Testing new Print-on-Demand (POD) products is critical to avoid costly mistakes and build a successful business. Skipping testing can lead to poor-quality products, negative customer reviews, and financial losses. Here's how you can test POD products effectively:
Thorough testing not only reduces risks but also ensures your products meet customer expectations, paving the way for long-term success.
6-Step Process for Testing POD Products Without Risk
Start by choosing 3–5 reliable suppliers and request samples from each one. While this might cost you around $250 for three samples, including shipping, it’s a small price to pay compared to the risk of losing over $1,000 on a bulk order of 500+ defective or low-quality items.
Before placing your sample orders, reach out to each supplier directly. Confirm that their product listings are accurate and discuss any customizations you may need. When making your request, be as specific as possible - include article numbers, quantities, sizes, and colors. Mention that the samples are for evaluation purposes. It’s also a good idea to order more than one unit of the same product to check for consistency across shipments. This step lays the foundation for a thorough inspection process.
"Ultimately, the cost of requesting samples will always be a more worthwhile investment over taking the chance on a full order you haven't had the opportunity to inspect." - Jen Hasty, Shopify
The sampling process isn’t just about the product itself. It’s also a chance to evaluate the supplier’s communication, shipping speed, and packaging quality [15,16]. Pay close attention to the shipping box when it arrives - if it’s damaged, it could signal future problems for your customers.
Once your samples arrive, it’s time to inspect them carefully. Here’s what to focus on.
Start by examining print accuracy. Compare the product to your original design file. Keep in mind that colors on fabrics might appear less vibrant than they do on your screen. Check the alignment and placement to ensure everything matches your expectations. For clothing, run a wash test to see if the print fades, peels, or bleeds.
Next, take a close look at the material and construction. Feel the fabric’s texture, check its weight, and inspect details like seams, corners, and hems. These elements should meet the standards your customers expect. For items like accessories, test how well detachable parts fit and function.
Don’t overlook fit and usability. Try on apparel to confirm that the sizing is accurate and comfortable. For other items, like home goods, test them in real-life situations. For example, is a mug sturdy enough for daily use? Does a tote bag distribute weight evenly when full? Lastly, evaluate the unboxing experience. Consider how the product is presented, including any branded inserts or labels, as this will influence your customer’s first impression.
Document everything with high-quality photos. These images can help you compare suppliers and might even come in handy later as authentic marketing content.
Order the same design from various suppliers to compare factors like print quality, material, and shipping speed. This approach helps you find the supplier that offers the best value for your specific product. Consider including Fuel POD in your comparisons. With its seamless Shopify integration and wide range of customizable products, it’s a practical option to test.
If you’re on a tight budget, check supplier product pages for coupon links or free sample offers. After reviewing the samples, don’t hesitate to negotiate. Ask for perks like free shipping or a 10% discount on your first wholesale order. Providing constructive feedback to suppliers can also lead to better pricing or even product improvements.
If you’re unhappy with a sample due to poor print quality, try uploading a higher-resolution design file before switching suppliers. Sometimes, the issue lies with the file itself rather than the manufacturer’s equipment.
Once you've inspected your samples, it’s time to see how they hold up in real-life situations. This step is crucial for identifying quality problems before your customers do.
Put your apparel and accessories through the wringer - literally. Run them through multiple wash-dry cycles to check for shrinkage, peeling, or fading. Use the same washing method you plan to recommend to customers. For instance, if you're advising cold water and air drying, stick to that during testing. To check colorfastness, submerge a small section of fabric in a solution of 1 teaspoon of detergent mixed with 1 cup of lukewarm water for 2–3 minutes. If the dye bleeds, the fabric isn’t colorfast.
Cotton fabrics are especially prone to shrinking in warm or hot water, while synthetic materials like polyester or nylon tend to hold their shape better. To avoid ruining an entire sample, cut a 4x4-inch swatch and test it under your desired washing and drying conditions. This will help you measure any shrinkage or stretching. If you're using a dryer, opt for low heat to protect the fabric.
"Washing a test swatch is the only way to determine the absolute best washing method for your specific fabric - don't skip that step!" - Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics
Aside from washing, wear the garment for a full day to evaluate comfort, seam durability, and how the material handles movement. For accessories with detachable components, like bottle caps or bag straps, test those parts repeatedly to ensure they can withstand regular use.
Home goods require a different kind of testing. For items like mugs, phone cases, or home decor, simulate how they’ll be used daily. For drinkware, run samples through multiple dishwasher cycles - some tests go as far as 500 cycles to check for print adhesion and coating durability. For phone cases, perform drop tests from various heights to see if they crack or sustain damage.
Check surface durability by scraping printed areas with keys or utensils to see if the design stays intact. For products with handles or moving parts, expose them to extreme temperatures and repeated stress to ensure they don't loosen or break over time. Make the testing scenarios as realistic as possible. Instead of just asking, "Is this mug durable?" have testers wash it in a crowded dishwasher and then use it to serve boiling coffee - just like they would in everyday life.
Keep a detailed record of your findings. Take photos of any wear, fading, or damage that occurs during testing. This documentation will help you decide whether to move forward with the product or request changes from your supplier.
After conducting durability tests, the next step is collecting feedback from your target audience. This process is essential for spotting issues you might have missed and for confirming whether your product addresses a problem people are willing to pay to solve.
Start by clearly defining your target audience. For instance, if your product is graphic tees featuring pop culture references, your test group should consist of individuals who are actively part of those fandoms - not just anyone who wears t-shirts. Focus on niche communities that align with your product's theme.
While feedback from friends and family can be helpful, it’s often overly positive. To get honest opinions, include unbiased testers who can provide genuine insights into whether they’d actually spend money on your product. A great example is Waterboy, whose co-founders Mike Xhaxho and Connor Saeli validated their product by running an SMS pre-sale to 18,000–20,000 people built through TikTok. Their first production run sold out in just one hour.
If you already have a customer base, consider leveraging members of your VIP loyalty program as early testers. These customers are already invested in your brand and, if impressed, can become enthusiastic ambassadors for your new product [3, 17]. For reaching testers outside your network, platforms like Influenster, UserTesting, or BzzAgent can connect you with a diverse group of participants [3, 17].
Choose a testing environment that matches your product type. For instance, Central Location Tests (CLT) are great for quick, face-to-face feedback in controlled settings, while In-Home Usage Tests (IHUT) are better for products like home goods that require long-term, realistic use [3, 27].
Once your test group is ready, design a survey that captures detailed and useful feedback.
Craft your survey to gather actionable insights. Include questions that assess purchase intent, functionality, design, and value [3, 17].
Start with overall impression questions to understand initial reactions:
Move on to usability and functionality:
For design and aesthetics, ask testers to rate the visual appeal on a 1–5 scale (a Likert scale). Follow up with:
Market fit and pricing questions are crucial. Ask testers how your product compares to others they’ve seen, whether it meets a specific need, and if it stands out in any way [3, 17, 36]. Be direct with questions like:
"Market evaluation, surveys, and feedback from friends and family can point you in the right direction, but money is the only thing that can validate a product." - Nimi Kular, Co-founder, Jaswant's Kitchen
Wrap up with open-ended improvement questions to encourage thoughtful feedback:
Keep your survey concise - around 30 questions max [3, 37]. It’s worth noting that if a product fails to impress during testing, its chances of succeeding in the market drop to roughly 5% [3, 12]. Use this feedback phase to identify and address potential issues before launching your product.
Once you've confirmed your product's quality through thorough testing, it's time to use those samples to shape a powerful marketing story. With tested samples in hand, you can create content that highlights your product's authenticity and quality. Unlike generic mockups, real samples allow you to showcase details that build trust and set proper expectations for your customers.
Start by capturing the unboxing experience. Highlight everything - packaging, fabric textures, and the product's finish - using natural lighting to keep it authentic. For items like apparel, go beyond flat-lay shots and photograph real people wearing the product. This approach shows how the garment fits on different body types and how colors may shift under various lighting conditions.
Encourage user-generated content by inviting customers to share photos or videos of your product in action. Authentic content like this often resonates more with audiences than polished, brand-created imagery. If your product requires assembly or has unique features, short instructional videos can help clarify its use while boosting customer confidence.
Another idea is to send influencer bundles to creators who align with your brand. These samples can lead to high-quality third-party content that feels genuine and relatable to your target market. Before scaling production, use your samples to confirm that design placement, sizing, and colors meet your standards.
Use these visuals to create detailed and realistic product descriptions that connect with potential buyers.
Tested samples let you write descriptions that go far beyond what a digital mockup can offer. Highlight details like fabric weight, print quality, embroidery, and fit. Focus on sensory elements like texture or softness - details your customers can't physically experience online.
Draw on your firsthand observations. For example, does the fabric get softer after washing? Do the colors stay vibrant after ironing? These insights make your descriptions more relatable and trustworthy.
Incorporate feedback from your testers. If someone described a shirt as "soft but sturdy" or a mug as "lightweight yet durable", use those phrases in your copy. If testing revealed minor issues, address them directly by explaining how you've improved the product or by including care instructions.
"You get to create more personal and compelling product descriptions that boost customer trust and satisfaction." - Printful Academy
Also, be transparent about durability. Share how the product held up after multiple washes, whether zippers and buttons stayed intact, or how home goods performed under daily use. This level of detail helps manage customer expectations and can even reduce returns by setting a clear picture of what buyers can expect.
Once your product is live, sales data becomes your most dependable way to measure success. As Nimi Kular, Co-founder of Jaswant's Kitchen, explains:
"Market evaluation, surveys, and feedback from friends and family can point you in the right direction, but money is the only thing that can validate a product".
Start by monitoring your conversion metrics. A strong pre-order conversion rate usually falls between 10% and 20%, while converting wait-list members to buyers should hover around 5%. If repeat purchases hit the 10%–15% range, it’s a clear sign your product has lasting appeal. Aim to gather at least 100 conversion events before scaling your efforts.
Social media engagement can also offer valuable insights. On TikTok, engagement rates typically range from 9% to 35%, while Instagram engagement tends to fall between 4% and 6%.
Pay close attention to which designs or features are resonating with your audience. For instance, Mary Gui, founder of Sock Candy, analyzed her sales data after launching several sock styles. She found that sheer styles sold significantly faster, which led her to shift her brand focus toward fashionable sheer socks. Similarly, Jacob Winter of Mush Studios used customer feedback to refine his popular "Blot Rug":
"We were getting the feedback of what was working and what wasn't working, so we weren't wasting any time or any money or resources making any unnecessary designs".
To streamline your analysis, consolidate feedback from multiple sources - surveys, customer support tickets, and social media comments - into one document. This will help you identify recurring issues and prioritize meaningful improvements.
Leverage your data to refine your product. If certain colors or design elements underperform, consider removing them and focusing on what sells best. Dive deeper into customer behavior beyond just sales figures. For example, if users struggle with sizing or care instructions, create a short video tutorial to clarify things instead of relying on printed inserts. If packaging arrives damaged or fails to meet expectations, it may be time to switch to sturdier materials or revise your shipping methods.
Neglecting quality issues can quickly become costly. Expenses related to returns, repairs, and defects typically account for 15% to 20% of sales, and in some cases, they can climb as high as 40%.
| Metric Type | Key Performance Indicator | Target Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion | Pre-order Conversion Rate | 10%–20% |
| Conversion | Wait-list to Buyer Conversion | ~5% |
| Retention | Repeat Purchase Rate | 10%–15% |
| Engagement | TikTok Engagement Rate | 9%–35% |
| Engagement | Instagram Engagement Rate | 4%–6% |
These benchmarks provide a reliable starting point for evaluating your performance.
Set clear timeframes to review whether your changes are working before committing additional resources. Testing and refining your strategy isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing process that continues well beyond your initial launch. With actionable data and targeted improvements in place, you’ll be ready to scale your business in the next phase.
Once you've thoroughly tested your product and refined it based on feedback, it's time to shift gears and move into full-scale production. The biggest green light for scaling is when new, first-time customers are consistently buying your product. As Nimi Kular from Jaswant's Kitchen aptly said:
"Money is the only thing that can validate a product."
But it's not just about that initial validation. Sustained momentum is key. You might notice you're consistently hitting your growth targets through organic channels, facing more demand than you can handle, or even turning away customers because you can't keep up with orders. These are all signs that your testing phase has laid a solid groundwork for expansion.
Before you dive in, make sure your operations are ready to handle the increased workload. If you're still processing orders manually, scaling up could quickly lead to burnout or quality issues. Keep in mind that 79% of new customers won't return to an online store that crashes or slows down during high-traffic periods. Also, if you're catering to a global audience, plan your launch timing carefully to account for multiple time zones.
To make scaling smoother, consider using an automated and scalable fulfillment system like Fuel POD. Their setup is built to help sellers transition seamlessly from testing to high-volume production. With fulfillment centers in Indianapolis and Dallas, Fuel POD ensures reliable shipping even as order volumes grow. Production times are quick - 1 business day for items like mugs, posters, and phone cases, and 3 to 5 business days for apparel and embroidered headwear.
Fuel POD takes the hassle out of order management with automated processing. All you need to do is go to Settings → General and enable automatic order processing. This way, orders flow directly from your Shopify store to production without requiring manual input. It’s a great way to free up your time to focus on marketing and growing your brand.
Quality control is another priority when scaling. Fuel’s dedicated QA team inspects every order before it ships, reducing the risk of errors that could harm your reputation. Their factory-direct pricing model helps you maximize profit margins - typically between 20% and 40% for scaled POD businesses. Plus, since you’re not paying for warehouse storage or shipping overhead, your financial risk stays low even as your order volume grows.
Fuel POD also offers a range of premium apparel brands like Bella + Canvas and Next Level. Thanks to its seamless Shopify integration, product descriptions and images sync automatically, making it easier to transition your successful test phase into a scalable operation - all without the need to hold physical inventory.
Testing new print-on-demand (POD) products is your blueprint for building a reliable, successful business. If a product underperforms at launch, its chances of succeeding plummet to just 5%. On the other hand, conducting thorough tests upfront can save you from costly quality issues, which often consume 15% to 20% of sales revenue.
The six-step testing process outlined here - from ordering samples to scaling with intention - equips you with a structured way to make decisions based on evidence, not guesswork. By inspecting products firsthand, running durability tests, gathering authentic feedback, and analyzing early sales data, you create a solid foundation to either validate your product idea or pinpoint areas for improvement. It’s no surprise that 85% of product managers credit testing as crucial to their success, and this mindset is just as critical for POD sellers.
A single poorly tested product can have long-term consequences. With 95% of customers likely to share a bad experience, quality issues, design flaws, or packaging mistakes can ripple out, tarnishing your brand and future launches. Catching these problems early not only protects your reputation but also builds trust and encourages repeat business. This focus on quality sets the stage for steady, scalable growth.
One of the greatest advantages of the POD model is its flexibility - you can test without the financial risks of bulk inventory or storage costs. Tools like Fuel POD simplify the process with automated order handling, quality assurance measures, and factory-direct pricing, making it easier to grow without unnecessary risks. The key is to approach testing as an ongoing process. By continuously monitoring feedback and sales trends, you can refine your offerings and stay aligned with customer expectations.
Start small, test thoroughly, and let real customer insights shape your next steps. This methodical approach transforms ideas into thriving, long-lasting POD businesses.
To guarantee your print-on-demand products meet high standards, begin by ordering physical samples. Put these items through their paces - wash them, stretch them, and check for signs of wear and tear. Examine the stitching, how well the print adheres, and the overall craftsmanship. For a second opinion, share the samples with trusted friends, family, or even a small focus group. Their feedback on the product's appearance, feel, and usability can offer valuable insights. Taking this hands-on approach ensures you're launching products that align with customer expectations.
To get useful feedback from testers, make sure to ask questions that touch on the most important aspects of their experience. Start with an overall rating (like 1-5 stars) to get a quick sense of their general impression. Follow this with open-ended questions such as “What did you like most?” and “What could be improved?” - these can provide more detailed and valuable insights. Include a section where testers can report issues, such as bugs or performance glitches, and encourage them to share ideas for new features or enhancements. Asking how likely they are to recommend the product to a friend is another great way to measure overall satisfaction.
For added context, you might include optional demographic questions, like age range or primary reason for using the product. This can help you spot trends across different groups of users. Keeping your survey short and to the point is key - it ensures testers stay engaged and provide feedback that’s easy to act on.
When your test products start delivering steady sales, solid profit margins, and dependable fulfillment, it’s a clear sign your POD business is ready to grow. Pay attention to consistent data trends over several weeks, such as high conversion rates and customer acquisition costs that meet your targets.
With your product’s potential confirmed, shift your focus to refining your marketing strategies and improving operational efficiency to handle higher demand. Expanding at the right moment sets the stage for sustainable growth while keeping risks under control.
