New to the Business

Help please

[sssami]

Hi, I have just started my own web Business in selling Household Goods, Grocery, Toiletries and many more brand names on line and offering next day delivery. I used external advertising and didnt get a response what so ever, and now i am confused and dont know what to do, i have just started with Overture but not sure about what to do next, i really would like to make a success of this but dont know how to go about it on the internet. my website is <bleeeeeep!>.

Please Help ;)

SSSAMI

[edited by: rcjordan at 10:53 pm (utc) on Oct. 21, 2002]
[edit reason] no references to your site, please. See Nick_W's post below [/edit]

[Nick_W]

Hi SSSAMI

You might like to edit your post a liitle (before it's done for you ;)) as we don't tend to post urls.

To your question: Could you be more specific as to what the problems are?

Is it ranking?
Is it that you have traffic but are not converting it?

Etc...

Nick

[Iguana]

You are not indexed by Google yet - so you won't get many visitors.

Like any business it takes time and know how to promote your products. There are not millions of people waiting to buy from you... you first have to get noticed and then sell to them.

You first have to move your shop from a 1 house village with no passing trade to a small village with a little traffic. And then onwards and upwards (within the UK).

[defanjos]

sssami,

Welcome to WebmasterWorld forums

Read as much as you can on this site's forums. What you will learn is priceless.

You have to learn how to place your site on the search engines first. Forget everything people might have told you, and start fresh with this site.

[sssami]

I havent actually registered with Google as yet, i have tried but it transfers to a page with Org and it doesnt give an option as to how to actually submit the site. how do i actually get indexed with Google as i have heard that it is the best search engine.......

The main probelm is getting traffic to the site, i just dont know how to go about it as i am new to all of this unlike you Wizards ;)

The site is complete and ready to go all i need to divert traffic to it, i have started with Overture with the main key words like "Online shoppping" and "shopping" etc... but waiting for a response, But im sure that there are several ways to promote your site online and to get people to it.

Im Begining to wonder how people like the main shopping stores do so well, it s not as easy as it seems, but im willing to put in the hard work.

Thanks ;0

[eljefe3]

I'd suggest targeting specific phrases as your phrases for "online shopping" will do nothing but drain your bank account.

I'd suggest using phrases like "buy widgets online" "cheap widgets" "widgets in my area".

Substitute widgets for your products and my area for wherever you wish to sell and deliver.

Keep those keywords that you're paying for as specific as possible.

[Nick_W]

Best way to get indexed is to get incoming links. Then G will pick you up faster. Try submitting to the Open Directory Project [dmoz.org] or have friends with sites link to you...

Nick

[sssami]

Ok, i have submitted the site to open directory so it should appear on Google soon (fingers crossed)

With Overture you were rite, my balance is reducing quickely, but i have searched for those keywords you suggested but it states that not many people click on them to serch for those items.

Is there anything else i can do, as i have not had a goods response from Overture, i am willing to pay up to a certain amount as i have lost allot already and have not allot left.

:)

[Nick_W]

Ahem.... hire an SEO this place is full of 'em ;)

Otherwise, consider this: It's not about numbers (yep, you heard it right) it's about convertions.

If 'widgets' is what you bid on then you could get 10's of thousands of people looking for 'history of widgets', 'widgets anonymous' - 'research into widgets' etc.

Why not bid on a fraction of the traffic searching for 'buy blue widgets online' Your returns would be far greater for far less ;)

Nick

[Iguana]

I've looked at your site and it looks good and the prices seem decent - you could buy very specific keywords on Overture (e.g. baby wipes) and you may not get much traffic but anyone who types that in is probably a likely customer! But you are UK only so you need to specify that as well

With the courier delivery cost any customer will try and maximise the number of products they buy - which is good. At the same time I can't see a focus (or reason for existence) that ties your site together.

Paying for exposure in Overture or Google can be a good idea. I used Google adwords when I started to get on Page 1 of searches - over the next few months I tuned my pages for Google so that I was in positions 1 to 3 in ay case and I stopped paying.

[uk_dokey]

Hi,

I think you need a seo. Search engine optimiser to get you some good positioning on all the main search engines. As luck would have it I believe you are already in touch with a very good one you just don't know it yet. He will help you with Overture i.e picking search terms that will convert well. Have patience because good seo takes time.

Salam alikum (now i think you know)

[sssami]

Thank you, Good advice from you all ;)

I will look to get a SEO site very soon.

im going to change my keywords with overture, but i have seen a advertisment on AOL to place a banner on my site and any one who clicks this and signs on to them i get £7 alegedly?

what do you think?
is banner swapping any goods, and who else does it as thats another way i can think of advertising the site

Thanks for your opinions Iguana on the site ;)