If you are reading this article, it is likely that you are interested in the topic on t shirt dropshipping. But since there have already been a plethora of brands working in this market, you might be worried about starting your own.
We once thought so when running our first store last year until we saw the final results. And, we would love to share our journey and handy tips to help you thrive your business with ease. In our article today, we will be answering all of your concerns:
- How does t shirt dropshipping works? Is it profitable?
- How to start t shirt business with ease?
- What are the best t shirt dropshipping companies?
- Which platform should you choose to create your website?
- What are the tips for a successful t shirt dropshipping store?
How T Shirt Dropshipping Works? Is It Profitable?
1. How t shirt dropshipping works?
Up to now, dropshipping has been considered one of the most popular business types among eCommerce merchants. The market is predicted to be worth $372.47 billion by 2025, with 27% of online store owners choosing this model.
Simply put, running a t shirt dropshipping business means you are a middleman between the customers and suppliers. When your customers place an order, the dropshipping service company oversees the production and shipping process. All you have to do is promote your t shirt business and take care of customer service to guarantee the best shopping experience.
With the help of third-party dropshipping companies, you can avoid the tedious tasks of product and inventory management. Not to mention this helps you to save up an enormous amount of money to run the business.
2. Is t shirt dropshipping profitable?
Certainly!
The online t shirt market is a source of income for a sizable population. The global printed t shirts market is now worth billions of dollars and growing rapidly.
More specifically, the t shirts industry generates $44.56 billion in revenue in 2023. Annual market growth of 3.22% is forecasted (CAGR 2023-2027).
Additionally, it is reported that dropshippers may increase profits by as much as 50%. Not to mention when you’ve established a solid customer base, you may simply branch out from selling T-shirts to selling other apparel. What a potential business opportunity, right?
Gain more insight into the profitability of dropshipping through our article now: Is dropshipping worth it?
How To Start a T Shirt Dropshipping Business in 8 Steps
As you can see, the potential of t shirt dropshipping is limitless. However, we must admit that it is a competitive market at the same time. But don’t worry, once you follow the right path, success is in your hands.
Join us and follow these 8 steps on how to start your own t shirt business with ease:
No more beating around the bush; let’s jump right into it!
1. Define your t shirt dropshipping niche
If you want to sell print shirts online, finding a specific niche can help you stand out from the competition and identify the right target market.
In a highly competitive market, a broad category like “T shirts for people who like funny slogans” is unlikely to get discovered. You could probably tighten it up a little more. Instead, go for “T shirts with humorous phrases that appeal to medical professionals or dog owners”.
To seek the perfect niche for your preferences, here are several tools to help you:
- Google Keyword Planner: Measure customers’ demand for the items.
- Facebook Audience Insights: Identify the target audience’s demographics.
- Google Trends: Follow the fluctuation in popularity of a certain search term.
By settling on a specific market to serve, you can develop a more insightful business plan for your t shirt dropshipping store. Hence, you know all the steps to attract more customers effectively and generate higher profits in the long run.
2. Find the supplier
Working with an unqualified supplier may cause your t shirt dropshipping business to go downhill as it decides the entire production process. Therefore, we recommend taking your time with this stage to make the best decision.
To start on the right foot, you can based on the below factors:
- Quality
- Customer Service
- Return Policy
2.1. Quality
Product quality should be your primary concentration when dropshipping t shirt. Customers are likely to return to a t shirt brand and introduce it to others as long as they provide top-notch goods. Hence, it is crucial that a qualified vendor should be the first to be checked off your list.
2.2. Customer service
Efficiency is key to the success of your t shirt dropshipping company. Having open lines of communication with your provider is, thus, crucial. A company with knowledgeable employees or sales representatives will help you feel more confident when supporting customers, especially when they have any questions regarding your products.
2.3. Return Policy
It is inevitable that there will be times when your customers wish to return the products. A coherent return policy can help you determine whether the claimed fault exists (in which case you may return it to the manufacturer and alert them). Our take on this is that the suppliers’ policy needs to match your needs.
3. Source your products
After settling on a certain market and securing reliable suppliers, it’s time to decide on how to source your products. Since you are t shirt dropshipping, there are three ways for you to provide items:
- Self-designed products
If you are a creative person, feel free to showcase your talent to the world by designing the t shirts on your own. Or, hire an experienced designer to work with. There are multiple freelance networks, such as Behance, where you can seek the best designers across the world.
- Print-on-demand model
The great thing about this model is that no money is at stake until someone actually purchases the t shirts. Furthermore, your customers can even customize the shirt if they want to. More options for them, then why not?
- Dropshipping with a supplier
These vendors have all the pre-designed t shirts that you have been looking for. Pick the one that suits your customers, upload them onto the website, and start selling.
4. Build your online store
Here comes the most exciting part, building your online store! Of course, because you are selling dropship custom t shirts, you will need a proper website to attract customers and increase brand trust.
With our 10+ years of experience in the eCommerce industry, some of the most outstanding names are WooCommerce, Shopify, Wix, etc. The reasons will be explained further in the section on best dropshipping platforms for dropshipping.
5. Customize the storefront
The storefront design is the first thing that grasps your visitors’ attention and extends their stay. Even though a default theme has already been activated on your store, you might consider switching to a different theme so that it matches well with your brand’s spirit.
Based on your target audience research along with the brand’s characteristics, you should carefully select every detail from font, color scheme to elements organizations, etc. If you are starters, we recommend going for platforms that have easy-to-use customization tools and require minimum coding as possible.
For instance, Shelfies – a brand famous for its all-over print t shirts with humorous animal images. To express their brand identity, they chose a colorful design with simple font throughout the web pages.
Plus, because you are selling a wide variety of products, building a comprehensive menu system is extremely important. By doing this, your customers can quickly find their wanted items and increase the chance of purchasing them.
6. Install apps
Besides setting up themes, take advantage of the apps, too. From the start, the platform has already provided you will numerous built-in features, but these are not enough to reach your full eCommerce potential. For this reason, it is advisable to explore more options from the App Store and install them on your t shirt dropshipping website.
Their primary benefit is making t shirt dropshipping easier for your company. It’s no surprise that you will pick a time-saver method, given that dropshipping is not the same as standard model.
Some of the factors you should consider when choosing a dropshipping apps are:
- Fast-shipping service with an order tracking system
- Automatic order fulfillment
- Supportive customer service
- Positive reviews from previous clients
From what we have observed, several worth-mentioning apps that most dropshipping stores nowadays are currently using are Printify, Printful, Spocket, etc. They worked will almost every popular eCommerce platforms with outstanding features to help you out.
7. Test & Launch your store
Before going live, you need to test out all the functionality and, most importantly, the payment process. This way, if come across any errors, you can fix them just in time and ensure a smooth shopping experience for your customers.
So what’re you waiting for, it’s time to get on the ride to a successful t shirt dropshipping store. Bring your website to the world, orders are coming on their way!
8. Promote your brand
Our t shirt dropshipping success relies heavily on marketing. Therefore, it is crucial to the establishment of a reputable brand. Strategic approaches are required to unlock marketing’s potential. Here, are some tried-and-true digital marketing strategies through various distribution channels:
- Social media
- Advertisements
- Blog section
- Influencer marketing
- Email marketing
- Sales promotions
- And so much more!
More tips to drive sales will be discussed in length later on. Keep reading to find out.
Best Dropshipping Companies for Sourcing T Shirt
Regarding drop shipping shirts, you can work with printing service companies or suppliers. Whichever the case, we have come up with a list of the best t-shirt dropshipping companies for you to choose from. Consider your requirements and pick out the one!
1. Custom printing services
Just like its name suggests, these companies enable your consumers to customize the products in any way they want. Or, you may create and offer your own unique design to the customers. This is a perfect option for any creative online store owners!
1.1. Printful
At the top of our list, Printful is one of the best print on demand sites for running your t shirt dropshipping business. For dropshippers selling customized t shirts, the firm manages inventory, printing, and delivery. Direct-to-garment (DTG), cut-and-sew sublimation, embroidery, and screen printing are just some of the t-shirt printing options provided by Printful.
What we love about this t shirt design app is its quick shipping delivery process with on-time tracking updates. This way, you and your customers can be relived knowing the location of your package.
Printful offers seamless integration with multiple eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce. No limit to your success!
1.2. Printify
This is yet another popular POD provider. Printify employs direct-to-garment (DTG), screen printing, dye sublimation, and vinyl printing for sourcing POD t-shirts.
From our perspective, another outstanding feature is that it connects you with a worldwide network of printing partners. There will be more options to pick from, and you may tailor delivery times and costs by choosing a printer in close proximity to your target market.
1.3. SPOD
SPOD boasts a turnaround time of only two days, making it one of the quickest print-on-demand services available. During our testing of the service, we noticed that the shipping cost estimator is included for your convenience.
Digital direct, laser transfer, special flex, and sublimation are just some of the printing methods that SPOD provides. In addition, you may list and sell more than a hundred items using the service. SPOD may also be used to let buyers add their own photos and designs to items.
1.4. Apliiq
Apliiq is one of the best platforms available to drop ship custom t-shirts that prioritizes style and quality. If you’re looking to launch a high-end t shirt dropshipping brand and sell via a variety of online and offline retail channels, Apliiq is a wonderful partner since it offers greater wholesale prices than other print-on-demand suppliers (beginning at 20% off for a bulk purchase of 10).
2. Already-made design suppliers
Different from custom printing services, you will make purchases from third-party suppliers (often a wholesaler or manufacturer) when choosing this method. All of the designs are created and made by these suppliers in advance, giving you and your customers less customization abilities.
2.1. AliExpress
If you are going for third-party suppliers, don’t skip through AliExpress. This is an online marketplace that facilitates the transfer of goods between online stores and wholesalers on a global scale. Currently, they offer shipping service to 254 countries, with a total of 15 – 45 business days to arrive.
The reason why we recommend collaborating with this t shirt dropshipping supplier is that it is a great resource for newcomers to gain experience in the industry. All are covered, from market research to building supplier networks to placing bulk orders for future business!
2.2. CJDropshipping
Another strong competitor for t shirt dropshipping is CJDropshipping. This vendor offers several solutions for dropshippers to handle stock, orders, and deliveries. You may resale everything from electronics to T-shirts with CJDropshipping. In addition, CJDropshipping also offers a print-on-demand option.
CJDropshipping’s global warehouse network is a huge asset since it allows you to dropship to clients in any nation. Scaling up your business never seems easier!
2.3. Alibaba
For a long time, Alibaba has been a popular choice since you can find and work directly with suppliers without any middlemen. This is also the reason why the site caters to wholesalers rather than individual vendors.
Depending on your location, dropshipping may take some time. Deliveries may take as long as six weeks to arrive, which is the reason why we recommend you order in bulk at once.
Best Dropshipping Platforms for T Shirt Businesses
1. Shopify
We have no doubt that Shopify deserves the top spot in our list of the best platform for drop shipping t shirts. It is designed with easy-to-use features and customization tools, making it feasible for even starters to bring out the best version of their business.
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If you are attempting to start tshirt business on Shopify, here are our collections of the best themes:
- Shopify dropshipping guide: The details you should read
- Best Shopify themes for dropshipping: What are the choices?
- Best dropshipping apps for Shopify: The list that you can’t miss
2. Wix
Wix began as a simple drag-and-drop website builder for creating an attractive and functional website. In response to the rising popularity of online shopping, Wix has introduced Wix eCommerce, a platform that allows anybody to set up an online shop without knowing how to code or design.
To make room for t shirt dropshipping niche, Wix has collaborated with Modalyst, a large suppliers marketplace. After setting up your website, connect the two platforms and you will be able to drive sales from dropshipping. They have everything a dropshipper could be looking for.
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3. WooCommerce
It’s no secret that WooCommerce is a favorite among dropshippers. Since it is an open-source platform, Woocommerce has a huge community of developers working on it.
Even though there are multiple dropshipping plugins on the WooCommerce marketplace, many are quite expensive, which might be a challenge for low-margin merchants. Hence, you may connect with third-party suppliers such as AliExpress for a more reasonable price and an extensive collection of t shirt dropshipping functions.
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Besides AliExpress, we also have a list of the best WooCommerce dropshipping plugins to scale up business for your future reference. Take a look at it if you need to!
Need Help To Migrate Your Store?
If you are intending to migrate to a new eCommerce platform, LitExtension offers a great migration service that helps you transfer your data from the current eCommerce platform to a new one accurately and seamlessly with utmost security.
Tips For a Successful Dropshipping T Shirt Business
1. Order t shirt samples in advance
As you are working with a third-party supplier, it becomes much more difficult to ensure the best product quality. To avoid losing customers, you should order sample versions in advance to see how the actual product looks and feels. From then, you will be able to assess the quality of each supplier before making the real deal.
Not to mention, a sample order is the best approach to verify product quality, packing, and delivery timings. You’ll also get a feel for how your brand is received by customers throughout the unwrapping process.
2. Focus on marketing practices
With a provider taking care of everything from stocking to shipping, you’ll have more time to focus on growing your company. The goals of your plan should be to increase t shirt dropshipping brand awareness and accessibility.
2.1. SEO Optimization
Make sure people can discover your online shop when they enter the items on search engines. They can only do so if the phrase they’re using is identical to the terms on your website. If “t-shirt” is the more popular word used in searches, then “tee” should not be included in the product description.
Additionally, you can add a blog section to your website to boost your website’s ranking. You may keep your customer acquisition expenses low by optimizing the blog content according to search engines’ requirements.
Maximizing your website’s performance with SEO optimization? Here’s how:
- 8 eCommerce SEO strategies: Tips for a better ranking
- Shopify SEO checklist: Ultimate guide to rank on SERPs
- BigCommerce SEO guide: Useful checklist to optimize your store
2.2. Email marketing
Using email marketing, you may simultaneously communicate with a large number of people with the same interest in t shirt design. Build your robust email flow based on the customer journey, from the new product announcement to cart abandonment reminder. All of these have the same purpose to encourage customers to purchase from your website.
Find more email marketing strategies through our articles:
2.3. Social media channels
Up to 2023, there are over 4.9 out of 7 billion people worldwide are using social media. On average, they hop on 6 to 7 channels within one month. Now you know where to make the smart investment for your t shirt dropshipping business.
Set up your account on multiple channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Deliver the most creative social posts to attract more consumers.
Handy tips to boost your social media performance with our article on 6 ways brands can leverage social media to elevate their eCommerce strategy.
2.4. Paid advertisements
Also, make use of the advertisements to increase your conversion rate in no time. If you don’t know where to start with, Facebook is an excellent option thanks to its advanced targeting options.
Setting up suitable advertisements will help you expand your reach and increase brand awareness. After that, continue with Instagram and Google ads to grow your business.
3. Deliver supportive customer service
Customers may forget the specifics of their online purchases, but they will never forget how they were taken care of by the brand. This is where customer service comes into play.
Have fun with your customers, and include a Thank You note in the package through emails. Make sure each and every one of your customers knows how much they are appreciated. Create these patterns of showing thanks to your customers right from the start.
4. Provide lucrative offers
Promotions are also a great way to enhance customer engagement towards your t shirt dropshipping brand. You can offer freeship codes, bulk discounts, giveaways, or discounts for loyal customers. Give it a try, and you will see the spectacular result!
T Shirt Dropshipping – FAQs
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Final Thoughts
As you can see, setting up a t shirt dropshipping business was not that difficult. Hopefully, our article today on how to start a tshirt printing business has cleared all your doubts and helped you to make more informed decisions. If you need any help in moving from one platform to another for the best dropshipping experience, LitExtension – #1 Shopping Cart Migration Expert provides the utmost secured service. Feel free to contact us at any time, we are here to help!
We also have more tips and tricks included in the LitExtension Blog and Facebook Community Group are waiting for you.