8- Tips to market premium custom products without looking expensive
| Jul, 19 , 22
You have started your custom products business - congratulations. Now comes the challenging part; how to market your custom products? People judge custom products by their quality, looks, value, etc. Lots of things go inside customers’ minds when they are deciding about which products to buy. When they don’t purchase the item, people often blame the price. However, if the only thing your customers and you see is the price of your custom products, then you need to change your selling tactics.
Think if this rings a bell:
You launch a range of premium quality custom socks and t-shirts and set the price to reflect the quality. But, nobody is buying. You doubt the expensive price tags. Your marketing efforts are not working. In desperation to sell the items, you apply a quick fix - lower the price tag. People buy them, but your strategy to create a line of premium custom products fell flat.
It’s gloomy, but a fact. Most products cannot take off the ground because of wrong marketing tactics. Your customers would have bought your premium quality custom products. However, you failed to give them reasons to make them think: “wow! Those custom socks are only $20.”
The article will cover various tips and strategies to help you market your premium custom products and get more customers. Let’s get started:
Drop the discounts
People love discounts and, it seems like a solid strategy to attract new customers and satisfy your existing customers. However, it can be a double-edge razor; when launching a new product line, please avoid discounts. Reason: Product discounts give a cheaper vibe than their worth and competition. People like to buy expensive products for their high quality and value. With premium custom items you are offering the same, so your price tag needs to reflect the idea.
Another critical reason to ditch discounts is customers getting hooked and expect flash deals and discounts on every purchase. So, when people come to your retail shop or check out online and see no discounts available, they can flee immediately.
It is better to keep the prices as they are from the start. If you want to delight your customers, you can offer them free shipping. It is one of many ways to sell premium-quality custom products at the correct price.
Smart pricing
Businesses have used psychology in pricing tactics for quite a while. E.g., using $19.99 instead of $20.00. Market research back this pricing strategy; 90% of prices either end with 9 or 5 - called odd pricing and makes the products look pocket-friendly.
However, with premium custom products, you want to avoid them. A recent study showed using odd pricing strategies will harm your profit. Even though you will sell the items using this method, customers will not upgrade in the future. E.g., Imagine you are selling premier quality bamboo socks at $14.99, then you decide to add a higher quality embroidery instead of a printed design. The quality of custom socks will increase, and you have to increase the price by $2. Even though it doesn’t sound much, your customers will still want to buy the previous socks. The reason; the first price feels pretty cheaper, and when you increase the price, it feels greater. You can use a round pricing strategy; premium brands use the same.
Reformat price tags
One of the most famous studies by Cornell University showed how consumers are more likely to spend their money when they don’t see a dollar sign and decimal points next to the price. E.g., By using this method, you can print the cost of your custom socks at 19 instead of $18.99.
Another way to trick our brain is using smaller fonts to make the perceived price seem less. When you print the prices in larger fonts, people are more likely to pay attention to them. It would be better to use smaller fonts; people pay little attention.
Our brains are magical; you can trick them easily by using background colors when printing prices. Consumers perceive the product as of higher value when you use a white background. The same background color also increases purchase intention. Experiment with various colors and run A/B tests to compare customers’ responses.
Place them next to more expensive products
It is an advanced pricing method: decoy pricing. It states when you present customers with three different pricing options for the same product; they are more likely to buy the item at the intermediate price. You can make your expensive custom item appear reasonably priced by placing them next to more expensive products. Please don’t give over three choices to customers in the same category. It would confuse them, and they won’t buy.
Use storytelling
Your product descriptions must balance product specifications like materials, size, fit, and a story. Even if you sell the products in brick-and-mortar stores, you can use tags to print everything. Use your imagination and get creative to bring the vibes you like to customers’ lives. When people go shopping, they don’t buy products; they buy feelings and experiences. Leverage it in your product descriptions and marketing efforts.
Sustainability and cause marketing
Think about ways to give back to the community and the world. It would be amazing to introduce sustainability in premium custom products. You must be genuine about your efforts and slap not only a label saying “eco-friendly”. It will risk your reputation; people will associate you with greenwashing.
You need to research where they are getting their materials, production methods, printing techniques, etc. Some manufacturers like EverLighten are open about their environmentally friendly status and future goals. It would be best to partner with such companies.
Being socially and environmentally responsible is about taking a stand and following. It is vital to focus on the issues close to your heart; please do not choose the ones you think would give you the most sales. People will eventually find out. E.g., If you want to be more environmentally responsible, you can launch a series of custom products made from bamboo, organic cotton, recycled plastic, etc. If you have an issue close to your heart, like child education, you can donate a part of the sales to an organization working in the field.
Provide extra services
- Easy and free returns
- 24*7 customer service
- Clear product warranties
- Exclusive access to other products
- Early discounts when available
Use high-quality pictures
Let’s say your target audience is people looking for custom athletic socks to go to the gym or to transform their lives with exercise. You can use the information to plan photo shoots, so the socks translate into a life-changing experience. If you can mirror your customer’s wishes of losing fat and becoming fit, you will sell more premium custom socks. They will feel the product magically made it possible.
Shoot macro pictures of:
- Delicate embroidered designs
- Detailed DTG prints
- High-quality apparel sewing/ sewing
- Unique designs, logo
In the end
Marketing premium custom products is about experimenting to see which strategies work. It will be best to look at the luxury brand and try to follow them, but, don’t copy. See how they are pricing, writing product descriptions, images, fonts, etc. If you look closely enough, you will find something you can use in your marketing. Remember: marketing is pretty individual, and a strategy that worked for someone might not work for you. However, product quality is universal, and you will need premium quality custom products. You can’t expect to make above-average items and make a profit for long; people will ditch your brand after a while. It would be best to connect with a premium quality manufacturer. EverLighten has produced high-quality custom products for over eighteen years for startups, large businesses, sports teams, celebrities, etc.
Hummingbird is a digital store offering a collection of luxurious sports apparel and accessories. They specialize in premium quality apparel for women and runners. The company looked to create premium quality custom athletic socks, face masks, hang tags, neck gaiter, and woven patches. They wanted the products in a short time and in small batches. After contacting our team - reading positive reviews and customer testimonials - they shared their entrepreneurial story and core values. Our team helped them understand the behind the scene process and guided them to choose the best materials and methods; being a new organization, they were unaware of some processes. EverLighten provided five mock-ups for free and produced premium quality custom products. Hummingbird’s team was delighted to see their custom items.
Read the full story https://everlighten.com/blogs/success-stories/startup-brand-hummingbird.
Benefits of working with EverLighten
- Best pricing: They are a factory for producing custom products and not intermediaries, ensuring customers always get the best prices.
- Quality in every product: They use top-quality materials and the latest processes to produce custom uniforms and accessories.
- Fast turnaround time: They provide the quickest turnaround time for every order.
- 24*7 support: Customers can contact them 24*7 for their queries resolution; they reply within half an hour.
- Real people, fabulous service: EverLighten loves helping; they offer various options.
- Free design help and unlimited customization: Your item design will look as you imagined with support from in-house designers.
- No minimum order requirement: You can order as many items as you need; they accept every order without a minimum limit.
- Worldwide shipping: They deliver worldwide, and customers can track their orders online with an order tracking tool.