Where to from here (Business)

[lizzie]

Not being biased but I think your website is the better looking of the 4 site (you plus three other unmentionables).

What is it that sells on these other sites? Is it the skates themselves - or the accessories? Often it's the accessories for those that want to "look the part" without actually "being". Bags, hair items, makeup, shirts, caps etc ... you've only got three types of laces (with not very good photography) and spare parts.

I know you've only really just started out (less than 12 months - or has it been longer) - but what is it that really sells for you? What do you see the kids/teens wearing at events?

 

[ok180]

*Pay with my PayPal account
Log in to your account to complete the purchase

*Pay with a credit or debit card
(Optional) Sign up to PayPal to make your next checkout faster'

Perhaps add a note to your website so that customers are aware of the ability to pay by credit card through paypal.

People are fickle, if you don't put CC in their face they will likely abandon the cart.

With Ecom the best way to approach it is to assume this is the first time someone has ever purchased something online, make it easy, obvious and get them the exact information they are looking for.

Skater, if you think there is genuinly money for you to make here then you have to develop a solid marketing strategy to get people to your website. If you have no tracking software on your site your flying blind. Get analytics set up.

Get on facebook, spend a couple of hundred on ads targeting people into skating. Engage them.

Set up adwords, look at what the top 10 or so keywords relevant to your site is, target those with exact match terms, once you do that for a while fine tune it with more keywords.

You need Seo to rank organically for keywords, get someone to take care of this for you, your looking at around $500 a month.

You clearly need to outlay some money on marketing which will generate turnover for you.

Im assuming there are skating forums on the net like this one. Get on there, get posting and see if they will allow you to have a link to your site in your sig. If not see if you can sponsor the forum with a banner at the top.

Gumtree is full of idiots, but hey, it's cheap. $8.99 a week you can have a listing that appears at the top when people search for things like roller skates.

You need to bash that drum and make some noise.

 

[bbmick]

You already have that option. Your customers can pay by credit card through paypal without signing up for a paypal account.
When they lob onto the paypal website they have two options

*Pay with my PayPal account
Log in to your account to complete the purchase

*Pay with a credit or debit card
(Optional) Sign up to PayPal to make your next checkout faster'

Perhaps add a note to your website so that customers are aware of the ability to pay by credit card through paypal.

Interesting..............I did not click thru to test what comes up before.
How much of that stuff do you need to fill in?

It doesn't seem clear to me.........do I just fill in the card details?
Or put my phone number, address, email as well? (which of course is duplicating).

skater - I assume you personally have tested your cart? You know don't you?

 

[ok180]

Totally agree

Having a credit card option is nice but people refusing to use PP need to get with the times but of course thats a change issue, people just dont like new things even though its been around for a while now.

If you have an attitude in business that your customers need to "get with the times" your not going to last long. The market is there, you just have to work out how to milk it not the other way around.

I have paypal and prefer to use it but people with paypal always have a credit card too. People who have a credit card don't always have paypal. It would be like offering AMEX but not master card or vias. Even if you can pay via cc with paypal you would have already lost most people who don't understand it. You need to keep it as simple as possible.

 

[skater]

Not being biased but I think your website is the better looking of the 4 site (you plus three other unmentionables).

What is it that sells on these other sites? Is it the skates themselves - or the accessories? Often it's the accessories for those that want to "look the part" without actually "being". Bags, hair items, makeup, shirts, caps etc ... you've only got three types of laces (with not very good photography) and spare parts.

I know you've only really just started out (less than 12 months - or has it been longer) - but what is it that really sells for you? What do you see the kids/teens wearing at events?

The other sites are all aimed solely on Roller Derby. The best selling items are skates, wheels and protection gear. They all have ties back to the roller derby community and are able to access stock from the Aussie supplier.

Out of the few things I've sold from my website, it is mostly protection gear that has sold. Off of Ebay, I sell a heap of kids skates. These aren't available anywhere else in Australia, and I haven't got them all on the website. I will add more to the site soon.

 

[skater]

People are fickle, if you don't put CC in their face they will likely abandon the cart.

With Ecom the best way to approach it is to assume this is the first time someone has ever purchased something online, make it easy, obvious and get them the exact information they are looking for.

Skater, if you think there is genuinly money for you to make here then you have to develop a solid marketing strategy to get people to your website. If you have no tracking software on your site your flying blind. Get analytics set up.
I know there is money to be made. I'm selling a heap of kiddies stuff, but it's all coming from Ebay.
Get on facebook, spend a couple of hundred on ads targeting people into skating. Engage them.I've tried that & it didn't help.

Set up adwords, look at what the top 10 or so keywords relevant to your site is, target those with exact match terms, once you do that for a while fine tune it with more keywords.

You need Seo to rank organically for keywords, get someone to take care of this for you, your looking at around $500 a month.I'm not willing to spend $500mth on the website. All my sales are coming from Ebay.
You clearly need to outlay some money on marketing which will generate turnover for you.

Im assuming there are skating forums on the net like this one. Get on there, get posting and see if they will allow you to have a link to your site in your sig. If not see if you can sponsor the forum with a banner at the top.
There is only one skating forum. It is a USA based forum they do not allow advertising.
Gumtree is full of idiots, but hey, it's cheap. $8.99 a week you can have a listing that appears at the top when people search for things like roller skates.Ive got stuff on Gumtree too. I usually get idiots call and want to negotiate skates for half price.
You need to bash that drum and make some noise.

LOL, yes....

 

[skater]

Interesting..............I did not click thru to test what comes up before.
How much of that stuff do you need to fill in?

It doesn't seem clear to me.........do I just fill in the card details?
Or put my phone number, address, email as well? (which of course is duplicating).

skater - I assume you personally have tested your cart? You know don't you?

I did test the cart, but not with a credit card.

 

[ok180]

Well Skater, your unwilling to spend money on Seo and you didn't reply to the adwords thing so im assuming your not spending on that either.

How do you expect people to find your website without SEO or SEM ??? How can it generate a return for you without traffic?

The reason your selling on Ebay is simple, there is a market already there, traffic, eye balls looking at things ready to buy. Do the same for your website and you will get the same result without uncle Ebay taking his cut.

 

[lizzie]

Out of the few things I've sold from my website, it is mostly protection gear that has sold. Off of Ebay, I sell a heap of kids skates. These aren't available anywhere else in Australia, and I haven't got them all on the website. I will add more to the site soon.

Then maybe this has to be your unique niche market ... kids ... kids skates, accessories, costumes (even non skating dress up costumes that are safe to skate in that you can buy wholesale), bags, clip on drink bottles, caps etc.

If you google "kids roller skates" then nothing much comes us except some ebay stores ... and "kids roller skate accessories" only had a rollerhq page not devoted to kids ... before starting to get into the dodgy pages that you wouldn't really bother with - or - non kid specific sites (where kids stuff is an afterthought).

Adults that have kids "into" a sport often are buying every accessory they can find for presents, rewards or just 'cause they can ... I know ... horse gear and nik naks cost a fortune.

And have some low priced bits and bobs that the kids can save up and buy with their own pocket money ... the laces are a great example

 

[Crabnet]

Interesting..............I did not click thru to test what comes up before.
How much of that stuff do you need to fill in?

It doesn't seem clear to me.........do I just fill in the card details?
Or put my phone number, address, email as well? (which of course is duplicating).

skater - I assume you personally have tested your cart? You know don't you?

Not sure because I always use my paypal account but have seen the option there.
However I would guess that you would be required to enter some billing information to satisfy the credit card provider.

 

[skater]

Well Skater, your unwilling to spend money on Seo and you didn't reply to the adwords thing so im assuming your not spending on that either.

How do you expect people to find your website without SEO or SEM ??? How can it generate a return for you without traffic?

The reason your selling on Ebay is simple, there is a market already there, traffic, eye balls looking at things ready to buy. Do the same for your website and you will get the same result without uncle Ebay taking his cut.

It's not that I'm unwilling. Let me try to explain a bit more.

Firstly, I DID try getting some SEO done. I wasn't all that impressed with it, and I could see that I would have to continually spend big $$ to get ranked. Sure, I've got funds that I could throw at it, but I don't want to. I'm happy to build slowly and not take funds from my other investing. I don't mind spending the profits, but I won't spend more than I'm earning from it.

This business is more than a hobby, but not a whole lot more. I'm not looking to employ anyone and am happy working from home, although the stock does take up way too much space. I would be very happy if I could double my sales.

 

[skater]

Then maybe this has to be your unique niche market ... kids ... kids skates, accessories, costumes (even non skating dress up costumes that are safe to skate in that you can buy wholesale), bags, clip on drink bottles, caps etc.

Yes Lizzie, I'm thinking exactly that. Kids skates & cheaper 'recreational' skates for adults. They are the skates that are running off the shelves.

 

[Meisterin]

Hi Skater

Have a look at setting up an account with BankWest Zero transaction account and setting up a credit card facility with them. This is a fabulous account if you have a small business as there are no fees what so ever.

Even though I am with NAB at the moment when I was with them, there were two options: $9 month and $25 per month. If the transactions are low you may want to take the $9 month option and pay 3-5% of the transaction costs or something similar.

Give Bank West a call and ask them how much they charge for merchant banking.

 

[lizzie]

Yes Lizzie, I'm thinking exactly that. Kids skates & cheaper 'recreational' skates for adults. They are the skates that are running off the shelves.

Would you even do the cheaper adult skates?

Why not make the kids stuff - everything skating - your niche and be the expert in that field?

And I'm not joking about the endless nik naks ... gosh ... I know for the horses there are colourful browbands, fancy saddle cloths, coloured whips (and one's with butterflies on the end for the little kids), coloured bridals/lead ropes/halters, drink bottle holders, mobile phone holders, miniature horses, books, dvds, games, calendars, clothing of every type, boots, hats, chaps, bags for all of the above plus just bags for bags sake ... and that's not even getting into the stuff "required" to ride the horse.

If I were you I'd specialise in the area where no one else is ... and make it your own. You've had two skating kids, and train many others, so you know what they like and desire ... the desire is the big earning part

 

[Bigtone]

Do you have something like Google Analytics on your site?
Are you able to see how many abandoned carts you get?

This is a must, can be a complete game changer

 

[cilangkap]

Hi there,

...Can't believe this is my first post after all these years being on SS. What a great site and learned so much...anyway..

Hello Skater, I think i have bought a full set of 187 protection gear from you, what a great product and service.

Anyway what I was going to suggest in relation to increasing sale is maybe to capture the skateboard market...this was the reason I bought it....

I researched a lot of other pads around and 187 was up there...maybe you can visit skate parks around your area and talk to parents about your product and words will spread.

Skate parks are popping up everywhere, and I always see parents there with their kids, especially in the eastern suburbs, I'm sure they would consider buying..i would..and I did.

Good luck

 

[skater]

Would you even do the cheaper adult skates?Yep! They sell just as well as the kids ones.
Why not make the kids stuff - everything skating - your niche and be the expert in that field?

And I'm not joking about the endless nik naks ... gosh ... I know for the horses there are colourful browbands, fancy saddle cloths, coloured whips (and one's with butterflies on the end for the little kids), coloured bridals/lead ropes/halters, drink bottle holders, mobile phone holders, miniature horses, books, dvds, games, calendars, clothing of every type, boots, hats, chaps, bags for all of the above plus just bags for bags sake ... and that's not even getting into the stuff "required" to ride the horse.

If I were you I'd specialise in the area where no one else is ... and make it your own. You've had two skating kids, and train many others, so you know what they like and desire ... the desire is the big earning part

Yes, I was thinking along those lines, but you would only have the kids that skate as a sport really wanting that stuff. Most kids get skates as just another toy. They'll use them a bit, but they're not addicted to all things skating.

 

[skater]

This is a must, can be a complete game changer

Hmm....I don't have this. I'm not sure where to start with this. I'm not really all that savy when it comes to this stuff.

 

[skater]

Hi there,

...Can't believe this is my first post after all these years being on SS. What a great site and learned so much...anyway..

Hello Skater, I think i have bought a full set of 187 protection gear from you, what a great product and service. Haha, thankyou. The 187 IS a great product. How did you find me?
Anyway what I was going to suggest in relation to increasing sale is maybe to capture the skateboard market...this was the reason I bought it....

I researched a lot of other pads around and 187 was up there...maybe you can visit skate parks around your area and talk to parents about your product and words will spread.

Skate parks are popping up everywhere, and I always see parents there with their kids, especially in the eastern suburbs, I'm sure they would consider buying..i would..and I did.

Good luck

Yes, skate parks are everywhere, but unlike roller skating, I really don't know a lot about skateboarding.

 

[geoffw]

Hmm....I don't have this. I'm not sure where to start with this. I'm not really all that savy when it comes to this stuff.

Your friendly web guru should be able to help you. It's pretty easy. You sign up- using a google ID if you already have one- and they give you some code to put on every web page. Just a small chunk of HTML.