Advice needed on website selling car care products

[lewis_webb]

Hi, Don’t suppose it would be possible for a few of you to have a check through my website as you lot will be most likely my target audience!

My aim is to sell exclusive car care products via the internet and I have created an online shop at www.beseenclean.co.uk. At the moment I have only Autoglym products available but once up and running am keen to sell some more exclusive products.

I know of a few problems that need fixing but would appreciate all comments good and bad!

Payment at the moment is through either paypal or cheque/postal order, although I am trying to work towards normal credit card processing paypal will have to do for the moment. Do many people have a big enough problem with paypal not to buy something from my shop?

Lastly what about prices? What discount would be needed for you to buy online rather than going to a shop, I know that this is not such a problem with more exclusive stuff but you can just pop down to helfrauds to get Autoglym.

Sorry for all the questions :d

Thanks
Lewis

[thepeoplespal]

Why would I create an account? Personally I hate the things and only sign up if there is a very big incentive to do so, otherwise I move on to another website. It is an option on the Cart Software I use, but we have disabled it.

Descriptions, sell the products to me, why should I buy? Why do I need them?

Make you site sticky, by getting editoral on car cleaning problems, before and after pictures, examples of using the products.

I'd go for better pictures as well, can read the details on your thumbnails.

Using paypal itself isn't such a big problem, but you don't include your name and address anywhere on your site or a way to get in contact with you other than via a form filling exercise (include a spam trapped email address too), so I'd probably not give you the benefit of the doubt.

[dontlift]

Lewis feel free to drop me a mail and discuss off line i have built several successful ecommerce businesses including www.toolsnstuff.co.uk - also in oscommerce

[wculbert]

Hi,
What about details of the retail price and the you are selling it at so it is clear to the customer the saving they are making.
Thanks William

[wculbert]

Hi,
Could you offer free P&P to act as a futher insentive.
Thanks William

[lewis_webb]

Hi, thanks for the replies.

Firstly thepeoplespal, I have taken your advice and allowed visitors to purchase without an account. What do you think I should do with the pictures? At the moment they are just taken from the Autoglym website.
Where do you think I should include my name and address?

I have also taken wculbert's advice and included all the rrp prices. I hope its now clear?

Thanks for all this constructive criticism it really helps, anyone got any more ideas?

Cheers
Lewis

[tallbloke]

Take DontLift up on his kind offer. OsCommerce is an awesome bit of kit.

[blueski]

Looks brilliant to me.

mx5parts also uses oscommerce, and have been fantastically successful... just wish I'd thought of it first!

[lewis_webb]

Thanks for the replies; I will be taking up DontLifts offer!

What would convince you to buy car-cleaning products online? How much cheaper would they need to be? What other products or manufacturers would you like to see? I believe that it will need to be more exclusive products rather than ones you can just pop down to hellfrauds for?


Lewis

[trevorw]

I think you should stock some of the products on here..

www.speeding.co.uk/acatalog/Car_Care.html

Personally I would be happier with a good free delivery otherwise i might aswell get it from the highstreet and a prompt friendly service. If the product is cheaper than the high street aswell then it makes it even better.

[s a m]

Yea the register to order thing is quite annoying on OSC, better to register the person while they complete their order details.

Unfortunately without a contrib. you cant do this on OSC, but you could modify the titles so rather than saying “register” (big scary off putting word) call it something more like “Your Shipping Details” – and we save your shipping details ready for next time you order.

Now your doing them a favour, rather than nabbing all their personal data.

[s a m]

Sorry, something else – you need to get a proper payment solution.

PayPal is ok but a large number of your customers probably wont have PayPal, so they cant order without registering.

Visit WorldPay www.worldpay.co.uk, I have a IMC (Internet Merchant Account) with Natwest/RBS Streamline, and a WorldPay processing account, that way its cheaper on fees (3.5%) and I get the money within 3 business days. WorldPay can take up to 8 weeks to pay you, especially on new accounts.

Edited to add - feel free to email me if you need any more help.

>> Edited by s a m on Friday 7th January 21:01

[lewis_webb]

TrevorW I am very keen to extend the product line I have to sell however I would like to see how it goes first with Autoglym as I dont want to be stuck with lots of stock.

sam, I would like to use a professional payment gateway as I too agree that it is alot more professional however they have startup and monthly charges and at the moment I really dont want to commit myself to these.

Any more ideas?

Lewis

[lewis_webb]

Also forgot to add:

I could offer free p+p however the prices would have to be higher, I decided that not including p+p makes the products look cheaper.

What do you think?

For example Super Resin Polish:

RRP : £7.99 My Present Price: £5.99 Postage : £1.33 = £7.32

If I had it advertised at £7.32 it would not look as much as a saving? Do you not agree?

What I might look into is free postage on orders over £15/20?

Thanks
Lewis