E-Commerce which means business transaction through internet, nowadays become the boon for startups and small and medium entrepreneurs both at international as well as local level. Not to surprise, clothing has been one of the most sold categories. That is the reason, most of theprivate label clothing linestarts with online platform in most of the cases. But not every clothing label achieve the success level. Here we will have a look at the important tips which makes or breaks a clothing line success or failure in cyber space.
There are 7 important points which must be taken care of while you decide to take your private label clothing business online and start your online sale -
#1 Selection of right technology platform -
These days you have may option when it comes to choose the technology platform for shopping carts or ecommerce and all of them claim to be easy to manage. However in reality, most business owners wind up hiring a web designer or web developer to help them in creation and deployment.
However before going into the selection of an ecommerce platform, you need to understand two major elements - one, SAAS (software as a solution) and second is Self Hosted Platforms. The basic different is that, under SAAS you get a pre-programmed and design platform which gives you fairly good option to customization as well. You do not need to take the pain of User Interface design or software development. But in other one, you have complete freedom to do almost every kind of design and development.
If you are a startup and new to the online medium, you should go with SAAS option until your business is fully grown and you can afford a complete team of web designer(s).
Under SAAS there are so many options available such as - Shopify, Volusion, BigCommerce etc. However Shopify has made its leadership position by virtu of cost effectiveness and User Interface. Hence, if it is your first ecommerce site, you should try Shopify first and roll out your clothing label business without headaches and hassle.
#2 Understand your target audience -
A deep understanding of your target audience plays a pivotal role. The buying behaviour, media consumption habits and market insight required to be gathered. For example, if you have developed your ecommerce website which is well designed but you have not integrated your site with e-retailers like Amazon or eBay then you may not get good mileage as customers do not show confidence in a standalone website. Additionally you get a good pool of your customers while you ride with e-retailers. Hence understanding the value proposition of your target audience you will have to operate your ecommerce presence.
#3 Which one is right channel partner -
Other than having very own ecommerce enabled website, it is also recommended to make your presence at online retailers such as Amazon and eBay. For your ready reference we give you a comprehensive list here. However you should do some research which retailer is good or bad for your clothing line. Certainly not all is relevant and practically it is not possible to make your presence everywhere. Hence advisable to go with leading one under your category. Start with two at least so that you can compare the performance.
#4 It's not once set, all done! -
Being ecommerce enabled is not the end; but its the beginning. It needs consistent vigilance over the order you receive, items displayed, reviews, customer care response, user experience, display of sold items, stock of items, payment method and billing, dispatch and delivery etc. Hence it is not good that once you uploaded your clothing details and you expect good business. Actually you will have to sustain the process which takes almost 3 to 6 months of time to shape up your presence.
#5 Budget to boost up -
You should allocate some budget for promotion of displayed item through digital media channels such as - mailers, newsletters, social media and search engine marketing. Promotion of your online store is very crucial as the way you choose your audience. The best is that, you choose at least 3 medium and sustain your advert for at least 2 weeks of time. Check the response of traffic you receive and their behaviour; and accordingly you can do the modification in your digital marketing. It's wise to spend little and taste the water and gradually grow rather infusing all your money at once!
#6 Go social -
It is needless to talk about the importance of social media here. In fact it is the game changer! Again, going social is not just about having a page on facebook or crate a twitter handle. It's about sensetize your presence and target the objective to establish a conversation with your audience. Do not show your clothing label involve in the direct sale and that's the sole objective behind making the presence on social media. Rather create an emotional appeal around your clothing label. Talk about your story, customer feedback and testimonial, the mission and people behind your label, the process and most importantly your concern with your audience. Avoid putting frequent sale information, impulsive post seeming forcing people to buy and sheer sale oriented.
The best that, you limit your presence at maximum of 2 to 3 social media platform but be sure its managed well. Study how your competitors are doing but do not copy them. Get inspiration and learn from their mistakes!
#7 It's a different game -
Here, you need to understand the motivation factor behind a customer buys from online retailers or an ecommerce website. Why do you think your customers can not go to super market or conventional method of sale instead of online? And the answer is - perception!
All it means that, you have to create a perception; understanding the benefits of the category and situation in which a customer choose online medium. Here there are two important points - creative / images / visual presence of your clothing label and perceptual presence of the price! Which means you have to ensure play well with the images of your item supported by a strong discount policy.
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Disclaimer:
The content is developed by the Think Tank Team of Billoomi Fashion, India
Image(s) are just for representation