Advice on Sales!!

Congrats so far, don't get frustrated if you have bad days or even bad months. Just like rl businesses you will have your ups and downs but just keep plugging away.

I remember when Amara first opened her store and have watched her grow and adapt and try new things until she has reached some sucess, it isn't easy but it is possible and rewarding.

Just be willing to work, adapt to the marketplace and most importantly, do what you enjoy. Best of luck.

Major congrats on your sales!

A bit of advice for what it is lol:

I am the worst one to give advice since I just do normally holiday sales now. But since your starting out keep a spreadsheet or something of your sales. So you can well sort of gauge what they are and when.

Also I keep notes on what sells and stuff. And during the holiday season I mark when I do a promotion, and see if that gives anything.


I probably do more then your supposed to but ask anyone I love my spreadsheets lol.

AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL!!!! clearly mark them in your inventory!!!! umm dont ask why....... just do it lol.

I would LOVE to know how to use spreadsheets. I've mentioned before what a spreadsheet-dummy I am. I think it's that right brain/left brain thing.

But I second this advice; however one does it, keeping records on sales is extremely important.

I don't have the size or magnitude of many businesses here, but was so excited the other day when I received a notice in my email that I had received a rating on one of my Xstreet-listed products. I honestly never paid any attention to ratings in the past, so rushed over and saw it had been given 5 stars with the review of "very well done." For others this may be a daily occurrence, but it made my day.

The interesting thing was, this item is one of the very first things I ever built. I used to hold yard sales when I wanted to weed out my inventory and one day I put this item out just to see if anyone would buy it. The fact that people did is what enticed me to start a little shop, which will likely remain little because after butting my head repeatedly against a brick wall, I realize I don't have the energy or overall desire to put a lot into promoting and constantly making new items, but it thrills me when I see an item has sold.

Hi All,

I was reminded the other day that it's about time to update the BO-Xchange again. I know a few of you added Christmas specific ads the last time, so I am assuming those people would like to switch their ads back? Please let me know.

I have also been asked if the cycle time for each ad could be changed as it is currently a little quick for some. The current cycle is 10 seconds, so I would suggest we try 15 seconds. Does anyone have any objections to this? If so let me know.

One last thing. There are still a few people, that as far as I can tell, have not updated to the last/latest version v1.21. I will contact these people to see if they still wish to participate. If I hear nothing by the time the new version is ready to be put out, then I'll assume they are no longer interested and remove any ads or LMs they have. If anyone knows if someone is no longer around or in business please let me know.

If anyone has any updates or additions then please let me know via IM or notecard and send your stuff in the usual "BO-Xchange - Your Name Here" folder.

Anni, welcome to the thread...

If you're wondering what the BO-Xchange is all about, it's an Advert/LM exchange system that some of us in here run. If you'd like to know more about it let me know. I can pass you an info notecard in-world.

Yay- was wondering what happened to you guys- I had posted about planning for the new year and haven't goten much in the way of input- so please if you guys could contirbute a bit- i think it wd help us all.

Re spreadsheets- make sure u download from ur dashboard every 30 days as u cannot get beyond that. XStreets also provides, but frankly i barely sell anythng there to go thru the effort and will more than likely abandon it altogether in favor of slapt once they go thru with their ransom fees -

Prawny- I am good with my adverts- but wdnt mind if it was slower-

Anni- a pleasure to have you amongst us Do be sure to join the Biz Group inworld and get in on Prawny's offer- it does certianly help!

Jojo- we shd have another brain trust sometime- it's fun and really helps the spirit.

Really need to start putting more effort in, lol... I have lots of ideas for the new year, just never seem to have the time for them all.

I really want to start concentrating more on the prefab side of my business this year.
I did update the store a while back (lower prim of course) and added a few more prefabs too.
The prefab rezzing platform has them all available to view.

Need to look into more forms of promotion and advertising again too. As I said, so much to do, not enough time!

Okey doke will see what everyone else says.
Btw, you still have 2 ads and LMs at the mo, do you still want them both?

Two grafix I believe i recall but sure hope both LM's same; the one i had before the guy closed up shop and anyone tp'ing there will fall to an inglorious death...

I think I still use the old box because I was away for a long break.It is still up and running though.I have no problem with the time change it will give the sticky ones time to rez.

My updates are sent
Thank you again for doing this...I have the koisk at two of my stores and they always catch my eye. It is fun to just pick the ad that is showing and TP there to look around. There are some really great stores in the ads!

Just looking at your LMs now, they're both for your mainstore, but just different names and LM points. Want to keep it like that or do you want to send a new one to apply to both ads? Your call.

Nice one Blot. So far everyone's in agreement

Yes, they can stay- I have a fixed landing point so makes no difference. Thanks

Thought I'd poke my head in here! I have been reading this thread for a while, and definitely plan on using your tips for my business! So I just wanted to say thank you! ...and maybe stay awhile?

Hi, Alianna

Pull up a chair, sofa, chaise and grab a soft drink, water or something harder and settle in. I think this thread will be here for awhile.

Yay! Thank you I hope so, this thread has been here for such a long time already!

Layout!! I've been struggling with the layout of my store for a while. I only own a 512m2 so im frugal with the prims! I wanted to place mini walls/shelves in the store but I'm not sure where and which direction, I have 1 up right now. Also, I feel my front desk should be at a different spot.

If anyone has time to check out my store and give me advice, I'd appreciate it!

Or it can also be my building thats making this tough for me.. Or Im over thinking it, I dont know :[ lol

*reads the thread in the mean time

Hey all

Thanks for your encouragement

Ive joined the biz group and have IMd Prawny about the BO-exchange group.

I remeber earlier in the thread ppl were asking others to come check out thier store and give constructive advice on ways to improve it ect. So i would like to do the same if that is alright. Im always open to making improvements. I havent got too much product atm so it might look abit bare but ive buillt the store in the hope it doenst look too bare lol.

When you get there take note of how long it takes to rezz and let me know Anyway here is the slurl to my store http://slurl.com/secondlife/Endless%20Despair/226/144/22/

Thanks in advance\
Annisha Pevensey

I'd like to hear suggestions on this as well. I also own a 512m parcel which is my home at the moment. I don't know what your business is, but a clothing, jewelry, accessories, etc. store can display a lot more merchandise due to it generally being in a 1-prim vendor prim. I sell household items which people usually want to see, sit on and touch before buying, so 117 prims would go a lot farther for the first type of business than it would for mine. I'd decided I would just keep selling from my space at Primal Arts and Xstreet, save the money, plus my weekly stipend and then purchase a 1024 when I have enough money to cover tier for 6 months or so.

If anyone out there sells furnishings and started small, I'd really like to hear suggestions for layout.

Hey Cari

Check my place out..i will only be able to keep the shop the size it is atm bc im low on prims. Im sharing the land with someone else and they are using up alot of prims as well "sighs"

Anyway because its a small store you may get an idea for layout. Howeer im no expert...its my first ever store lol

Anni

Btw my slurl is above your post

Annisha,

Your store rezzed quite quickly for me - no standing around waiting, as I've had to do all too much lately in SL.

The inside of the store and the photo studio don't look bare to me at all - I thought you'd laid out your merchandise quite nicely. The outside looked a little sparse, but I'm not sure why. It would take more prims, but I wonder if it would work better to have the far end of your lot for an outdoor display and make a path with your outdoor items along it.

I liked your posters, with a consistent font and 'look'. Something that was recommended to me during my short-lived attempt at merchandising was to create a logo and add that to each of your boxes. The hovertext with prices over some of your boxes was a bit jarring to me. It didn't seem to fit with the pulled-together, professional look. But I am not a big fan of hovertext.

Hope that helps,
Nic

Hi Annisha- glad to have you among us. I will come check out yor plae this evening. Good luck and good sales!

My first impression was that your layout looked good to me, but it didn't look as though you had a lot of merchandise. I liked the quirky touches like the sawhorse. I'm not sure I'd recommend more shelves, personally, without more to put on them - unless you pull the merchandise off the walls and onto the shelves and cover the walls with more photos. That might make it look as though there is more merchandise to look at, actually.

I like the front desk where it is. The hovertext and various posters makes it look a little busy, but I'm not sure there's a way to cut down on that, and at least it's all in one place.

I may be kind of slow, but I didn't realize the photos on the back wall were displays for your photography business at first, and then it took me a while to realize the notecard giver by the desk was related to them. Something to consider might be splitting the store visually and breaking the photography displays and the notecard giver away from the merchandise and hunt posters.

Something that you may not have seen if you don't have property lines turned on in your viewer - the back wall of your store appears to be semi-transparent or use an alpha texture, and with property lines turned on (in the View menu), there is a bright red that bleeds through the wall and makes two of your display posters flicker distractingly. If you have prims to spare, you may want to put an opaque wall behind the store wall and see if you can get that to go away.

Oh - I love your 'new release' tags. They are really individual and fit the 'voice' of your store.

Hope that helps,
Nic

I've sent you an IM in-world, and an info notecard about the BO-Xchange and the previous version so you can see how it works. Hope you decide to join us.

Just about have time now to check out those new stores

Thank you Nic! That was very helpful. I know I dont have much up right now but I guess I was thinking of the future.

Also, I may just ditch the whole photography portion, which is why i moved the pictures all the way in the back for now :/

For the property lines, I have moved my whole shop forward a little, so the flickering have stopped, but the red still shows. So I might do your suggestion too.

Anyways, thank you for your thoughts!!