As many know, I kicked off my little online business some time ago. Since then, I spent a heap getting a web-site set up & I have ongoing hosting costs as well as an additional cost for my Business email. All this is the cost of doing Business & I am fine with that.
I spent money on trying to improve it's ranking via Google, and I tried marketing directly to some of the Roller Derby Groups. None of this has been successful.
I also encountered resistance with some of the Australian Wholesalers as they didn't want to supply an online Business, despite them themselves having an online retail presence. Deciding that I was not going to be restricted by this, I set up accounts with US wholesalers to supply some of the same products (OK, not the products that the Aussie Wholesales have exclusive rights over, but some of the others). This did limit my products, but not stop me entirely, which is what the Aussie guys wanted.
So...the website was set up with stock that I could supply, but Business was S L O W. Very S L O W. Trying to think outside the square, I started listing stuff on Ebay, but to list it on Ebay, you have to do your homework & make sure that it is cheaper than other retailers selling the same stock. Nobody else has this stuff on Ebay, only me, but it needed to be cheaper than customers could get it from established online stores. I did this, & things started selling. Great!
I also located another US skate supplier that none of the Aussie guys stocked & have been importing them. This brand is virtually unknown in Australia, but well known in the US. At the time, I was thinking that eventually I would use the website for the known brands & just stock this other brand on Ebay.
This 'unknown' brand is selling very well. Because I'm bringing in a lot at a time, the import costs are low, and because I'm getting it straight from the Supplier it's cheap. There are no middlemen. Even the other stuff I get from the US, has middlemen, so there really isn't anything in Australia that compares to my product.
Anyway, I'm at a bit of a cross-roads. Do I just list on Ebay & get rid of the website. It only costs me around $70 per month, but I'm lucky to sell that much product from it each month, let alone make a profit.
I could, I suppose, find somewhere else where the hosting is cheaper & just list less products, but I'm wondering if I really need this extra expense at all. Oh, I have no idea how I would move the website either, as it uses the Content Management System of the Company that set it up for me.
I spent money on trying to improve it's ranking via Google, and I tried marketing directly to some of the Roller Derby Groups. None of this has been successful.
I also encountered resistance with some of the Australian Wholesalers as they didn't want to supply an online Business, despite them themselves having an online retail presence. Deciding that I was not going to be restricted by this, I set up accounts with US wholesalers to supply some of the same products (OK, not the products that the Aussie Wholesales have exclusive rights over, but some of the others). This did limit my products, but not stop me entirely, which is what the Aussie guys wanted.
So...the website was set up with stock that I could supply, but Business was S L O W. Very S L O W. Trying to think outside the square, I started listing stuff on Ebay, but to list it on Ebay, you have to do your homework & make sure that it is cheaper than other retailers selling the same stock. Nobody else has this stuff on Ebay, only me, but it needed to be cheaper than customers could get it from established online stores. I did this, & things started selling. Great!
I also located another US skate supplier that none of the Aussie guys stocked & have been importing them. This brand is virtually unknown in Australia, but well known in the US. At the time, I was thinking that eventually I would use the website for the known brands & just stock this other brand on Ebay.
This 'unknown' brand is selling very well. Because I'm bringing in a lot at a time, the import costs are low, and because I'm getting it straight from the Supplier it's cheap. There are no middlemen. Even the other stuff I get from the US, has middlemen, so there really isn't anything in Australia that compares to my product.
Anyway, I'm at a bit of a cross-roads. Do I just list on Ebay & get rid of the website. It only costs me around $70 per month, but I'm lucky to sell that much product from it each month, let alone make a profit.
I could, I suppose, find somewhere else where the hosting is cheaper & just list less products, but I'm wondering if I really need this extra expense at all. Oh, I have no idea how I would move the website either, as it uses the Content Management System of the Company that set it up for me.