New idea questions...

[Jimmynewbusiness]

Good evening everyone i have a few questions and was wondering if anyone had any info or comments that could be usefull to me? Right basically i am looking to set up a online shop, i have created a name and bought a domain and basically i will be selling top branded british clothing. I have been buying clothing from one of the brands factory outlet for about 2 months now, mainly sale items or last seasons and selling them for a small profit on ebay. But now i am looking to expand this and include another 4-5 brands, set up a E-commerce website and try and get away from ebay and its insanely high final sale rates!!

So wheres the best place to start? do i approach these brands with my idea first and see if its possible to become an authorised seller? or do you think its better to get something knocked up so i can go to them with my finished site and then see if its possible? If im getting a site built though what is the rules on using the brands name without there permission? do you actually need the Brands permission to sell there items even if you dont use there images/logos etc??

I have money to purchase stock etc to get started and have many customers which have bought through me who follow me on social network sites and have already got a substantial mailing list. I just need some advice on what my next step should be as this is slightly unchartered waters for me!!!

Thanks again and look forward to any replies!!

 

[CreativeIntent]

You need to speak with an ecommerce/web design agency to talk through your exact requirements for a new website. You could go down a free/budget route for a website, but if that will be your main source of business then it's worth investing in a well-built website. Remember, it's not just a website you need, but a full ecommerce service. The correct web company will talk through all online marketing routes to get the best out of your site.

I think it's worth going to a potential supplier with your own brand to present, therefore having a logo, stationery and a website to show them. You will need to impress them so they want to be listed on your site. You will require permission from most brands to list their products, logos and images on your site.

The best thing to do is have a meeting with a web agency, they will happily point you in the right direction and discuss everything in detail.

Good luck!

 

[darren atkinson]

I'm not sure of the rules on brands however I'm fairly certain you can advertise branded items for sale on your site without their permission unless they have specific terms and conditions related to this. Some items such as top end watches have these restrictions but I believe they are enforced at the supply end, i.e. you can't even get hold of the items to sell unless your an authorised dealer.

I would recommend getting an ecommerce site up and running before approaching the brands, my ecommerce site is in a different industry however I had to be able to show some of my trade suppliers the website before getting an account, this is to prove to them that you are legitimate and are not simply trying to get an account to get hold of cheap merchandise.

My overall advice would be to get an ecomm site up and running and load it with the products you currently sell through ebay. Try and advertise the site url as much as you can to your current customer base to try and divert the sales through it rather than through ebay saving you on costs.

By the time you have got this all up and running you might be in a better position to approach manufacturers directly armed with some more trading history behind you.

That's how I'd approach it anyway.

Darren

 

[Jimmynewbusiness]

Thanks again for your help, yeah that sounds like good advice as it would make sense to try and get a proffesional look to everything which would give me a greater chance of getting permission of the more 'up market' brands i attempt to sell.

I guess that begs the question for any recommended companies for creating the site, ive had a look about but there seems so much choice!!

Thanks again for your replies!

 

[CreativeIntent]

I would recommend my company, but I mustn't do that here!

I would contact someone fairly local to you, it will be easier for meetings as with something like this it's always good to meet to discuss your project in full as it's so much easier to get together then it is to talk on the phone and emails.

 

[Jimmynewbusiness]

HI just got a quote of a guy local to me and he reckons im looking at least £1200? Sound reasonable? this was for a fully designed e-commerce website with around 500 products? reckons 2-3 weeks work. and he said it would be more due to it not being compatible with cubecart because of my spec. What do you think?

 

[bdw]

Not having seen the spec it is difficult to say but that figure is typical of what we would charge so it is probably reasonable.

.

 

[SecureTrading]

Hi Jimmy,

If you are looking to start trading online with the ability to accept cards, you will need a payment gateway, took a look at the below blog for the things you need to consider.

http://blog.securetrading.com/2011/10/payment-service-providers-five-things-to-consider/

 

[edmondscommerce]

I would recommend my company, but I mustn't do that here!

Not sure why, everyone else does

 

[ultimateshopping]

Hi Jimmy I would recommend having a look at ekm powershop they charge £20 for your website and has every feature you will need to create a fantastic website. They have all the major payment options such as paypal and google checkout. Have you thought about multichannel selling?

Steve

 

[liongroup]

You need to speak with an ecommerce/web design agency to talk through your exact requirements for a new website. You could go down a free/budget route for a website, but if that will be your main source of business then it's worth investing in a well-built website. Remember, it's not just a website you need, but a full ecommerce service. The correct web company will talk through all online marketing routes to get the best out of your site.

Good advice.

You can always use a freelance marketplace like elance, odesk or guru too.