Put some thought into your store and domain name

If you want your online store to show up high in the rankings, you're going to need include descriptive keywords. A name like "Katie's Store" won't inspire potential customers to visit you. "Katie's Fabric Store," on the other hand, makes much more sense.

There are plenty of cost-effective shopping cart software solutions on the market (like Shift4Shop), so you should have plenty of options to evaluate before you launch your store and show your competition how to sell fabrics online.

Start buying fabrics wholesale

You can find a slew of different wholesale fabric suppliers online who offer bulk products at good prices. Then, you can turn around and sell those products at direct-to-consumer prices. Reselling is a simple task that applies to a variety of industries, but fabric is one of the easiest.

Take detailed photos of your products

Make sure to include helpers to determine the size of the patterns on each piece. Including a ruler in the picture is a great way to do this.

Include detailed descriptions

When you're considering factors for how to sell fabrics online, make sure to include detailed descriptions of each product, featuring all of the information that might be relevant to a shopper (size, color variations, types of materials, etc.).

Integrate an automated shipping system

Some shopping carts offer you partner programs with online shipping solution providers. If you send your stock to one of their designated warehouses, you can set up a direct integration that feeds orders directly to the order fulfillment provider. It'll save you a ton of time and money.

There is definitely more work involved in this process than what's outlined above, but you now have the basics on how to sell fabrics online. Getting started with the tips above and taking advantage of built-in shopping cart marketing tools will get you well on your way to success as a DIY online business. Don't get discouraged if you're not selling anything your first couple weeks; it takes a little time for Google to start reading your site.

Create your fabric store business plan

Your fabric store business plan is vital to your success, and for more than one reason. First, your business plan provides a strong foundation from which to move forward without losing momentum by wondering what to do next. Learn how to write a business plan for your online business.

You won’t need needles or machines to design your store layout

Of course, it helps if you have a little experience with fabrics. A passion for sewing, knitting, textiles or decorating is also a strength you can use to get moving. Ready to learn how to build a fabrics eCommerce website? Take a look at some tips to get your business off the ground and moving.

Weave your software platform into your business

Regardless of your level of tech expertise, you want a shopping cart software solution that’s simple to use. A smaller learning curve means more time to figure out how features apply to your business.

Because you’re new to online business, a strong support line is a must-have. Make sure support technicians are available all of the time (even off hours). And align your business with a company that can fall back on a long history of success in eCommerce. With their help, you’ll understand how to build a fabrics eCommerce website in no time.

Design your online store

It doesn't take masterful creative skills to design your store layout. All you need is a software platform that makes it simple for you to choose a prebuilt layout and customize it. Or, if you want to build everything from the ground up and have a little extra cash lying around, hire a design team and give them access to your store’s CSS so they can implement it.

Input your products into the system

As you begin to understand how to build a fabrics eCommerce store, you’ll want to start uploading your products into your backend software. Your product pages will have several elements that are crucial to your customers. For instance, you’ll want to feature high-res photos and include a color swatch so they can see each fabric type in the color of their choice.

You’ll also want to fill out the product descriptions as accurately as possible so shoppers have no doubt what the fabric feels like. Customers need to know what amount of fabric the price represents as well.

Select shipping methods

Shoppers want to receive their product in good shape, so it’s important to work with a big name shipping company like FedEx or UPS to get your products out to the public. Learning how to build a fabrics eCommerce website means using logistics. Of course, your software and shipper will work together to make heads and tails of it for you.