selling on the web
- Thread starter jack
- Start date
GTJC460
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
What kind of items are you thinking of selling? I personally think e-commerce in the form of an actual website store is something that really takes a lot of effort to make it work. You have to constantly add and edit product info. Plus you need to make the site engaging and catch the attention of your audience.
Before I would invest in creating an e-commerce site I would get good data on your existing site for at least a year. By this I mean you need to seriously analyze the hits and page views of your existing site.
A plausible experiment might be develop a facebook store first. If you can make that work, a full fledged e-commerce site might be worth doing.
The important thing about websites is you have to constantly update and bring new product to the attention of your viewers. This is not easy! It's a full time job in itself. The reason sites like www.bluenile.com are so successful in the jewelry industry is the site engages it audience and the product and look of the site are constantly evolving. They've probably got dozens of IT people constantly working on it.
Before I would invest in creating an e-commerce site I would get good data on your existing site for at least a year. By this I mean you need to seriously analyze the hits and page views of your existing site.
A plausible experiment might be develop a facebook store first. If you can make that work, a full fledged e-commerce site might be worth doing.
The important thing about websites is you have to constantly update and bring new product to the attention of your viewers. This is not easy! It's a full time job in itself. The reason sites like www.bluenile.com are so successful in the jewelry industry is the site engages it audience and the product and look of the site are constantly evolving. They've probably got dozens of IT people constantly working on it.
Dulltool
Elite Cafe Member
If you build it they will come. Oh..... and you need to offer something that people want 
Hi all. I built a website for free using Yola.com. Although it is relatively basic by the standards of the "big boys" it cost me nothing but has brought me a reasonable amount of customers. Take a look and see what you think. The address is cuttingedgejeweller.co.uk. As I say it was completely free to build, you are given pre made templates so you just need to add words and pictures and as I say it has brought me customers. Also don't be put off by thinking you don't know much about computers. Believe me when I say that if I can do it, you can too! Hope this encourages you.
http://www.cuttingedgejeweller.co.uk/
http://www.cuttingedgejeweller.co.uk/
GTJC460
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Back about 15 years ago, a friend and I started a business together. We were really into big game fishing. We fished all the major billfish tournaments in Ocean City MD. We started a business importing, manufacturing and selling fishing lures related to tuna and marlin fishing.
Long story short we were direct to the public and in tackle shops. Our presence that was direct to the public was e-commerce. We used a company called volusion to host and setup the website. They have very affordable and easy to use e-commerce web store layouts. I would definitely explore this.
www.jewelerstoystore.com uses the Volusion setup. Take a look as an example.
Long story short we were direct to the public and in tackle shops. Our presence that was direct to the public was e-commerce. We used a company called volusion to host and setup the website. They have very affordable and easy to use e-commerce web store layouts. I would definitely explore this.
www.jewelerstoystore.com uses the Volusion setup. Take a look as an example.
diandwill
Elite Cafe Member
I have a web store, made with a template provided by my reatail business phone service. In about 160 weeks of operation I have had 2650 viewers. About 16-17/wk. I have had probably 15 sales from the site, but several of those were during sales events.
I also have a facebook page for the store, and have 250 'likes' there. I post all my new work there, and then try to remember to put it on the website. I am only about 4 months behind.
I also do juried Arts and Craft shows, anything to let people know I am around, to pick the pieces up and both see and feel the quality. At the shows (I have been doing them some of them for 10 years+) I have determined that about 1/10 0f 1% will by...1 per thousand, and 1 in 10 that buy will buy gold. Not very good on the surface, but we do get several (3-10) custom orders per year from people that have seen us at the shows and come backl for something. It may be as small as an engraved, nickle money clip for $40-50, or as big as a wedding set for $5000 or more. No way to tell.
You just have to do EVERYTHING that you can think off to get people to your store, website etc. I have had no luck with the Facebook store, and won't even consider e-bay. Have been told to try Etsy, but haven't yet. It's hard when one person does the designing, creating and marketing. Just run out of time.
http://bockemuehljewelers.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bockemuehl-Jewelers/110575692336495
I also have a facebook page for the store, and have 250 'likes' there. I post all my new work there, and then try to remember to put it on the website. I am only about 4 months behind.
I also do juried Arts and Craft shows, anything to let people know I am around, to pick the pieces up and both see and feel the quality. At the shows (I have been doing them some of them for 10 years+) I have determined that about 1/10 0f 1% will by...1 per thousand, and 1 in 10 that buy will buy gold. Not very good on the surface, but we do get several (3-10) custom orders per year from people that have seen us at the shows and come backl for something. It may be as small as an engraved, nickle money clip for $40-50, or as big as a wedding set for $5000 or more. No way to tell.
You just have to do EVERYTHING that you can think off to get people to your store, website etc. I have had no luck with the Facebook store, and won't even consider e-bay. Have been told to try Etsy, but haven't yet. It's hard when one person does the designing, creating and marketing. Just run out of time.
http://bockemuehljewelers.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bockemuehl-Jewelers/110575692336495
Ok, You all have great ideas. My web site is www.jlgohn.com and it is not up to selling at this time. I am thinking of going with a very large outfit to manage it and we will set up a easy to buy setup with pay-pal and ect to buy the merchandise. I will be doing mostly custom design bracelets and barrettes on this site. I have found that the cuff bracelets will not fit most women at 53/4 or 6 inches. so custom I feel is the way to go. I still have second thoughts about the net but is the only way I have to go. I do not have a retail operation any more. Sounds like if the web site is maintained probably it might work. Jack
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