Advice on Sales!!

Surreal, I've added your webstores and Flickr photostream to the Merchants page (also added my own store's set on my Flickr page - good thinking there!).

Two things I've done today: I've made a 'Freebie of the Month' stand for my store, and placed a specially-made item in there. I'm not productive enough to do a freebie any more frequently than that, but a new monthly freebie is something I can keep up with.

I've also moved the prim that opens a link to my blog, and that now sits below the Freebie of the Month stand. I made the script for that using the really handy Script Me! page that was on the LL blog a couple of weeks ago. Really simple to use and generated the script in seconds:

http://www.3greeneggs.com/autoscript/

This is what my new little area looks like now:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skelldagger/2754904284/ (re-uploaded, so the old pic is gone; I made a slight change to the sign!)

ooh Skell I love that new sign for the freebie of the month, I think thats something I amy be able to manage too .. gotta start thinking like you lot LOL, I have a Weekly Special right now, for this week only so far, since I revamped the store. I'll have to see what I can come up with creatively, maybe something like a limited edition specially made? and once the month is up .. it goes *poof*? Hmm!

I have a question, the comment about freebie of the month got me to thinking

is there a way, to script an object, to give out something, when someone drops another (specific) object on it?

I thought about the giftcard system, and that could work as I could change the key to be unique for the freebie of the month, and send out the giftcard to the members of the group, thus giving them a reason to visit the store (to get the item) but. the only problem is, the freebie would also be set for sale using the giftcard system, this making it either not a freebie (if I tag a price on it) or a freebie for all...

got a bad headache today, hopefully am making sense

have not had time to visit any more stores for reviews, will try to get to that soon

There is a script that only group members wearing the tag can get the free gift, I have seen it but not sure where.

not an inworld group, I use subscribe o matic

that was why I said something that they would drop on it, and then it would give them the item

I think I will ask some scripters I know, they might have an answer (it should be able to be done, I just do not know enough about scripting)

there is a store that sells the group giver script that i use....im not sure who needed it so just im me and i can drop the lm to you

Skell I added a Freebie of the month- thanks for the idea- oops forgot to send message to group and have to hit the road!!!

I have two script questions- first - I used the one generated from the place you gave the web addy to- but I must have done something wrong - I got a syntax error-and second- How can I get rid of a script generated hover text? I deleted the script and the text remained.

OK- Back when I can Be well all.

you need to scrub your prim, prim scrubber scripts can be found free, if you need one IM me and I will send one to you

Have the script set hover text to "".

I have one.


OK, I just waded through 6 of the 10 pages, and I find it fascinating. The advice given by the more experienced designers is definitely useful information no matter how long you've been doing this.

My advice, for what it's worth:

1. Get a premium account and pay annually ($72 = $6/mo). Your stipend of L$300/week is like getting $50 back, so that's dirt cheap.

2. Get a parcel that fits your store nicely. Finding free places by the grace of others is great and all, but imagine what will happen when you have 1000 landmarks out there pointing people to that shop and your landlord leaves SL...

3. Join Fashion Consolidated. Look at what the best designers are making. They are your competition. What makes you unique? What makes you stand out? What makes their stuff cool? How could you improve on a good idea someone else has?

4. NEVER COPY another designer. This is death in SL. If you like an idea you see in someone's work, take it to the next level. Make your things BETTER than the "original". I really hope this doesn't come back to bite me someday when you improve on all my stuff...

5. Join Fashions-R-Us. Someday it may be big

6. Sell ONLY your best work. Everything you sell represents you in-world.

7. Advertize here, on onrez, and SLX, and send well crafted notices to the aformentioned groups. I'm almost dead even on onrez and SLX for sales, about 120 each. SLX charges 5% fee, onrez doesn't. SLX is clunky and searches suck. onrez is much nicer looking. SLX loads quicker though. You can hotlink to your onrez pics for ads here.

8. Create an update group for your store, and get people to join it. Invite the people who visit your store to join. Have a sign they can click to join.

9. Have members-only perks.

10. Word of mouth can make or break you.

11. Ads should be clear and make the product look good.

12. Have a greeter and have it IM you when people come to your store.

13. Have your offline IM's go to email, so you can track entries to your store and see if your efforts are paying off; also this helps with IM message capping. I keep getting notices and stuff even when my IM's cap. ...and you can REPLY to people who IM you from your email even though you're offline!

I'll definitely think about some of the advertizing ideas I've seen in this thread. Like spending the $150 for ads for a month or so. I haven't thought I was ready yet, but my store is doing really well, and I just doubled my land... and I have no idea what to do with all the extra space yet. Mall?


Thanks for all the valuable info people, I've been at it for 6 months and I'm still learning!

When you create a new script in an object, you need to delete everything in that script, then copy everything from the window that Script Me! gives you (CTRL+A then CTRL+C will highlight all then copy all) and paste the Script Me! script into the new script. Then hit Save and everything should work.

The Script Me! options I used were:

1 - Prompt an avatar to load a URL in a web browser
(Don't forget to insert your URL and link text in the boxes!)
2 - When an avatar touches your object

This gave me the following script, which you can paste into a new script. Just change the YOUR URL HERE and LINK TEXT HERE bits:

And to answer this:

Ralektra's right: a prim-scrubber script will do it (or you can insert another floating text script and just remove the text from the quote marks).

What I did for my three items requiring floating text is I created small, full-alpha boxes that I sat above/partly inside the items, and I put the floating text scripts in those alpha boxes. That way I don't need to worry about scrubbing text from prims, etc.

I swear, as Dog is my witness, if I wear one more f*cking pose stand because a designer put it in with my clothes, I'm going to go ballistic!

I am one of the "right click folder and wear" school...I have pose stands I prefer...PLEASE do not send me more!

I never include pose stands

Likewise the creators of Male Newbie Kits who put that all-important male appendage in with their kits. Trust me, it's of no help to those that like to help others when their nervous newbie proteges suddenly cry out in horror, "OMG! I've got a willie sticking out of my pants!"

I was curious about how you all add members to your group....I just formed mine for the store....most of you have a sign that you click, to be added to the group...is that a device you purchased? or is there a script in it? how did you rig that up?

And is it rude to send invitations to everyone who has been in the store? I get them all the time - - it doesn't make me as mad as when I land at a store and have to delete half a dozen requests popping up. Do you frown on that?

I put the store information in a welcome mat, so that it pops up in the chat, and they don't have to delete one of those boxes trying to hand them a notecard. I also don't like the automatic handing out of a landmark - if I want a landmark, I will take one.

Thanks.

Oddly enough, I just nipped into the Scripting Library on the forums to look for a group inviter script, and I found this one:

/54/59/250395/1.html

Looks easy to use, but it will only work if you set the prim it's inside to the group you want people to join. So, if you rent from a land group and have to wear a specific tag in order to rez items, this won't work for you, because anyone clicking it would join the land group and not your own group.

I've not tried it, but apparently searching for your group using the new search 'All' tab and then viewing the group profile on that tab will give you a link to the group's UUID at the bottom of the page. Then you just create an llSay script (the basic 'Hello Avatar!' script you get when creating a new script) and type in whatever you want your group join to say, then add the UUID. For example: "Thanks for clicking to join the group! Open your Chat History window and click this link (UUID link goes here) and click to join."

Clicking that link *should* open up the main info window for the group, but I've not actually tried this; just remembered reading it on the forums here somewhere. I'm not inworld right now, so if someone wants to try this, I'd love to know if it works!

Personally, I prefer to choose whether I join a group, rather than have to deny an invitation. To me (and this is just my preference), automatic invitations are a turn-off.

Thank you Skell....I will try that

I use the free script that came from the library it's easy to set up and works no probs.

Skell....I'm not finding that UUID anywhere. I put that script in a box....it's working with message, just need to add the group number.




Thanks, Blot....I don't see that script in the library.

Keep in mind that I know absolutely nothing about scripts. I always go to a gadget store to get them.

@ April: http://wildstylefashions.blogspot.com/
Re Blog- add me to your blog roll please- I will add you to mine 

@ Skell- I want it to give the Freebie of the Month- I was pretty sure I would have to change something- just not sure what…

@HoneyBear – re pose stands- the first one I received was a great idea- since I had had no idea they even existed- mind you this was nigh on two years ago… so yeah- I have developed a collection – Re that and to everyone- here’s an idea put a free take one pose stand in your shop – then folks can grab and go if they need one 

Re group invite- I got a free one in OnRez: http://shop.onrez.com/search/?SearchString=free+group+invite&SearchIn=items_all_items&x=0&y=0 But a friend gave me a better one in world- IM me inworld if need it.


Also at HoneyBear- love "with Dog as my witness.. will be plagiarizing...

@ HoneyBear- if you get a chance- drop in on main store again? I added the Freebie of the Month at Skell's advise- would love the publicity in your blog if you can.

I have sent Mickey the script and here is the link in case anyone else needs it:

/54/59/250395/1.html

you don't need the group #, just set the prim you put it in to group and it gets it automatically.

April- I meant to ask- can you give more info on Fashion R Us? And how and what do you use for your greeter? Please look at my blog- I have been adding things from this discussion there too- feel free to comment or suggest additions- thank you for joining us here- together we can make this profitable for all of us - plenty of folks to market ourselves to-

Thanks Ralektra! I did as advised, and just set the box to group, and that worked....Got it all set up....you guys are great!

I figured it out in the end by looking at another group join via chat history that I'd had!

Step-by-step:

1. Look up your group using the new search ('All' tab on the far left of the Search panel)

2. Click the link to bring up the group's page (complete with group picture, if there is one) - still on that search page

3. At the bottom of that page is a pale grey link that says something like: "Link to this page: http://world.secondlife.com/group/[bunch of random numbers here]" - that bunch of random numbers is your group's UUID

4. Create a new script and delete all the text from it. Paste the following text into that script:

5. Replace GROUP UUID HERE in the script with the "bunch of random numbers" from step 3.

6. Save the script and put it into a prim.

7. Touch the prim. When you open your chat history and click the link, it should open up your group's main info page.

I'll make a full-perm version of this script and send it out to the group shortly

EDIT: Never mind. Ralektra beat me to it with an easier method.

Here is slurl of Script Library:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/solvo/191/192/25