Are you thinking of starting and growing your online clothing business? The immense competition could thwart you, but a clothing business is worth it.

The eCommerce clothing industry has an estimated global market value of $759 billion. Revenues from online clothing stores should hit the $1.0 trillion mark by 2025. Of course, this growth could be faster, given the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to shop online.

You can start your online store and thrive in this industry. Here’s a detailed guide on how to grow an online clothing business.

How to Start an Online Clothing Business from Home

Starting any business from scratch might look scary. You have to put in a lot of effort, but you’ll reap the rewards once the venture develops. So, is a clothing business profitable?

Selling clothes online can be a profitable venture. You’ll need a solid foundation to act as a launchpad for your successful store.

The tips below can help you build a thriving eCommerce store for clothes and apparel.

Step 1: Identify a Clothing Niche

One mistake you should avoid from the start is selling clothes for all demographics. This is because potential customers might find it challenging to find the right product. Besides, you’ll struggle to stand out from competitors.

A better alternative is focusing on a specific clothing niche. A niche allows you to target a particular market more efficiently. Ensure to pick a niche that’s unique and has earning potential.

Step 2: Create Business Plan For Your Online Clothing Store

You cannot grow an eCommerce business without a business plan.

A clothing business plan outlines how your online store will grow and develop. The plan needs to be well thought out and should cover at least the first three years of your business.

Below are some specifics to include in a sample business plan for an online clothing store.

• An executive summary: highlights what you’re trying to accomplish
• Products: the type of clothes/apparel you stock
• Market analysis: your target market, growth potential, and possible competitors
• Marketing strategy: the advertising campaigns you would run to attract and retain customers
• Financial planning: long-term and short-term financial projections
• Budget: an estimation of revenues and expenses

While creating a plan, you must also pick a business model for your eCommerce store. Common business models in the clothing sector include:

• Dropshipping
• Print on demand
• Private label clothing
• Custom cut and sew

Step 3: Pick an Ecommerce Platform

When learning how to grow an online clothing business, you must understand the importance of an eCommerce platform.

An eCommerce platform acts as your storefront. It allows you to upload photos, customize your store, and create checkouts. Consider going for platforms that offer a wealth of tools. Examples include:

• Shopify
• Wix
• WooCommerce
• Magento
• Big Commerce

Step 4: Create Your Online Store and List Products

You’ll need to find a suitable domain for your fashion store and link it to the eCommerce platform. You can customize the site as you wish, but ensure it’s easy to use and navigate.

Once the site is fully running, you can list your products. Remember to upload high-quality photos and to include product descriptions.

Ideas on How to Promote Your Online Clothing Business like a Pro

Without adequate exposure, your online clothing business will struggle to attract customers. That’s why you need to create an effective marketing campaign. But do you know how to promote an online clothing business?

Use Influencer Marketing

When done right, influencer marketing can elevate your brand’s reach, exposure, and engagement. According to a survey done by Mediakix, about 80% of marketers consider influencer marketing effective.

Ensure you work with an influencer in the fashion niche. The influencer’s followers should be people who might be interested in your clothing brand.

Leverage the Power of Social Platforms

Over 57% of the global population uses social media platforms. What’s more, users spend about 2 hours on these sites every day. These social channels present an opportunity to develop brand awareness, foster customer relationships, and even make sales.

Social sites can also help you grow a property management business.

How to Grow a Clothing Business on Instagram

Instagram (IG) is perhaps the best social channel to promote your clothing line. It has tons of users and offers many tools to perfect your ad. Here’s how to grow a fashion brand on IG.

• Upload high-resolution pics of your clothes/apparel
• Create informative video content
• Research your hashtags
• Use compelling captions on pics
• Engage with users
• Make your feed shoppable
• Promote your brand’s IG using Instagram ads

Embrace SEO

Effective SEO strategies will help boost organic traffic to your online fashion store. More traffic translates to potential leads.

Here are a few things to consider when implementing fashion SEO on your clothing site:

• Research trendy keywords – consider using less competitive, long-tailed keywords
• Create outstanding content – create an informative blog on your site
• Optimize images
• Categorize products
• Link pages
• Build backlinks from other fashion sites

Be Part of Online Activities

Are you still thinking about how to market an online clothing store? You can augment your brand’s awareness by participating in online fashion discussions and events.

Webinars, forums, virtual conferences, and similar events present the perfect opportunity to showcase your fashion knowledge. Of course, curious participants will learn about your online clothing business when researching your portfolio. This is how to grow a clothing brand.

Tips on How to Grow Your Fashion Brand

It’s vital to evaluate your business’s position constantly. Is your online fashion brand growing or stagnating? Has your store benefitted from the influx of online shopping during this pandemic?

Your clothing business won’t grow automatically. You have to come up with a business growth strategy.  Here are a few practical ways to scale up your clothing line.

Target Festivals and Seasonal Sales

Business in the fashion industry tends to boom during the festive season. As an online retailer, you should increase inventory and up your marketing campaigns during such periods. You could target festivals like Christmas, New year, Diwali, Halloween, to name a few.

Refine Your Merchandise

Always keep an eye on trends shaping current fashion. Ensure you constantly refine products in your inventory to match the current trends.

Control Costs

You have to control costs to improve your store’s bottom line. Ensure you aren’t overspending on designs, material, marketing, and manufacturing.

Final Thoughts

Building a successful online fashion store might seem daunting, but it’s doable. The above guide should help you learn how to grow an online clothing business.