| You wear shirts all the time. You've got some | | | | screener print your designs onto the shirts, leads us |
| amazing ideas about how to create your own | | | | to a larger amount of profit. This ultimately is how |
| clothing line. We recommend getting your feet wet | | | | companies start out selling, then moving into huge |
| by using a third party website that allow you to open | | | | warehouses, and taking over the market. Start small, |
| your own clothing store. It's fast, it's easy, and you | | | | and move to larger leaps and bounds. The great thing |
| can make money any time. They do most of the | | | | about a third party company is that it can build the |
| work, so you can concentrate on the foundation of | | | | revenue and designs for printing and selling your own |
| your amazing T-Shirt graphics, cause that's what sells. | | | | T-Shirts. In addition, a shop can provide market |
| Anyone can put words on t-shirts, but putting your | | | | research, based on which designs sell the most, to |
| own creative spin on those cool designs, is what | | | | help decide which designs to print yourself. |
| T-Shirt lovers value. Some 3rd party websites that | | | | If you're not a webmaster, you can use a website |
| allow you to make custom T-Shirts, and other | | | | that offers "website templates" to build a personal |
| products are CafePress, Zazzle or Spreadshirt to | | | | website. This creates value and allows the customer |
| name a few. You can create your designs on your | | | | the chance to get to know you, and relate to the |
| computer. You will need a graphic design program | | | | shop owner. |
| such as Microsoft paint, Photoshop, CS3-PSD-125x125 | | | | On some sites you can try to set up affiliate ads |
| or Adobe Illustrator. The reason is you will have to | | | | with other companies and receive commission when |
| create some form of design, whether it's a simple | | | | someone buys something from a linked company |
| text design T-Shirt, or a more artistic graphic design | | | | through your site. Search in the Google search engine |
| T-Shirt, you need to create Vector images, or | | | | for "AdSense", or "paid per click" advertising. This |
| images that have a transparent background. | | | | way, you can generate revenue for each person |
| This will allow you to create and design whatever | | | | who comes to your site, and clicks on your ads. Try |
| you like, and with CafePress support for example, | | | | and not saturate the web page with ads, because |
| you can directly load your design onto the products | | | | we want your viewers to see your products. Make |
| of your choosing. They even have a great design | | | | sure to tag your Designs. Tagging your designs is a |
| tutorial and Beginners Image Workshop that explains | | | | great way for your products and website to come |
| the correct way to design for their products. They | | | | up higher on the search lists of major search engines. |
| will take you step by step learning how to create | | | | Once you have got your feet wet and have a good |
| and design your images to put on clothing and | | | | number of designs go ahead and transfer over to |
| merchandise. Starting with a third party website is | | | | producing your own shirts. Once you gain some |
| perfect for low budget starting companies looking to | | | | market insight as to what shirts of yours people are |
| have someone handle the printing and shipping of the | | | | talking about, and which designs are selling, you can |
| products, as well as the merchant services, and | | | | start to have your own shirts made. Some ways of |
| customer services. You wont have to charge one | | | | producing your shirts are: screen printing, heat |
| credit card yourself, or handle any returns or | | | | transfer, Iron on, Direct Printing, and embroidery. You |
| problems. | | | | can buy shirts wholesale inexpensively and get your |
| Most third party custom clothing sites allow you to | | | | designs printed fairly cheap as well. Make sure you do |
| personalize your shop's page and colorize and | | | | the math right to produce the shirts in bulk amounts |
| customize your layout. Granted you know a little bit | | | | for less than you would sell them to the public. |
| about HTML, and web design, you can take your | | | | Since you've got your own shirts, department stores, |
| shop to the next level with flash design, and custom | | | | boutiques, and online stores can start to sell your |
| banners and logos. You are in control of what you | | | | product. Take a few personally made shirts around |
| sell, how much you sell, and what you want to sell. If | | | | town to see if stores would like to sell your shirts. |
| you love dogs and dolphins, and there's a market for | | | | This is where you have to be a salesperson, and |
| dog owners and aquatic adventurers, make a T-Shirt | | | | believe in your product if you want to get into |
| for dogs that has some artwork of dolphins on it. | | | | stores. |
| If you're a mother, and want to sell cute adorable | | | | Its not a bad idea to give some of your biggest fans |
| clothing for moms and their kids, design some cute | | | | some free shirts. You're going to need a shopping |
| stuff. Anything goes, except for explicit content, | | | | cart on your page. GoDaddy has a wonderful site |
| explained by each website. If you take some time | | | | hosting and shopping cart tools. You are also going to |
| designing your products, those products will be on | | | | have to be able to take orders and ship to your |
| auto pilot, so to speak. As long as you pay any small | | | | customers in a reasonable amount of time. I might |
| monthly fees, your products can sell while you sleep. | | | | suggest UPS. or USPS. Whichever you think is |
| That's right, your funny hilarious t-shirts, and cool | | | | cheapest and speediest. |
| awesome products, will make you money 24 hours a | | | | Does having your own website outside of a custom |
| day. Sounds easy, right? It is, and we've joined | | | | T-Shirt shop increase traffic and sales? |
| thousands of shop owners, making money off their | | | | Yes it does. It gives you another platform for your |
| creativity. | | | | products to be seen. You can submit the site to |
| Diving into the t-shirt Pool and Making your t-shirts | | | | directories, as a complete entity outside your custom |
| Store, Stand Out. Climbing to the top of the | | | | shop. You can use SEO tips and tricks to optimize |
| CafePress shop top money makers. | | | | your website for the highest search engine results. |
| When creating designs try to brainstorm ideas that | | | | SEO is needed because you can attach keywords, |
| haven't been done. It's hard, but think of things that | | | | phrases, and words people would search for when |
| you appreciate and try to ask people around you, | | | | they go to sites such as Google, and yahoo, to |
| such as co-workers, or people who will not be biased | | | | search for T-Shirts or products. |
| towards your designs. You can even go as far as | | | | A good idea would be to go ahead and start and join |
| talking to other shop owners to find what niche | | | | a social networking site for your t shirt company |
| works best for your style. If you have experience in | | | | such as MySpace or Facebook or Twitter, etc. to |
| market research, by all means, study market trends, | | | | communicate with your public, and find out which |
| on what your target market is, and design for those | | | | ideas or designs can fly with the masses. You'll even |
| consumers. This way you can grab an understanding | | | | be able to write blogs, or bulletins to inform your |
| of what the consumer might like. Try a new spin on | | | | friends when new shirts come out, and even |
| a common saying by throwing in a pun in there to | | | | entertain them a little bit. We recommend that you |
| make it something funny and interesting of your own. | | | | add 100 friends a day on MySpace or so to build |
| Design a graphic all your own, and illustrate your | | | | your brand recognition and cultivate relationships. You |
| funny phrase, deep emotional connection, or random | | | | can stay connected to your consumers and use |
| information, to give the consumer more value for | | | | blogs and messages to find out what your market |
| their product. Your shirts don't have to be hilarious | | | | wants on their shirts. They can comment on your |
| funny t-shirts, but they can be artistic, or political, or | | | | photos of products you upload and figure out what is |
| even educational/spiritual. | | | | popular, and what is not so popular. You can even |
| Try designing specific designs with common names | | | | network orders through those sites. Free stuff is |
| on them, or celebration gifts for birthdays of all ages. | | | | always a great way to bring value to your site. |
| You can go as far as obtain a license for selling other | | | | If you have some cash, give a way some free |
| people's artwork. We currently have two artists, | | | | products in a contest. Promote the contest as much |
| whose amazing artwork,we've placed on t-shirts, | | | | as possible, to have people come to your site, sign |
| mugs, clocks, posters, stickers, ornaments, magnets, | | | | up for a newsletter, or blog, or submit emails about |
| dog tees, mousepads, pillows, teddy bears, | | | | your site to their friends, for a chance to win a free |
| underwear and more. Almost anything you can | | | | product. This is a great way to increase recognition |
| imagine can be on a product. Or check out other | | | | of your brand, increase SEO, and increase your page |
| T-Shirt companies who are successful selling t-shirts | | | | rank in Google, all leading to more traffic, more looks |
| on the internet. It's a good idea to browse other | | | | at your products, and more sales. |
| t-shirt companies, to see how they're built, how they | | | | One thing many good websites incorporate to drive |
| attract people to their site, and what quality and | | | | their page rank higher, and increase traffic to their |
| value they bring to each potential consumer. | | | | site, is Links pages. Creating a links page or link |
| Building an Awesome T-Shirt Website, that Drives | | | | directory, is a way to increase your popularity with |
| Sales, and Profit Right to Your Pocket | | | | the search engines. Contact people about exchanging |
| Examine your store, website, and products from a | | | | links. You put their site address or URL on your |
| consumer's perspective. Are the colors working? Are | | | | website. They return the favor. You both get links |
| things easy to get to? Is there enough information | | | | pointing towards your website, and search engines |
| for your products? Do you want to come back to | | | | love when you have more links pointing towards your |
| this site? What is it you get when you visit this site? | | | | site. The more links to your site, the more important |
| By thinking like a customer, you can get a good idea | | | | it is for the search engines. The more important the |
| of what they will be looking for when they come to | | | | website is, the higher it will show up in search results. |
| your site. | | | | (there is a method to this madness, and Google's |
| Hopefully you already have some designs created so | | | | figured it out). If you have a direct link to your |
| next is to spend some time on your shop's website. | | | | website, (ex: a one way link, where some other site, |
| If you need to brush up on your HTML skills, check | | | | links to your site, and you don't link to them) it tends |
| out W3Schools, for a fast, simple way to learn | | | | to hold more weight with Google and other search |
| HTML, and how to code websites. Personally, I use | | | | engines. If you have more than one website request |
| Dreamweaver, from Adobe. If you have a little | | | | a link exchange with another website, and ask to |
| money to spend, pick up this website building | | | | place their link, on website #2, which will point |
| program. It has a great Help section, and online | | | | towards their website. They get a direct link. Have |
| tutorials that will give you massive amounts of web | | | | them put up a link to your website #1, where you |
| building power, more than any template can give you. | | | | want most of the traffic, and you get a direct link to |
| By completely customizing your website, you can | | | | your site. Everybody wins. |
| update it at any time, with only limited knowledge of | | | | A Fast way to increase traffic to your website, is |
| HTML and web design. | | | | directory submission. Go to Google, Yahoo, or use |
| Market Research is a Great Way to Know Your | | | | those search engines to search for more directories |
| Customer. | | | | where you can submit your website's URL, in order |
| Gather information on your potential customers, and | | | | to get index and recorded in their searches. This |
| their style of shopping. We made the mistake of | | | | way, your site will appear in search results, whenever |
| making our first shop, really bright, and cluttered, with | | | | someone searches for terms in your website. |
| too much going on, so that it was very difficult for | | | | Another technique is using target market titles, |
| the shopper to concentrate on our products. The | | | | descriptions, content and keywords. |
| look and feel of your shop should potentially match | | | | - Put key phrases and words based on what content |
| those people viewing your site. Find colors that | | | | and products your shop will be selling, right into your |
| complement your shops style, but don't drive away | | | | title. |
| potential customers. Adding value to your store, such | | | | - Give the description of your shop a good use of |
| as a newsletter subscription, or blog feed, or even | | | | keywords and relative phrases to your content, and |
| some simple but effective YouTube videos, to | | | | products. It's a good idea to match your descriptions, |
| increase the reasons people would want to stay on | | | | with the content in your page as much as possible. |
| your website. | | | | This gives you a higher standing with Search Engines. |
| We use a blog to keep friends and customers | | | | For a good tool on how to check your websites title, |
| connected to the value we offer, along side our | | | | description, content, and keywords for SEO |
| products. This can increase the chance of your | | | | optimization, is this site: SEO Central Web Marketing |
| products being seen, by grabbing another aspect of | | | | Resources. |
| social marketing, and turn new customers onto the | | | | - Place keywords relevant to your site's content (the |
| style of service you provide. Of course we have links | | | | written words and sentences on your website, not |
| to our shops, and display our shirts on the blog as | | | | contained in ALT tags and images.) Words a |
| well. Much like the Newsletter subscriptions, the blog | | | | consumer would type in to find your products. Lastly, |
| is a great tool for users to receive RSS feeds based | | | | it's promoting your site. Any advertising site is good. |
| on news released through the blog, or any product | | | | If you can do banner exchanges of banners and |
| updates, and potential headlines your shop might | | | | logo's you've created, in exchange for banners of |
| produce. The longer someone is navigating your site | | | | other companies, on your site, go for it!. It's a fast |
| and staying connected to your brand, the higher | | | | and easy way to get free advertising for your shop. |
| potential there is for your products to be seen and | | | | Any way to spread your site around is a great idea. |
| eventually sold. | | | | Word of mouth, submit your website to search |
| You'll need to buy a domain name (the virtual address | | | | engine companies, and internet advertising on high |
| of your site), find a place to host your website, and | | | | traffic sites, such as Google, eBay, yahoo, MySpace, |
| create your shop. Many places can build one for you, | | | | Facebook, and others are all great. There are many |
| and some can give you design tools to create one | | | | forums and such for all types of topics, you can |
| yourself. GoDaddyHosting & Servers or Yahoo! | | | | create a profile, and use your website link in that |
| Small Business Yahoo! Web Hosting, Yahoo uses a | | | | profile, and comment on forums, to help spread your |
| web hosting service to allow your site to be visited | | | | site's name and URL around the internet. For |
| and operated. Yahoo also has online stores you can | | | | advertising on our own site, we use Bidvertiser they |
| open, if you plan on getting a seller's permit, and a | | | | are a pay per click advertiser. Commission junction, |
| business license to sell products from your home. | | | | Google AdSense, and Click Bank are all great Paying |
| Yahoo! Small Business Yahoo! Merchant Solutions - | | | | Ad sites that will pay you money to put their ads on |
| Open a yahoo store.We have found that purchasing | | | | your website. |
| multiple T-Shirts for cheap, then having a silk | | | | |