In today's digital era, having an online presence is crucial for resale fashion businesses of all sizes. Creating your e-shop allows you to reach a global audience, increase your brand visibility, and tap into the vast potential of e-commerce. However, starting an e-shop can be overwhelming if you're unsure of where to begin. In this article, we will guide you through the essential first steps and provide valuable tips to help you set up your e-shop for success.
Before diving into the technical aspects, it's important to clarify your e-shop's purpose and target audience. Ask yourself: What products or services will you offer? Who is your ideal customer? Understanding your goals and target audience will shape your product selection, branding and marketing strategies.
Selecting the right e-commerce platform is crucial for the success of your online store. Consider factors such as ease of use, scalability, customization options, available features, and pricing. Popular platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce offer user-friendly interfaces, robust features, and extensive support to help you build and manage your e-shop efficiently.
Your e-shop's design plays a significant role in attracting and engaging customers. Choose a clean, professional, and user-friendly design that aligns with your brand identity. Use high-quality product images, clear descriptions, and an intuitive navigation system to enhance the user experience. Mobile responsiveness is also vital since a significant portion of online shopping is done on smartphones and tablets.
Managing a resale business comes with the complexity of dealing with unique items that require specific fields to be filled in, such as product condition. Most website builders, such as WooCommerce or Shopify, are designed for first-hand fashion and don't include options for secondhand catalogs. However, this is not an issue for setting up your secondhand catalog! For instance, Shopify has a very good option called "Metafields" that enables you to add new fields. You can add as many Product Metafields as you want, allowing you to add new fields such as "Product Condition," "Vintage" status, or anything that makes sense for your business. We always advise resellers to use Metafields to fill in categories, sub-categories, colors, materials, size, condition, etc. You can use these Metafields for filters on your e-shop, which will help improve the shopping experience.
You can read all about Metafields here.
Providing a secure and seamless checkout experience is essential to build trust with your customers. Choose reliable and trusted payment gateways that offer encryption, fraud detection, and multiple payment options. Popular choices include PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net. Displaying trust badges and SSL certificates will further reassure customers about the safety of their transactions.
To increase your e-shop's visibility in search engines, optimize your product listings for search engine optimization (SEO). Conduct keyword research to identify relevant search terms and incorporate them naturally into your product titles, descriptions, and meta tags. Additionally, provide unique and compelling content to enhance your product pages and drive organic traffic to your e-shop.
Promoting your e-shop is crucial for attracting customers and driving sales. Leverage social media platforms, email marketing, content marketing, and influencer collaborations to increase brand awareness and reach your target audience. Offer special promotions, discounts, and loyalty programs to encourage repeat purchases and customer loyalty.
Delivering exceptional customer service is vital for building a loyal customer base. Offer various support channels, such as live chat, email, and phone support, to address customer queries and concerns promptly. Personalize customer interactions, provide accurate order updates, and offer hassle-free returns and exchanges to enhance customer satisfaction.
Regularly monitor and analyze your e-shop's performance using analytics tools like Google Analytics. Track key metrics such as traffic, conversion rates, average order value, and customer behavior to gain insights into your customers' preferences and optimize your marketing efforts accordingly. Continuously seek feedback from customers and adapt your strategies to improve their shopping experience.
If you have already set up your catalog on your website, you may be looking for ways to increase your customer base. One effective method is to sell across multiple marketplaces. This can significantly boost your sales and visibility. There are many marketplaces to choose from, such as Vestiaire Collective, Vinted, Rebelle, The Vintage Bar, and Depop. Multilisting on these platforms has numerous benefits, including increased website traffic. We have outlined all the advantages of cross-posting in this article.
Read here: 7 Benefits of Multi-Channels Selling for Fashion Resale Businesses
To make it easy for you to expand your reach, without having to copy and paste your product pages to each marketplace, there are solutions available that automate the listing process. At Oly, we have developed a tool that synchronizes your online catalog from your website to various marketplaces with just a few clicks. You only need to list your items once on your website, and we will take care of the rest. Our objective is to help you save time, sell more, and sell faster!
Creating your e-shop is an exciting endeavor that requires careful planning and execution. Once you have followed these steps and established a successful online store, Oly will help you sell your products across multiple channels with just a click!
To understand how Oly works, read our article on ‘Connecting your Shopify to resale marketplaces’ (clicking on title takes you to article). Remember, continuous improvement and adapting to changing market trends are key to long-term success in the e-commerce landscape. Good luck with your e-shop venture!
If you need help with setting up Shopify for your resale business, you can contact us: hello@oly-platform.com
