Throughout your life, you’ve had a passion for making and designing clothing. You always told yourself that when you grew up, you wanted to be a fashion designer. And in some ways, it’s never been easier to launch your business online and find a customer base. But at the same time, the market is so over-saturated with various brands that it’s hard to stand out. You need to offer unique graphic t-shirts, apparel and more to be different from what is already on Etsy and Amazon.
Here’s some tips on growing your apparel business and securing the customer base you need to be successful.
Here’s some tips on growing your apparel business and securing the customer base you need to be successful.
1. Launch an Online Store
If you’ve always dreamed of owning a physical storefront, an online website might seem like a cop-out. But an online site can be the perfect companion to your walk-in store. Physical locations are a lot of fun, but they’re also limited only to shoppers in the area. When you start selling clothing online, you’ll be able to reach shoppers from all across the country–and even throughout the world.
2. Offer Great Customer Service
This might seem obvious, but countless apparel brands have failed because they didn’t secure a good customer base. Make yourself available to your customers. Answer their questions, help them choose products, give advice, and be polite and courteous when dealing with returns. If they have a good experience with you, they’ll remember and keep coming back for more.
3. Get Customers in the Store with Events and Discounts
When you’re first starting out, you’ll probably notice that one of the hardest things about running a business is getting customers in the store in the first place. Invite them to your store by offering exclusive events and discounts. Many stores hold “Open for Business” parties where they offer free gifts and invite the community to celebrate with them. You can also have special deals and discounts throughout the year, and even host events like live music performances.
4. Use Social Media to Boost Your Visibility
Even if you don’t have an online storefront, social media is a great way to market your store and get the word out to customers. Here’s a few ways you can use Facebook to market your business:
- Have a Facebook page with the address, phone number, and store hours
- Regularly post status updates and pictures of products to entice the customers
- Announce special deals and discounts
- Pay for sponsored posts that are advertised on local customers’ feeds
- Answer questions through the instant messenger function
- Ask questions and invite customers to share their opinions
And that’s just a fraction of the ways you can use social media to grow your business. You can also use sites like Twitter and Instagram to reach a new set of customers and build a worldwide customer base.
