# t-shirt marketing tip: One method I've been using for almost 10 years



## toonsign (Apr 24, 2005)

Hi, 

I'll give you one of many secrets I've been using to get customers. 
I build a website specific to the product I'm selling. I load it up with facts, photos and good information about the theme of that website. 

Vistors to the website come there to see what I have posted. On the side or somewhere in the website, I have links to my selling website(s).

A good example is my model railroad website. The site is for people interested in model railroads and logging. They can view old time railroad logging photos, old advertising images, etc... While they are browsing the website, I will have a few links of railroad related products such as t-shirts, keyrings, watches, etc... Here they can click onto the links and they will be brought to my own store where they can shop for railroad products, cars, etc.... 

Please note that they only come to my store to buy products. My visitors come to the railroad website to look at railroad photos, ads, e-passes, etc... *Not to buy!* The images I display *must* make them visit my store. Once they are in the store and see what is available, then they'll buy. 

I do not have any links that go outside of my store(s). No banners, text ads, etc... Why on earth would I send a potential customer to another website where they may buy from someone else?

In a nutshell, create a website that relates to your design/artwork theme: paintings, cars, animals, pets, etc... Load it up with quality content and have links to your store prominent. If your website has quality and you *update it with new and fresh information*, your visitors will come back and hopefully they'll click onto your store links. 

Hope this helps.

Fred


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

*Re: One method I've been using for almost 10 years*



toonsign said:


> In a nutshell, create a website that relates to your design/artwork theme: paintings, cars, animals, pets, etc... Load it up with quality content and have links to your store prominent. If your website has quality and you *update it with new and fresh information*, your visitors will come back and hopefully they'll click onto your store links.


That is a great tip, Fred. It's actually one I've been using for over 10 years with GREAT success. I just couldn't have put it better than you did in that paragraph 

What's also great about creating the "informational" site that is related to your products is that you are more likely to get links to an "informational" site than you are to an ecommerce site. Especially the best kind of links, which are one way, non reciprocal links. 

You are more likely to get a news story written about you for an "informational" site that excels in its specific niche than you are about an ecommerce site as well.

Great tip, Fred...thanks for sharing it!


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## TripleT (Apr 29, 2007)

*Re: One method I've been using for almost 10 years*

That's a dynamite tip, Fred - Thanks!


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## wmdzign (Jul 6, 2007)

*Re: One method I've been using for almost 10 years*

Thanks Fred! It makes perfect sense.


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## j.james (Sep 25, 2006)

Thanks for the tip Fred, this is something that I have been experimenting with for a bit now. It's hard for me to spend the time making it worth reading but I think your post just gave me the motivation to get back on it. Another thing I am experimenting with is creating a number of blogs that in some way tie together and linking frequently to each other. Not unlike what it seems Rodney has accomplished with his network of t-shirt sites. Thanks again, big help!


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## pimpuniversity (Jul 21, 2007)

Fred - this is good stuff. I think the real challenge to a lot of us, however, is creating the content for that "info" page. I guess my toughest task is actually creating and updating relvant content on the info-side to ultimately drive traffic to the ecommerce side. I maintained an "info-site" based on my tshirt theme in 2003, but managing the content and keeping it current was a full-time job, which I couldn't keep up considering I already had a full-time job.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

thanks for the tip Fred.I think you have just helped add alot on useful information that will benefit the internet community along with giving them the ability to get products to exhibit their interest. Good luck. ...JB


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## The T Shirt Man (Aug 29, 2006)

That means you have to set up another website, or a few if you sell to a few different markets. Then spend time working on them, writing great content, and wait for them to show up in search engines.

You can cut out all the work and waiting around time by linking up with sites in the same market, content sites not ecommerce of course, maybe negotiate competitions with them, giveaways or even pay for links on their site.

Why not have great content on your shop pages and people will visit and buy your products?


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> Why not have great content on your shop pages and people will visit and buy your products?


People are less likely to link to a commercial store than they are to an informational site.

You don't want to distract your customers from buying with too much information and wording.



> That means you have to set up another website, or a few if you sell to a few different markets. Then spend time working on them, writing great content, and wait for them to show up in search engines.


Yes, Fred's plan does take some work. But it's work that can pay off in a BIG way if done correctly.


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## relart (Jun 4, 2007)

Thanks for your concise sumarry. 
ive been working the affilate marketing, but nothing works like content driven.
RelArt


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## TickTac (Jul 3, 2007)

Thanks for sharing your tip, fred.


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## shinsyotta (Oct 31, 2006)

Good tip, Fred. I'm going to use that on my store.

Best regards.


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## indyattire (Aug 10, 2007)

*Re:Working with existing content sites*

Working with existing content sites is a good idea, if you don't want to incur the overhead of ensuring content is fresh or current. But downside is may good content sites *know *they are good, hence charge a premium for their ads.
E.g. a site I spoke to recently charges a minimum of $5000 for a "campaign" (not on individual ad basis) and says I can easily get 500,000 unique hits. This works out to be $10 CPM or 1 Cent-per-click. The site claims 8 million registered users. I think it's cheaper that Google Adwords due to captive target audience, but I was dissuaded by the $5000 price tag. They do not barter links, but have an affiliate program where I could potentially offset some costs by posting their ad on my site.


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## mindsandenigmas (Sep 18, 2007)

thanks for the great tip fred.


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## esentuals (Sep 4, 2007)

Id just like to add that by having a sign up on your front page will provide better results. This way you have a target audience depending on what page they signed up for if you gave them choices.

You can provide monthly anouncements of products as well as information. You allow visitors to interact with your site because they are interested in that topic or product. Just make sure you have a privacy statement letting visitors and buyers know their emails will not be sold or shared. Also if you do build an email list get a provider that has a built in opt in section and stats metrics. You will be able to see what people have opened in their emails you have sent out.


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