10 Online Fashion Store Mistakes to Avoid

Running an online clothing store can be daunting. Here are the top 10 online fashion store mistakes to avoid so that you won't have a wardrobe malfunction.

Are you considering opening an online fashion store? 

With rising rents and the growing costs of operating a storefront, many entrepreneurs are choosing to delve into the world of online sales. While there are countless benefits to opening an online shop, it's incredibly different from operating your standard storefront. 

If you want to learn more about running an online business, you're going to want to read this. We're outing the ten most common online fashion store mistakes. From underpricing your products and doing everything yourself to failing to offer inclusive sizing and promoting diversity, we cover it all. 

1. Doing Everything Yourself 

First and foremost, you want to ensure that you're not responsible for each and every avenue of your online business. 

When you're responsible for every segment of your business, certain things are going to fall through the cracks.

Instead, stick to what you know best and avoid the things that you're not yet good at. If you've never had any experience in marketing, look into hiring someone to conduct your marketing for you. While this may seem costly, it's well worth having a professional handle this important aspect of your business. 

2. Underpricing Your Products 

We're going to put this simply: resist the urge to underprice your products! 

Far too often, independent shops feel the need to compete with major retailers. These big-box stores have the unique ability to price their products below the average ticket price. As an independent retailer, it's rare to have to opportunity to underprice our products. 

Make your clientele believe in your product and therefore believe in the pricing. Be upfront in why the product costs what it does and why the cost is worth it. At the end of the day, you have to ensure that you're generating a positive cash flow. 

3. Not Offering Inclusive Sizing 

In this day and age, far too many fashion companies are failing to offer a variety of sizing. 

As the body positivity movement continues to progress, it's more important than ever before to offer inclusive sizing. Not only will this give your company a better reputation and sense of morale, but your clientele will genuinely want to support your business model. 

When selling apparel, you may want to consider adding more inclusive sizing. This entails offering products that go beyond a women's size 12. After all, let's consider that the average American woman is between a size 14 and 16. 

4. Failing to Send a Follow-Up Email 

One of the most important aspects of running a business is staying in touch with your clientele. 

Today, email marketing dominates as consumers are far more likely to respond to emails than phone calls. In fact, one study found that email marketing has a two times higher return than cold calling. 

Don't hesitate to send follow-up emails to your clients. This could be anything from reminding your customers of the items in their wishlist to sending a follow-up discount code after purchase. 

5. Having No Social Media Links 

When creating your website, be sure that you're linking all of your social profiles on your main page. 

In this age and age, social media is essential to the success of a business. It also allows business owners to connect with their audience, showcase their brand and conduct affordable marketing. In fact, 44 percent of businesses state that they rely on social media to generate brand awareness. 

In linking your social media profiles, your viewers can easily access your social pages and choose to follow you. The goal is to have your clients follow your business on as many active pages as possible. Be it Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, the more that yours consumers are seeing your products the better. 

6. No Diversity in Models 

If you're using models to showcase your products, it's absolutely essential to consider diversity. 

When selling products online, you're capable of selling to clients all over the world. You're going to want to ensure that you're showcasing a wide variety of diversity in your models.

Show that people in all sizes and from all over the world can wear your product beautifully. 

7. Offering Too Many Products 

Have you ever been on a website and felt overwhelmed in the selection? 

When this happens, it's only natural to exit that website and transition to a different, less intimidating website. When it comes to displaying your product, ensure that you're offering a healthy amount of product without being too overbearing. 

While humans naturally crave selection, there is a point in which large degrees of selection become overwhelming. If your company does offer a large variety of products, be sure that your products are visually well organized. This way, your consumers are less likely to feel overwhelmed when perusing your products. 

8. Complicating the Check-Out Process

If you really want to do your business a favor, do your best to ensure a smooth and simple check-out process. 

Far too often, consumers will have a full cart only to be discouraged when it comes to checking-out. Whether the company is asking for too much personal information or offering minimal payment options, this is only going to hurt your business. 

Be honest with yourself in what you enjoy as a consumer when it comes to online shopping. Don't make it complicated for your clients to purchase items off of your website. The last thing you want your clients to experience when checking out is stress, annoyance or distrust. 

9. Having No Content for Your Audience 

In today's society, content is absolutely king. 

Not only is it a way to connect with your audience, but it's also a great way to generate traffic to your store. In producing blogs, the goal is to catch the attention of readers and then direct them to your website. This is a simple yet effective means of generating organic leads. 

If blogging isn't your forte, don't hesitate to hire an experienced blogger. While this is an added cost, there are a number of freelance writers that offer their services at affordable prices. These bloggers are able to draft reliable and quality content while also using tricks to increase the traffic to your blog. 

10. Not Asking for Feedback 

When it comes to running a business, the only way to get better is to open yourself to honest and constructive feedback. 

Even when this feedback is negative, it's helpful to be aware of the issues that your clients are experiencing. Once you become aware of this issue, you can look into the steps that are necessary to correct this issue. 

The good news is that asking for feedback is simple. Be sure to include a feedback button on your website and clearly display your contact details. From the perspective of the consumer, it's always a positive touch to know that a business cares about what their consumers think. 

Online Fashion Store Mistakes 

While it's easy to dream of operating a business from home, operating an online store isn't all fun and games.

But, with the right mindset, products and knowledge, opening an online store just might be perfect for you. Now that you're familiar with these online fashion store mistakes, it's time to make your dream a reality! 

Are you still feeling unsure as to whether the online world is right for you? If so, don't hesitate to read this blog post that further discusses what it takes to run an online store.