My own website

About 5 years ago I started my own webiste (through Yahoo) and list all of the stuff I have around the house I no longer want.  Mostly craft related things, but I have branched out and started putting other things a few years ago.  When I started working full time outside of the house (I was a work at homeMom for 7 years) in August 2009, I stopped "working" the website.  When I won my first locker in February, I re-vamped the website and re-joined a number of the Yahoo groups I had belonged to.  While it is nothing compaired to E-Bay or any of the other listing services, the cost of the website is $12.95 per month.  I have a TON of web space and pages and I can update things quickly.  I sold $100 worth of fabric last week, so that pretty much paid for the fees for the next 6 months even if nothing else sells.

Granted, I have to work the Yahoo groups and figure out the "rules" of when to post what and how for each one, but it has been pretty successful.  My plan is to post things on the website for 2-3 months and if between it and taking advantage of E-Bay freebies, if it doesen't sell and I can't find a place to sell it locally in a resale shop, I will donate it to a couple of the local thrift shops (NOT Goodwill or Salvation Army) and help them make some $$$.


Now, don't y'all come back to me and make a comment of this being a self serving post...If you are interested in the website addy, PM me.
 ;DKathy

Good idea, glad it's working for you. I considered doing the same thing but I'm sorta lazy and it seemed like too much work for the return.

It's tough to drive traffic to a site let alone to get someone to buy when they get there it just doesn't seem worth the return of time and money spent on it.

If your involved in the yahoo groups in niche groups like crafts or whatever your into and are part of a online community I can see it working though

This is exactly what I plan on doing. I'm a web designer, and I figure, why sell to someone only once, when you can give them the url to your site on a business card, and tell them to check out the site each week, or however often you update it. You can even capture people's email address and send out a weekly mailing of "specials". It's virtually an online storefront, no brick and mortar involved. If you have an inventory you replenish often, people will continue to come back to see what deals you have.

Optimize your pages so google will index your ads.  In your ebay ads, host your pictures on YOUR site, and reference those pics in your ebay HTML.  Google will also look to see how many other sites are linking to yours, and if those sites are large sites then you will move up in the rankings.

Get those keywords on your site, use the keywords as much as you can. This is important.  Figure out which keywords are working and which aren't.  The ones that aren't then remove them and use new ones.

Use your email address from your website on any message boards, etc.  People will see your domain, and give you some traffic.

Word of mouth is good business, but optimizing the search engine settings on your site can drive you a TON of traffic.

Speaking from experience.  I ran a few sites, made some money with em but just got bored with em.  I like creating them, not really into maintaining them once I made em.  Creating them is where the challenges are at. 

PM me your website, I would like to have a peek.

Great Idea!Every resource helps.

I use my facebook and created a new page, been pushing it out to people several times. Working pretty solid.

My website is now up, Im still working out the finer details but as of now it will work.

My URL is listed in my profile, anyone in Texas up for a free account?  Help me test this beast out and Ill set you up with a free store front.  Once I get traffic to the site, I'll likely start charging for the store front feature but yours will remain free for at least a year.

Classified ads, store front, anon listings.. Last time I did a classified site, i was BUSY.  Those sites can be lucrative if you do it right.

Anyways, check mine out.. keep in mind Im not finished, still working out some kinks..

Here are a few things I learned over the years in my other business.

If it's free marketing USE IT. ALL OF IT! Twitter, facebook, mailchimps (your own e-mail list, lets people know of incoming items and deals, craigslist, ebay free listing days)

My business tweets, facebooks, sends text messages, has a web site that sees 10,000 visitors a month (my business is a "nitch" business, maybe .5% of the population is in to the hobby)

it's a lot of work, but if you use the tools right, one thing will post to the other for you. When I post to my e-mail list it's automatically tweeted and posted on Facebook. I put 2 hours in to setting up my last "sale" building the e-mail, craigslist post and forums post. I see a open rate close to 50% on my e-mail marketing.

Those two hours turned in to a net profit of just over 1000 dollars in one day.

About 5 years ago I started my own webiste (through Yahoo) and list all of the stuff I have around the house I no longer want.  Mostly craft related things, but I have branched out and started putting other things a few years ago.  When I started working full time outside of the house (I was a work at homeMom for 7 years) in August 2009, I stopped "working" the website.  When I won my first locker in February, I re-vamped the website and re-joined a number of the Yahoo groups I had belonged to.  While it is nothing compaired to E-Bay or any of the other listing services, the cost of the website is $12.95 per month.  I have a TON of web space and pages and I can update things quickly.  I sold $100 worth of fabric last week, so that pretty much paid for the fees for the next 6 months even if nothing else sells.

Granted, I have to work the Yahoo groups and figure out the "rules" of when to post what and how for each one, but it has been pretty successful.  My plan is to post things on the website for 2-3 months and if between it and taking advantage of E-Bay freebies, if it doesen't sell and I can't find a place to sell it locally in a resale shop, I will donate it to a couple of the local thrift shops (NOT Goodwill or Salvation Army) and help them make some $$$.


Now, don't y'all come back to me and make a comment of this being a self serving post...If you are interested in the website addy, PM me.
 ;DKathy

1&1 my website is easier and better