Does anyone have any suggestions on how to start an online store, and is it too late? We are simply trying to compliment the retail we currently have out of a brick/mortar store. Thank you, Jamie
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Thinking about just adding a way for customers to order product on our web site and have it ready for pick up at store .Iam sure others offer this service .Please let me know if it has been positive. Thanks
Hi Jamie,
We have the perfect answer for you !
See:
http://outdoorecommerce.com
for a very small investment, you can have you
own site up and running in a couple of days -
We handle all web hosting, products, payment processing and shipping.
You just have to promote to your customer base.
If you have further questions contact me
info@outdoorecommerce.com
We are Completly Redoing our website and adding an Online Store. I have a great We designer if you need one. I dont think its ever too late to add to your Revenue! It also provides friendly shopping for customers. They might not know you had a cetain product until they see it. There might be other products you offer online only?
I think it depends on how involved you want to be, Jamie. Do you want to offer everything that you have in the storefront location on the web? Some items you most likely won't be able to compete on, and shipping is another concern. If you can find some niche items that work in your area or that you know you can compete on, that is a good place to start.
We have an eCommerce page (www.pstpoolsupplies.com) and we do well on some items (Hayward/Goldline flow switches, for example) and not so good on other items (pumps and filters, which we cannot compete and shipping kills us!).
It depends on what you are trying to achieve, how well you buy and how you control your shipping costs. It's never too late to start something, especially if you have competitively priced items and great service!
I looked into e-tailing a while back, but dropped it because to do it right would take some serious investment in setting up the online store and keeping things up to date and I didn't have the time and money to invest in it.
I don't think that it is too late. Yes, there are a number of online pool stores that sell products online at a very cheep price, but these stores are not value added experiences. They are basically a catalog. If you could make a store that mirrors your brick and mortar store in that it advises the customer as to what product would work best for them, then such a store could fill a niche that is currently not being filled.