• What’s more important to you, sales price, free shipping, or customer experience?
• Which products do you want to see more of this year?
• Do you think we send enough emails—too little or too many?
• What would motivate you to tell your friends & family about our online store?
• How would you describe our e-commerce store in a few words?

Dig Into Your Ecommerce Analytics

Redefine Your Niche

Depending on what you’re selling, a hyper-focused, highly refined niche may not be necessary. But having no niche at all dilutes everything from your product copy to your online marketing. It’s challenging to brand your online store when there’s nothing about your designs, products, or story that stands-out.
Make 2024 about tightening up your niche enough that consumers understand your brand identity, what you sell, & why. It makes it easier to attract an audience that clearly identifies you with the specific niche they��re looking for.

Lower Your Overhead

• Storage
• Inventory
• Web hosting or seller platform fees
• Marketing
• Virtual assistants or staff

Get started with CustomCat here.

Create Systems & Processes for Your Online Store

Part of the fun of running an online store is experiencing something different every day. But that lack of clarity is also what’s dragging down your profits. When there’s no standard operating procedure (SOP) for your online store, you’re constantly starting everything from scratch. That email marketing letter goes unfinished or is so inconsistent that you’re not taking advantage of promotional opportunities. Or your customer service falls to the wayside & leads to a poor experience for your customer.

Writing out all of your SOPs & adding videos or graphics to keep things consistent can also make outsourcing a breeze. Instead of spending your free time pulling together social media posts for the month, you can hand it off to a virtual assistant to do it all for you & schedule it in a system like Later.

Offer More Personalization Options

• 74% of Gen Zers
• 67% Millennials
• 61% Gen Xers
• 57% Baby Boomers

Read more about how to use Zakeke & CustomCat in perfect harmony here.

Eliminate Time-Wasting Activities

There is a caveat. If you’re getting inconsistent sales from a specific channel where you know your audience already hangs out, it’s worth another shot. For example, if you are all college students or young professionals, TikTok could be a great place to create more content & drive more sales. Leveraging influencer marketing or setting aside a small budget for TikTok ads could spark more sales & give you some social proof that you just need a renewed strategy to see more traction.

Supercharge Your Mindset

The post How to Sell More in Your Online Store in 2024 appeared first on CustomCat.

Custom Pillows

Customized pillows can be a romantic gift & provide a reason to snuggle. They can also be marketed as gifts for friends & family who need an excuse to relax and practice some self-care. Our selection of pillows are vibrantly printed from edge to edge on both sides with sublimation. They’re soft, high-quality, & come in three different sizes to customize. You can also create themed sets with POD pillows, using a similar theme on each to drive more revenue in your e-commerce business.

Cozy Blankets

Pair your custom pillow creations with our POD blankets to develop a line of Valentine’s Day-themed housewares. Our Premium Sherpa blankets are a great option with a silky-smooth printed front & fluffy Sherpa backside �?perfect for snuggling up alone or with your Valentine. All of our blankets offer edge-to-edge printing that allows you to feature your custom design in rich vibrant detail.

11oz & 15oz Accent Mugs

Accent Mugs are a great gift for couples, friends, coworkers, & anyone else who enjoys coffee in the morning or tea at night We offer both 11oz & 15oz accent mugs, with 7 color options (including Pink & Red for Valentine’s Day themes).

Crewneck Sweatshirts

Crewneck Sweatshirts never go out of style, but a wintery Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to sell them. Create paired couples styles to embrace the spirit of the season.

Old-school POD methods meant fleece products like sweatshirts were challenging to print on & required a basic design strategy. CustomCat uses revolutionary DIGISOFT® technology for vibrant, detailed prints that showcase your high-quality designs. Customers love them & it’s easy to make your sweatshirts stand out from your competitors.

Bib Aprons

Bib aprons are also a fun Valentine’s Day gift for anyone who enjoys grilling, barbecuing, or cooking, from parents to friends & grandparents. They come with an adjustable sliding buckle on the neckband & are printed with DIGISOFT® technology. Make them more marketable by adding downloadable recipes or your own printer-ready wrapping paper for a more enticing sale.

Print-on-demand makes it easy to experiment & scale your e-commerce business without the overhead. Upload your designs to your CustomCat library, apply to our hundreds of products, & start selling. You just need an easy integration to connect to your online store, or you can upload your orders manually with the help of a simple file. We’ll also fulfill your order from start to finish so all you need to do is focus on growing your store the way you want without all the hassles of fulfilling & shipping out inventory.

Get started with CustomCat here.

The post What to Sell for Valentine’s Day in Your Online Store appeared first on CustomCat.

Written by the team at Zakeke.com

In today’s competitive e-commerce landscape, product customization is essential, especially in the realm of print on demand. Consumers crave personalized products, and merchants must meet this demand to stay relevant and match competitors�?strategies.

Wondering how to offer Product Customization? Integrating CustomCat, our POD service for online merchants, with Zakeke’s Visual Product Customizer simplifies this process, providing businesses with an easy, efficient tool to offer real-time product personalization, keeping them on-trend and in tune with customer desires.

Introduction to Print on Demand (POD)

Print on Demand (POD) has revolutionized the world of e-commerce and the way businesses operate, offering a cost-effective solution for creating custom printed products, eliminating the need for inventory management while providing businesses with the flexibility to offer a wide range of custom printed products without substantial upfront investments.

The Importance of Personalization

Personalized products have a strong emotional appeal and create a deeper connection with customers. When customers can design their own products, they feel a sense of ownership, which leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Whether it’s a custom-printed T-shirt, a personalized phone case, or a one-of-a-kind coffee mug, the ability to tailor products to individual tastes is a powerful market advantage.

Product Personalization isn’t limited to just adding a name to a product. It includes choosing from a wide array of design options, colors, materials and styles. As an e-commerce business, it’s essential to understand that personalization isn’t just a trend; it’s a fundamental customer expectation.

Offering personalized products can lead to increased customer engagement, higher conversion rates, and greater customer loyalty.

Benefits of Merging Print On Demand and Product Customization

Merging print on demand and product customization presents several advantages for businesses:

1. Reduced Overheads: One of the primary benefits is the elimination of inventory costs. Traditional retail models often require businesses to invest in bulk stock, which can be financially burdensome. With POD, products are created as orders come in, reducing storage and financial risks.
2. Flexible Product Range: The combination of POD and customization offers businesses the flexibility to offer a vast range of products without the need for extensive warehousing. From clothing to home décor and promotional items, the possibilities are endless.
3. Low Risk: The print on demand and customization model minimizes financial risks. Businesses can experiment with different designs, products, and markets without committing to large quantities.
4. Sustainability: POD minimizes waste since products are only produced when there’s demand, reducing the environmental impact.
5. Increased customer satisfaction: Customized products allow customers to express their personal style and create products that are unique to them. This leads to higher customer satisfaction and a stronger emotional connection with the brand.
6. Expanded market reach: Personalization enables businesses to tap into niche markets and cater to specific customer preferences. By allowing customers to create their own designs, businesses can attract a wider range of customers and increase their market share.

The most straightforward way for mastering POD personalization is through the integration of CustomCat and Zakeke. With a simple Plug & Play setup, user-friendly interface, and limitless customization possibilities, why wait any longer?

Mastering POD Customization with CustomCat and Zakeke

While there are various tools and platforms available for print on demand personalization, Zakeke stands out as a versatile and user-friendly option for businesses using CustomCat that are looking to offer customizable products to their customers.

• Ease of Use: Zakeke’s intuitive interface allows businesses to effortlessly integrate product customization into their websites. With user-friendly design tools, customers can easily personalize their products.
• Endless Customization Possibilities: Zakeke offers a vast array of customization options, from adding text and images to choosing colors, fonts, and sizes to large prints personalization, custom print ready files for Sublimation and Engraving effects. This level of flexibility ensures that customers can create products that truly represent their unique style and preferences.
• Scalability: Whether you’re a small business or an enterprise-level e-commerce platform, Zakeke can accommodate your needs. It’s scalable, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
• Integration: Zakeke seamlessly integrates with various e-commerce platforms and offers API access, making it a valuable tool for businesses looking to enhance their product customization capabilities, no matter where their catalog is based.

CustomCat and Zakeke: How It Works

To start selling custom items with CustomCat and Zakeke, here’s a quick step-by-step guide:

• Install Zakeke’s app in your e-commerce store;
• Integrate Zakeke and CustomCat (check the guide) and launch the app;
• Choose a product from CustomCat catalog to make customizable with Zakeke;
• Set your customization options for the product and save;
• The new product is now in your store, ready for customers to personalize by hitting the button “CUSTOMIZE�?
• CustomCat handles fulfillment and shipping when orders come in.

• Display products in 3D, showing a real-time 3D previews of custom products;
• Set dynamic customization rules and add mark-up prices;
• Offer pre-designed templates to make the customization experience easier.

Conclusion

Zakeke’s Visual Product Customizer integration with CustomCat offers a powerful, versatile and cost-saving solution that enables businesses to meet these demands while providing a seamless and engaging customer experience.

Ready to try Zakeke with CustomCat? Click HERE to create your Zakeke account & get started!

The post Mastering Print On Demand Personalization with Zakeke’s Product Customizer appeared first on CustomCat.

This holiday shopping season is going to be completely different compared to previous years. Since March, ecommerce businesses have steadily seen growth. With more & more buyers going online for products, this holiday season is going to see shopping through a different lens. Online stores are going to be the main source of gift buying for the holiday season. We’ve created this list to make sure you’re ready & to help you prepare your store.

Evaluate Your Store

1. Ease of Navigation – Before the holiday shopping season begins, you will want to send time navigating your own website to make sure it is running smoothly & optimally. Your site should be easy to navigate quickly and without confusion. If your site takes more than 4 seconds to load, 1 in 4 people will leave & won’t return.
2. Product Info & Images – All of your products should have accurate & detailed descriptions. Many shoppers will be buying christmas gifts online since physical businesses are closed or have limited customer capacities by law. Buyers will expect to have a clear picture in their mind of the product they will be receiving in the mail. Your pictures should be taken from multiple angles, in bright but indirect natural lighting. High quality pictures & product descriptions are often what makes a customer decide to choose your item.
3. Checkout Page – There are some upgrades you can make to your checkout page that will encourage customers to buy your products. You should start by consolidating the checkout process & ensuring all the fields that your customers need to fill out display on one page. This makes the process quick & easy, reducing the likelihood that your customer gives up halfway through the checkout process. You should also allow customers to checkout as a guest. Having to fill out extra account info – especially during a first time buy – interrupts the process. Finally, you can give customers a little boost during the buying experience by adding Free Shipping Bar. This Shopify app motivates customers with progressive messaging whenever more items are added to their cart.
4. Customer Service – The holiday shopping season can be very stressful on buyers. In order to properly assist anyone who might have a question or issue, you should have 24/7 customer support or implement a live chat feature on your site. Your contact information should also be included where it can be easily accessed. The faster response time, the happier your customer will be. After each purchase is received, ask the customer to fill out a survey or rate their purchases so you can hear feedback about your business & improve for the future. 

Get in the Holiday Spirit

Get yourself & your customers in the holiday shopping spirit by littering your website with Christmas-themed graphics. These can be simple pop-ups, a holiday themed version of your logo, or a whole website theme that has a holiday vibe. You should also include any holiday products on your website before the shopping season starts. This way customers can begin to plan what they want to buy from your store.

To assist customers keep track of items they plan to buy as gifts, you can include a wishlist within your online store. This is a certain page of your store site that holds items a customer wants & makes it easy to be found once the customer returns. Besides keeping track of their own gift plans, your customers can use this feature to share their own favorite items with friends or family. This makes it easy for someone else to pick a present for your customer because your customer has already done the job of selecting the items they love.

Plan Your Promotions

Plan out your promotions ahead of your holiday shopping season schedule. The holiday season covers multiple weeks so you have plenty of time to implement some of these different promotions options.

1. Free Shipping – Not much needs to be said here. Everyone loves free shipping & it makes customers more likely to complete a purchase. In fact, customers are more likely to increase their cart values when offered free shipping over a pre-determined purchase amount.
2. Giveaways – Giveaways are an easy way to gain more customers through social media. Many businesses do giveaways where they ask followers to share a post on their story in order to be entered into the drawing. The more the post is shared, the more potential customers are going to be exposed to your shop & all you have to do is create a giveaway people are willing to work for. Whether you’re giving away a one-of-a-kind design or a $100 gift card, giveaways can help you increase your visibility on social media.
3. Reward or Loyalty Programs – Creating rewards or a loyalty program for repeat buyers helps create long-term customers. Customers can use their saved up points on future purchases throughout the year. With these strategies, a customer earns points every time they make a purchase, & when they save it makes ‘em feel good.
4. Flash Sale – This promotion can be used when it is coming down to the wire on Christmas shopping. For the final day of your Christmas shopping deadline, it can help push wary buyers to purchase your items if you have a flash sale on your whole site. You can also capture repeat buyers by sending out an email or text to your previous customers as they could have previously found a product the sale will push them towards purchasing.

Advertise

Once you have your promotions decided, it is time to plan how you’re going to advertise. Before the holiday season rolls around you will want to have your advertisements prepared. Holiday shopping can get hectic & overwhelming so it can be helpful to get this ready beforehand. You should be including advertisements that cover every popular shopping date. These should include ads targeting Black Friday, Cyber Monday, & the final weeks before Christmas.
You should be advertising your business by posting on social media & by using paid Facebook, Instagram, or Google ads. Social media posts are a great way to advertise your products because they are completely free. You can ask friends & family members to help spread the word by sharing your products on their own page. Facebook, Instagram, & Google all charge for their ads, but they allow you the opportunity to reach a large market. 

Send Out Reminders

Sending out reminders to your current & future customers about new products or deals is key when it comes to making sales.

1. Social Media – You should always be posting new products or deals on your social media pages. These platforms make it easy to share this information with friends, family, and existing fans of your brand. Posts can be scheduled for the future to help with planning by using services like Later.com or HootSuite. Scheduling tools can free you up to be more agile when responding to any needs that arise as it gets down to crunch time during the holiday season.
2. Emails – Start by sending out an email to let your existing customers know you are going to be having upcoming sales on your website. Once you start getting closer to the holiday shopping season, continually update your emails to get your customer excited. Once the sales have begun, send out an email to let your customers know, & send another when the sale is almost over for one last reminder.
3. Text Messages – Texts are another great way to keep existing customers in the loop about upcoming promotions. You can also set up an option on your website for new customers to input their phone number allowing them to receive future updates about holiday promotions.
4. Deadlines – When we begin to near the end of the holiday shopping season it is a good idea to send out one last reminder for sales & discounts. There will always be people looking for a last minute gift and these reminders can help you complete last minute sales. 

Without preparation, the holiday season can become dark, scary, & overwhelming. But the good news is — it doesn’t have to be! Prepare correctly & you will have little to no worries this season.

The post Holiday Store Prep Checklist appeared first on CustomCat.

104C Trucker Snapback Hat by Pacific Headwear
– Cotton/Poly Blend Front Panels & Curved Visor
– Trucker Mesh back with Snap Closure
– Mid-profile & Pro-Model Crown for a comfortable & stylish fit
– One Size Fits Most
– 18 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $13.22
CustomCat PRO Price: $10.58
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $29.99

6990 Distressed Unstructured Trucker Cap by Adams
– 100% herringbone cotton front, 100% polyester mesh back
– Unstructured, six-panel, low-profile
– Pre-curved fray visor with contrasting undervisor; Hook & Loop closure
– 7 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $13.65
CustomCat PRO Price: $10.92
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $29.99

CP80 Twill Cap by Port & Company
– 100% cotton twill
– 6 panel; Adjustable Hook & Loop closure
– One size fits most
– 13 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $11.01
CustomCat PRO Price: $8.81
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $19.99

CP90 Knit Cap by Port & Company
– 100% acrylic
– 3-inch folding cuff
– One size fits most
– 15 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $10.38
CustomCat PRO Price: $8.31
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $19.99

SP15 Pom Pom Knit Cap by Sportsman
– 100% acrylic
– 12 inches in length
– One size fits most; generous stretch
– 12 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $11.63
CustomCat PRO Price: $9.31
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $24.99

Packaging:

Our hats are shipped in protective boxes to ensure they arrive to your customers in perfect condition. Up to 5 hats may ship in the same box.

Design Guidelines:

   
How to use hat patch Art Templates:

To use our templates in Photoshop:

1. Go to File & open the PNG file that you just downloaded for your chosen patch shape
2. Adjust your design so it’s aligned within the solid white area in the center of the art template.
3. Fill the entire background with your chosen background color
4. Delete or hide the template layer
5. Save your file as PNG

If you’re using Canva:

1. Create a Design
2. Import File
3. Select the Art Template for your chosen patch shape
4. Use in a New Design > Custom Size
5. Enter the dimensions on the template in mm 
6. Position your artwork within the solid white Safe Area on the template. (You can temporarily reduce the opacity of your design to ensure the artwork is positioned correctly. Please remember to return the opacity to 100% before exporting)
7. Delete the template layer
8. Add your chosen background color (or export with a transparent background)
9. Share > Download > PNG

Creating your Products in CustomCat:

Product Marketing:

Target Market Audiences:

Design Ideas:

• Retro Logos
• Travel & Location Designs
• Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties
• Brand Logos
• Motivational Phrases
• Pet themed Designs
• Personalization

The post [Guide] Selling Custom Patch Hats appeared first on CustomCat.

Here are 11 ways to prepare your e-commerce store for the holiday season. 

1. Develop Discounts & Sales 

Arguably better than Thanksgiving itself are all the sweet, sweet deals that follow the holidays. Now is the time to sort out the types of discounts, sales, & promotions your e-commerce store will run during the holiday hype. Promotions boost sales & make it easier for customers to choose what to buy, especially if they are undecided. From the classic “buy one, get one free” sale, to a limited-time free shipping event, planning out these deals ahead of time is essential to your success.

Platforms like Shopify have built-in coupon code generators to help you create codes that can be used on specific products, for limited durations, or a limited number of times. This allows you to contour your promotions & offer exclusive deals to specific customer segments. A promotion that’s unique to your email list or social media followers can incentivize your customers to engage with your brand through each of those channels. 

2. Prepare for Product Substitutions

If you carry physical inventory, now is the perfect time to perform a count of the materials you currently have on hand & compare it to the previous year’s sales data. You should have a relatively good idea of how many units you have in stock and whether that stock will be adequate for your sales projections.

If you’ve been listening to our advice about utilizing a print-on-demand company to eliminate the need for physical inventory, you’ve already saved yourself the headache of physically counting your items. However, it’s wise to prepare your listings for any substitutions that may be necessary if the items you’re decorating are out of stock for short periods during the holiday season. Now is the time to choose backup products in the event that you need to make substitutions for your popular products (i.e. an alternative black tee shirt if your favorite is out of stock). You may also want to add a disclaimer to your listings indicating that brand substitutions may be made in the event of low inventory. Preparing for the unexpected will only help you succeed as a business when it’s time for the holidays.

3. Decorate Your Store with a Holiday Design

‘Tis the season — the Christmas tree isn’t the only thing that you should be decorating for the holidays. Spice up your site’s homepage with a holiday theme to show off your holiday spirit & maximize your customer’s shopping experience.

Not only will this make your website as fun as strolling throughout the mall, but it will also create a sense of urgency reminding customers that the holidays are upon us & they should make their purchases ASAP.

If your brand has social media profiles (which we highly recommend), consider dressing up your banners & profile images to fit your holiday themes. Change your theme colors to something festive, add string-lights or garland around the border of your image, pop a Santa hat on your logo — whatever you need to do to give off holiday vibes. 

4. Plan Email Marketing Campaigns

Holiday email marketing campaigns are a must. This is the time to remind your customers that they can (& should) buy their holiday gifts from your shop.

Your customers are likely receiving an influx of holiday marketing emails — so how do you make yours stand out? Add a personal touch by offering special promo codes, discounts, & featured holiday products. Just remember to create a sense of urgency by adding a deadline to your offers — your customers are more likely to “act now�?if the offer expires soon.

5. Personalize Your Ads

When you create advertisements, you’ll want to add a personal touch. You can do this by creating different customer segments based on age, interest, or location & contouring your message to fit their needs. For example, you may run a targeted ad to men between ages 24-50, encouraging them to buy specific products that their significant other may love. This will help you ensure that the content each ad is relevant to your customers & help you increase your conversion rates.

6. Keep Remarketing in Mind

We’ve all been there — you’ve found the perfect gift for Aunt Betty, but it’s August & there’s no urgency to buy so you put it off. Soon, you completely forget about that amazing product.

Please, don’t let this happen to your customers. Instead, consider utilizing remarketing campaigns. This is a marketing strategy where you target the users who have previously visited & interacted with your page. Conversion rates for remarketing ads are generally higher than other ads — you already know what your customer likes, now you just need to remind them of what they liked & encourage them to finish the checkout process.

7. Create Gift Guides

Don’t underestimate the power of gift guides. They are quite useful for those who need inspiration for gift ideas. How many times have you searched “gift ideas for mom�?in the last 5 years? Making your site a gift-giving resource (& suggesting your own products for specific situations) increases the likelihood that your customers will purchase your products.

Create guides that are separated into sections, so users can easily find gift ideas whenever they may need them.

8. Create a Shoppable Post on Social Media

Imagine it’s Sunday morning — your customer rolls out of bed to begin their morning scroll. Then they see your post for a fantastic sweatshirt that would fit their best friend’s style perfectly. If the post doesn’t link to your store, they may search for your store in the web browser & click through a page or two before giving up because they can’t find the item they are looking for. You’ve lost an easy sale by making it too difficult to find the product you advertised.
You’re left without a sale & your customer is left without a sweatshirt — this is exactly why you should create shoppable posts.

It’s easy, convenient, & streamlines the purchasing process for your customers. All your customers will have to do when they see something they love is tap the post, add the item to their cart, & head to the checkout.

9. Consider a More Flexible Return Policy

When the holidays approach, it’s a good idea to consider implementing a liberal return policy on your website. Make information about your return process clear & easy to find so that you can save yourself from a slew of “how do I return this�?emails in your customer service inbox. If you require your customers to submit photos of the received product with any refund or replacement request, it will save you both the stress of a back-and-forth to make this obvious in your store policies.

Your customers already have to deal with their in-laws coming to town — they don’t want to jump through hoops to get a refund or replacement.

Consider utilizing a customer service ticketing system such as Fresh Desk to help you sort & track customer service requests.

10. Ensure Your Website Is Working Perfectly

Your site is likely to have a considerable increase in user traffic during the holiday season, especially if you’re running advertisements. Take the opportunity now to ensure your site is up to snuff — customers generally won’t be patient if your site is loading slowly or organized inefficiently. 
How slow is too slow? 

 “Anything slower than the blink of an eye �?400 milliseconds. Engineers at Google have discovered that the barely perceptible page load time 0.4 seconds is long enough to cause users to search less.”�?
 — Kinsta.com 

Using too many plugins, hosting external ads, & using complex design themes are just a few things that could be slowing your site down & diminishing your customer’s experience. Check out Kinsta’s Beginner’s Guide to Website Speed Optimization for tips on how to improve your site speed.

11. Live Chats & Customer Service

One thing you should always invest in before the holiday season is customer service. Let’s be honest — many people wait until the last minute to buy gifts for their friends & family. This stress leads to a significant increase in order status inquiries. Folks may also message you to clarify your return policy, shipping methods, order processing times, etc.

In general, customers are more likely to contact customer service or reach out to brands via chats because of the impression that they will receive a quick response. You can add a live chat option to most ecommerce platforms (like this one for WooCommerce) to increase customer engagement & reduce the clutter in your customer service inbox. 

The holiday season is the busiest & most profitable time of year for eCommerce stores. Planning ahead & anticipating your customers�?needs is the best way to prepare your business for holiday success. 

The post 11 Tips for Holiday Store Prep appeared first on CustomCat.