How long does it take to get a new e-store off the ground?

[Deleted member 140328]

I started my online shop last year and still only have a trickle of daily visitors, with just a few sales a week. I've done a lot of SEO work, have a regularly updated blog on the same domain and have my products listed on Google Shopping, Shopping.com, Shopzilla and Pricegrabber (none of these has generated any sales).

I tried Adwords too and although I got some clicks, again no sales.

I'm not sure whether I am expecting too much too soon, or whether I have chosen the wrong product entirely (mid range scarves, average £30 RRP) or whether I need to spend some marketing money elsewhere.

Any advice gratefully received! Currently vacillating between optimism and giving up entirely

 

[fisicx]

3-5 years depending on the product, price, demographics, marketing and so on.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but unless you have a killer product and no competition it's a long uphill struggle. Will provide a better reply soon when I've a bit more time.

 

[Deleted member 140328]

3-5 years depending on the product, price, demographics, marketing and so on.

Must be feeling optimistic - that makes me think that it is too early to give up!

Thanks for the reply, looking forward to more words of wisdom when you have time.

 

[Fred_the_frog]

Try doing one of those 10% off offers where you need a code (for example, 10SCARF) then post the code on HotUKDeals and Money Saving Expert forums.

Don't say it is your business though as they might delete it.

If you do this, let me know how you get on because I am going to do this too when I start

EDIT
Just looked at your site and seen the 10% off- ignore that bit of my post (but still post it on those sites)

Also, your blog is boring. It is just pictures of celebrities with a scarf on. You should be making longer posts on topics such as 'How to dress like [Celeb]' or 'Which scarf?' where you can give fashion advice to people- the more helpful the blog is to people the more likely to are to buy from your store. Put links in your blog posts that say 'Buy this scarf here' if you are talking about a particular scarf. Don't overdo the links though.

 

[terryuk]

3-5 years depending on the product, price, demographics, marketing and so on.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but unless you have a killer product and no competition it's a long uphill struggle. Will provide a better reply soon when I've a bit more time.

3-5 years most businesses would have failed already, make it happen within the first two years or else I wouldn't bother personally. Unless you are talking about a bottomless pit loan from a bank?

 

[Deleted member 140328]

Also, your blog is boring.

Don't hold back Fred, just say what you mean

Perfectly true though. My blog is mainly paparazzi shots of celebs with scarves on. That's why I chose to run in on Tumblr, the photo blogging site. I don't know if this is true, but I figured if people reblogged my posts (which they do), that would create a link to my site and thus help my SEO. That's primarily why I started the blog.

I do plan to put more effort in there and create some how to/advice style posts.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[johnnysheffield]

If you've undertaken all the SEO you say you have I can't help thinking it might be the product... Personally I would be worried that this might be too much of a seasonal product and the kind of item that people are only ever going to own 1 or 2 of at any one time. It's also the type of accessory product that people buy as a gift so it has stiff competition at that price point with wallets, hats, shavers, tooth brushes etc That might sound daft but I remember the CEO of a well known razor company insisting that the threat to their business wasn't from brands in the same sector but from companies selling products at a similiar price point as there profits came from people buying gifts.

Getting back on topic is there enough search volume out there for your company to potentially get a slice of? Have you looked at the figures on Wordtracker or similiar? Also do you offer gift packaging & shipping?

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Sorry but boaring boaring boaring the site has nothing to make me buy, there is next to no colour on the site layout, the company logo looks like something a 6 year old has made and showing the whole scarf rather than a nice close up picture of the scarfs does nothing to make me buy

With something as simple as scarfs you should have far more stock designs to bring colours to the site, I did not take a count but there did not seem many items, the descriptions say nothing but the basics, how about where the material was made, how it is made, who designed the scarf, length and width, washing instructions, weight of material and any other information you can give. The customers cannot feel the goods on the site so you need to give the best description to aid them in their decision makeing process

Why not show people wearing the scarfs so people can see how trendy they are

My own sites are not perfect and will be to a new design next month but can give you a idea of something that gets sales of over £700,000 per year

Sorry for being so blunt, but forget the blogs etc get back to the design of the site and make it attractive to customers, you know that I looked at your site uickly and cannot even remember if you sld for both sexes or just men, that says a lot

 

[Fred_the_frog]

Don't hold back Fred, just say what you mean

Perfectly true though. My blog is mainly paparazzi shots of celebs with scarves on. That's why I chose to run in on Tumblr, the photo blogging site. I don't know if this is true, but I figured if people reblogged my posts (which they do), that would create a link to my site and thus help my SEO. That's primarily why I started the blog.

I do plan to put more effort in there and create some how to/advice style posts.

Thanks for the feedback!

Lol, sorry if you found it harsh, but I don't want to say 'Your blog is good but...' because you're less likely to change it. If I say it like it is then you become more aware of it and are more likely to do something about it

 

[j600com]

I hate to admit it but I actually thought the same, it all just seems a bit bland and lifeless. I don't think the logo is do bad, it's just the site. When selling unbranded clothing/accessories it's vital that the site oozes quality in order to create the perception of a luxury product/service. I think on a site selling effectively one product you need to think of ways to make it sticky and exciting. Perhaps introduce competitions that hook up with social media and things like buy 2 get a 3rd free? Also consider alternative product images on a model (or look book) showing how good they can look as part of an outfit.

Ps comparison sites rarely work for unbranded goods, consider maybe something like groupon and also viral marketing via introduce a friend schemes and the likes.

 

[webstore]

I started my online shop last year and still only have a trickle of daily visitors, with just a few sales a week. I've done a lot of SEO work . . .

3-5 years depending on the product, price, demographics, marketing and so on. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but unless you have a killer product and no competition it's a long uphill struggle. Will provide a better reply soon when I've a bit more time.

I sort of agree with fisicx on this. Like a good wine an on-line shop can take a few years before it reaches maturity. Having said that you might have been better advised to go for .co.uk but really you have little choice but to stick with your .com now. Having said that the .co.uk might be available so you should grab that given .co.uk's are so low cost.

I see you say you have been working on SEO but doing a link:www.yourdomain.com in Google Search yields no results. No doubt you will have inbound links but using link: is a test to see which links Google count as being of value. (There are good referrals (inbound-links) and not so good referrals (inbound-links) and Google tend to rely on the good ones).

 

[Thinehost]

What? - no Jubilee-flavoured scarf to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - surely you're missing a trick here! There must be a PR spin on designing something for the Royal Family.

Seriously, though, it can take a while to get going with an e-store. Best wishes, Margaret

 

[UrbanRetail]

eCommerce is hard to pin down. What method works for one store probably won't work for another, so it's definitely a case of trial and error.

Is your customer service up to scratch? Do you send out a newsletter? After a customer makes a purchase, do you contact them a few weeks later with special offers and new products your stocking? Have you considered selling through eBay?

Also, Social Media is your friend. No form of advertising compares to word of mouth. Are you using Twitter and Facebook to their full potential? Holding a competition or giveaway is a great way to pull in followers and likes.

Just a few suggestions for the site from me.

- Add some images of models wearing your scarf's, or similar to the homepage.
- Remove the word 'Price' from the homepage and centre the item title and price '£0.00' for example and remove the image of the truck.
- Consider adding a background image, so it isn't so bland.
- On the product page, the 'Google Checkout' logo overhangs on some text.
- The link to your facebook page is dead.

Best of luck.

 

[quikshop]

It all depends on your expectations and how that translates into the time and effort you put into your business.

Mid-range scarves are a discretionary spend and unlikely to flourish during a prolonged recession, but, if you're happy to do the SEO and networking groundwork now your shop might surprise you in a few years when the economy starts to show signs of life again.

 

[Deleted member 140328]

Thanks UrbanRetail, for your really helpful reply

Is your customer service up to scratch? Do you send out a newsletter? After a customer makes a purchase, do you contact them a few weeks later with special offers and new products your stocking?

I like to think it is - I post orders out the same day, carefully wrapped in tissue paper. 5 days after purchase I email them to check that they are happy and request a review, giving them a discount on future purchases. I write a monthly newsletter with a special offer for subscribers too.

Have you considered selling through eBay?

I started out on eBay, but found it hard to compete with the thousands of other people selling scarves. Perhaps that should have put me off! I've tried again recently and got zero sales from 5 30-day BINs.

Also, Social Media is your friend. No form of advertising compares to word of mouth. Are you using Twitter and Facebook to their full potential? Holding a competition or giveaway is a great way to pull in followers and likes.

I am using Facebook and Twitter. I've tried a competition, but didn't get much of a response. I'd love to get more Likes, but for me it's about quality rather than quantity there - pointless to have thousands of Likes from people who are not really interested in my business.

Just a few suggestions for the site from me.
- Add some images of models wearing your scarf's, or similar to the homepage.
- Remove the word 'Price' from the homepage and centre the item title and price '£0.00' for example and remove the image of the truck.
- Consider adding a background image, so it isn't so bland.
- On the product page, the 'Google Checkout' logo overhangs on some text.
- The link to your facebook page is dead.

Thanks for these suggestions; all good points. I've fixed the Facebook link (https was the problem, which worked for me so I hadn't realised). Working on the other points, some of which involve wrestling with the Volusion template.

Not sure what to do about the Google Checkout logo - it's the only size they have and they state that it must not be fiddled with...

 

[Deleted member 140328]

I see you say you have been working on SEO but doing a (search) in Google Search yields no results. No doubt you will have inbound links but using link: is a test to see which links Google count as being of value. (There are good referrals (inbound-links) and not so good referrals (inbound-links) and Google tend to rely on the good ones).

Thanks for this webstore! I knew there must be a way to check inbound links, just didn't know what it was. I shall ramp up my efforts to get good inbound links forthwith!

 

[Deleted member 140328]

What? - no Jubilee-flavoured scarf to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - surely you're missing a trick here! There must be a PR spin on designing something for the Royal Family.

Actually, I do have one! I should - and will - bring it to the front page and make a feature out of it.

Thanks for the best wishes too Margaret

 

[Deleted member 140328]

Ps comparison sites rarely work for unbranded goods, consider maybe something like groupon and also viral marketing via introduce a friend schemes and the likes.

You're right, ofc they won't work for my scarves. I really should think things through a bit more. Reckon I'll keep them listed on Google Shopping, but drop the others. Thanks for pointing that out.

And thanks for your other comments too - useful stuff for me to think about.

 

[webstore]

Sorry if this sounds barking mad but have you thought about adding 'matching' scarfs for pets (in particular dogs) & humans !

Might be a first !

If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success. - John D. Rockefeller
.

 

[Deleted member 140328]

Sorry if this sounds barking mad but have you thought about adding 'matching' scarfs for pets (in particular dogs) + humans !

Might be a first !

If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success. - John D. Rockefeller
.

Not entirely mad - as it happens, my sister is setting up an online store selling dog accessories. What about dog bandanas in the same fabrics as the scarves? Could see that being quite cool/fun!

 

I started my online shop last year and still only have a trickle of daily visitors, with just a few sales a week.

This is your main problem.

You need a lot more work on your onsite SEO.

Also some decent incoming links.

Time scale depends on product popularity and where you are in the search engines for online traders.

A first page position in general will mean earning from the time you achieve this.

so time scale is 24 hours to never.



Earl

 

[webstore]

Not entirely mad - as it happens, my sister is setting up an online store selling dog accessories. What about dog bandanas in the same fabrics as the scarves? Could see that being quite cool/fun!

Cool ! Another idea for you - national flag scarfs - ideal for ladies attending national sporting events ! (You can't do club scarfs as they will be copyright).

And another - matching scarf, matching pet scarf and matching hand bag or matching bag to carry your pet Chiwawa

Another way to to get links+sales is through offering an affiliate program
.

 

[Fred_the_frog]

Cool ! Another idea for you - national flag scarfs - ideal for ladies attending national sporting events ! (You can't do club scarfs as they will be copyright).

And another - matching scarf, matching pet scarf and matching hand bag or matching bag to carry your pet Chiwawa

Another way to to get links+sales is through offering an affiliate program
.

I'm not sure about the matching dog/human scarf. Yes, it might get a little bit of media attention, but then again would you really want to walk around with both you and your dog wearing the same scarf?? :redface:

 

[webstore]

I'm not sure about the matching dog/human scarf. Yes, it might get a little bit of media attention, but then again would you really want to walk around with both you and your dog wearing the same scarf?? :redface:

"It might get a little bit of media attention" yep that's the idea ! To stand out from the crowd you need to be different !

 

[Fred_the_frog]

"It might get a little bit of media attention" yep that's the idea ! To stand out from the crowd you need to be different !

But still, people will only click through to the site if they are interested in that product

 

But still, people will only click through to the site if they are interested in that product

Well now I would have thought that as in the main they have searched for it.

The just might be.

Earl

 

[Chris Ashdown]

guess you did not like my comments then

 

[Fred_the_frog]

guess you did not like my comments then

What gives you that idea?

 

[Chris Ashdown]

just the fact you answer every other post.

I was tough on you but really your site does not inspire; and confidence to buy, or stay looking at it, you have about 10 seconds when somebody arrives on your site to impress them that you can answer their needs, or else they are away to the nxt on google.

You may wish to consentrate on getting visitors by all means but the number one thing is to sell to all who come to your site, if you get 500 people visit your site and only one buys its a disaster, if you get 2 visitors and both buy your quids in.

Make your site attractive and give information that inspires confidence in you and you will get sales, colour and first class images are needed nowdays

 

[Fred_the_frog]

just the fact you answer every other post.

I was tough on you but really your site does not inspire; and confidence to buy, or stay looking at it, you have about 10 seconds when somebody arrives on your site to impress them that you can answer their needs, or else they are away to the nxt on google.

You may wish to consentrate on getting visitors by all means but the number one thing is to sell to all who come to your site, if you get 500 people visit your site and only one buys its a disaster, if you get 2 visitors and both buy your quids in.

Make your site attractive and give information that inspires confidence in you and you will get sales, colour and first class images are needed nowdays

Lol, this isn't my thread, but the OP didn't reply to all posts

 

[Chris Ashdown]

ooop's sorry

 

[Deleted member 140328]

Morning Chris. You're right, I did neglect to answer your post. I suppose I was a little sore about your comment concerning my logo.

But you did make some constructive points too and I thank you for those. In fact, I've already started working on my descriptions

I was tough on you but really your site does not inspire; and confidence to buy, or stay looking at it, you have about 10 seconds when somebody arrives on your site to impress them that you can answer their needs, or else they are away to the nxt on google.

You may wish to consentrate on getting visitors by all means but the number one thing is to sell to all who come to your site, if you get 500 people visit your site and only one buys its a disaster, if you get 2 visitors and both buy your quids in.

Make your site attractive and give information that inspires confidence in you and you will get sales, colour and first class images are needed nowdays

You're right here too - my homepage is not wildly interesting. I'm thinking about how to improve that now, within the constraints of the template I am using.

I definitely need some photos of models wearing the scarves, it's just that that's quite expensive to achieve.

I often get clicks through on specific products only for them to bounce off immediately. Since these usually come from a full product listing elsewhere, there must be something about the product pages themselves that turns them off - they've seen what the scarf looks like already. The only surprise might be the free delivery, which one would hope was more attractive, not less!

 

[j600com]

I often get clicks through on specific products only for them to bounce off immediately. Since these usually come from a full product listing elsewhere, there must be something about the product pages themselves that turns them off - they've seen what the scarf looks like already. The only surprise might be the free delivery, which one would hope was more attractive, not less!

There are some obvious things wrong with your product page (and site in general). PM me and I'll give you some pointers.

 

[Darrell_Giddybox]

Personally I think your site is fine. There have been a lot of comments about the look and design of the site but surely it is more about getting visitors and then looking after them to make sure they come back and recommend you.

That said, I am having similar issues. I know my website is not the best but it is simple and easy to use and I offer a fantastic service. I have the same problem in getting sales on the site but mine is less than 6 months old. I have tried allsorts from adwords to facebook ads, twitter comps, mailchimp e-mails, referral schemes and discounts. They all work in their own way and I believe you have to keep trying different things. If they work, do more of them. If they don't, ditch it and move on.

Coming back to your site, I can't see anything wrong - it's clear, crisp, looks professional and wouldn't put me off buying from you.

Just a marketing idea if you can afford it - give some scarves away for free to celebrities in return for a photo of them wearing it. Maybe local celebrities first. I know this worked for a start up clothing company so worth a shout.

Good luck with it all.
Darrell

 

[j600com]

Personally I think your site is fine. There have been a lot of comments about the look and design of the site but surely it is more about getting visitors and then looking after them to make sure they come back and recommend you.

This simply isn't correct. That's a bit like having a b&m shop which is poorly fitted out, doors a bit iffy, poor merchandising, terrible staff (that don't cross-sell, up-sell or present the product to the customer) and a till that doesn't quite work or accept major cards. I know that sounds extreme, but when retailers have these problems in-store they fix them - the solution isn't 'lets do a local advert to get more people in' - it's no different online (and it amazes me how many people can't see this). If you have a site with poor conversion rates, the answer isn't get more visitors. I've had clients whereby we've trebled their sales overnight without increasing visitor numbers (by simply converting those who would have previously bailed and gone elsewhere).

That said, I am having similar issues. I know my website is not the best but it is simple and easy to use and I offer a fantastic service. I have the same problem in getting sales on the site but mine is less than 6 months old. I have tried allsorts from adwords to facebook ads, twitter comps, mailchimp e-mails, referral schemes and discounts. They all work in their own way and I believe you have to keep trying different things. If they work, do more of them. If they don't, ditch it and move on.

Unfortunately if the site isn't converting, people will never get to experience your fantastic service. Again, just like B&M you need to play to your strengths so if you have fantastic service your site needs to play on that.

Also, most people make an assumption about your company/quality/service within 5 seconds of landing a website (sometimes even before they've read a single word on the page). So design is actually very important - even more so if your USP is things like quality/service (and not price). Here is an example (albeit extreme) if you were looking for professional catering which of these 2 companies would you call? The vast majority would say the company on the right, even without reading any of the text on the page. You've made an instant assumption about the quality/service they both provide which can result in a user bouncing off the site and going elsewhere (in the case of the site on the left). The reality of course is that they are both in fact the same company.

Here are a few things to have a read of... http://blog.kissmetrics.com/infographics/

 

[j600com]

Here is probably a better example for eCommerce - your website is essentially your shop window.

If you read articles about why people bounce off the site, and why people don't convert you'll be able to address these issues within the design of the site. For example if people bail because they don't know how much shipping will be, display your shipping rates, if they bail because they can't find products - make your navigation more user friendly.

Also don't assume people will see your homepage, users land on various pages of the site (category pages, product pages and so on) you'd be surprised how many people don't 'get' this - and put all of their delivery info or 10% off your first order on the homepage (but not on the rest of site) meaning all the people coming direct from Google Shopping for example don't see the incentive messages as they land straight on a product page (then bounce back to Google).

A lot of the things we flag during a health check of a site are obvious/common sense to someone who knows retail, but sometimes not so obvious to people from a technical background (web developers) with no background in retail; who often don't understand the importance of fundamentals such as cross-selling, up-selling, merchandising and so on.

Hope this helps, not having a dig anyone

 

[the Chocolate]

Totally agree with the above post, to sell on line you have to seduce your customers, clear photographs are paramount.

 

[Darrell_Giddybox]

This simply isn't correct. That's a bit like having a b&m shop which is poorly fitted out, doors a bit iffy, poor merchandising, terrible staff (that don't cross-sell, up-sell or present the product to the customer) and a till that doesn't quite work or accept major cards. I know that sounds extreme, but when retailers have these problems in-store they fix them - the solution isn't 'lets do a local advert to get more people in' - it's no different online (and it amazes me how many people can't see this). If you have a site with poor conversion rates, the answer isn't get more visitors. I've had clients whereby we've trebled their sales overnight without increasing visitor numbers (by simply converting those who would have previously bailed and gone elsewhere).

Sure, I totally agree and see your point - I was just trying to make the point that the best designed website in the world is useless if no-one visits. I guess the best solution all round is to have a fantastic website with brilliant SEO and marketing .... unfortunately small businesses can't afford that investment even though we wish we could.

 

Personally I think your site is fine. There have been a lot of comments about the look and design of the site but surely it is more about getting visitors .

l

Now then Darrell don't let the facts get in the way of a good debate.

Quote from the OP for those that missed this rather relevant point:

"I started my online shop last year and still only have a trickle of daily visitors"

Earl

 

[SillyJokes]

My observations are as follows.

All scarves on homepage look the same, just different patterns.

The home page prices are, in my opinion, quite high. I wouldn't pay £35 for a scarf unless I could touch it and be very impressed by quality. Look at your average order size and see if they pay £35 or nearer £15 and put appropriately tempting offers on home page.

Page load times a bit slow

Nowhere near enough text on the product pages for a search engine.


Celeb scarf blog - ok it's a bit dull but people are definately influenced by celebs so seeing lots wearing scarves can't be bad. I think I would just pep up the text, make it more informal and chatting, reference their latest squeezes and shenanigans in a positive way. "Oh, Hugh, don't you look dashing in that scarf? I bet your girlfriend bought you that. It looks like a Versace from where I'm standing but you never know, she might have got a knock off from down the market. Just how secure do you feel in the relationship? Only I'm newly single and available for dating any time you're ready. Just saying. Oh, and I do love a man in a scarf," You need the extra text for search engines and it will be more interesting for humans.