So, you’re thinking about starting your own business? That’s awesome! In fact, 63% of people in their 20s have considered becoming their own boss and turning their passion into a profit.
A 3D printing business is a great way to begin selling unique products and services to a wide audience. Here, we’re going to talk about some ways that you can begin selling 3D printing services and products to those who need them, so read on for more information!
Decide What to Sell
When beginning a business involving 3D printing, you have two options. The first is to sell products made from a 3D printer, including pre-made figurines, mechanical parts, boxes, wallets, tools, and more. This is a good choice for beginners who have a limited amount of things that they know how to print.
However, you can also use your metal 3D printer to print things that you’ve been commissioned to create. Set up a way that people can contact you to order a set of custom 3D printed business cards, signs, machine parts, and other personally-designed items.
These two business models also aren’t mutually exclusive! You can have an eCommerce shop section of your webpage with pre-designed materials and another page where people can ask for quotes on custom projects. This is a great way to increase your audience and build a diverse portfolio!
Talk to Other People
If you don’t already know how to use a 3D printer — which, let’s be real, you should learn before deciding to open a printing business — this is the time that you should learn. Talk to family and friends that know how to do this. It might be a good idea to hire a professional instructor if you’re really new to the job.
However, if you already have decided to start a 3D printing company, you likely already know how to use this technology. There are still things to talk to others about.
Ask people what sort of products they think you should advertise your business as selling. Ask them what format they’d like to shop in and how you could engage them as consumers. This will give you some insight into how shoppers will behave when visiting your site.
Do Your Research
Now that you have an idea of what consumers are looking for, it’s time to see what your will-be competitors are doing. Find some successful 3D printing businesses online and see what they’re doing right.
Look into the products that they’re selling and what items sell best. You also will want to consider what you like about their website and what you think could be improved on.
Take a look at their best products and aesthetics and consider how you can put a unique and personal pin on it for your own brand. While you don’t want to copy your competitors or anything (be original!), it’s smart to be inspired by what others are doing.
Create an Online Shop
Choosing the right platform for your online store is important to getting an invested customer base. You’ll want to go with a platform that specializes in eCommerce like Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce. These pages are easy to set up with both pre-made products and commissionable services.
What Should You Include?
Make sure that your page is engaging to visitors. People only stay on websites for about 7 seconds before deciding whether or not to stick around. Strong visual graphics and images are essential to drawing them in. Videos are even better since the human eye is drawn to movement.
Take product photos and include short and sweet descriptions. All text on your website should be clear and easy to read. Short sentences and paragraphs of 3-4 sentences are perfect. Bullet points are even better.
Some information you may want to include:
- History of your company
- About Me section (to give your business a human face)
- Measurements of your pre-existing products so that people know the size
- Portfolio of commissions you’ve done in the past
- Software where people can create basic designs of what they want
- Prices and shipping costs
- Promotions for those who order in bulk
- Payment and shipping information
Once your site looks good, you’ll need to set up payment information so that people can use credit, debit, PayPal, Venmo, and other digital wallet services. Make sure that it’s easy to contact you with any questions and commission you to print things for clients.
Drive Traffic to Your Site
Alright, so your site has been launched and your services are ready for action. Congrats! What’s next?
Well, you need to find a way to get more traffic to your website. This means using SEO to boost your page’s rankings through keywords and link building. Once you use these services, search engine crawlers will boost your site visibility and, consequently, your traffic.
You also will want to reach out to your target audience on social media. Make Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages that you can post on frequently. Offer exclusive promotions and coupons to followers. This encourages people to engage and interact with your posts.
Most of these social media platforms also have advertising services built into them. You can choose your target demographic, enter it into the platform, and have your page and ads shown to those who are in your target audience!
Start a 3D Printing Business Today
Starting up a 3D printing business isn’t easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding and lucrative. Plus, it’s fun! You can make money while feeling like you’re not working, but rather having fun with interesting technology.
Check out the start-up guides on our website for more information on how to grow your brand and your company. You’ll read all sorts of articles on how to make a name for yourself in the 3D printing industry!
