Right now is the best time to start selling clothes online. With so much potential on the horizon, jumping into the world of e-commerce stores now can help you take advantage of trends instead of missing out on a chance. But before you start selling clothing online, you need a base that will get you started on the right path. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide of things you need to know before selling clothes online.
Choose a niche
Instead of trying to selling clothes to everyone in every group, focus on something a little more special that fits with your business goals and personal interests. Keep these four things in mind as you think about your options:
- Be unique
- Choose a style you’re really interested in
- Ask yourself if you can add value and make yourself look like an expert
- Make sure there is money to be made in the area.
Make a plan for your business
When selling clothes online, you need a well-thought-out plan, and a good business plan goes far beyond “sell things, make money.” Instead, it contains details about how your business will run, such as:
1. An analysis that looks at market-specific data and figures, such as average sales, the number of other sellers, and the growth rates that are expected.
2. A competitive analysis that looks at competitors in the same place in a clear way.
3. A marketing plan with information about how to sell and market online and offline.
4. Both short-term and long-term financial projections are looked at.
Choosing a business model is another important part of making a plan for your online shopping business. There are four popular ways to sell clothes online: “print-on-demand,” “custom cut and sew,” “private label clothing,” and “dropshipping.”
Print-on-demand
A business that does “print on demand” prints or changes clothes, like t-shirts or hoodies, based on what customers want.
Custom cut and sew
As the name suggests, custom cut and sew businesses make and sell their own products. Some special cut-and-sew shops make all of their clothes in-house, while others send their work to plants in other countries.
Private label
As a private-label clothing business, you can work with established manufacturers to order unique products that will be sold under your brand. Instead of being designed in-house, certain goods are designed, made, and branded by a third party for individual sale.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping might be the best way to run an online business. Dropshippers are basically middlemen. When a customer buys something, the drop-shipper orders it from a wholesaler and sends it straight to the customer. Start-up costs for a dropshipping business are low because there is no need to keep goods on hand or pay for orders before customers place them.
Registering your business
Depending on the business plans of the company or the number of goods it sells, registering an e-commerce platform is another way to start an online shop. It is a more advanced way to run an e-commerce business because it includes certain things, like:
1. the catalog of available goods, which includes an image of the product and information about its features
2. an online storefront that lets customers look through the catalog, choose specific items, and put them in their shopping cart
3. the payment gateway
If you want to apply for VAT for your business, you should know how to charge VAT. Depending on what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to, there are different rules to follow. So, you should always talk to a professional before you sign up for VAT.
Product descriptions
Product descriptions might seem like nothing special, but good writing can make a big difference. On e-commerce sites, product descriptions are a big part of marketing, and they also tell customers what you have to offer and why they should buy from you. Use vivid, high-quality wording that helps customers see what you mean. Since buyers can’t touch your products in person, product details are the next best thing.
Shipping
Shipping is an important part of any successful retail business, and selling clothes online is no different. The online clothing business is all about meeting deadlines. If a deadline is missed because of a mistake in shipping, it doesn’t matter how great the items are, so it’s important to work with a trustworthy courier company. Whether you’re shipping directly to consumers or in bulk, it’s important to know your recipient’s shipping and contact information and how to package their goods. It’s also important to work with reliable companies that can get your goods from A to B without any problems.
Customs Regulations (cross-border policies)
You need an EORI number to move goods across European countries and further afield. To take care of customs issues, you must have this number. Anyone in the EU, including people in Ireland, can ask for the number. EORI numbers are part of the European Registration and Identification System for Economic Operators (EORI). The numbers should be used to clearly identify all those who move goods across borders, whether they are importing, exporting, or moving goods within the same country. The number can be used EU-wide and can be applied to any EU country, including Ireland. But in the European Union, every business and every transportation company only needs one number. An EORI number is needed by all business people who regularly fill out customs forms, such as:
- Private individuals
- Dealers
- Companies
- Carriers
But once you have gone through this process, you don’t need to repeat it. Once you receive a European EORI number, you are covered for all European countries. For example, an Irish EORI number can be used to bring goods into Germany.
So, there you have it—all the things you need to know before selling clothes online and how to start a great online clothing business. Getting people ready to buy is the key to running a great eCommerce clothing business. It’s not enough to know who your fashion audience is, what they would buy, and how much they would pay. You need to set yourself apart from your closest competitors, and then back it up with great clothing, unique designs, swift delivery, and great customer service.
