Starting An Online Bussiness

[RedSquirrel372]

Hi

I've been self employed for two years now and I'm looking at setting up a sideline.
I'm thinking about selling luxery candles online, I've never sold online before and it's not the kind of thing I would normally buy. So I'm just looking for a bit of advice really, what's the best line to start with, where is the best place to start from, the most cost effective p&p, how do I get people to know about me??
If anyone has got any advise, tips on what I mentioned or anything else that I've over looked I would be very greatful.

thanks in advance

 

[Cherrie Hub]

hi, when it comes to cheap postage, Royal Mail can be a good option for smaller packages, or online service parcel2go. You can start by researching what people are looking for in your line of business, and what your competitors are doing.

 

[jrp]

If you are on a tight budget, i would recommend you to start selling through amazon.

A well developed website and a decent sized online marketing plan would cost you somewhere between 800 to 3000 bucks depending on whom you choose.

If you have the money then go for it or else start small and understand the market first.

 

[MattCollins]

You might want to consider selling through a marketplace like Amazon or eBay to start with. It can be a good way to get your products in front of potential customers and build up some experience without the complications and expense of setting up and marketing your own website.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Think how you are going to package your candles so they arrive in one piece. no i image in popular fraud item but easy to say one was received broken

 

[antropy]

If they're home made candles, look at: https://www.etsy.com/

 

[Ecommerce Income]

Starting an Online Business is a good idea, people buy more and more online. It is important to have a clear goal, to use good ecommerce software, and it is important to know how you can get visitors to your online store. It is best to focus on a certain niche and I would recommend against trying to sell on a market place like Amazon, because people are looking for a good deal there (meaning you will need to beat the competition on price = low profit margins) and you are not able to build up a relationship with your customers.

Good ecommerce software starts at around 30 USD per month. You can think of ecommerce solutions such as Shopify or Bigcommerce. These are so-called Software as a Service (SaaS) providers. The advantages are that the whole software is already ready for you to use, you don't need to get hosting and they have a good customer service and documentation to get you started. You can personalize your online store with themes.

To see what ecommerce solution is the best for you, it would be good to have a look at my blog for a comparison: www[dot]ecommerceincome[dot]com /e-commerce-software/compare-software/

The blog has all the information you need to have to start an online store. If you have any questions just ask me on my blog - I am an experienced online store owner happy to share my knowledge ;-)

 

[Videoguy]

An eBay store would probably be your best bet. You'll get plenty of traffic that way.

 

[HFE Signs]

The problem with ebay, is you'll always get someone undercut your price for the same product or a product they claim is the same. You'll think of a deal or promotion and they copy.. I agree ebay is a good outlet but you're mixing with those who want the cheapest price and overlook service and quality. Don't aim at the bottom end or you'll find yourself working hard to make nothing, then when something does go wrong you have no funds to correct or do a good will rectification. Personally I'd invest in a good site with very good images and push your quality and service, and back that up with TrustPilot reviews.. it works well for us... good luck..

 

[JamiePMortimer]

Hey RedSquirrel,

There are lots of things to think about here:

- How much time do you have to commit to doing this
This may determine the direction you take. If you don't have much time due to your other business, then setting up your own website isn't going to be an option because you won't have the time to find the customers, maintain the website, market the site, do the social media, test the SEO, ship the products, keep on top of the customer services side, etc etc...

- Why do you want to sell luxury candles?
It's not an easy game selling products online, you need a strong motivation to keep going when you lose the motivation and think everything is shit.

- Why will you be different from someone else that sells candles
You're entering a pretty large market, but there are lots of competition, big and small. Think about why people should give you their money and not another company.

- Decide whether you're going to drive the traffic, which is harder and more time consuming or whether you're going to use a platform like eBay or Amazon where they have the traffic, but you'll never own the customers and they're more price comparative.

- Who are your customers?
Men/Women? What age bracket, where do they shop, what do they feel is important (Some will deem price to be important, some the smell, some the presentation, or the exclusivity of the product and some the brand prestige)
Knowing this (which comes from research and not guessing) will help you sell the product you decide to sell.

If you know who your customers and, where they are, getting them to know about it is a lot easier.

 

[tylnewcastle]

Hi

I'm thinking about selling luxery candles online, I've never sold online before and it's not the kind of thing I would normally buy. So I'm just looking for a bit of advice really, what's the best line to start with, where is the best place to start from, the most cost effective p&p, how do I get people to know about me??

thanks in advance

Your statement seems that you are not confident on the product you want to sell. I would recommend first be confident about the product you want to sell then only you would be able to convince your customers. Selling is a very difficult ball game whether it be online.

 

[RepricerExpress]

Worth looking at Amazon FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon) perhaps. Amazon will store your products in Amazon’s fulfilment centres and also pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. FBA can also help you scale your business and reach more customers. Good luck.

 

[Paul Norman]

I am involved in a couple of large online E commerce retail businesses. I am shaking my head a little at some of the comments above.

Like any business venture, you need to plan, and set out exactly what you want to achieve before you start listening to any of us. If you are just imagining this as 'pin-money', then clearly you do not want to invest enough to get your own site, and your own marketing, and hence the Ebay/Amazon kind of market place is probably your only option. A cheap website will achieve massively less than either of those, although be prepared for a LOT of fees, and a LOT of customer queries that are a little off piste.

Fulfillment, at low volumes, is going to pretty much have to be the Post Office, of a drop off service such as Collect Plus.

If you are wanting to grow the business into a 'proper' business, there is a whole lot more to consider, but most of all the balance between stock holding, realistic sales achievements, and marketing investment that you can afford. The big players are pumping many thousands of pounds into their online marketing budgets to stay in front. Your product is fairly niche, however, and that may give you an advantage.

This is only a starter. I repeat my early comment. Sit down and plan. Understand everything in your journey. Online is a whole into which lots of money drops.

 

[MOrvisGoresponse]

Hi

I've been self employed for two years now and I'm looking at setting up a sideline.
I'm thinking about selling luxery candles online, I've never sold online before and it's not the kind of thing I would normally buy. So I'm just looking for a bit of advice really, what's the best line to start with, where is the best place to start from, the most cost effective p&p, how do I get people to know about me??
If anyone has got any advise, tips on what I mentioned or anything else that I've over looked I would be very greatful.

thanks in advance

Red, My advice to you would be to make the customer journey as pleasant as possible. Have you considered webchat services or telephony ordering lines?

 

[quikshop]

I'm thinking about selling luxery candles online, I've never sold online before and it's not the kind of thing I would normally buy.

Two points;

1. Having created and sold two successful online holistic businesses I would advise you to think of another product. Candles are ten-a-penny online, in shops, markets and pretty much everywhere. Top end candles need a lot of sales effort offline to make the online channel viable. They tend to be an additional add-on item for established businesses selling into hotels, conference venues, spas etc.

2. If its not the sort of thing you normally buy or have any real experience or enthusiasm about then think of another product.

You will do better selling a product you have a genuine interest in imho.

 

[japancool]

Red, My advice to you would be to make the customer journey as pleasant as possible. Have you considered webchat services or telephony ordering lines?

How would a webchat service help a small seller selling online luxury candles then? Do people buying such items commonly expect to, want or need to use a webchat service to talk to the merchant? How do you propose the OP covers the webchat when he or she may not be in front of the computer all the time?

 

[MOrvisGoresponse]

How would a webchat service help a small seller selling online luxury candles then? Do people buying such items commonly expect to, want or need to use a webchat service to talk to the merchant? How do you propose the OP covers the webchat when he or she may not be in front of the computer all the time?

I propose a manned webchat, or a simple message taking service for any customer enquiry, for a cheaper option. It depends entirely on how much you'd be looking to spend on improving your e-commerse site

 

[japancool]

I propose a manned webchat, or a simple message taking service for any customer enquiry, for a cheaper option. It depends entirely on how much you'd be looking to spend on improving your e-commerse site

So what's the difference between that and a function that's a available on most e-commerce sites that allows customers to ask questions about products or a telephone line with a messaging service?

Do you have many customers selling luxury candles and similar goods, and how often do they get such enquiries that need a manned webchat?

 

[MOrvisGoresponse]

We have numerous clients who sell luxury items, and we handle their phone lines and emails. this ranges from simple message taking to managing and tracking orders, or even social media monitoring. as well as boutique style shops we also are a contact center for conglomerates. It depends on what you are looking for really.

Manned webchat is quicker than the email/messaging system on most e-commerse sites, and in a recent study by BT 67% of customers said they preferred Webchat over email, and73% would return to use a website when they had a good chat experience.

 

[japancool]

We have numerous clients who sell luxury items, and we handle their phone lines and emails. this ranges from simple message taking to managing and tracking orders, or even social media monitoring. as well as boutique style shops we also are a contact center for conglomerates. It depends on what you are looking for really.

Manned webchat is quicker than the email/messaging system on most e-commerse sites, and in a recent study by BT 67% of customers said they preferred Webchat over email, and73% would return to use a website when they had a good chat experience.

That's all very well. How does this relate to the OP, who is looking to start up a business selling luxury candles?

It's all very well and good quoting statistics and saying that you have clients selling luxury goods - what luxury goods? A Gucci handbag is a luxury good, but it is not the same as a candle. Are customers buying goods like candles likely to use webchat?

67% of customers preferred webchat over email. In what sector? 67% of BT customers may prefer using webchat to emailing BT customer services, but they are not candle buyers. When was the last time you used a webchat on a website such as this, and what would you ask? How many visiting customers would use or need it?
http://www.thewhitecompany.com/candles-and-fragrance/

They may do. They may not. But rather than just pushing random services to someone who is in the startup phase, before they've even finalised what they're going to sell is not the most helpful approach by a long distance. About as useful as telling them to concentrate on guest posting and backlinks.

 

[MOrvisGoresponse]

I handle a lot of start-up clients who need the sort of services we offer. It's totally fine if Red dosen't want to partake, but we have very good customer feedback. I completely understand if Red dosen't feel like taking us up on this stage but I think it's a little unnecessary to accuse me of "pushing" services. Apologies if I've been misconstrued.

 

[japancool]

There's nothing wrong with offering services to startups. What's wrong is offering them without taking the time to understand their needs, requirements and the appropriateness of those services. Starting up an online business is daunting enough on its own, and it's even harder when people are saying you need this or that before you've even finalised a business model.

 

[JonnyMP]

Considering how you have no previous online sales experience (or experience selling candles), what made you think about offering candles as a product line? Do you manufacture or produce handcrafted candles? If not, then you would need to find a good source of candles to provide to your customers. You might consider a drop ship plan from a crafter who produces these items in their own workshop. You could contact a candle seller on Etsy and ask if they would be willing to ship directly to your customers. This is just one option. As for promotion, you should consider sites such as Pinterest where you can easily showcase your product images for potential customers.

 

[leshka_uk]

check understandingE [dot] com to see how you can DIY it. no point inventing a wheel and building from scratch. You need a good CMS system. Also you can get design done designcrowd [dot] co [dot] uk

 

[neils3]

Don't waste money on getting a website designed and developed, right now feedback is very important. So find the quickest way to get some sales and get your customers reviewing your product. And that's why despite the comments here, ebay and amazon are not a bad shout. Don't worry about making money right now, get your product in front of your customer.

Creating an online brand is not easy, it requires time, effort and experience. Once you've perfected your product based on the feedback you can then look at online solutions that will help you create an online presence that is not reliable on other marketplaces. There are plenty of platforms that come ready made, they are cheaper and a good way to start.

 

[Paul Norman]

Threads like this actually scare me. I mean, really, seriously scare me. Thankfully, no one is going to take any of the advice above.

 

[BrightIdeas]

I like candles, nice ones, and would think it a little odd if an online shop that sold such luxury items had a live chat facility. It doesn't really seem to align with the luxury tag.

To me, to make an ecommerce business a success, you need to be knowledgeable/passionate about it - whether it's the product, the industry, ecommerce, online marketing, etc. Ideally all of the above. To not have that, well, I'm not sure why you would want to bother!

 

[BrightIdeas]

Sorry, I wouldn't dropship a crafter's candle product either. Lots of work for little reward!