Trendy Product Customization Insights for eCommerce in 2021

Everybody has faced the situation when the thing you were about to buy fitted almost perfectly. And everything seemed to be great about it except some small but irritating detail like its color or additional décor. Eventually, most likely the decision was to just not buy the item and look for a more suitable one somewhere else.

This is the main reason why brands have been integrating varied product builders into their online stores. Moreover, customizable options allow users to create a unique item. A piece of clothing, a pair of shoes, a gift, or even their personal model of a car. Literally in several clicks from the comfort of their home. Sounds so appealing!

Let’s consider some of the most successful examples of product constructors. We’ll also talk about important nuances regarding adding such a function to a website.

Fast Performance Matters

The more personalized goods you offer to the customers the better are chances that they purchase something. However, it’s not enough to just add such a feature to the website. Furthermore, this mustn’t be the very first step. It would be much more efficient to revise the speed and overall performance indicators of a website beforehand.

A store that offers advanced customization possibilities needs to be extremely fast and up-to-date in order to process a massive data stream. A slow site will be making users wait which leads to annoyance and giving up the idea to buy anything.

Transforming a site into a progressive web app could be quite an easy way out for many reasons:

• fast loading speed;
• native app-like usability;
• push notifications;
• offline mode;
• a user can add an icon of a PWA to a home screen of a phone but this app unlike a native one won’t take up any storage space.

To become acquainted with this cutting-edge technology, take a look at several outstanding progressive app examples. Some of them were even equipped with a product constructor when switching to a PWA (see the screenshot below).

Screenshot taken on the official Bright Star Kids website

Now let’s review the most prominent customizers in eCommerce worldwide. It will give useful insights and inspiration for your own future product builder.

Footwear (Nike and Other Brands)

Nike was among the first companies in eCommerce that have introduced options for customization back in 1999. The service has been evolving ever since under the name of “NikeID” and then “Nike By You”. The possibilities to create personalized goods here are almost endless.

Nike even added a “Customize” button to the main menu on their store. Dozens of items can be changed in terms of color of every single detail: parts of the shoe base and sole, laces and the Nike Swoosh, heel and tongue logos, etc. (see the screenshot below).

Screenshot taken on the official Nike website

Furthermore, Nike has special customization pages for Nike’s Pegasus 37 and Mercurial where much more options are available. let’s also take a look at one of them shown in the screenshot below.

For instance, you can change the size of the Swoosh, the height of the arch, the type of lacing, and look at your future sneakers from every angle due to 3D modeling. Then you can see the price and either save changes to return later or buy these shoes instantly. By the way, the price of this bespoke pair is unlikely to change in comparison with a basic one. It certainly only raises the interest in customization!

Screenshot taken on the official Nike website

Product builders are extremely popular amongst shoe brands. Similar services are provided by Converse and Vans, Adidas and Reebok. As you can see on the screenshot below, the design of the Vans product builder is slightly different.

Screenshot taken on the official Vans website

Fashion (Ralph Lauren and Other Houses)

Further, we have a bunch of luxurious brands that provide their demanding clients with options to add a personalized touch to their purchases.

For example, Ralph Lauren pays much attention to its “Create Your Own” section on the website. It includes options to knit, stitch, print, or patch additional prints as well as to choose colors, fabric, fonts, and individual monograms or lettering. There are many types of basic clothing available for customization. These are polos, jackets, hoodies, long sleeves, sweaters, cardigans, shirts, tote bags, hats, caps, and scarfs. All customizable goods are categorized so that it’s handy to find items for men, women, children, babies, and gift ideas. You can take a sneak peek at their customizer on the following screenshot.

Screenshot taken on the official Ralph Lauren website

Louis Vuitton (see the screenshot below) focuses more on gifts and accessories, such as watches, bags, wallets, and belts.

Screenshot taken on the official Louis Vuitton website

Gucci offers to personalize its items by engraving, adding initials on bags, and making DIY knitwear, totes, and wallets. Though there are not too many options the presence of them still gives brands more flexibility. It increases the likelihood of meeting consumer desires.

Screenshot taken on the official Gucci website

Accessories (Ray-Ban and Other Producers)

As accessories have fewer similarities thus product builders for such commodities are more distinct from one another.

For instance, Ray-Ban promises that you have 37 styles, 149 lens types, and 290 color options. In the screenshot, we first see famous shapes including Wayfarer, Aviator, and Clubmaster. Then the Custom Lab allows choosing lenses and frame colors, after that you can add the engraving and finally opt for a case. And to purchase these flawless shades!

Screenshot taken on the official Ray-Ban website

In the meantime, Pandora (see the screenshot) suggests to perfectly match all of the charms a person already has or is about to buy. The 3D model can contain up to 5 charms simultaneously and the user can rotate the bracelet 360°.

Screenshot taken on the official Pandora website

Bamford, the British watch brand, gives customers true freedom of choice. It has an endless list of options regarding the appearance of a piece (see the screenshot). A customer can opt for colors of a strap, a dial, a logo, a date, and many more.

Screenshot taken on the official Bamford website

Furniture (Normann Copenhagen)

Personalization has definitely been a major trend in B2C and B2B relationships so far.  It boosts sales and allows meeting special client requirements. We’ll certainly see a further move towards a personal approach in the future. Thus, it seems that more and more companies will enable customization on their apps and websites.

Normann Copenhagen invites visitors to design chairs, armchairs, and sofas that will fit their interiors impeccably. As Scandinavian style is all about minimalism and simplicity, people can modify only the color and material of the chair legs and upholstery (as it’s shown on the screenshot). But if it comes to a living space exactly these details matter!

Screenshot taken on the official Normann Copenhagen website

Cars (Tesla & Kia)

Finally, this article wouldn’t be complete without the Tesla website with an option for a custom order. This service simplified the purchasing process to a maximum. It even seems like you are going to buy not an expensive car but just a new piece of clothing!

A customer can choose colors of the car’s exterior and interior, the type of motor and wheels, and decide whether to add a Full Self-Driving Capability or not. Everything is clear and handy for a user which is eventually great for a merchant.

Screenshot taken on the official Tesla website

Kia also has a product builder on its website, and an even more detailed one as you can see on the screenshot below. But on the website, you only calculate the final sum while a possibility to purchase the chosen model instantly is absent. Nevertheless, prospects have a rare opportunity to explore the car profoundly and to build it right in line with their needs.

Screenshot taken on the official Kia website

To Sum Up

As you’ve already noticed customization is a really huge field to occupy for a wide range of companies. Whatever you produce, bracelets or cars, there is always space for a personalized approach. People are happy to gain exactly what they want. They do like to have a choice. At last, they are passionate about uniqueness! Do not hesitate to implement product builders to satisfy more customers. This will bring fruitful results to the business.

Customization Insights for eCommerce

The article will review some of the most prominent examples of product customization in eCommerce in 2021. Clothing and footwear brands, accessories producers, furniture, and car sellers have been actively introducing such a feature on their websites and apps. Such services help customers create their own unique pieces that fit all requirements and wishes. Moreover, these options are high-potential in terms of making personalized gifts which are extremely popular nowadays. That’s why it is a wise step to add a product builder to an online store.

But first, an enterprise must revise its website’s or app’s performance and put particular attention to loading speed. One of the trendiest methods to simultaneously improve the speed and the UX/UI of a site is to rebuild it as a PWA (Progressive Web App). PWAs have numerous advantages that will favorably affect sales. With a PWA an online store will process all the data instantly. Consequently, the website will be able to support customization functions properly.