Sell Customizable Products with Print on Demand

In a world where customers increasingly value unique and individual products, online retailers must explore the opportunities offered by customizable products for their online store. Especially in print on demand, personalization makes a lot of sense, as products are generally only produced in individual quantities after ordering — meaning that despite individualized products, there is no additional effort for you as a retailer.

Personalization with Print on Demand

A major benefit of the print-on-demand model for customizable products is that production is just as efficient as for non-customized items. Since the products are made individually on demand anyway, there is no difference in production time or effort — whether a finished design or a personalized product is created. Working with a POD provider also makes it easy to scale the business, as the producer takes care of everything regardless of the order quantity. The customer simply selects their desired customizable aspects, the order is sent to the printer and produced, just like with standard POD products. It makes no difference to the printer whether the product is personalized or not, as they always work with a finished print design.

Advantages of Customizable Products

Uniqueness Since personalized products are created according to the individual wishes of the customer, they are unique pieces that stand out from mass products. This exclusivity makes the products particularly attractive for buyers who are looking for something personal and extraordinary.

Stronger customer loyalty When customers have the opportunity to customize products to their liking, they feel a stronger connection to the item and the brand. This not only leads to higher satisfaction, but also leads to customers returning more often to purchase additional personalized products. Emotional connection is a key to long-term customer loyalty.

High profit margins Because personalized products have a special value for customers, they are often willing to pay a higher price for them. This allows you as a seller to significantly increase profit margins compared to standard products.

No right of withdrawal In many countries (e.g. Germany), there is no right of withdrawal for personalized products, as they are made specifically for the individual customer. This protects you from returns and thus minimizes the risks and costs that often arise with non-personalized items.

Best-selling gifts Personalized products are particularly popular as gifts because they have a personal and individual touch for the recipient. Whether for Christmas, birthdays, or weddings — personalized items stand out from conventional gifts and are often the first choice for buyers who want to give something unique.

Hybrid Online Shops

As a hybrid print on demand online shop, you sell customizable products in addition to standardized print on demand designs. There are now plenty of online shops that have chosen personalization as a niche. Print on demand shops that also offer personalized products within their niche have a massive competitive advantage over their direct competitors. Customizable products are often very general and rarely refer to a specific niche. As a niche shop with customizable designs, you secure valuable market share and a competitive advantage that your competitors will have to work hard to match.

Popular Products for Personalization

Cups and Bottles Everyday objects such as cups or bottles are popular gift items that are frequently personalized. Their low selling price makes personalized mugs in particular into bestsellers.

Pillows and Posters Decorative items for the home are other popular products for personalization. They add a personal touch to any living space and are often used to preserve beautiful memories.

Bags Thanks to their functionality, bags such as jute or sports bags are very popular items to personalize. Customers can show off their individual designs wherever they go.

Clothing T-shirts make up the largest share of the entire print on demand market and therefore cannot be missing from this list.

Sell Customizable Products with MarketPrint

Thanks to our cooperation with the personalization software TeeInBlue, it is very easy for MarketPrint customers to offer personalized products in their print on demand shops. The MarketPrint products can be selected in the TeeInBlue app, provided with customizable designs, and integrated directly into the online shop.

For detailed instructions, please visit our information page: TIB x MP

Best Practices

Simplicity vs. Complexity How much freedom should you give the customer when it comes to customization? There needs to be enough leeway to create truly unique products — simply changing the color is not enough. But where is the limit at which it becomes too complicated for the customer to implement personalization? This cannot be answered in a general way. As a guideline, you should not have more than 4–5 customizable elements on a single product.

Presenting Customizable Products in Your Online Shop If you do not operate a purely customizable shop, it is important that you make it clear to customers that they can customize individual products. Not every online shopper immediately understands what it means when "customizable" appears in the title of a product. Make sure you add a small note to your main mockup and include a short explanation on the product page about what "customizable" means for that particular product.

Use for Upselling Use personalization for upselling by offering a customizable version alongside a standardized product. Since you can charge a higher price for a personalized product without incurring any additional effort or costs yourself, you can increase your profit margin with a simple note such as "For just €5 more, you can personalize this product."