Why I launched this project
I have created multiple web apps and content-based websites. I wanted to challenge myself and try and sell a physical product.
The original idea came to me while sitting in church. I wanted to create a brand that produced shirts and hats with a really unique logo that would invite conversations. The intent of the brand would be “What does that logo mean?”
This would open the door for someone like myself to share a little about their faith and beliefs. The logo itself wouldn’t be overtly Christian in nature but invite a conversation.
Highlights 👍
Yes and no. I was able to sell 25+ shirts but they were mostly to friends and family. I gave them discounts which left me with very little margin. I was also asked several times while in public what my logo meant.
Lowlights 👎
I spent more time and money than I usually do on side projects for the logo + t-shirt design. I actually paid a designer for both the brand’s logo and the t-shirt designs. The Printful + Shopify integration was pretty seamless and I didn’t have to manage a lot of order flow or process.
What didn’t work
One of the main reasons I shut this site down was fraud orders. I had to deal with 8 fraud orders in less than 3 months. I tried installing some Shopify apps to help but it didn’t seem to work with how I had it configured. Due to the print of demand nature of the integration, it was always something I had to watch so I could cancel the order in Printful before it went into production.
Google Ads
I spent a couple of hundred dollars on Google Ads targeting keywords in the Christian Apparel and Christian T-shirt space. I was seeing $5-8 clicks which aren’t sustainable or economically viable.
Facebook Ads
I spent a couple of hundred dollars on Facebook Ads. I was seeing cheaper cost per click but had 0 conversions from this traction channel.
After spending my “budget” for this project I decided to let it go.
Biggest Insights
I really enjoyed launching an e-commerce store. I have plans to do it again. The branding and product shots are a great way to mix creativity and marketing best practices.
I would like to find a product that is more niche and has a 40%-50% margin. The next product I sell will be more of a value add.
The next time I launch I will triple my budget so I have more runway and time to test with ads and other marketing methods. I would also like to go bigger and consider launching on sites like Kickstarter and Product Hunt.
This was a good first test and I have plans for this domain name outside the e-commerce space.