Product Customization Implementation In Ecommerce [Examples Included]
Product customization is becoming a boom in the ecommerce industry. Such a model of working with consumers allows the company to provide customers with the opportunity to receive a product made according to individual wishes. This model adapts mass production goods to the needs of specific consumers. It is achieved due to their partial change, refinement, and adding extra elements.
In Which Ecommerce Niches Can Product Customization Be Implemented?
The main areas of the consumer market in which customization is implemented:
- Printing, souvenir and gift products — calendars, photo albums, photo wallpapers, notepads, etc.
- Food — chocolate, sweets, cakes, and pastries. For example, Mymms allows you to order customized M&M’s candies. You can apply emoticons, letters, and dates in an individual package.
- Clothes with prints — t-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball caps.
- Clothing according to individual measurements — shirts, blouses, suits, skirts, dresses. For example, the Burberry brand offers on its website the opportunity to order trench coats. The Indochino project focuses on suits and shirts.
- Shoes. Most of the shoe brands have customization option, Nike, Converse, Girotti, you name it.
- Accessories — wallets, handbags, mobile phone cases, laptop bags, belts, glasses, jewelry, etc. For example, phone cases or glasses with owners’ names.
- Furniture and interior. For example, IKEA proposes to create the kitchen of your dreams.
- Vehicles — bicycles, motorcycles, and cars. For example, configurators on the sites of automotive manufacturers Toyota, Mercedes, Porsche, Range Rover (color, wheels, interior trim, optional equipment, etc.).
- Computer equipment — complete sets, stickers, etc. For example, Dell suggests assembling a computer with the required characteristics.
- Catering business. For example, Papa John’s offer the opportunity to collect their own pizza.
Today, almost all companies can potentially offer customization, if their products allow it. Moreover, the difference in price and delivery time between standard and customized products is no longer significant.
Why Do Customers Love Product Customization?
Here is why customized goods demand increases:
- Consumers want to “stand out from the crowd” and wear “unique” clothes.
- Such products are often purchased to attract attention or show some social position. (e.g. T-shirts with provocative print)
- Such products are often purchased with hedonistic motifs and should give the owner positive emotions and pleasure (for example, a monogrammed phone case of favorite color).
- Customized goods are a good option for a creative gift.
- Increasing the self-importance of the consumer (“I am not like everyone else”, “I can afford…”, etc.).
- Self-expression, a reflection of their own style.
- The handmade market gives a push for customization. Yet, handmade goods are often more expensive than customized ones.
A portrait of consumers of customized goods looks like this: age 20+, progressive innovators using advanced digital technologies and gadgets, up to date with modern trends, have their own opinion, tend to look and not be “like everyone else”, are willing to pay more for the goods most suitable them. In many ways, this portrait echoes the descriptions of the representatives of the generation Y and Z.
However, more and more people of older and younger generation adopt it. Customization, as well as personalization, becomes a usual thing.
Should You Implement Product Customization in Your Ecommerce Website?
In order for you to understand whether you need to implement the product customization model, answer four basic questions:
- Are your products customizable? As mentioned earlier, for such products not only the rational component is important, but also the emotional one. Behind their usage is also the opportunity to enjoy the possession of a product, to show it, to demonstrate something or to evoke positive emotions by using such a product as a gift, etc. Not all products can provide consumers with such opportunities. For example, in the accessories market, customization is a great way to build an emotional connection with consumers.
In the market of flour or milk, customization is impossible due to the simplicity of the goods themselves and the minimal emotional binding of consumers to them. - Who will buy these products? You should understand whether the target audience will buy such products regularly. In this case, your ROI on the product customization feature development can be negative.
- How many customization options can you offer? For example, how many colors, styles, decor options, etc. can you provider consumer with? But remember that bigger choice doesn’t mean better customer experience. The more options you provider — the harder it will be for the consumer to finish a purchase.
- How much will the implementation of the customization model cost? You should calculate all the costs, starting from manufacture and delivery process optimization, ending the cost of the product customization feature development on your ecommerce website.
Bytheway, if you want to know how much would it cost to implement the product customization on your ecommerce website, ask about it here.
How to Implement Product Customization
Outsource To Developers
If you want to provide your ecommerce website users with deep customization and best user experience, you should hire a team of developer, if you don’t have one in-house.
You may be interested in learning what questions to ask before outsourcing the development and why it’s a good choice to outsource to Ukraine.
Nike has built its product customization page from scratch because it allows creating advanced and intuitive product customization experience. Moreover, don’t forget about branding and differentiation, you can create a unique page that consumers will remember and adore.
Nikeid shoe ecommerce product customization software example
From a technological point of view, we at Relevant ecommerce development company recommend building this solution with the help of modern front-end frameworks like Vue.js, Angular or React (Nike uses this one). And if you want to render your product in 3D with the ability to spin it, use Three.js.
Creating product customization feature from scratch is a great idea, but it requires large sums of money, which most of the ecommerce stores don’t have. For those who are still starting their business up, I can recommend going with the next option.
Buy A SaaS Ecommerce Product Customization Software
A faster and inexpensive option of product customization implementation in your ecommerce is purchasing a ready-made configurator. It is usually provided as a plugin for your CMS (Wordpress, Shopify, OpenCart, Bigcommerce) or as a SaaS solution.
Coming as a monthly subscription ($19-$99 per month), it is much cheaper than building it from scratch. A good product customizer will provide you with all the necessary features.
Such a solution is good for small companies that want to start quick and for those who want to see how product customization will affect conversion rates. However, if you are a big company, we strongly recommend going with the first option.
Conclusion
Product customization is a great way to create an emotional connection with your consumers and become something bigger than just another ecommerce store.
If you decide to implement this feature, there are two ways to do it: build from scratch (for larger companies) or buy a ready-made solution.
It’s always a good option to consult with ecommerce developers and decide which option works best for your exact store. Fill free to contact Relevant Software here.
