Harsh economic conditions force many businesses to close their doors, but that doesn’t mean your clothing company has to end. Consider online operations. You’ll be surprised to discover that your business can survive hard times, attract more clients and even sell more merchandise online than in a physical space.
The running costs will lower, you’ll have fewer overheads to worry about, and you can reach a global audience with ease. Here’s how to make the shift smooth and successful.
The earlier you establish an online presence, the better. It means developing a functional and easy-to-navigate website that will entice people to buy from you. Ensure the website loads quickly and is easy to use, your payment methods are solid and secure and accurately represent the inventory.
For instance, if you’re selling Bella Canvas t-shirts, create online catalogs with the price, color, size and shipping details. Also, take advantage of online tools such as Google My Business to list your business and help people find you online.
SEO is vital to ranking your clothing website on search engine results pages. Research the keywords relevant to your niche and use them in your website’s content, product titles and descriptions.
While you’re at it, work on building high-quality backlinks to your website from other platforms in your industry. The higher your website ranks, the more trust you’ll garner as a business, increasing sales.
Come up with a shipping strategy that is efficient, cost-effective, and speedy. Start by finding the right shipping partner and putting together a favorable shipping policy for you and your customers. For instance, you could offer free standard shipping on orders above a certain amount.
Understand that customers want a fast and reliable process. If you can ship the purchases on the same day, the better. Alternatively, offer shipping upgrades to those who want their purchases sooner.
Don’t make the transition too fast. Allow a gradual change-over to avoid losing customers and revenue. Start with one item on your website and slowly reduce the number of items in your physical store.
You’ll make it easier for your existing and potential customers to find you online. Keep on updating clients on the changes taking place so that they’re not caught off guard.
Let your current clients know that you’re moving your business online by offering rewards and discounts to those who choose to shop online. This can play a huge role in getting more people to shop from your website. Give loyalty points, free shipping or a percentage off their total purchase.
Once the move is complete, monitor the growth and tweak the strategy if necessary. The best part is that you can now reach a global audience and take your business to new heights. You can also run the online store single-handedly or hire a team to help you. Since the operations are online, you’ll have more time to focus on perfecting the products.