How to estimate sales before starting?

by hf1664
9 replies
  • ECOMMERCE
  • |
Hello guys,

I've had the idea of buying in bulk from AliBaba and reselling the stuff. ( such an unique idea, I know ) I think the stuff will sell, but like for advertising, I would like to make some tests first. As you probably know, I have a minimum quantity order on AliBaba and I would have no choice than to buy the stuff in bulk.

I'd like to know how to estimate the sales before buying the stuff? Do I create a web site for the product and take the orders, without actually sending the product and say there are delays for the delivery? Do I just create a web page with the product and ask people for their emails if they are interested in buying the product when it's ready? How do you guys know if people will buy your stuff?

Useful Info: I can't drop ship the items, because I am mixing different things from different factories together.

Thanks in advance!
#estimate #sales #starting
  • Profile picture of the author Commercefully
    Firstly, I wouldn't suggest selling a product and stating there are delays on delivery, just so you can estimate sales. That's dishonest.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10791517].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author bluxem
    I would suggest trying to cotact the vendor you want to order from and ask him his sales figures and where he normally sells it to. He should have statistics available, then you take it from there.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10791716].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Junaid khawaja
    How to estimate the sales?

    Well, estimate the demand.

    Do some research and find out whether people are already buying similar stuff as yours?

    How your competitors are doing? Can you estimate their sales? Study your competitors, identify things they are missing in their marketing, and sell the similar product as theirs (but in a different creative way).

    Taking orders and then making excuses on delivery dates is the worst work ethic.

    AND YES, Please don't be afraid to take risks! It's the core of entrepreneurship.
    Cheers!
    Junaid
    Signature

    I am conducting 5 FREE copy consultations till New Year...Jump onto my bandwagon while you still can..

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10791743].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jmferret
    Do some pre-order campaign to estimate the demand or get a smaller amount (maybe at a higher price) of your product and see how fast you sell.

    It's hard to estimate such things exactly without actual data. You'll need to keep a lot of one product and not so much of another, then, all of a sudden it turns the other way around.

    Test it carefully and you'll get invaluable data nobody will provide you otherwise.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10791856].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Just track the clicks on a buy button that jumps to the same page/URL. Nothing will happen as far as traffic is concerned but you still get to track the CTR.

    Example:
    • hxxp://domain.com/example-product-1#buy-button-1
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10791883].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author hf1664
    Thanks for the help guys.

    Another question came to my mind when I was doing some research on AliBaba.
    I thought that the shipping would be paid with the order, like on ebay or any other online store and that you just had to wait to receive it at home. From what I've read on AliBaba, it looks like they ship your order to a port and then you need to figure out, on your own, how to get it delivered to your address. This looks really complicated and I'm wondering how am I supposed to know the approximate delivery fee? I'm located in Canada and I am closer to the east coast, I guess I'll have to pay for the freight train to get them to me? Do you guys know if it's possible to arrange the whole shipping process ( from the factory straight to my address) in advance with the Chinese sellers?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10793713].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Importexport
      Originally Posted by hf1664 View Post

      Thanks for the help guys.

      Another question came to my mind when I was doing some research on AliBaba.
      I thought that the shipping would be paid with the order, like on ebay or any other online store and that you just had to wait to receive it at home. From what I've read on AliBaba, it looks like they ship your order to a port and then you need to figure out, on your own, how to get it delivered to your address. This looks really complicated and I'm wondering how am I supposed to know the approximate delivery fee? I'm located in Canada and I am closer to the east coast, I guess I'll have to pay for the freight train to get them to me? Do you guys know if it's possible to arrange the whole shipping process ( from the factory straight to my address) in advance with the Chinese sellers?
      There are many different ways to arrange shipping. The method you choose can depend on the value, weight and dimensions. I emphasize dimensions because light weight items can be very expensive to ship if they are large in size compared to their weight.

      Your supplier will usually quote you FOB, and that is not much help to you. They will rarely quote you to deliver to your nearest port unless you ask them to.

      Don't just accept the Minimum Order (MOQ). I have taught hundreds of people how to buy small quantities direct from real manufacturers in China and other countries regardless of the MOQ. MOQs are only for newbies and to help sort out the serious buyers from time wasters.

      If you are buying from suppliers on Alibaba, chances are that you are buying from a wholesaler or trader at inflated prices. The prices might look low to you, but they will be much higher than you would pay if you buy direct from a manufacturer.

      Alibaba has thousands of traders listed who are masquerading as manufacturers. Not only that, but they have a bad reputation for scams,

      As a newbie you obviously need help. I suggest you start by looking through my thread http://www.warriorforum.com/ecommerc...rter-here.htmland then start asking questions. I will help.

      Note: The second post on that thread should interest you.

      Walter Hay
      Signature
      Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10798884].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author hf1664
        Originally Posted by Importexport View Post

        There are many different ways to arrange shipping. The method you choose can depend on the value, weight and dimensions. I emphasize dimensions because light weight items can be very expensive to ship if they are large in size compared to their weight.

        Your supplier will usually quote you FOB, and that is not much help to you. They will rarely quote you to deliver to your nearest port unless you ask them to.

        Don't just accept the Minimum Order (MOQ). I have taught hundreds of people how to buy small quantities direct from real manufacturers in China and other countries regardless of the MOQ. MOQs are only for newbies and to help sort out the serious buyers from time wasters.

        If you are buying from suppliers on Alibaba, chances are that you are buying from a wholesaler or trader at inflated prices. The prices might look low to you, but they will be much higher than you would pay if you buy direct from a manufacturer.

        Alibaba has thousands of traders listed who are masquerading as manufacturers. Not only that, but they have a bad reputation for scams,

        As a newbie you obviously need help. I suggest you start by looking through my thread http://www.warriorforum.com/ecommerc...rter-here.htmland then start asking questions. I will help.

        Note: The second post on that thread should interest you.

        Walter Hay
        Thank you very much Walter. I'm gonna hop in your thread and start to read right now.

        Btw, I have made some research previously and people indeed recommended to find the real supplier (not a reseller) and get the price down with a lower MOQ. The problem is that I wasn't able to spot the original supplier:
        -They were all gold users (although I'm aware that they can just pay for that title)
        -All had the same pictures of the product
        -All had the same location
        -All had the same pictures of certificates at the factory
        -All had the same pictures of employees with foreign quality inspectors

        The difference I noticed was the name of the representative in the email/ skype account. How can I spot the real factory and not some re sellers. Because they all look the same.

        I will go read your thread for more information and I'll be online for most of the night. I won't go to bed until I've emailed the sellers and asked for samples. I might need your help for this. Are you still gonna be online in the next 4-5 hours? Let me know if I can contact you by Skype, What's app or by Email.

        Thanks again.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10798966].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kingleo101
    Your sales will mainly be determined by how good your advertising even if you have a very good product. Its important that your market your product/service to people who are likely to be interested in your service. Getting quality traffic is also vital to ensure that you generate sales. The more potential clients you can get on your website,the greater your chances of making sales. Concentrate on increasing your traffic on a monthly basis for a consistent increase in sales.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10799159].message }}

Trending Topics