sierra2469alpha wrote:ksl wrote:
Apart from a couple of points.....
Points taken, KSL, but obviously there isn't going to be the $ there to ensure their site is SEO'd; full backend inventory/order management; etc. etc. so I still agree with a "suck it and see" approach on eBay.
Obviously our friend is looking at certain product to sell online rather than via normal sales/distribution channels, and who knows, they may have the next killer product (like the 3M brand of kitchen cloth combined with the new orange Mr Muscle cleaner!!).
Best see if their product has a need here/there/everywhere before investing $ into a dedicated site. Well, that's just my opinion!!!
Cheers, P
yes you could say that, and you are right about the SEO...but my point is, that, when i was branding digital cameras for a Taiwanese manufacturer, I took on the task has a hobby...I had around 20 cameras on the website, although i wasn't innterested in selling one at a time....I wanted to sell 20 at a time.
So the way forward, was to build the website, and sell on ebay, to give the website world wide exposure, within 1 year, I had 18 distributors, selling cameras on ebay...my average quarterly sales, were 4500 cameras by the end of the first year...the royalties I could live off.
If you are going to do something, do it big....There are hundreds if not thousands of manufacturers, actually struggling...and when you attempt to purchase direct, they will appear to be only interested in quanity sales of a 1000 units...which tells, you a great deal about there idiotic sales and mentality.
However to sell by the export carton, is much more attractive...20 camera's in one export carton, is easier to move, than a 1000 units. Once the new agents sell and build up their sales, you are soon selling a 1000 units a time.
No company in their right mind is going to spend money on a 1000 units, when industrial countries have moved over into the service sector, comprising of very small start ups, and medium sized business.. if you get my point...
Very few manufacurers can sell in thousands of units, that is just wishful thinking, especially if they are trying to sell generic products, with no reputation.
So if you have a product that is going to move, you are looking for agents, importers, and power sellers on ebay, rather than wasting your time trying to be a sales person. let the power sellers sell it.
They are the people on ebay, with thousands of sales against their name, with excellent feedback.
What one needs to do is a SWAT, and get people to do what you are weak at, it's easy if you use the right people, moving quantity, at a cheap price...is better, than trying to sell a few items, at an expensive price, let the buyers do the work, don't be greedy, just take a very small profit, but move quanitity.
It all depends on your vision, of what you aim to get out of it. Planning and execution...but forget ebay Singapore, or any other auction in Singapore....people are afraid to use, their credit cards online here, so you can do cash on delivery, much easier, but not hassle free.
Spoon72 btw is pretty cool at what he does, because he/she is quite innovative, and creative looking at a bigger picture.
..unless they are experienced salespeople, who know better. 