SLX Business Only worth it?

So... I'm a builder and amateur scripter. This is rather known I hope, considering the time I've spent in the building forums, scripting forums, etc answering questions and having them answered (As both Oki and Keira) Anyhow, that knowledge is not the point of this thread.

I know plenty of people have businesses that they run purely in SLX, but is it worth it for someone to start up in SLX, and nowhere else?

I like to build, but I don't really want a shop taking up my prims again, and don't want to rent mall space or anything right now, since I have no SL income. I have no products to currently offer, mainly because I don't have any place to sell them.

So would it be worth it to make products (Prefabs, furniture, scripts, accessories, etc) to sell only on SLx, or would it probably end up not really doing me any good?

I've used SLx before, and know that it does rock in general, but there's already so much on there I feel like I might not really be doing any good by listing items.

(By the way, this might do better on the SLx forums, but I use these, and know the people here at least slightly better, so this is where I'm asking)

ETAI'm heading home now so I won't be replying for about half an hour, so thanks to all who reply, in advance!)

granted I do not get a load of sales per month, but the bulk of my sales are inworld

so I would say just slex, you will miss out on sales that would have happened in world, cuz not everyone uses slex

I have both a shop (now two) and slx and the sales run 60% shop and 40% slex/onrez so as long as you have a place inworld to rez a box for each I say go fo it, it is pretty clear you dont want a shop, so why not?

You could also check with friends about setting up vendors in their shops and splitting the profit.

I'm not sure if my info is helpful since I'm a service provider mostly but using SLX with the full promotion package has been great for my wedding venue. Having a shop with that information probably reaches 1% to 2% whreas 25-50 people request information off SLX daily.

I can say that I have sold more mineature castles in world vs SLX but between all 3 versions the total number sold is maybe 6 so its a poor seller anyway.

I'd never buy a piece of furniture (let alone a prefab) that I couldn't actually see/try first.

Considering it doesn't cost anything to list items at SLX (or OnRez), there's not really much risk involved in trying.

That said, it's going to be like any endeavor - there will be a learning curve and if you expect overnight success there will be disappointment.

I have used SLX for about a year now, and OnRez/SLB for about 6 months. With 100 items or less, I'm no power user, and I do have some inworld locations, but I find I get a good amount of business through SLX and OnRez. Enough that I'd miss it if it were gone. There's also some crossover that you can't really track - some people like the search and browse functions at SLX so they find stuff there, then look the merchant up in world to buy inworld. You get some crossover the other way too; people might see something they like inworld but aren't sure they want it that moment, they go to your SLX listings and add the item to their favorites list. Either way, having an inworld location certainly helps.

I do know some people who sell exclusively through SLX or OnRez, and they seem to be satisfied with that. So back to my first comment - it's free, so you might as well try it.

Good luck, and have fun

-Atashi

I sell more on SLX than I do inworld, indeed most of my inworld sales come from people who have seen my stuff on SLX and want to pop along to see it inworld before purchasing.

I sell far more in world than on SLX...prob due to the fact that my items are home decor and furniture. I think items that are sold in world with only a photo and written explanation well as well on SLX. But, I use SLX for research for things like homes, buildings, furniture and things that i want to see in 3D. I look at them on SLX, then visit the item in world to get the full impact. I can buy clothing on SLX because im seeing the same thing that that i do when i buy in world - just a picture...

Keira,

Hope ya dont mind, But I am going to spam you inworld...! Well send an IM! LOL

I am about 50in 50SLX although I think that people find me in SLX and then check the store .So I would say yes go for it I but I would not pay for extras as it has never worked for me.

I also sell far more inworld than on those other places - I don't list anything on the other places

I think there's no point to the original question. It costs nothing to list items on SLX and OnRez, so just do it and see how it goes.

I suppose that explains why you sell more in-world

There is cost to SLX and Onrez. You need a place to keep your onrez and slex box. You can rent from SLX a spot to host your box for 50L a month but there are no provisions in Onrez to host your box in-world. That was actually one of the reasons I held off on using Onrez for a while. In fact, I only used Onrez when I started a store in-world and had a place to put the Onrez box.

I listed all my stuff on SLX before I got a store in world. Certain things used to sell, such as textures.

Others, like furniture and especially prefabs didn't do so well. I used to get inundated with IM's asking where my store in world is because people wanted to see my items up close.

I took the plunge, bought a store with enough land to rez prefabs from a vendor, and to display items that I try to rotate and refresh when I can.

Since I got the store in world, my sales jumped around 300%, and I'm no longer IM'd so much. It was a good decision all round for me.

Leaving aside the "if it doesn't cost anything, do it" point, the main drawbacks are that people can't see the product for "real", and demos are a bit out of the question (though you might considered a freebie or two).

SLEx has started accounting for more and more of my sales, up from perhaps a tenth to a good 40%. I'm not sure why, although I did add two more front page "featured products" (which sell, but not any better than the other items. I suppose it gets them into the proverbial shop).

A year ago I sold more inworld by a tiny bit than with SLX.

Recently I sell a LOT more through SLX than inworld. Inworld has higher expenses for me too.

It surprises me how much my poses/AO sell from SLX, perhaps I have really good word of mouth and people are seeing them on others, so don't feel the need to demo them for themselves inworld? Clothing and other stuff doesn't surprise me as much and obviously SLX is better for gifting.

Anyway, if I couldn't do both, I'd only do SLX I guess...

I started with only a few items to sell (well, several versions of the same thing), with a small shop over my land and a listing on SLX. As a hobbyist rather than a business-woman, I didn't want to spend money promoting either. I sold almost nothing in-world, so I eventually took the store down. A well-promoted store might well do much better, and a known brand better still.

I also listed a freebie pack of T-shirts & tattoos promoting a friend's RL band. I' think they help my sales a little; people browse the freebies, find mine and from there get to see my other items. In fact it's probably time to add a few more to see if it boosts interest.

The one item I tried a little advertising budget on (admittedly the tiniest amount) hasn't sold a single unit. I expected it'd be a good seller, but ahh well, I'll give it time. I might think again about putting a few vendors in world, too.

I sell items solely via SLX and OnRez - mainly prefabs and garden items.

My SLX sales are very good, increasing steadily month by month, and the service there is excellent. OnRez not so much - I make there in three months what I make in a week via SLX.. I have no idea why...

What puts me off selling in world is the high cost of renting, the general unreliability of so many landlords (note: not all!) the lack of any desire to go premium again after what happened last time, and of course theft.

I don't doubt I could sell more in-world, but seeing as I make enough to rent a lovely plot of land of around 9k sqm and have plenty left over every month purely via SLX and OnRez, I'm not too bothered about renting somewhere in-world.

I am planning to make phantom, non-mod demo versions of my prefabs soon so people can "try before they buy", seeing as I can't offer them the chance to see them in-world.

Well i just started out putting some things on SLX these past few days while i try to find a plot to have a shop in world. So far I am doing well I think. Three sales in four days makes me happy anyway.

I dont think i would ever buy a house or funriture off SLX without being able to see it in world. I often sue SLX to browse what i like then go look at it in world before buying. So if you can ofer some way for someone to see it in world (even demo versions done phantom with a huge honking demo sign attached would help) then i think you would make more sales

I don't see how it could hurt, especially since it sounds like you've already invested the time learning how to build and script and such. All you have to do now is sign up and make some ads (yeah that can be time-consuming, depending on your products and how detailed you decide to get). Just don't expect miracles over night.

That last bit said, I'm constantly surprised at what people will buy on SLX, sight unseen. I get sales there for my cuddly couple poseballs from time to time, for god's sake. Not that I'm complaining but I can't imagine buying such goodies without having tried them out with a partner first, let alone without having even seen the darn things. Funny old world

I shop on SLX and OnRez regularly, but might pop inworld to see the actual product & therefore purchase inworld - especially for prefabs.

Also, between SLX and OnRez, I prefer OnRez. It just seems a lot more organised to me and more user-friendly.

My sales on SLX have always been extremely poor, accounting for maybe as much as 2% of my total sales.

I keep using SLX because it's fairly convenient, and does get me *some* sales, but most importantly it's also quite convenient to be able to use it from work when responding to offline IMs requesting a replacement product (or more commonly lately, a product which was never delivered in-world due to SL screwups) by using the "Deliver as a Gift" functionality.

Since I only keep the latest versions of a product in my SLX "magic box", I don't have to worry about having to sign in, locate the item in inventory, and make sure that I pass along the correct version.

If it weren't for that, I really doubt I'd bother at all.

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Thanks to everyone who responded ^_^

Guess there's no harm in trying, it just takes time to make things, which I generally do alot anyway =P

Thankies for all the input!