Any tips for starting an online shop?

[Vlk94]

Hello everyone! I've done my fair share of research on opening an Etsy shop, and its left me with quite a few questions!

1) Many people seem to complain a bit about Etsy, yet I have yet to see someone mentioning why. Does anyone have any complaints?

2) I'm completely new to this so I have a few questions regarding pricing:
a) Does having unusually low prices have a negative effect on sales. For example, do people become suspicious asking "why is that so cheap?"
b) Is it smart to start with lower than usual prices when beginning in order to build a costumer base?
c) In general, does anyone have any tips on how to price?

3) Basically, does anyone have any suggestions as far as promoting goes? I know we can't mention them on here without being a member (someday, if all goes as planned! ) but other than that, I was thinking Facebook, and Pinterest. Does putting ads on vintage blogs appear successful?

If anyone has any advice that would be absolutely fantastic!

It has been a dream of mine to start an online vintage store and I finally have a decent size stock!

I know this is a lot, and so thank you so much for reading and an advanced thanks for any advice!

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Hi Vik94, many VFGers trade on etsy, it's a very popular place to sell vintage - as to me, I only sell through my retail shop and my online shop, no marketplaces but etsy seems to make it really easy for you sell, is very cost effective compared to other marketplaces and has a lot of sellers there, and of course, lots of buyers.

I buy from there occasionally and my issues are that the search engine isn't great - I prefer to follow particular sellers I know are good as it seems to have a wide range of sellers from amateur to professional, and that many sellers do not identify all condition issues. The last dress I got had been eaten by a rat. It still makes me sad to think of it.

Anyway - there are two ways to price: either a mark up on what it has cost you or you can price according to what the market will bear. Most sellers use a combination of the two. Pricing is the hardest part of what we do: price too low and you might not cover your costs and price too high and you may not sell enough. Most of us are constantly looking at our pricing strategy.

You could look at shops that are similar to yours, with regards to stock, presentation etc and see what you think of their prices. Starting out, it's often a good idea to start at the lower end until you've established a reputation.

Social media is a great way to promote your wares: Google loves blogs too.

Good luck! We all know what it's like, as we've all been where you are now.

 

[Vlk94]

Oh gosh, eaten by a rat? How horrible. I actually am using the same format that I've seen many VFG members use, which I've always felt appeared most professional (as far as descriptions such as age, condition, etc.)

Thank you for the reply, Nicole! It's very encouraging!