[girlvival]

Hi everyone:

I started my business - girlvival - through word of mouth selling products from home to friends, family, and then as word spread to friends of friends, etc. Ok - so I was tapped out on the Kevin Bacon and decided to build a web site and get plugged into a larger audience. Well, after launching our site June 1, and sending out an email announcement to, again, friends, family, etc. - we had a decent June via the web. But now things have slowed down quite a bit and I'm looking for some advice. In July, we have been lucky enough to have two stories about me and the company in our local papers, the second one; I was even on the front page, but still very few orders from it.

Question 1: How do I attract buyers to the site? I am struggling with paying for search words - for two reasons - cost and the second What words to use - my products do not fit neatly into a category - and using "teen girl" is out of the question - because we all know what that type of search brings back!

Question 2: All the books, and online advice I seem to find says - set up a blog, or give away an ebook, or write for ezine, but I can't really figure out how that will drive quality traffic to the site either - because what I would write about would not really tie back to my product.

Question 3 - trying to figure if retailing in stores is a better answer - but that brings about the issue of - less profit for me on each sale, no easy solution to displaying the product, since it is essentially two parts - the Kit and the mini-back pack (Market research and my prior sales tell me girls love the "pick a kit, then pick a bag" concept - since it allow choice for them. Talked to Hallmarks - they are not sure where they would fit it in, tried talking to some of the large retailers, but they want large quantities, and entire private label products, and I'm not there yet. Talked to smaller shops in my town, and have two places displaying by product sales seem slow there - I think the product does much better with an explanation that is tough to display in limited space - so looking for ideas here? I really want to commoditize this product and have been told by some very outstanding business people that the idea and product are quality and sound......but not sure where to go from here.

Whew!!! Ok lay it on me - don't be afraid to be brutal -I was a competitive dancer and I'm tough - just stalled in my business plan!

Thanks Carrie

[ericesquire]

Carrie,

As you may remember when you first joined, I love your business idea. I think the product is really unique, fun, and cute - it's got huge potential.

One thing that I think can be improved is how clearly your product is defined on your web site. All of the information is there, definately - but there's a ton on the front page and I think you may benefit from having the home page much more simple...

I'm thinking more of a 1, 2, 3 type deal. Make it big and easy to understand.

1: Explain the product in quick/easy terms
2: Pick a problem
3: Pick a backpack

You know your business better than I do - but get the information put together a bit more clearly, bundle it up together in a cute 1, 2, 3 and your done sort of way, and I think you'll see a sales increase.

Keep this in mind: Customer should be checking out in 3 clicks!

Perhaps where you choose what type of "problem" you're having, categorize that "Boys | Parents | Etc." for quicker isolation.

One other thing - it took me a while to realize how to actually add the bag to the cart - I kept clicking the product and not the little round button image. Try and do something with that as well.

If some of this doesn't make sense, I apologize - I'm sort of typing while I brainstorm.

[Karen]

Hi Carrie,

You could also add a subscription list to your site. Let people sign up and then you could send out specials or coupons or something to get the visitors to come back.

This could also be added for the purchasers, give an option on the checkout page to have the buyers email added to your list so you can send out specials etc.

If you want to start a forum on the site, a good forum would be directed to your target market. Let them come to the forum, talk, socialize etc. Add a contest on the forum... the first one to make 25 posts (or something like that) will receive a coupon for 50% off any purchase.

I hope this helps.

Karen

[mxer210]

I have alot of forum experience from my website, www.teenpoint.net and the forum is about 70% of the sites traffic. To boost your traffic, I would set up a forum. They are real easy to do, and are available free. I use phpbb and it's free too. If you have a girl teen forum on your website, it would keep girls coming back, and generate more leads because they would recommend the forum to their friends. Good luck on your business.

[mxer210]

Oops, karen already recommended it. I think it's a a great idea though. :thumbs up Karen:

For contests, my website is currently having a CD giveway, and it's going pretty good. You could also add a chatroom if the forum is successful. For posts, my website averages about 1000 posts a day, and was launched only 6 weeks ago. That's the capability of a forums power.

[Onyx]

Wow - what a fantastic concept! I must have missed the first time you posted. You really must keep going on this one, it's far too good to give up on!

I'd agree entirely with Eric on the 1-2-3 purchasing idea. Sell the concept, not the products! As each kit is essentially the same thing, explain what the concept is and then let the buyer choose the solution for them (i.e. the Falling in love kit.) and then step three is checking out! Make it a guided experience rather than a bewildering choice. It's too easy to start looking at the sections without actually knowing what the site is all about. The one thing I personally didn't like about the site - unless I've missed something - is that you can't see what you are buying. If I was paying $21 I'd want to know what to expect, especially if I was giving it as a gift.

Now you say that you've had quite a few sales but don't seem to be getting repeat business. Time to be honest with yourself here - do the customers like what they got? Maybe they felt it wasn't value for money or wasn't what they expected? I hope this isn't the case, so perhaps they just forgot that there is a whole range of kits to buy and that they seem to be ideal for gifts, so how about a sales aid? I'm thinking something along the lines of a pack of cards with each card matching a kit. It can have a fun, related image on one side and a useful tip on the back (e.g. A sad-looking cartoon girl with the phrase 'My best friend is mad at me!'. On the back of the card it gives tips on what to do and then, of course, it recommends you buy her the relevant kit. If done the right way these could also be passed on to friends to help them out too, and hopefully sell that kit

This leads me on to my next thought about limited space in shops. Sell the concept again! Get a bright and friendly looking cardboard display case created that explains what you are offering and then put the above mentioned cards in it, but these slightly different ones are sales tokens. You take the card to the counter and they go and get you the kit from the stockroom. Takes up loads less space this way.

All the time I've been writing about colourful displays and cute cartoon girls I've had a certain type of artwork in mind. Here in the UK there is a brand of greetings cards called Bubblegum which are really colourful, fashionable and ideal for your product. I would imagine licensing these characters would be very expensive, but if you can find a local artist who can draw in a similar style then I reckon it will really help. You can even put the characters on the mini-backsacks. For an idea of what I'm talking about please see the following page and click on any of the image links. http://www.bubblegumclub.co.uk/pages/pix.html

You have a really great concept here if you can just work out some of the technical issues. Talk to anyone who bought one of your kits and find out exactly what they thought of it. Was it good value, did they like the products inside, could they make it better etc.? Once you've refined the product you need to start working on the marketing. Read everything you can on marketing as this would seem to be the bit you need right now. The techniques you mention above (eBooks etc.) are 'building up your site traffic' techniques. These are fine for a site that will appeal to the masses and you don't care who comes along, but you need focused traffic and that will require different marketing techniques.

I wish you a lot of luck with this venture and am happy to answer any questions you may have about the above info.

[Onyx]

Oh - and if you haven't already, I'd look at protecting your idea and get your "accessorize your real life experiences" phrase registered as a trademark. The thing to remember here is that you won't get rich selling the kits, you'll get rich selling the idea/business. Make sure that no one can steal it from you!

[jpomerenke]

Go the wholesale route. Retail is a hrad market no matter wha you have. Plus being soley a manufacturer gives you good tax benifits.

Its much easier to sell to stores then to customers directly.

Thats just my .02

[girlvival]

for the great suggestions. I'll take some time this week to digest and see what I can change/add to make some of the changes.

One thing that I should have put in the first email - although the site and products are primarily for girls - MOMS are my best buyers/most interested parties. I sell about 80% to moms. So in realilty - adding a forum/chat etc will drive girl traffic - it really doesn not help me reach moms with the money!

thanks again - and look for some updates by the end of the week.

Carrie

[mpnetwork]

Girls on the forums can sometimes get their parents to purchase.

Moms use forums too, you just have to target the subject of your forums to an older audience.