I've been developing ecommerce store ideas for a couple of years now, for platforms that include Etsy, Shopify, Amazon etc., focusing on Print-on-Demand products, primarily in the Music niche, (because that's just who I am) and more recently Pets and Plants. Part of the challenge in this type of business is figuring out unique product development ideas and designs that are compatible with the POD model, which means the creativity comes into play in the design and marketing; the blank products are common to everyone and easily and universally sourced. Here's a mini-case study on one of my latest:
In browsing through one of my supplier's catalogues I happened upon a portable travel jewelry case. Now I don't really sell much jewelry so I was inclined to rush right by it, but the creative director inside needs to keep an open mind and try to look beyond the obvious. What I began to see wasn't a jewelry case but a nifty way to organize the small bits and tools that wander around my guitar case(s), so a repurposing of a commonly sourced item was born.
The Personalized Compact Guitar Accessory Case
Now even though there are a number of "pick boxes" and gear bags for guitarists out there, this is different enough that it's not yet a proven product, so we'll see.
But the next phase involved the marketing – how do I communicate the value proposition in an interesting way, and in particular one that targets the true prospective buyers for this product, which in my view are those who know and love their guitar players (not necessarily the musicians themselves) and want to give them something useful and thoughtful.
This first solution I pursued involved implementing new AI video technology that develops UCG-like (User-Generated Content) video ads featuring Avatars; fast, cost-effective - works for me. Whether it, and those like it, will work well in the world's digital marketplaces is still a question, but supporters claim a much improved conversion rate. However, like any piece of creative, it's not all about production values, cutting edge technology, effects or even trends. It's about how well you can deliver your message to your audience, and get them to notice.