Take a quick look into any store and the shiny, pretty, baubles displayed in counters are something that everyone wants to have. Male and female fashion ranges change every year and popular stars like Kim Kardashian, Emma Stone, etc heartily believe in wearing the most trendy fashions possible in the latest styles. This has given rise to a whole industry that recreates Hollywood or celebrity fashion and bling in affordable price ranges. Fashion stores and online websites now follow stars and trends quite closely and the general public can find hot styles in almost any price range. According to industry watchers, the online fashion market has increased by almost 70 percent in the last decade and there is a huge demand for costume jewelry, designer knock-offs and even trendy handmade fashion accessories. As a result, if you are an upcoming fashion designer or a person interested in starting a fashion line; now is the time to go online and go global.
Setting Up Your Own Fashion Line
As a fashion designer, you know that your designs are unique and beautiful but putting your own fashion line in retail stores can be a continuous struggle. Local retailers may not want to store your clothing and it may take a long time for your items to catch public attention.
The best way to gain popularity and create a niche for yourself is by setting up your own website. Customers buy more than 20 billion garments and more than ¼ of these sales are online. As a result, with the right website, marketing, and hype, you can create a very popular and successful niche for yourself online. Keeping this in mind, here are a few things you should know while planning your own website.
Determine Your Market – As a fashion designer, you might already be designing for a particular market. However, consider your online market. Thousands of customers browse the online market for clothes and there is a very good chance that you will get customers from all age groups and from all over the world. Instead of limiting your designs to one niche, why not display products that will appeal to a universal market and bring in more customers. Of course, if you want to specialize in a unique market like children’s baptism clothing, then you can do so as there is a demand for this and you will get business.
Study Your Competitor – Before you even set up your website, take a careful look at the other websites online. There will always be two or three websites popular with specific age groups. For example, Anthropologie appeals to women in the 18-30 age groups, while Chanel appeals to everyone. However, these websites have streamlined their websites to appeal to these age groups. In fact, they may also have specific pricing and products to appeal to these age groups. As a result, it’s a good idea to review as many competitor websites as possible, note down important features and ask your website designer to incorporate these features in your website.
Dazzle with Descriptions and Product Photography – Now that you have decided on market and designs, you have to photograph your designs and create beautiful descriptions for your products. You are really the best person to describe your designs. If you aren’t verbose, hire a professional writer to convert your thoughts and opinions into wonderful prose. A professional photographer would also be a great idea as they can create one-of-a-kind photographs and videos for your website.
Hire a Professional – If you want a beautiful website, hire a professional to do the job. Most website developers are just itching to use the best technology on your website and they will hop to it if you give them the nod. Just make sure that the tech does not overtake the clothing and designs.
Use Social Media – Social media is a great way to promote your designs online and to real time people. For example, you can use Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest to create awareness about your designs, and your website. This kind of pre-publicity and publicity can really make a difference when your website finally goes online.
In the end, it all comes down to hard work and effort. The year 2012 was a year of record online sales in America and the demand has only increased exponentially says Polygon.
In fact, buyers have become bolder and they are more than willing to buy expensive haute couture online. The demand for beautiful high-end fashion is there and buyers are more than willing to try out new designers and innovative accessories. Just make sure that your website displays your designs clearly and promote your website online and in realtime for maximum sales. The rest will happen by itself.
