What is a Product Configurator & What Does it Do? [+Tips]

Did you know the product configurator market is expected to grow from $2.32 billion in 2024 to $5.16 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 10.5%?

As basic visuals become outdated, personalization has become essential – and that’s exactly where a product configurator comes in.

In today’s article, we’ll explore in detail what a product configurator is and how to use it to scale your business.

Let’s get started!

On this page

What Is a Product Configurator & How It Functions?

A product configurator lets shoppers customize products or services to match their needs.

You’ll often see it in industries like apparel, tech, manufacturing, and retail, where customization is crucial.

Shoppers choose features, colors, or components to build the version of the product that suits them best.

eCommerce stores usually integrate these tools directly into their websites. They provide easy-to-use interfaces with visual previews, drag-and-drop elements, and checkboxes.

Product configurators reduce confusion, ensure accurate orders, and speed up customization.

Core Functions of a Product Configurator

Here are the key features you’ll find in different product configurators:

Customization

A product configurator lets you select color, size, material, and features to customize a product. It uses simple controls like dropdowns, swatches, and interactive elements to help you build your product and see your choices.

Visualization

Visualization lets you see how your choices update in real time with 2D or 3D previews.

This helps you understand how each option changes the product while reducing uncertainty. Advanced configurators include 360-degree views, zoom, and augmented reality to give you an interactive, realistic experience.

Configuration Rules

Configuration rules make sure you can only pick valid, manufacturable product options.
They prevent errors by restricting incompatible choices, from simple limits like color-material matches to complex dependencies between features.

Pricing & Cost Modeling

Dynamic pricing updates your product’s price in real time as you select features and options. This lets you see exactly how each choice affects the cost, avoiding surprises at checkout.

The system handles discounts, surcharges, and bundles, and connects with backend tools to include shipping and taxes.

Pro Tip

To get the most out of a product configurator, you need it integrated directly into your eCommerce store.

Luckily, Dynamic Mockups lets you and your shoppers access all customization features right on your website with our Embeddable Product Configurator.

What’s even better is that embedding is simple. You don’t need to implement our API (though you can). Just add a few lines of JavaScript code.

While configurators are widely used in industries like healthcare and tech, they’re quickly becoming essential in eCommerce, particularly for print-on-demand.
Now that you understand how product configuration works, let’s look at how to implement it effectively in your POD store.

How to Implement Product Configurator Into Your Ecommerce Business (Step-by-Step)

1. Assess Your Product Range

Begin by reviewing your entire catalog to determine which products are suitable for customization.

Focus on items where personalization adds value or meets customer demand – such as apparel, mugs, phone cases, wall art, or pillows.

A good starting point is to list the attributes your customers might want to personalize.

Pro Tip

Dynamic Mockups allows you to use advanced editing features for full customization.

Our powerful editing tools let you:

Change colors fast using the color picker or choose from Printful and Printify palettes.
Auto-fit, resize, and position your design for a clean, professional result.
Add depth and character with quick Photoshop-style effects – no design skills needed.

Combined with the embeddable product configurator, shoppers can explore customization options and see real-time previews directly on your store.

2. Set Clear Goals and Success Metrics

Start by clarifying what you want to achieve with your product configurator.

Common objectives for eCommerce and print-on-demand businesses include:

Increasing sales or conversion rates with product photos
Enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction
Reducing product returns and order errors
Streamlining order processing and fulfillment
Collecting data on customer preferences for future product development

You can easily turn these objectives into measurable metrics like these KPIs:

Conversion rate

Percentage of site visitors who complete a purchase after using the configurator.

Average order value

The typical spend per transaction, which may increase with customization options.

Return rate

Frequency of returned items, ideally decreasing as customers see accurate previews.

Time on page

How long users engage with the configurator, reflecting interest and usability.

Customer satisfaction scores

Gathered through post-purchase surveys or reviews.

Number of custom orders

Track how many orders include personalized elements.

With this data, you can refine your strategy based on what actually works.

3. Choose the Right Configurator Solution

Choosing the right product configurator can make a difference in how high-quality and professional your store looks.
What to look out for when choosing the tool:

Review the platform’s experience, reputation, and customer feedback. You can usually find testimonials directly on the company’s website.

Test live demos or explore real use cases to assess how the tool performs and what features it offers.

Compare pricing models such as monthly, per order, or enterprise, and make sure the solution aligns with your budget and order volume.

Choose a platform with reliable customer support and clear documentation to make onboarding and troubleshooting easier.

Pro Tip

We dedicated an entire article to breaking down the 5 best product configurator tools and exploring their features in detail.

4. Integrate with Your Store

Most importantly for print-on-demand, your configurator should integrate smoothly with the platforms you use – makes embedding and generating product visuals much easier.

Also, make sure the configurator’s interface aligns with your store’s branding to keep the customer experience consistent.

Focus on tools that actively support platforms like Etsy, WooCommerce, Shopify, and Amazon – these dominate the eCommerce space today.

Pro Tip

Dynamic Mockups lets you easily integrate with Etsy, WordPress, Make, Zapier, and Adobe Photoshop. More integrations like Shopify are coming soon.

Directly in our tool you can explore the integrations one by one:

For example, here’s how it works with Etsy:

Link your Etsy store to Dynamic Mockups to import your product list.
Create mockups using our mockup editor.
Select the mockups you made and add them to the products you want. The new mockups will then show up on your Etsy listings.

How to Start with Dynamic Mockups Product Configurator

A Product Configurator is not just an emerging trend in visual development but also an opportunity to build a successful eCommerce store where shoppers can personalize their products.

Dynamic Mockups is a robust product configurator specifically designed for the eCommerce and POD industries, specializing in product customization.

With our powerful tool, you can also:

Customize Background Scenes

The AI Mockup Generator lets you create custom, attention-grabbing product mockups for T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more.

Just enter your product and style preferences, and it generates realistic scenes that connect with your audience, increasing engagement and sales.

Describe the background you want in the Background Prompt, and watch as it appears in a few seconds.

Enter a Negative Prompt to remove unwanted elements and customize your mockup further.

Generate in Bulk

Automatically create realistic mockups in bulk – generate 100 variations in 10 seconds. Upload multiple designs and color combinations, then easily tweak the results.