How to Set Your Products Apart Online

Selling custom apparel a few pieces at a time will no doubt bring you joy, but what if your aim is to turn that passion into a business with a following and sustainable profits? Adding fresh designs to your Spreadshirt store is just the beginning.

You’ll want to develop a distinct website that highlights your brand, your story, and your designs in a fully-functioning eCommerce website. Because the more places you put your products—especially places where you can control the message to your ideal buyer—the more likely it is that you’ll sell enough to make a real living.

1. Begin with a clean design

Think about the websites you visit most often. Are they so jam-packed with text that it’s tough to click through to what you really want to see? No, of course not. A clean design uses white space strategically to gently guide visitors to seek more, whether it’s advice via a blog, research in a FAQ, or a link to your Spreadshirt store.

Say you’ve been designing kids’ clothing, and you know from prior sales that parents of kids 6-13 are most likely to buy when doing school shopping. Designing your website to include an obvious and easy-to-get-to “back-to-school specials” tab should encourage clicks and sales.

2. Write high-quality content

Your website needn’t be copy-heavy, but the copy you do have should be top notch. Let’s return to the back-to-school example: that same tab may include a mix of links to your store while leading with a blog post about maximizing savings when shopping for the new school year. Engaging content develops an audience of readers who, over time, could very well become customers.

3. Use unique visuals

This won’t be hard for most of you, since so many who use Spreadshirt are artists and designers looking to share their ideas. Unique images are likely to be part of that effort. But how? What can you use to engage readers and get them trying and buying your products?

Returning to the back-to-school example: posting your best illustrations for back-to-school products and then writing a blog post about your process — from concept to finished drawing and print — could help endear you to fellow artists and give your customers a better sense of who it is they’re buying from.

4. Be yourself, always

Buyers actually want to know you. They want to know why you make what you make, what you’ll make next, what drives your creations, and what you care about. The greater the connection, the better the odds you’ll find customers who keep coming back for more. So, don’t hold back. Write like you speak, and use designs and images that reflect who you are and the personal aspirations you have for your business.

Big brands stand out online because they’re distinctive. Help your business stand out with a clean, well-thought out website design that naturally leads visitors to your products. Mix in engaging content, unique images, and an unmistakably genuine look and feel to reel in customers — because the more they explore, the more profit you’re likely to make.

Get started with your eCommerce website now

MEET THE AUTHOR
Adam Tanguay is responsible for SEO, Content and Organic Growth at Weebly, an intuitive and powerful website builder used by businesses and entrepreneurs around the world.