Question

Topic: E-Marketing

One-man Business Using The Internet For Selling

Posted by Anonymous on 10/22/2004 at 7:46 PM ET 125 Points
I come from a teaching background with no experience of selling. We have bought a small business in a tourist mountain town selling leather goods and hats. A website came with the business.
Business is seasonal but I think the business can expand and I see selling via the internet as a possible major part of that expansion. So where do I go to learn how/what etc.
I have made some enquiries into hiring expertise but starting prices of $10,000 are outside of our budget.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 10/22/2004 at 9:18 PM Member
    Why not post the web address here, so we can see the products you have and what you have in place already.
  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 10/22/2004 at 10:41 PM Member
    I certainly agree with your desire for expansion and taking advantage of internet sales. Doing so will help smooth out the revenue stream and add some flavor to the dry spells. Perhaps the most valuable benefit: It can become one of the most powerful marketing tools for your business.

    An e-commerce website, when managed appropriately, can bring in extra funds, expand nationally or even global (as opposed to one location), possess the tremendous ability to build your brand, and create the opportunity to build a database marketing program.

    So what is database marketing? In a nutshell, it is capturing the email addresses and other demographics of your ACTUAL customers and vistors (versus placing ads in the paper or sending out mailers in hopes that SOMEONE will stop by). The advantage comes from knowing exactly who is interested/buying and having their contact info for future campaigns and newsletters. You can probably already begin to see the benefit of marketing to a fine tuned audience versus taking stabs at broad demographics.

    Your newsletter doesn't have to be a "newsletter". It can be a monthly update of specials, new items, and perhaps an industry specific column that will be of interest to your subscribers.

    When I say "capture data and contact information", I am referring to customers and visitors opting-in or volunteering their info via special subscriber areas posted throughout your site. You can also use the website stats to your advantage by analyzing what pages are the most popular, what pages people are leaving (so you can improve those areas) ,etc.

    $10,000 can certainly but a bad taste in anyone's mouth!! I don't blame you for being reluctant. The good news is we can help you for a fraction of that cost. Our team has a lot of experience in e-marketing, strategy, and website maintenance / design. Please feel free to send me an email (just click on my name) so we can discuss the details and go over your various options. Outstanding consultation does not have to bust your wallet!!


    I hope you found some value in my post and wish you the best of luck with your endeavors!

    Take Care

    --Blaine W.

    Jett Enterprises
  • Posted by telemoxie on 10/23/2004 at 11:23 AM Accepted
    In addition to the eCommerce related advice above, I would also suggest that you select, buy and read one or two books on sales. Tom Hopkins is a favorite of mine, Dale Carnegie is a classic - there are many wonderful authors out there.

    As you read these books, you may discover that you have more "sales" related experience than you think. Several years ago, many companies began to find that that their best salespeople were former teachers. Today, as the world becomes more complicated, and prospects need to be "educated" about the benefits of your offering, those skills are even more appropriate and valuable.
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