Importing

[moyjos]

What kind of marketing do you guys who sell online do? We find Googles organic rankings to be a bit of a crap shoot these days so we're spending a lot on adwords.

Google SEO
eBay
Buildbits (surprising good of late I am guessing they have spent a bit on their own SEO)
Gumtree

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Would have to say SEO.
Up until recently, we've been spending 2k/month in total for SEO and Adwords to generate a 3 mil turnover.

Looking at bumping total marketing budget up to 5k/month next year.

 

[moyjos]

there is a good guide available at http://importingaustralia.com.au/

My freight forwarder gave me a copy a few years ago as a gift. If you are thinking of starting, it is a good "how to" guide.

 

[Biz]

Would have to say SEO.
Up until recently, we've been spending 2k/month in total for SEO and Adwords to generate a 3 mil turnover.

Looking at bumping total marketing budget up to 5k/month next year.

Thats an extremely good return. I find adwords ends up costing us about 10-15% of gross sales.

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Thats an extremely good return. I find adwords ends up costing us about 10-15% of gross sales.

To be fair, we spend a bit on eBay, but it really does generate great leads.
Always trying to divert eBay customers direct to our website to avoid the high sales fees.

 

[Biz]

To be fair, we spend a bit on eBay, but it really does generate great leads.
Always trying to divert eBay customers direct to our website to avoid the high sales fees.

Yes, we find we get a bit of traffic via ebay listings too but not much sales on the site itself. Just can't compete with what people sell on there for. Or should i say, cant be bothered to sell 5x - 10x times the amount of stock just to make the same as what we do from selling 1x at a higher price.

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Yes, we find we get a bit of traffic via ebay listings too but not much sales on the site itself. Just can't compete with what people sell on there for. Or should i say, cant be bothered to sell 5x - 10x times the amount of stock just to make the same as what we do from selling 1x at a higher price.

No point trying to compete on price with other eBay sellers.
As long as you get them to enquire or contact you via eBay, you can always convert them to purchase direct rather than via eBay, then upsell and add on from there.

 

[skater]

Yes, we find we get a bit of traffic via ebay listings too but not much sales on the site itself.

That's exactly our case too.

Just can't compete with what people sell on there for. Or should i say, cant be bothered to sell 5x - 10x times the amount of stock just to make the same as what we do from selling 1x at a higher price.

I fully understand! I've got one real competitor. He imports the same brand that I do & sells it (on Ebay) for half the price that the stores do. He is a real pain in the 'you know where', because we have no other competitors with this particular product. There is no reason to discount it in this way.

When I started he had one model only that he was selling, of this brand, so I didn't sell that model, I sold several others, and very successfully. He's now bringing in 'my' models and discounting them to stupid levels. In order to be competitive, I have to sell mine at the same level.

To be fair, I sell a lot more than he does, because I've got a lot more choice. I don't just stock this one brand, but several others as well. I'm aiming at creating my own brand now. That will give me something that will be impossible for him to duplicate, and to undercut me on. The only problem is that I will need to bring in a container for each model I create, as it is pretty bulky stock.

 

[Blacky]

Just out of curiosity do any of you guys use hedging at all?

Blacky

 

[westminster]

Thanks to all this talk of importing I've wasted a couple of hours on Alibaba. I try and not look at it as it's like a black hole but I got sucked into looking at furniture for the new PPOR

 

[sanj]

Just out of curiosity do any of you guys use hedging at all?

Blacky

Yeah I do, I think it's pretty dangerous not to at all but I guess each business is different

 

[Mindmaster]

No need to go as far as Alibaba for furniture.

These couches and their prices on ebay are mesmirising
$485 for a PU black leather couch that doubles as a bed
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PU-Leath...568337?pt=AU_SofasCouches&hash=item5d464f6ad1

$285 for a nice looking white PU leather couch
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/White-Le...908834?pt=AU_SofasCouches&hash=item35e24c2962

Crazy prices

Thanks to all this talk of importing I've wasted a couple of hours on Alibaba. I try and not look at it as it's like a black hole but I got sucked into looking at furniture for the new PPOR

 

[charttv]

We find Googles organic rankings to be a bit of a crap shoot these days so we're spending a lot on adwords.

just the way they like it. What are the masses going to do? Switch to another search engine?

 

[new]

Edited.

Where are your containers and goods stored once they arrive?