Siobhan / Little Darlings Boy Tee (photo + t-shirt by @dnamag.co)

Benefits of print-on-demand and dropshipping

Selling online with a print-on-demand service can remove the need to invest in upfront inventory or minimum order quantities. When a customer purchases an item from your store the order goes directly to your print-on-demand partner and they print, pack, and ship your item to your customer. Since print-on-demand services also include dropshipping, you don’t need to warehouse products or set up a shipping station in your own space.

If your site already has a shop, print-on-demand is also a way to diversify your inventory and offer items at lower price points. This can make your products accessible to a larger audience, and increase the average order per customer. Learn more about getting started with print-on-demand.

If you’re ready to start selling t-shirts and custom merch online, follow these five steps:

1. Pick your products and customize your design

As a first step, decide which products you’d like to sell, and in which colors and sizes. Branding merchandise can be as simple as adding your logo or company name to products. Not sure where to start? You can find inspiration by looking at merchandise from brands you admire.

When you’re ready to start designing, it’s best to pick a print-on-demand service up front. Services like Printful and Art of Where offer mockup generators so you can upload your design, customize the placement, and view it on any product you select. With no upfront costs, print-on-demand makes it easy to sell custom products online. Companies like Printful and Art of Where will manage production and shipping, and you only pay when you make a sale.

Once you finalize your design, order a sample so you know exactly what your customers will receive when they make a purchase.

2. Set up your online store

If you’re just getting started with ecommerce, you’ll need to set up your online store so customers can easily find and purchase your merchandise. With a Squarespace Business or Commerce plan, you can create product pages, set up your store’s checkout, create shipping settings, and more .Squarespace Business or Commerce plan