[Ahern & Brucker]

I'm just wondering and don't know why I haven't asked before but are any of you affiliate guys marketing high end products?

I'd like to discuss maybe piggy backing a few of our higher dollar pieces to what you are already doing...

Does this sound like the rirght direction or, should I be looking for an affiliate manager to create an entire program?

thanks

[Aletheides]

Before you go in this direction, have you considered investing in a professional web design company ? Considering the market you're in, the cost would be well worth it.

[Ahern & Brucker]

Honestly, I think to redesign the web site I have would be throwing good money after bad... it's too big, not all of what we list is available for sale and a host of pther difficulties...

quite frankly, I'm amazed that it actually brings in business for us... It is difficult for the customers to order, each page take a pretty long time to load, it's not search engine optomized their is no click and buy function... (and the list goes on) but, for the purpose we need it for... (bringing us custom orders) it works just fine. (but definately could be improved 1000 %...

the problem is, with custom orders, we can only produce MAYBE 25 to 35 pieces per year... too much custom work would swamp us into a waiting list that we could never work our way out of. the last influx of business had us with a 1 year back order and it was pretty intense for a couple of old timers.

For the items we would like to sell as limited reproductions and specific marketing yes, a professional design is in order... but before I can start with a new web site design It should be designed with the type of marketing I have in mind... So, If I found a marketing partner I'd like to leave the web site design and even the branding up to them to make that suites the particular campaign they may want to put on...

Their are a number of people who can put together a one or two pager for an affiliate deal but probably the affiliate king pin or the top guy will want it to be the way that works for him. for example, the affiliate isn't going to want to use my copy as I write it if he want's to make sales or get affiliates to join under him... they are going to want to have relly nice compelling copy written. probably, they can write themselves the copy that willl work better than anything I can do...


I have pages upon pages of designs with no copy, no explination, just photos of designs being made... Despite this long post, I am not a wordy guy when it comes to product description... the best I can usually say is..."this is another example of Crol's fine work". (and that didn't come easy for me...)

I'm may be too close to the product to be effective in sales...

but the short version to your answer is yes

[Aletheides]

Good luck in your endeavors, seems to be working for you then.

[Ahern & Brucker]

well, our core business is working fine but marketing thr reproductions is what I'm needing help with.

We can ramp up manufacturing and their is no shortage of raw materials... we just need to get the product to market.

[Aletheides]

Originally Posted by Ahern & Brucker

well, our core business is working fine but marketing thr reproductions is what I'm needing help with.

We can ramp up manufacturing and their is no shortage of raw materials... we just need to get the product to market.

If you want volume then you're going to need a better website.

If you're worried about being flooded with custom orders - well, isn't this a good thing? When demand rises past what you can produce, you might want to consider raising prices to hedge volume (at the dismay of your long term customers). However, with a new website your business is going to have a much improved image.

I wouldn't be afraid of waiting lists. If the quality is good and people are willing to wait, what's the harm? My uncle owns a repair business for rare cameras and his waiting list is 2 years long.

I'm not too familiar with what you're doing, though. Just my 2 cents.

[Ahern & Brucker]

Originally Posted by Aletheides

If you want volume then you're going to need a better website.

If you're worried about being flooded with custom orders - well, isn't this a good thing? When demand rises past what you can produce, you might want to consider raising prices to hedge volume (at the dismay of your long term customers). However, with a new website your business is going to have a much improved image.

I wouldn't be afraid of waiting lists. If the quality is good and people are willing to wait, what's the harm? My uncle owns a repair business for rare cameras and his waiting list is 2 years long.

I'm not too familiar with what you're doing, though. Just my 2 cents.

hey, I appreciate your 2 cents!

Having a long waiting list is everyting you can hope for as you mention, increased profits, etc but it's also a lot of pressure on us as each customer who enters our custom world needs custom individualized attention... and while they may wait a year, theey usually are corresponding which requires me to correspond back. (we are talking about 10 to 50 e-mails per custom customer)

In addition, for the artist, she doesn't work well under pressure and it's hard to be artistic and creative when you have deadlines and demands and the feeling of "no end in sight" just work work work 7 days a week!...i wish we had 100 goldsmiths but it's hard to find just 1.

also, I am old and honestly feel bad when we can't take an order or meet some deadline... (can't say no to nice people) the goldsmith is getting old and while her skills may be at a great level, her production decreases every year.

being flooded with customers would be ideal if those customers were buying items we can easilly reproduce... on a web site that doesn't require a lot of customer intervention ...we can reproduce 500 pieces a day if we hhave sales to match.


yep, and a killer web site is in order... but I think to be prudent, it can be in addition to the one I have until it shows the same results as the one I have or is designed specifically for our repro's. I hate to take something that does work and replace it with something that may or may not work or is not proven.

does this sound like reasonable thinking or am I missing something?