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I am a crafter with cool product to be launched soon. Need advice

by popo0000
12 replies
Hi guys,

In a few weeks I will be launching my website that offers some cool wedding gift.
(I cant tell more at the moment as I am in copyright proccess)

It is made to order, real nice and quality piece of craft with sentimental and personal touch to it, a perfect as a wedding gift. Final price will be approx 400 $ .

As I wont be able to spend time in marketing I am ready to give 40% commision.

I run small online shop selling postcards, but my new product will be tottaly different so its like I have not much experience in those affilate programs etc.

What would you suggest to get my product sell?
Will the fact that its gift made to order and will take few weeks to finish to process, be any problem? I mean I will need to pay commision, and than customer will return the product- and I need to pay it back...will the people who work on commision be willing to wait 5 weeks for commision payment to be paid by me?
Maybe I should go for one good marketer and pay him for each online transaction that is made ? Shop will be installed on prestashop.
Exept from online sales, I plan to post lots of catalogues accross the country to each wedding planner company and offer them my product,

Any advice appreciate folks, Its going to be my first seriuos start into bussines, and I am bit nervous, company that have slightly simillar product are millionares after few years, they made 50k$ in first month ( dna11 is name of the company ) so I expect some sales as well

All best

Nora
#advice #cool #crafter #launched #product
  • Profile picture of the author DanielBlue
    Uff...many questions....before you are making all these efforts, I would first TEST the product if it sells, THAN the rest.
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    If you're getting paid up front why would the affiliate have to wait up to five weeks?
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    • Profile picture of the author popo0000
      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

      If you're getting paid up front why would the affiliate have to wait up to five weeks?
      first reason would be paypal has 30 days money back customer protection,
      second- my product is a gift, the proccess looks like this:

      1- a wedding guest will buy a voucher and will give it to a wedding couple,
      2- coupe will make an order.
      3- I make a product and post to them
      4 from a day they recive the product I need to offer at least few days money back guarranty

      so it all adds up at least 5-6 weeks ( maybe more if a guess will decide to buy the voucher in advance)

      I know it looks complicated, but this is the way it works...I know it would be easier to sell somethink more simple...but the company I am trying to get inspiration from ( dna 11) works like that and they succeed.

      I am sure there must be some proper way to work with affiliates even if my product is as it is. I wouldn have a problem to pay straight after I sell the voucher, but than again- it would be possible to cheat- and the cheater would claim money back from pay pal, and get commision from me... so I think I need to implement a system for that.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        I would suggest you launch your product, build your site and promote it...see how it goes and THEN think about adding an affiliate program.

        If you have a product that is selling, you can make an affiliate program work.
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        • Profile picture of the author Steve B
          $400 up front and you get a voucher. Where I live, that would be a very expensive gift for a wedding present.

          As others have said, try to sell some of your product first before you go to the trouble of a full blown web site, affiliates, marketing to businesses, etc.

          Validate the concept and the product to be sure it will sell. Everyone falls in love with his/her own product but typically the market only embraces the really outstanding unique and valuable new ideas.

          Good luck to you,

          Steve
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        • Profile picture of the author logankenny313
          Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

          I would suggest you launch your product, build your site and promote it...see how it goes and THEN think about adding an affiliate program.

          If you have a product that is selling, you can make an affiliate program work.

          This sounds perfectly logical to me.
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      • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
        Originally Posted by popo0000 View Post

        first reason would be paypal has 30 days money back customer protection,
        second- my product is a gift, the proccess looks like this:

        1- a wedding guest will buy a voucher and will give it to a wedding couple,
        2- coupe will make an order.
        3- I make a product and post to them
        4 from a day they recive the product I need to offer at least few days money back guarranty

        so it all adds up at least 5-6 weeks ( maybe more if a guess will decide to buy the voucher in advance)

        I know it looks complicated, but this is the way it works...I know it would be easier to sell somethink more simple...but the company I am trying to get inspiration from ( dna 11) works like that and they succeed.

        I am sure there must be some proper way to work with affiliates even if my product is as it is. I wouldn have a problem to pay straight after I sell the voucher, but than again- it would be possible to cheat- and the cheater would claim money back from pay pal, and get commision from me... so I think I need to implement a system for that.
        Okay, it makes sense. Though, as Kay mentioned, I know of very few people that spend so much for a wedding gift.

        I did look at the site you referenced in the original post. Very nice and very unique product. I can imagine that would be a moderately high ticket item as well. My suggestion would be to brainstorm other ways to market it. With a $400 price tag your target audience will need to be upper middle class and beyond. That's not a problem but it does require a different approach.
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  • Profile picture of the author popo0000
    Originally Posted by Steve B View Post

    Validate the concept and the product to be sure it will sell.
    It does sell- the company I mentioned make millions on the same concept and similar product.
    there is milions of weddings every year .


    Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post


    I did look at the site you referenced in the original post. Very nice and very unique product. I can imagine that would be a moderately high ticket item as well. My suggestion would be to brainstorm other ways to market it. With a $400 price tag your target audience will need to be upper middle class and beyond. That's not a problem but it does require a different approach.
    my product will be similar, but way better- just imagine 2 fingerprints joined together, and they make a heart, its all made in copper , with a real deep look 3D to it. Patina, Metal frame, rivets, and chain to hang it. Your names and dates engraved on it. Size approx. 30 inch wide. A good chunky piece of metal wall art, extremely personal, unique and crafted to high standards.

    You say upper middle class and beyond...
    What approach would you suggest than ? I plan sending cataloge and bussines offer to wedding planing companies AND art galleries? what commision should I offer ? 30-50 % ?

    I am asking about affilates and people on commision, cos I found it hard to get final customers to my poster shop I run at now, and secondly I just think that expensive product will be good to sell via wedding planners that have face to face contact with rich customers.
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    • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
      Originally Posted by popo0000 View Post

      It does sell- the company I mentioned make millions on the same concept and similar product.
      there is milions of weddings every year .



      my product will be similar, but way better- just imagine 2 fingerprints joined together, and they make a heart, its all made in copper , with a real deep look 3D to it. Patina, Metal frame, rivets, and chain to hang it. Your names and dates engraved on it. approx. 30 inch wide. A good chunky piece of metal art, extremely personal, unique and crafted to high standards.

      You say upper middle class and beyond...
      What approach would you suggest than ? I plan sending cataloge and bussines offer to wedding planing companies AND art galleries? what commision should I offer ? 30-50 % ?

      I am asking about affilates and people on commision, cos I found it hard to get final customers to my poster shop I run at now, and secondly I just think that expensive product will be good to sell via wedding planners that have face to face contact with rich customers.
      I think wedding planners are part of your market but I would be surprised if they turned out to be your main market because your prices are much higher than what people normally pay for a wedding gift.

      I think you'll find the majority of your business in the Luxury Catalog market. I don't know where you're located but you might consider engaging a couple or more manufacturing representatives. These are people that have a solid reputation in high end retail items and the connections to place your product where it needs to be.

      Do a search on upscale catalogs and manufacturing representatives. That will give you an idea of how it all works. I think you've got the type of product that will sell well but I'm not sure affiliates, in the sense we think of them here, are what you need.
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      • Profile picture of the author popo0000
        Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post


        I think you'll find the majority of your business in the Luxury Catalog market. I don't know where you're located but you might consider engaging a couple or more manufacturing representatives. These are people that have a solid reputation in high end retail items and the connections to place your product where it needs to be.

        .
        @travlinguy, thank you for your help and idea to put my product in the Luxury Catalogs,
        I am located in Europe btw.
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    • Profile picture of the author drewfioravanti
      Originally Posted by popo0000 View Post

      It does sell- the company I mentioned make millions on the same concept and similar product.
      there is milions of weddings every year .
      They make millions. You have a concept. Which is worthing nothing more than a mouse fart unless you can bring in sales. Their product sells and your concept does not.

      As for affiliates: What if the voucher is never cashed in? What if the couple thinks its a dumb idea and doesnt want it. What if your product isn't as good as you think and they hate it. What if you can't deliver. Why should the affiliate not be paid in any of these circumstances?
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      • Profile picture of the author popo0000
        Originally Posted by drewfioravanti View Post

        What if the couple thinks its a dumb idea and doesnt want it. What if your product isn't as good as you think and they hate it.
        As every product, it will be OK to return it. Why should it be any different.
        I dont know how many people will be willing to return a gift ...
        At the moment I trust in my product , its just a wall art, kind of jewellery to your home...there is market for that, and the rest depends on me how good I am
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