Giving Up

16 years ago

Sorry to hear that. It isn't easy out there with all the competition. Takes a lot of hard work to build a customer base and a lot of money, unfortunately. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Thanks

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bryce

16 years ago

Originally Posted by Canee

We have been online for 8 months now, and made only 2 sales totally just under $ 120.

Clearly this concept of "find a dropshipper, build a website to sell stuff, optimize it, and promote it" isn't working for us.

We have done almost everything everyone has suggested we do, including some things we didn't really want to do.

We are on the verge of bankruptcy and homelessness. If our site suddenly goes offline soon, that's why.

We tried. We failed. We hope others have better luck.

Wow, I dont know what to say other than, I know how you feel! I lost my business and my home not so long ago, and I too was about to give up all online activities. Partly because of the cost involved in keeping a website up and operating, and partly because I had lost all faith that anything would work for me.

I had a son to look after, pride to protect, and many years left in me, where I had to earn somehow! I wondered what my chances would be getting another offline job and I guess had I gone down that road , competed with 100,000 other people for every $8 an hour job, I may have eventually got one. instead I decided to try something a little different, remaining online, and selling whatever else I could to pay for that choice.

I raised $500 and paid for my hosting for 2 months so I knew that could not go down, I paid for the line connection so that was not going to be effected, and I had my brain! For days I planned and plotted and worked on an idea I had, based on something I read on this forum. Of course, this was all a risk as it could have panned out badly, but I had to take the chance and see the results for myself. If it worked, I would not have to worry about my troubles so much and that would mean that my son would be happier too.

Since that time, I have travelled back to the home country, my son is now living in his own place, and I think often, about how lucky I was to "Not Give Up" - Drop Shipping is not the only online business model, and not all have to cost a lot of money. Maybe there is something else to turn too, and maybe that change will be the one you need to make things the way you want them.

In some way I hope this post may have helped your situation.

[ 5 ] Thanks

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Tracey_Meagher

16 years ago

Hi Bill & Marsha

I really feel for you in your situation but I would urge you not to give up yet. I'm sure you could make your jewellery dropshipping business work.

What strikes me when I visit your site is that it is very generic. There is a ton of competition in this market. I have come across many dozens of similar sites ... mostly when searching with my daughter for stuff she likes. What makes your site standout for me or others like me?

I know I could go to ebay and find similar stuff. My suggestion, if you still have the heart for hearing it, is to specialise within the jewellery niche. There are any number of micro-niches you could focus on, how about baby bling or wedding bling or feet jewellery ... yes, we've searched for that! The market at this level would be far easier to target.

I have a few dropshipping stores and many of them I do no marketing on at all. They still bring in orders. Just last week I sold a product on that made me $60 profit. I haven't done anything with this site other than add products. So it can be done.

You might also think about the look and feel of your site. Think about something that really showcases your products. I would suggest something clean and light in design. You really want the design to catch the eye of your visitor immediately. Make it all about the jewellery. Large photos on the front page that grab attention. It all makes a difference.

Really, hope it works out for you

Thanks

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ElaineBaker

16 years ago

Being in the position you both are, is so difficult - I should know how you are feeling I've been there.

The problem I found is that you concentrate on so much on trying to get the monies in quickily and not concentrating on what should be done - I have done this so many times and really not get anywhere.

I hope all works well for you both - don't give up cos I think you will get there - just a bit of positive thinking is very hard in such a negative mind - I know I've been there and that's how I felt.

Chin up guys there's always a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm sure you will both get there.

There are plenty of friends on this forum who will gladly help you in anything that you get stuck with so just holler (sorry not sure how to spell that one)

If I can help at all in anyway possible just give me a shout.

All the best to you both

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Launder

16 years ago

This is one of my scares and one of the main reasons I have not yet launched, succeed or fail if I ever get started I hope I can have a positive response however I do fear exactly what you have experienced.

Thanks

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Banned 16 years ago

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Terri LC 16 years ago

I've yet to see a profit after 2 years online but will NEVER give up because I absolutely know and believe this is my new direction...I've been stuck on analysis paralysis and just now am starting to take action, luckily I have a f/t job at the moment, but I dream of firing my Board of Directors some day!

You both know deep down if you are in the right place, at least remaining online.....like another warrior said, drop shipping isn't the only business model, and someone else suggested honing in on a niche. I'm sure there are services, tips or information you can give others that no-one else is. Would be great to have a webplayer on your site and showcase special products or your "HOT deals" - videos are great for SEO, they get indexed bigtime, and spend time driving traffic through forums, social networks, etc.

It sounds like the expense comes from inventory? Facing homelessness is the very scary part, but I do want to encourage you to remain hopeful and not defeated....and believe, really believe the circumstances WILL change for the better. In the meantime, brainstorm!

Good Luck to both of you.
TLC
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Rich Struck

16 years ago

No need to quit, just try something else.

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fthomas137

16 years ago

I took a look at your site. I'm willing to help you, 'free gratis', to improve it, one Canadian helping another.

If you are interested, PM me.

Frank

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Jill Carpenter 16 years ago

Maybe this blog post will make you feel better:

http://www.warriorforum.com/blogs/av...marketing.html

I am not giving up
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- JCTunes 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by avenuegirl
  
  Maybe this blog post will make you feel better:
  
  http://www.warriorforum.com/blogs/av...marketing.html
  
  I am not giving up
  
  This blog post made me look at what's currently going on in my life and helped me realize that while things are rough right now, things can always get better. For the OP, just don't lose hope that you can't make it online. It might not be your time right now, but if you choose to go another route right now maybe come back and give another business model a try in a few months or a year or so. It can happen for you.
  
  Best of luck!
  
  Thanks
  
  2 replies
  
  Signature
  
  If there's a will, there's a way!
  
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  derekwong28 15 years ago
  
  Dropshipping and e-commerce does work but depends greatly on the niche. Jewelry is certainly an extremely tough niche to market because it is so personal that many people prefer to see and touch the item in person first. There are also a number of problems with your site that could lead to low conversions e.g.
  
  1. Emphasis on the fact that you are based in Canada while the bulk of your customers are probably in the U.S. You certainly do not need to put a Canadian flag on every page.
  2. Accepting PayPal only
  3. Requiring customers to sign up to make a purchase.
  
  Having said that, if your niche is profitable, you should certainly be seeing many more sales than that. To test whether your niche is profitable and/or that your website is working properly, I would normally have recommended that you buy PPC ads for at least 1000 clicks to see what your conversion rate is. However, that could be quite expensive.
  
  "We have done almost everything everyone has suggested we do, including some things we didn't really want to do."
  
  I feel we have to respect what you said and I don't think that any further advice here from any warriors would be of much use.
  
  I agree that you should retrench and consider going into another area of IM. There are probably too many problems with your current niche to make it viable in the short or medium term.
  
  The big problem with e-commerce is that sometimes bad things happen when you are down. For example, you may start getting returns, unreasonable refund/chargeback requests or frank buyer fraud.
  
  What you have learnt running your shop will certainly be very useful in other areas of IM. So do not regard this as wasted time at all. It may be just what you need to get into a much easier and profitable business.
  
  Derek
  
  Thanks
  
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  John Hixson 15 years ago
  
  OK I do feel for you, it is a horrible situation to be in but I urge you - don't give up. There is a huge amount more that you could do.
  
  How do I know this? By looking at your site.
  
  A few ideas
  
  Get backlinking! Not sure if its accurate but my tool tells me you have a huge total of 11 backlinks to your site. that won't get you ranked in anything at all. Get out there and start developing backlinks.
  
  Create a newsletter. If you are getting traffic then get them to sign up - you can hit them with special offers, new products etc, and you know these are people that are interested in your products
  
  Article marketing, press releases, squidoo lenses. Like backlinking this is about creating backlinks to your site, but by using content on other sites, ideally with keywords etc
  
  Videos - i know you say you detest them, but why? Because you dont like seeing them? they are far from intrusive marketing, you dont have to be on them yourself and are a great way of showcasing a product, especially one you are hoping people will spend big money on without seeing it in person
  
  tbh I could go on but it is all info available on this site already. Your site looks great and there is always huge potential in jewelry online imo. Refocus your work to backlinking, traffic driving and SEO.
  
  You may or may not interpret this as harsh, suggesting you havent done everything you could, but I am just trying to give some helpful advice
  
  Thanks
  
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- silotiko 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by avenuegirl
  
  Maybe this blog post will make you feel better:
  
  http://www.warriorforum.com/blogs/av...marketing.html
  
  I am not giving up
  
  Bill and Marsha~ I think you may have missed the "Big Picture" of avenuegirl's post, she felt frustrated, let down and empty, she was at rock bottom - but then notice her last sentence that she put in her post regarding your thread "I am not giving up". In other words, she got back up, dusted herself off and decided to not to be defeated. It's okay to feel the way you are, but then get back up, try to figure out what went wrong and why then come back at it bigger and better!
  
  Their are time that you have to take a step back and look at the big picture, including your Online Business - have you considered trying to sell the site either here on the Forum or on Sitepoint? Somebody may have just the solution to monetizing that sight and making it profitable and you could also walk away with a little cash in your pocket.
  
  *** I would highly suggest joining (free) the "30 Day Challenge" by Ed Dale and Dan Raine "The Thirty Day Challenge is about making your first $1 online. For a full 30 days they are going to be showing you exactly how to start your own Internet business and generate your first income online without spending a dime."
  
  "Wall Major" had some great tips in his reply for trying to monetize your site yourself, along with some other great recommendations and offers from other helpful Warriors, I sure hope you can implement these before throwing in the towel.
  
  I will say this in closing, that feeling defeated is never a comfortable, yet it will make you stronger but I hope to be reading your success story here in the near future!
  
  Best of luck to you in whatever decision you make-
  
  Thanks
  
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Charles Washington

16 years ago

That sucks that your plan didnt work, but your plan is also flawed. You see, you picked one method and tried to build a business around it. You cant do that...at least not until you have tested various methods and systems to find the one that works.

There are so many other options out there! Dropshipping is just not a good way to make loads of money.

Find some affiliate opportunities. Try CPA. Offer services to people. These are other models of generating money online.

Dont give up! Try more suff! Then, try some more stuff.

I am sorry for your financial troubles, though. Best of luck to ya!

Thanks

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Harrier

16 years ago

It really sucks when everything fails to break through the barriers of On-Line Trading.
It's not always your fault. Look at the current global financial situation... that is today's killer.

I hope that you manage to keep your head above the water and pull through.

Thanks

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LindaC

16 years ago

Hi Bill & Marsha,

LindaC here.

Someone once said...conserning a family fude they didn't quit, they just ran out of bullets.

You have been offered some great bullets by fellow Warriors...make use of what you have been offered.

Don't abuse, or mis-use these special people. But, take their gifts and put them to use for a better tomorrow.

My Best 2 U,

LindaC

Thanks

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Canee

15 years ago

Some interesting points.

We know videos seem to be all the rage these days, but we DETEST them! Nothing makes me click off a site faster than some annoying video, or one of those virtual salespeople. UGH! We want our site to be impressive in terms of gentle persuasion, not in-your-face gaudy or pushy.

Avenuegirl, sorry, but your story is far from inspirational. We have both had ex-spouses cheat on us and toss us aside after lengthy (15 years for her, 20 years for him) marriages for no good reason, so we find stories of long-term-relationship breakups to be depressing and discouraging.

We have in mind to try some other types of online ventures, but since we are totally broke at the moment, there's not much we can do.

Thanks
1 reply

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henrysy

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Canee

Some interesting points.

We know videos seem to be all the rage these days, but we DETEST them! Nothing makes me click off a site faster than some annoying video, or one of those virtual salespeople. UGH! We want our site to be impressive in terms of gentle persuasion, not in-your-face gaudy or pushy.

In marketing, both offline and online, it's not what you like or don't like that matters, it's what your customers like that's important. Unfortunately, people like videos - a lot!

Regards,
Henry

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thunderbird

15 years ago

You did that StoresOnline thing? What happened to the loads of support they promise to give and all that? I've attended their seminars before (just for the info and free lunch, not to buy. Hey, they were offering)

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thunderbird

15 years ago

What did you do to bring traffic in?

Did you...
1.....leave videos on YouTube?
2.....submit articles to Ezinearticles.com
3.....add your link to online directories?
4....comment on blogs with backlinks to your site?
5....participate in online forums, leaving a signature?
6....come up with press releases?
7....joint venture with other businesses?

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thunderbird

15 years ago

Wow, Kingdom_Mines, if it converts now, imagine how well it would convert if people could actually read it?

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Kingdom_Mines Banned 15 years ago

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- thunderbird 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Kingdom_Mines
  
  Check out my site now, its been redone, let me know your thoughts now
  
  Ricky
  
  Much better!
  
  I would suggest that you add a special optin form with an offer that would appeal to your target market.
  
  Thanks
  
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thunderbird

15 years ago

I think Kingdom Mines might be presenting you with an avenue to actually make money.

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AverageGuy

15 years ago

sometimes, step back for a moment is not a bad choice at all.

good luck.

david

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AndyBlackSEO

15 years ago

Sorry to hear about your situation. I agree with Tracey though, with an online store it is actually quite similar to a real bricks and mortar store. You have to grab their attention, and grab it quickly before they walk past the window. You need deals, unique products etc and all displayed in the right place.

Stores can work. I set my wife up with an ecommerce store and although it is in need of a shake up and overhaul, it has acheived over $6k per month regularely, and has potential to do much more.

I know that's probably not what you want to hear but my point is there is ALWAYS more that can be done to convert more sales.

I can't look at your store now as I'm flying abroad on sunday and I'm viewing this on my blackberry so can't delve into your site and evaluate it. If you are still around in 2 weeks I'd be glad to offer my advice.

Have you not thought about setting one or two other streams up as well. It's sometimes better than putting all your eggs in one basket and chasing that one avenue.

Good luck anyway with whatever you do. If the worst happens then pick yourselves up and start over. It's not about how easy we fall in life but how well we get back up.

Best wishes to the both of you.

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Kappa

15 years ago

I think you can use what you learn from this experience to better yourselves. I think you should try either relaunch your jewelry store or get into another area of internet marketing. There are low barriers to entry into many areas, and you can use your vast knowledge to really push up the learning curve quickly.

Also, I think I see you have only 31 posts. I think you should become active in this forum and ask many questions because people here are generous knowledgable and successful, and you can find lots of mentors here.

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Greg guitar 15 years ago

Hello Bill and Marsha,

There is so much I'd like to say to you, but I'll try to restrain myself so it can be read in one sitting.

I do feel for your tough predicament (I'm in a similar one, but with a very different response), so I hope you'll understand that what I'm saying comes from wanting to help, though it may sound harsh because imo stating what I think bluntly would be a greater service to you than sparing your feelings by avoiding the painful realities so clearly conveyed by your OP.

First off, starting a thread here about how you want to give up is like threatening suicide at a social event with your family and friends present. Someone who really wants to die just does it (I've had friends that said it, and others that did it; so I know the difference), rather than announcing it to people s/he knows will fight tooth and nail to stop her/him. Instead, though you may be feeling desparate, you obviously hope to be talked out of it.

You're welcome to quit if you like, but that would be like walking out on a vast and beautiful banquet when you're desperately hungry, just because the first dish you sampled was raw fishheads that you found inedible.

The point is IM isn't one model. The internet is like a huge marketplace with many ways to make money, and you can learn about tons of them here. Actually the sheer # of profit models that can be found here can be a pitfall; you need to try one at a time! Anyway, it may take time, but you can find one that suits you, and someone who's achieved great results to teach you for little or nothing!

Even though you are in a tough spot, you need to seperate your emotions from your business, or your hopeless feelings about it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you get the emotions out of the way, you will make much better choices. (I'm not saying to stuff your feelings; just don't base your business decisions on them).

The first decision you must make by dispassionate analysis is should you turn your business around or take what you've learned and move on to another model? Not every business is so tough, so you can look for a model that seems more doable given your skills, knowledge, inclination, needs/goals, timing etc. Make sure it's something you can see as potentially fun and exciting. It seems one of the biggest commonalities among successful entreprenuers is that they really enjoy their business.

I would highly recommend that you pony up the $35 to join the Warroom private section of the forum; it's virtually universal that people who do feel it's the best $35 they ever spent (me included). I rarely stray outside that section anymore, and for good reason; every thread is personally moderated by Allan Says and he only allows threads where the first post is offering something of real value to the Warroom members. Many of the threads are providing you with everything you need to start and grow a solid business.

There are a ton of ways to approach IM for someone on a budget. I'm no expert, but a casual look through the warroom threads reveals that there are people who will help you with every aspect of the following sample model (one of many).

Step 1) Do a few minutes of keyword research to find a profitable niche.

2) Start a niche blog, using free article writing software to help you create content for it.

3) Use the same software to help you create the content for an opt-in email newsletter.

4) Use article marketing, social networking, SEO, etc to promote your blog to the niche.

5) Find affiliate products to promote to the list after they've been seasoned a bit. Or...
5b) Using the content creating software, put together your own info product in a couple days, or even hours. This can be a 15 page report you charge $17 for, based on your synthesis of other people's expertise (don't steal it though; it has to be uniquely yours).

6) Automate most or all of the process, and create your next blog.

7) Start the next one, and the next......

The IM world is so vast, there is room for everybody, regardless of your strengths and weaknesses. With one exeption: people who lack drive won't make it. There are technophobes that love writing content that hook up with people that hate writing but love building sites, and those that love creating products and hate promoting them hooking up with promoters that hate product creation, etc. You can find a way to concentrate mostly on what you love and are good at, handling the rest with JVs and outsourcing. There is a way and room for anyone that's really determined.

Having said that, it may be that the most successful people are the ones who have a passion for learning, and are always looking to expand their horizons.

At any rate, try to find whatever value you got out of the last 8 months, see if you can apply any lessons learned to the next chapter, figure out what you need to learn next and don't keep trying to end the book at the first chapter. Do whatever it takes to get excited about the next step (including picking a model that gives you that giddy, energized feeling you had when you started what you're doing now).

I really hope that I helped you and didn't offend you (although I'd rather do both than neither!). Good luck; I hope you have a fantastic, lucrative career!
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Pace07

15 years ago

hey bill and marsha!

I understand how tough starting out online can be! You just have to keep you head held high and not give up. I live by a motto "Believe and Achieve." If you believe you can do something, you will achieve it. Keep fighting and success will come your way!

Goodluck,
Emma

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lilhay

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Canee

We have been online for 8 months now, and made only 2 sales totally just under $ 120.

Clearly this concept of "find a dropshipper, build a website to sell stuff, optimize it, and promote it" isn't working for us.

We have done almost everything everyone has suggested we do, including some things we didn't really want to do.

We are on the verge of bankruptcy and homelessness. If our site suddenly goes offline soon, that's why.

We tried. We failed. We hope others have better luck.

What works for some may not be for you. Don't give up, simply find a business opp, product or services that you enjoy. I believe everyone on this forum enjoys what they do. I know we have all been in a slow period. This happens to everyone.
It's easy to get fustrated and quit when things don't go as planned but if you press through you will taste the sweet rewards!

I wish you success and I hope life gets better for you.

Thanks

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PPC-Coach

15 years ago

I may be able to help you, please send me a PM.

(I'm Canadian too and hate to see people quit who have clearly tried.)

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Richard Essi 15 years ago

Hi Bill and Marsha!

I truly feel your pain....I do! I cannot compare your situation with mine, but I have

been in this type of dire situation TWICE!!

Hang in there guys! I know you are convinced and think it is over.

Well, I have news for you....you are right!!

If you are so convinced that it is over, even the help that all these warriors are

offering will be of no use. In fact, it could even prove to be insensitive and

annoying...you may even be thinking something like:

" You guys have NO IDEA how bad things are for us...you make it sound so easy..."

And it is true, none of us probably do.

Nevertheless, I encourage you to not look at the present situation as it is.

The present will constantly tell you that things will ALWAYS remain the same, and that it is not worth trying. Don't listen to it! It's a lie!

There are warriors that are here to lift you up from where you are and give you a new sight for tomorrow....accept the gesture, muster all the efforts you have and see beyond the pain and dissappointment, and know that tomorrow...next week...next month, WILL be different from today.

Look at the solutions that your fellow warriors are personally offering and grab that life-line.

You have an incredible opportunity here to turn things around like never before...don't neglect the help because of past experiences. There are some warriors here who REALLY want to help you! Please give them a chance!

I am already looking forward to your testimonial as to how things turned around for the better!

We are cheering you on....please, don't give up!!

Richard
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Vikuna2009+

15 years ago

Bill & Marsha,

life throws you a lot of sh***t and sometimes it is not even your own fault. However, your headline is disturbing, to say the least. My own personal financial situation is a total disaster right now but I am hanging in there. Being a starving Realtor is no easy feat.

What you got, is each other and that should mean a lot. Even if both of you had to go out and get a minimum wage job (temporarily), if it can keep you afloat, when that is what you need to do.

As humbling as it might seem, ANYTHING is better than being homeless. A fellow agent of mine is now a full time greeter at Walmart, how is that for humbling, yet he is doing it. On top of that, he has another minimum wage, full time job = 18 hours a day.

You have gotten some great advise here in this thread and even Warriors (with a CAPITAL "W", offering their help. That is MORE than what most people will ever get so please take them up upon it.

I'm NO EXPERT myself, as a matter of fact, just getting started in this IM thinga ma jiggy but I am willing to give it all I got. Even if it means flipping burgers to pay my host and my rent.

GIVING UP IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE, moving forward and re-strategize is the solution.
Sleep in a ditch or under the bridge, give up, have NO future.

Or, is the glass half full or empty and is it worth fighting for? Only YOU can decide...

P.s. That you both got dumped by your ex:es has NOTHING to do with your set backs in internet business avenues, that is simply just feeling sorry for yourself and indulging in self-pity.

Pick yourself up, GO FOR IT (even at minimum wage until you at least not have to feel the fear of homelessness and remember, it is only temporary).

You have PROVEN yourself that you have the drive but maybe not enough knowledge (read prior posts for some GREAT advise re links, participating in forums, to many flags etc. etc.)

I got my own fighting to do, at the same time as you guys.

Idea: Write a diary of your struggles and gains, STARTING RIGHT NOW. Detail EVERY incident, good or bad and even if you loose your home, keep on writing. Then from memory, write about your prior business struggles.

Once you start to see the end of the tunnel, sell it as an ebook. "Thinking out loud": Start a blog NOW, put affiliate links on it, write about your struggles. Etc. etc.

Sorry if I am harsh but you have to re-think and re-organize, re-strategize, just like my self. My grandma used to say "You got good dirt in your pockets" since everything used to go so easy for me. Then, BAM, you run into a string of bad luck and you feel life is almost over.

You got each other, make this a new chapter, take your fellow warriors advise and move forward, best of luck, Eva (Sorry, I got carried away, lol).

Thanks

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rachaelgerk

15 years ago

I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time... it can be TOUGH! I have a couple of ideas, so I sent you a PM

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Christie Love

15 years ago

I empathize with you. However, I know how tough it can be when you first start out online. I remember my first few months weren't too hot either. But, one thing I knew is that no matter what, I wouldn't give up. And... I didn't!

If you two are open for suggestions, I would say to go ahead and seek alternative means to make money, while continuing to work on making your online business as success. What many people don't know is that there's a learning curve to get over when working online, which at some point, it may be helpful to hire a mentor to help you jump over that hurdle. Then, when you start making some real money online, you will be in a more comfortable situation to choose IM as your main source of income.

Until then, sending you prosperity blessings. Good luck on your endeavors. We'll be here, when you get back.

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greff

15 years ago

First, some people don't understand that online does not work for all people and all products. Selling jewelry online may be harder than selling offline. Try selling eBooks offline though. LOL

Think about this. Selling a dollar in cash for 50 cents would be difficult if you had not visitors with 50 cents in their pockets. Or worse yet, no site visitors at all.

Someone said "Try something else." I chuckled to myself but there is a lot of truth in that statement.

Some people are just not cut out to own any type of business though I honestly think just about anyone can do it if they don't give up.

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parzlou 15 years ago

Hi Bill & Marsha...
I feel your pain I have been there I had an online store 7 or 8 years ago with the yahoo store platform and it broke me had to give it up and now 8 years later I am still here pluggin away but I am not rich most months I barely make enuff to cover my exspenses but I am still trying
I would suggest maybe Try selling the "shovel " it is a proven earner online

peace
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AndyBlackSEO

15 years ago

someone mentioned above that you only accept paypal. With the online store I setup sales seemed to come in slow. I changed the payment gateway to Worldpay and conversions shot up by about 300%. Seriously. I heard by many people this was also the case for them, with various percentage increase. The £20 fee per month actually get used for your fee's so it really doesn't cost any extra. In fact it's cheaper than Paypal and they also offer quite a lot of protection against fraudulent purchased providing you follow their selling guidelines.

The main thing with any business, particularly retail you need to have a unique selling point. Put your self in your customers shoes. If you walked into a store, what would you look for to prevent walking out and buying from the shop across the road. Is it a cheaper price, a more professional layout, a warm welcome, more unique products, a guarantee etc.... Maybe a free gift or a discount if you spend over a certain amount.

It's all about that unique selling point. Also, to save yourself from getting priced out of the market offer unique products that are harder to find elsewhere.

Some other important features that I discovered were important with online stores.

Display good quality photos for your products and show as many as you can for each item. Your customers want to see AS many as they can to get a closer look at the product.

Describe your product the best you can. Don't just have one line descriptions. When you eat in a resteraunt, what sounds better, 'steak and chips' or 'a succulant 10oz sirlion steak pan fried to your liking served with stilton and mushroom sauce and homemade chips'. Get my point.

It's also good if you offer a money back gaurantee. This gives people a safety net that many won't actually use. Think what internet marketing like when they buy software or a product. A gaurantee. Of course unless the product is faulty the customer is responsible for the P&P.

The list can go on and on. My point is, there are always things you can do to improve conversions.

You can have all the visitors in the world but if your store is not converting then it's a waste of time.

Andy

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wisecrone333

15 years ago

I am sorry to hear about your problems - as you can tell from the responses you are among a good crowd, myself included. But what worries me more is how you are taking all of this. I don't advertise a Pollyanna approach but I do know that a positive attitude about things helps you attract better things in your life (including money) than giving into sheer despair.

I can only repeat what others have told you here - you have been given some good advice; you have been given offers of help - obviously it is up to you if you take it or not, but I honestly think you will regret it if you gave up now without at least trying some of the things mentioned here.

I wish you well regardless of your decision
Best of luck
Lisa

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Diggyd

Banned 15 years ago

[DELETED]

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FG 15 years ago

This is not the kind of thing that any of us like to hear about. Perhaps my post is too late, but I would hope that you would consider another business model.

AvenueGirl gets it. She is not giving up! Even with everything she has been through. It is the only mind set to carry into this business.

I go against the grain of 98% of the wisdom giving by the experts.

When I started out many years ago I used ebay to pay for my monthly expenses online. I knew I needed $1000 up front and about $300 a month for the next 6 months just to have a fighting chance of a full time income by the 7th month.

I wanted different streams of income at the very beginning. (Paypal, ClickBank, eBay, Adsense)

When ever I got an email telling me about the "death of _____ (insert a marketing technique) then I knew I was on a list of BS. I did not have time for spinned opinions just to be sold on what the herd was selling.

Dropshipping is a tough business model. There are many other models that may suit your situation much better.

Did you know that just 2000 people that each make you $1000 over the next ten years is all you need? Read that again. I'm not talking about 2000 people a year, I mean just 2000 people over the next 10 years. And they don't have to make you a $1000 a year either, it's over the next ten years. Now that should be food for thought.

I wish you and yours the best in what ever you decide.
- Thanks
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CDawson

Banned 15 years ago

Don't give up, that is all I can say. I gave up 3 years ago and I could making like 10k a month right now IF I would have stayed here. Now I am back because of family problems and more motivated then ever.

Thanks

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Josef_Benjamin

15 years ago

All entrepreneurs screw up many times before they succeed.

I wouldn't even know where to begin to tell you how many times I
messed up making money online...but what made the difference between
success and failure is pushing through and learning from mistakes.

Seriously, there is NO way to get around that.

You have to build a tougher shell to handle screw-ups and to get over it
to continue pressing forward.

I've had to bounce back several times between 10 different jobs.

Thats right...10 different jobs before I found something that worked for me
and started becoming really successful. I had to eat, and a job was the only
way for me to bounce back. But I'm good now, and I look back and smile.

I promise you this.

If you give up, it WILL be the biggest regret you will likely ever have to live
with. You'll be lying on your "rest bed" wishing...wishing you'd just went for it
because now your at old age waiting to pass on...and any problems you had
in the past you suddenly KNOW matters no more...it no longer matters
because you won't be alive long enough to experience the fustration of
entrepreneurship.

But you'll long for the day where you could go back in time and just "go for it
anyways"...what do you have to lose.

It'll be to late, and it'll be the end. Don't live with that regret

Thanks

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John Romaine

15 years ago

Failure is part of success. Its those who accept it, learn from it, and grow from it as part of the process that seperates those who succeed and those who dont.

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TPFLegionaire 15 years ago

Hi Canee,

I am sorry to hear of your predicament. you have a choice to make.

If you decide to not give up and need something specific to help you (hosting , a domain name, some ebook or course about some aspect of IM ) please let me know, I will do my utmost to provide them for you at no charge.

Some one sugested that you Pony up the cash for access to the Warrior War Room.
This is an excellent idea. Just let me know if you want in and I'll Paypal you the fee.

But I will only help you if you decide not to give up...This has to be your choice and I will respect your decision.

In the spirit of Camerone...I await your answer.
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silotiko

15 years ago

Originally Posted by ramone_johnny

Failure is part of success. Its those who accept it, learn from it, and grow from it as part of the process that seperates those who succeed and those who dont.

Perfectly said, ramone_johnny! (post #46)

Thanks
1 reply

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homebizrockstar 15 years ago

Hello Bill & Marsha,

I am also sorry to hear the bad news, but unfortunately this is a story shared by millions of people who try and fail online. With that being said DO NOT GIVE UP! PERIOD. I can tell that you guys are driven and dedicated but 8 months??? come on it is still an infant. I also see you chose the Ecommerce site route and the Jewelry Niche? Very Tough I'm afraid. The problem is there seems to be a saturation problem with this niche and pricing is extremely competetive.

If you still want to realize your Online dreams I would do some research and find a Niche that is competitive but still manageable. Sorry not enough space here to go into too much detail.

From a former power seller on Ebay I would suggest you try and recoup some funds there. Set up a store and put up some auctions. THERE IS NO BETTER TRAFFIC than what Ebay gets on a daily basis and it's targeted to you for free!

Also who created your site, for starters your Meta Tags are not set up properly for SEO maximization. And what keywords are you targeting. What and how many different traffic generation techniques are you using to drive traffic? alot of factors.

But do not give up this is why 98% of people trying to make money online fail, they simply give up, they Fail to follow through, they fail to take massive action- I know it seems desperate now but things WILL get better keep believing I have found that MINDSET is 80% of the Game my friends.

If I can help in any way pm me, best of luck to you two and God Bless!
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mikestenger

15 years ago

I think the biggest issue right now is this: You don't have the right mentality.

Only 8 months & you already quit!? 8 months is nothing! I realize your in a very stressful situation but the thing to understand is that the more negative you are about your situation and the more you say and think about something, the more it's going to become true.

If you think it's all bad, it's going to become all bad, 'nuff said.

Someone had to say it...

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-Mike

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MikeeFPP

15 years ago

Originally Posted by mikestenger

I think the biggest issue right now is this: You don't have the right mentality.

Only 8 months & you already quit!? 8 months is nothing! I realize your in a very stressful situation but the thing to understand is that the more negative you are about your situation and the more you say and think about something, the more it's going to become true.

If you think it's all bad, it's going to become all bad, 'nuff said.

Someone had to say it...

Completely AGREE with you Mike, the mentality you have is I believe the most important thing when doing anything in life, including any business.
Change your attitude towards everything in life and you will see a big change in your life as a whole.

Thanks
1 reply

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Internet Undertaking

15 years ago

Originally Posted by MikeeFPP

Completely AGREE with you Mike, the mentality you have is I believe the most important thing when doing anything in life, including any business.
Change your attitude towards everything in life and you will see a big change in your life as a whole.

Couldn't have said it better

You need to get yourself pumped and ready to jump in with your eyes wide open.

Where you are at right now may not seem like a perfect situation to you, but in reality it is.

You are at the bottom, you have tried many things, over and over and over, you have failed. What's next? You know what made you fail, now try something different, change your methods a bit.

Trust me, if other people are making money the way you are trying to make money, then you haven't tried everything and there is a reason for your businesses downturn.

Thanks
1 reply

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silotiko 15 years ago

Failure is part of success!
- Thanks
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Andrew Wilkes

Banned 15 years ago

[DELETED]

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jasonl70

15 years ago

The site does seem to look a little different then it did before... but it is still quite plain and generic looking. It still doesn't have the 'elegant' look I think you are after. Compare it to blue nile: notice their choice of colors, and all of the small details that make a world of difference.

Originally Posted by Canee

Some interesting points.

We know videos seem to be all the rage these days, but we DETEST them! Nothing makes me click off a site faster than some annoying video, or one of those virtual salespeople. UGH! We want our site to be impressive in terms of gentle persuasion, not in-your-face gaudy or pushy.

this says a lot... you are still stuck in your own ego. As I said before, what's more important to you: a site that gives you the warm fuzzies when you look at it and show to your friends, or a profitable business?

I have no idea if videos would work for you - but your rabid response to various ideas might be holding you back. It's evident that you are very emotionaly tied to this. Perhaps too much so.

It's also evident that the various angles you thought would matter (the whole "we're a canadian business"), the market has told you does not matter very much - but are you willing to listen to them?

Where is your problem specificly - traffic? conversions?
Do you have analytics on your site? if so, what countries is your traffic actually coming from? are people clicking into your site, or bouncing after 15 seconds?

Thanks
1 reply

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thunderbird

15 years ago

Originally Posted by jasonl70

It's also evident that the various angles you thought would matter (the whole "we're a canadian business"), the market has told you does not matter very much - but are you willing to listen to them?
<snip>

The Canadian market is a tough one , not to mention a small one (I live in Canada and love it, don't get me wrong). When it comes to buying stuff, Canadians overall are more conservative and tight-fisted (of course we're talking big-picture, not individuals), and less willing to invest in things and take a chance. Americans definitely tend to be more willing to take chances (that is why the American film industry is so much more dynamic and abundant than the Canadian one). I know a Canadian artist who sells paintings on the Vancouver seawall. He says it was MUCH easier to sell his decidedly Canadian-theme paintings when he was in the States. He only came back to Vancouver because his father's ill.

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Internet Undertaking

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Canee

We have been online for 8 months now, and made only 2 sales totally just under $ 120.

Clearly this concept of "find a dropshipper, build a website to sell stuff, optimize it, and promote it" isn't working for us.

We have done almost everything everyone has suggested we do, including some things we didn't really want to do.

We are on the verge of bankruptcy and homelessness. If our site suddenly goes offline soon, that's why.

We tried. We failed. We hope others have better luck.

I'm sorry to hear this.

I have a few suggestions.

If you are finding dropshippers, building websites and promoting it, you are not advertising correctly.

I used to be in the business of selling tangible items online and you just can't compete that way.

eBay is your best friend in these types of ventures. Have you tried building your venture there?

There are three concepts you have to take into consideration when dealing with tangible items.

One, if you know of a place that provides a constant stream of unique and highly targeted visitors you have to go in and dominate it to be successful. That source being eBay. And I don't mean you dominate eBay

... I mean you dominate certain items being sold on eBay. Be the first seller people look at for the merchandise you sell.

Two, you can't just go and sell any item you are comfortable with and think it will sell. (Note: I'm not saying this is what you did. I'm just talking in a general aspect of things) When you go about choosing a product to sell or a line of products you have to make sure there is a bunch of crazy lunatics following the brand everywhere it goes. In other words, the product has to sell and it has to sell like crazy. Some research in eBay is all that you need, there is a software that shows you the top 100 items that sell like crazy on eBay. This is very helpful.

Three, many people say eBay is over rated and you can't make money there because there are to many sellers. This is 100% wrong. You can make money, and loads of it. Most of the sales brought in from eBay are by businesses that have dedicated their time to simply selling on eBay. The other people online are simply there to make a quick buck. What you need to do is show the viewer that you are much better than the other. A professional auction theme design for your business, solid descriptions of products, targeted titles based on most popular keywords on eBay, and some nice pictures of products your selling in auction listings is all you need to win over the other guy. Besides the pricing of course, but this depends on your connections and dropshippers.

Hope you give online business another choice and jump into eBay. Its worth it if you are really dedicated to make it work in selling tangible products online.

Good luck in the future!

Thanks

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Jason Gazaway

15 years ago

From your initial post and followup, it seems like you're focusing on what YOU want and like... Not what your customers want and like.

Just because YOU don't like videos, doesn't mean your target audience doesn't. Merchants use videos for a reason... They work.
Just because YOU don't like sales agents, doesn't mean your target audience doesn't. Merchants use sales agents for a reason... They work.

Sometimes "we" are not our best customers even though we think we are, so it's hard for us as marketers to let go of OUR opinions, and focus on what works and what our target audience is looking for.

I understand you're frustrated, and it "seems" that giving up is your only option. But from my small and extremely limited knowledge of your business, it seems that you don't want to do certain things that could exponentially grow your business, such as the things you detest, simply because you personally don't like it when you see it.

I'm not saying to compromise your beliefs or anything like that... But sometimes, in business, you have to do what works. And, as long as it doesn't interfere with your overall message, and it doesn't piss off you visitors/customers, then go for it because you're definitely not going to please EVERY single one.

Good luck!

Jason

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AndyBeard

15 years ago

Tough medicine time

Give up... or more precisely put it on ice.

There is no way on earth you will turn that site aorund in a short period of time to provide you with enough money to live on.
Delving back, you have had the site online over 6 months, and have built almost no links for any kind of search engine traffic.

20,000 ... no
2000 ... no
200 ... no
20 links ... no not even

Yahoo site explorer is only showing 10 or 11 links (depending on www)

Half of those are from Warrior forum threads.

Build it and they will come just doesn't happen on the web, and there is no way to fast track that process without either a lot of hard work, or a little capital for tools etc to automate things. Not big expenses, but big enough if you don't have money to live on.

Reading back to past posts (in your backlink profile), I also noticed you have a Masters in Computer Science.
If you have viable skills for creating small software products or scripts, such as C, PHP, Javascript, Flash, then there are tons of ways you can leverage those skills to create something people need and will pay for, even here on the forum.
However I say this with the deepest respect, get someone else to come up with the product requirements and handle the marketing.
It doesn't take much of an idea to turn a few days programming into a few thousand bucks, and that can then be leveraged into a more sustainable business than you will have following your current path.

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yommys01

15 years ago

I understand how you feel. I honestly do. I have had and I still have so many times I feel I should just pack up and give up.

Just know that if you give up you will still not be succeeding and the journey is also as far as we always think when we are frustrated.

You made $120 in 8 months? I made $38 in 1 year 4 months only made my first $100 with the help of warriors like tommygadget, Jason Perreira, Rosie, Tessy, Jenni Mac and Hamida Harland,Eric Lorence and Kathy.

I guess you should read this http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...t-give-up.html

Always remember success is a journey and tough times never last, tough people do.

Thanks

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Canee

15 years ago

Thanks for all the kind posts, and even for the not-so-kind posts.

There are too many posts to reply to them all, but we appreciate all the time and thoughts everyone put into their posts.

Of course we tried eBay. We did a 3-month campaign on eBay, putting up some items for auction-style bidding, and some items in "Buy It Now" type ads. All that did was cost us $ 150 in eBay fees. No bids, no sales, no inquiries, not even any click-throughs to the website.

Yes there are lots of things we COULD do, if we had any money, but we don't. It's not that we WANT to give up, but we are broke. Any day now the credit card companies will refuse credit because we can't pay them, and we'll be offline.

We intend to try some other ideas for making money online eventually, but first we have to find a way to make any kind of money any way we can, so we have been searching for traditional J-O-B's lately, with no luck with that either, so far.

We sent some PM's to a few people. Thanks.

Thanks

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Paullowjl

15 years ago

Its hard. Sorry about that.
I have been online for 3 months but still no sales.
Me not giving up though! =)

Thanks

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SMP

15 years ago

DON'T QUIT.

You have chosen a really competitive niche and you really need to give your business more time to prove itself as a viable model. 8 months is not that long in the grand scheme of things.

Consider doing all you can to keep the site live while you're doing your day jobs and be patient building traffic for the site. Maybe try to market to micro niches within the jewelery business (possibly baby or child jewelery, etc).

WHEN you make this business work (even if it remains just a decent secondary income) you will look back at this time and be glad you didn't quit.

There are very few niches into which you can't sell successfully but you do need a little patience.

Good luck.

Steve.

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Sylviane

15 years ago

Hello there! I am so sorry to hear that. However, I really want to add that 8 months is really nothing. I failed for 2 years before I got it and start making some money.

I am not going to tell you that it takes dedication to run an online business, because I can tell that you are dedicated, but I will tell you that it takes PERSISTENCE!

Go back to get a job if you have to, but don't let go of your dreams. That's what I did... I went back to an ugly (9-5) job which I hated so much, but I kept on learning and applying what I was learning for my IM.

Today, I am so glad I did. Because I am free. But yes, it takes lots of work, learning, dedication, tenacity, will and PERSISTENCE.

My last word to you: Don't GIVE UP!

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MrSimit 15 years ago

Wow, I am new to this forum (signed up over a year ago and then never participated) and this is one of the first threads that I have read. The advice and offers of help to you guys is just phenomenal. I hope you have enough fire left in your bellies to accept some of it. Such "consultancy" would cost thousands in the commercial world and I hope you can put it to good use. I cannot offer much advice as I have yet to make any profit online but I sure as heck will be spending more time on this forum!

Best of luck to you both.
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blur

15 years ago

Never give up. It's ok to walk away for a bit to collect your head, but never give up!

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JimHardin

15 years ago

Hi Bill and Marsha
I really feel for you. Try to do what you can. Like everyone says in the forum Don't give up. Think positive and you can do it. Hang in there. There are a lot of people here that I think can help you. I wish I could help in some way, but I only started blogging about a month ago. I have found it very exciting to meet new people and learn the ways of the internet. I haven't made a cent myself, but I am enjoying it. I do sometimes think to myself wheres the money, but then I remind myself that I need to work on content and learn a lot more before anything happens. So I am just working on my blog and learning from people for now.

Good luck! Hang in there!

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Scott Murdaugh

15 years ago

You'll get no sympathy from me... I know how hard it can be.

I've been broke and homeless when I was younger.

Do you know what Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Donald Trump and ANYONE who's successful in this world have in common? They never said the two words you used to start this thread "giving up"...

And attitude is everything... Whether you think you can't, or you think you can, you're right.

"The fastest way to success is to double your failure rate."

-Thomas Watson, Sr

No one on this planet cares whether you make $1 or $1 Million next month... It's YOUR responsibility...

So dropshipping didn't work out? So what... I've never made a dime dropshipping.

Pick your head up and do SOMETHING about the situation...

You're still alive, and everyday above ground is a good day. Figure out what's wrong, fix it, and you'll be fine.

Good luck,

-Scott

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jimborders

15 years ago

Hey, me too! your case was quite similar to mine.
I just started a website earlier this year, and it took me the whole year just to set up my ebook, audio and video. Guess what? I only had 2 sales only so far.

I wanted to give up to, but now we're on the same boat. Since you have embarked on it, why don't you let it flow other than jumping back to the sea?

Yang

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David@Lurn

15 years ago

hey you can't just give up. Many of the gurus have failed before they made it big - a lot have failed multiple times. But they learn from their mistakes and keep on going.

The only reason you fall is so you better learn to get back up again.

Thanks

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Kazooli

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Canee

We have been online for 8 months now, and made only 2 sales totally just under $ 120.

Clearly this concept of "find a dropshipper, build a website to sell stuff, optimize it, and promote it" isn't working for us.

We have done almost everything everyone has suggested we do, including some things we didn't really want to do.

We are on the verge of bankruptcy and homelessness. If our site suddenly goes offline soon, that's why.

We tried. We failed. We hope others have better luck.

Let me offer you my help if you need it. Your request is genuine and shouts ou loud for help. As a warrior member I need to make sure that at least there is some kind of an evaluation that could be made before you focus your failure on the wrong end. If you are interested let me know, I am not asking anything for return. True, it may not have worked for you but at least you would know why.

Sincerely,
Kazooli

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Million Dollar Joint Venture

15 years ago

Hey, have you considered approaching an offline store and letting them rent your site or better still have them promote it for a commission?

Just create a branded page for each of your JV partners and get them to put their branded domain name (which you will supply) on their receipts etc.

When an order comes through just tag it with a letter or number so you know who's branded page it came through or use and affiliate program!

You have put ALL the hard work and the model works - you made 2 sales!

Just get together with other offline JV partners who can promote it for you - less clutter in the offline world!

Sohail

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crissanteiro

15 years ago

You might be closer than you think. It takes time. I am sure you have articles and posts out there, and if you have been marketing actively, you probably have built some kind of a base. Why don't you just stand back and rethink some new strategies.

I have also been online for 8 months, and I know what you mean. I feel I have been building my business in these 8 months and am just starting to see some results. I don't allos myself to think of quitting. I hear of people who do very well tell stories of how long it took them to make money, until they finally did. They just didn't throw in the towe.

You have probably acquired a lot of information and knowledge in these past 8 months. Anyway, I don't like to see anyone give up, if this is really what you like to do. Good luck.

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fong47

15 years ago

Having an e-commerce store is not as easy as someone else think. Yes, you have a store, and a website and it does not mean that the money will start flowing. If your niche is very competitive, it will take some time to SEO it for google to get to the first page. specially if your competing pages is in millions. I would suggest going to another field like selling affiliates product or join other programs. Please don't give up!

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emeliesjodahl

15 years ago

Sorry to here that

Hope you have better luck with your next project!

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clarissa25

Banned 15 years ago

only 11 backlinks????

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Voasi

15 years ago

I don't see many links - so you don't have any SE traffic. No article marketing I'm assuming either, so no direct or indirect effect there. No videos.

You say you've promoted, but I'm curious to know how? The best ways to promote are with search engines, specifically organic rankings. Those people are going to the search engines and typing in keywords that should convert into sales.

You need to look at you competitors in the search engines and see what they're doing as well. Look at there designs. Look at everything. A lot of this "online thing" as being attentive to detail. Look at little things they're doing and mimic.

I'm not sure what you expected from this post aside from a whole bunch of "sorrys" but you need to start driving traffic that converts. Understand your target audience and go to where they hang out online.

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Easy Cash

15 years ago

There are a ton of things you could do to improve your sales.

Firstly: Traffic

How much traffic are you getting?

I checked how many backlinks you have to your homepage

How can you expect to get any traffic with a total of 12 backlinks in a very competitive niche?

As the niche is so competitive, are you targeting the less competitive keywords?

Secondly: Your Site/Product Branding.

I would say your branding is weak and needs refining. Check out the 2 images attached to this post. The first one is your site and the next one is a site that ranks around 4 or 5 for the term 'jewelry.'

Look at the strong colors - the large images of the products, the whole feel of the site. It is much more refined.

Concentrate on these 2 things - Traffic & Strengthening your Brand.

Yes, it is going to take significant work.

However, if you don't spend the time to do it - how can you expect to make sales?

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Kazooli

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Easy Cash

There are a ton of things you could do to improve your sales.

Firstly: Traffic

How much traffic are you getting?

I checked how many backlinks you have to your homepage

How can you expect to get any traffic with a total of 12 backlinks in a very competitive niche?

As the niche is so competitive, are you targeting the less competitive keywords?

Secondly: Your Site/Product Branding.

I would say your branding is weak and needs refining. Check out the 2 images attached to this post. The first one is your site and the next one is a site that ranks around 4 or 5 for the term 'jewelry.'

Look at the strong colors - the large images of the products, the whole feel of the site. It is much more refined.

Concentrate on these 2 things - Traffic & Strengthening your Brand.

Yes, it is going to take significant work.

However, if you don't spend the time to do it - how can you expect to make sales?

Cannot aggree more with you!

Sincerely,
Kazooli

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Aaron Elliott

15 years ago

Yeah dont give up, many people have it much worse. I always consider myself lucky to be healthy, have 2 legs, 2 arms eyesight, hearing and so on.

Use everything you have and keep trying 8 months i mean come on you probably didnt even walk at 8 months and you didnt give up then did you?

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bobsstuff

15 years ago

You said, " We are on the verge of bankruptcy and homelessness."

This means your situation is dire and you require immediate
action to solve your problems.

I just lost a brick and mortar business I opened in 1987. I
barely got out with much of my used equipment inventory which
has low value, but sold on ebay.

So to get out and survive I took action. I listed items I owned
for sale on Criagslist (a few small items on ebay). This
included family heirlooms from by parents estate (they died in
2003).

I looked at my vehicles. I picked the best and sold it on
Craigslist. My plan included selling all vehicles and buying a
clunker, but I did not have to. I still have a 1999 business van
and a 2004 two door Chevy Cavalier.

You talk about homeless which usually means loossing everything.
Bite the bullet and start selling off anything you can. I sold
my wife's diamond earrings and my mothers diamond wedding ring
and another diamond ring.

Hard times require hard decisions. THINGS are just that, they
are things and can be replaced (or not). Do not wait. Take
drastic action today. Even both of you getting a job might save
your situation. Work IM in your off hours.

Maybe your business is not worth saving, mine wasn't. Cut your
losses and move on to the next thing.

DO WHAT IT TAKES! At least go down fighting.

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Canee

15 years ago

Traffic is pretty low. On average we get 4 hits/day, mostly from google and yahoo searches, with sporadic spikes whenever we post to Warrior Forum.

When we first posted this thread to the Warrior Forum, we got an all-time high of 73 hits that day. No sales, though, but at least it was nice to get some traffic.

Those of you who have pointed out that there are very few inbound links showing up are correct. We don't know why. We have LOTS of links out there on the web, mostly in various forums, blogs, yahoo groups, and yahoo answers. We don't know why they are not showing up on Yahoo Site Explorer as Inlinks.

Even a local business we did a link exchange with (and we verified that his site has a link to ours) doesn't show up, nor do a couple of ads posted by a fellow Warrior in his ad directory site. It's a mystery.

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Katie Rich

15 years ago

I took a look and checked for diamond and white/yellow gold rings, with no results. Each item listing other than those is only showing 4 - 5 results. Perhaps expanding your stock promotion would help? I'm not sure who buys stainless steel rings, are they so popular?

Take up the offers from fellow warriors before you decide to quit, gotta be worth a try!

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Tcalp

15 years ago

As a fellow Canadian I know how hard it can be to build an audience especially if you only deal in Canada

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itcoll

15 years ago

you mean giving up IM or just the dropshipping business completely?Come on.If you say you are giving up IM,it is wrong.Do not do that.

Be very patient - most people succeed only after failures.

No Failures = No IM success

Formula for IM success - Fail,learn,fail,learn,fail,learn,fail,learn .........................become a millionaire

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Rich Lowe

15 years ago

Hello Bill and Marsha,

I would like to offer some suggestions here and some advice from my perspective. Please don't think I am being mean I am just trying to help so that you can turn a profit.
Let's say I was looking for some jewellery for my girlfriend and someone suggested I go to your site they give me your address and I have just landed on it. Would I order? No, here's why...

Firstly I think your name is bad CEE, unfortunately it means nothing to me and if you said that to someone I would think it's spelt like sea, see or c. It's just clumsy and confusing for me anyway.

The slogan I think is also bad and means nothing to me. I would think something like "high quality jewellery that reflects your personal style" is more appropriate or something like that anyway. There are copywriters on this forum; I think they could come up with something nice.

I think the site looks cheap and you have to remember you are competing with places like QVC and the other top jewellery retailers out there.

The grey background behind the products should be removed, it's awful and your site should be soft natural colours, think about what women like. The pics should be crystal clear on a plain white background, in my opinion. Those blue borders should be removed too.

Try putting a live support system on your site too, to show that someone is there to talk to online. You can add these for free.

Put the logo of the carrier who ships your products to your customer like UPS. I can't see it on the homepage.

Put a contact telephone number in the new header

Add the "trust logo privacy statement", "business accredited logo" and the Mcafee secure logo" - you can sign up to these services. Just Google them. They build trust with your buyers.

Get rid of the orange on the far right, I think it looks nasty. As I mentioned above think about a different colour scheme, soft natural colours for this market. It oozes class.

Remove that hot deals logo with fire flames going through it. That looks like it was done in 1998.

Remove the free gift boxes picture from the home page. To me that box looks cheap, I'm sorry but I'm just calling it how I see it.

That's just from a site design perspective. If you make those changes and consider adding those things I suggested you may have a chance but we still have the problem with what you are offering and your prices.

When you did your research did you find out how many other people are dropshipping the same items, did you talk to your dropshipper or did you just get too excited and thought Jewellery would be great and you would do it anyway? It's no disgrace if that's the case we all get carried away sometimes especially when we start out. Some drop shippers are scammers. They will give you a fixed price but will give someone else a better price.

You have to remember you are entering a highly competitive market and to play in this market you need to offer something unique, something which is not already been sold better and cheaper by other more established brands. I mean just go to QVC for instance. I'm not saying you can't compete but what you are offering must be unique in terms of design or price.

Dropshipping can be very lucrative if it is approached with care but so many people approach it totally the wrong way.

I'm assuming you have checked what others are selling the same items for?

That's just my opinion. It's a shame because you do have some nice looking items on there.

Hope that helps in some small way.

Rich

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adferger1

15 years ago

Sorry to read the first post...

But sadly, going into IM is a chance you take. There is never any guarantee that you, me or any others in this forum, will have sucess.... It is a chance we take and we hope for the best...

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JackPowers

15 years ago

To be honest, you don't seem to have learned much in those 8 months. I think you need to spend some serious time reading on this forum.

It seems like you went into this expecting to get rich overnight.

You should know that traffic is essential. You need traffic so you can determine why people don't buy. Here are some ideas for getting traffic:

Articles: Write about the latest fashion, how to spot a real from fake, simili stones - are they worth it, what should you buy for your girlfriend and what stone go with her personality.

PPC: Buy 1000 clicks from Google, your ad: "High Quality Jewelry To Match Your Personality - Feel Like A Million Dollars - www.yourwebsite.com"

Xrumer: Spam the crap out of the internet.

Ads: Buy ads with womens online magazines

Video: Do a tv-shop style infomercial on youtube

Really, guys, what HAVE you done?

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Giving Up

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