In the realm of eCommerce, you don’t need to be a major brand like Gucci or Zara to profit from the clothing industry. Statista reports that eCommerce revenue from clothing and accessories sales in the United States reached $180.5 billion in 2022, with projections to hit $295.7 billion by 2025. The surge in the online fashion market is driven by digital platforms, increased smartphone internet access, and technological advancements. Let’s see 7 Simple Steps to Successfully Sell Your Clothes Online.
If you’re a fashion enthusiast with a knack for business, this comprehensive guide will teach you how to successfully sell clothes online in just seven easy steps.
Today, all you need is a smartphone, some basic industry knowledge, and a lot of determination to earn a good income selling clothes online. eCommerce offers immense potential for businesses of all sizes to sell clothes online without the expenses of traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
If you’re looking to break into the fashion industry, particularly in clothing, there are plenty of opportunities to seize.
Selling clothes online is a fantastic way to earn money or even start a full-time business, though the idea of launching an online store can seem overwhelming.
Don’t worry, though—our guide simplifies this process for you. We’ve also included practical tips for selling both new and used clothes online, so be sure to read through to the end.
How to Profit from Selling Clothes Online!
1. Choose Your Niche
Your choice of apparel niche will significantly influence your business strategy, target audience, and how you position your online store. Therefore, selecting a niche is a crucial step when planning to sell clothes online.
Instead of trying to cater to everyone, focus on a specific segment that aligns with your interests and business objectives.
Consider these four points when deciding on your niche:
- Stand Out: The eCommerce market is crowded, so if your clothing line is similar to others, it may get lost. Aim to offer something unique.
- Follow Your Interests: Think about the types of clothing you enjoy buying, what you wish was available, and what you’d be excited to wear.
- Add Value and Establish Authority: Identify gaps in the market where you can make a difference or add value. For example, if you have experience in social work or sustainability, you might start a fair trade or nonprofit clothing line.
- Evaluate Earning Potential: Look for opportunities where you can insert yourself with a unique value proposition, allowing your business to grow and be profitable.
2. Establish Your Business Model
When setting up an online clothing store, you have four business models to choose from, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. We’ll explore each model in detail below to help you decide which one suits your online clothing shop best.
- Print on Demand This business model is perfect for launching an online store quickly and on a tight budget. Print on demand is the easiest way to sell various items, including clothes. Simply use a digital ink-jet printer to apply custom designs to blank clothing items.The primary advantage of the print-on-demand business model is its simplicity and low cost, making it perfect for small businesses handling a limited number of orders. Numerous print-on-demand companies allow you to sell customized clothing.However, this model has a downside: low-profit margins. If you’re aiming to establish a highly profitable online clothing store, you might want to consider other business models.
- Cut-and-Sew The cut-and-sew business model involves designing and producing your own clothing products. Some businesses handle the entire production process in-house, while others create designs internally but outsource the manufacturing. This model provides a great opportunity to launch unique and innovative clothing items. However, keep in mind that starting an online store with this approach may require more funding and a solid understanding of clothing design.
- Dropshipping The dropshipping business model allows you to sell clothing items directly from wholesalers, manufacturers, or suppliers. When a customer places an order on your online store, you place a corresponding order with your supplier and provide them with the customer’s shipping details. The supplier then handles the rest.Dropshipping is a cost-effective model because you don’t need to purchase inventory upfront, store it, pack it, or ship it. If you know the tips for successful dropshipping, it can be a highly profitable business model.The main advantage of starting a dropshipping clothing store is that it requires no initial capital. Many platforms also offer integrated dropshipping plugins to help you source clothing directly from wholesalers to your customers.However, there are some drawbacks to this model. It can be challenging to create a unique brand identity since many online stores may be selling the same products as you.
3. Create Your Online Store
While there are many marketplaces where you can sell your clothes, you’ll be one of many sellers offering similar items.
Moreover, selling on marketplaces won’t help you achieve your long-term goal of building a unique brand for your clothing company. Instead of being recognized as a distinct brand, you’ll be associated with the marketplace’s brand. Therefore, the best way to sell clothes online is by starting your own online store.
Having your own online store makes selling much easier and more profitable. It also allows you to collect customer email addresses for email marketing and special promotions.
Creating an online store is not as difficult as it might seem. You can set up an online store without writing a single line of code using an online store builder like Grocito.
Grocito offers a wide range of themes and templates, plugins, and business tools to help you customize your online store exactly how you want it. The platform provides marketing capabilities to promote your store, tools to track store visitors, and a dashboard to manage all your orders.
It also includes a free custom domain, so you don’t have to worry about setting it up yourself.
You can reach out to Grocito experts via email, call, chat, or even social media for assistance whenever needed.
4. Showcase Your Clothes
The next step is to present your clothing to customers on your online store in a way that encourages them to make a purchase, even without trying the items on.
You’ll need high-quality product images, detailed descriptions, and accurate size charts to help customers make informed decisions.
A. Upload Attractive Product Photos Since online shoppers can’t try on clothes, compelling photos are essential.
Here are some tips for taking great product photos:
- Use natural light.
- Choose a neutral or white background.
- Have someone model the clothes and take pictures from various angles to give customers a complete view.
- If the item has a pattern or design, include close-up shots to highlight the details.
B. Write Detailed Product Descriptions
Clear and accurate descriptions help customers make informed choices. Effective copywriting is key here. Your descriptions should resonate with your target audience and address any potential questions or concerns.
Include details such as:
- Fabric type
- Fabric care
- Clothing pattern
- Clothing style
- Fit type
- Color
- Length
- Ornamentation
C. Add Professional Size Charts
Professional size charts can significantly boost sales by helping customers understand the exact measurements of the clothing items, reducing returns due to incorrect sizing. They also minimize size-related inquiries. You can use tools like Size.ly to create free size charts and automatically convert measurements for international buyers.
5. Price Your Clothes
Setting the right price for your clothing items is crucial for successful online sales. It’s important that customers perceive the price as fair and reflective of the product’s quality.
However, offering steep discounts isn’t always the best strategy. Avoid pricing your items too low, as this can negatively impact your brand and the perceived value of your products. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Pricing your items reasonably will help you sell them faster and maintain customer interest. You can look at your competitors’ pricing strategies and use them as a benchmark.
Alternatively, you can develop your own pricing strategy by considering the costs of manufacturing, packaging, and shipping the clothing items, along with your desired profit margin.
Don’t forget to factor in any additional costs, such as warehousing and labeling, when setting your prices.
6. Packaging and Shipping
Many online retailers often neglect the crucial aspects of packaging and shipping. However, these factors significantly impact the customer experience. Poor packaging and shipping can lead to a negative customer experience, undermining your efforts.
A. Packaging
There’s nothing more disappointing than receiving an online order only to find it damaged. To prevent this, always use protective packaging, and if possible, opt for recyclable or reusable materials.
Packaging also offers a great opportunity to promote your brand. Use packing materials in your brand colors and include your logo on each package. Even a simple thank you note with your logo and brand name can help build a connection with your customer.
B. Shipping
When it comes to shipping, ensure you’ve partnered with a reliable logistics company to guarantee that your products reach customers quickly and safely.
In today’s fast-paced world, prompt shipping and delivery are essential. Customers no longer expect to wait days for their orders to arrive; they want their purchases as soon as possible. They might choose a different vendor offering faster delivery, even if they prefer your products.
7. Market Your Clothing Store
The final step in selling clothes online is to develop a marketing strategy. There are numerous marketing tactics you can use to promote your online store.
Here are some of the most essential ones:
A. Email Marketing
Email marketing is considered one of the most effective ways to reach customers, offering substantial value at a low cost (with an average ROI of over $40 for every dollar spent).
You can use email to send promotions, discounts, and exclusive offers to encourage purchases. Additionally, emails help introduce your brand to new customers and keep existing customers coming back for repeat purchases over time.
B. SEO Marketing Everything you publish online, from blog posts to product descriptions, should aim to educate your audience and enhance SEO. High-quality content not only informs your audience but is also a key element of SEO.
Pay close attention to SEO marketing if you want your store’s sales to soar. The more you incorporate relevant keywords and key phrases into your content, the better your chances of ranking higher on search engine results pages when customers search for clothing.
C. Social Media Marketing
Social media is crucial for the success of eCommerce apparel businesses. Studies show that social media posts influence over half of Millennial and Gen Z clothing purchases, highlighting the importance of effective social media marketing.
Social media platforms are excellent for engaging with customers and building brand awareness. It’s important to identify which platforms are best suited for different demographic groups. For instance, Pinterest is great for women aged 25 to 65, while Instagram is more popular among young adults and teens.
Choose social networks based on your target audience and the type of content they are most likely to engage with. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram also offer the option to sell products directly to customers.
Incorporating social eCommerce into your marketing strategy can significantly enhance your social media efforts.
D. Paid Ads
Paid advertisements allow you to instantly connect with people who are relevant to your clothing business.
Unlike SEO, social media, and email marketing, which rely on gradually growing an audience, the reach of paid ads is only limited by your budget.
Paid advertisements come in various formats, including:
- Social Media Ads: These are targeted ads, such as Facebook ads, that appear in the social media feeds of your potential customers. They are highly targeted and only show up for your intended audience.
- Search Engine Ads: These ads appear above search results on search engines like Bing and Google. Google Ads, one of the most popular types, operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, charging a small fee each time someone clicks on your ad.
- Sponsored Posts: These are paid ads that feature your products at the top of product lists on popular online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
E. Influencer Marketing
Approximately 63% of consumers trust influencer messages more than brand messages, making influencer marketing an excellent channel for promoting your online clothing business.
Influencer marketing involves having your message delivered to potential customers by individuals, known as influencers, who can significantly impact their followers’ purchasing decisions.
To start an influencer marketing campaign, first decide which platform(s) you want to use. Once you’ve chosen a platform, reach out to an influencer to collaborate with on your campaign.
Top 5 Tips for Successfully Selling Clothes Online
1. Ensure Customer Satisfaction
Customers are unlikely to return if they have a negative shopping experience. To keep them happy and satisfied, promptly address their issues, ship orders quickly, and respond to their queries efficiently.
2. Engage with Customers Post-Purchase
Once a purchase has been completed and delivered, it’s important to reach out to your customers with a short, friendly message. This not only helps them feel more connected to your store but also shows that you care about their satisfaction.
Send these follow-up emails to confirm they are happy with their purchase. Additionally, you can offer exclusive deals and discounts for their next order to encourage repeat business.
3. Optimize Your Website Design
While it may seem superficial, the appearance of your website plays a crucial role in online clothing sales.
A poorly designed website can deter potential customers and impact your sales more than you might think. Make sure your website is visually appealing, engaging, and responsive to keep customers returning. Consider incorporating personalized recommendations, virtual shopping assistants (chatbots), and ensuring mobile compatibility to enhance the shopping experience.
4. Ensure Easy Navigation
If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by a website menu with countless subcategories and sub-subcategories, you’re not alone.
Complex menus can confuse and deter customers before they even get a chance to view your products. Keep your navigation straightforward and user-friendly to avoid this. Simplifying your menu will help customers find what they’re looking for quickly and keep them engaged with your site.
5. Offer Popular Payment Options
While credit cards have long been a staple for online payments, newer and more convenient options are now available, such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and PayPal.
Another emerging trend is the “buy now, pay later” option, which allows customers to choose a payment plan and pay for their purchases in installments rather than paying the full amount upfront. This flexibility can make your store more appealing to a broader range of customers.
Conclusion
Starting any business comes with risks, but the online apparel market offers a promising opportunity. Launching an online store can be a straightforward path to success, thanks to positive market trends and various flexible, affordable business models.
With the right online platform and a solid business plan, there’s never been a better time to turn your dream of owning an online clothing store into reality. However, patience is key. Take your time, think strategically, and continuously educate yourself.
Before you know it, you could be on your way to becoming a retail mogul.
FAQs
1. What is the easiest site to sell clothes on?
Swap.com and ThredUP are two platforms where you can sell clothes with minimal effort. However, be aware that they charge high commission fees and may have additional charges.
2. What is the best way to sell used clothes?
Setting up your own online store is the best way to sell used clothes. This approach is more hands-on compared to using other online marketplaces, but it gives you complete control over your products, pricing, reputation, and branding.
3. What’s the best website to sell your clothes on?
Dukaan is an excellent website to start selling clothes online. It offers a 14-day trial period during which you can set up your online store, add products, and launch it. Most features are accessible during this trial period.
4. How much should I sell my clothes for online?
Pricing is a crucial aspect of any business and requires a strategy that includes analyzing all costs and researching competitors. For used clothes, you can price them at 25% to 75% of their original price, depending on their condition.
5. Is it hard to sell clothes online?
No, it’s not hard to start selling clothes online. You can get your online business up and running in a matter of minutes. While there are multiple aspects to running a successful business that may seem challenging, dedication makes it all achievable.
6. Is selling clothes online profitable?
Yes, selling clothes online can be profitable. However, the profitability depends on where you choose to sell your products. Marketplaces like Poshmark and ThredUP may take a significant portion of your profit in commissions and late payouts. With your own online store, you can set your prices and keep all the profits from your sales.
