If you have a passion for fashion, then opening an online shop for fashion product may work well for you. Of course, starting a new online shop may sound a bit scary, especially if you know nothing about website, programming, and hosting.
Do not worry, you are not alone. Many people feel confused too when they start their online business, but in the end, some of them managed to do it, so you surely can do it too.

Why start an online shop for fashion products?

The data from various researchers show that more and more people become comfortable to buy fashion item via online shops than buying them at conventional shops. This is because all the benefits which they can get from online shopping.
If you buy things from an online shop, usually you are required to pay for shipping fees too, but in the end, buying things online can help save you from a load of stress, and sometimes it could be cheaper too. One of the best aspects of online shopping is you are able to check the image and the specification of the product before you decide to buy it, all from the comfort of your home!


The high level of convenience is not the only reason why people prefer to buy things from an online shop. A Wider range of choices, competitive pricing, and an easier way to get information are other reasons why people turn to online shop from a traditional brick and mortar shop.

Another benefit for the online shop owners is they can save more money compared than if they run a physical store. You also can manage your online store from the comfort of your home.

What do you need to do to start an online fashion shop?

1. Make a plan
Any form of business needs a plan, so does your online fashion shop. The plan itself does not have to be awfully long, you end up stressed yourself. The type of plan that you need will vary, depend on how you use the plan. You can either use it as a guide to accompany you along the way or as a reminder of your goal.

2. Customers
Where will you get your first customers? One of the common mistake made by new entrepreneurs is they failed to decide their target market. First, try to understand your own product and what kind of problem it can solve?

For example, you decided to sell women clothes which made with decent yet affordable fabric. The design will determine the age range of your potential customers, and your good yet cheap fabric means that most women should be able to afford them.

3. Choose your platform

Next step is: decide where you will build your online shop. Do you do not want to bother with developing and maintenance of your site, or do you prefer full control and freedom to customize your site however you like?
There is a wide range of E-Commerce platforms that you can choose, and each of them has its own pros and cons. Do not forget to check the backend too. After all, you will end up using it on daily basis. Try all the available features. Is it easy to understand? Is it user-friendly?

For fashion business, I recommend Magento as your E-Commerce platform. Many famous fashion online stores like kurtgeiger and oliversweeney pick Magento as their platform. Yes, you may use another platform like Woocommerce or Shopify as a start, but they will not be able to give you the customization you need, as your business grows bigger later.

Make sure your new E-Commerce platform supports responsive design too. After all, now people are getting used to using their smartphone when it comes to online shopping, so having a responsive website is a must. When your fashion business grows, you may want to build a separated native mobile app.

4. What kind of clothes or fashion items do you want to sell?

When it comes to fashion, there is various kind of items that you can choose for your products. You can try to use school clothes for students, baby clothes for new mothers, sports attire for gym lovers, and much more.

Pick your target market. The sense of fashion for teenagers is surely different than the adult in their 30s.

5. Create an unforgettable store's name
This one is common sense. Do not make it too complex by choosing a hard to remember names, just because you want to make it unique. When your customers show their friend and family that cute bag which they just bought from your store, you want them to be able to remember the name of your site easily.

Pick the name you will love, and you can easily say without feeling embarrassed. The process to pick a good name may take a while, but do not worry. After all, it is a part of your planning process.

6. Develop a unique brand for your fashion online shop
Besides deciding what products to sell, you need to focus on building your brand too. The brand itself will be a combination of your selective products, the name of your store, your target market, and the overall looks of your website.

What kind of "nature" do you want for your brand? Do you prefer clean lines, simple and minimalism? Or probably you rather choose something fun and girly with feminine soft colors because you want to appeal young female teenagers and adults as your target market?

Your brand is more than just picking a background color for your site. Your brand is everything that you do for your fashion business, from deciding your tagline to the way you interact with your customers on social media.

7. Photo for your products
Unlike the brick and mortar shop where people can touch the fabric of the clothes or the leather skin of the bag that they want to buy, your customers only can check the quality of your products from images and product description you put on your site.

You can either use a human model or just the products, but make sure to include three or more images showing different aspects and angles of your products. Do not forget the close up of the materials and patterns.