Include a link to your store?

Hi,

For your generic shop where google adword (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdWords) may not be very effective you can look into referrals and link exchange:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_exchange

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_website_linking

Also consider that can take months or years do build a good customer base, so make sure you provide excellent services and products to your initial customers, they will tell their friends and bring you new customers.

Good luck!!!

@Patrick, here you go www.bluesin.co.uk

@Gio, i have tried those adword...i am just wondering is it worth to pay google or yahoo or even facebook for those ads, even you just pay when someone click on you or so. Still waiting on the first sales from the site...it is really a long day everyday,lol

I said google adword may not be effective, meaning will not work for your shop as the items you sell are generic so will not appear on top of the search.

What could work better is the referrals, link your shop with similar but not everlapping shops, exchanging links and banners with them (check the last two links I posted for details). You will exchange customers with other shops and get more visitors.

But first of all be patient, no one knows about your shop, so will take time.

I'd still recommend Google AdWords; you can give it a try for a miminal fee (e.g. 20-50 Euros/month) and see if it works for you.

Also have a look at ebay; you can open a 'storefront' there or simply post the stuff you sell there. I've never done it but a friend has used it.

Is your market the UK or Switzerland?

Hi Gio, i have checked those links...but i am still wondering how can i link my shop to other shop? You know, my shop is really really small scale.

Hi Edward, Google Adwords maybe is not suitable for me since my shop is really really small....now i am trying Facebook ads...hope it might work

Ebay is a way too expensive and it isnt really what i can afford from.

My market actually is Europe and USA.

I dont understand.. Your shop is small so you dont think advertising on Google is worthwhile? Why do you believe Facebook ads are going to be any better?

I will suggest that you research SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). This really is what you need to understand before any online advertising campaign.

Other than that, find where your target market is and get advertising there. If there is another site where all your target spend ages surfing then appraoch that site and ask for a link or banner etc. depending on the site they will offer you reciprical links or charge you to have you ad on their site.

Hi Lemonjoyce,

1- get in contact directly with other shops and ask to have reciprocal reference. You can add their banner on your site and they will add yours. This will work with site similars to your in term of size as both will benefit

2- join some web-rings. You need to find some that may be related to your business. I assume you are selling from China, so could also be good to join rings selling products from China, you may get visitors which already decided they want to buy from there.

3- facebook and freind's referral is anyway the best option to start growing. U need to reach at least 1000 visitor a day to start selling and the starting point is friends of friends of friends .

ciao

Thank you all for your useful advise.

I will try and see what will happen in a month or two.

Thanks again ^_^

@lemonjoyce when you put your link in your message - *any* message - be sure it is a real link, like this. If you don't include your link, then as far as Google (and other search engines are concerned), it's just text and not very important.

As mentioned above, advertise on the expat sites. Go to sites that discuss your area and post on the forums (like this) and always include a *link* to your site, BlueSin Lingerie. Put it in your email signature. Get yourself on the Guides section here, if it applies, and get satisfied customers to give you a review.

Contact any blogger who covers lingerie and stuff and ask them to check out your site. If you are selling things made by others, ask *them* to put a link to your site on their site, such as "Where to Buy" with a link to BlueSin Lingerie.

The key is to get as many links *into* your site as possible as well as links from your site to others.

If you would like to discuss this more, please feel free to PM me and we can discuss it. I have several things to suggest about your site, the first being: don't say just "good quality" on your homepage. Say "The best quality" or "High quality" or even just "Quality"......somehow, to me, "good quality" seems to undermine your message.

Z

(Not in any way related to BlueSin Lingerie, but not for a lack of trying!)

Hi lemonjoice,

I am running online lingerie boutique www.venus-lingerie-secrets.ch and I can tell you, that very first thing is to understand SEO. If you have no clue about this, it will be very difficult to find a right way to advertice your website. However you already recieved a lot of good advice from the people before. Take every possibility and your shop will be doing great!!!

Did you notice that this thread dates back to November 2011?