Blogshop - How To Boost Sales? Urgent, Thanks (:

[keanuholic]

Hi, but I think this forum's awesome, keep the great job going!

I am a student currently operating an online business, in fact, it's a blogshop. Basically, I provide personalisation services for others' belongings, such as, for example, decorating notebooks and files and pouches, the like. My main selling factor is that I'm good at what I do. Also, I'm surrounded by teens desperate to stand out from the crowd, and want to own things that look different from the mainstream.

I've managed to generate lots of interest so far, but the interest has faded, and I'm wondering why. My prices, according to a mentor, are fine - well-suited to my age group and not underpricing the craftsmanship involved. Many express their excitement at this service, but have no idea what they'd like to have personalised. I don't feel like being a pushy salegirl and pressuring them into figuring that out, but then again, after a period of pondering, they tend to forget about the service. Lately, I've put on offer a Christmas special package, with no response so far.

So y'all, I need some help here to transform interest into income, and will thank you loads for practical advice and opinions on what went wrong! If you want to find out more before offering advice, just ask, thanks!

[torka]

Do you have an email newsletter? If not, you might want to consider starting one. Typically, customers require something like seven or eight "touches" from a business or website before they decide to buy -- a newsletter, sent out every month or so, would allow you to get in more "touches" and remind those once-interested customers about your existence.

What to write about? How about featuring a customer every month, with photo(s) of what you've personalized for them? This could serve multiple purposes: giving those who are having trouble deciding some ideas of things they could have you do, reminding those who might be in danger of forgetting about you just how cool your stuff is, encouraging people to buy from you in order to get a chance to be your featured customer, and "pumping up" those of your existing customers who get featured (which might lead to additional follow up purchases).

Note: you can do this even if you don't have any paying customers just yet. Feature a friend or family member you've done work for instead. You don't have to mention whether the "customer" you feature was a paid customer or a freebie.

Other ideas might be to simply feature "concepts" for things customers might consider having you customize for them, or announcements of new customization options you now offer, perhaps comparisons between expensive store-bought "designer goods" and comparable items you customized, etc.

You could also include articles about simple things customers could do to personalize items on their own... and use them as lead-ins to more complex personalizations you can do for them. Or give them instructions for more complex personalizations (making them sound as complex and difficult as possible), then mention how you can do these things for them (at a reasonable price).

Depending on your audience, you might also include some slightly "personal" news (nothing too personal, though), or your thoughts on current events (local, state or national), or advocacy for your favorite charities, or some other content not strictly related to your business. Some people open and read newsletters just for these tidbits -- but be sure to check in periodically with your readers to make sure they're still interested. (Some people may even unsub because they don't want to see any non-business stuff; you want to check in every now and then to make sure the "strictly business" crew doesn't outnumber the "some fun stuff" camp.)

--Torka

[keanuholic]

Thanks for the really great ideas, I didn't think of them before, probably will put loads of them into good use! Anyone else has cool ideas too? I'd love to hear'em!

[Dave Charest]

Hi keanuholic,

Torka offered some great ideas.

Would you mind posting your blogshop address in your profile. Maybe I could offer some specific advice.

Thanks,
D.

P.S. Do you know Kung-Fu?

[keanuholic]

Hey,

Sure, I'll go right ahead and HAHA not I don't know Kung-Fu, unfortunately. I'm stuck with a knee problem, but hey, a girl can always dream!

And I love Kungfu films! But before I go on overkill, here's the link: http://tq-shop.co.nr.

Thanks loads!

[keanuholic]

Hi, thanks for the response - I've posted the link already, check it out, I'll post it here too (: And haha I WISH I KNEW KUNGFU!

[asprat]

Torka gives so many good ideas it's hard to think of anything to add. One suggestion, which may or may not work, is that if you could think of a few of selling your service on ebay it might be effective (I don't if this is within ebay's TOS, you'd have to check). This might require you to be very specific about what you're selling -- like say you'd personalize the person's item in a very specific way, via specific decorations -- but it might also help to get rid of the "freedom of choice" factor (maybe the interest is there but potential customers don't know what to personalize or how). Just a thought that somehow exposing your services to a "forum" marketplace might reap benefits.

[keanuholic]

But without the freedom of choice, how will the customers be able to make their stuff look uniquely their own? The last thing I want is customers comparing and realising their stuff looks pretty much the same after all. If I've misunderstood you, do clarify a bit what you mean, thanks (: I'll check out the eBay TOS too. For now, do you know of any "forum" marketplaces?

[Susan Dougherty]

Hi keanuholic,

I have purchased things for my nephews in the past that I designed, recieved and then presented to them as gifts.

At the site I was purchasing the gifts from I suggested they allow Aunts like myself to have the option to pay for the gift then have a link sent to my nephews so they could design it themselves.

I am confident that my nephews could use the link to design their product and enter shipping details.

I think that receiving a pre-paid gift that the recipient is in control of the design is a great idea.

Brings more adult customers to your site who do not want the hassle of designing but want to give a personalized gift.

Gift cards may be an option?

The site in question has not used my suggestion.

What do you think?

[Susan Dougherty]

One more thing. Some of your visitors do not own credit cards.