In this post we cover the ultimate guide to selling your clothes online.
Ever thought about how you could make money at home without much stress?
Well, we have brought a helpful solution to your doorstep! Your used clothes could actually make you some money online if you apply the right strategies. In this article, we will be giving you a walkthrough on how you can sell your clothes online. Let’s dive right in!
Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Clothes Online
Conduct your market research
This step involves a lot of things, which include determining the price of your items, your profit potential, etc. These are tasks you can carry out on the internet. There are sites where you can see the prices of items you wish to sell. You might feel discouraged because you will see a lot of people selling the exact items you have in mind; this does not mean you should reduce your price in a bid to be competitive. It all boils down to your marketing skills; you can still make plenty of sales if you utilize the right marketing tools.
The truth is, there is a market for everything you might want to sell. Ranging from cheap wristwatches to designer shoes, there is always someone willing to buy. Your unused clothing will be bought, especially if the buyer cannot find it anywhere else, be it a retail store or an e-Commerce site.
You should also keep a note of the present season because it will determine the type of clothes people will be looking to buy. Winter clothes will sell better during the cold months; the same thing applies to summer clothing. This shouldn’t stop you from listing your clothes, though; you can list as many unwanted clothes as you can.
Find Out the Resell Price
To determine the worth of your clothing, it is best you check how much similar items are being for in other stores. It is the best way to go about it rather than guessing what you think the items may worth. You can make a lot of mistakes if you fail to find out the market value of your ware. Selling your clothes online is one of the easiest things to do, but a lot of people still find it difficult.
If you are putting up your clothes for sale on an auction platform like eBay, we advise that you set a minimum price tag that you will be comfortable with if you get only a few bids. But, if you are selling your clothing at a fixed price, always consider the cost of shipping and other marketplace commissions.
Determine Your Profit Potential
Since the buyers will handle the shipping cost, ensure you do not underestimate the cost of packaging and shipping else, it will cut your profits. If the listed products do not sell right away, re-list it to get more bidders. You have to be realistic while selling; so, you should know that all your items won’t be sold out immediately, especially when you are still starting up.
You will make little profits when you startup, but you will grow with time. We advise that you take the time to study and learn how the business works and craft a suitable system for yourself. If you can do this, then there is a lot of potential for you in this niche. This is a great business option to explore if you are looking for some part-time income. You might be a student, job-hunting, or a stay-at-home parent, but as long as you are willing to get your feet into entrepreneurship, then this is a good place to start.
However, if you are looking at making a decent profit with this, you should consider having a retail location. You can open a storefront around your neighborhood where you could sell used vintage or designer clothing to customers. This puts you at an advantageous point because you could charge twice as much the price on online stores. People will definitely do business with you because they do not have to pay shipping charges, which most times make them pay more than are willing to. Additionally, people have more confidence in buying clothes in physical shops rather than online stores.
So, if you are looking for a side hustle with high-profit potential, perhaps you can try selling your used clothes online. If you become good at it, opening a retail store will be a good idea to increase profits.
Set A Realistic Goal
Let’s say you aim at making $10,000 a year from your clothing business that means you will have to make sales of about $833 each month. If you dedicate yourself to selling, you will certainly hit that goal. Whether you work part-time or full-time, dedication is key.
Once you’ve completed the tasks mentioned above, sourcing becomes the next point of call. Your sourcing should be based on two factors – the amount people will be willing to pay and current trends. You shouldn’t pick old-fashioned worn clothes from your closet and expect people to buy; that will not work. The clothes you sell are meant to be trendy; you could use social media to find out the latest fashion trends. Also, the pricing should be good. People won’t buy from you simply because the clothes you sell are trendy; if they are not affordable, no one will buy, and we are sure you don’t want to have a hard time making sales. The only time people will consider to buy expensive clothing is when they are timeless.
Take Clear Pictures of your Items
If you wish to make a lot of sales, then you should always upload high-quality images of your items online. You don’t need the expertise of photography or a photo studio to get the job done. Your smartphone and a dimly lit room can make the job look like a piece of cake. All you need to do is to lay your clothing on a plain, flat surface. If you do not have a plain surface, a blanket or solid-colored bedspread can get the job done. Get a few lamps and position them at different angles to provide lighting. Ensure that the lighting points are at good angles to prevent shadows and dullness.
Some E-Commerce sites like ThredUP add descriptions to photos you post; the only job you do is to send in your items. They also handle the pricing, which means you don’t have a say in the prices or worth of your items.
Write an Honest Description
Your prospective customers will like to know everything about what they are seeking to buy. Give them every detail required ranging from the brand to the size and condition. No detail should be left out in the description, no matter how minute you might think it is.
Make Free Shipping Available to Customers
This surely grabs the attention of potential customers. Most online stores advanced algorithms that filter offers such free shipping. With this, it won’t be difficult for customers to find your products. When customers see two similar items, they tend to go for the free shipping option. You don’t necessarily have to lose your profit because of your offer, all you need to do is to attach the shipping cost to that of the item. This way, both your buyer and yourself are happy.
Select A Niche
While starting out, you may feel tempted to list everything you can lay your hands on; this will confuse potential customers. We always advise that you niche down to a specific type of clothing. The established brands always focus on a specific niche like jewelry, sports clothing, summer wears, indie clothing, etc. Customers will easily relate to you when they know the particular products you have to offer. They will prefer to purchase numerous items from a particular store rather than moving around to shop. So, just find your niche and make waves.
Interact and Respond Promptly to Your Clients
A lot of customers always prefer to interact with the owner of business before moving to buy a product. If they have any questions, give them prompt responses. If you fail to answer the questions of your potential customers, you are indirectly giving them away to your competitors. When answering your customers’ questions about a product, add a product description catalog if possible. This gives them the flexibility to look at it whenever they wish to. Whether you are still starting up or you have established big business, responding to customers is a priority.
Try to Get Awesome Reviews
Customers always find it difficult to drop reviews after a product or service has been sold to them. If you are running an online store, reviews are quite important for your business. The downside is that they are not easy to get. Of course, you have to ensure that your customers get what they asked for. You can do a follow up after 5-7 days of delivering their item. Find out if they like it and why they like it. Also, try to find if they have any suggestions on how you can deliver better services to them. They will be highly appreciative if you make out time to see that they are happy with the purchased product. This will move them to drop a review and also do business with you again.
Be Creative
A considerable number of people have become a millionaire since the start of the E-Commerce boom. This, of course, requires plenty of hard work and dedication. For any business to be successful, a ton of creativity has to be applied. It could be in sales, lead generation, follow up, product packaging, etc. Your creativity could turn a small home business into a 7-figure venture. So, what are you waiting for?
Develop A Clear Marketing Strategy
For every business to make good sales, there is a need for increased visibility. Most business owners shy away from crafting a marketing plan because they believe there is a lot of spending involved. There are workable ways through which you can market your items without breaking the bank. However, it could be time-consuming, but the result is worth it. We will list out some marketing strategies you could adopt to grow your business. See below
- Make use of social media to drive traffic to your website. Content marketing and a little bit of paid advertisement can be used here.
- You are trying using video tutorials. Video content appeals more to customers lately; this is because they will spend less time in understanding your video explanations rather than reading an article. YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook live are the best tools here, and they are free to use. This way, you are winning the hearts of potential clients without spending a dime.
- Blogging is another option you should take a run at. Incorporate a blog into your online store wouldn’t be much of a problem. You could use your blog to address your customers’ pain points, describe your products, and indirectly sell to them through content marketing. Having addressed their pain points or solved a particular problem for a visitor, you get to build a connection with him. With this, you can easily convert him to a paying client. Also, if you have good SEO skills, you can use the blog to broadcast your business to the world.
- Have you thought about influencer marketing? This could bring a burst of sales to your business. All you need is to get an influencer to advertise your product or recommend your brand and the sales coming trooping in.
- Email marketing is a sure bet. If you have a blog, then it won’t be difficult to build an email list. Simply put up a form on your website, and interest visitors who want to know more and engage with your brand will subscribe. You can send them a newsletter about your company, let them know when a particular product is in stock, or to simply interact with them. This strategy will help you generate leads for your business.
Conclusion
People in today’s world want to purchase products fast and cheap. So, why leave those unworn clothes to lie fallow in your closet when you can make money from selling them? Hope you enjoyed this post on the ultimate guide to selling your clothes online. Follow our guide, and you will be on your way to building a side hustle for yourself.
