Finally Launched!

[businessbaybee]

Hey everyone! Last night I FINALLY launched my online clothing store after working on it since early February 2017. I am super excited and relieved! It has been pretty challenging finding time to work on everything with my full time job.

Anyway, I do know that I have a great looking site and product, but I am just so nervous about the marketing aspect. I have no real idea on how to get sales, except maybe Facebook and instagram ads. So at the moment I have zero sales, but I haven't started Facebook ads yet.

I feel like this is the hardest part for me right now. Creating everything was really fun, but now I am scared that this won't go as well as I hope it will.

I think my next steps are building up all my social media, and just working on improving it everyday.

Wish me luck! Thanks for reading!

 

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[businessbaybee]

Congrats! What's your value add/usp?


Also, could you link the url?

I design graphic tees, and other products that are colorful, funny, and geared towards young women. I see a lot of graphic tee companies, but I haven't seen one that was super feminine. Hopefully that is enough value for a sale.

Not sure if it's against the rules, but sure, it's www.pastelqueen.com don't be too hard on me

 

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[AgainstAllOdds]

Anyway, I do know that I have a great looking site and product, but I am just so nervous about the marketing aspect. I have no real idea on how to get sales, except maybe Facebook and instagram ads. So at the moment I have zero sales, but I haven't started Facebook ads yet.

I feel like this is the hardest part for me right now.

Sales is the hardest part period. Not just now, but always.

It's also the most important part.

Great Product + Poor Sales Strategy = Failure
Poor Product + Great Sales Strategy = Success

You have a Great Product. Now you have to figure out how to create a Great Sales Strategy. You're 5% of the way there. A lot of people think it's 50% product and 50% sales, but it's not. With a commoditized product like clothing, it's at least 95% sales. And I'm not saying this to discourage you, but to make you aware of how much work is ahead of you so that you don't get discouraged when you don't have instant success.

There are people on this forum that have successfully built clothing brands. @Vick comes to mind. He isn't clothing per se, but sunglasses. However, you can learn a lot from his progress thread (it might be on the inside). I'm sure there's other threads on here too.

At this point, you need to start testing different marketing/sales strategies and figure out which one you're best at and which one gets the most traction. Some strategies off the top of my head:

• Influencer marketing
• Social media organic growth
• Trade shows
• Creating a lookbook and going after wholesale
• Facebook Ads

There's a ton more, but you just have to pick one and start.

You're in one of the most competitive spaces there is. No barrier to entry. Lots of glamour (hence lots of competition). And lots of money to be made (hence even more competition).

This doesn't mean it's a bad thing, just a lot harder than any other business.

You have an uphill battle. Luckily you have a great looking product so it'll be a bit easier. But still - an uphill battle. You need to prepare yourself, make a plan, and then put in the work to figure things out.

Best of luck.

 

[JAJT]

Currently I work full time as an apparel designer at a large sports company, so when I saw that I can do the same thing without inventory I jumped on it.

It's crazy to hear about how much of my designs sell for the company I work for, I was kind of like, ummm I'd rather have it for myself.

REP++

That's the Fastlane mentality in just 2 damn lines

 

[businessbaybee]

Any sales yet???

Yes, I got an order for $91.00 bucks from The Netherlands a few days ago, she found me on Instagram.

 

[businessbaybee]

Maybe I missed it but are these print on demand designs or do you own inventory?

Print on demand, honestly I was literally in awe that a service like this exists.

Currently I work full time as an apparel designer at a large sports company, so when I saw that I can do the same thing without inventory I jumped on it.

It's crazy to hear about how much of my designs sell for the company I work for, I was kind of like, ummm I'd rather have it for myself.

 

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[ThirtyOne]

I design graphic tees, and other products that are colorful, funny, and geared towards young women. I see a lot of graphic tee companies, but I haven't seen one that was super feminine. Hopefully that is enough value for a sale.

Not sure if it's against the rules, but sure, it's www.pastelqueen.com don't be too hard on me

I landed on your page and immediately thought the brand was unique and visually appealling. Pastel Queen is a great name and I dig the logo. Very cool.

In fact, I think your greatest asset is your Trademark (brand); but it goes under used in your product. I'd tout "Pastel Queen" somewhere on all your merch.

In addition to what you have on your site, I'd offer some "Pastel Queen" only stuff. No fun phrases. Or if there is, let it take a backseat to the brand, instead of what you have now—brand taking backseat to phrase, or not even getting a ride at all.

Your iridescent stuff is the most unique, btw. You might consider using that frequently in your packaging/clothing/online stuff to try to own it via trade dress. This is similar to the way Netflix owns Red in the streaming space or how Coke owns that iconic glass bottle shape they have. They now have power to protect it. Full disclosure: I'm not a lawyer, so you'll have to verify specifics about trade dress with a qualified IP attorney.

 

[Aaron T]

Not sure if it's against the rules, but sure, it's www.pastelqueen.com don't be too hard on me

Wow, while I may not be your target market I am well connected in the J-Fashion world and this is very similar. I know quite a few groups of ladies that would like this so I think you are on the right path. I really like the focus on it.

Since you legit did the hardest part of the whole thing the next step to first sale should come easier. I would personally make a FB Page for it and then start building some social currency + running FB Ads.

PS: The reason I am linked into the J-Fashion world (fascinating in itself) is a long and sordid story best told over a campfire with whiskey.

 

[Waspy]

You have 100% just reached the hardest part. That first sale. Don't get disheartened.

Test, improve, repeat. You will get it.

 

[Philip Marlowe]

Very nice website. I've definitely seen some questionable eCom sites and that one looks good - wouldn't feel concerned at all about buying a product/providing my information there.

Can I ask where you found the models for your pictures? I've heard Model Mayhem is good. I assume those are not generic photos from a supplier but rather a photo shoot you put together with your product?

 

[iizu]

What the hell. That site looks absolutely stunning! Made me want to buy all kinds of pastel things :3

I'd guess facebook ads is the best place to start.

@JasonR has written extensively about advertising and facebook ads. Maybe you should start here:
GOLD - Jason's How to Build Wealth & Golden Nuggets

He also has a INSIDERS call about FB-marketing. But that is on the inside..

Then there is @eliquid and his great thread:
GOLD - Paid Advertising Crash Course

Good luck!

 

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[businessbaybee]

@businessbaybee Hello, congrats for your brand and your launch !
I'm also trying to launch a brand !

If it does not bother you, I'll have 2 questions and would love to get some advices:
- From which plateform you created your website ? In fact it looks amazing and would like to use the same kind of website, with a different theme for sure.
- Do you use a local clothes supplier / printer or a chinese supplier / printer ? If it's not too curious to ask...

If ever, thanks for taking the time and hope you'll succeed !
Alessio.

Thank you very much!

I am using shopify it does however have monthly fees, especially for apps. But there's a lot of them like woo commerce, big commerce, big cartel, squarespace etc... I would research each and see which is best for you.

I design everything myself....I wrote about who prints my stuff on the first page.

 

[businessbaybee]

Hey guys, little update –

I have been pretty busy at work so I haven't been working on it as much as I should be. I have been averaging one sale a week, which is ok I guess, and my traffic is pretty abysmal. I did completely stop Facebook ads as I felt like it wasn't right for my store. I may go back to it in the future, when I get enough traffic for my Facebook pixel to work.

I have just really been focusing on growing my social media. I am trying to get my Facebook and Instagram followers and engagement up. Right now I'm at almost 1400 Instagram followers and 6000 Facebook followers. My goal is to get 3000 Instagram followers and 200 likes or so per post by Christmas. I am also in the process of adding many more collections such as Christmas shirts, workout shirts, etc..

I get a lot of instagram direct messages and emails from fans of my brand wanting to model, design or be an affiliate. So this weekend, I am going to come up with an affiliate program, and hopefully then I will start to get enough traffic for conversions.

I'm excited to get to working on it more, especially since black friday and the holiday season is coming up! I will continue to update my journey probably every month or two. Thanks for reading!! <3

 

[Charnell]

Your branding is on point. As soon as I saw your horror themed merchandise I instantly thought of a girl I know that would be all over it. Perfect for Halloween being right around the corner.

 

[businessbaybee]

Very nice website. I've definitely seen some questionable eCom sites and that one looks good - wouldn't feel concerned at all about buying a product/providing my information there.

Can I ask where you found the models for your pictures? I've heard Model Mayhem is good. I assume those are not generic photos from a supplier but rather a photo shoot you put together with your product?

Awesome, that's great news!

When you say models do you mean for the leggings, or the main photo? The main photo is a purchased commercial stock photo that I edited. And the other photos are mockups from my supplier that have my graphics on them. I don't have any models yet. But I definitely want to do that in the future when I have more money and time. Thanks for your input!

 

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[businessbaybee]

Just wondering now how you set up this site. You know how to code, or you used some tools?
I mean its pretty solid, I'd love to know what techniques were used.
Rep++

Thank you!

I have zero idea how to code lol. It's just a regular theme.

I went to school for design, so I made it look as cute as possible with my use of colors and graphics.

 

[LPPC]

Clothing stores are more suited to Instagram marketing. You have to think about where fashion lovers hang out. Fashion pictures are mostly uploaded on instagram.

Edit:
or sites like pinterest

 

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[Aaron T]

Clothing stores are more suited to Instagram marketing. You have to think about where fashion lovers hang out. Fashion pictures are mostly uploaded on instagram.

Edit:
or sites like pinterest

That's one of the reason I like FB ads. You can actually post them directly on Instagram and run Instagram only ads that are highly targeted.

 

[businessbaybee]

You have 100% just reached the hardest part. That first sale. Don't get disheartened.

Test, improve, repeat. You will get it.

Thank you so much! Just needed some motivation

 

[RogueInnovation]

Sales is like aircraft wings
You need low pressure and high pressure
Low pressure as in - outreach (knowing customer, meeting them, having a presence in environments where millenial women are *give a few instagram girls a discount and have them show the pastel queen logo on what you discounted*)
High pressure as in - the pitch (all those coming to you cuz they saw it wanna know why your brand is the one to get rather than just use your ideas and find a cheaper place to buy it... are you about choice, convenience, uniqueness, creativity?)

Try to get a bunch of millenial eyeballs on it
And maybe set up a few package deals or "feature" items to see if you can control and drive sales
Your price rance is flat footed, you have no way of knowing who you are cutting out of your sales segment, you need to have at least a little difference in some products in order to know which prices or packages sell best.
Also, maybe discount to some semi popular fashion bloggers; youtube, wordpress, etc
Promo codes could help you do this, and help you get bloggers to sell for you to their audience

 

[RogueInnovation]

Just wondering now how you set up this site. You know how to code, or you used some tools?
I mean its pretty solid, I'd love to know what techniques were used.
Rep++

 

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[Puppy]

I actually just gave out my first discount to a girl on instagram, who saw my site and loved it so much she made a video blasting it to her followers. I didn't ask her to either, so she seems like she would be a great customer to have! Thanks again!

not just customer, she might be a great influencer to have. look at her followers and the market shes in. she could be a person worth building a relationship with on more than just a customer level.

 

[I Am I Said]

Just keep learning from other stores that are getting sales

Exactly.

I know nothing about selling clothes, but I do know somebody doing well in that space, making a living after only a short time. If you google "Zinora" you'll find his brand and should be able to see what he does on facebook, twitter, Amazon and wherever else he's marketing. I have no affiliation with his business, by the way, he's just an acquaintance!

 

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[Xeon]

May i ask you..did you bought the tshirt mockup or found them on the web ?
As i'm waiting for the sample from my supplier (went to see him yesterday), i don't want to lose time and wanted to modify some mockup.psd but can't find a good one for free or even afordable..

Visit google.com, type in "free t-shirt mockups". Or if you've US$6 to spare, go to graphicriver.net and buy some packs there.

I was average like 150 a post and now my engagement went way down. Now I am at like 50 likes a post. But I did not change anything, so I don't know if thats one of those algorithm things.

First of all, your website is amazing! Most websites look crappy but yours look so sweet I just wanna put it in my mouth!
It looks promising for sure. You might also wanna check out izzyandliv.com for inspiration. She's also targeting people in niches and her branding looks neat.

Regarding the shipping fees critique which someone mentioned as a bit high, maybe you can consider free shipping for US customers if your profit margins are high enough to absorb it (build about US$2.77 - US$2.90 for USPS First class free shipping into the price).

I'm launching my own line next year, and will be watching this thread. There's another guy here (@ChapoJR) who also has a fashion thread which provides some good insight (though it's men's fashion).
You're good in that you're using print-on-demand to launch the site, so in terms of upfront costs, you are already safe (unlike me ).

As for Instagram, I've the same issue. I started it in Apr 2017, and had average 5 - 10 comments with 100 - 200 likes even though my followers' count was less than 1000. After that, some posts got 500 - 2500 Likes, but since Sep 2017, something happened, and although I've 4K followers now, there's less than 2 comments (usually 0 - 1) and Likes average less than 200 within 24 hours. I need to pay US$6 to promote the post for it to reach 2x the Likes. I'm looking into running giveaways with people in my niche to boost follower count.

One quick and dirty way to boost follower count fast is to visit competitors or people who like your niche, then view their followers, and manually follow 50 per day. Some will follow back, some won't. You'll end up at the 7500 Following Limit, but your followers will be around 3 - 4K.
Then you can either manual unfollow all, or just use a service for these, and repeat.

You can also convert your Instagram to a business account to view your statistics (it's free).

I was on your site for 10 mins, not sure if there's some bug with the sales popup ("Someone in XXXXXX just bought...."), but it popups that every 5 - 10 seconds. Assuming it's accurate, then:

8,640 pop-ups in a day (86,400 / 10 seconds interval) * US$15 profit per item sold = US$129,600 per day
US$129,600 * 30 days = US$3,888,000 per month

US$3,888,000 = "What color of pagani do you want? Will rainbow do?"

Just kidding, good luck!

PS: You're a girl but you've bigger balls than most of us, we don't dare to post our website here LOL

 

[Xeon]

Mj could sell out fastlane forum pencils I bet, why? This forum is a culture/brand.

I would prefer a 60" x 40" canvas print with MJ's smiling face on it with his signature, if you will. Will frame that on my bedroom wall above my bed.

 

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[businessbaybee]

I landed on your page and immediately thought the brand was unique and visually appealling. Pastel Queen is a great name and I dig the logo. Very cool.

In fact, I think your greatest asset is your Trademark (brand); but it goes under used in your product. I'd tout "Pastel Queen" somewhere on all your merch.

In addition to what you have on your site, I'd offer some "Pastel Queen" only stuff. No fun phrases. Or if there is, let it take a backseat to the brand, instead of what you have now—brand taking backseat to phrase, or not even getting a ride at all.

Your iridescent stuff is the most unique, btw. You might consider using that frequently in your packaging/clothing/online stuff to try to own it via trade dress. This is similar to the way Netflix owns Red in the streaming space or how Coke owns that iconic glass bottle shape they have. They now have power to protect it. Full disclosure: I'm not a lawyer, so you'll have to verify specifics about trade dress with a qualified IP attorney.

Thank you so much for your kind words, so glad you like it!

You have given me so much to think about that I have not yet considered. For instance, using my logo on a lot of the different products is a really cool idea. I wasn't sure if people would want it, since nobody knows who I am yet, but now that you say it, I will definitely create a collection on my site with all Pastel Queen branded stuff and see how that sells in addition to my funny slogan stuff.

It also didn't occur to me that my iridescent graphics were helping to create my brand, I think being known for that would be so cool. I will use a lot more of that, especially in my social media accounts. Thanks again for your assestment, super appreciated!

 

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[ThirtyOne]

Thank you so much for your kind words, so glad you like it!

You have given me so much to think about that I have not yet considered. For instance, using my logo on a lot of the different products is a really cool idea. I wasn't sure if people would want it, since nobody knows who I am yet, but now that you say it, I will definitely create a collection on my site with all Pastel Queen branded stuff and see how that sells in addition to my funny slogan stuff.

It also didn't occur to me that my iridescent graphics were helping to create my brand, I think being known for that would be so cool. I will use a lot more of that, especially in my social media accounts. Thanks again for your assestment, super appreciated!

I didn't originally go through the whole site, just the landing page tbh. Sorry for my premature assessment. I'm embarrassed.

After looking more deeply, I see your brand is going to be able to sell some popular trendy stuff, and then your own branded stuff...so maybe everything doesn't need your logo on it...just the Pastel Queen original stuff or whatever.

I'd be interested in a progress thread to see what sells more and how this goes! Good luck.

 

[JAJT]

Your iridescent stuff is the most unique, btw.

I agree. It looks like the female version of oil-slick patterns you see all the time on knives and other "guy" products.

Super nice looking hero image when you first land on the site.

I'd personally like to see all products displayed on a model as either the primary or secondary "hover over" image though. Your leggings shots being a good example of that. Even better if you can get a "cute" action shot as well. Clearly a LOT of work to do this simple thing though - but I think it will pay back dividends in conversion.

Good job!!!

 

[jfny]

You put it all together nicely. I think you might actually stand a chance which is something I can't say about a lot of the attempts that pop up on here. Don't get discouraged if you don't hit it big within the first few weeks. It takes time. That being said, it's time to start marketing. Good luck!

But consider:
- IMO your shop now button on the home screen seems a little out of place. It blends in with the background too much. Consider moving it to another spot. Maybe below her left wrist, above the text.

- Consider putting a count of your available quantity on your checkout page. It has been said to increase conversions. People act faster when they see "Only 2 remaining". Even if you have more than 2, you can make it up. There should be an add-on for it if you're using Shopify.

- Purchasing buying likes/other engagements on Fiverr for your social media accounts, at least until the engagements begin occurring organically.

Also consider adding one of the following:
Fomo - Social Proof Marketing – Ecommerce Plugins for Online Stores – Shopify App Store
Yo - Display Recent Sales in Real Time – Ecommerce Plugins for Online Stores – Shopify App Store

 

[samsig03]

Site looks damn good. Impressed! Yes sales are going to be an uphill climb and takes time (going through that right now). Keep at it consistently, also paid advertising helps, but do not get discouraged if you do not see the sales from it you wanted. Influencer marketing is another avenue i would go down as well.

Keep us updated. REP++