipping yourself with strong virtual communication skills to ensure the client is happy with whatever you’re producing, and some web-designing know-how to make sure your website is presentable can also help your made-to-order design business really stand out from the crowd.
Find Your Point Of Difference
Once you’ve got your order process down, it’s time to start honing your brand even further by finding your niche. Which segment of the design industry most aligns with your skills and interests? Specialising allows you to differentiate yourself from competitors and can potentially lead to significant profits if you choose the correct one with a decent amount of demand.
Does your big idea have to centre around your passions only? Absolutely not. Plenty of highly profitable small businesses are run by owners who never thought they’d be in their roles, so spend time thinking about how you can incorporate your design skills into existing high-profit industries.
Find & Research Your Market
Next, research your niche’s sector and identify what makes you unique. Why should customers choose your product? Do you offer exceptional service, a broader range of customisation options than competitors, unbeatable prices, or something totally unique?
Defining a solid selling proposition upfront allows you to attract and retain customers. It also helps guide your subsequent marketing efforts and branding message. Spend ample time on this phase. Learning what your target demographic and future customers like will help you tailor your products and campaigns to increase your chance of conversions.
Build An Impressive Online Store
Use an e-commerce platform that aligns with your needs and budget. Many popular platforms offer user-friendly interfaces, integrated payment connections, and customisable templates, such as Wix, Squarespace, and WooCommerce.
When evaluating platform contenders, consider variables such as ease of use, scalability, and integrated features such as customer support, SEO tools, and inventory management. Look for robust customisation capability to showcase your unique designs effectively.
Design A Captivating Homepage
The customer-facing site driving your store should accurately portray the message and features that make your products what they are. Choose visually appealing graphics and add functional elements that are user-friendly.
Use high-definition images featuring your items within a clean and intuitive layout, but remember to keep speed in mind. Around half of e-commerce sales originate from mobile devices, so you need a fast-loading site with graphics that are high-quality on small screens but don’t suffer from long loading speeds.
Choose Your Product Listings With Care
Skillfully presenting your merchandise roster is crucial for converting visitors into buyers. Create a detailed listing for each design, including information on sizing, materials, and customisation options. Consider providing other relevant information, such as inspirations, personal backstories, or ideas for further personalisation.
Use multi-angle photos to let consumers better understand what they’re purchasing. Organise listings into clear categories to make browsing more intuitive, and include appropriate search options. Anything you can do to help your prospects find your best items and reach that buying decision, followed by a smooth and secure checkout process, will work in your favour.
Use Effective Design Tools
Select software applications that meet the requirements of your niche, whether its illustration through drawing or painting, 3D printing, or corporate branding.
Beloved tools such as Adobe Creative Suite have the features to create professional-grade concepts, prototypes, and final versions that will captivate your audience and turn them into buyers. Selecting appropriate resolutions for each use case is vital to upholding your designs’ visual presentation across differing desktop and mobile platforms.
Promote Your Enterprise
The final foundational pieces for your launch are branding identity and an effective online marketing campaign. Consider your core values, mission, and vision for the future. Use a distinctive logo that people will remember. Pick a colour scheme and use fonts that contribute to the cause without overwhelming the user’s screen.
An inspiring and compelling personal story about what led you to this point can help to engage potential customers on a deeper level. Strive to become relatable and memorable while providing unique designs that resonate with their tastes, and stand out in crowded digital retail spaces.
Set Your Made To Order Business Up For Success From The Outset
Running your own online business can be a lot of hard work, but it can also be very rewarding. Putting the right foundations in place from the very beginning will help set you up for success. Follow the steps outlined above to ensure that you hit the ground running, from developing your own niche to spreading the word for your new business. With the right setup in place, your made-to-order design business will have every chance of being a huge success.
