Welcome to 10eight-design
Always here to help and advise you with your website ideas and questions
Getting your business online
Selling online is an ambition of many simply because you can be selling products while you sleep
If you already have a business selling products or services of some sort, or are thinking about starting one, maybe the headings below may help. Bear in mind that these cannot be specific to any one type of business.
You'd like to start your first online business. You have your own stock and suppliers lined up.
Benefits:
- You have an existing supplier chain and probably know a great deal about your products and your potential customers.
- You've done your research and have suppliers who will supply goods to you as and when you need. You may be a crafts person, artist or smallholder and make your own products.
Disadvantages:
- Holding stock can be expensive, particularly at first.
- Buying stock is an ongoing process and perhaps your suppliers have a minimum order.
- You'll need to consider stock control. Easy if you've few items but can get difficuly as product ranges increase.
- You'll need to keep on top of your orders and dispatch them to ensure your customers get their package when you said they would. If you get busy, this could begin to slip!
You'd like to start your first online business You have no stock or suppliers and think you would may like to use methods.
Benefits:
- You don't have any costly overheads like the cost of stock to worry about.
- Most dropshipper suppliers have NO minimum order, so you can order from your supplier as orders come in to you.
- You don't need to worry about stock control.
- You don't need to worry about sending out the parcels yourself.
Disadvantages:
- If you use the wrong dropshipper your customers may not get their parcels when they should or the items you've ordered are always out of stock.
What exactly is dropshipping anyway? and will I need it? and how? Have a look below under 'useful terms' to find out more.
If you are an existing business with a shop already and are looking to start an online venture as a supplement, or perhaps to take-over from your bricks and mortar shop, then either of the two options above still apply to you.
After reading this you may be more confused than when you arrived! Don't worry, we will help you along every step of the way from building a website for you, to setting up the payment system like Paypal (or other payment gateway) for your customers to pay you, to researching dropshippers for suppliers for you use if you choose this method. We are very knowledgeable when it comes to ecommerce (dropshipping especially) and have an excellent reputation for helping clients get their business online and start taking money.
We're always at the end of the phone so you can talk to us at any time during office hours (8.30am - 6pm). We'd be happy to help.
Useful terms:
Dropshipping: A relatively new method of selling here in the UK. You need not buy and store ANY stock. You fill your site with product images and descriptions from a chosen dropshipper agent (your supplier) which we can research and source for you. When the orders come in you send your supplier the order and he dispatches straight to your customer. You pay your supplier the trade value and you keep the profit. Now anyone can run an online shop.
Payment Gateway: When someone buys from your shop you'll need to take their payment and move it to your bank account. Payment gateways include Paypal and most banks. There are also some third party companies who will deal with all the transactions for you. We will set all this up for you.
