[neato]

Has anyone ever sold a website that has yet to recieve any orders? Will people buy a site that needs to be optimized?

Would you sell it on ebay or is there another place on the web that is good for selling?

 

[badalou]

Are you planing on selling your website, or try to? When you say optimazed are you referring to the fact that your source code lacks meta files that would greatly enhance the chance for serch engines to find you. One of the major factors is word content on you pages, especially you home page. If you have the content on you page that people will be looking for then your okay. A lot of people have really great websites and they don't get hits because they forget the main principles. There is only one major factor for you being seen on a search engine.. it is time. I go to my stats all the time and I can see if the gggle bots have visited my site. Below are some meta files that I use on one of my sites.

<meta name="DESCRIPTION" CONTENT="Tee shirts, for ladies, Men and Children. ">
<meta name="CLASSIFICATION" CONTENT="tee shirts for family, children and pets - teerags.com">
<meta name="BODY" CONTENT="tee shirts for everyone, supplying Heat transfer design promtional items, logo merchandise, promotions and ad specialties.">
<meta name="KEYWORDS" CONTENT="tee shirts, tee designs, name brand tee, personalized tees, personalized tees, personalized Pet photos, photo designs, Tees with your favorite pet picture or family promotional products,Monogrammed tees,gifts ">
<meta name="HTDIG-KEYWORDS" CONTENT="tee, tees, tee shirt, tee shirts, appearl, clothing, picture tee, nasty tees, novalty tees, tee shirt business, heat press tee designs, gifts">

 

[Rodney]

I've sold a number of websites before. They can be sold through eBay, however a lot of websites are bought and sold through webmaster/domain name industry type forums like: sitepoint.com, dnforum.com, namepros.com.

When considering the value of a website, they take a look at the traffic, sources of traffic and actual net profit for the site (among other things). If your site is lacking in those areas, I wouldn't expect to get too much for the sale.

Are you throwing in the towel for your site, or are you just asking in general for another site?

Don't give up...it can takes lots of work and time, but the rewards can be well worth it!

 

[neato]

Yeah, I am about ready to give up. I just don't know if I want to risk buying hundreds of transfers only to have them sit and collect dust.

Since I redesigned my site 2 months ago, I have only sold one shirt, and it was through these boards. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I just noticed that when I search on yahoo for 'retro baby t-shirts' I come up number 1! 'funny baby t-shirts' I come up number 5.

So what is happening? That seems like it would be a pretty common search. But Nobody is buying anything.

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

Whoa, Phillip!

Like Rodney said, it takes time.

You've got to do more than get ranked high for searches. What other kinds of marketing have you done?

You've go to get your stuff in front of people that buy baby stuff! Trust me, they are out there! Find them!

Your clothing and brand have so much potential, I would hate for you to give up before you really get started. Do all you can do first.

 

[jdr8271]

I think your site has potential. Youre just not getting enough hits. You need to get some link exchanges or some paid ads.

If you want to see if youre product has a market, try out the stuff on ebay. If it doesn't sell on ebay, then you may be right to give up, but I believe you have a good product. Its going to take time. If you want to sell, Id be interested though .

 

[neato]

What kind of places would you advertise? Has anyone placed banner ads on other sites and had good results?

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

I'm going to place some banner ads. I'll be using google adwords.

Check into it. Find some baby-related sites and put up some banner ads. Place some text-based ads. Me and jdr might start a bidding war for your site if you decide you don't want to keep it!

 

[badalou]

You might try a few of these areas.
Adwords with Google Place it under "baby clothing"
Get on a baby forum. Lots of woman want info about raising children so they get on these types of forums.
You said you have lots of transfers. Are they already printed? Hope not. Also make a few of the tees and find a few shops that sell baby clothes. I love the Mister poopy Pants. have you thought about an Ebay store. Remember you can link back to your store in your about me section. I have six deco tees up now on ebay and I am getting hits back to my teerag shop. Hey Phillip, we will support you. Your site is a class act. Don't give it up..

 

[Rodney]

Since I redesigned my site 2 months ago, I have only sold one shirt, and it was through these boards. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Without marketing/advertising, you will never make a sale.

Instead of spending money on transfers, spend it on promoting your website.

What kind of traffic are you currently getting?

What ways have you been marketing/advertising your site to generate sales?

So what is happening? That seems like it would be a pretty common search. But Nobody is buying anything.

You need to find out how many people are actually visiting your website. If you haven't already, try a free traffic monitoring counter service like www.statcounter.com

If all you're doing is waiting for people to find you in the search engines, then you'll have a loooooong wait You need to put yourself in front of your potential buyers.

What kind of places would you advertise?

Think about it in a different way:

What kind of places would YOU advertise?

Or better put, what kind of places are likely to be visited by the people who might buy your product?

Parents, moms, dads, people buying gifts for families, etc.

Think like your customer.

What magazines do they read, what websites to they visit, what newsletters do they read, what blogs do they read, what search terms do they use, where do they hang out, where do they shop?

That's where you should start your advertising efforts.

Once you've got that covered, then start thinking "outside the crib". Why did you start selling baby t-shirts? What have you gone through in the process of setting up your site? What are you thinking about doing next on your site? What is something funny that happened to you and your kid/family last weekened? All sound like interesting topics that could be covered in your blog. A blog which could start generating daily readers. A blog which could then link to your site selling related t-shirts.

 

[TeeShirtSamurai]

Phillip,

You have a quality site and quality products. I think one of two things are happening.

1. You aren't getting enough hits. The average conversion rate is already pretty low. Based on threads here, it's what 1-4%? So, if you aren't getting enough hits you need to look at SEO and market a lot more. Like Rodney said in another thread, you can't just open up a nice looking site, tell some friends and expect the money to roll in.

2. You are getting enough hits but people are wary to buy children's clothing online. I could be way off but follow my logic please.

Who buys the majority of a child's clothing? The mother. Most new mothers, while the pregnancy may have been planned, are not in a situation where they have an abundance of money. So, they may not feel comfortable spending the little money they do have on an unknown piece of clothing that may or may not fit their child. It's easier for them to go up the street to Target or Wal-Mart with the kid in a stroller and hold less expensive clothing up to their child to gauge the fit.

Also, kid's outgrow clothes very quickly so think about that as well.


However, the fact that T-Shirt Hell has a Baby Hell section is a testament to the fact that your site can work. Grant it, T-Shirt Hell already had the traffic when they added that section but I highly doubt they would go to the trouble of having a children's line if they hadn't done the research and think it wouldn't generate sales.

Like I said, your site is quality, so are your products (as best I can gauge from my screen here). If I was in your situation I would do/consider a couple of things:

1. Aggressively market your site. Have a company make some nice glossy postcard size handouts that resemble your hang tag/logo/whatever. Go to retail stores/department stores/grocery store (formula aisle) and stick them everywhere (GUERILLA MARKETING!) or ask if you can leave a stack near the register. Get creative.

2. Add a gift registry to your site. This would be perfect for baby showers and new mothers who are expecting. They can come to your site, pick out clothes they like and add it to their registry. Family and friends can look up their registry and buy the clothes.

3. Register at a couple of forums where new mothers/parents might frequent and start contributing. Put your site in your signature. It's the same principal people here use.

4. Hit the stores like Badalou did. Start trying to get places to stock your stuff.

I don't want to see you give up. There are a lot more ideas (and better ones) than those listed above. Get creative! You have a nice niche and have put in too much work to quit.

 

[statc]

I agree that you need to start advertising on sites that relate to your typical customer. Go look for sites where people with babies go. Find some sites/forums that pregnant women usually visit and start telling people about your stuff. Try looking for some upscale boutiques that sell baby stuff and send them a catalog. I'm sure someone will pick up on it.

I feel your pain though. I launched my site about 3 months ago and have maybe made 3-4 sales online( I have like 60 printed shirts sittin around in my house). I think you gotta altleast give it 6 months to see how things are going before calling it quits.

 

[kentphoto]

Yeah, I am about ready to give up. I just don't know if I want to risk buying hundreds of transfers only to have them sit and collect dust.

Are you using transfers or silkscreened shirts. Here's a quote from your FAQ section:

ARE THESE CHEAP SHIRTS OR NICE ONES?
All of our shirts are 100% heavyweight cotton and are professionally screen printed. They are not inferior iron-ons, or any other cheap image transfers that are being sold on the web.

This should be clarified.

I like your site, and the shirts look great, but you have to split the work say, 20% / 80% . 80% marketing, and 20% production, and order fulfillment. The work never stops.

 

[neato]

Thank Kent. I actually have been screen printing, but have decided to switch to plastisol transfers instead. I guess I need to change that.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I guess it's time to get creative and start marketing like crazy.

I'll stick around a while.

 

[Rodney]

I think you gotta altleast give it 6 months to see how things are going before calling it quits.

It depends on what you're doing for that 6 months.

but you have to split the work say, 20% / 80% . 80% marketing, and 20% production, and order fulfillment.

That sounds like a very smart breakdown of your time. Especially when you are just starting out. Every second you have should be spent on find new and creative ways of getting the word out there about your site. You should live and breath site promotion.

 

[BarbTNMUSA]

I've sold numerous web sites. The reasons they sold had nothing to do with optimization, though. People bought them because of the name of the domain. In reading the other great advice already given in this thread, I'd like to suggest that you put together a marketing plan that includes not only online but offline marketing. What do you do in your home town to let the folks there know what you do? Relying on online sales that are generated from online leads these days could easily lead to a quick starvation.

Barb

 

[RAHchills]

I've sold numerous web sites. The reasons they sold had nothing to do with optimization, though. People bought them because of the name of the domain. In reading the other great advice already given in this thread, I'd like to suggest that you put together a marketing plan that includes not only online but offline marketing. What do you do in your home town to let the folks there know what you do? Relying on online sales that are generated from online leads these days could easily lead to a quick starvation.

Barb

That's really good advice, Barb.

Phillip, I would add that you should pick up a copy of Guerilla Marketing as that book is full of creative, and inexpensive, ideas to market your wares. There are plenty of charitable organizations dealing with babies... volunteering a Saturday afternoon with one of them is the perfect way to bang out two birds with one stone.

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

I agree...Guerilla Marketing is excellent. I'm going to a tradeshow in October and I'm currently reviewing the tradeshow chapter! But it has loads of other marketing info that great, as well.

 

[Vtec44]

hey Neto, check dreamofbaby.com/forum. They're exactly your targeted audience

 

[Shirt_Off_My_Bak]

Just a thought, I hate to see you give up, have you considered a redo of the site? The home page looks nice, good logo, some areas of interest, but when you get to the designs IMO they’re too small. You’ve got the entire outline of the shirt, but are forced to enlarge the graphic before you can really see it. However, when I click on the Poopy Pants shirt and see the bigger image, I get it. And it’s entirely possible that I’m missing the joke, but what is the tractor shirt doing in the middle of the page? I personally don’t get the connection to your product line, yet it represents 33% of product offered on the home page.

With the relatively small number of designs available, I would try putting them all on the home page, maybe 3 across at around 180x180 (and just the design). Instead of repeating the designs on different pages for infants and toddler, allow the size selection on the order page. You have 3 menu items, Bibs, Big Babies, and Other Stuff that are blank. Drop them until you have a product available. Combining the home page with the shop page would take one page out of the ordering loop, which I see as favorable.

Of course you need to drive people to the site and others have offered good suggestions regarding this, but once they arrive you need to get their attention.