How To Successfully Sell Custom Work
Customized products personalized for your customer can be a huge draw. However, they can also be hard to sell. Here are some tips our Jackalope team has outlined to help you turn your custom work into sales.
Keep it simple
This might sound counterintuitive at first, but less custom options = less decisions to be made by the customer before ordering. This can really help you retain interest for a larger base. So many people can get overwhelmed with options, that they just give up entirely. Don't let your products be so personalized, that your customer can't make a decision quickly and easily.
Provide Examples
People are visual. If you offer different font or color options, show them. That way people can see what the color will actually look like. Are you an illustrator with customizations of different subject matters? Show a range of subjects in your examples so potential buyers can know what to expect.
Take your custom options into consideration when setting up your online shop. Make it easy for people to navigate. You can provide drop down boxes, and try to think ahead of any mistakes someone may make when inputting their order. Sometimes you need to be specific. It can also help to create a few different listings instead of one listing with a million options.
The Navigator Handmade created a separate listing for each different jewelry piece and then it's customizable from there.
Promote
Make sure people are aware that they can customize a piece from you. A lot of times people are too shy to ask and because of this you may miss out on a possible opportunity. If you are doing a fair, make sure you have signage letting shoppers know that this is an option! When promoting use the word custom, personalized, or made to order in your product title, it also adds an element of exclusivity to your product.
Folding Hands Art at Jackalope Denver
Set Expectations
Does going custom increase the price? Notate that. How do returns or exchanges work? Also make sure you outline your timeline. How long will it take for someone to receive their purchase? Make sure you are communicating with your customer throughout the process. Sending them an image or sketch of the product before it is finalized can help with any possible issues and makes them feel that they are being included in the process!
Peyote Coyote offers custom pet portrait necklaces and she clearly outlines her process: "This is a collaborative process— we begin with a sketch and will communicate with you throughout to ensure you are in love with your portrait. Please allow 4—6 weeks for delivery (holidays may require additional time). Need it faster? Send us a note with your order. We are happy to accommodate rush orders ♥️.
Going custom can be a lot of fun. Just make sure it doesn't negatively impact your sales by making ordering too confusing or cumbersome. We hope these tips help to drive you forward in this new route.