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Heaven
Apr 2, 2007, 10:24 PM
Post #2 of 21
(4453 views)
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I'm working on one as we speak..... I have the web design skills, already purchased the domain name and goodies (hosting, traffic, cart)...
Now it's off to building a catalog, marketing (I have a few ideas up my sleeve but will be looking for more) and making a shipping center out of a nook around here someplace  (shoves everything off the dining room table) 
To start, I'll be dealing with stock on hand and will be expanding to wholesale purchased items for resale. Baby steps, but it's the part that requires the most intense research.
So, that's my story.....
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wartimethings
Sep 10, 2007, 2:31 PM
Post #3 of 21
(3236 views)
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Hi,
I hope you don't mind me putting my two cents worth in here. I've been designing websites since about 2004 (my own mostly but others as time went on). I own my own business online and have since 2004 but we've been online through other avenues such as eBay and such since 2003.
Web design is a fickle creature. Make sure you examine every nook and cranny of the software. Don't be afraid to experiment. That's what I do.
I've looked at competitors, changes in trends, and other such items when I work on my websites. So far, knock on wood, I've been successful.
100% of my sales come from online. We don't offer any brick and mortar sales to date. We are, however, planning on opening a brick and mortar store in the near future.
Due to my health, it wasn't feasible for me to pursue anything outside of e-tail retail. Now, my business is booming due to some correct marketing and just plain dumb luck. I'll take it where I can get it.
Our profits double every year and we can't see anything to stop them in the near or distant future. Even with unemployment crisis' across the country which affect the economy hasn't hurt our sales.
Dan
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wartimethings
Oct 14, 2007, 9:51 AM
Post #5 of 21
(3090 views)
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Hi,
As a matter of fact, I do. Just to give some credentials, I sponsor a Marketing Group which help people learn tips and tricks to bring their business sales up.
The first thing to ask yourself is, do I want to pay for the promotion of my website or do I want to get out as cheaply as possible by doing it myself?
I've found that 9 out of 10 people who start online businesses, choose the latter due to the financial risk is completely theirs and they don't have a whole lot of capital to invest initially.
If you are one of the ones who is starting out, who intend to pay someone else to promote your site, this takes a load of responsibility off of your shoulders. Just research the companies out there (yes, there are thousands), and make sure the company you approach is reputable. One way to make sure is look them up on the BBB online information system. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you see the company has complaints, ask about them. If they put you off or don't answer, don't give them your business. You can't satisfy 100% of your customers 100% of the time but you should be able to explain to a potential customer why you have these strikes against you.
If you are one of the ones who want to promote and market your website yourself, first let me say, BRAVO!! This is not only more inexpensive, but it keeps you in control of the aspect of business. I'll hit a few important pointers which can help you out. I can't tell you everything since this is just a reply post but, it should help get your feet wet.
First, if you are a business who sells merchandise, make sure you upload your product line to Google Base. Google Base took the place of Froogle, which is Google's online marketplace. This has to be the most important step since Google is the most widely used search engine online. It's free to create an account and submit so you have nothing to lose.
Second, submit like crazy to search engines. Get a software called Web CEO. They have a free version which works perfectly for your business. It can help you configure your keywords, submit to sites on a schedule, and do other things. It's a great tool to help people start out. I wouldn't advise submitting every day since you could be looked upon as spam by the search engines. Once a week or every other week should work.
Third, write articles and place them on your website. Make sure you place the disclaimer that anyone referring to your work should place a link leading back to your articles. This will help bring your page rank up.
There are so many other things I can say to help market and promote your website. My idea is try everything you can think of. Speak to people like this. Get free advice. Remember, you don't have to follow it if you don't feel comfortable. You will find friends and family members tend to tell you how to run your business. PLEASE REFER TO THIS LAST SENTENCE! Unless that person is a marketing major or has a similar business, politely tell them you'll stick to the professionals. Friends and family mean well when it comes to "helping" you gain business but I have found that most instances, they are trying to ride the train. "Remember when I gave you that great advice?" "I now need a six figure income since I helped you sooooo much." This is laughable to say the least.
The last thing I will mention is this. Sadly to say, the electronics business is one of the most booming businesses both online and off. Why is this sad you ask? Because everyone and their mom is getting into it and selling it. You've got to start off trying to figure out what sets you apart from these companies. Be it price, customer service, daily specials, or whatever it is, you've got to set yourself apart. You already have so many big name competitors working against you, the wrong choice could put your business out of business before you begin. Research, research, research. Look at what your competitors do. Look at who they are. Again, Web CEO can help you in these endeavors.
Above all, have fun while you are building your business. If you aren't having fun, you are in the wrong business. Let your business become your obsession.
That's all I have for now. I wish you luck and happiness in any endeavor you so choose.
Your business friend,
Dan
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kiko84
Nov 13, 2007, 8:45 PM
Post #7 of 21
(2869 views)
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yeah,i am a sales of my company.some days ago i set up a store in a b2b website to find buyers.now i find a client ,and i am negotiating with him.Busibess online is so good. finally,i also welcome you to check out my shop:http://delia715.myeglobal.com
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vvxiao
Nov 13, 2007, 10:51 PM
Post #8 of 21
(2868 views)
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my business is online. we are online wholesaler majoring consumer electronics in good quality at wholeslae price! pls give me some managing skills and any advice are appreicated! Tks!
------------------
online electronic products:
mp3/4 player digital cameras
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stephen.fung
Nov 21, 2007, 7:29 PM
Post #9 of 21
(2690 views)
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Thanks for the tips, wartimethings. Is your marketing group an online or offline group?
Any suggestions on communities to join focused on online marketing?
------------
inFlow Inventory - Software designed specifically for small wholesalers and distributors. Download the Free Edition now!
Save time and increase accuracy managing your inventory, sales, customers, and vendors. Print pick lists, invoices, mailing labels, and more. Instantly gather information with business reports, like your top 10 best-selling products, customers that owe you money, and much more!
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wartimethings
Nov 21, 2007, 7:46 PM
Post #10 of 21
(2686 views)
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Hi Stephen,
Our marketing group is an online support group for the members of our ecommerce community.
Sadly, and this is my rule, you have to be a member of our community to participate. The reason I put this rule in effect was due to the number of spammers who join up just to put that nasty old spam in everyone's inbox.
Some marketing tips I give freely to everyone is make sure you create a Google Base account and upload your products from your store to Google Base. This helps place you in the product listings of Google Base (which took the place of Froogle) and helps your store in the keyword searches within the confines of Google. That is the most important tip I can give someone. Getting set up on Google, who remains the number one search engine used online becomes the standard and everything else is just secondary.
After getting the products uploaded to Google, make sure you submit your website to all search engines like crazy. Every day is a bit excessive, but if you use the search engine submission tool in the WebCEO software (it's free), you can set a schedule up within this program to submit your website every week, every other week, or every month. Every other week will actually suffice.
The last thing I talk about. Talk about your business. Talk to friends, family, acquaintances, and anyone else you can think of. Number one, this will help you bring possible business (yes, your friends and family has to buy merchandise too, better to buy from you than the local competitor), and helps you create a fluid sales pitch. When I first started, I had a job land surveying. Whenever a co-worker would say they needed this, that or the other, I would pop up with something that related to my business. "Oh, we don't sell that but if you were to need this...." "Oh, we sell that. And purchasing from me will be a reward like you've never seen. You've got customer service up close and personal."
Pretty soon, your family and friends will be able to quote your sales pitch as well, if not better, than you. My co-workers could. lol. That was good times. And what happened next just made me feel all fuzzy inside. Not only would they think of me when they needed something, but they would actually try to sell for me. They had a blast.
All in all, you've got to realize your dream for success. You've got to have a passion which invades your thoughts, your actions, and your very being. You've got to believe you are going to succeed even before you take your first step. How do you do that? How can you possibly become confident without gaining arrogance? You've got to tell yourself you are a winner. But make sure you do so with a humble attitude. Remember, you can sell, but if you drive a customer away, you'll be right back at ground zero.
I do hope that this helps you gain the footing to climb to the top of the mountain. Just remember, the more friends you have, the more supports you'll have to help you make it up the mountain faster.
Good luck and good business.
Dan
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pete
/ Moderator
Nov 21, 2007, 10:38 PM
Post #11 of 21
(2677 views)
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Dan, how can you be so right, and yet be so wrong?
99.7% of what you've posted here is really good stuff! More of that type of posting is just what we need. Thanks!
But then you mention the BBB. How could you suggest checking with them, unless you're doing an undercover investigation of payola.
The BBB is a Business. They sell their services to the highest bidder. Not a member? Get someone mad and they report you? Wnat to "clear it up?" Join, once you're a member that report will get lost.
There are regularly reports in the press and elsewhere of corrupt chapters. Grease a palm and everything is fine, "no Mam, we don't have anything on them."
I once had them ask me to join. The dues were based on the number of employees. I had 25 to 30 at the time and the dues were much more than I was comfortable paying. When I told the salesman that he told me to lie and say I just had 5 employees.
And these are the people preaching trust and honesty.
They are for sale and use their reputaion with the innocent general public as a hammer to beat business people over the head.
To suggest checking with the BBB and finding a bad report usually means the business has the integrity to not give in to buying their way clean. They suck the blood from small businesses under the guise of protecting the public. They've definitely got some good PR going for them.
.
The Most Complete Source of Wholesalers & Dropshippers on the Net. USA, UK & Aussie Sections
Wholesale Distributor & Dropshipper - We supply you with your own FREE loaded shopping cart!
Experienced Web Hosting for Under $ 5.00 Monthly! FREE Shopping Carts! Qualified Advice!
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wartimethings
Nov 21, 2007, 11:57 PM
Post #12 of 21
(2672 views)
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Well my friend, what you speak is the truth. Yet you are wrong as well.
Although the BBB is a legitimate business run basically by it's own chapter in the designated area, it does serve as a good start in investigating a company. I will say that the majority of reports are verbatim against the company and they do investigate every issue. I've had to use them in the past and although they didn't supply the needs, they are a good reporting agency to vent and start the investigation process.
They WILL find out whether a business is legitimate or not. They ARE subjected to corruption just like every other business out there.
The BBB is there to forward your complaints to the company and use the reputation they have, to find a plausible medium between you and the person you are complaining against. They do follow up. They do issue the report which is available online. But they don't exercise any true authority. They do try to make sure you aren't dealing with companies who are fraudulent.
My reasoning for saying contact the BBB as a way to investigate a company still stands. True. Not every company is a member of BBB. My business is not. However, any company, regardless if you are a member or not, will show a bad report if someone files against you. The BBB does have an obligation to follow up. When the company receives the complaint, the motivation is to see that the BBB is involved and most people will jump at the first contact due to being afraid of the repercussions. The large companies reply based on keeping things friendly. And you have the chance to reply to the final outcome.
I've had problems with Hewlett Packard for substandard service and breach of contract (by way of warranty). If I'd have looked up HP prior to the purchase of two new models, I would have run from the store as quickly as possible and found another computer company. But like you say, if someone has a chip on their shoulder, they will still complain. You can't make all the people happy 100% of the time. However, a rating from BBB will allow you to see what kind of complaints the company has had and how often. It can help you come up with some educated questions which you can ask that company. Why do you have so many complaints against you? Why have you responded to 35% of those complaints? If the answers aren't satisfactory.... YOU SHOULD FIND ANOTHER BUSINESS TO DEAL WITH. Point blank.
I'm in constant contact with businesses all day long. If I didn't rely on the BBB for reports about that company, I would be second guessing what that companies' rep would tell me. Anyone can tell you what you want to hear. It's up to you to find out if they are being honest or not.
Well, that's all I have to say about that.
Remember, check ALL sources when looking at a company. You'll have good, bad, and ugly rear it's head on most occasions. It's up to you to decide if they warrant your business.
Dan
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wartimethings
Nov 22, 2007, 6:05 PM
Post #14 of 21
(2627 views)
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That's funny because there are a lot of businesses out there who can afford to pay that "fee" you speak about, yet still have bad reports against them.
Again, it's not a perfect system due to the human element behind it. But I dare anyone to find the perfect system. There is no such animal and again, this is to help a person find a reputable supplier. I'm not saying place your blind faith in what one report agency states.
I understand having a grudge against a company. I understand about trying to warn others against their practices. I've been there. I used to try my best to talk everyone I could out of purchasing an HP every chance I could get. However, it loses it's flavor after a while. People will have good experiences with companies and bad experiences with the same company. I say, take your chance with the BBB due to the fact that the reports are available free of charge and to file a complaint against a company doesn't cost either. So, you have a situation where you can let your voice be heard regardless of the level of corruption. Even if you resolve nothing, there is still that complaint you've filed.
Also, if you've filed a complaint against someone using the BBB, if you have to litigate inside of a courtroom, you have documentation to back you up. And yes, you can subpoena the BBB representative who is handling your case as a witness.
Dan
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pete
/ Moderator
Nov 22, 2007, 8:27 PM
Post #15 of 21
(2599 views)
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Sevral examples -
Before you trust the Better Business Bureau read this!
The Better Business Bureau does not:
*Report complaints about member businesses.
*Actively investigate complaints about member businesses.
*Verify information provided by member businesses.
I lost $16,000 to a fraudulent business called Allsports Distribution Inc. (a member of the BBB). Before I invested in this business, I checked them out with the BBB. They reported no complaints for Allsports even though they were under criminal investigation and about to be closed down by the Maryland Attorney Generals Office. The BBB also falsely reported that Allsports had been in business for over twenty years, when in fact they had just started business.
"After it became obvious that I was being ripped off, I complained to the BBB. During my conversations with the BBB representatives, I found that they knew that Allsports was not in business for 20 years, and that Allsports was violating Federal Trade regulations and defrauding customers all across the country. They also knew that the Attorney Generals Office of Maryland had a case against Allsports. Knowing all of this the BBB reported no complaints and showed Allsports in good standing. I checked the BBB?s Report for Allsports long after my many complaints and they still showed Allsports in good standing and with no complaints! This went on until the AG?s office in Maryland shut down Allsports in 1998.
"As soon as Allsports was no longer in business, and could not pay their fees, the Better Business Bureau canceled Allsports membership. I have a list of thirty people defrauded by Allsports, many of whom relied on the Better Business Bureau to help them make their decision to do business with Allsports. There are many others who lost much more money than I did. Some mortgaged their homes to get the money to invest in this scam! If the Better Business Bureau had performed their job as they advertise, many of us would not have been ripped off by Allsports! I consider the Better Business Bureau part of the scam that was perpetrated against myself and others.
"I would like to get the word out about the Better Business Bureau, so more people are not ripped off! I would also like to hear about other stories concerning the BBB. I will collect the stories and post them on the web."
Next -
I wrote to the BBB with all supporting documentation. I never heard back from them. So I sued the dealership.
When I arrived in court, I saw that the Parts Manager (whom the dealership had sent to represent them) had all the material I'd sent tot he BBB, my (lengthy) letter and all. Talk about free discovery. OK, no big deal, I don't mind them getting a copy of the complaint.
I prevailed in court, big-time. I got every penny I asked for, plus costs. The whole episode took less than five minutes, it was truly an "open and shut" case.
So I wrote the BBB and said I'd resolved the matter in court, and that the dealership was now "proven" to have screwed me and tried to get out of it at a fraction of the actual liability. The BBB never contacted me in any way; the flow of information was one-way only.
Out of curiosity, I called the BBB a month later and asked if they'd had any recent complaints about post-sales service at dealership XXX. They told me that there had been no complaints. In other words, they LIED to me. I didn't feel like calling them on it at the time, so I let it drop.
Next -
sadly, I found out yrs ago the BBB sucks they really stand behind the business that gives them $$$, why piss off you bread and butter??
I complained about a horrible PC and service I bought yrs ago. the BBB had it as an unresolved complaint. then about 8 months later, I call the BB and ask about the same co and if any complaints etc. they told me no unresolved complaints. I asked the lady how is that possible when I have an unresolved complaint with them. she was, huh. then she started looking into it farther and found out I was telling her the truth. she said she could not change it and told me to have a nice day. I called back and spoke with a manager type, who just told me too bad, so sad. ever since the nI don't go by BBB inputs.
Check this one -
http://groups.msn.com/...usbankandthebbb.msnw
There's more if you take the time to search.
You can find many examples of reports that just disappear. It happens to oftem to be clerical error.
Yes, a bad report tells you something, I do not deny that.
But lack of any bad reports does not tell you anything because it could mean there really are none, or that they have become "lost", usually after a previously non-member becomes a member or someone makes a contribution.
They are not what they present themselves to the world as being.
.
The Most Complete Source of Wholesalers & Dropshippers on the Net. USA, UK & Aussie Sections
Wholesale Distributor & Dropshipper - We supply you with your own FREE loaded shopping cart!
Experienced Web Hosting for Under $ 5.00 Monthly! FREE Shopping Carts! Qualified Advice!
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wartimethings
Nov 22, 2007, 9:31 PM
Post #16 of 21
(2591 views)
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Why do you continue to beat a dead horse?
I have stated that you should check ALL resources.
Taken from the BBB.org website:
Complaints BBB has made it fast and easy for people to file complaints. We take complaints involving all types of businesses - online, offline, BBB Accredited Businesses or non-accredited businesses. We also accept complaints against charities and non-profit organizations. We primarily handle complaints relating to marketplace transactions, including advertising claims.
Use the following links to file a complaint: - General consumer complaints (other than Lemon Law/Auto Warranty) which includes, among others, misleading advertising, improper selling practices, and non-delivery of goods or services, complaints about nonprofit/charitable organizations and complaints about the misuse of personally identifiable information.
- Complaints about Lemon Law/Auto Warranties. These complaints are handled via the BBB AUTO LINE program.
The BBB does accept complaints against accredited and NON-accredited businesses. Meaning, members of the BBB organization or NON-members.
The BBB is a national organization. If I would have experienced the problems you had, I would have continued going on up the chain.
The BBB maintains negative reports against businesses made BY CONSUMERS. True. Not every company will show a report. Not every branch belonging to the council will be up to snuff and maintain their office as efficiently as others. But overall, the BBB has been a trusted service of the people since they have been in operation.
If anyone has any questions concerning what the BBB can and/or will do, please refer to the FAQ section of their website.
Dan
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jenny07
Dec 18, 2007, 10:00 PM
Post #17 of 21
(2341 views)
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yeah, i have gotten into online business- dropshipping for two years. now i work at home, instead of going to company every day. i love this life style, more free, and i am the boss of myself. 
-------------------
trustworthy cell phone & accessories dropshipper
http://www.cellphonefocus.com
trustworthy wrist watches dropshipper
http://www.watchessuperstore.com
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jackyzhang
Feb 19, 2008, 3:25 AM
Post #18 of 21
(1530 views)
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Sorry, this section is for Ecommerce issues, not advertising your business.
MOD
(This post was edited by pete on Feb 19, 2008, 5:48 AM)
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kermit
Feb 22, 2008, 9:02 AM
Post #19 of 21
(1508 views)
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I've recently purchased a web domain,not sure exactly how to proceed,such as products,web design,etc.I will be moving to Arlington,Tx. in the spring and would like to have some things in place.I'm open to suggestions,thanks.
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Lingerie_Gal
Jun 8, 2008, 4:45 PM
Post #20 of 21
(870 views)
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Thanks for posting some great start up marketing tips.
Basic but invaluable non the less for starting up. If you have any more suggestions for free or cheap self-promotion and links to share up your sleeve I'd appreciate it. Promoting my site myself, just like you said - promoting on a shoestring budget. I'll be sure to share what I learn with others too! ...Lots of gratitude for those that do. Helping each other is a feel good process as well. Why not...right?.
www.ElegantLivingLingerie.com (Wholesale)
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tasports01
Jul 1, 2008, 2:03 PM
Post #21 of 21
(754 views)
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Wow, thanks to wartimethings for detailed, great advices and efforts. They're quite helpful.
Life is like a dream.
www.alibaba-sports.com
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