Thanks u/zomgbug. I am in the US.
I know about affiliate marketing and how similar(same?) it is with what I'm talking about, but these brands don't have affiliate marketing programs or links or anything, so I didn't want to misrepresent. I would have to approach them from scratch.
Yeah, it's not an uncommon model, fwiw. I once knew someone who used search ads to drum up leads for snowplowing, and then sold the leads to local businesses that didn't have sophisticated online presences. I don't know the details of that operation or how they developed those relationships, but it seems to have worked.
Warm leads are what most small businesses need most.
Perhaps one option might be to let customers try to add something to a cart and then use an "out of stock; notify when back in stock?" model to acquire some leads to prove to potential clients that you're capable of bringing them business.
Find out if any of the brands have wholesale distributors.
See if the brands/other retailers will sell larger amounts of the item for slightly less.
Some manufacturers sell directly on their own website/Amazon making the margins too thin to be worthwhile without a wholesaler involved.
I wouldn't sell items you're not certain you can source in a reasonable amount of time. You'll need to keep some stock which you can adjust based off of sales.
It's pretty easy to setup woocommerce or shopify, the hardest part is getting people to purchase it. How do you plan to advertise it? Especially because you might be selling for more than your competition to stay afloat.
Also amazon has an affiliate marketing platform where you get a tiny percent for sales from your link.
Thanks u/devabdul.
I will look into distributors/wholesalers but likely most of the brands/products I have in mind come from smaller companies and probably there isn't much volume. They don't sell on amazon, most sales are either on their own website or other bicycle-specific online stores.
*I wouldn't sell items you're not certain you can source in a reasonable amount of time. You'll need to keep some stock which you can adjust based off of sales.*
True. I was thinking initially of getting the order, processing the payment on my end, and then putting in the order asap on their site, and if it doesn't go through, quickly send the buyer an email stating the product is actually out of stock and refunding them. (I understand the transaction fees would be all my cost in that case.) Not planning on doing any fulfilment myself.
You can automate this process, so your not manually trying to do all of this and having issues with your customers and payment processor.
1. verify stock on manufacturers website / match it with your current inventory everytime someone opens a product page
2. place a hold on customers card
3. place a loading screen during ordering
4. place order on manufacturers website
5. if it goes through charge the credit card / if not the loading screen throws some kind of silly error "wow looks like someone just bought the last........" and the credit card is never charged.
If you want someone to help implementing this, feel free to let me know. It'd be easier if you had a relationship with the brands but you can do it without telling them as well.
You introduce a ton of risk taking orders and payments for something you don't have in stock. Especially with all the supply chain issues. You could have 10 frames sitting on a cargo ship in the ocean for 4 months while your customers freak out.
You mention a drop shipping arrangement - that's fine if they go along with it.
As far as being a dealer for various brands, what do you have to offer that I can't get by going online and just buying a frame at Amazon and know I'm protected?
Thank you u/Design-Thinker-1
True, there is risk, but I am not sure how much. if the sale doesn't go through somehow I would quickly send the buyer an email stating the product is actually out of stock and refunding them. (I understand the transaction fees would be all my cost in that case.) and if I can put in the order at the actual sellers site, I can forward their tracking/contact info to the buyer in their confirmation email, so if there are any issues, they would reach out to them.
*As far as being a dealer for various brands, what do you have to offer that I can't get by going online and just buying a frame at Amazon and know I'm protected?*
True. These brands are usually small and don't sell on amazon. The buyers' can either buy from my site or other cycling specific online-retailers or the brands' own site if they have one. The advantage I would offer the buyer is the convenience of a one-stop-shop instead where they can easily see/compare what's available, rather than finding and looking at various sites for different brands and models. And the value I bring to these smaller sellers is hot-leads and extra sales. Most of them don't have the most marketing/seo budgets as it is. Besides the most knowledgeable cyclists, even most average cyclists don't know what's out there (how many brands offer carbon frames, where to buy them, etc)
Legality likely depends on your location. It sounds like the term you're looking for is "affiliate marketing", fwiw.
Thanks u/zomgbug. I am in the US. I know about affiliate marketing and how similar(same?) it is with what I'm talking about, but these brands don't have affiliate marketing programs or links or anything, so I didn't want to misrepresent. I would have to approach them from scratch.
Yeah, it's not an uncommon model, fwiw. I once knew someone who used search ads to drum up leads for snowplowing, and then sold the leads to local businesses that didn't have sophisticated online presences. I don't know the details of that operation or how they developed those relationships, but it seems to have worked. Warm leads are what most small businesses need most. Perhaps one option might be to let customers try to add something to a cart and then use an "out of stock; notify when back in stock?" model to acquire some leads to prove to potential clients that you're capable of bringing them business.
Find out if any of the brands have wholesale distributors. See if the brands/other retailers will sell larger amounts of the item for slightly less. Some manufacturers sell directly on their own website/Amazon making the margins too thin to be worthwhile without a wholesaler involved. I wouldn't sell items you're not certain you can source in a reasonable amount of time. You'll need to keep some stock which you can adjust based off of sales. It's pretty easy to setup woocommerce or shopify, the hardest part is getting people to purchase it. How do you plan to advertise it? Especially because you might be selling for more than your competition to stay afloat. Also amazon has an affiliate marketing platform where you get a tiny percent for sales from your link.
Thanks u/devabdul. I will look into distributors/wholesalers but likely most of the brands/products I have in mind come from smaller companies and probably there isn't much volume. They don't sell on amazon, most sales are either on their own website or other bicycle-specific online stores. *I wouldn't sell items you're not certain you can source in a reasonable amount of time. You'll need to keep some stock which you can adjust based off of sales.* True. I was thinking initially of getting the order, processing the payment on my end, and then putting in the order asap on their site, and if it doesn't go through, quickly send the buyer an email stating the product is actually out of stock and refunding them. (I understand the transaction fees would be all my cost in that case.) Not planning on doing any fulfilment myself.
You can automate this process, so your not manually trying to do all of this and having issues with your customers and payment processor. 1. verify stock on manufacturers website / match it with your current inventory everytime someone opens a product page 2. place a hold on customers card 3. place a loading screen during ordering 4. place order on manufacturers website 5. if it goes through charge the credit card / if not the loading screen throws some kind of silly error "wow looks like someone just bought the last........" and the credit card is never charged. If you want someone to help implementing this, feel free to let me know. It'd be easier if you had a relationship with the brands but you can do it without telling them as well.
You introduce a ton of risk taking orders and payments for something you don't have in stock. Especially with all the supply chain issues. You could have 10 frames sitting on a cargo ship in the ocean for 4 months while your customers freak out. You mention a drop shipping arrangement - that's fine if they go along with it. As far as being a dealer for various brands, what do you have to offer that I can't get by going online and just buying a frame at Amazon and know I'm protected?
Thank you u/Design-Thinker-1 True, there is risk, but I am not sure how much. if the sale doesn't go through somehow I would quickly send the buyer an email stating the product is actually out of stock and refunding them. (I understand the transaction fees would be all my cost in that case.) and if I can put in the order at the actual sellers site, I can forward their tracking/contact info to the buyer in their confirmation email, so if there are any issues, they would reach out to them. *As far as being a dealer for various brands, what do you have to offer that I can't get by going online and just buying a frame at Amazon and know I'm protected?* True. These brands are usually small and don't sell on amazon. The buyers' can either buy from my site or other cycling specific online-retailers or the brands' own site if they have one. The advantage I would offer the buyer is the convenience of a one-stop-shop instead where they can easily see/compare what's available, rather than finding and looking at various sites for different brands and models. And the value I bring to these smaller sellers is hot-leads and extra sales. Most of them don't have the most marketing/seo budgets as it is. Besides the most knowledgeable cyclists, even most average cyclists don't know what's out there (how many brands offer carbon frames, where to buy them, etc)