Whether you’re launching your own fashion line or flipping vintage finds, this guide will walk you through how to sell clothes on Shopify, from defining your business and setting up your shop to marketing your products. Shopify gives you the tools to set up your store, list your products, and start accepting payments without needing advanced tech skills, and the right apps like Kiwi Sizing only make it easier.
Define Your Business Before Selling Shopify Clothes
Before signing up to sell Shopify clothes online, it’s important to get a few details about your clothing business established. This groundwork helps you set up your store smoothly and keeps your brand consistent from the start.
- Business name: Choose a name that reflects your style and audience. Keep it simple and easy to spell.
- Logo and branding: Have a basic logo and color scheme in mind. These will guide your theme customization later. Minimalist brands often use black-and-white logos while playful kids’ clothing stores use bright, bold colors.
- Products and sourcing: Decide what type of clothing you’ll sell and where it’s coming from. Are you designing your own line, dropshipping, or curating vintage pieces?
- Target audience: Know who your ideal customer is. Is it men, women, kids, or a niche like eco-friendly shoppers? This will shape your marketing and product descriptions.
- Budget and pricing: Outline how much you’ll invest in inventory, marketing, and Shopify’s monthly fees. Don’t forget about taxes that may be required in your area (which you can set your store to automatically calculate for you).
Write all of this down in a simple brand brief so you can refer back to it while setting up your store. It can also help you if you need to set up your business with your city and state government.
Once you’ve got these basics figured out, you’re ready to dive into Shopify and start building your store.
How To Sell Clothes on Shopify Accounts
With your foundational business information in hand, you can sign up for a Shopify account. As a new user, you’ll likely get a free trial to explore the platform before committing to a paid plan. T
1. Choose your store name
Your store name will appear in your default Shopify URL (like yourstore.myshopify.com). You can connect a custom domain later if you decide to get one (we’ll cover more on that later). For now, put in the name you decided on as part of your business plan.
If you wish to use a domain name later, you can buy a domain through Shopify or connect one from providers like GoDaddy. A branded domain (like yourstorename.com) builds trust and looks professional.
2. Pick a plan
You don’t have to dive into the most expensive plan right away. Most new sellers start with the Basic plan, then upgrade as sales grow. Choose the plan that suits your needs and current business budget.
It is important to note that even after you set up your account, your store will not be public until you remove the password protection found in the online store preferences. You can actually build anticipation for your store launch by putting up a countdown timer to launch using your Shopify preferences.
Keep this password protection in place until you are ready for your business to go live to the public.
3. Set Up Your Shopify Clothing Store Payment Essentials
Once your account is verified, visit your Shopify admin dashboard and go through these key settings:
- Payments: Activate Shopify Payments to accept credit cards or connect PayPal/Stripe.
- Taxes: Shopify can calculate sales tax automatically based on customer location.
- Shipping: Decide if you’ll charge flat-rate shipping, free shipping, or weight-based rates.
Keep in mind that you can mix some of the options together, too. For example, you could offer free shipping on orders over $50, and for anything under, charge a $5 flat rate.
4. Choose a Theme and Customize Your Clothing Store
Shopify installs a default theme when you create your store, but you can customize this to fit your brand. Your theme helps set the look and feel of your clothing store apart from your competitors. From your Shopify admin dashboard, click on Online Store, then Themes. This will display your current theme.
You can click on “Visit Theme Store” to browse through other available themes, including free themes for clothing stores specifically. Start simple (Shopify’s free Dawn theme is clean and flexible); brand it with your logo, colors, and fonts; and always preview your store’s theme on mobile.
5. Add Your Clothing Products
This is where your store really comes to life. When adding a product, include:
- A clear title, such as “Men’s Slim Fit Tee”
- A description that mentions fabric, fit, and care instructions, as well as the product name or product-related keyword you’re targeting
- High-quality pictures of clothing from different angles (lifestyle shots work great, too)
- Size and color variants (like S, M, L, XL and Black, White, Blue)
- Pricing and number of in-stock products
Here is a sample listing with example product information:
- Product: Women’s Oversized Hoodie
- Description: Oversized hoodie for women made with 100% organic cotton. Relaxed fit hoodie, perfect for layering. Available in cream and charcoal colors.
- Price: $59.99
- Sizes: S–XL
If you are selling clothes on Shopify, you’ll want to provide accurate sizing information for your customers. Installing a clothing sizing app like Kiwi Sizing will help. This app integrates seamlessly with your Shopify store and provides all of the sizing information your customers need.
6. Build Your Clothing Store Site Pages
Besides product pages, you’ll need a few core pages to flesh out your clothing store website. It’s a good idea to have an About Us page that shares your brand’s story and what makes your clothes so special. A Contact Us page allows you to link to your business social media pages and include a form for customers to contact you. Don’t forget to create a Policies page that covers your privacy, shipping, and refund policies (Shopify provides templates if you need help).
7. Test Your Store
It’s now time to make sure your store works the way you intend. Before you make your store public, place a test order to ensure your checkout, payments, and shipping selections will work. Navigate to each of your pages and ensure they load properly.
Visit your store on both a desktop and a mobile device to thoroughly understand what your customers’ experience will be like. Optimizing for mobile visitors is paramount as a majority of shoppers browse through their phones.
8. Launch Your Clothing Store
Once you are satisfied that your store is working and appears the way you want it to look, you can remove the password protection by going to Online Store and clicking Preferences. Announce your launch on social media, email friends and family, and post in fashion-related communities.
As your products start to sell, remember to check your Shopify Analytics regularly to figure out which products are selling best and to make adjustments to your offerings to meet your market.
How To Sell Clothes on Shopify Through Marketing
Shopify is good for selling clothes, but you’ll still need visibility across the web. Your business plan needs to include marketing and advertising where appropriate. There are a few different approaches you can take to marketing.
Show Off Your Clothing Products on Social Media
According to Sprout Social, a whopping 68% of consumers claim to follow businesses and brands on social media platforms. As a result, social media marketing must factor into your selling strategy. Instagram and TikTok are your best friends as even well-known clothing brands on Shopify can attest. Post outfit inspirations, behind-the-scenes pictures, and customer photos.f
Use Email Marketing To Entice Customers
You can use your website to encourage customers to sign up for email offers and newsletters. Try offering a discount like 10% off for new subscribers. You can also create a loyalty program to attract more return customers. Make sure to send out regular updates about new arrivals.
Implement SEO, Paid Ads, and Influencer Marketing as Needed
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is using the right keywords in the right places on your site, as well as providing good information for your customers. Optimize product titles like “Women’s Summer Midi Dress – Linen Blend” to show up in Google. You can use tools like Semrush and Google Analytics to research keywords related to your products.
There are also several paid ad options available to you, such as Google Ads, Facebook ads, and Instagram ads. You can set a budget and use it to target people interested in fashion. Be sure to review your data regularly and turn off keywords that are not bringing in customers.
Influencers can showcase your products on their own social media channels, which is great if the influencer has a large following. Consider sending free pieces to micro-influencers who align with your brand and target market.
Build Customer Loyalty
After launch, focus on customer experience and growth. Encourage and provide plenty of opportunities for customers to leave you positive reviews on Google and other platforms. Here are a few other helpful strategies to keep in mind:
- Be quick to address (and remedy) poor customer experiences
- Offer specials and discounts for customers who spend a certain dollar amount
- Personalize the shopping experience to the needs and preferences of customers
- Use emails to follow up if customers abandon shopping carts
- Make it easy for customers to contact your business as needed
- Add seasonal collections or accessories to tantalize customers in returning regularly
Online shoppers want to know that the businesses they patronize appreciate them.
It’s Time To Sell Clothes on Your Shopify Store
Understanding how to sell clothes on Shopify involves more than just uploading products; it’s about creating a brand experience. By setting up your store step by step, customizing your theme, and actively marketing, you’ll be on your way to building a successful clothing business online. Contact us at Kiwi Sizing to get more information about integrating clothing apps with your online store.
