Are you an aspiring fashion entrepreneur looking to sell clothes on Etsy? If so, you’ve come to the right place!
Having over 89 million buyers worldwide in Q4 2022, Etsy is undoubtedly the perfect marketplace for talented designers and creators to sell their unique clothing.
However, with so much competition, it can be challenging to make a name for yourself. That’s why we are here to help!
In this article, we will guide you through:
- Essential tips on marketing, promotions and more to help you sell clothes on Etsy
- The step-by-step guide on how to sell clothes on Etsy
Let’s get started!
Haven’t you heard about Etsy dropshipping? Check out The Detailed Guide for Etsy Dropshipping in 2024. This business model can help you avoid the shipping or inventory management when you just start selling clothes on Etsy.
5 Tips to Sell Clothes on Etsy
Marketing is a crucial component of selling clothes on Etsy. Here are some marketing secrets to selling clothes online that can help you promote your Etsy clothes and attract potential customers:
#1. Marketing strategies for your Etsy clothes store
Social media marketing
Selling handmade clothes on social media can be an absolute game-changer when you promote your store. And the best part? It doesn’t have to cost a fortune!
However, not all social media platforms are created equally. That’s why finding one that aligns with your specific goals is crucial.
Whether you aim to increase brand recognition, receive positive feedback, or connect with potential customers. As you can see, there are plenty of ways to make the most of social media and leverage it to benefit your business.
Here are some tips to help you sell clothes on Etsy on social media:
- Post high-quality product images: Make your clothing products stand out on social media with eye-catching and high-quality photos. This will make your items look more attractive to potential customers.
- Stay consistent: Keep your followers engaged by posting regularly and consistently. If you want to save time with this work, you can leverage scheduling tools to automate your posts.
- Use relevant hashtags: Attract more potential customers by using hashtags that are relevant to your clothing products, such as #fashion, #clothing, and #handmade. Tags have proven to help in drawing more traffic to your site.
- Connect with your followers: Respond to positive and negative comments and messages from your followers. By doing this, you can create a sense of community and support around your Etsy clothes store.
Influencer marketing collaboration
Looking to reach a wider audience and increase your sales on Etsy? Influencer marketing could be just what you need to sell clothes on Etsy!
How you can conduct this strategy:
- Find the right audiences: You should look for influencers who align with your target market. Make sure their style matches your brand, too.
- Set clear goals: Now, think about what you want to achieve through the collaboration. Ask yourself questions that help to clarify your goals. With a clear goal in mind, you can easily measure success.
- Establish a budget: Decide how much you’re willing to spend for this partnership. Besides, you should keep your eyes on your influencer’s reach and engagement rate.
Content marketing
Utilizing your content marketing is one of the great selling clothes online tips to improve Etsy SEO and bring more organic traffic to your Etsy shop.
While Etsy is one of the best selling platforms, you can’t have a blog directly on it, having an integrated website can provide the perfect opportunity to create valuable content for your audience.
Here is how to make the most of your external blog and improve your Etsy SEO:
- Do keyword research: First, you can start by doing keyword research to understand your target audience and create relevant content for selling handmade clothes.
- Create relevant content: Second, focus on creating specific, informative content related to selling clothing stores or selling used clothes on Etsy.
- Avoid generic posts: You should avoid creating generic posts that don’t provide any value to your audience.
- Publish content regularly and consistently: Finally, to engage with your audience and demonstrate to search engines that your site is active and relevant, it’s important to publish your content regularly.
SEO optimization
Etsy is one of the best sites to sell clothing, and it’s no surprise that getting noticed amongst the competition can be challenging.
However, setting up SEO for selling clothing stores is necessary since it helps your listing rank higher. Let’s check the tips to help you optimize your Etsy SEO:
- Use relevant keywords: Using the right keywords is essential, but don’t just use the most common ones. Instead, you should combine top keywords with specific long-tail keywords to increase visibility on search results.
- Study your competition: Take a look at your competition’s product listings and descriptions to get a sense of what keywords they are using.
- Include keywords in product descriptions: Include relevant keywords in your product descriptions. Also, write concise and informative fashion descriptions for clothing to entice customers to purchase.
- Categorize product listings: Etsy allows you to categorize your product listings and include product highlights or attributes. Make sure to update your listings accordingly, as most customers will opt to search for products by category.
- Use proper tags and attributes: Etsy’s search algorithm heavily relies on proper tags, attributes, and listing quality. Using tags and attributes will help your products appear in relevant search results. And the listing quality is determined by how customers interact with your product listings.
Want to make money with Etsy, you might want to check out: Mastering the Etsy Affiliate Program: A Step-by-Step Guide
#2. Fulfillment and shipping
Product preparation and packaging
Preparing and shipping your products is essential to helping you sell clothes on Etsy. Therefore, if you want to ensure a positive shopping experience for your customers, it’s crucial to take extra care when handling and to ship your items.
Before listing your products, ensure you have all the necessary shipping supplies, such as poly mailers, boxes, tissue paper, and air pillows. This way, you can quickly ship your Etsy clothes when you get a sale without scrambling for packaging supplies or delaying shipping.
Besides, you also need to learn more about how to ship with Etsy, along with some Etsy shipping options or shipping costs that can affect a shopper’s decision to buy.
You can use Etsy shipping labels from USPS, FedEx, or carriers from other countries. Alternatively, you can ship on your own if you can find a better shipping rate elsewhere.
Free or discount shipping
One practical tip to sell clothes on Etsy is offering your customers free shipping or a discount. This approach can be a powerful motivator for shoppers to purchase, especially when presented with enticing offers such as:
- “Add X amount more to your order to receive free shipping.”
- “Spend X dollars more to get free shipping.”
By providing a clear incentive for customers to spend more in your store, you can boost your sales and encourage repeat business.
#3. Customer service and support
Responding to customer inquiries
It’s important to keep in touch with your customers and communicate clearly with them. Given any scenario, this will likely help you sell clothes on Etsy smoothly.
Handling customer complaints
Dealing with customer complaints is never pleasant, but it’s an essential part of running an Etsy women’s fashion shop. From shipping mishaps to product dissatisfaction, there are plenty of things that can go wrong.
The good news is that you can turn a negative situation around by being proactive and taking steps to fix the issue. When a customer reaches out with a complaint, listen carefully to their concerns and work with them to find a solution that satisfies both parties.
Building customer relationships
Don’t consider selling clothes on Etsy a one-time transaction since a loyal customer can repurchase your items many times in the future.
Therefore, why not strengthen these connections? When doing so, ensure you have their consent to message them and follow local marketing regulations. Check out Etsy’s seller policy to learn more about these rules and regulations.
#4. Promotions and discounts
Who doesn’t love a good deal? Well, your customers sure do! And promotions and discounts are a great way to attract them to your selling clothes on Etsy.
Speaking more of it, Etsy makes it easy for you to create and run paid advertising campaigns. What is most fascinating? You can sell clothes on Etsy with ads for as little as $1!
Once you set up your Etsy Ads, your promotions will be displayed on Etsy Search, Category Pages, and even on the Etsy app. And you only pay for every click your ad receives. This is what we call a pay-per-click (PPC) model.
#5. Product images
Another tip from successful Etsy shops is to provide plenty of high-quality product images and videos. Make sure to showcase every angle and detail of your items, so that customers know exactly what they can expect from your clothes.
Not to mention, clear and detailed clothing images can make a difference in attracting customers and standing out among similar products.
If you have the budget, consider hiring models to wear your clothing and provide real-world examples for your customers. This can build trust and make your products more appealing.
And if hiring models isn’t an option, don’t worry! Reach out to friends and family members with different body types to model your clothing. This will give customers a better idea of how your Etsy clothes will fit, and your loved ones will likely enjoy helping you out.
How to Sell Clothes on Etsy
Selling clothes on Etsy can be a great way to reach a wide audience and build your brand. Here are some simple steps to get started:
Step 1. Creating an account
If you want to sell clothes on Etsy, you will need to create an account first. To do this, you can follow these steps:
- Go to the top right corner of the Etsy homepage and click on Sign In.
- If you don’t have an account yet, click on Register and enter your details. Then, Confirm your account through the email you receive.
- Next, Sign in to your account and click on the gray circle with a silhouette icon next to the shopping cart icon.
- Select Sell on Etsy from the drop-down menu that appears.
After landing on the Sell on Etsy page, there’s a black Open Your Etsy Shop button below the banner.
Step 2: Set up your shop references
- In this section, you need to specify your shop preferences such as language, shop country, shop currency, and whether your shop is your full-time income or not.
- Once you’ve entered all the necessary information, simply click the Save and continue button located in the bottom right corner to proceed.
Step 3. Choosing an Etsy shop name
To name your shop to sell clothes on Etsy, you should keep it simple and unique. You can use up to 20 characters, which must be distinct from other shop names. Make sure to use only unaccented roman letters and numbers, without any spaces. If you already have a shop name, you can always have a chance to change your Etsy shop name whenever you want.
Here is how to name your shop:
- Type your proposed name in the space provided.
- Click on Check availability to confirm whether the name is available or not.
- Once you’ve decided on a name, click on Save and continue to proceed.
Step 4. Setting up payment methods
After setting up your shop name, you will need to select your preferred payment method for your Etsy selling handmade clothes store.
For countries eligible for Etsy Payments, it is recommended to use this payment option. Etsy Payments offers a wide range of payment methods for buyers and consolidates all payment-related information in one place, making it easier for you to manage your finances.
However, if your country is not eligible for Etsy Payments, you can choose to use a PayPal account to accept payments instead.
Step 5. Creating your product listings
When creating your product listings on Etsy, it’s recommended to have at least 10 different listings for better visibility.
Each listing should include:
- Photos (up to 10)
- A video (optional)
- Listing details (title description, tags)
- Pricing
- Product variations
- Personalization (if applicable)
- Shipping information.
You can preview each listing before you save it. Once you’ve added all of your listings, select save and continue.
Sell Clothes on Etsy – FAQs
- Is Etsy good for selling clothes?
Yes, it is absolutely GOOD!
If you’re looking forward to selling used clothes on Etsy, you should try it. Remember that to list your clothes on Etsy, they need to be at least 20 years old and not in the handmade section. With those requirements met, you can use the platform to showcase and sell clothes on Etsy.
- How much does it cost to sell clothes on Etsy?
If you sell clothes on Etsy, there are some fees involved you need to keep an eye on. You’ll need to pay a listing fee of $0.20 for each listed item and a transaction fee of 6.5% for every sale.
Besides, the listing will remain active for four months or until sold. Once your item sells, the 6.5% transaction fee, including shipping, will be applied to the total sale cost.
- Do I need a license to sell on Etsy?
No, you DON’T!
Sellers can start selling on Etsy without having a business license. But depending on your location, you may need to obtain licenses and permits at the state, county, or local municipality level to legally operate your business.
Final Thoughts
Great job! You’ve successfully gone through our article filled with top tips on how to sell clothes on Etsy. With these tips, you can now confidently open your own Etsy shop, create product listings, optimize your listings with keywords and tags, and provide excellent customer service to your buyers.
If you have any questions or need more help, please don’t hesitate to contact us or check out our Retail Blog for helpful tips and insights. Don’t forget to join our Facebook community to connect with other sellers and share your success stories. Thank you for reading. We wish you all the best in your Etsy journey!
