Looking for ideas before I begin...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Anthony Belli
    Sergeant

    • May 2006
    • 21

    Looking for ideas before I begin...

    Greetings all,
    My name is Anthony Belli and I joined the Voda community yesterday after weeks of considering and even trying other options. As I'm looking around for a template for my site it dawns on me that what I envision for my site is certainly not typical of other sites I've visited. This made me realize what I want to create is not what I have been trying to build. So I'm back to square one and thought picking other peoples brains for ideas would help.

    My web site as I originally saw it was to be a bookstore, the problem is I don't want to sell books. My objective is to create a site for authors (like myself) who write for a specific audience. I would post my and their books on my site.
    Here the public could select the book or books they want. When they push the "buy" botton it would link them to the site where the book is available for purchase.

    One problem I see right off is... Say a person wants to buy three books, from three different authors. It is likely that the buyer would then be taken to three different sites to purchase these books. Thats 3 forms to complete, and three cc charges on three different sites. That would be a hassel.

    The next problem is this... Say I want to charge a $1.00 fee for each book sold from my site, how would I accomplish that?

    The reason I got sucked into this has to do with the fact that my book(s) are available on a publishers storefront site that I created, along with several others authors who publish thur this outfit. So the public can buy all the books they want here and they only deal with the one "checkout,"
    and the publishing company takes care of... orders, shipping and royalities to its authors. My intention was to highlight my book(s) along with others
    and link the buyer with the purchaser. I do not want to handle the orders, shipping, and royalities, etc.

    So it dawns on me that I don't want to be a bookstore as such, but a site where people of this specific audience can come and see whats available. The purpose of the site then is to link them to the site where they can buy that book, as well as highlighting my own books when they become available. At first I envisioned an eCommerce site but now I really don't think thats what I need. So I'm looking for ideas first before I take another look at this. Any thoughts? - Yes this is my first web site, and my first book.

    Thank you,
    Anthony Belli
  • VodaHost
    General & Forum Administrator

    • Mar 2005
    • 12356

    #2
    Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

    Moving to pre-sales.

    VodaHost

    Your Website People!
    1-302-283-3777 North America / International
    02036089024 / United Kingdom
    291916438 / Australia

    ------------------------

    Top 3 Best Sellers

    Web Hosting - Unlimited disk space & bandwidth.

    Reseller Hosting - Start your own web hosting business.

    Search Engine & Directory Submission - 300 directories + (Google,Yahoo,Bing)


    Comment

    • VodaHost
      General & Forum Administrator

      • Mar 2005
      • 12356

      #3
      Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

      The solution is simple, create a site, list the books you want to sell.
      Write your comments and reviews about the books, and join the affiliate
      programs of the larger retailers link amazon.com or barns & noble, etc...
      They will provide you likes for your website and when someone purchases
      they will pay you a commission.

      VodaHost

      Your Website People!
      1-302-283-3777 North America / International
      02036089024 / United Kingdom
      291916438 / Australia

      ------------------------

      Top 3 Best Sellers

      Web Hosting - Unlimited disk space & bandwidth.

      Reseller Hosting - Start your own web hosting business.

      Search Engine & Directory Submission - 300 directories + (Google,Yahoo,Bing)


      Comment

      • islandcrazy
        Major

        • Jul 2006
        • 286

        #4
        Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

        I'm intrigued by your ideas, but not sure what you are trying to do.

        1. First, is your book published? Is it being sold somewhere already? Or
        2. are you going to sell it on your own? Or
        3. is it being sold elsewhere and you want to ALSO sell it on your own, on a special site dedicated to your subject where your book will get more attention than on a larger book site?

        If it is #3, I think it is a great idea to create your own website to promote yourself. We do this in the "art" world, too, by creating a portfolio of our work. Sometimes we just advertise where you can buy our work and other times we actually sell the work directly, or both!

        It sounds like you do not want to handle the commerce end of selling other people's books, BUT:

        1. You want your site to draw more people, thus the need to have other authors involved with the same subject
        2. You'd like to earn some sort of money to pay for the site, thus charging other authors to use it? (you mentioned $1.00 per sale)

        If you are not going to actually SELL anything on your site, just promote your book and direct your customers elsewhere to buy it, you could just set up an "about me" page or a portfolio. Showcase your work, have a forum for other authors and customers in that genre, have a newsletter, build a customer email list. You could also sell the book yourself with a simple cart on your site with one product, Your book! You could even do it without a cart, through email with a paypal account or your own merchant account, etc.

        If you decide to have a page that also showcases OTHER authors (which is a GREAT idea for building up your customers)....you don't have to sell their work. Just charge the other authors a small fee to set up a page for them on your site. It could be a one-time fee or it could be a monthly fee. As you grow and get more customers, you can reevaluate the charges.

        Of course, this assumes that you know the other authors and they would have reason to pay you. For example, in my immediate circle of friends/co artists, we network and work out "consignment" situations.....or we trade services...or we link our sites together, sharing our customers and thus having more presence on the web.

        If you don't know the authors and you are just trying to have a better site for your customers, you may just have to provide that service for free since you don't want to actually sell the books. Or contact the agents of the other authors and see if they are interested.

        I can see a really cool site in your future! If it was me, I would start with a porfolio page advertising my book. I would also have a links page of other authors you like. Unless you want to actually sell products, this would be a good start. You could ALWAYS launch a "bookstore" later!

        Good luck!
        still working on website!

        Comment

        • beegud2
          Major General

          • Apr 2006
          • 2156

          #5
          Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

          Hi,

          Check out these e-bbok sites that sound a bit similar to yours. I love books so I looked around a bit...and found these. Ok they are mainly romance sites...lol...but the basic idea is there...I think.

          Venu Press

          Ellora's Cave Romantica Publishing - Home-New Releases
          Beezz
          sigpic


          ___________________
          http://www.beezworld.com

          http://www.bzzybeezwordz.blogspot.com

          Comment

          • Jeremy
            Brigadier General

            • Apr 2006
            • 1502

            #6
            Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

            Hey!

            First off let me welcome you to the Voda Community - most known as VodaLand! Now I might start to get annoying with everyone but I have to tell every newbie that no question is a stupid question. Because if you don't ask it, it won't be resolved!

            Mostly what you are saying - that I understand - is that you want to start a website that has a showcase of many books by different authors and if someone wants to purchase it it will either bring them to a different site like Amazon or your personal Buy Now button.

            Now what you can do is sell the books on your site and have an e-commerce shopping cart on your website. What this will do is customers will be able to read up information on a book and if they like it they can click on the [add to cart] and so on. Once they are done adding all their books to their cart they can click on [checkout] and it will only bring them to one page for all of the books with only typing your CC or PayPal once.

            Would that be a solution?
            Best regards,
            Jeremy

            www.cornwall4rent.com

            Comment

            • Vasili
              Moderator

              • Mar 2006
              • 14683

              #7
              Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

              Originally posted by VodaHost
              The solution is simple, create a site, list the books you want to sell.
              Write your comments and reviews about the books, and join the affiliate
              programs of the larger retailers link amazon.com or barns & noble, etc...
              They will provide you likes for your website and when someone purchases
              they will pay you a commission.
              General VodaHost offered what I believe is the best solution for your burgeoning enterprise....

              Not only will you not have to worry about the complications of figuring how to implement (and develop) a Commerce website that does not compliment your ultimate destination as a means to Review/Suggest works by others but more importantly showcase your own works, you will be compensated for your referrals and gain credibility in the meantime that might not be available otherwise. Additionally, the traffic you earn based on the unique content of your reviews, for instance (which is a draw since they are lacking elsewhere) will elevate your own website ranking overall, and add to your own eventual presentation of your works!

              This allows you to build a wonderfully customized website with Blue Voda, establish Affiliate status to refer customers for purchase of other works and still earn a commission, and when ready, simply add PayPal to your BV website to sell your own books without any loss of commerce functionality or professional appearance.

              For the best Affiliate Network Programs (to find the "stores" of your choosing to refer lateral customers to), look to :
              1. Commission Junction
              2. LinkShare
              3. BeFree
              First design your site as if you are already a participating Affiliate, as the process is based on "acceptance" and desireability of your site. Then apply to the programs. > Don't forget to indicate you intend to promote including SEO.

              **I would recommend Commission Junction (they will pay you themselves whenever your commission reaches $25 or more - the best overall terms) and Barnes&Noble and/or Buy.com (rather than BooksAMillion, Amazon, or others) as both pay bigger commissions.

              PS - Welcome to VodaHost "There's Magic in Here!"
              . VodaWebs....Luxury Group
              * Success Is Potential Realized *

              Comment

              • Anthony Belli
                Sergeant

                • May 2006
                • 21

                #8
                Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

                Thanks guys! Plenty of great ideas here. My book is available but only on the net through the POD service (printer) who offers a storefront for its writers. After reading your replies and doing my own research I like the idea of promoting my own works along side of others. But I'm still having a difficult time deciding how to complete the sale. It would be great to sell all of the books on my site at cost + $1.00. Then I'd have to turn around an place those customers orders with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. I know someone who is trying this method, but he is new at it so there is no way to judge its success. Of course the problem is... What if I took 100 orders,
                than I'd have to forward those orders to the companies that actually have the books available to ship to my customers. Sounds like a ton of paperwork, making the affiliate program more attractive. Any thoughts?

                Comment

                • Vasili
                  Moderator

                  • Mar 2006
                  • 14683

                  #9
                  Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

                  Keep it simple....read post #7 at least 700 times, and you should soon see the light! LOL

                  Focus on what you want your site to eventually be...design it thus, for it is hugely simpler to do it right the first go'round. Personally (that's why I took the time to offer my advice at all) I would do the site in BV, and simply ad the Affiliate links where appropriate to "process" those potential customer/source of revenue. You can't have it both ways: either your site allows the added opportunity to capitalize on the interest you create, or you are simply interested in capital.....
                  . VodaWebs....Luxury Group
                  * Success Is Potential Realized *

                  Comment

                  • islandcrazy
                    Major

                    • Jul 2006
                    • 286

                    #10
                    Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

                    I concur with what Vasili said in his last post. You cannot have it both ways.....meaning if you do not want to handle the shipping/commerce side of the idea, you better not make your site a store.

                    Why would you plan such a great site and hope it does not succeed? Meaning, hope you don't have 100's of orders to deal with? That does not make sense. What it says to me is, "you do not want to be a store" but you want to promote your work, a few other authors, and increase your sales without being a store!

                    I do not know what affiliate program means....so that I cannot comment on.

                    If you want to profit from your SERVICES of promoting these other books to your customers, I do not know how to do that except by setting up your site as some sort of consignment shop where the manufactures/authors/printers, whomever has the tangible items for sale--use your site as an "outlet" for their merchandise. You would charge them a fee to be on your site, but the customers would buy directly from them.

                    In exchange for the fee you charge, you would have to give some services like:
                    advertising--you can help drive sales for the other authors

                    promotions--you can have contests, etc. to bring new customers that the authors wouldn't get at other sites

                    community--maybe have a blog or message board for like minded customers and or authors that would increase traffic to your site and sales of the books

                    I know of several "art" related sites that generate LOTS of new customers for their consignment artists just through a busy message board. I do not know your target audience, but it is a possibility

                    Memberships...if you make your site something people really want to be part of they might purchase a montly membership (just a couple bucks). With this membership they get access to forums, reviews, free products, coupons, sneak peeks, whatever you can think of to keep them on your site and keep them buying books and bringing their friends to buy books. the more members you have, the more authors/manufacturers will want to be part of your site, thus giving your customers more to choose from. It's a circle of life! LOL

                    ok, enough brainstorming from me. I'm supposed to be building my site! Good luck!
                    still working on website!

                    Comment

                    • Jeremy
                      Brigadier General

                      • Apr 2006
                      • 1502

                      #11
                      Re: Looking for ideas before I begin...

                      You take the change, advertise and hope it succeeds my friend!
                      Best regards,
                      Jeremy

                      www.cornwall4rent.com

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X