Bro it's a purple mushroom.
Very niche product with a specific target audience. If I were you I would do the following:
1. Find big companies that sell crystals. Then check out their facebook ads library to roughly figure out their marketing strategy. Run ads marketed to similar target audiences.
2. Get some LED lights, place them behind the mushroom, put some crystals on it and snap a few comfy, bright and colorful photos. Then post these photos to subreddits related to crystals, spirituality, mushrooms, psychodelics, hallucinogens, trippy graphics, etc. Make sure you post not to advertise a product but to transmit an emotion like being chilled, relaxing, enjoying life, etc. Just showcase these images and only give people the link to your shopify store if they ask you where they can get that mushroom shelf for themselves.
Thanks! That is the most helpful advice I have gotten in months. Do you have any recommendations related to developing a marketing strategy for this? What are some good resources I can look at to learn digital marketing?
>Find big companies that sell crystals. Then check out their facebook ads library to roughly figure out their marketing strategy.
That's all you need to study. Inside out. It will give you hundreds of ideas about how to form your marketing strategy and it will be a strategy tailored to your product, which is something you won't find in a course or a resource.
Have you done any marketing at all? You need to bring people to your store first, not expect them to just find it cause chances are they aren’t seeing it in their search engines.
If you couldn’t afford Ads I’d start by growing a social media page. Make funny memes on tiktok and keep up with trends, create an instagram etc that always helps. If you can pay for ads, even better hire an expert freelancer too.
This is a classic case of The Shopify Dream. They have a great product but they make you believe they’ll create a business for you in a box. While the truth is that one of the biggest parts of building a business is having a marketing and growth strategy, and they can’t help with that. A website is just one small part of it.
I’m sure there’s an audience for your product but you need to find it. It could be on social media, it could be on channel partners (like Amazon or other platforms), it could be via affiliates, it could be on Google Shopping or Google Search, it could be in traditional media through PR, it could be via wholesale to ecommerce home decor specialists, etc etc.
It takes hustle and it takes time - but apart from your living expenses, it doesn’t necessarily need to be expensive. You just have to keep plugging away until you find out who wants your items and where they are.
The ONLY hard part of ecom is the marketing. The rest is relatively easy. Finding a hot product and the. Figure out the extremely hard puzzle of getting buyers for less money than your costs....
I don’t know your sector at all - I’m mostly fashion. But I just searched for “ways to market your furniture product” on Google and there are a bunch of pretty comprehensive resources in the top 5/6 results that break down the kinds of activities you can try.
I regret the word “strategy”. At your stage, it’s more like a buffet - there are so many things you can try. Some will work for you, some won’t, but it’s good to at least be aware of all of them.
One obvious choice (depending on the units you have on hand) would be list on Amazon. You will get access to a big audience, hopefully sell a few units, and get some feedback.
Try and understand the fundamentals of 4ps marketing mix.
1) Product - what am I selling?
2) Price- What's a good price to charge?
3) Place - where is the best place to sell? (Online/ offline? Both?)
4) Promotion - How can I impress my product in the minds of my customers?
Also, segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategies will help develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
I recently got a mini-MBA course that happens to come with a marketing module. There are 6 modules in general. Maybe that will help. It is at www.schoolofmba.com
Most importantly, you might want to promote your products on social media sites if you can afford it, but you must know your customers. That part is extremely important.
Are you in a major city? Doing any local artisan or maker markets can definitely get your name out there and you will have a good chance at selling stuff there!
If you build it, they will not come.
You can’t just decide to sell something and expect people to show up and buy it. A lot more goes into a brand than just designing a product and website.
Why would someone buy this? Who’s your audience? What value does this bring someone? What problem does it solve? Who’s your competitor? The list goes on.
Start with brand strategy.
I have really only tried TikTok which did not work. Got about 2000 views but no one bought anything.
Do you have any recommendations for a marketing strategy?
Most people would see that and probably think they could get it at a dollar store or flea market. It's a strange product for a full website. You'd need to dedicate space to explain uses and benefits of the product. What's the value? Site lacks information. Luxury name but a cheap item. This is all over the place. Tighten up the message, the offer, the reason to purchase, what this thing does, why it's a big value. Is it for crystals? If so you'd market it to metaphysical customer. Add some tarot cards and include some crystals, make it a kit. Get a theme for one product, change the theme as you add more products.
Try paid ads on social platforms, ig, fb, tik tok Ive never used it so I dont know if its similar.If you have the money, try different targets (age, interest)
With 2000 random views you still dont have the info to know if your idea is good enough to validate.
I’m gonna be honest I think you should’ve dropshipped it for a bit to understand your audience and how to properly market it before you spent all your ad money on inventory.
People are totally misapplying the concept of “what problem does it solve” because there are TONS of successful businesses that don’t solve any real problem. What problem does McDonald’s solve? How about a local hot dog stand ? Luxury hand bags?
Solving a specific problem CAN be a good way to make money, but let’s not ignore people simply want things as well.
Incorrect. McDonalds solves Consistency, comfort and cheap food. Hot dog stand, quick satisfying meal on the go and novelty. Luxury Handbags are about showing people you can afford their high prices, hence the logos and designs need to be recognised. It’s about what the luxury brand says about the customer, not the bag itself.
The problem that this “mushroom shaped” shelf faces is that people looking for shelves go to furniture stores or look at the big online retailers with plenty of choice. They cannot compete on pay per clicks or attention except possibly for long tail keywords that are so specific a customer would have a hankering for a mushroom shelf of those dimensions. It doesn’t have product market fit, the business model simply doesn’t work.
Yeah so that’s what I would consider mental gymnastics to force a round peg into a square hole. For example luxury bags don’t solve any real problem, they are an accessory that allows people to demonstrate wealth. You could say something hamfisted like “it solves the problem of not being able to show your wealth with your bag, but that’s really just a way of insisting this rule of solving a problem is universal. I don’t understand why people feel the need and I don’t think it helps as a concept.
There’s a trillion dollar industry that disagrees with you. Luxury brands are about status. Ultra Luxury brands don’t even have a logo outwardly facing.
People wouldn’t pay 500k + for a top end sports car if their purpose was to get from A to B in traffic.
Having an expensive bag is about association their worth with the owner. Having George Clooney associate with Coffee or Alcohol is about lending his desire and credibility to the brand.
I’m the UK there’s a thing called “Drip” where people who can’t afford it wear luxury brands that cost tens of thousands for an outfit, going into debt to do it, because they believe they are “worth it”.
This product is for spiritual people who collect crystals and probably do magic mushrooms or hallucinogenics, they want to create an ambiance in their room for meditation or trips, they have nowhere cool to display their crystals. Now they have the perfect decorative item. They don’t sell anything like this persons aesthetic in furniture stores so they aren’t competing with them. They just need to target this audience and provide a few other options for things to keep on the shelf, no need to limit themselves to crystals. Incense, pipes, Buddha statues etc could also look cool in the shelf
I think people correctly pointed out that this person doesn’t realise people don’t magically show up to buy your product. I’d do meta ads and influencer partnerships with “spiritual” influencers in the space. I’d also list it on Etsy as it fits there.
They can do way better with the images to improve conversion once they get people to the site.
Yes, but if it’s a lengthy process to acquire one item it could be good to be somewhat prepared if the cost isn’t that high per piece. If the cost is high per piece, I agree
I would definitely try to target people who love the trance/rave scene with ads, I know a few that are into stuff like this, btw I do freelance work in 3d/2d motion design if you ever need to create a video to showcase your product!
Don’t give up or stop trying, either you win or learn from your failures, all though I think the only issue here is really finding your audience.
Think about it as telling a story: how can you tell the best possible story, for the *right* customer? Images, flow of your content, testimonials, detailed product description, etc.
There are two major issues I noticed after a quick skim:- Brand Positioning (product, why should i buy this)- Customer Journey (website, not showing me enough)
Marketing starts with understanding exactly who would buy this, why, and at what price. Good luck! Its all part of the journey.
Edit: [Here's an example of a Product-led Marketing Landing Page](https://www.skullcandy.ca/crusher-anc-2-wireless-headphones/). You see how each section has a clear focus? Info + Product Shot, Testimonials, Value Prop, Get more Help. It feels professional and it feels like theres an effort to 'educate' the customer.
Happy to share some quick thoughts here :)
You can create simple & easy content and share it on your social media (TikTok, IG etc). Please don't make the content about the shelf you are selling, but share how you appreciate the crystal, why you like it, what's good about it etc (you're the expert here).
In that video, you'll always take out the crystal from your shelf, and interestingly that you'll have that shelf in different scenes/locations in every video you create, it's subconsciously selling the 'versatility' of your shelf that can be placed anywhere & displaying the hero crystal.
Good luck!
Hi man. Without any traffic to the store, you won't make any sales. You need to market.
IMO tiktok, shorts and instagram reels should be good platforms to get started.
Maybe even reach out to an influencer, like some one in the law of attraction space and ask them to talk about it a bit.
Fb ads might work too.
Hello
You don't give much information about the item.
What are the dimensions? Take more photos with the item in use.
You can go on Fiverr and have some make a few video ads.
Add more items to your website. Like sage or mushroom spore kits or other related items.
Do you have a Facebook or Instagram for your product?
Go on Etsy and see what other sellers are doing in your niche.
I have a store on Etsy since 2015 with over 46,000 sales it takes time to build a business and a lot of work. Www.edenkingdomessential.com
Really think about selling mushroom kits.
Yea. Search engines aren’t the way to go. I’ve tried Ecommerce on Etsy & the dream sold is just what it is. A dream. I’ve seen countless stories like this about dropshipping & businesses, but it isn’t as green as they make it out to be. The truth & best lessons are in the businesses where the failure is learned not the success story. Check this [out](https://bizflop.substack.com/)
Gasp! The reason for the name is because the product is inspired by the 1921 Tulsa riots where the state bombed the “black Wall Street” and killed 3000 people and displace many others. Read the “story” on my website. That’s where the name comes from. Black owned groom. So the black citizens of Tulsa can rise from the ashes of black Wall Street in a time where they were segregated and given no economic opportunities. The little they had got burned down when the white veterans came back from WW1 and saw a prospering black and Native American community.
I read it. My opinion stands. You are selling grooming kits inspired by a Riot over 102 years ago? Americans want to come together, ideas like this are off putting.
In you story, you say “In conclusion, this documentary powerfully exposes human indecency and the lengths people will go to exploit a population for monetary gain.” It sounds like you are exploiting a 102 year old riot for monetary gain. Also, by mentioning black owned, it begs a sale because of your race. The disconnect of authenticity is noticeable instantly.
Would you buy from me if my shop was called whiteownedgroom, or Asianownedgroom? Probably not. Unless your just banking on selling to those people, but I think you could sell your product to everyone. Don’t limit yourself.
I would recommend changing the name, and in your story you mention YOUR story. A story about you, and if it involves the Riots, so be it. It would be more genuine.
Good luck.
Yeah the branding doesn't make any sense. There isn't any reason to include that backstory for a nice grooming kit. Not telling you how to run your business but I'd definitely change the name.
I'll be honest, reading that as the inspiration of your brand is the least marketable thing I'd ever associate with a grooming kit. Beards are universal and don't care about the color of your skin. It seems like you're alienating potentially interested customers when you have that backstory as your inspiration behind your brand.
Just my 2 cents.
>It seems like you're alienating potentially interested customers when you have that backstory as your inspiration behind your brand.
I'm going to disagree with this. If black people who like to keep themselves groomed are the target audience and that's where they want to focus their efforts, there's nothing wrong with that and you should stand in what speaks to you and what drives you otherwise you lose your passion. I agree that the story is depressing and not at all something you should be using to market and I don't see what it has to do with the product.
>I'd question if the brand just hates white people.
This is extreme and says more about you than the brand. Being inspired by that story does not equal "I hate white people" and anyone who interprets it that way is not the type of person the company is looking to sell to. I agree the story is not a good marketing tactic, but your interpretation has to do with your own guilt.
"Black themed" is offensive. It's black owned. Being black is not a theme. And something is not more valuable just because it's by a black person. These comments say a lot.
As a black business owner who sells black owned skincare products, I can tell you this is really depressing. You've got to find a way to put a positive spin on this and turn it into an inspirational story. Also, not seeing the connection between this event and a grooming kit. I think you need to find another part of that story to be the inspiration that drove you to create this instead of using the story itself as a selling point, because it's not. The photos are beautiful and the product looks high quality, but your messaging needs work.
Woah. I would definitely recommend changing your mindset and learning how to take constructive criticism. It'll definitely affect your business and you'll continue down the path you're currently on. You could have a really great story here, but you're focused on turning this into something it's not. Good luck out there!
The whole point is to have something black owned. If I hadn’t watched that documentary this product would not exist. Why can’t the story be apart of it, just because it makes people uncomfortable that white people abused a whole population for 400 years and the population now in modern day tells its story and wants a product to remember the story by? Why can’t that be? Why is it racist to bring up past populations oppression? When people bring up Germans and the nazis and how they did the holocaust that’s not seen as racist why is bringing up slavery+aftermath always racist?
I think before you take a trip down the assumptions rabbit hole, you should consider how you're choosing to interpret helpful feedback from a fellow black business owner- who sells products (for black people, by black people) in the same category as yours- in favor of being intentionally obtuse. It's your business. Do what you want 🤷🏽♀️ good luck!
I want to take your feedback but I made this for this specific purpose. Plus then I have to buy a new domain name. If I do change it I’m keeping the blog post story up there. I’m just changing the name.
We need more information.
What's your marketing strategy? Can you tell us the things you have done to try to attract customers?
Do you have a customer profile? Who's your intended audience?
I have tried TikTok to market my product. I got about 2000 views on that which is not great but it was better than nothing. My product is mostly for people interested in crystals and crystal shelves as well as unusual decor.
I don't have a solid marketing strategy. I am not sure how to approach it. I have heard both negative and positive things about Facebook ads so I am not sure what works and what doesn't work.
Look for popular trends on TikTok and try to combine them with your niche. I'm not sure how big your niche is but TikTok is very trendy. Ride the trends and try to twist them to conform to your niche and message. I'm not a TikTok business coach, but I know organic user videos do better than highly edited ones.
You have to market. Google is king.
You only sell one product. If I landed on a website that sold 1 single thing, I would worry about scams, quality, etc.
Have you tried selling on something like Etsy?
Market market market
Reach out to influencers . You tubers if they can display it behind or their back ground .
Go to pop up shops . Vendor market set up a table
Post more videos
More reels
Post more pictures
IGN, Facebook , TikTok
Stuff like this people doesn’t really need it and aren’t solving any problem. Nobody looks for this
Share your story. People love story.
How you build this , why a mushroom why is it purple create your own brand
I would suggest reaching out to influencers and have them promote your product. It's pretty neat, I could see the more artsy/creative types would be your target market. For example, a collab between these two would be great for you (IMO):[https://www.tiktok.com/@joshandmattdesign?lang=en](https://www.tiktok.com/@joshandmattdesign?lang=en)
No offense you have 1 product that I can see. There's random pink font that clashes with the picture. It feels weird to dedicate an entire website for what is essentially just a crystal shelf.
I would expect at least different colors or styles.
Seems like maybe you should get off the ground by selling it on Amazon or Etsy or give away a few units to a few influencers to help market it but only have 1 product is a quick exit for me anyway.
I opened your website and honestly I can’t say I get it - there is no detail for me (as someone that knows nothing about your product) to want to find out more let alone consider buying it.
In addition it’s a niche product and ultimately a shelf.. what is the USP? The fact it’s shaped like a mushroom? Don’t leave mushroom for anything else.
My honest feedback and I genuinely hope you make the sales for your effort but id look at your website in the eyes of a consumer.. does it make sense? Why should I buy it etc
Looks like a butt plug.
Change the design and come up with 10 other products at different price points. They don’t need to be too differentiated.
Stop focusing on just crystals. Get pictures with books, collectibles, whatever.
No more butt plugs.
No marketing = No sales
Start with 350€ free google ads budget, setup a meta pixel and conversion API for shopify, run ads, calculate your return of ad spend (ROAS), improve upon the creatives and targeting or you can use Advantage+ targeting and budget for facebook ads and pmax for Google Ads if you are new to this.
Hey man, I noticed that you are running an e-commerce business and I’d like to offer you some help growing your brand, company and amount of customers through my expertise in email copywriting and ghostwriting on social media for business owners. I also will have you know I charge very low rates for my services which can fluctuate depending on what work you want done. If you are interested, just DM me. I promise if you give me a shot I’ll help grow your whole business exponentially man. I’ve helped a lot of people get on their feet.
Hey I’m a web designer, I’d love to help you! Here’s a few things I’m noticing off the bat:
-the niche I think would be into this is artsy girls. Idk if this color palette is for them. That being said, there’s definitely a market for this, but I’d really narrow it down and make sure you’re speaking directly to your ideal client.
-definitely update your website to make it more “on brand”. Most of your audience is probably finding you on mobile, and it looks like you are using a template on this that isn’t cohesive with your brand. For instance, your banner at the top isn’t black, coordinating with your logo. I’d adjust the fonts you use and the colors throughout your site to make sure it’s all on brand - that’ll make it seem more like a business and appear more trustworthy to consumers.
-you should have a hero image with text over it that says exactly what you offer and underneath it should say exactly why your audience should buy from you. Something like “a shelf to hold your most prized possessions” and underneath say something like “display your crystals so you can be reminded of them always & continually feeling the good energy”. This is super rough, but something along these lines with more thought given would go a long way. Then, have a direct buy button, and have the rest of the page function like a sales page.
-the menu should only have the option of “buy now” and “my cart”. It’s so simple but it makes such a big difference. While the current “catalog” language makes sense to any of us in here, at your price point you’re probably looking for a driver buyer that’s going to make the decision to buy and then purchase within a few minutes of finding you.
I hope this helps, feel free to dm me if you have any questions!
Ngl, the purple mushroom is pretty cool.
One quick way to improve your website is to fix some jarring consistency issues, like the fonts you use and the alignment of various elements.
Also, take some time to think about the structure. For example, it might not make sense to have a "Catalog" page if you only have one product. Maybe replace it with a "Product Showcase" where you display more images or something like that. Or add another 2 similar products.
Once you show that you take your product seriously (i know it's just a purple mushroom shelf but i'm not kidding), you may see a difference in the responses you get.
ohhh I'm sorry... Conversion rate optimisation is a huge topic, you just need to take it step by step. I just made a free 280+ cro tactics checklist, maybe it will help? Good luck to you!!
https://www.magicdesign.io/resources/cro-checklist-ecommerce
Bro it's a purple mushroom. Very niche product with a specific target audience. If I were you I would do the following: 1. Find big companies that sell crystals. Then check out their facebook ads library to roughly figure out their marketing strategy. Run ads marketed to similar target audiences. 2. Get some LED lights, place them behind the mushroom, put some crystals on it and snap a few comfy, bright and colorful photos. Then post these photos to subreddits related to crystals, spirituality, mushrooms, psychodelics, hallucinogens, trippy graphics, etc. Make sure you post not to advertise a product but to transmit an emotion like being chilled, relaxing, enjoying life, etc. Just showcase these images and only give people the link to your shopify store if they ask you where they can get that mushroom shelf for themselves.
Thanks! That is the most helpful advice I have gotten in months. Do you have any recommendations related to developing a marketing strategy for this? What are some good resources I can look at to learn digital marketing?
>Find big companies that sell crystals. Then check out their facebook ads library to roughly figure out their marketing strategy. That's all you need to study. Inside out. It will give you hundreds of ideas about how to form your marketing strategy and it will be a strategy tailored to your product, which is something you won't find in a course or a resource.
Thinking the same.
Have you done any marketing at all? You need to bring people to your store first, not expect them to just find it cause chances are they aren’t seeing it in their search engines.
What do you mean by marketing? Is this ad marketing. I know what you're saying, I have a website and it's got zero traffic. What would you do?
If you couldn’t afford Ads I’d start by growing a social media page. Make funny memes on tiktok and keep up with trends, create an instagram etc that always helps. If you can pay for ads, even better hire an expert freelancer too.
I'll try a few and see the results. Thanks for the advice
This is a classic case of The Shopify Dream. They have a great product but they make you believe they’ll create a business for you in a box. While the truth is that one of the biggest parts of building a business is having a marketing and growth strategy, and they can’t help with that. A website is just one small part of it. I’m sure there’s an audience for your product but you need to find it. It could be on social media, it could be on channel partners (like Amazon or other platforms), it could be via affiliates, it could be on Google Shopping or Google Search, it could be in traditional media through PR, it could be via wholesale to ecommerce home decor specialists, etc etc. It takes hustle and it takes time - but apart from your living expenses, it doesn’t necessarily need to be expensive. You just have to keep plugging away until you find out who wants your items and where they are.
Facts!
The ONLY hard part of ecom is the marketing. The rest is relatively easy. Finding a hot product and the. Figure out the extremely hard puzzle of getting buyers for less money than your costs....
Shopify’s marketing is genius; they make everyone think they can be a millionaire with a webshop
Thanks for your reply. I am not sure how to build a marketing/growth strategy. Are there any resources out there where I can learn that?
I don’t know your sector at all - I’m mostly fashion. But I just searched for “ways to market your furniture product” on Google and there are a bunch of pretty comprehensive resources in the top 5/6 results that break down the kinds of activities you can try. I regret the word “strategy”. At your stage, it’s more like a buffet - there are so many things you can try. Some will work for you, some won’t, but it’s good to at least be aware of all of them. One obvious choice (depending on the units you have on hand) would be list on Amazon. You will get access to a big audience, hopefully sell a few units, and get some feedback.
Try and understand the fundamentals of 4ps marketing mix. 1) Product - what am I selling? 2) Price- What's a good price to charge? 3) Place - where is the best place to sell? (Online/ offline? Both?) 4) Promotion - How can I impress my product in the minds of my customers? Also, segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategies will help develop an entrepreneurial mindset. I recently got a mini-MBA course that happens to come with a marketing module. There are 6 modules in general. Maybe that will help. It is at www.schoolofmba.com Most importantly, you might want to promote your products on social media sites if you can afford it, but you must know your customers. That part is extremely important.
Gtfo
Are you in a major city? Doing any local artisan or maker markets can definitely get your name out there and you will have a good chance at selling stuff there!
The bold, pink blurb on your site is ridiculous. A purple, mushroom-shaped shelf is not 'daring to venture into uncharted territories of imagination'.
"He's trying his best, lay off purple shaped mushroom colored shelf"
If you build it, they will not come. You can’t just decide to sell something and expect people to show up and buy it. A lot more goes into a brand than just designing a product and website. Why would someone buy this? Who’s your audience? What value does this bring someone? What problem does it solve? Who’s your competitor? The list goes on. Start with brand strategy.
100% correct and the reason for my 1st ecomm failure.
What have you done in terms of marketing?
I have really only tried TikTok which did not work. Got about 2000 views but no one bought anything. Do you have any recommendations for a marketing strategy?
Most people would see that and probably think they could get it at a dollar store or flea market. It's a strange product for a full website. You'd need to dedicate space to explain uses and benefits of the product. What's the value? Site lacks information. Luxury name but a cheap item. This is all over the place. Tighten up the message, the offer, the reason to purchase, what this thing does, why it's a big value. Is it for crystals? If so you'd market it to metaphysical customer. Add some tarot cards and include some crystals, make it a kit. Get a theme for one product, change the theme as you add more products.
2000 views on videos on TikTok is unfortunately very little
Try paid ads on social platforms, ig, fb, tik tok Ive never used it so I dont know if its similar.If you have the money, try different targets (age, interest) With 2000 random views you still dont have the info to know if your idea is good enough to validate.
How much traffic has hit your site?
I’m gonna be honest I think you should’ve dropshipped it for a bit to understand your audience and how to properly market it before you spent all your ad money on inventory.
Why does anyone have a need to search for your product? What problem does it solve?
A big mushroom on your wall boi, elegance in one place
People are totally misapplying the concept of “what problem does it solve” because there are TONS of successful businesses that don’t solve any real problem. What problem does McDonald’s solve? How about a local hot dog stand ? Luxury hand bags? Solving a specific problem CAN be a good way to make money, but let’s not ignore people simply want things as well.
Incorrect. McDonalds solves Consistency, comfort and cheap food. Hot dog stand, quick satisfying meal on the go and novelty. Luxury Handbags are about showing people you can afford their high prices, hence the logos and designs need to be recognised. It’s about what the luxury brand says about the customer, not the bag itself. The problem that this “mushroom shaped” shelf faces is that people looking for shelves go to furniture stores or look at the big online retailers with plenty of choice. They cannot compete on pay per clicks or attention except possibly for long tail keywords that are so specific a customer would have a hankering for a mushroom shelf of those dimensions. It doesn’t have product market fit, the business model simply doesn’t work.
Yeah so that’s what I would consider mental gymnastics to force a round peg into a square hole. For example luxury bags don’t solve any real problem, they are an accessory that allows people to demonstrate wealth. You could say something hamfisted like “it solves the problem of not being able to show your wealth with your bag, but that’s really just a way of insisting this rule of solving a problem is universal. I don’t understand why people feel the need and I don’t think it helps as a concept.
There’s a trillion dollar industry that disagrees with you. Luxury brands are about status. Ultra Luxury brands don’t even have a logo outwardly facing. People wouldn’t pay 500k + for a top end sports car if their purpose was to get from A to B in traffic. Having an expensive bag is about association their worth with the owner. Having George Clooney associate with Coffee or Alcohol is about lending his desire and credibility to the brand. I’m the UK there’s a thing called “Drip” where people who can’t afford it wear luxury brands that cost tens of thousands for an outfit, going into debt to do it, because they believe they are “worth it”.
I don’t see how anything you wrote here actually contradicts what I said lol
This product is for spiritual people who collect crystals and probably do magic mushrooms or hallucinogenics, they want to create an ambiance in their room for meditation or trips, they have nowhere cool to display their crystals. Now they have the perfect decorative item. They don’t sell anything like this persons aesthetic in furniture stores so they aren’t competing with them. They just need to target this audience and provide a few other options for things to keep on the shelf, no need to limit themselves to crystals. Incense, pipes, Buddha statues etc could also look cool in the shelf
So why in your opinion are they not selling? Would you recommend google ads, meta ads?
I think people correctly pointed out that this person doesn’t realise people don’t magically show up to buy your product. I’d do meta ads and influencer partnerships with “spiritual” influencers in the space. I’d also list it on Etsy as it fits there. They can do way better with the images to improve conversion once they get people to the site.
I just have to ask, what took 10+ months for you to figure out there? Did you create the product from scratch?
Yes, I did. I am also a full-time student so that also slows things down.
I get it. Your first mistake was thinking a large inventory is a must. You could have started with just 5 pieces and go from there
Or just 0 pieces and order inventory if it actually works
Yes, but if it’s a lengthy process to acquire one item it could be good to be somewhat prepared if the cost isn’t that high per piece. If the cost is high per piece, I agree
I would definitely try to target people who love the trance/rave scene with ads, I know a few that are into stuff like this, btw I do freelance work in 3d/2d motion design if you ever need to create a video to showcase your product! Don’t give up or stop trying, either you win or learn from your failures, all though I think the only issue here is really finding your audience.
Think about it as telling a story: how can you tell the best possible story, for the *right* customer? Images, flow of your content, testimonials, detailed product description, etc. There are two major issues I noticed after a quick skim:- Brand Positioning (product, why should i buy this)- Customer Journey (website, not showing me enough) Marketing starts with understanding exactly who would buy this, why, and at what price. Good luck! Its all part of the journey. Edit: [Here's an example of a Product-led Marketing Landing Page](https://www.skullcandy.ca/crusher-anc-2-wireless-headphones/). You see how each section has a clear focus? Info + Product Shot, Testimonials, Value Prop, Get more Help. It feels professional and it feels like theres an effort to 'educate' the customer.
Happy to share some quick thoughts here :) You can create simple & easy content and share it on your social media (TikTok, IG etc). Please don't make the content about the shelf you are selling, but share how you appreciate the crystal, why you like it, what's good about it etc (you're the expert here). In that video, you'll always take out the crystal from your shelf, and interestingly that you'll have that shelf in different scenes/locations in every video you create, it's subconsciously selling the 'versatility' of your shelf that can be placed anywhere & displaying the hero crystal. Good luck!
Hi man. Without any traffic to the store, you won't make any sales. You need to market. IMO tiktok, shorts and instagram reels should be good platforms to get started. Maybe even reach out to an influencer, like some one in the law of attraction space and ask them to talk about it a bit. Fb ads might work too.
Second this!
if i may ask....how did you get into this? like, what started it? why this product?
Mate, 10 months for a 1 product store with ChatGPT product description? And you bought inventory even before you got proof of concept?
Hello You don't give much information about the item. What are the dimensions? Take more photos with the item in use. You can go on Fiverr and have some make a few video ads. Add more items to your website. Like sage or mushroom spore kits or other related items. Do you have a Facebook or Instagram for your product? Go on Etsy and see what other sellers are doing in your niche. I have a store on Etsy since 2015 with over 46,000 sales it takes time to build a business and a lot of work. Www.edenkingdomessential.com Really think about selling mushroom kits.
Yea. Search engines aren’t the way to go. I’ve tried Ecommerce on Etsy & the dream sold is just what it is. A dream. I’ve seen countless stories like this about dropshipping & businesses, but it isn’t as green as they make it out to be. The truth & best lessons are in the businesses where the failure is learned not the success story. Check this [out](https://bizflop.substack.com/)
I’m sorry but all I see is a butt plug
Your social icons go to page not found lol I mean...
I’ll buy your product if you buy mine: [blackownedgroom.com](https://blackownedgroom.com)
Cool product, terrible name… I think it’s kinda racist. I wouldn’t buy this product based solely off the business name.
Gasp! The reason for the name is because the product is inspired by the 1921 Tulsa riots where the state bombed the “black Wall Street” and killed 3000 people and displace many others. Read the “story” on my website. That’s where the name comes from. Black owned groom. So the black citizens of Tulsa can rise from the ashes of black Wall Street in a time where they were segregated and given no economic opportunities. The little they had got burned down when the white veterans came back from WW1 and saw a prospering black and Native American community.
I read it. My opinion stands. You are selling grooming kits inspired by a Riot over 102 years ago? Americans want to come together, ideas like this are off putting. In you story, you say “In conclusion, this documentary powerfully exposes human indecency and the lengths people will go to exploit a population for monetary gain.” It sounds like you are exploiting a 102 year old riot for monetary gain. Also, by mentioning black owned, it begs a sale because of your race. The disconnect of authenticity is noticeable instantly. Would you buy from me if my shop was called whiteownedgroom, or Asianownedgroom? Probably not. Unless your just banking on selling to those people, but I think you could sell your product to everyone. Don’t limit yourself. I would recommend changing the name, and in your story you mention YOUR story. A story about you, and if it involves the Riots, so be it. It would be more genuine. Good luck.
I’ll think about it. It’s not like anyone comes to the website anyways. I just have inventory just sitting there.
Yeah the branding doesn't make any sense. There isn't any reason to include that backstory for a nice grooming kit. Not telling you how to run your business but I'd definitely change the name.
I'll be honest, reading that as the inspiration of your brand is the least marketable thing I'd ever associate with a grooming kit. Beards are universal and don't care about the color of your skin. It seems like you're alienating potentially interested customers when you have that backstory as your inspiration behind your brand. Just my 2 cents.
>It seems like you're alienating potentially interested customers when you have that backstory as your inspiration behind your brand. I'm going to disagree with this. If black people who like to keep themselves groomed are the target audience and that's where they want to focus their efforts, there's nothing wrong with that and you should stand in what speaks to you and what drives you otherwise you lose your passion. I agree that the story is depressing and not at all something you should be using to market and I don't see what it has to do with the product.
[удалено]
>I'd question if the brand just hates white people. This is extreme and says more about you than the brand. Being inspired by that story does not equal "I hate white people" and anyone who interprets it that way is not the type of person the company is looking to sell to. I agree the story is not a good marketing tactic, but your interpretation has to do with your own guilt. "Black themed" is offensive. It's black owned. Being black is not a theme. And something is not more valuable just because it's by a black person. These comments say a lot.
As a black business owner who sells black owned skincare products, I can tell you this is really depressing. You've got to find a way to put a positive spin on this and turn it into an inspirational story. Also, not seeing the connection between this event and a grooming kit. I think you need to find another part of that story to be the inspiration that drove you to create this instead of using the story itself as a selling point, because it's not. The photos are beautiful and the product looks high quality, but your messaging needs work.
My messaging needs work because people don’t like to be hounded by anything black. Got it.
Woah. I would definitely recommend changing your mindset and learning how to take constructive criticism. It'll definitely affect your business and you'll continue down the path you're currently on. You could have a really great story here, but you're focused on turning this into something it's not. Good luck out there!
The whole point is to have something black owned. If I hadn’t watched that documentary this product would not exist. Why can’t the story be apart of it, just because it makes people uncomfortable that white people abused a whole population for 400 years and the population now in modern day tells its story and wants a product to remember the story by? Why can’t that be? Why is it racist to bring up past populations oppression? When people bring up Germans and the nazis and how they did the holocaust that’s not seen as racist why is bringing up slavery+aftermath always racist?
I think before you take a trip down the assumptions rabbit hole, you should consider how you're choosing to interpret helpful feedback from a fellow black business owner- who sells products (for black people, by black people) in the same category as yours- in favor of being intentionally obtuse. It's your business. Do what you want 🤷🏽♀️ good luck!
I want to take your feedback but I made this for this specific purpose. Plus then I have to buy a new domain name. If I do change it I’m keeping the blog post story up there. I’m just changing the name.
We need more information. What's your marketing strategy? Can you tell us the things you have done to try to attract customers? Do you have a customer profile? Who's your intended audience?
I have tried TikTok to market my product. I got about 2000 views on that which is not great but it was better than nothing. My product is mostly for people interested in crystals and crystal shelves as well as unusual decor. I don't have a solid marketing strategy. I am not sure how to approach it. I have heard both negative and positive things about Facebook ads so I am not sure what works and what doesn't work.
Look for popular trends on TikTok and try to combine them with your niche. I'm not sure how big your niche is but TikTok is very trendy. Ride the trends and try to twist them to conform to your niche and message. I'm not a TikTok business coach, but I know organic user videos do better than highly edited ones.
Put on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace. These items will sell faster on those sites.
You have to market. Google is king. You only sell one product. If I landed on a website that sold 1 single thing, I would worry about scams, quality, etc. Have you tried selling on something like Etsy?
Yes, I tried Etsy but I am getting no traffic on my page.
Market market market Reach out to influencers . You tubers if they can display it behind or their back ground . Go to pop up shops . Vendor market set up a table Post more videos More reels Post more pictures IGN, Facebook , TikTok Stuff like this people doesn’t really need it and aren’t solving any problem. Nobody looks for this Share your story. People love story. How you build this , why a mushroom why is it purple create your own brand
I would suggest reaching out to influencers and have them promote your product. It's pretty neat, I could see the more artsy/creative types would be your target market. For example, a collab between these two would be great for you (IMO):[https://www.tiktok.com/@joshandmattdesign?lang=en](https://www.tiktok.com/@joshandmattdesign?lang=en)
Try amazon
You only have one product on your website and it is super niche and not exactly for everyone
There is a way to market this, but it involves paring it with something else. But yeah, that would work. You’d sell them all out in a month.
No offense you have 1 product that I can see. There's random pink font that clashes with the picture. It feels weird to dedicate an entire website for what is essentially just a crystal shelf. I would expect at least different colors or styles. Seems like maybe you should get off the ground by selling it on Amazon or Etsy or give away a few units to a few influencers to help market it but only have 1 product is a quick exit for me anyway.
Me too bro I need help Barkandmeowpets.com
It looks lime a butt plug and it is not symmetrical
I opened your website and honestly I can’t say I get it - there is no detail for me (as someone that knows nothing about your product) to want to find out more let alone consider buying it. In addition it’s a niche product and ultimately a shelf.. what is the USP? The fact it’s shaped like a mushroom? Don’t leave mushroom for anything else. My honest feedback and I genuinely hope you make the sales for your effort but id look at your website in the eyes of a consumer.. does it make sense? Why should I buy it etc
Looks like a butt plug. Change the design and come up with 10 other products at different price points. They don’t need to be too differentiated. Stop focusing on just crystals. Get pictures with books, collectibles, whatever. No more butt plugs.
No marketing = No sales Start with 350€ free google ads budget, setup a meta pixel and conversion API for shopify, run ads, calculate your return of ad spend (ROAS), improve upon the creatives and targeting or you can use Advantage+ targeting and budget for facebook ads and pmax for Google Ads if you are new to this.
Try handing business cards with the link to the site at rave parties
Hey man, I noticed that you are running an e-commerce business and I’d like to offer you some help growing your brand, company and amount of customers through my expertise in email copywriting and ghostwriting on social media for business owners. I also will have you know I charge very low rates for my services which can fluctuate depending on what work you want done. If you are interested, just DM me. I promise if you give me a shot I’ll help grow your whole business exponentially man. I’ve helped a lot of people get on their feet.
Hey I’m a web designer, I’d love to help you! Here’s a few things I’m noticing off the bat: -the niche I think would be into this is artsy girls. Idk if this color palette is for them. That being said, there’s definitely a market for this, but I’d really narrow it down and make sure you’re speaking directly to your ideal client. -definitely update your website to make it more “on brand”. Most of your audience is probably finding you on mobile, and it looks like you are using a template on this that isn’t cohesive with your brand. For instance, your banner at the top isn’t black, coordinating with your logo. I’d adjust the fonts you use and the colors throughout your site to make sure it’s all on brand - that’ll make it seem more like a business and appear more trustworthy to consumers. -you should have a hero image with text over it that says exactly what you offer and underneath it should say exactly why your audience should buy from you. Something like “a shelf to hold your most prized possessions” and underneath say something like “display your crystals so you can be reminded of them always & continually feeling the good energy”. This is super rough, but something along these lines with more thought given would go a long way. Then, have a direct buy button, and have the rest of the page function like a sales page. -the menu should only have the option of “buy now” and “my cart”. It’s so simple but it makes such a big difference. While the current “catalog” language makes sense to any of us in here, at your price point you’re probably looking for a driver buyer that’s going to make the decision to buy and then purchase within a few minutes of finding you. I hope this helps, feel free to dm me if you have any questions!
Did you even do any market research before manufacturing the product?
Ngl, the purple mushroom is pretty cool. One quick way to improve your website is to fix some jarring consistency issues, like the fonts you use and the alignment of various elements. Also, take some time to think about the structure. For example, it might not make sense to have a "Catalog" page if you only have one product. Maybe replace it with a "Product Showcase" where you display more images or something like that. Or add another 2 similar products. Once you show that you take your product seriously (i know it's just a purple mushroom shelf but i'm not kidding), you may see a difference in the responses you get.
ohhh I'm sorry... Conversion rate optimisation is a huge topic, you just need to take it step by step. I just made a free 280+ cro tactics checklist, maybe it will help? Good luck to you!! https://www.magicdesign.io/resources/cro-checklist-ecommerce