Things that don't sell well online?

davidhorph · 01-03-2009, 10:51 PM

Hello, everyone...

I was just wondering... are there any products/services that will actually sell better offline than online? Thanks.

carlos_a · 01-03-2009, 10:57 PM

sell information products, don't sell opportunities online

Jordan Matthews · 01-03-2009, 11:01 PM

For me, I won't buy anything online that has a big shipping fee attached, unless of course I can't find it anywhere near me. Spending $20 or more just to get something mailed is too much for me to spend.

Jon Alexander · 01-04-2009, 05:48 AM

things that don't sell online.... haircuts

Miguel Oliveira · 01-04-2009, 05:51 AM

You can't sell haircuts, but you can make a haircut website and make money through advertising. It's that shovel thing lifestyleplus77 talked about.

R Hagel · 01-04-2009, 07:39 AM

I agree with Jordan -- things that are heavy to ship likely sell better offline than online. (Unless, as Jordan suggested, you find something that people want yet isn't sold in their area.)

Still, even though you may not be able to make money selling certain heavy items, you can still make money in the niche. For example -- you may not be able to make a killing selling bowling balls online, but you can sure make money with a bowling website.

Cheers,
Becky

Jonathan 2.0 · 01-04-2009, 07:45 AM

People looking to buy their first computer. *Grin*

JohnMcCabe · 01-04-2009, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordan Matthews

For me, I won't buy anything online that has a big shipping fee attached, unless of course I can't find it anywhere near me. Spending $20 or more just to get something mailed is too much for me to spend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by R Hagel

I agree with Jordan -- things that are heavy to ship likely sell better offline than online. (Unless, as Jordan suggested, you find something that people want yet isn't sold in their area.)

There are a lot of physically heavy/bulky things selling successfully online - big screen TVs, exercise equipment, even boats and cars.

Local availability is one factor.

Total cost is another.

If I can buy a big, heavy widget locally for $2,000 plus 7% sales tax ($2140 total) or order it online with no sales tax for $1500 plus $200 freight fee ($1700 total), all other things being equal I'm going to order my big, heavy widget online.

R Hagel · 01-04-2009, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

There are a lot of physically heavy/bulky things selling successfully online - big screen TVs, exercise equipment, even boats and cars.

Local availability is one factor.

Agreed (which is why I mentioned that factor as well).

Quote:

Total cost is another.

Absolutely -- agree again.

I was thinking in terms of two items being equal price, with the shipping putting the online item over the edge. But absolutely -- total cost is a big factor. Heck, I once bought a 100+ lb weight bench online, and at a diff place I bought 200+ lbs of weights.

(cheaper than anything I could get locally, even with the shipping)

Cheers,
Becky

warriorcopywriter · 01-04-2009, 09:35 AM

Houses will never be bought online.

JohnMcCabe · 01-04-2009, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warriorcopywriter

Houses will never be bought online.

The actual closing may not take place online, but that day is coming.

If you define a "sale" as a decision to purchase, houses and other investment properties are being sold every day. Given the current market conditions, the volume may be lower than it was during the recent boom. But rest assured, investment property is changing hands due to online marketing.

Bill Farnham · 01-04-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warriorcopywriter

Houses will never be bought online.

Not true.

A buddy of mine sold a house in on the Big Island of Hawaii sight-unseen to a guy in Alaska who found the house on a 5 page website he put up to sell the house.

He met the guy later at the Honolulu Airport to hand him the keys after the closing.

The year was 1998...

KJ

R Hagel · 01-04-2009, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warriorcopywriter

Houses will never be bought online.

And to add to what John said, real estate agents are using the full set of online marketing tools to get leads -- social marketing, blogging, mailing lists, CraigsList, eBay, etc. So as John said, the decision to purchase is already happening online.

Cheers,
Becky

minisite911 · 01-04-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warriorcopywriter

Houses will never be bought online.

i don't think it's true

Things that are not selling good online, is cigarettes, diapers, vegetables, ANYTHING else that people need on a daily basis, and sometimes urgent, and widely available on stores nearby

Just my 2 cents.

Raydal · 01-04-2009, 10:57 AM

A good lesson here would be to look at the DOTCOMS that failed
and see what they were trying to sell.

Generally people won't buy what they can readily get for free and
what is less convenient to order than to buy in a store.

There are also many markets where people are looking for free
information and would hardly buy anything because they are
not willing to invest money--they are not that passionate about
this interest.

Look at what is already selling if you want to know what sells,
although you may find an untapped niche--so who knows?

-Ray L.,

Kevin Riley · 01-04-2009, 11:01 AM

I discovered that selling hedgehogs was very difficult. It was the shipping. They kept popping the bubble pack.

Michael Oksa · 01-04-2009, 11:04 AM

Hi David,

Your question seems to be about things that sell better offline than online.

How about food?

It's not that you can't buy food online, but I can guarantee it sells much better offline.

That's just one example.

Furniture, haircuts, lawn service, vacuum cleaners, hammers, cars, etc.

Right now, almost everything sells better offline than on, but there are exceptions.

It doesn't mean these things don't sell well online, just that they sell more offline.

My question would be...

What things sell better online than offline?

All the best,
Michael

kevinw1 · 01-04-2009, 01:12 PM

You'd be surprised how much heavy stuff sells online - my best seller at Xmas was an electric scooter, and I've sold a washer-dryer set via Amazon. Sometimes the online discount and availability outweighs the shipping cost.

Kevin

Bill Farnham · 01-04-2009, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinw1

You'd be surprised how much heavy stuff sells online

Indeed. I bought the crate engine for my 1939 Chevy street rod online. Trust me, that's the definition of heavy.

Saved almost $3000 over the local supplier...

KJ

Mary Gallivan · 01-04-2009, 02:23 PM

Kevin Riley beat me to it - I was going to say hedgehogs! I thought he'd say hamsters!

Ice cream and ice cubes would be difficult to sell online.

Mary

David · 01-04-2009, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

There are a lot of physically heavy/bulky things selling successfully online - big screen TVs, exercise equipment, even boats and cars.

Local availability is one factor.

Total cost is another.

If I can buy a big, heavy widget locally for $2,000 plus 7% sales tax ($2140 total) or order it online with no sales tax for $1500 plus $200 freight fee ($1700 total), all other things being equal I'm going to order my big, heavy widget online.

hmm, Truck Drivers would love to hear that!

I've still got a CDL... and am thinking about what that post means to the trucking industry...

Bill Farnham · 01-04-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mary Gallivan

Ice cream and ice cubes would be difficult to sell online.

Difficult, but not impossible. I also sell a lot of chocolate products in season. And by in season I mean when the weather is cool.

The summer months make shipping chocolate very hard. In fact, most of my suppliers have a moratorium on shipping chocolates between June 1st and October 1st here in the northern hemisphere.

I'll still box it with icepacks and ship it in a styrofoam container if I have it in stock, but the cost of shipping makes it very expensive.

You've got to be a real chocoholic to want it that bad, but the specialty chocolates I sell won't be found in most local stores.

KJ

shibbeymon · 01-04-2009, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

hmm, Truck Drivers would love to hear that!

I've still got a CDL... and am thinking about what that post means to the trucking industry...

Irregardless of whether you buy it local or order it online, a truck has to move that heavy widget at some point to get it near or to you.

(Truck driving since 1997...lol)

virtualmom · 01-04-2009, 02:44 PM

I found that electronics sell the best whether it be online or off! Just make sure to take proper precautions to avoid being scammed, because, unfortunately they are a BIG scam potential!

mannoo2005 · 01-04-2009, 05:16 PM

in my opinion the best is digital products specially online video courses (costs much more).

Nicola Lane · 01-04-2009, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Riley

I discovered that selling hedgehogs was very difficult. It was the shipping. They kept popping the bubble pack.

That is because your hedgehogs were too old! Baby hedgehogs have nice soft spines and don't pop the bubblewrap - the problem was postmen keeping them becasue they were so cute!

You just have to learn a bit more about your products.

01-03-2009, 10:51 PM	#1
davidhorph Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 29 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Social Networking	Things that don't sell well online? Hello, everyone... I was just wondering... are there any products/services that will actually sell better offline than online? Thanks.

01-03-2009, 10:57 PM	#2
carlos_a Active Warrior Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 39 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Social Networking	Re: Things that don't sell well online? sell information products, don't sell opportunities online

01-03-2009, 11:01 PM	#3
Jordan Matthews HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Wheeling, IL , USA. Posts: 397 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Things that don't sell well online? For me, I won't buy anything online that has a big shipping fee attached, unless of course I can't find it anywhere near me. Spending $20 or more just to get something mailed is too much for me to spend.
	Jordan Matthews

01-04-2009, 05:48 AM	#4
Jon Alexander Senior Warrior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: , , USA. Posts: 1,543 Thanks: 0 Thanked 42 Times in 34 Posts	Re: Things that don't sell well online? things that don't sell online.... haircuts
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01-04-2009, 05:51 AM	#5
Miguel Oliveira HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 216 Thanks: 7 Thanked 30 Times in 28 Posts	Re: Things that don't sell well online? You can't sell haircuts, but you can make a haircut website and make money through advertising. It's that shovel thing lifestyleplus77 talked about.

01-04-2009, 07:39 AM	#6
R Hagel Copywriting and More... War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Where it's cold, USA Posts: 3,222 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 1,884 Times in 703 Posts	Re: Things that don't sell well online? I agree with Jordan -- things that are heavy to ship likely sell better offline than online. (Unless, as Jordan suggested, you find something that people want yet isn't sold in their area.) Still, even though you may not be able to make money selling certain heavy items, you can still make money in the niche. For example -- you may not be able to make a killing selling bowling balls online, but you can sure make money with a bowling website. Cheers, Becky
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01-04-2009, 07:45 AM	#7
Jonathan 2.0 Spiritual Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,165 Blog Entries: 12 Thanks: 557 Thanked 312 Times in 230 Posts	Re: Things that don't sell well online? People looking to buy their first computer. Grin
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01-04-2009, 09:35 AM	#10
warriorcopywriter Warrior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Things that don't sell well online? Houses will never be bought online.
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01-04-2009, 10:57 AM	#15
Raydal Marketing Strategist War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Punta Gorda, FL, USA. Posts: 3,248 Thanks: 150 Thanked 1,131 Times in 501 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Things that don't sell well online? A good lesson here would be to look at the DOTCOMS that failed and see what they were trying to sell. Generally people won't buy what they can readily get for free and what is less convenient to order than to buy in a store. There are also many markets where people are looking for free information and would hardly buy anything because they are not willing to invest money--they are not that passionate about this interest. Look at what is already selling if you want to know what sells, although you may find an untapped niche--so who knows? -Ray L.,
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01-04-2009, 11:01 AM	#16
Kevin Riley Clockwork Hamster King War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Beautiful Downtown Osaka, Japan just minutes away from all the Sushi, Okonomiyaki, and Izakayas Posts: 9,594 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 476 Thanked 1,667 Times in 577 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Things that don't sell well online? I discovered that selling hedgehogs was very difficult. It was the shipping. They kept popping the bubble pack.
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01-04-2009, 11:04 AM	#17
Michael Oksa The Ethical Marketer War Room Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 6,058 Thanks: 1,750 Thanked 3,025 Times in 1,340 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Things that don't sell well online? Hi David, Your question seems to be about things that sell better offline than online. How about food? It's not that you can't buy food online, but I can guarantee it sells much better offline. That's just one example. Furniture, haircuts, lawn service, vacuum cleaners, hammers, cars, etc. Right now, almost everything sells better offline than on, but there are exceptions. It doesn't mean these things don't sell well online, just that they sell more offline. My question would be... What things sell better online than offline? All the best, Michael
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01-04-2009, 01:12 PM	#18
kevinw1 Kevin Wilson War Room Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: BC, Canada. Posts: 539 Thanks: 175 Thanked 74 Times in 62 Posts Contact Info	Re: Things that don't sell well online? You'd be surprised how much heavy stuff sells online - my best seller at Xmas was an electric scooter, and I've sold a washer-dryer set via Amazon. Sometimes the online discount and availability outweighs the shipping cost. Kevin
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01-04-2009, 02:23 PM	#20
Mary Gallivan Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom. Posts: 1,181 Thanks: 38 Thanked 49 Times in 26 Posts Social Networking	Re: Things that don't sell well online? Kevin Riley beat me to it - I was going to say hedgehogs! I thought he'd say hamsters! Ice cream and ice cubes would be difficult to sell online. Mary

01-04-2009, 02:44 PM	#24
virtualmom Warrior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Beverly Hills Posts: 21 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Things that don't sell well online? I found that electronics sell the best whether it be online or off! Just make sure to take proper precautions to avoid being scammed, because, unfortunately they are a BIG scam potential!

01-04-2009, 05:16 PM	#25
mannoo2005 Warrior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Things that don't sell well online? in my opinion the best is digital products specially online video courses (costs much more).