How to sell custom phone cases online

Building a profitable phone case business is easier than ever. Learn everything about how to make phone cases to sell, including creating designs, selling personalized phone cases, sourcing products, pricing, marketing, and more.

Thinking about selling phone cases online? There's an ever-increasing need for accessories that sheath mobile devices, so much so that the global phone case market is predicted to be worth $234.7 billion by 2037.

This is unsurprising, considering that Americans replace their mobile devices every 2.67 years, and one billion mobile phones were sold in 2023 alone, with that number expected to continue to increase.

In this guide, we'll discuss everything you need to know about how to make phone cases to sell online, including:

• Types of phone cases.
• How to source, design, price, and market your phone case business.
• How to capitalize on the growing personalization trend with custom phone case designs that command premium prices, using WooCommerce Product Options.
• Lots more.

Let's get started.

Types of phone cases

The kind of phone cases you sell determines the type of buyers you attract. These are the most popular types of phone cases sold online.

Personalized/custom cases

Unique cases personalized through monograms, artwork, or niche themes.

Hard plastic cases

Typically made from rigid plastics like polycarbonate, these cases are lightweight, slim, and affordable.

Gel/TPU cases

Made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), these cases are flexible, durable, and offer great shock absorption.

Silicone cases

Silicone cases are soft to touch, have a matte, rubbery texture, and provide excellent grip.

Heavy-duty cases

These are rugged, shockproof cases that feature multi-layer protection and are built to survive drops, bumps, and outdoor use.

Flip/wallet cases

Cases that cover both the front and back of the phone with slots for cards and cash.

Leather cases

These can be made from genuine or faux leather, and are preferred by customers who want phone cases with a premium appearance and feel.

Clear cases

These are simple, transparent cases — usually made of TPU or polycarbonate — that offer basic protection and showcase the phone’s design.

How to start a successful business selling phone cases

Here's an overview of how to make phone cases to sell online. Read on for an in-depth breakdown of each step in the process.

1. Set up a solid business foundation
2. Decide on the type of phone cases to sell
3. Design custom phone cases that sell
4. Source phone cases
5. Craft a standout phone case brand
6. Pick a price range for your phone cases
7. Sell your phone cases online
8. Promote your phone case business

Set up a solid business foundation

Even if you aren't seeking outside investment, sketching out a simple business plan can spur you to think and act strategically, which increases your odds of success.

Here's what to think through when putting together your phone case business plan:

• Niche. Will you sell cases made with luxurious materials, mass-market options for budget-conscious buyers, rugged protective phone cases, or customizable designs? Hone in on a specific sub-section of the phone case market.
• Customer acquisition model. How will you reach your target customers? Directly through your own website, marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy, or a hybrid multi-channel approach?
• Market. Who are your top competitors? How do they price phone cases on average? What types of content and advertising are they using? What are customers saying in reviews?
• Measurable goals and projections. What is your target revenue, customer acquisition cost (CAC), average order value (AOV), and conversion rate for the first three years of business?

Pro tip: Your business's legal structure impacts your tax liability, legal protections, and how potential investors view your company. Even if you start as a sole proprietor, if you're based in the US, it might be wise to set up an LLC to separate your personal assets from business liabilities.

Decide on the type of phone cases to sell

There are thousands of phone models, with newer ones released each month. Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Etsy search bar to validate demand ahead of time. Then, pick one to two styles that match your target audience and brand and offer them at launch.

As of now, the most popular phone models, and therefore, top devices worth designing cases for are:

Here's what to consider when deciding which phone cases to sell:

• Target audience. Different demographics gravitate toward different case types. Does your primary target audience comprise teens, middle-aged folks, professionals, outdoor enthusiasts, or budget shoppers?
• Brand identity. Your phone case catalog should reflect your brand. If, for instance, your branding is clean and minimal, brightly patterned, loud cases won’t fit.
• Market saturation. How can you differentiate your phone cases — e.g., through design, functionality, or niche — from those found on Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and other marketplaces?
• Manufacturer capabilities. Can your phone case supplier handle custom printing, specific material types, or integrated features like card slots or MagSafe?

Design custom phone cases that sell

There's a superabundance of phone cases that look good. So, how can your brand stand out from the rest?

These tips will help you develop phone case designs that are unique, practical, and in trend, to increase the odds that your product catalog compels customers to purchase:

• Hyperfocus on your target audience. Which demographic are you designing phone cases for: teenagers, moms, business professionals, fitness enthusiasts?
• Monitor design trends. Hop onto Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok and search for relevant hashtags, such as #phonecaseaesthetic, #customphonecase, or #casetok, to spot trends that you can take inspiration from.
• Track bestsellers on major marketplaces. Head to Amazon, Etsy, and Redbubble, and sort by “Bestseller” or “Most Popular” in the phone case categories to learn what people are buying.
• Ask your target audience. Use tools like PickFu to run polls or surveys to gather usable data around what styles your target customers want.

Pro tip: Use tools like Canva, Adobe Illustrator, and Procreate to mock up your designs on real phone case templates so you can visualize the final product.

Source phone cases

Once you've settled on designs, there are three core methods to source phone cases: print-on-demand (POD), dropshipping, and custom manufacturing.

Print-on-demand (POD)

With print-on-demand, you upload your designs to a platform like Printful, Gooten, or Printify, and they print, package, and ship phone cases after customers place orders.

Because there is no need to invest in stock upfront, POD is usually inexpensive to start. However, profit margins are lower as you'll have to pay a premium for on-demand production.

Print-on-demand is best for new sellers, artists, influencers, and anyone who wants to test the phone case market with minimal risk.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping involves selling phone cases from third-party suppliers who stock and ship products for you.

Like POD, dropshippers don't hold stock. Unlike POD, however, dropshipped cases are pre-made; you list them on your ecommerce store and pass the order along to your supplier when a customer buys.

As you can imagine, stores that dropship are totally reliant on their suppliers’ quality control and branding standards. And considering that many dropshippers use the same catalogs and suppliers, standing out is much harder.

Dropshipping is best for sellers who want to offer a diverse catalog without holding a lot of inventory.

Custom manufacturing (DIY or external partner)

If you have the capital and infrastructure, you can create your own phone cases — either by working with an external manufacturer to produce your designs in bulk or by making them yourself in-house.

Custom manufacturing gives you maximum control over product quality and margins, as you decide on materials, designs, finishes, and packaging. And since phone cases are produced in bulk, it's easier to lower the cost per unit and increase profit margins.

However, as you might imagine, custom manufacturing requires higher upfront investment, longer lead times, and a more complex order fulfillment system.

This makes it best for established brands that are ready to scale or entrepreneurs who want to offer a truly unique product line, like Pela Case.

Crafting a standout phone case brand

How you position your brand in the minds of your target customers can set up your phone case business for long-term success. Pinpoint what appeals to your niche, then use that to inform your product design, marketing, and messaging.

Once you've worked out your brand position, make sure your logo and color palette, photography style, communication style, and website design support it. Your brand's tone of voice should permeate through product descriptions, social media, and marketing emails.

Pick a price range for your phone cases

Benchmark your prices against stores that target the same audience or top-selling phone cases on Amazon and Etsy. Then factor in all the costs to get each phone case from concept to customer: per-unit product rates, shipping and fulfillment fees, transaction fees, marketing costs, packaging, labor, customer service, and returns.

Aim for 3x to 5x of your COGS to cover the cost of producing phone cases, running promotions, so you can maintain a healthy profit margin.

These pricing strategies will help you drive conversion and increase your business's average order value (AOV):

• Bundle discounts. Deals like “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” or “10% off when you buy 3 or more” encourage customers to buy multiple phone cases per order. This increases how much customers spend per transaction and offsets order fulfillment costs.
• Psychological pricing. Ending prices in .99 or .95 can convert customers better, e.g., pricing cases at $19.99 rather than $20.
• Introductory offers and limited-time discounts. First-time buyer offers, conditional discounts, and flash sales are great for creating urgency without diluting the value of your brand through frequent discounts.
• Tiered pricing. This involves offering phone cases at high, mid, and low price points to appeal to customers with varied budgets. Display prominent tiered pricing tables encouraging customers to buy in higher quantities.

Sell your phone cases online

There's a small sea of online platforms where you can sell phone cases online, each with its pros and cons. Here's an overview of the top channels available.

Platform/Marketplace	Strengths	Weaknesses
WooCommerce	Open-source platform built on WordPress that gives you full ownership and control of customers' data. Zero platform fees. Highly customizable; you can tweak product pages' layout, checkout flow, etc.	Although it doesn't require any coding skills, users must learn WordPress and WooCommerce-specific terminology, which can take some time to get used to.
Shopify	Fast setup. Lots of inbuilt ancillary features that simplify ecommerce.	Costs for monthly platform subscription and paid apps can be expensive. Closed-source platform; less control over advanced customization and server-side performance (except for Shopify Plus users).
Etsy	Well-known marketplace with a large number of high-intent buyers. Low upfront investment.	Expensive when you factor in listing fees, transaction fees, and optional ad spend. Sellers can't collect first-party data. Standing out amongst thousands of competitors can be tough.
Amazon	Like Etsy, it offers access to a massive audience with high buying intent. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) simplifies order fulfillment and returns.	Steep costs: listing, referral fees, storage charges, FBA fees, ad spend. Sellers can't collect first-party data.
eBay	High-traffic platform for budget-conscious shoppers.	Attracts high number of budget-conscious shoppers seeking extremely low prices, making it tough to turn a profit.
Redbubble / Society6	Robust print-on-demand marketplace with high built-in traffic. They handle phone case production and logistics.	Sellers are limited to the templates they support. Razor-thin margins as you earn a royalty, not the full sale price. Immense competition in saturated design categories. Payouts are nominal, unless you drive traffic yourself.

Pro tip: To maximize profits, create your phone case website using WooCommerce or Shopify, and list your products on third-party marketplaces, such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Redbubble, or Society6.

Creating the perfect customization experience with WooCommerce Product Options

Personalization is one of the biggest phone cases trends. Customers want choices — model compatibility, colors, materials, text engravings, image uploads, grip styles, and more.

Enter: WooCommerce Product Options.

WooCommerce Product Options is purpose-built for stores that offer customizable products. It lets you add unlimited custom fields to your products: dropdowns, checkboxes, radio buttons, color swatches, file uploads, date pickers, and more, so you can offer relevant options that improve customers' satisfaction and boost your store's revenue.

You can offer options and add-ons for free or charge extra for them. For example, you can set up:

• A dropdown for phone model (iPhone 15, Samsung S24, etc.)
• A checkbox for adding screen protection at an extra fee.
• A text input field for custom engraving at an added fee.
• A file upload field for customer photos (great for personalized photo cases or custom designs) for an added charge.
• A color swatch picker for selecting the border or background color.

And of course, the final price of each phone case is updated based on the options selected.

If you offer multiple case types, phone models, or personalization features, you'll appreciate WooCommerce Product Options' smart conditional logic feature that lets you show or hide options based on customer selections.

For instance, if a customer selects the "Add custom text" option, a text input field appears. This keeps product detail pages clean and avoids overwhelming shoppers with options that aren't relevant to them.

WooCommerce Product Options' live preview add-on

Personalized mobile phone cases sell better when the customer can see what they’re getting while shopping. The Live Preview add-on pairs directly with WooCommerce Product Options to show real-time changes as shoppers select their customizations.

Take a look at the product page for the custom Samsung Galaxy phone case in the example below. If a customer selects:

• Red phone case
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
• Enters initials: “PZO”
• Uploads an image

The product image will update instantly to show their exact phone model with the selected color, text monogram, and custom photo on the case. This helps customers visualize the finished product and helps reduce the number of return requests due to unmet expectations.

“I've been using the WooCommerce Product Options plugin by Barn2, and it's transformed my store's customization game. Setting up was surprisingly straightforward; you don't need to be a tech wizard to make it work.”

Butch Ewing, customer review

Promote your phone case business

Phone cases are a highly visual product. It stands to reason that your marketing approach should reflect that.

These tips will help you market and scale your phone case business effectively:

• Create high-quality product images. Product and Collections' pages on your website should showcase phone cases from various angles and use cases.
• Prioritize visual-first social platforms. Phone case buyers use Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest to discover trends, compare styles, and discover products, so it's good business sense to be active on those platforms.
• Gather user-generated content (UGC). Encourage shoppers to tag your brand and reshare unboxings, case styling shots, or video reviews across social media.
• Engage with customers. Launch limited edition designs, tie collections to seasons, partner with illustrators, photographers, or digital creators, and utilize other marketing tactics to cultivate a horde of fans.
• Build a referral program. Reward customers for bringing in new buyers through a unique referral link or code.
• Cultivate influencer partnerships. Partner with micro-influencers who match your brand to introduce your phone cases to their audience.
• Email marketing. Set up a system to collect emails and grow your list from day one. Send regular updates on new drops, share discounts, and engage with your subscribers to retain them.

Start your custom phone case business today!

Phone cases make for the perfect product for ecommerce: they're lightweight, sturdy, and can be extremely lucrative.

Although there are various channels through which you can sell phone cases online, we recommend a hybrid approach using WooCommerce and a marketplace partner like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Redbubble, or Society6.

Setting up an ecommerce store of your own with WooCommerce enables you to collect first-party data to inform your business decisions and reduce your marketing spend, while listing your products on a marketplace like gives you immediate access to a huge number of high-intent buyers.

Once you've set up your phone case store, use WooCommerce Product Options to offer extra personalization options and add-ons to command premium prices.

Then pair it with the Live Preview add-on (available as part of the discounted 2-plugin bundle) to empower customers to personalize their phone cases while shopping. Together, these tools go a long way towards boosting customer satisfaction and revenue in your online phone case store.