If you are keen on starting an online clothing boutique, your goals are definitely to find a reputable supplier and make good profits. Your business strategy should be to buy low and sell high. If you are serious, this strategy will work for you.
But where will you source quality clothing in large quantities and at lower prices? Well, you need to first understand how you will find a verified supplier. Besides that, it’s important for you to know the key aspects related to eCommerce if you want to successfully run an online clothing boutique. So, if you are a newbie, how can you effectively do this?
How Can You Tell If a Wholesale Clothing Supplier is Verified?
For you to effectively run your business, you need to ensure that you are dealing with verified suppliers. Your main focus when getting into the online boutique business should be how to avoid scammers who are unverified suppliers. The characteristics of a verified wholesale clothing supplier include:
Physical Address
Apart from having a website or official social media page, most verified wholesale clothing suppliers also have a local address. This means that they are legitimately registered under the local governing laws hence you can bank on them.
They Have Worked with Other Businesses
A wholesaler who is legit will definitely have worked with other customers, either locally or internationally. A verified supplier will confidently share the details of some of their business partners and even give you referrals, in case you are reluctant.
Good Production Capacity
Generally, production matters when it comes to wholesale clothing. The fashion industry is something that will never slow down as people definitely need clothes and other apparels. A verified production company should have a good production capacity in order to effectively meet the needs of its customers.
This gives them an upper hand when it comes to reliability. An effective production capacity leads to a better turnaround time. Consequentially, this will lead to faster shipping. The overall effect is that you will be satisfied with the quality and quantity of your order.
You definitely don’t want to deal with a supplier who takes weeks or even months to process your order. Because this means that at certain points, you will not have a stock. This means that you will end missing out on your potential sales and customers while you wait for your order to be processed.
Effective Shipping System
We have had instances where shipped items get lost in the middle of nowhere. Some suppliers even fail to account for this because the items are simply untraceable. Well, don’t let the excitement of finally get a suppler make you ignore the basics of shipping. Communicate with the potential wholesale clothing supplier regarding shipping fees as well as the shipping method.
They Communicate and Are Accountable
A successful business partnership can only be held together through communication. A good supplier should have multiple channels of communication for versatility. Generally, it should be easier for you to get in contact with them.
Besides that, they should be willing to be held accountable in case of unforeseeable circumstances. For instance, they should be willing to explain shipping delays and find a way to make up for this.
How can You Find a Verifiable Wholesale Clothing Supplier?
The success of your online boutique heavily depends on finding a genuine wholesale clothing supplier. You obviously need a supplier with a great product catalog, affordable prices, and excellent delivery services. A verified source is important since you don’t want to fall victim to a scam and end up losing your money. So, how do you go about this?
Search Online
Search engines have been crucial in giving us valid information from anywhere. The results you get will determine if the brand is legitimate or fake. For instance, verified brands usually have a physical address and multiple contact lines. Besides, customer reviews are usually positive.
On the other hand, fake sources usually have minimal information and in most instances, the reviews are usually negative if not none. Generally, you have to be extremely cautious with the results you get through search engines.
Attend Industry Events
This is definitely one of the best ways to get multiple wholesale suppliers. Through such events, you are likely to meet people in the same industry and share ideas. This is usually the best place to ask for referrals, especially from those who have already established themselves in this industry.
Besides that, industry events give you the best opportunity to learn about tricks and tips that are beneficial for the growth of your business. You stand a better chance to make the right decisions based on the failures of those who started ahead of you.
Check Online Directories
There are numerous online directories for wholesale clothing suppliers. Well, serious business owners would definitely list themselves here. Understand that directories simply don’t take anyone’s details. There is usually an extensive authentication process that’s implemented to verify the legitimacy of all the business owners listed here. So, if you want the best bet, this is one of the places to consider.
Check Social Media Platforms
Big and reputable clothing suppliers are also on social media. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are some of the places where you can find huge chunks of supplier profiles. The best thing about such profiles is that you can always check the comments from other users.
Don’t forget that there are also social media communities designed to cater to the needs of clients looking for wholesale clothing suppliers. So, make sure that you join such platforms and hand out with other interested vendors. The fashion industry is diverse and always changing; therefore, networking is crucial.
How Can You Watch Out For Fake Wholesale Clothing Suppliers?
The internet has definitely enhanced the way we do things. However, malicious people have also taken advantage of this opportunity, and now your risk of falling victim to scams is higher than ever. There are those people who engage in fake wholesale clothing supply with the aim to swindle unsuspecting individuals.
One of the best ways to check if a supplier is fake is through the address, especially physical address. If they don’t have it, then you should start to act suspiciously.
Secondly, they are more likely to not ask for your business registration number. A verified supplier will definitely ask for your business registration number to ensure that the products you want are shipped to the right entity.
Due to the lack of verification, chances are that these fake suppliers also charge high prices. You will also find out that they are more likely to constantly update their prices. Generally, legitimate sellers have a well-defined price range. They are also more likely to lower their prices in order to attract new clients.
You can also ask your peers in this industry regarding the best suppliers in the sector. The best way to avoid falling victim to fake suppliers is by doing a comprehensive research. Look at the potential supplier’s business profile. Is it verifiable? Does the business have a physical location? Because a wholesale supplier should definitely have something like a warehouse where these items are stored.
Their terms of business are also important. Businesses that don’t have friendly returns or refunds policy are certainly fake or even sell low-quality products. Generally, having the right information in mind will assist you in ensuring that you go for a legitimate wholesale supplier.
What’s the Most Effective Way to Navigate the Clothing e-Commerce Industry?
Well, a lot of people venture into businesses anticipating growth and to make profits. But you might actually get shocked if you are not careful. The common notion that you will start raking huge amounts of money in profits when you open a wholesale boutique clothing business is a lie. It doesn’t happen instantly.
Those who haven’t done serious background research think that the moment you have a website and product list, you will start to rake profits almost instantly. The truth is that there is no easy way to make quick money, especially if you are looking for a long-term source of business.
The worst that you could do is to look for a cheap supplier who will end up shipping sub-par clothing items with no value. Don’t be in a rush because in doing so, you will end up making bad judgments. The consequential effect is that your online boutique business will end up failing miserably.
As a beginner, your desire to make money should come in second. Your first concentration should be to build a solid customer base and ensure that you have a verifiable supplier. Doing a comprehensive business analysis will put you ahead of the game.
Even before you officially launch your online boutique, make it your goal to familiarize some of the tips and tricks that a business owner dealing with clothing should know in the e-commerce industry. Your passion or aspirations should drive you.
In fact, if you do everything right then the profits will automatically start to trickle in. Avoid fake supplies with unverified products. Don’t buy your stock of clothing from a supplier with an unreasonable pricing range because if something is overpriced, then you are not the target audience.
Styliafoe: A Reliable and Verified Supplier for Designer Clothing
Styliafoe is a luxury brand that’s renowned for dropshipping and wholesale designer clothing supplies. It’s a popular brand that stocks items from more than 200 luxury fashion brands. If you are considering getting a verified source for wholesale clothing supply, then this is one of the best brands to depend on.
Styliafoe is currently the leading go-to online platform for boutiques that are looking for luxury fashion clothing. according to information found on its website, the company supplies clothing to more than 1,000 boutiques, online businesses, pop-up stirs, and even other wholesalers around the work.
For a brand that has managed to build a customer base with more than 1000 customers just for wholesale clothing supplies, Styliafoe is definitely a game-changer. It comes off as a trustworthy and reputable wholesale supplier. And if you are just starting out your online boutique business, then this should be one of the suppliers you should check out.
Styliafoe has a specifically designed a convenient wholesale program that’s customized to the needs of online boutique owners. They include:
Pick and mix different clothing items from various catalogues. This means that you can choose specific products for a certain customer base. A lot of people love the flexibility that pick and mix offers.
Stock lots: they comprise pre-chosen packages with a broad range of products. Stock lots are improved variations of Pick and Mix since they are more affordable and come with higher extra discounts. For a retailer, this is an important aspect in leading to better returns.
Competitive prices: Styliafoe understands that pricing is important in attracting and retaining customers. Even though the clothes are usually luxurious, they are still affordable to ensure that you get a good profit margin as a retailer.
Easy ordering and access to the latest clothing: its website has a simplified design that enhances ease of use. Besides that, there are well-defined product categories to ensure that you easily get what you are looking for within seconds.
Real-time inventory: this is important in facilitating efficiency and ensuring that you don’t make orders on items that are out of stock.
Special offers and discounts: Styliafoe frequently offers discounts as well as item sales. This is key in retaining customers.
Fast shipping: well, fast shipping of products is crucial because you definitely want to have these clothes as soon as possible.
Generally, this is a brand that understands the role it plays in the market. As a supplier, Styliafoe knows that there are thousands of other retailers depending on it. So, having a simplified website that’s easy to access, real-time inventory, and fast-shipping are some of the reasons why it stays ahead of the competition. As a boutique owner running an online business, these are some of the features that you should definitely try to implement.
But how can you efficiently run an online clothing boutique? Well, once you have found the right supplier, then it’s time to go ahead and redesign your online boutique business. That next steps are solely based on your personal preferences.
Build a Responsive Online Boutique Store
If you want to succeed in e-commerce, then you need to have a highly responsive website. Some of the best platforms that you can use to do this include:
Shopify
WordPress
Woo Commerce and
Magento
Because you will be selling stuff that’s related to the fashion industry, Shopify seems to be the best alternative. However, you can still use the other options depending on your needs.
Create Your Own Terms and Conditions
Just like a physical outlet, creating your business terms and conditions will help you significantly. These are the rules and policies that your customers need to adhere to. Although not everyone is going to read this, it may come in handy when you have to deal with legal issues. Your terms and conditions should cover basic aspects such as:
Clothing Shipping
As an online boutique, you are definitely going to ship your products to customers. That means you have to depend on a shipper. The terms on this page or section should indicate how long products take to be shipped. This is important and helps to minimize the possibility of complaints.
Note: you should also state some of the reasons that could lead to shipping delays and what should happen in that case. Don’t forget to highlight the shipping costs. Lastly, indicate the areas where you don’t ship to.
Returns and Refunds
The main issue with online shopping is that customers can’t physically fit or test and items. If you are not careful, you will end up dealing with hundreds of product returns if not refunds. This will definitely be bad for your business. Additionally, some items can’t be returned, for instance, undergarments.
Have rules that highlight the eligibility of product refunds. In the case of shipments, who is required to pay for the return costs and under what timeline?
Always make sure that you put the returns and refunds details in a visibility place. For example, these details should be available before shipping to ensure that the customer reads and fully understand them.
Customize Your Site
What site eCommerce platforms apart is their uniqueness. You are more likely to attract new customers if your site is attractive and easily navigable. So, to customize your site, make sure that you effectively list all of your products. But how should you go about this?
Clothing Description
Make sure that you effectively describe every product in the batch. Although this sounds like a boring and demanding task, it can easily result in a big difference. Research on SEO and eCommerce indicates that those sites that normally have product descriptions tend to rank higher on search engines. In fact, product descriptions are the primary SEO drivers!
If you fail to do this, then chances are that your clothing items may fall to show up in search engine results. Because you are dealing with clothes, the product description should include things such as:
Size
Colour
Gender/sex
Type e.g. skirt, trousers, pants, etc.
Material e.g. cotton, silk
Note: it’s said that almost 20% of e-commerce businesses fail to pick up because they normally lack product descriptions. So, make sure that you add a keyword related to the cloth.
Clothing Display
You have the name and every other detail played out. So, next is the visual representation of the product. Remember that your customers can’t physically touch or wear these items. The best that you could do is to give them a clear display involving various close up photos as well as photos taken at a distance.
Alternatively, you can also use a model to give the potential buyers a better visual impression. This way, they will purchase the cloth after making a comprehensive analysis based on the description and the photos. This is also important in minimizing the chances of refunds and returns.
Note: when taking the photos, avoid using filters or anything that may alter the color or appearance of the cloth in general. Your pictures should effectively showcase the front, back, and sides. If there are styling options, make sure that you highlight them as well. So, you might need to slightly upgrade your photography skills while you are doing this business.
Navigation and Accessibility
There is nothing as frustrating as trying to access a site that’s difficult to navigate. You can click on the next product because the menus and dropdowns are poorly arranged. This is why simplicity in design matters.
The menu bar should be clear and highlight all the product categories. The dropdowns should be functional while the up, down, or side navigation should be functional. It doesn’t matter how big your clothing catalog is, everything should be simple in order to enhance ease of use.
Did you know that over 50% of online shoppers tend to abandon their shopping carts if the navigation is too overwhelming? Poor website experience and online retail outlets absolutely don’t mix
Checkout and Payment
This is where you are bound to make the real money. So, your checkout needs to be sleek. It should be easy and versatile as possible in order to allow shoppers to finish their transactions easily. If the checkout process is complicated or not flexible, then you are going to lose out a lot.
Take a look at this, if you are shipping locally, make sure that you implement multiple local payment options. On the other hand, international shipping needs to have multiple international payment options. Flexibility in payment is important because different customers have different accounts.
Some of the payment and checkout tips that you can implement include:
- Having a “guest” option for checkout. There are those one-time buyers who are sure that they don’t need to create an account.
- There should be auto-fill form options. For instance, your site should be able to take details such as physical addresses, contacts, and credit card information from a site such as Chrome.
- Ensure that there are multiple payment options including the most popular ones such as Credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal.
Implement a Search Option
Customers want tools or features that can help them access information easily and quickly. The easiest way to do this is to implement a search button.
This way, your customers will have a smooth experience when searching for the items they want. Understand that there are many e-commerce sites designed for an online boutique. However, most of these businesses usually forget about their website functionality and simply focus on the marketing aspect.
Market Your Boutique
Is everything arranged correctly? Is your website functioning without glitches? Good. Now it’s time to market your site in order to reach a wider target audience. To effectively market your boutique, you have to understand your target market. Like who are they, where are they mainly located? What’s their income range? What’s their gender and age?
Understand that there is a direct correlation between the target audience and the language you choose to describe your items. Most teens and those in the early twenties would prefer skimpy clothes compared to older adults. So, the language of use will definitely be different.
The most effective marketing tools that can help to easily get your business off the ground include:
Email marketing
It’s currently considered the best type of marketing tool for e-commerce. It solely provides the best way to target a broader target audience. Besides that, it’s straightforward and usually delivers a greater value.
Research studies indicate that for every dollar that you spend on email marketing, you are likely to get a whopping average of $42. This is a significant amount that any type of marketing is yet to establish.
Just make sure that you have a good mailing list. With an email, you can always introduce your customers to new clothes in time. Additionally, your email subscribers are likely to get and open these emails, especially if there are sales or clothing discounts.
Make sure that you diversify your mailing list. It shouldn’t be about sales and promotions. For instance, you can have an email segment designed to alert customers regarding abandoned carts, products that are low in stock, etc.
These are important components that would definitely lead to better returns. You can also share online shopping tips or the introduction of new services, new shipping locations, and many other things.
Social Media Marketing
Currently, it’s impossible to deny the power of social media. Literally, every big clothing brand has a social media page, especially Instagram. Generally, social media marketing is now considered an important aspect of marketing.
You can use it to launch your new boutique, offer discounts, and other relevant promotions. The best thing about social platforms is that now you can promote your content. Besides that, you can share and even use hashtags to reach a wider audience. The goal of using social media is to amass a large number of fans or friends who will turn into customers.
Best Practices for Your Online Boutique
Running an online clothing store can be challenging but if you can prioritize the essentials, then you will end up with good returns. Some of the best practices that the top clothing retailers in the e-commerce sector employ include:
A wide range of products: this gives your customers multiple options to choose from. Remember that versatility gives customers product flexibility that they need because every customer has their own unique needs and preferences.
Engaging website design: The appearance and functionality of a website matter a lot. If you’re poor site, then this is going to cost you a lot. The moment your customers have problems accessing your site or they keep giving you negative feedback, then you will end up losing them. So, ensure that your website is simple, attractive, and customized.
Create Simple and Well-Designed Menus: Simple menus are usually the best in leading to better conversion rates. Ensure that you create a menu that focuses on the key aspects of your website. This will end up resulting in a better customer experience. Remember that a better customer experience will result in better returns.
Consider SEO: Your business is definitely online and, therefore, you need to focus on Search Engine Optimization. This will lead to better traffic by ensuring that online shoppers can find your website through search engine results.
Generally, your clothing descriptions as well as your home page details should focus on optimizing SEO. Use phrases as well as keywords that effectively align with your branding as well as products.
Keep up with the latest trends: trendy outfits will also sell. Understand that fashion is usually dynamic and it constantly changes every time. You should dedicate your time to consistently looking for the latest trends in the fashion industry.
Be ready to adjust your prices frequently: just like any other industry, the fashion industry also has peak and low seasons. During holidays, make sure that you give out discounts. Promote your brand as much as you can and have sales whenever you can.
Have a large product inventory: Keeping a large inventory is good because it helps to ensure that there is no supply deficit in case the demand is high. A large inventory means that you might remain with a huge stock if you don’t make the sales quickly which is ideal in the long-run.
So, Are You Ready to Start Your Online Clothing Boutique?
There are a lot of factors that will contribute to the successful running of your online boutique. Your business acumen is what will make you stand out from your competitors. Besides that, your website design as well as your clothing selection are critical. You have to feed your target audience what you think they could be searching for. So, make sure that you do extensive research and always keep up to date with the current market trends.
Don’t forget that you should always buy your wholesale products from verified suppliers. They are the safest sources that you can always depend on.
