Advice on Sales!!

Great point Ralektra! I have always considered satellites to be advertising and I often have had just a couple sets of my furniture placed in one as an example of my work and then a nice BIG sign with a landmark giver. I have often seen people take a LM and then show up at my main store. As you said, its a great way for people to get to know your name and your work!

~ Desi

Ralektra, I was at your store last night and posted your freebie. That red coat is just adorable, and I'll probably end up buying it. And I'd buy your green sweater in a heartbeat....if it was any color but green. Honey don't do green

If you all will email me a slurl (at hlilliehook at gmail dot com) that stands directly in your freebie and give me a brief description of the freebie, I'll post them on my blog today. Not being inworld, it's the only way I can do it, unless it waits until tonight.

My blog is edging up to 200 hits a day, so it's not insignificant at this point. Let's get your names out there!!

Oh oh i have a new freebie but im not in world to give you the URL

It is a cute daisy on chop sticks cos people keep asking for my chop sticks so i made more

Anyhoo honeyif you want to peek and add it tonight that would be great

I have a Lady's Velvet Jacket as a $5'er not totally Freebie- does that count?

From the current advertising search bots ranks argument thread:

http://blog.secondlife.com/2008/03/26/tips-to-improve-your-search-ranking/

I'll list it.

Thank you kindly I should mention too Honey- there are a bunch of Halloween themed things from several designers showing right now at the main store - there is a really cool skin with spider webs on it- these aren't mine but they are there, take a look if you get a chance.

As for any of u that may want the additional exposure, go ahead and place your freebie or nearly free Halloween thing in Talon Faire @ Terminus- send info to your people with LM to Talon Faire, and let me know so I can announce it to my group as well. We all get more exposure that way.

Thanks! I sent you an email about my gift bag freebies (they aren't 24 hour ones), new stuff in them

and yes I don't know why I so stubbornly only put out things in one color lol...I need to get past that

I was on another forum and saw a picture of someone who was WEARING MY SWEATER I was so stoked!

and ya the coat has definitely been a hit

Make the sweater in blue, black, red or purple and I'll be all over it

Have you covered the freebies I have out Honey? The yellow wardrobe for women and the suit, etc. for the guys? if not, the slurl is in my siggie.....

Thanks, Dani

I got question do dollarbies and freebies really help people come in and get familar
with your product and buy more stuff?
What about those adverstising signs in different business do they actually work?
What are other ways to advertise and bring attention to products?

I think that having freebies is a good way of getting people into your store. I always encourage my readers to look around the store and support the designers. I almost always end up buying something in my freebie searches, and if I don't, then if I like the freebie, I'll remember them and go back later.

As to advertising signs in other locations...I don't think they work as well for marketing.

Maybe you could ask JoJo to let you take her class on marketing

FD- word of mouth is great- freebies and dollarbies are fantastic ways to get peeps to come look- I have a decent amount of folks coming in. They don't always buy something, but sometimes they do- I have done everything i can as far as my understanding of optimizing the land for search, I have my store in my picks, I have asked my friends if they like my stuff to please add me to their pics, I have a group I send notices too and the big design groups as well.... it takes time and the sales seem a bit slumpy right now altogether... we hang on and make stuff and if it sells it sells. I have been here for two years before i started any kind of store so i realize i just need to work on my patience some more

OK, to those who sent slurls and descriptions, you're on the blog. It's had 136 hits already today, so you may not see much action on them until tomorrow. The Euros usually hit early in the day.

Thanks again Honey!

Well my shop is doing a nice bit of business now, it's looking like it might actually pay for my tier for the month!! but now i have a new question, I had some one IM me asking if i would be willing to do some sort of Split vendor or retail affiliate venture with them. Apparently they want to sell my items at what sounds like a busy Sci-Fi themed mall (which would be good as i sell Sci-Fi stuff)
So the question.. Is this a common way to do business in SL? is it a prudent move for some one like me just starting out or should i be wary of taking on too much too soon?

commission sales are good, I would say go for it, get a good vendor system that will allow you to offer the person the ability to resell via a vendor in which you will control the inventory


as for the comments about freebies, yes they work

I have not put out anything new for the last couple weeks, been busy organising the hunt, so put the store on hold for the time being, and wow sales have dropped to nearly nothing
I really do think it is related to the fact that no ads to entice the people in for the free sample

so once I get the hunt done, I will be getting some stuff out in the store and see what happens

Got some new earrings done up in my spare time here and there, and want to make a necklace/pendant to go with them

might offer one as a freebie in the hunt (not exclusive to the hunt, will be on sale when the hunt ends) so will be nice for those in the hunt to find it.

I have been to Jojogirl's class and also her notecard it had some interesting ideas but
some of it just haven't had energy to personally apply.
I have spent a whole lot of time in past talking to Jojogirl about stuff but she
doesn't spend the time I do on my products yet she has been able to attract people to her
store she could sell spit, because of her personality.
I am nice person but not like my friends, Cel, Cheen Amaranthim or Jojogirl personality or business wise and while on good day I can do reproductions of Cezanne's that take hours and day to reproduce and they rarely sell.
I literally have done hand drawn reproductions of Cezanne's artwork I did in 2003 and numerous other hand drawn unique things and it rarely sells in the two years FD has been here.
I don't really have energy to host and run events. I have done certain things she has suggested but not much has come from it.
At this point I just want to do basic
stuff like making my stuff is in world in vendors, doing advertising that actually works because personally I only have only certain amount of energy for promoting and business
end and still have time for creating. I make things people say how much they like them
all time but that usually about as far as it goes.
Jojogirl and few others I have I even shared a lot of my earlier creations with. Handful people have received free things from me or things at very low cost but that has been as far as it has gone.
Jojogirl suggested I stop giving away things but I don't have problem giving freebies but
it would be nice to make enough for few uploads every once in a while. Or feel
my products are good enough that someone would actually pay for the numerous hours I spend on them.
Which is okay if I can't find regular buyers of my creations but sometimes it gets to me.
Maybe my friend Cel who pretty successful at selling sculpty sets is right there is only so many people available to buy anything at any given time in SL.
People have told me they like what I make but I am starting think people are lying to me when they say what I make is so wonderful.
I don't know I got some stuff up, I might put more but I really don't want to put in more
effort in things that don't work.
Part of me thinks I should just give up personally there so many others making things and
have more friends and connections I am just loner off creating in corner of the world who
know no one notices yet I am thinking I give it another 3 more months before giving up selling products.
Even Jojogirl wouldn't suggest putting tons of money into advertising. I have been trying for few years often I get discouraged take breaks so I understand the slump I have endless slump personally but I am getting better at making things. Maybe it just that the things I want to make no one wants to buy.
That is perfectly okay, I am going to keep making things regardless if anyone buys stuff.

Thanks all.
Yeah I have spent numerous hours talking to Jojogirl and been to her classes.
The thing is I could work on painting or item for months and make absolute garment a work of art or reproduce and have reproduced on good day FD version of Van Gogh or Cezanne's that no one would buy for even 20L or even notice, but Jojogirl has special talent she could reproduce and package spit and it would sell by the thousands.
LOL
And say that with love.
FD

Offering freebies gets people into your shop, and gets them to try on your stuff. They can look at it and the quality of your work (seams, shoulders, etc) and often will return if they like the quality A lot of people will pop in, grab the freebie and leave, and that's ok...because some of them shop

On a couple occasions I have had people come in for a freebie and end up buying 4 or 5 things which is awesome (once I messaged someone to thank them and asked them if they were going to buy the whole shop). Typically on freebie day, I generate very nice sales.

edit: Honey, because of all the different hues of green in the sweater, it's not something I can just 'color change' and put up in another color...BUT (I almost forgot this) it accepts in game tinting VERY nicely. I don't want to charge for another color because I tinted it in game (which costs me nothing for uploads and very little effort) but the sweater can easily be changed to a nice red or blue

I knew you would do well, you have a great niche product and your detail is amazing

I would def do the affiliate vendor but get a good one (like hippovend) and make sure YOU control it

Maihem - I wd love an LM or a SLURL to your place- if it's in siggy I have mine off right now- so I won't see it.

here you go
http://snurl.com/4163n