As bloggers and content creators, we all have likely seen the massive growth in the world of online t-shirts, printing them, and also making some money in the process. It doesn’t matter if you are an affiliate marketer, a brand, or even someone who is considering the idea of printing and selling tshirts online, it’s a great business and market to be in.
However, just because you have an idea or concept of a few shirt designs, it most likely won’t be a straight line to success. Starting a business online is tough and more often than not, it’s harder than you thought it would be, right? There’s so much competition out there that you really have to stand out to get those sales.
You need to make sure that you have a top-notch product. Your t-shirt designs can’t be just okay, they have to be amazing. But how can you make people go “Wow!”?
#1 Know who your target audience is
You are an artist, but now you are running a business, and therefore you have to think as an entrepreneur.
Your first impulse probably is to create t-shirts that appeal to the broadest possible audience. That’s a big mistake. Things that are supposed to appeal to everyone usually appeal to no one.
That’s why it’s important to clearly define your target audience. What is their gender, age, and interests? What kind of a person would buy your T-shirt? How can you reach them? Knowing all these things is the key to selling a lot of t-shirts.
#2 Explore each t-shirt concept in-depth
Creating t-shirts that sell well is hard work. You might be tempted to just quickly sketch something, put it on your website, and call it a day. That is not the right way to approach it if you want to actually make money with this.
First, brainstorm potential t-shirt concepts, and write them all down. Then go through the list with your ideal customer in mind. Remember, you are not creating t-shirts for yourself, you are creating t-shirts for your customers, so you have to always ask: “Would my ideal customer like this?”
Then, once you narrow down to concepts that you think your ideal customer would like, start sketching them out. Don’t put too much thought into the first drafts, just get them out on paper or on the computer screen. Once that’s done, take a break, or even better, sleep on it.
Then, come back to your sketches with fresh eyes, and try to refine them. Are the colors right? What should you add and what should you remove? Is there a way to improve your concept? Don’t be half-hearted about this. Really push yourself to create the best t-shirt designs that you can. Treat it like art.
#3 Get feedback on your t-shirt concepts
You might guess what your customers want, but that is all that is, guesswork. In order to know for sure you must go to them and ask them what they think. You need to validate your concepts before you start selling the t-shirts.
So go where your customers hang out, show them your t-shirt concepts, and ask them what they think. Which one do they like the most? Which one do they like the least? Why? Really listen to their feedback. Only sell those t-shirts that got approval of your customers.
Keep in mind that it’s very important to collect the feedback from your customers, not just from friends and family. I know, you love your grandma, but her opinion on your black metal t-shirts is useless, unless she’s a metalhead herself. So don’t be shy, go out there, and ask questions. This will help you make t-shirts that people love!
#4 Follow the latest trends
T-shirts are often impulse buys. This means that they have to catch someone’s attention and be relevant to them somehow. The easiest way to do that is to ride a trend.
So observe your customers. What is popular among them right now? For example, if you are targeting atheists, then t-shirts with Christopher Hitchens’ quotes will never go out of fashion. However, at the moment Rick and Morty is a show that’s popular among them, so you can capitalize on that by creating some Rick and Morty t-shirts. Always keep your eyes open for the latest trends among your customers.
Keep in mind that trends fade away quickly, and if you are too late, it will be a waste of your resources. So once you have noticed a trend, act fast, and get few designs out there asap.
Photo by Felix Russell-Saw on Unsplash
#5 Use a reliable print-on-demand service
There are a lot of print-on-demand services out there. However, not all of them are made equal, and some of them are better than others.
I recommend you to go with reputable companies like Printify that provide best print on demand services at reasonable prices.
Do your research on this, and find an option that works for you, because going with the wrong service might lead to low quality t-shirts which will cripple your business.
How to Create and Sell Your Own TShirts Online
Selling print-on-demand t-shirts is not as easy as it looks. You can’t just quickly sketch something out, slap it on your website, and expect the sales to roll in. It takes a lot of effort to get a business off the ground.
So be willing to put in the work. Take time to understand your customers, develop winning concepts, and market your t-shirts. Only then you can expect to make decent money.