posted on January 16, 2005 03:14:56 PM new
I am going to get off my duff and open my own off-ebay store. I've been looking at various places that people have suggested. On the surface I like the ValueWebs Site hosting & Design tools by Costco. I'll have to design my own store with Frontpage (I've never done this) and upload it...FTP? I'll obviously be learning a lot in the next couple of weeks.
On the one hand it's plug and play but only letting you put on a few items for the money. I would be up and running in no time at all.
With the Costco one I can have up to 100,000 items which is way more then I need but the cost is only $15.00 a month with my Executive membership and no final value fees like Ebay.
Whatcha all think???
[ edited by ewora on Jan 16, 2005 03:15 PM ]
posted on January 16, 2005 04:15:13 PM new
The only thing I can tell you is to be prepared to ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE! I closed my store although I did have a few loyal buyers. They keep emailing me asking when I'm going to reopen. Also, it's a lot more work and more time consuming so include that in your cost configuration. The amount of time I was throwing into it and the money I was making just didn't cut it for me. I'll try again, of course, but competition is stiff even off eBay. Also, make sure you have lots of product! Unlike eBay where you can get away with putting up only a few things a week, with a store you need to put up more or you'll find your customers yawning. Also be prepared to make your pages interactive which means adding things like maybe a guestbook or newsletter. I did both. The newsletter I was sending out took loads of time all by itself. It's tons of work.
That's my two cents for whatever it's worth. BTW, I used ecommerce for my shopping cart. It's a great program. However, depending upon your hosting company you may need to learn php. It's very different from html.
Cheryl
"No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power." ~ P.J. O'Rourke
posted on January 16, 2005 04:22:48 PM new
A bunch of Ebay powersellers are getting together to open a mall. So there will be some advertising thru that. But if I'm going to join the mall I need a store to put in it.
I'm thinking of starting with Alaska type items of which there seems to be an unlimited supply of everywhere in town.
It's like learning another language all together.
sthoemke--Are the Amazon Stores plug and play or do you have to write some of your own html?
