Print on Demand Ecommerce
Print On Demand Ecommerce is The Best Idea Ever
“Selling On Demand Goods & Services is the Key to Starting in ECommerce” says 4x ecommerce store owner Edward Baker.
Customization actually removes the ability for the customer to return your goods if you write the return policy as such.
Any Product or Service Can be Sold On-Demand
The products you sell are made on demand, to their spec / customized, from scratch. It can literally be any type of service or product, on any timeline, just be sure to clearly set expectations of the process for the customer. The “customer journey.”
Proofs Eliminate Customer Service Nightmares
A concept proof or production proof the customer must approve will eliminate returns and headaches. This is a required step to implementing success into your process.
Protects Both Buyer & Seller Online
Overall I find print on demand and/or any on-demand ecommerce store much less of a painful process as the proof is a safety measure for both parties in the transaction. It is a tangible approval you can both refer to.
Increased AOV - Higher Average Order
When you are first starting out, you will have less total transactions / quantity of sales. Over the course of time you will get much higher AOV and much more profitable jobs.
Digital Inventory IS RISK FREE
Digital Inventory becomes a tangible end result ONLY when someone else pays for it to exist. Zero risk to the store owner.
I own a custom fabrication business, so almost everything we do is made custom and in an “on demand” format and sold via ecommerce. Here is the real gold: After each custom job/order, we retain the right to repurpose, redesign, and resell the same custom order to another customer.
Popular On Demand Products Become Our Standard Products
When a product design or service package gains popularity: I save the design/plans and turn it into a “standard product” available for purchase online. This means another customer can buy it via my storefront in the future at a similar cost. The design/plan literally becomes a “new product listing” or a new variation to an existing product or service listing.
Transparency in Ecommerce Matters
I have “the creator” take photos of what was commissioned / created / already paid for to have actual photos of the new product for the existing product listing. I ask for them to provide process photos to show the customer proof of quality craftsmanship. This method enables us to have zero warehouse space because it’s all merely digital inventory until it ships out from the creator directly to the customer. In some cases we ask our creators to add a label or sticker or our custom packaging. 99% of the time, we simply ask for blind drop shipping and it works completely fine and always will.
Avoid Unsold Inventory and Overstock Goods
Custom / on demand made goods let you experiment with new ideas vs. getting stuck with a stockpile of unsellable physical inventory that nobody wants. You don’t have to worry about “trends” , “fads”, or “picking winners.” None of the products are “real” until the customer swipes their credit card to make it so.
Let Customer Demand Drive Sales and Innovation
You curate vendors, experiment with new designs & packages, and the market literally decides what it wants and what it doesn’t want.
Sure, this model isn’t for everyone - but it’s way safer when you are first starting off in the ecommerce industry. It requires more customer service, transparency, and can’t be quite as “automated” for sales. However, trust me, if you find the right manufacturer, source, or fabrication partner - you can absolutely crush it because you’ll have access to what nobody else does in the market. You will be able to take on custom jobs that nobody else can or will for much higher profit.
Find Someone Who Makes It
The best advice I can give you is to go out into the World find a creator.
The secret to Creators is that they like to create and hate sales. To sell themselves & market themselves is like pulling teeth. (You’ll see what I mean.)
Find a source/creator, plan out some hypothetical product designs or service packages and establish prices you can hold them to up front. Mark your price up and resell it! You could ask for referral payments, but it’s always best that YOU stay in control of the customer experience and getting paid.
Use Existing Work to Sell More
Create drawings or graphic “mock-ups” or request permission to advertise with photos of their existing portfolio work as “yours” and put it for sale online in your storefront.
Ultimately, you are selling for the creator - so they won’t typically have an issue with this idea. If they do, they aren’t looking to make money. It’s just white label!
I have made hundreds of new products using this methodology and have zero inventory and zero financial risk for any of them. If a product listing doesn’t convert/sell, it’s no loss for me and no loss for the creator. It’s simply our time lost, some sweat equity, but no actual cost or financial loss for either one of us.
It’s safe for both parties.
White Label Ecommerce
Plus, this method beats the hell out of selling the same “off the shelf” crap from Aliexpress. This gives me total creative control and total unique offerings from every other online seller in my same industry.
This eliminates “price matching” “price wars” and “races to the bottom” on the exact same product SKUs.
Popular Products Become Standard
If a particular design or “on demand” product becomes popular enough, I then and ONLY then, start to stock it and buy inventory in bulk from the creator, making even higher profit margins than originally possible. Capture the demand before investing in large numbers of goods!
Ecommerce Winning Products
I can’t preach the “print on demand” or just “on demand” business model enough. If you find yourself failing to pick “winning products” or failing to make enough profit in your business - you should totally try it! Essentially, you are just helping others sell & scale themselves by selling for them online.
Conclusion
Digital inventory for the win!!!
Customization for the win!!