Here is How You Can Avoid Them
When it comes to fashion startups, there are a lot of things that can go wrong, from failing to properly connect with your target audience to not having a solid system that will help you keep track of your inventory and fulfill orders the right way. That being said, 90% of startups will fail and shut down, so it’s plain to see that every industry is competitive.
Needless to say, there are plenty of potential pitfalls, and if you want to stay ahead, you have to employ the right tactics to give other fashion industry businesses solid competition.
Below we will share some common pitfalls that plague fashion startups and tell you just how you can avoid them effectively.
Not Using The Right Tools
In any successful clothing brand, versatility, adaptability, and an eye toward success are key qualities. To ensure these qualities are met, fashion brands must keep an eye on their inventory at all times.
More often than not, problems with overstocking and understocking occur, and both lead to a loss in profit and time. However, avoiding this problem is not at all difficult. If you are running a fashion store and especially if you are selling online, you need assistance from solid apparel inventory management software.
The way apparel management software work is that it helps you monitor stock levels and sales data, enabling you to keep up-to-date information on all products stocked in your warehouse or storerooms. Furthermore, with these solutions, all clothing pieces can be tracked and accounted for easily, which makes order fulfillment a breeze.
Protective covers are also essential as they ensure items are protected from dust, pollution, and moisture. Lots of companies use paper cores to store their goods. However, this might be a mistake because cardboard is not very practical for long-term storage of clothing items. Moisture can cause mold and tearing to occur on the fabric, making it unmarketable or unusable.
Lacking Real Brand Identity
Fashion startups must build a recognizable and consistent brand identity to stay competitive from the start. Without an identity that speaks volumes, consumer attention will quickly fleet, leading to weak sales figures, low customer loyalty, and, eventually, business failure.
To avoid this, you should build a strong brand identity comprising elements such as clear messaging, aesthetic design choices, targeted campaigns, and a unique product offering. All these areas should unite to create a narrative that resonates with potential customers and motivates them to purchase on or off your site.
Not Getting The Right Exposure
Every beginning is difficult, and if you are in a competitive industry such as the fashion one, you are in for a challenging time. While it’s true that you will want to focus on developing a solid inventory first, you have to start with marketing as soon as possible.
Given that startups’ marketing budgets aren’t always padded, social media is the best way to get the right exposure and fast. Instagram is one of the largest platforms for fashion startups, as all users focus on visuals and sideline written content.
Here you can showcase all your new inventory additions and advertise your website by inserting a link that leads straight to it in your bio. When you start gaining an audience, you can go live and interact will all those that have fallen in love with your fashion pieces and spread the word about your fashion startup business organically, without having to spend a lot of money on marketing efforts.
Poor UX
As a business owner, ensuring that your fashion startup’s website has aesthetic and functional appeal is essential. A site with poor navigation, subpar design, or unresponsive functions can deter customers from filling their closets with the wonderful items you offer.
To ensure all prospects enjoy a captivating user experience on your site, you have to optimize navigation and engagement on your website. You can use popups to guide all prospects through your conversion funnel naturally and present them with solid incentives that will make them take action on your site.
You can also use other forms of interstitial ads, such as modals, to give all fashionistas a unique experience on your site. However, remember that excessive use of onsite ads can tank your performance on search engines. So, adopt a bare-bones approach and only use ads that you think you will enjoy as an individual looking to find elegant apparel.
While it’s definitely challenging to be an owner of a fashion business startup, it’s not at all impossible to become a success if you employ the right strategies and tactics. Take note of what we covered above and implement some of the strategies to ensure that your startup becomes a success.
