Power Sellers Unite

forestbrooknook · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 3

I am a longtime ebay seller but would like to have my own web site to sell one category of my items (lingerie).

Yesterday I signed up with Homestead and did some tinkering around with web pages, for the first time ever.

I am realizing that I am in way over my head when it comes to building a web site.

I feel that I need to focus on what I'm good at ... namely inventory acquisition, descriptions, photographing product, customer service, etc (all of the stuff that goes on with an ebay business). I don't have the time or know-how to figure out the behind-the-scenes stuff.

So ....

I am interested in hiring someone who could help me build my site. My desire is to have a functioning store, with each product having 1-2 pictures included. I would need categories (such as "Bras" or "Corsets") with subcategories (such as by size). I would need a shopping cart and good inventory control (so that if something sells the inventory is reduced or removed).

I would need a simple method to add new inventory or revise inventory as needed.

I would like my products to have good exposure on google.

Is there a person you could recommend who could do this work for me? How much would a job like this cost me? I would like to see examples of functioning stores that this person has constructed.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Earthfragments.com · Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 3:14 pm Post subject:

i use http://www.ecrater.com for my store at the moment and have done pretty good. They submit to froogle.

Pipphoe

I would suggest eCrater, too, as a start because it's free and pretty easy to deal with. Or you might want to open a store on a couple of other alternates while you're working on your website solutions. The good news is that a lot the alternates do a terrific job of google and froogle submission. That's how I was found on eCrater.

I really think the first thing you want to think of on leaving eBay or even before it simply getting your listings up somewhere and start getting exposure. The good news about setting up a store on one of these sites is that you can right now focus on what you are good at. You'll also have a lot less stress this way.

I've got a lot of RL issues and my website is sort of on the back burner. But I know that my items are getting exposure and I check the view stats on the sites I'm on all the time. Will they result in sales at some point? I don't know, but it's costing me little to nothing and they're being looked at or clicked on. I've added a couple of my storefront URL and listing URLs on ReallySmartDeals and that's free exposure, too -- at least if you surf enough points. If worse comes to worse and you don't want to surf you buy points that will cost you a mere fraction of what an eBay store costs.

Right now they're working on updating the site so you might have to wait to sign up -- not sure on that one. I was there last night and the makeover is looking really, really nice.

bahbahblacksheep · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 44

Pipphoe wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
I would suggest eCrater, too, as a start because it's free and pretty easy to deal with. Or you might want to open a store on a couple of other alternates while you're working on your website solutions. The good news is that a lot the alternates do a terrific job of google and froogle submission. That's how I was found on eCrater.

I really think the first thing you want to think of on leaving eBay or even before it simply getting your listings up somewhere and start getting exposure. The good news about setting up a store on one of these sites is that you can right now focus on what you are good at. You'll also have a lot less stress this way.

I've got a lot of RL issues and my website is sort of on the back burner. But I know that my items are getting exposure and I check the view stats on the sites I'm on all the time. Will they result in sales at some point? I don't know, but it's costing me little to nothing and they're being looked at or clicked on. I've added a couple of my storefront URL and listing URLs on ReallySmartDeals and that's free exposure, too -- at least if you surf enough points. If worse comes to worse and you don't want to surf you buy points that will cost you a mere fraction of what an eBay store costs.

Right now they're working on updating the site so you might have to wait to sign up -- not sure on that one. I was there last night and the makeover is looking really, really nice.
can you use your own merchant account on ecrater ?

EleganzaJewels · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 519

I'm telling ya, check out High Powered Sites Dot Com I've been researching the easiest and most functional webstore creator, and I really think this is the best product on the market. Hosting is included - 500 pages, 500 products, and 500 images for $19.95 (first 10 days are free). The upgrade fee schedule is:

$1/100 photos
$1/50 web pages
$1/50 products

Can't beat that! It has simply too many tools to list, some of them very unique to this site. I LOVE the fact that you can create keyword lists/tags for every single individual page. You can also name your pages individually so they are very search engine friendly with just a few clicks, none of that hassle of creating subdomains, etc. - they do it all for you!

Put together a Froogle and RSS feed? Simple! Just type a little and it's all done and submitted! There are 3 different levels of WYSIWIG editor, so anyone can use it, from the most basic beginner to the most experienced webmaster.

Lots of discounts on shopping.com, google adwords, etc. if you sign up for those services through highpowersites.com

Don't judge my site by the Google pagerank, I just moved to this host, but my statcounter stats are showing excellent page hits and loads. Some of that may be because my links remained active on my link partners' sites, even while I was down (god bless 'em!)

Ohhh speaking of links, check out Strongest Links it's the easiest way to find and organize link partners!

PKC Direct

Have you checked out PSU stores right here? This is a great place to start for the person who needs help with their store.

http://www.powersellersunite.com/psustore_about.php

memfoamfurniture · Joined: 29 Sep 2005 Posts: 301 Location: Wisconsin

I can build a website for you. Here are some of the ones I have put together so far:

http://www.perfectpedic.com
http://www.diamondseo.com
http://www.luxurpedic.com

Let me know if you have any questions.

EleganzaJewels · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 519

Just did some checking on the PSU store set-up. That's one sweet set-up! I may have to open a site there, also!

EleganzaJewels · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 519

Hi, everyone! Wanted to update the info on what I've found out on highpowersites.com. Had some badddd experiences recently, enough to make me very wary. A couple of days of 503 error messages, days to get responses from CSR, and very slow loading pages (and resultant buyer bounces, too :x )

I signed up with PSU stores - amazing! I love the functionality, looks like the learning curve is not bad, either. I did some googling on "free Joomla templates", too, and there are tons out there. OH, and the customer service at PSU blows HPS outta the water!

Now if they could just make the days longer so I could get all the work done (sigh)

Love the store, PSU, thanks!

PKC Direct

EleganzaJewels

If you ned a template for Joomla and PSU doesn't have it I can customize any that he has ans I have about 250 more and access to about another 200. Plus about any mod you could think of.

Just give me a shout.

pinecone64

forestbrooknook....................

I am getting grayererer............trying to get my store on PSU going!

But it is the best place on the www for my store, pinecone64.com
because I have those who understand where I am trying to go and where I have been in the last year.............. ready to help or just hold my hand.
I need both.

I am now working on 13 voyager. Lights do come on in my head, but when they don't I ask on the forum.

The first few days I felt like you I was way in over my head. But then I made a decision I would try and I am still trying and I will get a store up and running then my brain can worry over making the sales, when the world is at war with it's self. Always something.

I came from the XX place and was spoiled to click type and click.
If I can you can................
PSU is for ME
PSU is for U

Happy Trails till we meet again,
pinecone64

koolstuffguys · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 243 Location: Laredo, TX

This is a great place to set up your store. With the help you get here its really easy. Much less intimidating then other sites. ALso the price is right and you get more Bandwidth and storage space as well. Once your up it easy to set up your categories and add your products. Check out our site. This is our first website although we do have stores on eBay and the WP. In about a week or so we went from nothing to what we have now. We had a lot of great help and are ready to launch ahead of schedule!

Long story short its a great deal!

Chris