Turning Things around

[gemd89]

I really need help before i break down in tears.

I need to get my business to a level where its generating enough income per month, around £200 at least.

I need help in doing that - i keep looking at the site through rose tinted glasses so need another pair of eyes.

Please help give me some direct points to change, be blunt, be honest - i can take it as i really need to turn this round and quickly as i have 2 young kids to support, no job to go back to after maternity and havent been there long enough to qualify for anything.

Website in signature.

Thanks in advance
Gemma

 

[S-Marketing]

I really need help before i break down in tears.

I need to get my business to a level where its generating enough income per month, around £200 at least.

I need help in doing that - i keep looking at the site through rose tinted glasses so need another pair of eyes.

Please help give me some direct points to change, be blunt, be honest - i can take it as i really need to turn this round and quickly as i have 2 young kids to support, no job to go back to after maternity and havent been there long enough to qualify for anything.

Website in signature.

Thanks in advance
Gemma

You know you can rely on me to be blunt and honest with you Gem.

We aren't allowed to do a site review on this part of the forum though. Pm me if you want help.

 

[ScottNelson&Co]

I really need help before i break down in tears.

I need to get my business to a level where its generating enough income per month, around £200 at least.

I need help in doing that - i keep looking at the site through rose tinted glasses so need another pair of eyes.

Please help give me some direct points to change, be blunt, be honest - i can take it as i really need to turn this round and quickly as i have 2 young kids to support, no job to go back to after maternity and havent been there long enough to qualify for anything.

Website in signature.

Thanks in advance
Gemma

My first thought would be to get a part time job and do the website on the side. Sorry, I don't know your situation, so it's hard to advise.

 

[akirk]

agree - website reviews in that section

however first step is surely - talk to your customers / potential customers and ask their thoughts...

£200 income per month is tiny and should be achievable...

Alasdair

 

[MASSEY]

Your starting to big, you cant compete for what you re attempting on no budget.

You need to put it aside and comeback to it at another time.

 

[OldWelshGuy]

I really need help before i break down in tears.

I need to get my business to a level where its generating enough income per month, around £200 at least.

I need help in doing that - i keep looking at the site through rose tinted glasses so need another pair of eyes.

Please help give me some direct points to change, be blunt, be honest - i can take it as i really need to turn this round and quickly as i have 2 young kids to support, no job to go back to after maternity and havent been there long enough to qualify for anything.

Website in signature.

Thanks in advance
Gemma

You can work for anyone doing repetitive internet marketing work for twice that per month, and you would be learning at the same time, and in your spare time you could apply what you have learned to your own business.

My point being that there are better ways to eanr that sort of money than trying to compete in a crowded market with limited resources.

 

[Waveney Books]

You can work for anyone doing repetitive internet marketing work for twice that per month, and you would be learning at the same time, and in your spare time you could apply what you have learned to your own business.

Because of personal circumstances, I'm now looking for work such as this. Do you mind me asking how I find it?

Please?
Tina

 

[Waveney Books]

I really need help before i break down in tears.

I need to get my business to a level where its generating enough income per month, around £200 at least.

I need help in doing that - i keep looking at the site through rose tinted glasses so need another pair of eyes.

Please help give me some direct points to change, be blunt, be honest - i can take it as i really need to turn this round and quickly as i have 2 young kids to support, no job to go back to after maternity and havent been there long enough to qualify for anything.

Website in signature.

Thanks in advance
Gemma

No advice I'm afraid Gemma. Just want to wish you and your little ones well.

Tina x

 

[Morgan]

Another with not much practical advise I'm afraid but I am in the same boat as you and will be watching this thread with interest.

 

[maxine]

Hi Gemma

I'm not going to comment on website but business in general for the question you asked.

My first impression is that I don't really know what your business is?

If your immediate goal is £200 per month then I would suggest really focusing in on which particular products would appeal to which particular audience and then just concentrate on getting sales from them.

Which is your highest profit product? Who should it appeal to most? Where can you find and connect those particular people?

I worked with a lady a little while ago who was selling loads of eco friendly products but making a teeny income, much less than she needed each month. She decided to channel her energy into her highest profit product and quickly met her monthly income target so I wondered if this may apply to you too?

Good luck

 

[Allan123]

Ebay is your friend. Many will slate it but wjen our retail shop was trying to make ends meet we doubled our sales by using Ebay. Now we're 90% Ebay with no retail shop at all, and trying to capitolise on our website.

The huge potential cusstomer base on Ebay is easy to grab hold of a slice. Concerntrating on your own website should be a long term project. We've spent thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours on our website and still not what we'd call fully launched.

Amazon also should be another platform to generate an almost immediate income.

 

[filtuh.com]

Some solid advise here - I like the ebay suggestion, you can then direct market to existing customers.

Can you cut any costs at all? Packaging, hosting etc?

 

[mit74]

We've been here before haven't we looking at this website? To be honest it's a very poor website. I can't see your business going any further with a site like that. The pictures are poor quality and make many of the clothes look unelegant and cheap, the images are slow to load so you need upload compressed thumbnails rather than full pictures then the full picture of someone clicks on that clothing, the forum has far too many categories (i suggest about 3-4 to start with) and it may sound silly but putting pricing as £10/£20 rather than 9.95 or 19.95 looks a little odd.
As a customer I would find this site slightly suspicous and wouldn't use it. I know you may be short of funds but it will be worth it getting a pro to do a new one in the long run. Of course the other option may suit you better and that's ebay. With such a small product range you may find it suits you and people are less suspicious of traders on ebay.

 

[Esk247]

you're doing too much.

same trap i fell in with my business things in the past, too much, far far too much.

settle on a few select ranges of things and focus on them, you've got far too much going on to really give 100%.

i dont necessarily agree with those who say 'get a part time job' because, that kind of doesnt help you with the business side of things and thats not really advice is it 'get a job'.

slim down the amount you're foffering, be more unique and specialist in the products you have to offer and people will find it easier to get around the website..at the moment..i can't find anything!

 

[Kernowman]

OK, you have asked for honesty so here it some.

I think you have fallen into the very common trap of wanting to set up a business and thought it would all happen through a website, then devoted endless resources towards trying to make it work with no success. Little wonder it isn't working because the hard work should have been done BEFORE you created the website.

I wish the UKBF mods would make this a into sticky:

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=172203

Because it would make people THINK about their entire strategy from the word go and it might save a lot of heartache and a lot of money. It might also stop the endless procession of people coming onto the forum saying "I need telesales to get more business" when the true answer might be the polar opposite to that. We are here to guide and assist people, not do their job for them.

As old Eagleyes has said, rationalise your entire range and instead of using a blunderbus to hit the entire market in one go, focus on just a couple of products that ARE ALL THE MUST HAVE RAGE AT THE MOMENT and you will get sales, not necessarily from your website yet, but create some cashflow from ebay and such-like

 

[gemd89]

Its difficult to create cashflow on ebay as buy it now is somelike like 40p and if i want to put 100 products on there thats £40 to start with then they may not sell.

Im registed on ebay as personal not a business as i only sell personal stuff at the moment.

I cant find a part time job that goes around the children which is why i need to get this up and running.

At the moment most of the sales i do get are from when other places are out of stock and i still have it in!
Gemma

 

[gemd89]

Anyone got anymore points that need changing on the website? Need specifics.

Eagle eye - I will get that bit sorted with the pictures..

Gemma

 

[Kernowman]

Anyone got anymore points that need changing on the website? Need specifics.

Gemma

Yes, do something about that dreadful text box beneath your product category panes. It just sits there as an obvious afterthought in the centre of the page with far too small characters and compounded by a serif font. It completely destroys the home page

 

[joiner]

Clean up, simplify and professionalise your web site BIG TIME!!

 

[joiner]

Presuming you've done all the back ground work- Start by having a VERY professional, clutter free home page!

 

[gemd89]

Gone thanks

Gemma

Yes, do something about that dreadful text box beneath your product category panes. It just sits there as an obvious afterthought in the centre of the page with far too small characters and compounded by a serif font. It completely destroys the home page

 

[joiner]

GET RID of the 'fasion forum' link that takes you to a 'parenting forum! WTF!

 

[gemd89]

Whats cluttering the home page?

Gemma

Presuming you've done all the back ground work- Start by having a VERY professional, clutter free home page!

 

[gemd89]

I will be changing the text for all the boxes.

Gemma

GET RID of the 'fasion forum' link that takes you to a 'parenting forum! WTF!

 

[joiner]

Get rid of ALL that crap on your home page that has links to now where!

 

[joiner]

Get rid of all the boxes! the home page is your shop window! dress it up!

 

[gemd89]

The fancy dress has now gone, this is just a clothing site now!

Anymore changes?

Believe me i need all the advice i can get

Gemma

 

[gemd89]

Most clothing/fancy dress sites do have boxes, they just have them in a different way on their homepage??

Gemma

 

[joiner]

You've got 12 boxes that do NOTHING!!! (apart form new in!). My missus would log off your website within 1 second. (tough love required!)

 

[gemd89]

They will be functioning soon and be larger boxes.

Gemma

 

[joiner]

IMO it's your 85% your home page thats letting you down. You seem to have done a lot of the back ground work (on your wesite at least). Get your home page (shop window) sorted and you may start to get orders. good luck for you, your family and business for the future. Mark.

 

[oldeagleeye]

I too found only a couple of links lead anywhere and Gemma & WHAT on earth have you got fragrences on there for.

It is a highly competetive market anyway but if you ain't got £40 quid to advertise on Ebay how are you going to afford stock. That is about what 1 x 50ml of Hugo Boss costs.

BIN IT and get a new Free template from Zencart or whereever anyway.

Then think what women will buy coming up to Christmas and all year round.

Matching Handbags & Shoes comes to mind immediately

rob

 

[joiner]

In response to your last post can I STRONGLY suggest you get rid of the boxes altogether? why not a a big, very classy, modeled, professionaly taken pic of your best clothing item on your home page to get your customers hungry to buy? M

 

[gemd89]

The fragrance products have come off now just need to change those boxes.

I will see what the new boxes look like first and then take it from there i think

Gemma

 

[gemd89]

Ive got £40+ to spend however thats money that may not result in sales.

I think i will give it a go - cant hurt anything really can it!

Gemma

 

[oldeagleeye]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif]Just got this thru. Thought it might cheer our Gemma up. Rob[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
​

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif]

Mastercard Wedding[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif]

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif]

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
​

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif]

You got to love this guy...
This is a true story about a recent
wedding that took place at Clemson University .
It was in the local newspaper and even
Jay Leno mentioned it.

It was a huge wedding with about 300 guests.
After the wedding, at the reception, the groom got up on stage
with a microphone to talk to the crowd.
He said he wanted to thank
everyone for coming, many from
long distances, to support them
at their wedding.

He especially wanted to thank the bride's and his family
and to thank his new father-in-law for providing such a lavish reception.

As a token of his deep appreciation
he said he wanted to give everyone
a special gift just from him.

So taped to the bottom of
everyone's chair, including the wedding party was an envelope.

He said this was his gift to
everyone, and asked them to
open their envelope.

Inside each manila envelope was an 8x10 glossy
of his bride having sex with the best man.

The groom had gotten suspicious
of them weeks earlier and had
hired a private detective to tail
them.

After just standing there, just watching the guests' reactions
for a couple of minutes, he
turned to the best man and
said, 'F---you!' Then he turned
to his bride and said, 'F--- you!'

Then he turned to the
dumbfounded crowd and said,
'I'm outta here.'

He had the marriage annulled
first thing in the morning.

While most people would have canceled the wedding
immediately after finding out
about the affair, this
guy goes through with the
charade, as if nothing were wrong.

His revenge--making the bride's parents pay over $32,000 for a
300-guest wedding and reception, and best of all, trashing the
bride's and best man's reputations
in front of 300 friends and family members.

This guy has balls the size of church bells.

Do you think we might get a MasterCard 'priceless'
commercial out of this?

Elegant wedding reception
for 300 family members and
friends: $32,000.

Wedding photographs commemorating the Occasion: $3,000

Deluxe two-week
honeymoon accommodations in Maui : $8,500.

The look on everyone's face
when they see the 8x10 glossy
of the bride humping the best man: Priceless.

There are some things money
can't buy, for everything else
there's MASTERCARD

A Mastercard Wedding
'Life isn't like a bowl
of cherries or peaches,
it's more like a jar of Jalapenos--
what you do today,
might burn your ass tomorrow.......' ​

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif][FONT=times new roman,new york,times,serif]
[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

 

[gemd89]

Lovely, Thanks Rob!

 

[Kernowman]

When I suggested you do something about that awful text box, it shouldn't have prompted you just to simply delete it, because any fool can do that. Adam Crozier has made millions out of doing that I know, but he had something to wreck before he started his slashing and burning campaign. It's real skill that's needed to rebuild something from the ashes and turning it into something better that's the key, not the destruction.

What you are left with right now as I look at it is a just page of pictures and nothing else, therefore it has not grabbed the attention of anyone who visits it.

In all honesty I reckon you need to sit down and decide if you really are cut out for the savagery of the real business world, or you need some expert one-to-one guidance.

 

[360interactive]

The problem is Gemma, even if you had the most fantastic, professional looking website, it is still all about getting that website out there, which requires money. At the moment you're worried about spending £40? This is not the line of business where you can sit back and do some blogging / free marketing and then expect the sales to come in.

You've chosen an incredibly saturated market to operate in. Classic case of someone wanting their own online business and not doing any research on whats required or already out there. You've spent (i'm guessing) a tiny amount on getting your site done, maybe have a few items in stock, and now you're down because you're not making any money.

It happens time and time again. People seem to think that running an online business is simple. Build a site, and they will come. Unfortunately it doesn't happen like that, which is what you have found out. I know this personally, as my mother has recently started her own onlie store catering for plus size clothes (but a certain niche of plus size clothing). She has spent thousands, and is now after 12 months only at the stage where she is getting a few orders a week.

I'm going to be perfectly honest and recommend you put this site on the back burner and get out there and find a part time job that you can do around your children. They are out there, but you have to be positive about it. Chasing this dream will only end in tears.

Sorry if this has been a bit blunt, and i'll probably get a few flamings, but this sort of thing happens time and time again. You aren't the first person creating posts like this on UKBF, and you certainly won't be the last.

If you still want your own online home run part time business, look closer to home and on a smaller scale. Think about things like secretarial services, like a part time virtual PA. Much easier to market in your area.

 

[What If]

I really need help before i break down in tears.

I need to get my business to a level where its generating enough income per month, around £200 at least.

I need help in doing that - i keep looking at the site through rose tinted glasses so need another pair of eyes.

Please help give me some direct points to change, be blunt, be honest - i can take it as i really need to turn this round and quickly as i have 2 young kids to support, no job to go back to after maternity and havent been there long enough to qualify for anything.

Website in signature.

Thanks in advance
Gemma

Hi gemma, I havent got the time to look through your site (I'm due out shortly). But I notice your signature refers to fancy dress. I also notice you live in leeds which has a huge student population who will begin their studies again shortly (freshers week!). All those students with their loan burning a hole in their pockets and looking for the next party. How many parties could/will be fancy dress. Lets face it most students love an opportunity to make a T*T of themselves! At least I did!

This could be a great opportunity for you to bank some money! Get some leaflets and samples together and starting walking the campus and halls!

(Apologies if this has already been mentioned, I haven't had the chance to read the whole thread. I just wanted to post some advice as you sound quite distressed.)

Good luck.