Taking your garment decoration
business online is now more important than ever before for your business. A
large proportion of garment decorators are traditionalists in nature focusing
purely on their love of print & embroidery, relying on word of mouth and
repeat orders for success with little regard for their online success.
But now with the growth of online
businesses, consumers have more options than ever before online and are not
afraid to shop around. Customers are looking for alternatives, convenience and
importantly the best prices! The million dollar question is where on earth do I begin?
There are a number of options out
there to help take your business online, it is all about picking the right
option for your business, your target customer base and lastly your budget -
you don’t need to throw your hard earned cash at going online!
You want your online business to
be a reflection of you, your personality and become an extension of your
in-store business. Starting out it sounds daunting but it is manageable if you
simplify it.
Keeping it simple
Start off small, unless your tech
savvy focus on the basics. Your garment decoration businesses site needs to
look professional, smart, modern and not like something put together in a
slap-dash manner. Give your customers a high quality user experience, a site
that is easy to use, one that communicates your businesses key selling points and
promotes your core products/services.
Importantly, your site should be
something that you are comfortable using… you need to be able to understand,
your site & what it offers. For example, you can offer online buying, but
do you know how it works behind the scenes? E-Commerce is a whole different
world in itself, so do your research, seek advice and familiarise yourself
before dipping your toes into the online pool.
What options are available?
There are a host of options out there and different routes – but it all boils down to your budget & what you want from going online. If you merely want an online presence then a simple site should do the trick something visually pleasing, basic, and cost effective but limited functionality.
But if you are serious about the online game, there are businesses out there that offer online web solutions specific to the industry (ourselves included!) These solutions are geared towards garment decorators who know what they are after and willing to invest a little in online success.
To sell or not to sell?
There are a number of brochure sites (sites that don’t sell online) & e-commerce options available, just do your research, visit trade shows, have live demos and get to know the options before making the best informed choice for your business.
Brochure sites are a low cost way of getting an entry level site for your business online, you can create these yourself using various software Shopify, WordPress etc. Creating these can be time-consuming but often a money saver, the downfall of these is they often look homemade and you get what you pay for. For a more professional alternative, there are businesses out there like ourselves offering both brochure & e-commerce sites for garment decorators.
E-Commerce gives businesses the chance to sell online but if often a mine-field, there are a number of options out there for your business to consider, Sagepay, Paypal, Stripe and many more, picking the right package is important for your business, check out their offerings, transaction rates and make sure it all adds up.
It is all about picking a site that works for you & your business and that you are comfortable with. Simply do your research and understand what your options are.
One last thought
You are running a business, do you have time to manage a site? Or create one from scratch? There are options out there for your business, your site can be managed for you by the ‘experts’ so you just sit back, relax and take care of the orders!
Want help or don't know where to begin?
Find out how we help garment decorators with their websites. Our team can offer expert advise and arrange a consultation for your business.
We also run an online demo highlight how we can help, to book yours email info@etraderwebsites.co.uk or call 029 2074 1663
