pmac - 4:36 am on Mar 1, 2002 (gmt 0)

Intersesting thread considering the timing. One year ago today, after being completely burnt out, and starting to forget what my family looked like, I sold a small chain of retail stores to strike out on the web. I was fully prepared to take a cut in income to work from home. I do straight retail on-line, stocking most of my own product with a touch of drop shipping mixed in.
A couple things that were key for me?

1) If you don't have great SEO skills (I knew nothing about SEO when I started), align yourself with someone that does......and read WMW.

2) Top notch high end site design can't be overlooked. Even though I'm a guy in the basement, I sure don't look like one.

3) I learned how to close people over the phone. I have a toll free # ring right into the house, and have learned through trial and error how to put people at ease, and close them on big ticket items on the phone. The site is just a means to an end. Just because the medium is different, lets face it, it's just sales right? Actually, once you achieve decent ranking in the serp's it all comes down to basic retail business concepts. Keep margins fat, overhead low, and always be closing.

12 months to the day, and I am now starting to exceed the income that I was earning with my stores. Another huge factor is that I am lucky that I sell a niche product that has a strong enough demand that people will search for it over the web, yet if you don't live in a major center, you may have a hard time finding it in a brick and mortar store.