
<p>The online clothing business in Nigeria has experienced a surge during and after the covid 19 pandemic. It has become customary to see people sell clothes on their social media platforms.</p>



<p>The chances of seeing clothes being displayed on your social media timeline are high. If <a href="https://truehost.com.ng/ecommerce-website-in-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">selling online</a> doesn&#8217;t pay, many people won&#8217;t be doing it.</p>



<p>If you want your offline business to grow in this digital age, you need to take it online because that&#8217;s where things are happening.</p>



<p>Even though most people don&#8217;t go online with the sole aim of buying clothes, if they eventually see something they like, they will buy it.</p>



<p>That means you need to display your clothes to the right people at the right time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to start an online clothing business in Nigeria</h2>



<p>There are steps you need to take to start a successful online clothing business in Nigeria. These steps are ;</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Choose your online clothing business niche in Nigeria</li><li>Choose your online clothing business model in Nigeria</li><li>Host your online clothing business in Nigeria</li><li>Register your clothing business</li><li>Choose where to start your online store</li><li>Market and promote your online clothing business in Nigeria</li><li>Be active online ;</li></ol>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. Choose your online clothing business niche in Nigeria</h3>



<p>When you try to do all things you end up not doing anything. The decision of choosing a niche is one of the best decisions you can make if you want your online clothing business to grow.</p>



<p>You should be known for selling a particular style of clothes, don&#8217;t try to sell all styles of clothes</p>



<p>Decide on the niche you want to focus on. ;</p>



<p>There are different clothing niches in the market you can choose to focus on to build a brand</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Menswear</li><li>Womenswear</li><li>Fashion for kids</li><li>Casual look</li><li>Ankara</li><li>Aso Ebi</li><li>Caps and hats</li><li>Youth fashion</li><li>Teenage fashion</li><li>Suits</li><li>Native</li><li>Traditional clothes</li><li>T-shirts</li><li>Trousers</li><li>Second-hand clothes</li><li>Gowns</li><li>Nightgowns</li></ol>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Choose your online clothing business model in Nigeria</h3>



<p>There are generally four online clothing business models in Nigeria</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Print-on-demand</li><li>Custom cut-and-sew</li><li>Dropshipping</li><li>Buying and selling</li></ol>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1.Print-on-demand ;</h4>



<p>Print on demand (POD ) model is a business model that has to do with printing products only when a demand is made.</p>



<p>That is to say, you will display clothes on your website for people to see and order. When demand is being made for the products, your supplier will then print them.</p>



<p>After the printing is done, the clothes will now be shipped to your customers.</p>



<p>This model is still in its infancy in Nigeria, however, you need to know that something like this exists.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Private labeling</h4>



<p>Private labeling also known as white labeling is a process where a supplier designs clothes for people with their design and brand.</p>



<p>What this means is that a line of clothes can be designed in your brand without you having to be involved in the production.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Dropshipping ;</h4>



<p>Dropshipping business model is the process where an e-commerce merchant displays goods belonging to a supplier on his or her website for people to buy. ;</p>



<p>When the order is made, the supplier or manufacturer now ships the clothes directly to the buyer.</p>



<p>This business model is simple, your role is to look for a supplier and then connect them to the buyers.</p>



<p>You don&#8217;t have to worry about the inventory or storage of your clothes.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Buying and selling</h4>



<p>This is the process where you buy clothes from brands and <a href="https://truehost.com.ng/best-platforms-to-sell-online-in-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">companies to sell online.</a></p>



<p>You need to have your capital and a store to keep the clothes so you can ship them whenever an order is made.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Host your online clothing business in Nigeria</h3>



<p>Some of the platforms you can use to host your online clothing business in Nigeria are ;</p>



<p>1. E-commerce ;</p>



<p>2. Online marketplace</p>



<p>3. Social media ;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. E-commerce ;</h4>



<p>E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services to people over an electronic device on the internet.</p>



<p>In the same vein, you can sell your clothes on the internet for people to buy using electronic gadgets like phones, laptops or tablets.</p>



<p>The ways you can use to design your e-commerce website to start your online clothing business in Nigeria are ;</p>



<p>a.Outsource to a web developer</p>



<p>b.Use a website builder ;</p>



<p>c.Use WordPress</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">a.Outsource to a web developer</h5>



<p>If you want advanced and customised features on your eCommerce website then outsource the job to a web developer or a web development agency.</p>



<p>This option is expensive because the developer will have to design everything from scratch for your website.</p>



<p>But if you are just starting you can use the other options discussed below</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">b. Use a website builder</h5>



<p>Website builders make eCommerce website design easy and stressless.</p>



<p>They are tools with already-made templates for users to select and design a website with ease.</p>



<p>Some examples of website builders you can use for your clothing eCommerce business in Nigeria are Wix, <a href="https://olitt.com/">OLITT store</a>, Shopify and Weebly.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">c.WordPress</h5>



<p>WordPress is a Content management system (CMS) that is used to design and manage websites.</p>



<p>You can use WordPress to design an eCommerce website with a plugin called WooCommerce.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Online marketplaces</h4>



<p>The second option you have to sell your clothes online is by selling on online marketplaces.</p>



<p>In the world, there are renowned online marketplaces like Amazon and Alibaba, but in Nigeria, we have the likes of Konga and Jumia.</p>



<p>You can sell clothes <a href="https://truehost.com.ng/best-platforms-to-sell-online-in-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">online through Jumia, Konga, Jiji</a> etc.</p>



<p>In this case, you don&#8217;t own the website and you are not in charge of marketing or website maintenance. ;</p>



<p>Yours is to upload the images of clothes you want to sell and send products to the online marketplace whenever an order is being made. They will ship it directly to the buyer.</p>



<p>However, it&#8217;s important to note that they will take a commission whenever an order is made.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Social media</h4>



<p>People sell clothes on social media by posting images of items they have in stock.</p>



<p>Whenever people see it they show interest, after which negotiations would be made, if they are okay with the price they will eventually buy.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">4. Register your clothing business</h3>



<p>If you want to build a reputable online clothing business in Nigeria, you must register it with the Corporate Affairs Commission ( CAC ).</p>



<p>Doing so will assure you your business name won&#8217;t be used by another person or is not already in use by another person.</p>



<p>And then you can access loans, grants and other benefits.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">5. Choose where to start your online store</h3>



<p>By now, you should be aware of the platforms you can host your online store, therefore, ; you will further learn how to host your online clothing platform on these platforms.</p>



<p>You learn how to host your website on OLLIT shop <a href="https://truehost.com.ng/website-builder-in-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website builder</a> and WordPress.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">How to host your online clothing business in Nigeria using the OLITT shop</h4>



<p>OLITT website builder is a free website builder that you can use to design your online store within 3 to 5 minutes.</p>



<p>However, customizing and setting up your online store takes more time.</p>



<p>Even though OLITT has a free plan, if you want to enjoy the full features you will need to go for the premium plan.</p>



<p>See the complete features below</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Free hosting</li><li> ;Unlimited Storage</li><li> ;1 Free domain (when paid yearly)</li><li> ;1 Shop Template</li><li> ;Connect Multiple Custom Domains</li><li> ;Ticket &; Live Chat support</li><li> ;SEO &; Marketing tools</li><li> ;Additional Free Websites (10)</li><li> ;Remove OLITT branding ads</li><li> ;Social Media Integrations</li><li> ;Accept online payments</li><li> ;Sell unlimited products</li><li>Unlimited Bandwidth</li><li> ;Connect your Custom Domain ;</li><li> ;Support via forum &; KB only</li><li> ;Google ranking with SEO</li><li> ;DNS Management</li><li> ;Security with SSL</li><li> ;Discounted Domains</li><li> ;Free Pre-built Websites ;</li></ul>



<p>The cost of all these features is N12,500 per year only.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">How to use OLITT shop to start your online clothing business in Nigeria</h5>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Create an account with the OLITT store by visiting <a href="http://www.olitt.com">www.olitt.com</a></li><li>Choose a website template from the hundreds of available templates</li><li>Customize the website by changing colors, images, fonts, etc.</li><li>Connect your custom domain to your website</li><li>Upload your clothes images on the website</li><li>Specify the price of your products</li><li>Start selling</li></ol>



<p>The above are the steps to hosting an e-commerce clothing business using OLITT shop.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">How to host your online clothing business in Nigeria using WordPress</h4>



<p>Using WordPress to design an eCommerce website <a href="https://truehost.com.ng/domain-hosting-in-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">requires you to buy hosting and domain</a>.</p>



<p>Hosting is the space given to you on the internet to store your website files so users can retrieve them whenever they need them.</p>



<p>While Domain is the identity of your website on the internet. <a href="http://www.facebook.com.amd">www.facebook.com</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com">www.google.com</a> are examples of domain names.</p>



<p>No two websites can have the same domain. A domain name is unique to just one website.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Where to buy hosting and domain for your online clothing business in Nigeria</h4>



<p>There are lots of web hosting companies in Nigeria and overseas but we recommend Truehost cloud to you.</p>



<p>Truehost offers high-quality services at an affordable price. In addition, they have a 24/7 responsive customer support team that will meet all your questions promptly.</p>



<p>Below is the image of the price of Truehost plans.</p>



<p>Go to Truehost to buy your hosting and domain to start your online clothing business.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">How to use WordPress to start your online clothing business in Nigeria</h4>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">1. Acess your Cpanel</h5>



<p>After buying hosting and domain from Truehost, you will be sent the details to your Cpanel admin and other details. ;</p>



<p>But we are only concerned with the Cpanel credentials because that is what we will use to install WordPress.</p>



<p>You are to use the Cpanel details sent to your email to access your Cpanel admin. Cpanel is like the control room for your website.</p>



<p>You can manage the files on your website through the Cpanel.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2. Install WordPress</h5>



<p>When you have logged in to your admin dashboard, scroll down to the Softaculous apps installer.</p>



<p>There you will find different CMS, however, your focus is on WordPress. Click on the WordPress icon and install it.</p>



<p>After a successful installation of WordPress, you will next access your WordPress dashboard through <a href="http://www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin">www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin</a>. For example, if Google.com is your website domain, you will locate your WordPress admin through <a href="http://www.google.com/wp-admin">www.google.com/wp-admin</a>.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">3. Install themes and plugins</h5>



<p>Your WordPress site needs a theme and plugins to function.</p>



<p>A theme is a software with already-made templates that you can customise to your desire, while plugins are software that adds functionalities to a WordPress website.</p>



<p>When you install the theme, your website will have a new look and feel. There are free and premium WordPress themes.</p>



<p>The premium themes have more customization than the free themes. If you want advanced features, buy a premium theme.</p>



<p>With the right plugin, you can make your website perform about any function you desire.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">4. Install WooCommerce ;</h5>



<p>WooCommerce is the plugin that makes it possible for you to sell on your website. ;</p>



<p>When you <a href="https://woocommerce.com/document/start-with-woocommerce-in-5-steps/">install WooCommerce</a>, you will be able to add products, pricing, product description, reviews and a lot more.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">5. Upload your product images</h5>



<p>When you have installed WooCommerce, you will find the tab that allows you to upload product images.</p>



<p>Also, you will be able to describe each product you are uploading.</p>



<p>You can add many pictures for one product so your website visitors will have a multidimensional view of the clothes you are uploading.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">6. Market and promote your online clothing business</h3>



<p>When you have set up your store, the next thing is to market and promote the products.</p>



<p>Because having online clothing is just one among many things you will be doing to grow your online clothing business.</p>



<p>You will need to market it shamelessly, and use every means possible to promote your e-commerce site. ;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ways to promote your online clothing business in Nigeria</h4>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">1. Social Media</h5>



<p>Use all social media platforms available to tell people about your products, brand and business.</p>



<p>There are millions of people visiting social media daily therefore Social media is a good place to let people know about your clothes.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2. Search engine optimization (SEO)</h5>



<p>Search engine optimization is the practice done to bring organic traffic to a website.</p>



<p>One of the best ways to bring long-term traffic is through SEO. And it is achieved by creating quality content.</p>



<p>When quality SEO-optimized content is created over time on a website, it will attract lots of traffic daily.</p>



<p>Some of this traffic or people visiting your blog can turn to faithful customization over time.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Search engine marketing (SEM</strong>)</h5>



<p>Remember SEO is organic traffic, SEM is the opposite of SEO.</p>



<p>It is traffic gotten by paying Google or other search engines to promote a website when a search is made on the internet or a task is carried out on the internet.</p>



<p>When you pay Google, you will be charged whenever people click on your website through ads.</p>



<p>That&#8217;s why SEM is also called PPC (Pay per click).</p>



<p>SEM is also a good way to bring quality traffic to your website because such people are already looking for what you are selling.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">4. Influencer marketing</h5>



<p>You can get influencers who have your targeted audience as their followers to promote your brand.</p>



<p>When an influencer uses your clothes or talks about them, their followers will most likely buy from you too. ;</p>



<p>Since someone they look up to is using your product.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">7. Be active online ;</h3>



<p>Promote your website daily.</p>



<p>Be ready to answer people&#8217;s questions at all times. If you don&#8217;t have the time to do all these, you can hire a staff to do it for you.</p>



<p>When potential customers can&#8217;t reach out to you when they have questions you will lose them.</p>



<p>Having a dedicated customer support team will help your business grow.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why you should start your online clothing business in Nigeria</h2>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>It is easy to start</li><li>You can sell your products 24/7</li><li>Your online store can&#8217;t be broken into</li><li>You can sell to people all over Nigeria</li><li>Your cost is reduced</li></ol>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h3>



<p>Starting an online clothing business in Nigeria is easy if you have the patience to start and grow it.</p>



<p>The clothing business in Nigeria will continue to grow because of the rapid increase in population and also because people are always in need of clothes.</p>



<p>Since many people are now online, getting your clothing business online is a good idea.</p>



<p>Use OLITT shop to start your website today if you want to use a website builder.</p>



<p>Or <a href="https://truehost.com.ng/webhosting-in-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">buy hosting and domain from Truehost</a> if you want to use WordPress to start your online clothing business store in Nigeria.</p>