I am designing my own dresses and I will be having them made and would like to sell them online. Anyone have experience with this or any advice on the best way to advertise or any info would be awsome thanks!
2006-08-01 06:45:56 · 8 answers · asked by N25 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Small Business
When you mention selling your creations online, the first thing is to decide whether (a) you're selling them through your own website; (b) you're selling them through arrangements with other online retail stores; or (c) you're selling them through alternative online sales channels such as eBay.com
If you're going to sell your clothes online, consider the following factors why some are hesitant to shop online for clothes and make sure that you address them:
Another research firm, E-BuyersGuide.com found in 2000 that buyers did not buy apparel over the Web for the following reasons:
Unsure of accurate sizing (27.95%)
Returning item could be a problem (18.17%)
Unsure of quality (13.92%)
Delivery costs (13.71%)
Price (8.61%)
Credit card security (6.48%)
Unsure of item's exact color (5.84%)
Unable to access right information (3.29%)
Difficult site navigation (2.55%)
Other (10.20%)
If you are going to open your own website and sell your designs, here are what you will need:
1. Website - Your online connection to your prospects and customers. There are a number of places on the web to get "free" websites - although you may be required to display an advertisement. The design of your site is critical to the success of your business! If it does not look like a professional, legitimate business - NO ONE WILL ORDER ANYTHING - no matter how great the products you have. If you are serious about doing business on the web, either go back to school and learn html, java, cgi, etc., or hire a professional to design your site.
2. Merchant account - Bank authorized account which allows you to accept major credit cards, electronic checks, etc. Many banks will not give you a merchant account if you do business on the Internet because they may classify it as high risk. Be careful when looking for a merchant account provider! Watch out for hidden fees, high setup fees, and other unscrupulous business practices.
3. Payment Transaction Software - Software which actually processes customer order information, address, credit card number, etc. The data is sent to a credit card authorization network which verifies that the credit card is valid and verifies that the shipping address matches the billing address. A possible warning sign that the card has been stolen is that the billing and shipping addresses do not match.
4. Secure Server Connection - https:// - Link to a special computer which encrypts confidential ordering data for customer protection. You know you are on a secure server when the URL in your browser says "https://". The "s" stands for "secure." If ordering information is not sent via a secure server it can be intercepted by computer hackers.
5. Shopping cart - Software which allows you to accept product orders for multiple products from your website. This software automatically calculates and totals orders for your customers. Some setup must be done in the html code of your website, and the shopping cart software must be installed on the server which hosts your site or on the secure server which accepts sensitive ordering information.
To get traffic and customers for your online business, here are some shoestring marketing ideas that can help you get the visitors you need at the least cost possible:
1. Create the best content you can with the best products you can possibly offer. Your content is your best advertisement - if visitors love your products, then they will go back and spread the word to others.
2. Make it easy for users to recommend your site. Viral marketing is very important -- and easy to tap on the Web. But give your users the tools. Get a Recommend this Site script from websites such as cgiscripts.com and similar directories of scripts. Some even go as far as giving incentives to those who recommend the site to their friends. If only 10 people go to your site, but these 10 people invite 10 more - that's additional traffic that you get for FREE!
Recommend Site Scripts (various) http://php.resourceindex.com/Complete_Scripts/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/
Big Nose Bird Recommend this Site http://bignosebird.com/carchive/birdcast.shtml
CGI Resource Index http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/
Hostscripts http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/Site_Recommendation/index.html
3. Rank well in the search engines (organic search results, not the pay per click). SEs can be a big source of traffic. The key is to create the best content in your niche. If you have good content, other websites will gladly link to you and offer your site as a resource to their audience. Check the on-page factors and be sure to get linked from authority sites in your topic area.
If you are going to read only one piece on search engine optimization, I suggest you read Brett Tabke of WebmasterWorld.com's "Successful Site in 12 Months with Google Alone: 26 steps to 15k a day." http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2010.htm
SEO for Google http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/google.htm
SEO for Yahoo! http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/yahoo.htm
SEO for MSN http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/msn.htm
Tying It Together: SEO For The Big Three http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/seo.htm
4. Send out press releases. While outfits charge as much as $650 per release, there are free press release submission places on the Web. Press releases allow you to (a) attract media attention; (b) get more back links to your website without sending each website an email request; and (c) get more visibility especially if your press release gets in Google News or Yahoo News.
http://www.prleap.com/sign_up.html
http://i-newswire.com/
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/cgi-bin/links/add.cgi
http://www.pr.com/press-releases
http://www.prfree.com/
http://www.clickpress.com/releases/index.shtml
http://www.theopenpress.com/
http://www.przoom.com/
http://www.prweb.com
http://www.newswiretoday.com/
http://www.free-press-release.com/
5. Submit articles. Write articles and submit them to websites accepting author submissions. You get exposure for your business; establishes you as an authority in your field, and allows you to get backlinks for your website. If 50 websites publish your article and it contains a link back to your website, then you easily get 50 links from a single article. The more links you have, the greater your chances for increasing your search engine rankings.
Here is a comprehensive list of where to submit your articles http://answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylt=AhzreGmnCUicOoyedqypscUjzKIX?qid=1006022407481
6. Improve your conversion. Getting visitors is one thing; getting them to buy your products is a whole different story. Read the article "10 Ways to Convert Visitors to Buyers" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/072005/conversion.htm for tips on how to improve your conversion rates.
7. Post a link to your site for free where it is allowed (always read the Terms of Use). Examples are:
Craigslist http://www.craigslist.com
Google Base http://base.google.com
Classifieds for Free http://www.classifiedsforfree.com/...
Text Link Exchange http://www.txtswap.com/
Recycler.com http://www.recycler.com/
Yahoo Classifieds http://classifieds.yahoo.com/
US Free Ads http://www.usfreeads.com/
2006-08-01 06:52:04 · answer #1 · answered by imisidro 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
The fashion industry, as you can well imagine, is a very competitive one. To succeed takes knowledge, patience, talent and a bit of luck. As far as the knowledge bit goes, I found some sources that will assist you further.
Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have about the clothing industry as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.
There's nothing quite like research – the more you know about the clothing industry, the better. There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.
Also, here are some book titles that may interest you:
Fashion Design Specific:
* The Official Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Clothing Line by Jay Arrington,
* The Business of Fashion: Designing, Manufacturing, and Marketing by Leslie Davis Burns
* Fashion for Profit (Revised Edition with Retail Chapter) by Frances Harder
* The Fashion Designer Survival Guide: An Insider's Look at Starting and Running Your Own Fashion Business by Mary Gehlhar
Online Business Specific:
* Selling Online: How to Become a Successful E-Commerce Merchant by Jim Carroll, Rick Broadhead
* The Complete E-Commerce Book: Design, Build, and Maintain a Successful Web-Based Business by Janice Reynolds
* Intelligent Selling: The Art & Science of Selling Online by Ken Burke
* E-Commerce for Dummies by Don Jones
Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
2006-08-01 08:12:05 · answer #2 · answered by TM Express™ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about dresses but I have an online Tshirt store and the process is similar there is a place that all the online tshirt people hang out it is at http://www.tshirtforum.com The principles should apply for you.
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2006-08-01 13:23:38 · answer #6 · answered by andy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm trying to find one too, I make wedding dresses. :0
2006-08-01 06:50:10 · answer #7 · answered by redd_apples 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Burlington they have cute dresses
2016-03-16 10:29:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋