How to sell mobile phone cases online

Mobile phone cases market has high growth potential with the growing demand for smartphones and other futuristic hand-held devices.

Updated: December 6, 2024

How to sell mobile phone cases online
The phone case market has grown with the rise in cell phone use in recent years. Therefore, cell phone accessories sales, particularly phone cases has naturally increases with mobile phone usage.

Understanding the mobile phone cases market:


The mobile phone case market has significant growth potential, driven by the increasing demand for smartphones and other advanced handheld devices. Protective phone cases are widely used to safeguard smartphones from scratches, drops, and daily wear and tear, making them essential for preserving the investment and extending the device's lifespan.

Beyond protective cases, the market offers various other types, including slim gel cases, bumper cases, folio or wallet cases, battery cases, hard or armored cases, aesthetic cases, and sustainable options made from materials like wood or recycled paper. This diversity caters to both functional and style-conscious consumers.


Is selling mobile phone cases a profitable business?


Selling mobile phone cases a profitable business mainly due to the self-sustaining nature of the market. A new mobile case is required for every new phone model released by a manufacturer and new models are practically released every year. People are becoming more mobile friendly year by year with growing digital penetration rates globally. Therefore, this market is constantly growing, and every user of new phone is one more potential client for you. 

Benefits of starting an online business selling phone cases include:

  • Affordable to start: You can start a phone case online store with very little investment using business models like dropshipping.
  • Low operating costs: The product is easy to store and ship due to its small size when you hold stock. It is even more affordable if you don't hold any stock and operate primarily online.
  • High profit margins: Margins in the B2B phone case business can be typically high with low operating costs.
  • Flexible business options: Many options ranging from an all-out manufacturing operation to dropshipping can be explored to run your business.

An excellent business opportunity is present in mobile phone cases selling overall. Retail businesses want to be able to offer consumers better deals and products just as buyers are constantly searching for nicer and more sustainable cell phone covers. The products need can be fulfilled by your B2B e-commerce store.

How to sell mobile phone cases online:


You will first need to properly make a chart of your objectives for the venture and strategies for success. It will help clarify core points such as your product choices, sourcing options, and selling tactics by creating a business plan. It will also help you identify the best opportunities in the industry, find potential customers and the likely return on your investment. 

Steps and factors to consider when you start your B2B phone case venture:

Conduct market research: 


Proper market research forms the foundation of a successful business. Understanding consumer preferences and market opportunities enables you to shape effective strategies and assess your potential for success early on.

Start by exploring broad industry trends and opportunities. This includes identifying trending products, pinpointing the location of major consumer groups, and analyzing your competition. Additionally, various tools are available to support your research, helping you gauge consumer interests and uncover innovative product ideas.


Pick your niche:


Next, you need to do a selection of product after doing your market research. You will know the gaps that exist and how to fill those gaps with the help of the information you learned from surveying the market. There are various sub-categories within the phone case industry that can be explored. For example, a partial demand for more hi-tech cases that offer greater utility than basic protection can be seen.

There is also a greater demand for sustainable and green phone cases as it is made of wood, biodegradable plastic, and other earth friendly materials. Make sure to specialize in a niche, whatever you choose, and be able to offer those products people want to buy and which you can sell to them.

Design a style:


A great design is essential for success, regardless of your niche—whether it’s protective, aesthetic, or eco-friendly phone cases. Design isn’t just about appearance; it also encompasses the product’s feel, shape, and functionality.

For simpler designs, like silicone gel cases, collaborating with a designer to create an attractive look may suffice. Ensure the case has a good grip and doesn’t interfere with the phone’s cooling capabilities. However, for more complex designs, such as cases with built-in batteries or magnetic charging features, additional technical expertise is required. Consulting professionals like electrical engineers can help inspect and refine the design to ensure optimal functionality.

When it comes to creating designs, you have three broad options to explore, depending on your product complexity and goals. These include:

  • Do it yourself: DIY can be a great option if you are running a small startup or have unique ideas for the product. Some tools like Printful, CaseApp, and Canva can be used to create and edit mockups easily.
  • Pay an employee: Creating the designs are generally handled by in-house designers in larger businesses. Be sure to communicate your ideas clearly regarding look and function to get the best possible results. 
  • Work with freelancers: Working with freelancers can be cost-effective and convenient as you can find great freelancers online for paying less than hiring someone. However, care must be taken to state your requirements clearly and also supervise their work.

Source phone cases:


Manufacturing or sourcing your products is the next step. The phone cases can be produced from their base material, such as plastic, silicone, rubber, leather, wood, or paper at this stage. Then any special features, such as attached batteries can be included, and the process is concluded by printing visual designs on the case. Several options are there to explore here, depending on the size and scale of your operation. These include:

  • In-House Manufacturing: In-house manufacturing involves managing the entire production process yourself, which can be costly. You can either create phone cases from scratch or purchase blank cases from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and handle the customization, such as printing, in-house.
  • Third-Party Manufacturing: Similar to in-house manufacturing, but most or all of the production process is outsourced to external manufacturers. Reliable manufacturers can be sourced from B2B marketplaces, allowing you to streamline production.
  • Dropshipping: Dropshipping offers a convenient alternative to direct manufacturing. This model lets you sell and interact with buyers without maintaining inventory or investing in costly equipment. You can source blank cases from individual manufacturers and customize them using print-on-demand services.
  • Wholesale Fulfillment: Acting as a wholesale distributor, you can sell products from other companies. Authorized resellers partner with manufacturers via B2B platforms, offering a ready-to-sell inventory.

Choose selling channels:


Determining where and how you wish to sell is the final step. You need to have a digital store when running a B2B phone case business online, where you find and sell to customers. An e-commerce website can be created or a digital storefront can be opened on an online marketplace to start your store. The options for choosing selling channels include:

  • E-commerce website: Purchasing a domain name and paying experts like web designers and copywriters to build your store is included in creating a website. This can be an expensive option as payment solutions need to be integrated into your e-commerce store and all the security infrastructure buyers expect on a secure website should be provided.
  • B2B online marketplace: All of the features you need to sell online is provided in one complete package on online marketplaces which give you an SEO-enabled storefront where you can have millions of buyers, 24/7 support, and fulfillment assistance.

Hybrid solutions can also be considered in e-commerce hosting platforms. You will be responsible for copywriting and customer fulfillment while support for critical backend infrastructure and engaging web designs are taken care by them.

Tips for a profitable mobile phone cases business online:


Consider applying the below tips to your business to increase your chances of thriving in mobile phone cases business market.

Create great product listings:

You need to showcase the value of your product with well-written product descriptions. It is a great way to communicate the benefits of your product. With a proper title, clean pictures of product, and a readable description, you will not only show buyers what is the specialty of your product and what makes it different, but also convince in a way to make a purchase.

Generate sustainable traffic:

Although, significant margins can be generated by phone case sales, they are not high ticket items. Common and creative marketing tactics can be used to generate more sales and higher profit. For example, social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn can be used to identify and engage with businesses that would be interested in your product. Account-based marketing can be employed to pursue and land the biggest clients for your company. Paid ads on these sites can help increase your chances of lucrative sales as it help present your business to potential high-value clients.

Offer enticing incentives:

A skeptical lead can be turned into a paying customer by offering incentives like free shipping, discounts, lower minimum order quantities, or free samples. However, you need to keep a close eye on these incentives as too many or overly generous incentives can affect your profits and make it harder to succeed with your business.

Keep costs low:

Reducing operational costs can give your business the space it needs to succeed. You can keep costs low and operations active by leveraging flexible operating models like dropshipping and print-on-demand services. Freight can be a way to control logistics costs and drive down expenses if you are running a larger operation using logistics solutions.

Prioritize customer satisfaction:

Your primary objective should be customer satisfaction. You need to create a seamless and engaging process for your customer. This can be done by providing comprehensive client support at each stage of the buyer process, from initial inquiry to final delivery and also post order procedures. B2B customers will reward you with fierce loyalty when their business needs are prioritized.