There’s nothing like the feeling of finding your favorite bag, pair of shades or adding to your jewelry collection. 

So if you’ve been wondering how to start an online accessories boutique, then you’re in the right place. 

Fashion accessories are great products to start with. They’re a relatively inexpensive way to upgrade any look. Which means that shoppers will tend to spend more frequently. 

That’s a good sign for you. Your job is to offer the products that customers are looking for. 

So with that said, keep reading to learn 3 simple keys to starting an online accessories boutique.

Identifying Your Target Customer

Accessories come in so many styles that you have to know who you’re selling to. If not, then you’ll have a hodgepodge of products that no one wants to buy.

As an online boutique owner, it’s so important that you buy the right inventory. And the only way you can do that is if you’re clear on the person who would buy what you’re selling. 

When you identify your target customer, then you’ll have clarity in every decision you make for your online boutique: from what to name it all the way to where you do your marketing.

Most new boutique owners skip this step and wonder why they struggle to make sales. But (because you’re reading this blog post) that won’t be you!

Now exactly sure how to identify your target customer? Read this post to learn more. 

Buying the Right Inventory

Once you have a clear idea of who you’re selling to, you have to know what to buy. 

You definitely need to find a great vendor (and have any permits you need to be able to buy wholesale inventory). But you also have to understand how to buy that inventory and even how much to buy with your first order when starting an online accessories boutique.

That means setting a budget so that you don’t overspend. 

Then creating collections so that customers don’t just come and buy one item. 

And pricing your accessories correctly so that when a shopper does make a purchase, you actually make a profit. 

If you don’t make a profit, you won’t be in business for long. A good business needs reliable cash flow where the income is significantly more than its expenses. 

And one of the best ways you can ensure that is to price correctly and encourage shoppers to buy more than one item at a time. 

Buying inventory shouldn’t be overwhelming! Learn how to buy correctly so you can confidently place your first inventory order.

Creating Your Website 

Now that you are clear on your target customer, and understand how to buy inventory, the next step is all about presentation. 

First impressions count, so your website will be an important step in convincing a customer that they should shop with you. It’s all about trust. Just because you’re a new boutique doesn’t mean it has to look like it.

Professional quality photos will definitely help here too! 

Shopping online means you can’t just drop into a store and try something on. So it will be very important to have photos that showcase every product in it’s best light. It’s easier to shop when you have enough information to make a decision. So being able to actually see the true colors and details goes a long way in guiding a customer to the shopping cart. 

Now once you have quality images, you want to think about your complete website. 

Websites can cost thousands of dollars. But platforms like Shopify have made creating a functional and beautiful website more accessible than ever. And with half of shoppers using their phones to make purchases, you also want to make sure your website is mobile responsive. 

Once you have the right photos and website design, you’ll want to create captivating product descriptions that make your products stand out. Remember, customers need the right information to make a purchasing decision. 

With your website complete, the next step is marketing your online accessories.

Marketing Your Online Accessories Boutique

Now you can have everything else in place but if no one knows your online boutique exists, you’ll never make a sale. 

That’s why marketing is so important. Now there are a bunch of different ways to market your online boutique. 

You can use social media, run paid ads, work with online influencers and so much more. 

And it will be important to understand your target customer to know which platforms you should spend your time and money on. 

But the first step to marketing is actually setting aside a budget. 

You need a consistent budget every month that you can allocate to marketing. Whether your using ads on social media or sending products to influencers for them to promote, you’ll have to pay for something. That’s the only way you’ll get the word out about your business and be able to get people to visit your website. And you need a budget to do that when starting an online accessories boutique.

Your job as an online boutique owner is to get as many people as possible to see what you have for sale every single day. The more website visitors or traffic that you have, the higher the likelihood that someone will buy.

Starting an online accessories boutique is exciting! And there’s a lot to do before your idea can become a real business.

But if you follow these steps and get the resources you need to learn how to do it, then you can make progress really quickly. But if you ever need some help on how to start an online accessories boutique we have a number of resources for you here at Start Your Boutique to help you know how to start an online boutique!

What’s Next

The journey doesn’t end here! If you are hungry for more guidance on steering your online boutique toward success, I’ve got something special for you.

Dive into my free video training: How to Launch (and Grow!) Your Dream Online Boutique So You Can Leave Corporate Life Behind… (Without Taking *Forever* To Figure It All Out On Your Own!)

This training introduces my proven system that helps you make sales from Day 1. So, grab a seat, soak in the knowledge, and let’s elevate your online boutique game to new heights.

And the best part? It’s an on demand training — that means you can watch it on your own time!

Click here to sign up to get free video training and turn your boutique dreams into a thriving reality!