Your own custom t-shirt store… Sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it? What if we told you that now, anybody can launch a t-shirt store online and cash in? You don’t require product knowledge or special technology to get started — you just need the right tools at your fingertips that can automate the entire process.

Here at Sellvia, you will find all the right tools to build your custom t-shirt store and pop out in the world of ecommerce!

Let’s start with the obvious: t-shirts are an essential part of everyone’s wardrobe. People simply love t-shirts in all their shapes and sizes. They can make your outfit whole, help you send a message, or simply showcase your love for something. On top of that, they can be a representation of our unique personalities, our interests, and tastes.

It’s because of this that selling t-shirts online is a very popular choice. If you’re really looking for an inexpensive way to learn to start a business, starting your own t-shirt store is undoubtedly the way to go.

Did you know that the global t-shirt market amounts to over $43 billion in 2022? Whereas the global custom t-shirt market was estimated at $3.9 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $4.3 billion in 2022. 

Of course, being such a popular product choice, you’re inevitably going to face some stiff competition. However, when you manage to create a brand targeting a specific audience of people and create great t-shirt designs, you will certainly find your own success.

So, where should you start?

Find a target audience for your t-shirt store

The most important thing in starting a custom t-shirt store is to find the right audience who will purchase your products.

A successful online store is determined by its ability to stand out from the crowd and cater to a specific niche audience of people.

Chasing everyone will get you nowhere. You will simply lose your time (and probably money) trying to sell to everyone at once. If your niche is too broad, then you’re targeting nobody. So, all you need to do is narrow down your audience of potential customers.

Start by defining your interests and passions. This way, you’ll be able to better understand the specifics of the niche and the potential customers. Moreover, you’ll get an idea of trigger points that will catch the attention of your target audience allowing you to generate product ideas for this audience.

Don’t forget to consider what “problems” you can fix with your products. This way you create a need for the product. Will your t-shirt translate a message, make someone feel as a part of the community, or help express themselves?

Don’t be afraid to invest your time into the research aspect of this. Look at the statistics, consider the current and possible future trends. Look at your potential competitors to get a better idea of how you could position yourself in the market. When you gather all this information, you’ll be able to find a gap in the market for your products.

Want to know something else? By partnering with Sellvia, you let us take care of all of this tasks! That’s right, we’ll find what your customers are looking for and what they want exactly. Moreover, you’ll be able to get a free online store packed with your products under your own brand!

Create the t-shirt design

Now’s the time to come up with your own unique design. For a successful online store, great designs are essential. If you already have a great design, you’re already a step ahead of the competition. Your uniquely designed products will act as a strong foundation for your store’s success.

Great products are much easier to market, so don’t be afraid to be creative here and think outside the box. Here are some tips to find a great design:

• Be creative 

Sounds simple, but it really doesn’t have to be complicated. Don’t be afraid to embrace your inner artist. Get some pens or pencils out and throw your ideas onto the paper. Don’t know where to start? There are a lot of YouTube tutorials that will help you create great designs in no time.

Once you have an idea, get creative with the patterns, textures, colors, etc.

• Be original 

For some it can be one of the hardest parts, while for others it will be the opposite. Sometimes, creating something new can be difficult to actually make it new.

For inspiration you can look at other brands to help you get started and stay on-trend.

But don’t just copy and paste! It’s important to put your own mark on the designs and create a more unique product. This will help build a more loyal customer base, set you apart from the competition, instead of selling one-off orders.

• Experiment 

Never be afraid to experiment! You might get it wrong, of course, but that shouldn’t worry you. Here, it’s important to build your confidence and understand what works and what doesn’t.

• Find your style

Not everyone has the natural ability to make something creative. Still, that shouldn’t stop you from finding your unique sense of style.

Build something that connects your designs together. It can be something as simple as white on black writing, or a unique font you’ll use across all the shirts, or simple abstract patterns. Whatever it may be, there should be your individual mark that connects them together and associates them with your brand.

If you want to become a pro in what you’re doing to win over the market, it’s essential to dig into the details of this idea. Nevertheless, dealing with Sellvia, you can leave all the heavy lifting to us. We will turn your idea into reality to win over the hearts of the customers. We’ll make sure to provide you with the best design and high-quality production. On top of that, we provide some of the best quality products in the industry!

Create a custom t-shirt store

When you’ve estimated your target audience, established your t-shirt designs it’s time to create your custom t-shirt store.

Having an online store is crucial for this type of business.

This where you can utilize Sellvia’s services to the fullest to create your dream t-shirt store.

We will take on the responsibility for printing your t-shirt designs and shipping them upon your request under your brand.

Best of all, there’s no need to purchase or hold inventory upfront, making it the perfect opportunity to get started. But that’s not all: if you want to use your designs on other products, such as mugs, bags, pillows, or anything else that’s printable, you have that option to do so as well! 

With our Premium Products service, we will not get the items printed on until your customer puts in an order request. This allows printing of single or small quantities at incredibly affordable prices!

That’s not all! Along with a customer online store, you’ll get a few more beneficial features. Apart from creating stunning designs, our specialists will help pick the right brand concept. You will get advice in picking the right niche, choose what prints to design – all to make your dreams and revenue goals come true.

Furthermore, all the products come with a compelling description we make for you. All so that no online shopper will leave your custom t-shirt store without a purchase!

To top it all off, every item that we develop for you will come with ready stellar media files. We will make sure that the images show the products in the best angles.

Thus, you get everything you need to start promoting your custom t-shirt store, selling your products, without having to purchase anything upfront, and counting your profits!

How to get your first t-shirt sale

• Set up an online presence 

Once your custom t-shirt store is up and running, you need to start thinking about how you’re going to market your products.

This is where knowing your target audience is crucial, as this will ensure that you are present on the right platforms for your audience to find your products easily.

Different audiences prefer to use different platforms, forums and groups. And this will help you estimate your marketing strategy more effectively.

Once you have an understanding of where your audience prefers to spend their time online, and who your competitors are, you can start building your online presence on those platforms.

• Roundup reviews and social proof 

Don’t forget that you’re going to be selling products online. This means that online consumers only have a limited number of resources to assess the item. They can’t feel or touch it. All they have is your word, a few media files showcasing the product, and a description.

This is where reviews can come in handy. Social proof plays an important role in this niche, thus, reach out to customers to review your product online.

For online consumers, it’s important to know what they’re getting for their money when purchasing online. And knowing what real people have to say about your products can influence their purchasing decisions.

• Contact social media influencers

Another option worth looking into is influencer marketing. An honest opinion from a social media influencer with a large following can help you reach a new audience that you wouldn’t have otherwise.

To use this marketing strategy effectively, you need to have a clear idea of what you’re looking to achieve, find relevant influencers, and agree on a collaboration.

• Implement search engine optimisation (SEO) 

Want your online store to rank higher in the search results so that people find your website easier? This is where SEO comes in.

SEO is your best friend when it comes to building a new t-shirt store. Here are a few tips to start with:

• Use keywords in headings, copy, and image file names
• Write descriptive alt text for images
• Link to other pages on your website
• Start a blog
• Use SSL security (comes built-in to your builder)

There’s so much more to know, but this can help you greatly at the start.

Want to find out more about how to start your online store and promote it? Book a call with our business advisors! They will help you understand and get started quickly.

Pro tips for running your t-shirt store

• The “I don’t know where to start” excuse

One of the worst possible excuses out there. It’s the twenty-first century and there are so many opportunities to create your own online business.

Perhaps this is because it can be overwhelming a bit at first, or you can be overthinking things. It’s understandable, since you’re jumping into a whole new world of ecommerce. It can seem like a lot. However, you know what they say, great things come from small beginnings.

Why should that stop you?

If you never try, you’ll never know if you’re good at something. Even more so, you have a free opportunity to create your own business and change your life for the better. You’re literally not risking anything! So, why not try it?

• Don’t be afraid to screw up 

The important thing to do is to always keep on pushing through. Even if you fail at first, try and try again!

You learn something new every day, so from your failures you can gain valuable experience that no one else can teach.

Of course, it can be hard to take, simply take it as a learning experience and move on to greater things.

• Don’t try to be perfect

This somewhat ties to the previous tip. Trying to make something perfect is great, especially if you push yourself to the very limit of your capabilities. However, it’s also risky since you can simply burn out.

Trying to be perfect can kill your dream before it even begins.

Not everything will go your way, so you have to be prepared for that.

Always try your best, and we’ll be right beside to help and consult you in situations where you need it.

• Become obsessed with the idea

People who are crazy about their ideas and goals usually are the ones who achieve great things in this world. They think about their ideas from the time they wake up till the moment they go to bed.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that you should go crazy, rather, that your thoughts should be about how to launch and successfully grow your endeavor.

In the case of your own custom t-shirt store, you should be doing things like researching ideas, reading conversations in Facebook groups to learn, ask questions, design shirts, set up ads, monitor currents ads, tweak ads, and the list goes on.

Whatever you choose to do, go all in if you want to see results. Don’t go halfway. The work you put in will determine the results you get out of it. If you put mediocre work into it, you’ll get mediocre results.

Become an owner of a custom t-shirt store: Conclusion

It’s never been easier to express your creativity and start selling t-shirts online.

Hopefully, now you know exactly how to launch your custom t-shirt store and share your vision with the world.

Whatever kind of t-shirts you decide to sell in your store, with Sellvia it’s going to be even smoother and easier. You’ll get every tool and the support you need to create a custom t-shirt store of your dreams.

So, why wait? Go get your risk-free chance to build a venture that will allow you to live the life you’ve always dreamed of. Want to find out more? Book a meeting with our business advisors and they will explain everything you need to know and guide you to starting an online business and making profits!