AboutJim Novo Expertise Questions about using customer data to inmprove online profitability, particularly in retailing. Topics include profiling customers using weblogs, figuring out which ads generate the highest value customers, how to reduce the numnber of 1x buyers, how to generate higher sales from current customers, customer analysis, ROI calculation, reducing discounts while increasing resaponse rates. Do you collect customer data (purchases, page views, surveys) and not really use it for anything? Want to find out how? Just ask.
Experience
Past/Present clients Cellular One, MBNA, SteelTorch Software, Retek Direct, CBS Sportsline, Kobie Marketing, Aerial, Tupperware, Barnes and Noble, Comcast Corporation, Home Shopping Network
Question QUESTION: I am interested in starting a online boutique (ex: chickdowntown.com and electriccouture.com) and eventually giving the cyber boutique a physical home as well. But the thing is I don't know I would begin a successful online shop like that. The type of store I want to open might be out of your range but do you have any ideas that may help me?
ANSWER: Out of my range? At least I know how to start one... :0
"Do you have any ideas" is not really a question, is there something specific I can help you with?
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QUESTION: Okay, where do I begin? I know how to build a website and I know what merchandise I want to sell but how do I go about launching it to make it successful, where do I find vendors? Other then creating a website with pictures of products I don't know really know what to do. How do I get going and be successful?
Answer I can't help you with finding vendors, you have to figure out what you want to sell, then find out who makes it, then see if you can buy the goods. Or find someone who will design the goods and someone to manufacture them. If you can find a sewing house in your city (might have to look in - gasp - the phone book) they may already work with designers that can help you.
Once you have product, I would start with a Yahoo Store, an eBay Store, or with Google Base. That way you have built-in traffic and don;t have to worry as much about the Marketing side. If people like the merchandise and it sells to your expectation, then you can build a web site and all the other Marketing issues that come along with that - Search Rankings, buying Search ads.
