How To Create An Online Clothing Store In 6 Steps
Today there are many digital businesses of all kinds, but those that are dedicated to fashion continue to be the most sought after on the internet. If you are thinking of creating an online company to sell clothing and accessories, congratulations! it’s a fantastic idea.
Now, creating an online clothing store is not done by magic.
When setting up your fashion store, you will have to take into account various aspects and take care of every detail so that your future customers are satisfied with their purchases. Even more so when it comes to an online store and you need the design, payment methods and shipping costs to work correctly.
But don’t worry, because in this article I will explain how to create an online clothing store in 6 easy steps so that you don’t miss a single one. Ready?
Table of Contents
What should you know before creating an online clothing store?
Of course, before taking the first step to create a clothing brand, you have to have great motivation and desire to work.
You will not be able to forget about the designs of your products , the marketing of your store, the technical problems, your administrative needs and the external hiring of your business.
Also, now that you are considering doing everything online, you are surely interested in knowing what are the greatest advantages and disadvantages of this medium. Well attention…
Advantages of selling clothes online
- One of the great advantages is that you will save a lot on renting premises and on maintenance costs or hiring employees.
- Using an ecommerce platform you will have all the tools at hand to launch your online store.
- The store may be open 24 hours a day and without geographical limits , in case you want to expand your business.
- For shipping and inventory management, dropshipping methods can be very useful for you.
Disadvantages of selling clothes online
- Although it involves a much lower initial expense than creating a physical store, you will have to buy a domain for the website , and even hire a web designer or programmer if you consider it necessary.
- Also for e-commerce platforms, you will have to pay a subscription fee to access all its features.
- Investment in advertising should be essential to attract customers to your online clothing store.
Step 1: Be clear about your strategy and what type of clothing to sell online
It is especially important that you are very clear about how you are going to make your digital business project work well. That is, how the production, distribution, and business operations of your products will work.
Having a strategy and defined objectives for your clothing brand will be key in the development of the business. So research the market , the providers and choose very well the ideal audience that you are going to address.
What clothes sell the most on the internet and recommended prices
Regarding the products that you are going to market, a general catalog can cover many types of clothing or accessories depending on whether it is intended for women, men, boys and girls or another similar category.
However, you can opt for a limited catalog aimed at a more specific target audience. For example, sports shoes for boys and girls or accessories for women.
The best sellers on the internet are women’s clothing , followed by children’s clothing. So in those sectors there will be more competition and, at the same time, more interested audience.
As for price, the online fashion stores with the highest sales, with a good brand work, the products can be sold at any price.
Step 2: Create a website for your online clothing business
The website of your online fashion store must be adapted to an ecommerce model so that it can act as a sales service. Your image will work as a showcase for the brand, so make the most of your budget to make a good impression.
The first thing is to hire your own domain and hosting. The domain name must be the same as the name of your online store, so choose one that is neither too long nor too complicated to type.
For the design and the technical part, if your budget allows it, it is advisable that you have the help of a web designer or programmer who will set up your online clothing store. Likewise, you will have to think about the following aspects:
- Choose a bright and attractive template with a professional appearance. Try to generate a positive image that builds confidence in your website visitors.
- Improve the user experience , speeding up the change of pages and using organized and intuitive menus.
- Provide information on each of your products with their characteristics, description, sizes, etc.
- Use professional photos so that the products are seen with quality.
- Comply with all the legal requirements of the page, data protection, guarantees and returns, etc.
Platforms for electronic commerce
On the internet you can find different platforms for creating online stores that allow you to start selling in exchange for a paid subscription, normally.
If what you want is to sell clothes online without worrying about many problems, this could be a good option for you. Their security certificates cover your back legally and encrypt communications between your website and your customers’ browsers.
Especially among all the platforms, I recommend Shopify to market your fashion products. Without a doubt, it is the most complete to open your online clothing store.
From selling more than 50 products to facilitating inventory organization or processing your payments and orders, this platform has great possibilities for creating and managing your digital business.
Step 3: Take care of the product sheets of your online store
Your product listings are a fundamental part of your website and can be used to win over indecisive visitors more easily.
Since you can’t try on clothes online, sizing information is invaluable to your customers. Make clear your measurements and existing sizes, as well as any information that may be useful (garment material, color, price, etc.).
Take care of each of the photos and put several so that different angles and details of the texture can be seen. Although it may seem silly, this can set you apart from your competition’s online clothing stores.
Step 4: Choose payment methods
Payment methods are essential for people to trust and buy your products. Add as many options as possible, although the most popular option is PayPal.
PayPal allows you to charge customers through your PayPal account, or with your credit or debit card. Of course, you will have to pay a small percentage for each payment and a fixed rate depending on where you live, but you will not receive any monthly charge.
If you use Shopify , there is a built-in payment processor that allows you to manage everything from your user control panel. You will be able to track the money in real time and it is compatible with PayPal and Amazon Pay.
Step 5: Pay attention to shipping and return details
When you start selling with your fashion ecommerce, you don’t usually have a very large inventory and you need to gradually test how sales work.
That is why a dropshipping method is the best option. It is a company that acts as a distributor, sending the products to the homes of your customers, with a limited inventory of products.
The biggest advantage of this method is that you will save the investment in a storage or logistics structure and you will not have risks. Your customers will be satisfied and you do not need to have a certain stock of the products.
According to Albeli it is also important that your dropshipping provider knows how to solve return problems. To do this, make it very clear what the return policies of your online clothing store are and adapt them to your needs.
Step 6: Promote your online clothing store on social media
Online marketing is your best ally to make yourself known and attract customers. Working on your brand and getting to know your target audience very well is, in the long run, an ingredient for success.
Work on email marketing to generate loyalty with your customers and use social networks to create a community. Investing in SEM advertising for search engine results is a good strategy to start making your online fashion store visible and increase web traffic. This combined with an SEO positioning strategy will get you a reputation and give confidence to your potential customers.
And with all this, I hope you have more clarity on how to create an online clothing store and start getting your first customers. Good luck!
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