How to Sell Custom Orders on Etsy and Why You Should (or Shouldn’t)
As of 2021, Etsy had around 7.5 million active sellers with different items on sale.
After seeing this figure, you’re probably wondering how to sell custom orders on Etsy.
While the highly competitive selling platform is home to unique handcrafted products, you can’t get more special than custom products.
So, in theory, selling them gives you a bit of an advantage, right?
In most cases, the answer is yes. However, there are a few things that you should consider before accepting custom order requests.
So let us first weigh the “why” before we discuss the “how” of custom listing.
What Do We Mean by Custom Piece?
Before we go any further, it is essential to lay the ground rules that apply to the term “custom items.”
There are two ways that we can interpret this.
One is where the potential buyers send customer photos of a product and ask for minor changes.
For instance, they can tweak the jewelry style and change the color of the beads on a necklace.
This kind of custom-order jewelry is easy to make, won’t take up extra production time, and could help your rake in more profits.
On the flip side is a custom piece where your ideal buyers have free rein over the product ideas.
In most cases, they want to come up with the design concept, but often with your help.
So there is a lot of back and forth before you can close the deal and begin the process.
Granted, you will be able to charge custom prices that are favorable to you in this situation.
However, there is a good chance you will come out on the losing end when all is said and done.
One of the biggest reasons is that projects like these are a huge time suck, especially if you’re a beaded jewelry seller.
If your production process takes a bit of time, it’s better if you learn to say no to completely custom pieces.
Advantages of Selling Custom Products on Etsy
One of the biggest draws of accepting requests for custom orders on Etsy is that you can ask for a higher price.
You need to charge more for the extra time you spent making the product, so you do not absorb the loss.
In addition, you earn a loyal customer who can help you turn other browsers into buyers by leaving favorable reviews.
Once word gets around about the quality of your service, other customers would come in droves.
Also, you could get new ideas from the design proofs of a custom request order.
It will help you develop a product template of your own so you can make more original items.
The Pitfalls of Accepting Custom Order Requests
It’s very tempting to give in to all requests for custom orders, especially if you’re still making a name for yourself.
That said, there are instances where you may not be doing yourself any favor if you grant them.
We have mentioned that you could lose a lot of precious time making a completely custom product.
You would have to charge a very high price just to get back what you have put into it.
In some cases, customers are not willing to pay a fair amount, leaving you with very few choices.
You can accept the loss or try to shorten the product processing time, which could compromise its quality.
If the customer is not satisfied with the item, you could end up with a lot of problems.
How to Sell Custom Orders on Etsy
At this point, you have a firm grasp of the advantages and disadvantages of going through the whole custom experience.
If you still want to take the custom route, here are a few tips on how to go about it the right way:
Enable the Custom Requests Option
You can enable custom order requests for your shoppers in a few quick steps:
Click on the Shop Manager icon
Go into the Settings section
Go into the Options section
Look for the Custom Order Requests option
Select the Enabled option and click Save
If you make these changes successfully, you will see a Request Custom Order link on the homepage of your Etsy shop.
Clicking on it will open a window where buyers can describe what they want to have done.
They can also indicate a preferred date to get the product.
You will, in turn, receive a notification in your Custom Requests folder.
From there, you could hammer out all the other details with your customer.
Note that the private custom listing won’t appear in your shop, and other buyers won’t be able to search for it either.
Your customers will receive an email once you publish the listing, and it is only through this email that they can purchase it.
However, once they do, it will appear on your Sold Items page, which is public.
Note that you can still create a private custom listing even if the buyer requests regular messaging.
All you have to do is click the Make This a Custom Order option, then the Start Building the Custom Order option.
Bonus Tips
Once you have activated custom orders on your shop, there are a few more things that you need to keep in mind.
As much as possible, ask for the payment upfront so you don’t end up with a specialty item you can’t sell.
Also, when listing custom items, use appropriate tags like “Made to Order” so they are easier to find.
Another good practice is to send product photos before shipping the items.
This way, your buyer will know what to expect, and you can avoid unpleasant surprises.
Finally, ensure you charge enough to cover the production time and other resources.
Do Your Homework
Before you try to figure out how to sell custom orders on Etsy, you must first find out if it’s worth it.
Once you’ve decided it's the right path for your business, simply follow the steps outlined above.
Before you know it, you will be raking in the profits from thousands of sales, if not more.
If you do not have an Etsy account yet, you are missing out.
Sign up now and get 40 listings for free.
