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Business Tips

Measuring Black Friday Success in 2020

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are on the horizon. You may already be activating your sales campaigns for this annual sales event. You probably have plans to increase your brand’s awareness, sales and engagement with your audience during this annual moment in retail sales.

But, have you thought about how to measure your success and use these findings to help you in future campaigns or even next BFCM? If not, no worries – we got you. Even if you have a plan, take a look at our suggestions for additional inspiration!

First, the disclaimer: measuring something is always better than measuring nothing. Data analysis can be overwhelming for some but starting small and tracking one metric is better than tracking nothing.

These example metrics may not be in line with your brand goals or maybe they’re outside your wheelhouse to measure – that’s okay! The guiding principles we want to share is to write down what you’re doing for BFCM, identify the overall objectives and the specific goals for each initiative, capture the data and analyze it to help you grow your business. Let’s get into some of our top measuring tips.

Write it down

Before you measure, you must know what business and marketing tactics you’re measuring. Maybe you’ve added additional social posts driving to your sales items on top of your regularly scheduled programming. Or maybe you’re pivoting your regular content to drive awareness and conversion for your BFCM schedule. And maybe your business is so new that this is your first sales campaign (yay!). Whatever the case, write down what you’re doing to make comparisons in the future.

Here’s an example list of business and marketing initiatives:

  • Regular non-BFCM social posts
  • Extra BFCM social posts
  • Regular non-BFCM ads (and retargeting!)
  • BFCM ads (and retargeting!)
  • BFCM discounts
  • Regular non-BFCM discounts
  • Regular loyalty discounts
  • BFCM website promotional banner
  • Best-selling product sales pre-BFCM
  • Best-selling product for BFCM sales
  • Website traffic pre-BFCM
  • Website traffic during BFCM
  • Repeat customer discounts
  • Best-selling collection BFCM sale
  • Black Friday special reminders

Define your objective

Now that you’ve outlined what you’re going to do, what is your ideal outcome? During BFCM, you likely want increased revenue and conversions but by how much? Your objectives must be time-restricted, specific, measurable, attainable and relative to your store. All your business and marketing initiatives should scale up to your overall business objective.

Make sure your objectives are appropriate for your store. If you are beginning your online business journey, don’t place all your measuring efforts on sales alone. Measuring other performance data such as website traffic and customer drop off points during the sale journey are extremely valuable to increase your store’s long-term profitability.

Identify what you can measure and make goals

After identifying your objectives and initiatives, it’s time to figure out what you can measure. This is where things can get overwhelming – especially if data looks like quantum physics! If you’re new to sales or even to e-commerce software, start where you’re comfortable to keep your data measuring momentum.

  • If you’re measuring the success of your Facebook or Instagram social posts, view the insights per post and per page on each platform. These snapshots will tell the story of how well each post performed and your page’s health during a specific period. Some helpful metrics include reach, impressions, engagement rate and clicks.
  • If you’re measuring your online store sales or other sales data, Shopify Analytics is a built-in reporting software providing valuable information about your store, your customers and your product performance. All Shopify plans have access to sales reporting but some have limitations so make sure to check what data is available to you based on your plan. Check out this Shopify Blog Post to learn more about how Shopify Analytics can work for you.
  • If you’re more advanced and have set up Google Analytics to track your BFCM campaign success, make sure your goals are set up correctly to accurately capture user behaviour and overall data.
  • If you’re using Shopify Marketing regularly or trying it out for BFCM, make sure your campaigns are set up properly to track your performance. If you’re interested in learning more about Facebook Ads through Shopify, check out this helpful blog and video tutorial.

Now you know where you’re getting the data from but what data is important to track? This goes back to your objectives, initiatives and setting your goals. The data you should track will reflect the goals you have set for your initiatives. Don’t place a lot of pressure on setting the “perfect” goal and simply set goals based on existing data or what makes sense for your stores. As you continue to measure your success, you’ll increase your goal setting skills.

Here is an example of how to link your business and marketing initiatives to specific and measurable goals:

Initiative: BFCM website promotional banner outlining the sales details runs from November 21 – 27, 2020.

Goal:  Increase online store conversion rate by 3% from November 21 – 27, 2020 over the previous week.

Method of measure: Shopify Analytics reports on online store conversion rates and has time comparison features.

Conduct this exercise for each initiative to identify what you’re doing, what your goals are and how you’ll track the performance. It will provide you valuable information on how to improve the longevity of your online business.

Additional resources

If you haven’t already, check out these helpful Shopify articles to prepare you for BFCM:

The 27-Point Checklist to Prepare Your Store for Black Friday Cyber Monday

Three Trends That Will Shape Black Friday Cyber Monday 2020

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Slaite Library

Shopify Do’s and Don’ts

You’ve begun your custom apparel journey and you’re ready to sell to your customers. The last thing you want to worry about is technical difficulties. Whether it’s issues with Shopify settings or order issues, you want your customers’ journey to be seamless. We’ve got some helpful tips for you to keep the momentum without the hiccups.

Vendor Settings

Keeping Slaite as the vendor for Slaite products ensures when an order is placed, Slaite is notified and can begin fulfilling the order. Slaite is the default vendor for our products but if you are experiencing issues, check the vendor settings. Here’s a quick video to show you how to ensure your Slaite products are set to Slaite as the vendor.

Instructions:

  • Login to Shopify and select ‘Products’
  • Remain in the ‘All Products’ section
  • Select your Slaite products
  • Select ‘Edit Products’
  • Select ‘Add Fields’
  • Under the ‘General’ section, select ‘Vendor’
  • The ‘Vendor’ field will populate
  • Ensure the Vendor is ‘Slaite’ and do not change the vendor *Note: your customers will not see Slaite as the vendor

Order Processing Settings

Selling out of stock products is a headache. Avoid these issues by checking the default settings in your inventory page. Follow along with this video to ensure your products are not being sold when they are out of stock.

Instructions:

  • Login to Shopify and select ‘Products’
  • Select ‘Inventory’ from the Products section
  • Under the ‘When Sold Out’ column, it should read ‘Stop Selling’
  • If it reads ‘Continue Selling’, select your Slaite products and select ‘More Actions’
  • Select ‘Stop Selling When Out of Stock’
  • If you cannot see your products, select the location dropdown at the top right. ‘Slaite Fulfillment’ will be in one of the dropdown options
Categories
Slaite Library

How to Set Up Shipping Profiles in Shopify

Need help with setting up shipping in Shopify? We’ve got you.

You’ve signed up to Shopify, you’ve designed your Slaite products and you’re ready to sell – congratulations!

Now you want to set up your shipping prices for your customers. We’ve got you.

Here are instructions to set up your Shopify shipping profiles and rates:

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Shopify made a small modification to the shipping profile setup without sending out communications. We apologize for this inconvenience, and we are currently updating our blog post to reflect the change.

We recommend deleting the current shipping profile you have for Slaite, if you haven’t already, and follow the below instructions:

  1. Login to Shopify and select ‘Settings’
  2. Select ‘Shipping and Delivery’
  3. Select ‘Create New Profile’
  4. Input ‘Slaite’ into the name field
  5. Select ‘Add Products’
  6. Select all your customized Slaite products synced to Shopify *Note: make sure the products selected are only Slaite products
  7. Under ‘Shipping From’, select ‘Manage’ the profile ‘Slaite Fulfillment’. If ‘Slaite Fulfillment’ isn’t visible, select ‘Show Details’ and select ‘Manage’.
  8. Under ‘Create New Rates’, select ‘New rates for Slaite fulfillment’
  9. Scroll down after selecting ‘New rates for Slaite fulfillment’ and select ‘Create shipping zone’ under ‘Shipping from Slaite Fulfillment’
  10. Name the zone, i.e.: North America
  11. Select countries for assigned zone, i.e. Canada and the United States
  12. Select ‘Add Rate’
  13. Ensure ‘Set up your own rates’ is selected
  14. Input ‘Standard’ into rate name field
  15. Input assigned shipping rate, example: $4.99USD or $6.24 CAD for US & Canadian shipping.
  16. Once the shipping profile has assigned zones and rates, you can test this by viewing your store and performing a test order
  17. If you successfully created your shipping profile, your assigned shipping rate should match the shipping cost in the checkout page.

If you’re looking to create advanced shipping profiles or set up conditions in your shipping profiles, check out the Shopify tutorials linked below.

Shopify Resources

Shopify Shipping Rates *This article discusses setting up conditions in shipping profiles based on order price or order weight

Categories
Design Tips

6 Best tips for custom embroidery

Need some help for embroidery best practices? We’ve got you.

What is embroidery?

Embroidery decoration sews your design onto your chosen garment using a needle and polyester thread. A backing is placed on the inside of the garment to ensure the embroidery stitches do not unravel. Slaite uses a fully automated process where machines read a digitized pattern of your design to reproduce your creativity onto a product.

Why use embroidery?

Embroidery decoration has a vintage aesthetic. Embroidery immediately turns a blank canvas into a classic style. In addition to the classical look of embroidery, this decoration type is significantly durable. Since the design is sewn directly onto the garment, it can withstand wash and wear. Here’s an example to show the journey of a logo to a digitized image ready for embroidery.

Original Logo
Logo courtesy of Canadian Threads
Digitized image for logo placement larger than 3″
Logo courtesy of Canadian Threads

When a logo is placed on a location smaller than 3″, for example: on the side of the hat, it is wise to consider the outline, shadows and fine details of the image. These may need to be removed which will result in the below image.

Digitized image for logo placement smaller than 3″
Logo courtesy of Canadian Threads

Consider these key elements:

Risky Material

When selecting your product to embroider, it’s important to consider the type and weight of material. A lightweight, polyester t-shirt with stretch is not a good match for embroidery. The slippery fabric often stretches when embroidered and your design will end up looking disproportionate. When using embroidery on a garment, it’s best practice to use a heavy material that can withstand the decoration.

Slaite strongly advocates for research and testing. We ensure any product available for embroidery was tested for quality, so you don’t have to play a guessing game.

Read the Fine Details

Typically, details in embroidered designs work great. However, when the details contain a lot of fine lines or small elements, your logo may be distorted. This happens because the polyester thread appears thicker than laser-specific ink with Direct to Film (DTF) printing.

Before a design is embroidered, the design image undergoes a digitization process. This process changes your artwork into a readable digital file for the embroidery machine. While some complex designs may be simplified slightly to ensure it can be rendered onto the garment.

Color Instincts

While there are no significant color restrictions, embroidery is unable to blend colors how DTF print can. When using color in your embroidery design, it is best practice to use clean color breaks to ensure your design looks crisp and vibrant.

Location, location, location

When designing your custom garment, it’s important to consider the location of the embroidered design and how that location will change when the garment is worn. For example, choosing the chest, sleeves or back of the neck locations to embroider is likely a great way to ensure the garment doesn’t fold during wear and obscure the look of your design.

Tip Your Cap

Hats are among the most difficult garments to embroider because the stitching is conducted on a curved object. Consider using simple designs with clear lines when designing a hat to ensure the design integrity.

Sampling Encouraged

We always encourage our Creators to purchase samples (at cost!) to get an idea of the look and feel of their custom garment. It’s the best way to ensure the products you sell on your online store are exactly how you envisioned them.

Have more questions?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have more embroidery questions!

Categories
Business Tips

Black Friday Success in 2020

What does Black Friday and Cyber Monday success look like in 2020?

We’ve already told you how e-commerce is trending up in 2020. Earlier this year, experts predicted an increase in overall e-commerce performance and online sales. With COVID-19 and restrictions in place globally and consumers shifting behaviours to online sales, e-commerce outperformed the experts’ predictions before the year has ended. We break down how a print-on-demand drop-shipping business can take advantage of this historically in-store annual consumer spending spike opportunity without typical in-store mania. 

Setting the groundwork 

With the in-store limitations and restrictions for COVID-19 prevention, many retailers will turn to a digitally-focused approach. Translation: the competition will be strong and standing out will be important. However, consumer online shopping habits have increased in 2020 which means more online retail sales will be strongly met with an audience hungry for catching a deal.  

Your advantage: a print-on-demand business offers customers a custom, unique and exclusive purchasing experience. Understanding and leveraging your unique position as an e-commerce retailer is paramount to standing out during the sales. But if you need more help to plan your strategy, we have other tricks on how to stand out and make a profit during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

Expecting the unexpected 

The 2020 anthem is: expecting the unexpected. This does not translate into throwing out strategic planning and data collection. Whether you’re a novice or veteran online business owner, it is crucial to establish a tailored plan for your business and measure the success to help better guide and inform future sales and collect consumer data.  

Early bird gets the worm 

Historically, brick and mortar retailers announce Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales the day before or on Black Friday to create a sense of urgency and excitement. The best deals usually run from Friday through to Monday with various discounts across product offerings although some retailers extend sales or change discount details daily (or hourly!) for variety.  

Experts predict consumer holiday shopping will occur earlier in 2020 because of potential delays or safety precautions. According to a Visa study, a mere 20% of U.S. shoppers plan to purchase their holiday gifts in-store. Retail companies are wise to this consumer trend and some companies have begun advertising Black Friday discounts in October.  

To differentiate your online custom apparel business from the competition or other retailers, consider planning your Black Friday discounts to begin a week or two before. Planning your Black Friday and Cyber Monday after the U.S. Thanksgiving is unwise. Consumer excitement wears off and you’re unlikely to get your customers’ attention. An early sale helps you stand out from the crowd of retailers without targeting “shopped-out” customers.  

Extra, extra! 

Announce your sale across all your channels: website, email, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or wherever your brand is visible. But, be warned: according to Bluleadz, multiple offers on your landing page may decrease conversion by 266%. Translation: advertise your sales without clutter. 

Consider temporarily changing the banner to outline your biggest discount and dedicate a specific sale page to outline any additional sales you may have. If you’re considering one site-wide sale, consider temporarily changing the landing page of your website to detail your sale.  

Homepage promotions are certainly important but do not neglect the rest of your customer’s journey. In each stage of purchase or viewing your website, make your sale and promotion visible and understandable. 

Other popular Black Friday promotional tools include a countdown clock on social or your website, a Facebook event or an Instagram Live to announce the sales. Wherever your business is active and engaged with its audience, you must advertise your Black Friday deals to reap the benefits. 

Bullseye 

Segmenting and appropriately targeting your audience are important when promoting your sales. Before you announce your sales, segment your list and target each list member based on products they have already purchased. You can find helpful information about your customers in the Shopify behaviour reports. Using helpful – and readily available – consumer data can not only tell you information about your customers and target audience but it can also help improve your marketing and promotions strategy. 

Some segmenting strategies include personalized discount codes or rebate programs for your loyal customers. A personalized email delivering the good news and thanking your customer for their business is an excellent tactic to increase sales and brand affinity. 

Popularity contest 

If you’re leaning towards select items for your Black Friday sale, choose your most popular items and advertise them as just that – the most popular items. Customers who are new to your site are likely to peruse the most popular products – after all, they are purchased and loved the most.  Consider creating a holiday gift guide, featured collection or a best-seller list.  

Technical difficulties  

Like we mentioned before, expect the unexpected. This mantra applies for all technical components of your Black Friday sale. After you’ve designed your strategic plan, complete technical testing as well as a test run of your tactics.  

Not sure what to look for? Consider the following: 

  • Test your website load time and reach out to your hosting provider if the website needs an upgrade. If you’re website is hosted exclusively with Shopify, click here to check the stress status of Shopify. 
  • Quadruple check if your online store is mobile-friendly for various phone providers and web browsers (example: Apple or Android and Safari or Chrome) and is viewable in default or dark custom display settings. 
  • If you are measuring with any analytics tools, ensure the goals are precisely set up to capture all data. 
  • If your customers are using a discount code, try testing an order with the discount code to ensure it is working and is applying to the correct items. Click here for Shopify test order instructions. 

Honesty is the best policy 

Display your return policy in clear and understandable terms. You may have new customers or guests purchasing a holiday gift for their loved ones. As a print-on-demand business, it is imperative to display your return policy during a Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale to keep your customers informed and happy. 

Categories
Design Tips

BEST DESIGN TIPS FOR DIRECT TO FILM (DTF) PRINTING

Implement these best practices for design to ensure your DTF garment stands out

You’re beginning your e-commerce, print-on-demand journey. You’ve got ideas, an aesthetic and the target market. Your designs are carefully curated to represent your brand and identity, but you’re concerned how the design will turn out.

As the technical experts, we know the amount of work needed to create a masterpiece and we want to help you keep the integrity of your design when they are rendered on a garment. Whether it’s your first time working with print-on-demand or you’re a seasoned pro, a quick brush-up on best design practices and tips will keep you creating beautiful designs on high quality products for your customers.

Resolution: what is it and why does it matter?

Dots per inch (dpi) is a term used for spatial printing and refers to the number of individual dots that can be placed in one inch to make up an image.

With a lower dpi, the image will appear pixelated, stretched or otherwise warped. If you can imagine the evolution of digital graphics for video games, a lower dpi will produce an old school, boxy image and a high dpi will produce a crisper and more realistic image.

The optimal resolution for Direct to Film (DTF) printing is 300 dots per inch (dpi). If you are creating your custom collection and add an image with a low dpi resolution, you will be alerted by our in-app design tool to choose a higher resolution image.

Can’t find your image dpi?

If you’re onboard with dpi but don’t know if your image meets the requirements, it’s an easy find!

On a PC: Right click the image file and select “Properties” > “Details”.

On a Mac: Control-click the image and select “Get Info” > “More Info”.

Is it the right match?

Similar to dpi, if your file type is not compatible with the design tool or is too large, you will run into problems when designing your catalogue.

The best file types are jpeg, png, gif and bmp with a maximum size of 25MB.

Consider your composition.

Now that your design meets all requirements and reflects your creative mind, the next step is to select the design’s location on the garment. Our in-app design tool alerts creators when the design falls outside the designated printing location to ensure your artwork is rendered completely and not cut off.

Your design’s composition is also important to consider before printing. If your design contains multiple elements, it would be better suited for a larger garment to capture the complexity of the design. When your design has minimal elements, ensure the branding or imagery is strong enough to perform solo.

Be transparent.

If you want your design to stand out, you may think a contrasting background will make the artwork stand out on your garment. Typically, we see designs with transparent backgrounds truly stand out garments. Let your garment be the background for your design and let your creativity shine!

Color us happy.

We love color! But there can be too much of a good thing. The rule of three colours suggests that selecting three colors – not including black or white – is a design technique to give artwork dimension, vibrancy and cohesion without overwhelming the eye.

What’s your typography?

Choosing the right typography (font) for your design ensures your creativity and message are legible. If you’re using a script font, ensure your garment is large enough to capture the details and try alternating each line with a simple, easy to read text.

Still have unanswered questions about design or DTF? Check out our FAQ or send us an email and we will be happy to assist you.

Categories
Business Tips

Side Hustling in 2020

What is the gig economy and why is it significant in 2020?

The Harvard Business Review tells us the “gig economy” was coined to reference knowledge-based work and the decline of large agency firms completing outsourced work for large corporations. While the gig economy did not materialize this way, the term is alive and well. When we talk about the gig economy, we’re referencing the freelancers, artists, side-hustlers, contract and independent workers. Freelance, contract and independent workers make up the bulk of the gig economy workforce with a combined income of almost USD$1 trillion.

Working a “standard” 9am-5pm and retiring after 30 years with one company is a slowly dissolving reality. In Canada, the gig economy made up 8.2% of the workforce in 2016. This number is predicted to grow in correlation with rapidly evolving social media and e-commerce platforms.

Who works in the gig economy?

You may automatically think of artists, musicians, influencers and creatives as gig workers but there are many more types of gig workers. Airbnb landlords, small business owners, seasonal workers, multiple job holders, contractors, consultants, part-time workers and volunteers can all be considered gig workers. 

What’s the appeal?

Most people looking to enter the gig economy are seeking a better work-life balance. In fact, 64% of millennials want to have a “side hustle” to make extra money and 60% of independent gig workers consider their working conditions to be flexible. With an increased monthly income, flexible working conditions and autonomy over what gigs workers choose to employ, it’s no wonder this workforce continues to grow.

How can you get into the gig economy?

If you’re a creative mind and have a vision to mix your creativity with business, consider setting up your online store to sell your branded merchandise. Setting up an online store with an e-commerce platform has an initial low monetary investment and a low time investment to get started. With a print-on-demand drop-shipping app like Slaite, you can also avoid the time and money investments for production, warehousing and shipping without compromising quality. Slaite charges no setup fees and is here for you every step of the way.

The best part?

Owning your business and investing in yourself has benefits beyond additional monthly income. Your business acumen and know-how will continue to grow the more you invest in yourself and your labour of love. With the e-commerce industry growing at a rapid rate in 2020, now is the time to monetize your creativity and begin your side hustle journey.

If you have more questions about print-on-demand, drop-shipping or who Slaite is, check out our blogs and FAQ section or send us a message. We are always ready to help Creators realize their creative vision.

Categories
Business Tips

What is drop-shipping?

Heard the term but aren’t quite sure what “drop-shipping” is? We’ve got answers

If you’ve considered creating an e-commerce business recently or are already an established business owner, you have probably heard about drop-shipping. If you’ve never heard about it, keep reading and you’ll gain some supply knowledge!

How does it work?

Drop-shipping is, in basic terms, a form of supply chain management. The business owner does not house any goods in a warehouse or a brick-and-mortar store and instead outsources fulfillment and shipping to a third-party. When a customer places an order, the third-party is notified and executes fulfillment and shipping procedures. The business owner doesn’t have to get involved with product inventory, fulfillment or shipping and can focus their energy and money on marketing and business development.

How does it work for Slaite?

Slaite is a print-on-demand and drop-shipping service. We work with Creators to bring their designs to life and remove the headache from logistics responsibilities. Once a Creator has designed and published their custom collection, we fulfill orders as we receive them. When a customer orders a specific product, we digitally print or embroider the corresponding design to the garment. Once the order is fulfilled, we work with our trusted shipping partners to deliver your products to your customers.

What are the pros to using Slaite?

  • Low startup investment
    • Investing in samples, advertisements and marketing your products is always recommended for success but you will save on warehousing, fulfillment and shipping!
  • No logistics fees
    • Creators can effectively run an online business without paying high service fees for inventory management, production equipment and shipping costs. We take care of the headaches so you can focus on the business.
  • Trusted and experienced partner
    • Our parent company has worked with custom printing and shipping logistics for over 20 years. We research and test all products and decoration styles and we have extensive experience with shipping logistics. You’ve got the creative spirit and we’ve got the know-how.
  • Continually emerging e-commerce climate
    • Retail spaces are moving online and recent consumer behaviour indicates an affinity with online shopping. The time is right to combine your creative design with an online business plan. Slaite is here to help you succeed.

What are the potential cons for drop-shipping?

  • Longer production times
    • To avoid wasteful over-manufacturing and creating products that will not end up being sold, Slaite produces products on-demand and per order. This can result in a marginally longer fulfillment time to produce customized and high-quality products. We are consistently looking at methods to optimize our production times to get your products to your customers as quickly as possible.
  • No direct handling of your product
    • We take our position as your trusted creative right hand seriously. We research, test and vet all our products and we are continuously reviewing technological improvements to keep our decoration equipment state-of-the-art. We always recommend purchasing product samples to ensure your products look exactly the way you want them to.

Still have questions?

We welcome feedback and questions from all Creators. If you’re still confused about drop-shipping, send us a message! We will happily help you with all your Slaite queries.

Categories
Business Tips

What is POD?

Curious about print-on-demand? Let us help shed some light!

If you’re a creative mind, an entrepreneur or a community leader, you may have considered printing your design, logo or organization imagery onto products to sell to your audience. Historically, this could require product selection, product quality testing, bulk orders, expensive production equipment, inventory management, shipping expenses… the list goes on!

Enter: print-on-demand

Print-on-demand (POD) services make that process simple. You (the creative genius) work with a supplier that is equipped to manage inventory, print and drop-ship your customized products per-order. Once you have a customized collection created, the fulfillment process is quite simple. You can focus on marketing your products and making a profit.

Is it expensive?

Some POD services may charge monthly fees or other service fees – at Slaite, we don’t charge anything.

There are no hidden costs:

  • Sign-up is free
  • Designing your custom collection is free
  • Samples are available at cost price
  • Posting to your online store is free
  • Access to your Slaite sales is free

Who can use print-on-demand?

Anyone can get started with Slaite. If you have a creative vision, we have the expertise to help you execute your vision. Through our parent company, Slaite has over 20 years of custom printing experience. We elevate your creative business and give you the freedom to focus on business development.

What should I know before I get started?

Taking your time to get started can help set you up for success and Slaite is here for you throughout the whole process. Before you get started, you should consider the following:

  • Identify your market: Who are you selling to? What do they need? What do they like? Conducting market research before setting up can help guide your business decisions and improve your understanding of your audience.
  • Setting up an online store: Currently, Slaite can integrate with Shopify but we are working on expanding the selection.
  • Consider your design: Digital displays present images differently than the printed version of the same image. Ensure the hard work you’ve put into your design by following best practices when uploading your artwork. Check out our FAQ for more info!
  • Order samples: We encourage all our Creators to order samples for quality purposes and to help you when you begin marketing your products.
  • Understand shipping: Even with the miracle of drop-shipping which removes the role of shipper from our Creator, it is important to understand shipping logistics. Before setting up your shipping profiles in your online store, consider where your market audience is located to avoid over-complicating shipping for your customers. Check out our FAQ for more info!

If you have more questions about print-on-demand or how Slaite works, check out our FAQ or send us a message. We are always happy to hear from creative minds!

Categories
Business Tips

Slaite App- The Canadian Print-on-Demand Provider for your Brand

Taking your creativity and monetizing on it is the perfect way to describe the current e-commerce industry. Whether you’re an artist or an entrepreneur — there is space for every type of business online.

Starting an online print-on-demand business can be tough but it also provides certain freedoms that a regular business does not. The traditional route of buying inventory and then managing it on your own is something of the past. You can now set up your shop, design your products and sell them with ease online.  

Print-on-demand services are a great option to consider when setting up your e-commerce business. Here’s what you’ll get when you sign up for Slaite and choose us as your print-on-demand provider!

Why Slaite is the ideal choice for your print-on-demand business

Diversity of Products

What you sell makes a difference. The standard classic tee is essential but it’s the unique products that will make you stand out from the crowd. We have a wide selection of products, from tees to hats, on our site that can be designed with your artwork. Each product has certain features, such as the material, color or size selection that makes it a distinctive choice for your design.

It’s essential to have the perfect combination of basics, along with a wide variety of other products. Choose a print-on-demand provider that has a good selection of products to choose from so that you can find the perfect product that matches your brand image.

Quick Shipping

You’ve designed a product, put it up on your shop and then what happens? Your goal is most likely to start selling your products as soon as possible and shipping plays a huge part in this process. With e-commerce growing in size, as well as popularity, consumers are looking to the Internet to do most of their shopping. It is estimated that consumers believe the standard shipping time for online orders is 3-5 days. Shipping is an important factor to consider when choosing a drop-shipping service – at Slaite we use UPS to courier most local packages in 1-3 business days to guarantee your customers get their products quickly, so that you can continue to profit!

Proudly from the North

Did you know that Slaite is Canadian? We’re located in Oakville, Ontario and fulfill all our orders from our facility and ensure that everything is done in-house. In doing so, we can make certain that your print-on-demand orders are processed efficiently and effectively. Choosing a local drop-shipping service means that you don’t have to worry about holding your own inventory and are able to sell your custom products at a low risk. Print-on-demand is a great low-investment way to kick start your own business and using a local drop-shipping service will be easier on your budget.

Quality

Think of a t-shirt or a hoodie as the canvas for your design. It’s important to consider the brand and material of the product when choosing what to print your design on. Choosing a lower quality product may result in cracks or fades within your design and could directly affect the success of your business. While higher quality products have a higher production cost, they will stand out in the print-on-demand market and customers are more likely to prefer and rave about an exceptional product.

POD Done Right

Starting a POD (print-on-demand) business and picking the perfect drop-shipping service may seem like a lengthy task, but it is a perfect way to bring your creative vision to life. And if you’re overwhelmed by the options out there, then let Slaite help you out! We’re here with you every step of the way and want to work with you to continue creating for your online business.