A tailor's website should answer how long, how much and by when: turnaround for common alterations, starting prices, how fittings work, what rush service costs, and how far ahead to book for weddings and events.

What the site is actually for

Nobody looks for a tailor out of curiosity. They have trousers that are too long, a jacket that pulls across the back, or a dress for a wedding three weeks away.

Their questions come in a fixed order: can you do it, how long will it take, what will it cost, and will it be ready in time.

A site that answers them gets the garment brought in. One showing only a phone number and a photograph of thread leaves people to call, or to try the next shop.

With fall weddings, office parties and the holiday season ahead, the next few months bring a steady stream of them.

What the shop does, in plain words

Start with a plain list of what the shop does, in the words customers use. Few people search for garment reconstruction; many search for hemming jeans.

The last item saves everyone a trip. A shop that does not work on leather or wedding gowns should say so on the page.

How long each job takes

Turnaround is the question behind most phone calls. Give the shop's usual time for each common job, from a simple hem to a suit or a gown.

Say when those times stretch. The weeks before graduation, the summer wedding season and early December are busy, and a customer who knows that can come in early.

Explain how pickup works: the ticket, the hours, how customers hear that a garment is ready, and how long the shop keeps items nobody collects.

Prices people can plan around

Alterations prices vary with the garment, so many shops publish none. A list of starting prices for the common jobs is still far more useful than silence.

Write it as text, not a photograph of the board on the wall. A line saying the final price is set when the garment is seen and pinned keeps it honest.

For custom suits, give a starting price and what it includes: the number of fittings, the choice of fabrics, and the time from first measurement to collection.

Say which payment methods the shop takes, and whether custom or rush work needs a deposit.

Fittings and what to bring

First-time customers often do not know they need to try the garment on. Explain what a fitting involves, how long it takes and whether it needs an appointment.

Tell them what to bring: the shoes they will wear with trousers or a gown, the undergarments for a fitted dress, and the belt for a waist.

For custom suits, describe the measuring appointment and the fittings that follow, so the customer knows how many visits to plan around work.

Rush work and event deadlines

Rush work needs the clearest terms of all. Say whether the shop takes it, what the extra charge is, and the latest time a garment can come in for next-day pickup.

For weddings and events, give a booking guide: how many weeks ahead to bring a gown, how many fittings to expect, and when the final fitting should fall.

A form that asks for the event date lets the shop answer honestly. A request that arrives too late for a proper job deserves a plain answer, given straight away.

A worked example

A tailor shop on a commercial street in New Westminster has two people at the machines. It does hems and repairs for the neighbourhood, a steady run of bridal work, and a few custom suits each month.

Its site was a single page with an address, a phone number and a paragraph about the owner's training. Staff spent much of each day answering the same three questions by phone.

The new site starts with what the shop does and what it does not, followed by a page of usual turnaround times and starting prices for twenty common jobs.

A wedding page explains the fitting schedule for gowns and suits, with a form that asks for the date. Rush service is described with its charge and its daily cutoff.

The owner updates a line on the home page when a weekend is fully booked, so a bride with a close date calls before driving over. The three questions are now answered before anyone dials.

Location, hours and parking

Garments arrive on hangers and in garment bags, so parking matters. Say where to park, whether there is a loading space, and which door to use.

Show the hours as text and keep holiday closures current. If garments must come in by a set time for work the same week, put that beside the hours.

If fittings are by appointment only, say so near the top, with the phone number or booking link on every page.

Photographs and the person at the bench

A few honest before and after photographs say more than any claim about craftsmanship: a jacket refitted at the shoulders, trousers tapered, a gown taken in.

For custom suits and gowns, people want to know who will cut and sew. A short note on the tailor's training and years at the bench answers that.

Ask customers before showing their garments, and leave faces out unless they agree.

The counter-case

A long-established shop with a loyal neighbourhood following may get most of its work from people walking past. For it, the site matters less than the sign.

But even regulars need the hours, and every new customer, from the bride across town to the family that just moved in, checks the site first.

A short site with services, turnaround, starting prices and hours serves both, and takes the same three questions off the phone.

What to build first

  1. List what the shop does and does not do.
  2. Publish usual turnaround for the common jobs.
  3. Give starting prices as text.
  4. Explain fittings and what to bring.
  5. State the rush policy, its charge and its cutoff.
  6. Add a wedding guide and an event date on the form.
  7. Show hours, parking and pickup clearly.

Step six helps both sides at once. A bride who knows how far ahead to book comes in on time, and the shop is spared the week-before scramble.

Drop-off and pickup times, for a business that washes rather than sews, get the same treatment in what a laundromat website needs.

Frequently asked questions

What should a tailor's home page show first?

What the shop does and does not take, with links to turnaround times, starting prices and hours. Those answer the questions behind most phone calls.

Should a tailor publish prices?

Yes, as starting prices for common jobs, in text, with a line saying the final price is set when the garment is seen. That beats no prices at all.

How far ahead should a bride bring in a gown?

That depends on the gown and the shop's schedule. Publish your own booking guide, with the number of fittings to expect and when the final one falls.

Is rush service worth advertising?

Yes, if the shop offers it. State the extra charge and the daily cutoff for next-day pickup, so customers know before they arrive.

What should customers bring to a fitting?

The shoes they will wear with trousers or a gown, the undergarments for a fitted dress, and anything else that changes how the garment hangs.

Why ask for the event date on the form?

It lets the shop say honestly whether the job can be done in time, and plan fittings backwards from the date instead of guessing.

West Coast Media Solutions Inc. provides web design, web development, hosting, digital marketing, and business consulting to organisations across Canada, drawing on more than twenty-five years in the field.

Phone ringing with the same three questions?

Send us your current site and price board, and we will suggest how to put turnaround, prices and fittings on the page.

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