Customers Like Choices

Custom Options

Everywhere you go it is easy to see that both consumers and businesses are looking for products that are catered to their specific needs and tastes. Although it is not the best answer for every situation, offering custom crating options to your customer is a great way to capture their attention and show how you will meet their specific needs.

Even if your product doesn’t seem like the kind of product you would add custom options to, I want to encourage you to think it through. Because, while custom options are a great way to meet your customers needs, they are also a good way to reach new markets. For example, SnapCrate offers a polyurea coating as an option to their custom shipping crates. Even though a crate is not something that typically has custom options, polyurea has added value to the product for some of our customers, making it weather resistant and a better option than plastic alternatives. The polyurea coating option also makes our shipping crate ideal for outside storage, allowing us to reach a greater range of customers. So you can see that when implemented properly, even when going against tradition, custom options can be very beneficial. However, there are some rules to follow when you are considering adding custom options to your product, so I have compiled some “dos” and “don’ts” for your consideration:

Do:

• Offer a couple of options that are valuable to your customers
• Make Custom options easy to understand and explain
• Test the options you are offering to make sure they have value

Don’t:

• Offer hundreds of options that you can’t prove the value of
• Make your product confusing by having too many details to explain
• Draw your custom options from a hat – you should be able to prove their value to your customer

I hope that these suggestions are helpful to you as you consider what custom options might make a valuable addition to your product. Remember, the most important principle is that you are always considering what truly adds value for your customer. When you implement custom options properly, you can enjoy growing your happy customer base. If you have any experience or tips about custom options, share it with us in the comments section below.