The only real sales outlet for screen printers right now? Online stores. Bulk custom orders – the traditional backbone of the industry – have dropped by more than 50% for thousands of print shops. That's why we wanted to share 7 tips we've learned from helping print shops across the US run thousands of online stores and collection millions of dollars in sales.
1. Use great artwork to drive sales
Strong artwork is great marketing. Do you already know some artists? Get their help. Maybe raise money for them, if they're out of work!
2. Set up your stores to be profitable and easy to fulfill
Since you're in the driver's seat with Merch, you can control the choices customers have and the way you actually get them their order.
3. Make your value proposition simple
They key here? Keep your value proposition simple. Something like: $10 per shirt sold! And we've already mocked up your shirts here: (include link to a quick logo mockup here).
4. Fewer choices equals more sales
Here's an amazing statistic: 85% of Merch stores that made more than $10,000 in sales had fewer than 9 items for sale.
5. Help your customers promote the store themselves
Lean on their existing goodwill to help market the stores. Tell them that it won't be successful without their active participation. People miss their local businesses and want to help!
6. Set realistic goals for your stores
As you work through your online store workflow, you'll want to give yourself room to grow.
7. Every new online store customer is an opportunity in the future
During checkout, customers need to enter their email address. You can collect this information and, when the time is right, do targeted advertising with it!
