If you’re looking to launch your own profitable, scalable print on demand business, phone cases are a natural place to start. Smartphones, of course, have become ubiquitous, with global smartphone sales currently in the billions. And most people who have a phone also need a good case, protecting their investment while also providing a chance to display some personality.
But while print on demand phone case businesses can be promising, they’re by no means guaranteed; you’ll need to ensure you’re building your company intelligently, paying special attention to scalability. Here are a few tips for helping you do just that.
Tips and Strategies for Your Print on Demand Phone Case Business
1) Know your niche.
The biggest problem with starting a phone case business? There’s a lot of competition.
You’ll be going head-to-head with countless phone case providers, many of whom are already set up on Amazon and on Etsy, a few of which have even penetrated big box stores.
To stand out, you’ll need to have a good answer to these questions:
- What sets your phone case business apart?
- Who are your customers?
- Why should people choose your cases over your competitors’?
Maybe your phone case business is distinguished by your original artwork, unlike anything else on the market. Maybe it’s because you’ve tapped into a very specific market… for example, animal-themed phone cases for wildlife enthusiasts.
Regardless, you need to know your who and your why if you want to stand out.
2) Develop a visual style.
One way to set apart your phone case business is to develop a unique visual style, tying all of your products together. Basically, you want your cases to look like they belong to the same family. You want them to convey something distinctive.
You can do this by creating a visual style that encompasses any or all of the following:
- Color combinations
- Iconography
- Typography
- Illustrations/photos
To build this visual style, you may need to enlist some illustrators and/or designers through the freelance market.
3) Do some market research.
Before taking your print on demand phones public, share some of your design ideas with friends, co-workers, or family members. Get their honest feedback, and push for any constructive criticism that can make your products better.
This also provides you an opportunity to learn a little bit more about the habits of the average smartphone buyer. Interview some of your prospective/hypothetical customers with questions like these:
- How often do you buy a new phone case?
- What’s the most you typically spend on a phone case?
- How often do you upgrade your smartphone?
- What are the qualities you look for in a good case?
This kind of research, while somewhat anecdotal, can be useful in guiding some of your business, marketing, and pricing decisions.
4) Choose your selling channels.
You’ll also need to think about how you’re going to sell your phone cases. There are a number of factors that might guide this decision, including your niche, your audience, and your brand positioning.
A few of the main options include:
5) Choose a production partner.
In addition to choosing your sales channel, you’ll also need to select a partner to help you produce your print on demand items.
As you look for a print on demand manufacturing company, be sure to examine factors such as quality, expedience, error rate, and cost/sustainability. Also take into account the ease and convenience of your print on demand partner’s interface; how simple is it for you to upload designs, to customize orders, etc.?
As you consider print on demand manufacturing partners, we invite you to contact Gooten. We’ve had the pleasure of working alongside many successful print on demand phone case companies, and we are confident that we have the solutions you need to establish and scale your business.
We’d love to tell you more, or to answer any questions you might have about finding success in print on demand phone case manufacturing. To take the next steps, reach out to the team at Gooten today.
