The Countdown to Christmas and the Top 5 Ways to Promote

I had the good fortune last year of starting my online selling venture right smack dab in the middle of the Christmas rush. This was not planned, just lucky. Since then my mission has been to keep up the momentum of Christmas sales by offering more products, and selling in a smarter way.

There seems to be no end to the number of ways to promote. Couple that with some top secret formula when it comes to getting results from promotion, and it's enough to scramble a brain.

That said, here is a:

Top 5 Ways to Promote and Get Some Kind of Results List

1. Run a Blog Contest

Why?

It's fun. If ran properly, it leads to a large number of people visiting. Plus, it helps to raise pank rank.

2. Set up a Feed for Google Base

Why?

It leads to traffic. Once set up it is very easy to use. Plus, it gives an education on the kinds of things Google is looking to see in listings.

3. Occasionally Sell at Local Events

Why?

It educates on how people are responding to what is for sale. The feedback from a facial expression is not something that can be gleaned online. Plus, it gives the opportunity to pass out business cards to large numbers of interested shoppers. Double plus, it gives the opportunity to offload a lot of inventory that might have been piling up.

4. Join Forums and get Involved in the Discussion

Why?

There are two reasons. There is a lot to be learned on selling and product related forums. Plus, it is a way to expose potentially interested shoppers to your url.

5. Most Importantly, Keep Your Love for Ebay

Why?

Because despite doing all of the above things and much more, eBay is still where the traffic is. In a highly competitive market, such as jewellery, it is simply much easier to get exposure on eBay. This is especially true in the early days of one's new online store.

If anyone out there has any tips on favorite ways to promote, I'm all ears!

May / June Event Schedule

It's nice for us online sellers to go outside once in a while and get some sunshine. Why not drag our inventory outside with us and sell some more?

So far, I am confirmed for 2 sales events in May. At both I will sell jewellery, and also a new selection of children's clothing.

Here are the details:

May 16: Cochrane Children's Festival

-Held at the Cochrane Ranch House

-Times TBA

May 31: Lilac Festival

-Held on 4th St. SW in Calgary

-10:00am - 6:00pm

June 6 & 7: Spectrum Festival

-Held Downtown in Medicine Hat at 1 St SE & 6 Ave SE

BF has graciously secured a 10x10 tent to help me set up, and a couple tables. Plus, I've bought all kinds of new display items, (baskets, trays, necklace and earring displays, etc), so I'm looking forward to setting up and seeing how it all turns out.

Taking Free Time to Expand Horizons

The long weekend is coming to an end. I had Friday - Monday off which only happens once a year for me without taking Holiday time, and it's a pretty sweet deal. Of course, I'll need to go to work early tomorrow to play catch up, but I digress.

I've kept myself busy this weekend searching far and wide for new and different products to sell. I mean WAY different. Nothing like jewellery. I am very taken in by a drive to diversify.

Part of what brings this is on, is my increasing realization of just how seasonal many items are. Tungsten rings, for example, are more likely to sell when approaching Christmas and Valentine's Day. Planting and gardening products naturally enjoy a busy season this time of year. And on and on it goes.

So, without a great deal of rhyme or reason, I am diving in and researching products that I already know something about for one reason or another.

My first new project is to add a men's hygiene section to my existing store. This is a natural outgrowth as I already deal in men's items.

Beyond this, I plan to move into a whole new industry in the year ahead. I look forward to sharing the details as things unfold.

If any of you have thoughts on branching out into new areas, versus focusing on what you know, I would love to hear from you.

How to Start Your First Online Store

There are 4 Essential Steps to starting an online store.

Let's look at them one by one shall we?

1. Have a Product

Find something to sell that you can buy, (or make), cheaply and sell for more.

Get ideas by attending auctions, flea markets, and garage sales.

Do searches online to see what kinds of prices different items are fetching.

If you are crafty, search craft forums to get ideas and tips on things to make and how to do it.

Buy something on ebay or Bonanzle and ask yourself, what about this buying process was fun for me? What could I sell to recreate this experience for others?

Importantly, get out a calculator and figure out all of the costs involved, and make sure that what you are looking to sell will be profitable.

2. Start a Website for Free

I started this website for free. When I was ready to make use of the more advanced features, I upgraded to a package that costs $10 a month.

Click here to start your own website for free.

3. Take Pictures

Good quality pictures are obviously important. All the info you need to do this is available with simple Google searches. Here are some tips to get you started:

-If you do not have a lighting system of some kind, natural light is your friend. Go outside.

-If the items you are photographing are small, invest in a closeup lens.

-Try a bunch of different angles and lighting conditions.

4. Figure out Shipping in Advance

Shipping can make or break you. Some items are easy to ship, and others cost a fortune.

Find out ahead of time how much the items you are thinking about selling will cost to ship. This is better than selling an item for $25 and then finding out it will cost $50 to ship it.

I use Canada Post. If you have the patience of a saint, this website will eventually give you an idea of how much it costs to ship things.

If you plan to sell a lot of items, buy shipping supplies in bulk. I use Uline.

How to Find Public Selling Venues for Online Sellers

I realize that we're all online sellers here, but as I've said before, occasionally it is valuable to dig in, get your hands dirty, and get some public feedback.

In learning how to get the most out of market / festival selling, I've learned a few things:

1. This may not hold true for everyone, but for myself I will now only sell at venues that are reputable and well organized. These higher end venues are just more reliable when it comes to drawing a pleasant crowd that is ready to shop.

2. With the last point in mind, be choosy! It is easy to get overenthusiastic and sign up for events indiscriminately. However, it is more fun and profitable to save energy for the better venues, rather than to get burnt out on attending too many shows with not enough of a return.

How to Find Great Public Selling Venues:

1. The first thing to try is to attend the nicest market in your area, and talk up the vendors there. Some will be hestitant to share the tricks of the trade, but others selling a completely different product than you will have excellent suggestions based on years of experience.

2. When it comes to annual events, look for events that have been successfully running for several years. These more established events are better known and naturally draw larger crowds.

3. Look for blogs run by local sellers. Often local artists and vendors will list the events they will be selling at on their blogs. Look for vendors that have been on the scene for a long time, as they will likely mostly attend worthwhile events.

4. Do Google searches for festivals and markets in your area. Look for lists of such events that are featured in reputable newspapers, as they do their homework so you don't have to.

One word of caution:

Some of the best attended events, such as the Wedding Fair in Calgary, are prohibitively expensive. It might be better to get your feet wet at some of the medium cost venues in order to hone your public selling before taking on something like that. That is just my opinion though, as I have yet to take on the largest venues, and have heard it is quite possible to spend dozens of hours on something like that and come out at a loss!

On a more positive note, a well run and well attended affordable venue can be an action packed day of selling and business card distributing that leads to going home with a pocket full of cash, and new online contacts.

If anyone out there plans to be in the Calgary area and would like to share a booth, give me a shout!

Face to Face Selling....How Unusual

I got up early this fine Saturday morning. Spring is in the air, finally. It has been one bejebus of a long, cold winter.

Nobody wants to shop outside in the dead of winter here. No sir, unless we are snowboarding, we stay inside and hundle around whatever keeps us warm.

But now that it's sunny, I've been thinking about taking part in upcoming markets and festivals. I've been registered for the Lilac Festival for months now. It's an annual event in the hip part of town here in Calgary.

You see, as I've recently been learning, in order to take part in anything well known and well attended around here, it is necessary to be on the ball and plan months, if not a year in advance.

With that in mind, I spent the morning filling out applications, putting together sample packages, and sending links to my websites.

I much prefer selling online than face to face, but getting out there from time to time has its advantages too.

Hope to see you out there!

Blog Contest Follow Up

Congratulations to Helene from Westwood Doodles!

She has been notified of her win, and I'm just waiting to hear her prize choice.

This has been fun. I really enjoyed reading everyone's comments. Thanks so much for participating. I look forward to running another contest soon.

Mega Blog Contest

Welcome to my very first Mega Blog Contest Post!

To enter, leave a comment by 8:00pm on March 8, 2009.

You are entering to win your choice of either a white fire opal ring, or a solid men's tungsten ring.

To see further details on these items and more, click here.

All entries will be compiled on March 9, and winner will be chosen randomly.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to join my list of followers!

How to Buy a Lasting Piece of Jewellery

Take a look at this opal ring. Beautiful, isn't it? It's the sort of thing a person might give for a special occasion, or maybe even as a modern twist on a wedding band.

When buying such a thing, it is intended that the item will be a lasting symbol of an eternal sentiment.

One thing to look for in such an item is the use of rhodium as a plating.

Rhodium is a precious white metal from the platinum family. It costs roughly 8 times more than pure gold, and 4 times more than platinum.

The main benefit of plating an item with rhodium, is the extra durability it provides. In fact, it is now a common practice to plate fine white gold with rhodium.

And let's not forget the gorgeousness factor. The appearance of rhodium is arguably even more beautiful than white gold.

And that is why modern quality items, like the one pictured above are more and more likely to feature rhodium as an add on.

Now you know.

Manly Tungsten Rings & Pretty Things

Well looky here. I finally made my first set of business cards for And Shine. Many times in the past few months, I was embarassed to admit that I don't have one. I was under the impression that it would be difficult and expensive to make them seeing as graphic designers always made them at places I worked previously, and it often seemed like quite a production to get them going.

*Update* This wasn't meant as a dig at anyone I worked with in the past. hahaha. What I meant to say was that it seems the more people that are involved in the creative process, the more complicated and bumpy the outcome :-)

Anyway, I was browsing the Community forum at BuyItSellIt, and I read a post that was geared towards starting a helpful hint chain of small business services.

Vista Print was recommended by a few people so I checked it out. It was fun and easy to use, and took me all of 20 minutes.

*Update #2* Although I still think Vista is great for being affordable and easy to use, be warned that if you use them, you will receive a steady supply of promotional emails from them for the rest of your life :-)

I plan to use the cards to hand out now to all the people that ask me for more information about And Shine.




The other plan is to drop one in each package I send out to encourage return visits.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day. Over the years, I have held every possible view on this day.

Elementary School: We used to make crafty holders to receive cards and I'd write out cards for every kid in my class. I loved this for some reason. Don't know why. I'm not the least bit crafty.

High School: I decided that Valentine's Day was just a capitalistic ploy to make us all spend more money. Secretly, I was probably a little annoyed that I did not have a bf to exchange expensive gifts with.

Present Day: I still don't quite get it, but try to recognize these curious holidays in one way or another. Supposedly it fills life and relationships with meaning, or some crap like that.

What I know for sure is that we all like to give and receive tokens of appreciation, so why not? Do it on Valentine's Day or any other day of the year just to shake things up.

So Many Promo Tools, So Little Time

I'm relatively new to the world of ecommerce. I started selling men's and women's jewellery on ebay in October of 2008, and quickly became a Power Seller.

So, I'm thinking to myself, "This is great! I want more." That's when I found the next up and coming sale site, Bonanzle. Bonanzle doesn't yet have the traffic of ebay, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. It's great fun.

So anyway, the big question is how do I attract more people to my Bonanzle site?

Bonanzle recommends the following options:

-google base
-twitter
-squidoo
-blogging

With the exception of google base, these are all new to me so I'm in the middle of a learning curve.

This is what I've learned so far:

-Google Base
Relatively easy to use, and well worth the time

-Twitter
Very easy to use, and may be worth the time in the long run.
Worthwhile so far, it that it's been fun to get started.

-Blogging
That's where I am today. It would be easy, if it weren't for the fact that I'm trying to get it published under a domain name that is being transferred from one server to another. Why must we make things so difficult??

-Squidoo
Haven't gotten there yet. It's probably easy, but the amount of new info in my head is making starting new things a little more intimidating.

How will I know whether all of these efforts have paid off? I suppose I'll know if 6 months down the road, I'm starting to get a lot of Bonanzle sales. I'm excited to see how this plays out!