Every term you need to know to run a successful custom apparel business — from base price to white label.
A DNS record that maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. The most basic DNS record for pointing a domain to a server.
Clothing specifically designed for exercise and physical activity. Features performance fabrics, moisture-wicking, and a...
A marketing arrangement where partners (affiliates) earn commissions for referring new customers. The original seller pa...
Bella+Canvas's proprietary cotton that's combed, ring-spun, and refined for maximum softness. Their premium fabric techn...
A printing technique that covers the entire garment surface with a design, including seams and edges. Uses sublimation o...
The average amount spent per order. Calculated as: Total Revenue / Number of Orders. Increasing AOV is one of the fastes...
A set of rules that lets different software applications communicate. Used by developers to connect custom systems to PO...
Clothing designed for athletic activities that's also worn as casual everyday wear. The fastest-growing apparel segment.
Commerce between businesses. Bear Grips sells to businesses (gyms, churches, schools) who then sell to their end custome...
Commerce directly between a business and end consumers. Each Bear Grips vendor shop is a B2C operation — selling directl...
A link from another website to yours. Backlinks are one of Google's top 3 ranking factors — more quality backlinks = hig...
The cost charged by the print-on-demand provider for producing and shipping one unit. The vendor adds their markup on to...
Grouping multiple orders together for simultaneous production. More efficient than processing one order at a time.
A premium blank apparel brand known for soft, fashion-forward fits. Popular in POD for their airlume cotton tees, tanks,...
An undecorated, unprinted garment used as the base for custom printing. Brands like Bella+Canvas, Gildan, and Champion m...
The percentage of visitors who leave a page without taking any action (clicking another link, buying, etc.). Lower is be...
A person who represents and promotes a brand, often in exchange for free products, commissions, or other perks.
The collection of visual elements (logo, colors, fonts, imagery) that define how a brand presents itself. Consistency ac...
The process of creating a distinct identity for your business through logo, colors, typography, voice, and visual style....
Placing large quantity orders (usually 25+) at once. Gets volume discounts but requires upfront payment and creates inve...
The total cost to acquire one new customer. Includes marketing spend, sales costs, and operational expenses divided by n...
Guidelines for washing and maintaining printed garments to maximize lifespan. Standard: wash inside out, cold water, tum...
A network of servers worldwide that delivers website content from the closest server to each visitor. Speeds up page loa...
An iconic athletic brand owned by HanesBrands. Known for premium hoodies, sweatshirts, and sportswear. Carries significa...
The rate at which customers cancel their subscription. Lower churn = more stable revenue. Calculated as: Cancellations /...
The total revenue a customer generates over their entire relationship with a business. Higher CLV = more profitable cust...
Ensuring printed colors match the original design as closely as possible. Affected by fabric color, ink type, and printe...
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is for screens. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is for traditional printing. DTG printers...
A payment earned by an affiliate or referrer when their referred customer makes a purchase or subscribes.
Creating valuable content to attract and engage an audience, ultimately driving profitable customer action. Includes blo...
The percentage of shop visitors who complete a purchase. Calculated as: (Orders / Visitors) × 100. Industry average for ...
Legal protection for original creative works including designs, artwork, and written content. You own the copyright to d...
A natural fiber that's soft, breathable, and comfortable. The most popular fabric for everyday t-shirts and casual appar...
Suggesting complementary products alongside what a customer is already buying. Example: recommending a matching hat when...
Generating a web page's HTML in the user's browser using JavaScript. Content isn't visible until JavaScript executes — p...
A prompt that tells the user what to do next. In e-commerce: 'Add to Cart', 'Buy Now', 'Start Your Free Shop'. Clear CTA...
The percentage of people who click on your result after seeing it in search/ads. Calculated as: Clicks / Impressions × 1...
The process of applying heat to printed garments to permanently bond the ink to the fabric. DTG prints are cured using a...
Clothing customized with specific designs, logos, text, or artwork for a particular brand, business, team, or individual...
A unique web address (URL) that identifies your online presence. Example: shops.beargrips.com, yourgym.com.
A manufacturing method where fabric is printed flat, then cut into pattern pieces and sewn together into a garment. Enab...
A pre-made design layout that can be customized with different text, colors, or images. Speeds up the design process.
A cloud hosting provider offering virtual servers (droplets), managed databases, and other infrastructure. Known for sim...
The system that translates domain names (beargrips.com) into IP addresses (167.172.23.233) that computers use to find se...
A score (1-100) predicting how likely a website is to rank in search results. Based on backlinks, age, and overall SEO h...
A measure of print resolution. Higher DPI = sharper, more detailed prints. Standard for apparel printing is 300 DPI. Web...
A retail model where the seller doesn't keep products in stock. When a customer orders, the seller purchases from a thir...
Selling products directly to the end customer, bypassing traditional retail channels. Bear Grips shops are DTC by defini...
A printing method that sprays ink directly onto fabric using a specialized inkjet printer. Best for full-color, photogra...
Buying and selling goods online. In the POD context, the vendor's online shop where customers browse and purchase custom...
Using email to promote products, share updates, and build customer relationships. One of the highest-ROI marketing chann...
A decoration method that stitches a design directly into fabric using thread. Creates a premium, textured, professional ...
One of the world's largest blank apparel manufacturers. Known for affordable, durable basics. A staple in screen printin...
A free Google tool that shows how your site performs in search. See which pages are indexed, what keywords drive traffic...
A measurement of fabric weight/thickness. Lower GSM (120-160) = lightweight. Medium (160-220) = standard. Higher (220-35...
The process of Google adding a web page to its search database. Only indexed pages can appear in search results.
Partnering with individuals who have an engaged following to promote products. In fitness: gym owners, coaches, and fitn...
Connecting two software platforms so they work together automatically. In POD: connecting a sales channel (Shopify) to a...
Creations of the mind — designs, logos, brand names, inventions — that have legal protection. Includes copyrights, trade...
Products that have been produced and are sitting in storage, waiting to be sold. In traditional retail, inventory = capi...
A web page designed for a single purpose — usually to convert visitors into customers or leads. Focused, minimal navigat...
A visual symbol or mark that represents a brand. The foundation of all custom apparel — it goes on every product.
Longer, more specific search phrases (3+ words) with lower search volume but higher buying intent and less competition.
The amount added on top of the base price to determine the retail price. This is the vendor's profit per sale.
Branded products sold by a business, creator, or organization. In the context of Bear Grips: custom-printed apparel sold...
A brief summary (~155 characters) of a web page that appears below the title in search results. Influences click-through...
A website design that automatically adapts to look great on any screen size — phone, tablet, or desktop.
A realistic preview image showing how a design will look on a product before it's printed. Used in online shops, social ...
A fabric technology that pulls sweat away from the body to the fabric surface, where it evaporates. Essential for athlet...
The smallest number of units you must order. Traditional printing often requires MOQs of 25-100+. Print-on-demand has no...
A premium blank brand known for soft fabrics, modern fits, and fashion-forward styling. Popular alternative to Bella+Can...
A specific market segment or audience. In custom apparel, your niche determines your designs, products, marketing, and p...
A JavaScript runtime that runs on the server (not in the browser). Used for building web servers, APIs, and backend serv...
A digital storefront where products are displayed and sold. In POD, this is where vendors showcase their custom apparel ...
The steps between a customer placing an order and the product being shipped. Includes payment verification, file prepara...
Website visitors who arrive through unpaid search engine results (not ads). The holy grail of marketing because it's fre...
How products are wrapped and presented when they arrive. Can be standard poly mailers or custom branded packaging for a ...
How fast a web page loads. Measured in seconds. Google recommends under 3 seconds. Affects SEO rankings and conversion r...
Website visitors who arrive through paid advertisements (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, etc.). Traffic stops w...
A standardized color matching system used in printing and manufacturing. Each Pantone color has a unique code ensuring c...
Money earned with minimal ongoing effort after the initial setup. In POD, this includes ongoing merch sales and affiliat...
The technology that processes credit card and online payments. Common gateways: Stripe, PayPal, Square.
The transfer of earned profits from the platform to the vendor's bank account. Payout schedules vary by platform.
Technical clothing engineered for specific physical activities with features like moisture management, stretch, UV prote...
A PVC-based ink used in screen printing. Sits on top of the fabric and creates a thick, vibrant, slightly raised print. ...
A lightweight, waterproof plastic envelope used to ship apparel. The standard shipping method for most POD orders.
A synthetic fabric known for durability, moisture-wicking properties, and color retention. Essential for performance wea...
A chemical solution sprayed on dark garments before DTG printing. Creates a smooth surface for white ink to adhere to pr...
The designated zone on a garment where a design can be printed. Usually defined by maximum width and height in inches.
A high-resolution design file formatted for printing. Usually PNG with transparent background, 300 DPI, in the correct d...
A fulfillment method where products are only printed after a customer places an order. No inventory required — the selle...
The company that actually prints, packs, and ships the products. Some platforms (like Printify) use multiple print provi...
The level of detail in a printed image, measured in DPI. Higher resolution = sharper, more detailed prints. Minimum 300 ...
Similar to white label, but with more customization — the seller can modify the product itself, not just add their logo....
The complete collection of products available for sale. Bear Grips offers a curated catalog of 100+ premium athleisure p...
The page on your shop that displays a product with images, description, variants, pricing, and an add-to-cart button.
Professional photos of products used in listings and marketing. In POD, mockups often replace traditional photography.
A specific combination of product attributes — usually color and size. Each variant is a unique item that can be ordered...
The time between receiving an order and completing the printing/packing process. Doesn't include shipping transit time.
Money remaining after all costs are subtracted from revenue. In POD: Profit = Revenue - Base Costs. (On Bear Grips, ship...
The percentage of revenue that becomes profit after costs. Calculated as: (Retail Price - Base Price) / Retail Price × 1...
Creating large numbers of SEO-optimized pages from structured data using templates. Instead of writing pages manually, d...
A JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Created by Meta (Facebook). Bear Grips' frontend is built with React.
Predictable income that comes in regularly (monthly/annually). For Bear Grips vendors: repeat customers + subscription s...
When an existing customer recommends a product or service to someone new. In Bear Grips, every signup gets a referral li...
The final price the end customer pays for a product. Set by the vendor: Retail Price = Base Price + Markup.
The ability to keep customers over time. The opposite of churn. High retention = loyal customers who stay and continue b...
The process of a customer sending back a product for a refund or exchange. POD returns vary by platform and issue type.
The total money earned from sales before expenses. In POD: Revenue = Number of Units Sold × Retail Price.
Enhanced search results that display extra information like star ratings, prices, images, or FAQs directly in Google res...
Cotton where fibers are twisted into a very fine, strong, soft rope of yarn before being knit. Produces a noticeably sof...
A measure of profitability: (Gain - Cost) / Cost × 100. Used to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing spend, tools, an...
Software delivered via the internet on a subscription basis. Bear Grips Pro Shops is a SaaS platform — vendors pay month...
Ordering a product for yourself to check quality, fit, colors, and print accuracy before selling to customers.
Code added to web pages that helps search engines understand content type. Enables rich snippets in search results (star...
A printing method that pushes ink through a mesh screen (stencil) onto fabric. Each color requires a separate screen. Be...
The practice of optimizing web pages to rank higher in Google search results. For shops, this means appearing when peopl...
The page of results that Google (or other search engines) displays after a user performs a search.
The total time from when an order is placed to when the customer receives it. Includes production time + transit time.
The largest e-commerce platform for online stores. Many POD companies integrate with Shopify, requiring vendors to pay $...
An XML file that lists all pages on a website, helping search engines discover and crawl content. Essential for SEO.
A reference guide showing garment measurements for each size. Essential for reducing returns — customers can check fit b...
A unique identifier for each distinct product variant. Combines product type + color + size. Example: BG-TEE-BLK-L (Bear...
Using social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.) to promote products and build brand awareness.
Evidence that other people trust and use a product or service. Includes reviews, testimonials, user counts, and social m...
A performance apparel brand specializing in moisture-wicking, athletic-grade fabrics. Popular for gym, team, and active ...
Building web pages at compile time (before any user visits) rather than on-the-fly. Produces fast, SEO-friendly HTML fil...
A security certificate that encrypts data between a website and its visitors. Shown as the padlock icon and 'https://' i...
Generating a web page's HTML on the server for each request, rather than in the browser (client-side). Essential for SEO...
The public-facing shop page where customers browse and purchase products. Bear Grips provides a ready-made storefront fo...
A printing method that uses heat to transfer dye into synthetic fabrics. The ink becomes part of the fabric rather than ...
A recurring payment model where customers pay regularly (monthly/annually) for ongoing access to a product or service.
A utility-first CSS framework for building custom designs quickly. Instead of writing custom CSS, you use pre-built util...
The specific group of people most likely to buy your products. Defined by demographics, interests, behaviors, and needs.
A customer's statement vouching for a product or service. Authentic testimonials are one of the most powerful conversion...
The HTML title of a web page, shown in browser tabs and as the clickable headline in search results. Keep under 60 chara...
A unique code that lets customers follow their package's journey from production to doorstep. Provided by the shipping c...
A legally registered word, phrase, symbol, or design that identifies a brand. Using someone else's trademark on products...
A fabric made from three fibers — typically 50% polyester, 25% cotton, 25% rayon. Known for being ultra-soft with a vint...
The total time from order placement to customer delivery. Includes production time + shipping time.
Content created by customers or users rather than the brand. Photos of customers wearing products, reviews, unboxing vid...
A layer of white ink printed first on dark garments, creating a bright foundation for colored inks to print on top of.
Garments designed to fit all genders. Typically a relaxed, slightly boxy cut. The most common fit in POD because it maxi...
Offering a customer a higher-priced version of what they're buying. Example: suggesting a premium Champion hoodie instea...
How easy and pleasant it is for customers to use your shop. Covers navigation, page speed, mobile responsiveness, and ov...
How well a print holds up after repeated washing. Affected by print method, ink quality, and curing. DTG prints typicall...
An eco-friendly ink that soaks into fabric fibers rather than sitting on top. Creates a softer, more breathable print wi...
Special opaque ink used to print white elements or as an underbase on dark/colored garments. Essential for DTG printing ...
Products manufactured by one company but sold under another company's brand name. The manufacturer is invisible to the e...
Buying products in bulk at reduced prices, typically for resale. In apparel: buying blank garments at wholesale price to...
A free, open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. Popular with POD sellers who already have WordPress sites.
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