Most people do try to shy away from starting their own online business because of a number of things. Which is not surprising at all. Starting a business is not a small task and it definitely is not for the faint of heart. However, starting an online business is a little less daunting.
The rise of e-commerce stores has taken the world by storm, especially in the South African market. The information regarding how to easily set up a business is becoming more accessible.
But now more than ever, people are realizing that they can start selling online to generate another source of income, which is incredible if you ask me.
Online Shopping Has Changed The way we shop
Shopping online has been such a great way for people to get access to products that they may not have been able to get in physical stores, maybe because of distance or availability. However, the pandemic did force us to shop differently, and in many cases, it has forced us to shop more intentionally.
We no longer just buy because of the sake of buying, but we buy because we actually need items and because we can get more wear out of them instead of buying clothes that you could wear once for certain occasions or that could be styled in one way.
we have some online options for you!
As accessible as it has become, the process may be tedious at first. But fear not, we have just the answer for you.
If you are considering starting an online clothing store in South Africa, you have one of two options:
- Create a store independently.
Create an online store using the Wisi-Oi Marketplace.
Let me take you through both ways and why going the Wisi-Oi way is the best way.
Go The Independent Route
When creating an online clothing store by yourself, you need to start at the very beginning of the process and here, there are a few steps you need to go through
Business Plan
If you want to be successful, you need to plan your success from scratch. Here you need to detail what it is that you want to do. That includes who your target market will be, what products you will sell, communicating the vision and mission of your business, and financing and marketing strategies.
This is where you sent the foundation for the trajectory of your business. It is also nice to have should you want to apply for any sort of funding, which may be helpful, although it does take quite a bit of time.
Website, Business Name, & Logo
Next, you would need to come up with your own unique name and design a logo for your online store.
After you have these nailed down, you need to create your own website with your name and logo on there.
Buying your own domain would also be highly recommended if you want to set yourself apart and be visible online.
Clothing inventory
Once you have the website set up, you need to create a clothing inventory of everything you would sell in your online store. Here, you would need to take some really good-quality product photos that would showcase the quality and style of the garments.
This is such an important step because if you do not have good quality, reliable product photos, customers may overlook you because of the questionable quality of the photos.
It really does set you up for the best success if your product photos look incredible. Then once your product photos are ready to go upload them onto your website.
Payment Options
There are a lot of scammers out there who try their luck by trying to steal people’s hard-earned money. Because of this, many customers are already skeptical.
To prevent further suspicion, it would be best if you were to set up more than one reliable payment processor; one for a direct card payment that has two-factor authentication and another that allows for EFT and online payments.
Packaging
This is more of an internal aspect but a major selling point if it is done right. Your packaging is so important because it is the first physical impression you give clients when they receive your product. Because they do not see you or your products physically, your packaging becomes the face of the business, and let me tell you, first impressions are lasting.
Pro tip: find a reliable shipping company that will handle your shipments well and not damage them in transit. It is pointless having good packaging but the package being damaged on arrival. So, find a trustworthy company.
Marketing
Once you have all the steps above nailed now, the next key thing to do is get your name out there. Develop a good marketing strategy that will allow you to get the most reach and target your desired market.
A really good way to start is on social media. It is affordable, accessible, and allows you to reach so many people all at the same time.
Packaging
This is more of an internal aspect but a major selling point if it is done right. Your packaging is so important because it is the first physical impression you give clients when they receive your product. Because they do not see you or your products physically, your packaging becomes the face of the business, and let me tell you, first impressions are lasting.
Pro tip: find a reliable shipping company that will handle your shipments well and not damage them in transit. It is pointless having good packaging but the package being damaged on arrival. So, find a trustworthy company.
Marketing
Once you have all the steps above nailed now, the next key thing to do is get your name out there. Develop a good marketing strategy that will allow you to get the most reach and target your desired market.
A really good way to start is on social media. It is affordable, accessible, and allows you to reach so many people all at the same time.
Harness The Power of Wisi-Oi
Now that you know how to fly solo, let me tell you why going the Wisi-Oi way could be for you. Wisi-Oi is an online preloved clothing marketplace that allows you to set up your own store - for your preloved clothing or some new clothes you would want to sell - without any of the hassles.
Sounds too good to be true right? But the fantastic thing is that it really is that easy. Let me tell you how.
Create a Clothing Inventory
Unlike the independent route, you do not necessarily need the business plan. You can make one for your own peace of mind, but it is not a necessary step.
Because we would essentially have the shell of your store already set up, you need to start by either decluttering your closet to find clothes you would like to sell online.
What you could also do is sell some new clothes if you are a small business trying to establish a brand name. Simply take your product photos and keep them on hand ready for when you have to upload.
Create a Store on the Wisi-Oi
Now that you have your pictures ready to go, set up your online store by login into the seller profile to start the official process.
First things first, upload your seller profile photo, and your logo and give your store its unique name.
Next, you’ll need to write a detailed store description; this is where your pseudo business plan would come in handy. Because it is an online store, write your seller policy that would include your exchange and refund policy as an independent seller on Wisi-Oi. Now for the fun part, add your beautiful product photos and include a description. The more detailed the better.
Marketing via Instagram
Once your store is set up and ready to go, add your shop link to your Instagram bio that would allow your followers to see that you are selling on Wisi-Oi. As I mentioned before, social media is a great marketing tool as it allows you to reach the most people, and it is incredibly cost-effective especially if you are just starting up.
Do you see? I told you, setting up an online store with Wisi-Oi is a lot less hassle than going the independent route. But if you still are not convinced, your question may be, “How does selling on Wisi-Oi help benefit me?”
Here are some of the many benefits of using Wisi-Oi to sell online.
Convenience
Well, first things first, the convenience. When you set up your Wisi-Oi store, you get the benefits of setting up your own business without the extra-long steps.
You have the same level of control over your store on the Wisi-Oi Marketplace platform as you would if you started out on your own. You still control the look and feel of your Shopify store without having to do any of the administrative heavy liftings.
Wider Reach
Wisi-Oi is an established marketplace. This is not just us tooting our own horn but because of Wisi-Oi’s reach, the chances of you being spotted by other potential customers are a lot higher than if you were doing everything by yourself.
On the Wisi-Oi Instagram, we regularly advertise the sellers we have and the products they sell and our 15 000 followers and counting really do enjoy seeing some new products.
Sizing
What about sizing? Do not stress a bit because we have you covered here as well. Because a large majority of the clothes on our platform are preloved, there will be existing sizing there.
But if you are worried, we have a sizing guide that helps you determine what you are based on what the seller has. For instance, if you are a size “Large” the sizing guide will tell you what numerical category you fit into which would correspond with what the seller has up in their store.
Payment gateways
Wisi-Oi also handles the payment gateway on your behalf. We understand that handling the finances of your business might be a lot to handle at first, especially when you are juggling managing your online store, booking shipments, and also handling incoming purchases.
It tends to be quite a bit to hand. With Wisi-Oi, we retain 25% of the purchase, and the remaining 75% is collected from the seller. Even more, we have a structured payment process that receives all the payments made on the site, we calculate our 25%, and the rest is paid straight into the seller's bank account twice a month.
The fashion exchange culture in the Wisi-Oi Market place is also a uniquely intimate one. Because you are dealing with real people and not mega stores, you have access to the shop owner.
If you get stuck in any way, you are able to reach out to the seller and ask for whatever advice you need. This includes if you want to know how to style the garment differently or how to maintain it by taking care of how to properly wash the item. There are very few places, if any, that allow for such intimate and genuine customer care.
As mentioned above, there is a more intimate and genuine fashion exchange. Because of this, you are directly impacting someone’s small business through your direct contribution and that is what keeps them going.
It may not look like a lot but every purchase moves them closer and closer to their ideal life. And you get to look great at the end of it, it is a win-win situation.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a major concern for us, which is why this marketplace has been created. By starting an online clothing store on Wisi-Oi, you are directly contributing to a global sustainable fashion movement.
You play a part in increasing the lifetime of a piece of clothing that may have only been worn a handful of times.
Wisi-Oi has been a trusted marketplace for some time now. We have prided ourselves in ensuring we have good quality, high-end preloved clothing that others will enjoy.
We are very big on convenience and accessibility, which some may not have been able to have in the past. Fashion belongs to everyone and because of that, we want to ensure that everyone can be their best-dressed selves. However, we cannot do that if you are holding onto so many gems in your goldmine of a closet.
Yes, starting an online clothing store indeed allows for control, but so does opening your online store on the Wisi-Oi Marketplace. Not only does it offer the same level of control but it also gives you access to so much more.
Wisi-Oi is the gift that keeps on giving. Many a time, we will see people being discouraged from starting an online store. They would have some great ideas or designs but nowhere to showcase them. This is exactly why Wisi-Oi was created to bridge that gap.
The Wisi-Oi way is the best way to start an online business in Fashion. Do not hold yourself back from your dreams of being a business owner. Wisi-Oi has made the way and has laid the foundation. All that’s missing is for you to take the set and set it up.
Leave a comment