Discuss the fun task of marketing a t-shirt shop. Where to advertise, local marketing tips, word of mouth, press releases, search engine marketing, keyword advertising, magazines, etc.
I've got a store www.speedwaystore.co.uk selling general speedway merchandise - it's been going for about a year and is so so.
I've been pillaging FB, twitter and forums for free advertising which is starting to make a difference to the hit rate however translating that into sales is proving the most difficult part.
I'd appreciate some feedback from knowledgable eyes - is there something I'm missing? I can't understand why there aren't more sales when all the feedback I get from customers and potential customers is positive.
Alan, it just seems that speedway motorcycle racing is a small genre. I would not expect a lot of sales in that market; there is just not hundreds of thousands of people or more into that sport. If you can penetrate into a market space even 10% you considered a great success.
Trying to cross over into the general public market is not easy to do, and it is expensive. You just have to be diligent, not give up, and stick to it even if it takes a few years to build sales.
You've done a great job on your site. It's clear what you sell, who you are and how to buy. As Mark said, it's a niche market. I think the social media is good - especially if you can specifically target that group - ie a Speedway group on Facebook for example.
Perhaps you could think about the offline side of things - networking at Speedway events would be great. This is catching people when they are excited about speedway, and will be more inclined to think about a purchase.
You could sell shirts at these events and put a swingtag on all the shirts that say: "Order your next shirt online and save 10%" or some other incentive. Put a banner up and hand out flyers with your web address so they can go home and order shirts after the event.
Im not familiar with the speedway scene but just think of all the other ways that enthusiasts connect, and get your message out that way.
Another thing to consider is allowing people to customize their shirts - with their speedway logos, photos races etc. You can really engage local clubs that way.
by the way, I noticed one thing that you might not aware of. site has title "Zen cart..eco.." I guess, you need to have your own store's title or some good keywords for better seo results. if its very small niche, easy to get some traffic(if not a lot) from google.
Setting up at a racetrack is a great idea but may get expensive wit space fees and at least one employee to cover when you need to take a break.
Check with your local motorcycle clubs to see if they are going to have a Bike Show / Car Shows and what the cost may be to set up a booth at the event. These events are a lighter atmosphere and you can spend more time working with one client.
Expand your line. Dont just cover one type of racing, cover all of the racing in your area. The more types of racing you cover the larger client base you can provide for.
it's one option, as anne said the more types you cover the more customers you can get.
You do realize that it costs money to do embroidery and rhinestones right? Sure he might make a few sales to the small percentage of people who go to his website and want these products, but is this small percentage of people and the money he earns from them going to be enough to make investing in embroidery and rhinestones profitable? No.
You do realize that it costs money to do embroidery and rhinestones right? Sure he might make a few sales to the small percentage of people who go to his website and want these products, but is this small percentage of people and the money he earns from them going to be enough to make investing in embroidery and rhinestones profitable? No.
WOOOAAAHHH Dudes - Chill!
It's a fair point - I actually started up with hotflex and that was ok - main reason for stepping up to screen was quality control as I hated the idea of the flex peeling. It's true though that the site isn't doing enough to warrent any more investment considering I'm about £300 down after year one!
Still hope springs eternal and you guys have given me some great ideas
Feedback Appreciated 
