10 STEP GUIDE

HOW TOSTARTAPPARELONLINEBUSINESS?

BY - PURPLE STORES

1. Why Sell Apparel Online

2. TEN Step Guide

3. Conclusion

CONTENTOUTLINE

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$35By 2020, India is expected to generate $100 billion online retailrevenue, of which $35 billion will come from fashion e-commerce.

Apparel and accessories have become the fastest growingconsumer product categories in the world. Thanks tobooming ecommerce, which is allowing businesses of anysize to penetrate into locations where retailers andwholesalers couldn't and has created an entirely newplatform for businesses to tap into. Venturing yourbusiness into ECOMMERCE may seem intimidating at first,however here is our 10 STEP GUIDE that will help you winthe game of setting up an online store

billion

Source: Google India Forecast 2015

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#1

Targeting everyone in the initial stages can lead to lack of a structuredinventory and a confused marketing strategy. KYC – know your customer– is far from simply a banking norm. It is the foundation of a well thoughtout and a painstakingly planned business. Thus, identify your targetcustomers, i.e. whether you wish to begin with catering to men, womenor children, or any combination of these. Look into niche verticals, suchas clothing for curvy or ‘plus sized’ women, maternity wear for officegoers, traditional apparel that is handmade/hand woven by Indianartisans and the like. Remember to cater to a narrower clientele. Knowthat you can expand in due course.

04

Identify YourClientele

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#2

A concise and a cohesive plan is essential to form a solid foundation for yourbusiness. This is your blueprint and defines your capital requirement. Thevariables of your business plan such as manpower, storage/warehousing,marketing & sales, pricing, delivery & logistics, and your capital requirementwill depend on the model which you choose to operate:

Whether you manufacture and wish to sell via WHOLESALEOr, if you choose to sell via RETAILOr if you choose to procure from a WHOLESALER and then opt to sell viaRETAIL, or simply to DROP SHIP.

Define your material sourcing strategy. Next is to get your startup capitalready, it could be your savings or loans from friends/family/bank or raisedcapital via a third party.

05

Business Plan andStart up Capital

#3

Define your USP, it sets you apart from the competition. It can be thefact that your fabric is sourced from fair trade shops or is organic, orthat you offer custom tailoring at home or that you donate one piece ofclothing to a child in need for every online purchase etc. Remember, yourcompetitors offer similar products, what sets you apart is your USP.Project and amplify your USP and create awareness about the 'X' factoryou offer.

06

Decide on the USP and Brand Name

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#4

Once your product strategy is defined, it is time to choose a platform tosell online.

(i) Create your own web store from scratch using open source solutions(ii) Begin by selling on marketplaces such as Amazon, Myntra and Jabong or(iii) You may opt for a SaaS ecommerce solution

While you analyse the ecommerce setup options, gauge the PROS and CONSof each possibility/option. It is always good to vigilantly analyse the best inthe market for trends and taste, especially big brand websites. Assess thecharacteristics you like, what is a must have and what you despise.

07

Decide e-CommercePlatform

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#5

You can buy a domain name from hosts like Godaddy or Bigrock. However,when you opt for a SaaS platform like Purple Stores, all the necessities todesign, develop, and build a contemporary operational ecommerce websitefor your brand would be catered to under one umbrella. This allows you tosave valuable resources. It makes good business sense to purchase theadditional domain endings like .com, .net, and .in. This would ensure thatconsumers reach your website even if they fail to remember if you are a.com or a .in.

Ensure to get SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certification from the domainhost. This ensures that sensitive information such as credit card numbers& login information are encrypted. This is important to instill consumerconfidence.

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Get Your DomainName

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#6

(i) Must have pages – About us, Categories, FAQs, Shipping, Returns,Feedback/Contact Us(ii) Upload high definition photographs(iii) The Size Chart along with the guide(iv) SEO friendly product descriptions(v) Finalise the prices of your ensembles(vi) Cataloging - User friendly catalogs make shopping quick, fun and easy,for your customers. Showcase unique and new arrivals on your home page.Segregate the products under different collections like formal, casuals,night wear etc. Place the color variants along with size for the selection.Also, don't forget to CROSS SELL/UP SELL related products on individualproduct pages. They generally increase the bag value.

09

Get, Set and Load YourStore Information

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#7

Fulfilling your customer orders safely, on time is vital. In fact shippingstrategy defines your product prices. In-house or independent deliveryoptions come with their own PROS and CONS, conduct thorough researchand choose wisely. Decide between stocking all inventory and towarehouse all of it or to DROP SHIP. Shipping cost slabs have becomeubiquitous in the market. For orders up to INR ‘X’, you could charge yourbasic shipping cost. For orders between INR ‘X’ and ‘5X’, you could chargea tad less and for orders above INR ‘5X’, shipping could be free.Companies such as Purplestores.in cater to indian merchants and set upevery aspect to bring your brand online, and also offer offline assistancesuch as providing logistics support for order fulfilment.

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How Will YouDeliver Products?

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#8

Online payments can be accepted through credit/debit cards, internetbanking etc. Be sure to integrate PayPal, PayTM, CC Avenue/Citrus Pay(choose the payment gateways wisely, but offer multiple paymentoptions).

Payment gateways have their own commissions and set up costs, be sureto investigate properly before you sign up.

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Rake in the‘Cha-ching’!

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#9

Launch your website; plan a party with page 3 regulars or influencersfrom the textile/ clothing industry; start a blog regarding yourbusiness in particular covering topics on textiles, clothing trends, andyour products with lots of pictures and videos. PR is also an importantaspect to create awareness for your brand and website.

12

Go Live, and Shout Outto the World!

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#10

Use social media to promote your website. Create an elaboratecalendar to post frequently on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Pinterest, Google+, Youtube, Tumblr or any other relevant platform.Come up with interesting hashtags, slogans and taglines. Make sureyou apply for copyright of taglines. Use tools such as Hootsuite orBuffer to schedule posts on social media pages, and Mailchimp tocreate beautiful newsletters.

13

Promote your OnlineBusiness, Online:)

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GO ONLINE .SELL BIG !

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Selling apparel online is a different ball game, right from creatingand cultivating your own brand. Although the latter involves a gooddeal of planning, coordination, and implementation, a handful ofloyal consumers will make all the efforts worth it. With professionalhelp readily available for your technical, creative, logistical and legalconcerns – sometimes all under one roof, there exists no reason tonot to expose your brand of online and sell big.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL?

For expert advice on starting your own apparel online store, SMS “MY ONLINE STORE” to 09990117888.Or login to www.PurpleStores.in

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WE WILL GIVE THE STORE FOR FREE!