Opening Up Your Own Online Store

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I am looking into creating an online store for my mother. She goes to flea markets, yard sales and estate sales to find hidden gems and then she fixes them up and sells them for profit.

She has tried selling them on eBay before but there is so much competition from similar products (seems like even the most rare products she finds have 6 others competing) on eBay so she's had almost no luck.

what i want to create is a nice little online store for her.

has anyone had any experience with these in the past? and tips or warnings to heed?
#main internet marketing discussion forum #online #opening #store
  • I'm afraid without the assistance of eBay's traffic she might find her flea market table in the middle of nowhere.



    Getting traffic to the store might be the bigger issue, many small products can't support the cost of PPC advertising, may need a blog's worth of text to get organic traffic.

    Don't some people sell lowball priced items on eBay just to get buyers off site and onto their store site?

    Have you seen etsy.com, the ebay for craftty people?

    Of course there's Craigs list, looks like limiting it to 1 post a day is needed to not get banned.
    • [2] replies
    • It is a nice thing to want to do for her, I suspect that it will be a bit difficult to get enough traffic to withot spending money to buy traffic or without her having an online reputation for particular kinds of goods to sell.

      With ranking for particular items online, you will in all likelihood face more competition than on EBay. I don't know that for a fact, but in the SERPS you will be facing competition form lots of people. Perhaps that might be a way for you to help her optimize her EBay listings or work with Craigslist or the free classified sites.
    • Have you ever been to Regretsy | Where DIY Meets WTF ? "Where DIY Meets WTF" lolololololol
      • [1] reply
  • U can try to open a blog section to write article on the item, this will improve the organic search engine
    • [1] reply
    • If she's selling antiques and collectibles, she could try Ruby Lane. Odds are, though, she's not selling on eBay because she prices too high or doesn't have marketing skills. (This is where you come in.) She also needs to stop buying common objects. If there are 6 on eBay, it's common. Specialization would help. If she likes jewelry, buy only jewelry and leave the glass and pottery for others.

      I fear you will find it a waste of your time to reinvent the wheel by building a custom website for collectibles -- the traffic just ain't there. Many people have tried and failed.

      fLufF
      --
  • She can setup multiple storefronts she will just have to be on top of her inventory counts. As far as ebay, she just needs to find a way to differentiate herself to make her products stand out even though there may similar products.
  • You could check out an online mall like the GLC Arts and Crafts Mall. You can open a store and list 12 items for free. There is a small monthly charge if you want to list more than 12 items.
  • Banned
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  • thank you for this great Information.

    What do you think about Vendio?
    • [2] replies
    • Collectors are all over the place. You just need to brainstorm some keywords they'd use... and do some google searches for niche forums, niche social networks, niche blogs, etc.

      You can find collectors on twitter (tons of them). Check for faceBook fan pages and groups about antiquing & collecting. Ning has a few active social networks for antiquers and collectors.

      As mentioned by others, Etsy & Ruby Lane are great online Marketplaces. Use eBay too but not as a primary place of doing business. Instead use WordPress with an ecommerce plugin (keeping it simple & under your own control).

      Locate collectors through CraigsLists and other classified ad sites. Don't forget the CraigsList forums.

      Check flickr. Creative types love to take pictures of their before and afters and share them there.

      I've never check YouTube but I'm sure you can use video to show her reworking a piece and get a few eyeballs.

      Get some print trade magazines & newsletters. Copy what the pros in the industry are doing. Put ads & press releases for your soon to be created site in them.

      Hob nob with antique/collector bloggers. Guest blog, set up google alerts for certain antique/collector keywords & do some interacting with blog comments, etc.

      As I mentioned earlier look for niche social network sites like this one...

      JUNKMARKET Style

      Add lots of tutorials, etc.

      Get creative. Have fun! And absolutely positively make sure that YOU BUILD A LIST of prospective collectors, previous buyers & potential joint venture partnerships.

      Rashell
    • Waste of money.

      I sold on eBay full-time for 10 years -- profitably -- without using any auction management system like Vendio, Inkfrog, Auctiva, etc. You'll end up managing the auction management system instead of selling. eBay's fees are the highest they've ever been. Add the cost of an AMS to that, and you're working for pennies.

      fLufF
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    Opening Up Your Own Online Store

    I am looking into creating an online store for my mother. She goes to flea markets, yard sales and estate sales to find hidden gems and then she fixes them up and sells them for profit. She has tried selling them on eBay before but there is so much competition from similar products (seems like even the most rare products she finds have 6 others competing) on eBay so she's had almost no luck.