I’ve been running blogshop ever since it started to be popular among youth. My first attempt in blogshop was when I was 12 years old, but it failed terribly. I didn’t even manage to sell an item.
I tried again when I am 13, and bought many items to sell as instocks. Honestly, it was a big failure too, but I did manage to sell some items away. At that time, I couldn’t do postage due to 1. I have no bank account and 2. My parents do not know I run a blogshop.
My attempt when I’m 14 is slightly better, but there is a lot of dead customers around that waste my time and money. I will travel all the way to the other side of Singapore for meet up only to realise the ‘customer’ fooled me. I also wasted time designing the blogshop, which is very stupid.
Those attempts must have wasted me more than $100. A painful lesson.
My first successful blogshop is when I’m 16, smarter and more responsible. I will decline meet up that is insanely far. I arrange meet up so that I can meet 2-3 customers per trip. I also did postage which saves me a lot of time. I did earn a little, and have regular customers. I have customers that trust me with orders over $50. Although the blogshop is a success, I close it down once my examination is close.
To be very honest, I do not like how blogshop is like now. So many young girls(or boys, I don’t know) out there are scamming people. I hate scammers the most. When I see xxx blogshop scam me on Facebook, I’m like ‘sigh…’ If only those scammers will disappear, maybe more people will put trust in blogshops.
So, this post shall be my guide to running a blogshop. This is base on my years of experience in running them. Probably, if you follow them, you may earn big bucks.
1. Be a trusted brand
Who will buy from a shop that is known for not delievering goods on time or one that mail defected products? Nobody will, even if you sell at dirt cheap price. From your very first customer that you get, make sure you do what you promised (e.g. Mailing on time, be punctual for meet up) Don’t text your customer 3 minutes before the arranged meet up time and say “Hey, sorry but you know, I’m eating with my friends at xxx and cannot meet you now.” Imagine how pissed the customer will be. To summarise, be trustable. Don’t scam. Do what you promise.
2. Sell things that is popular/trending right now
Don’t go selling bags that are popular 2 years ago. See what customers want right now and sell them. When I have my successful blogshop last year, squishies are super popular among blogshops. Until now, I have no idea why squishies are popular. Some are cute, I admit, and I have some that I kept for myself when I buy in bulk to sell, but I still don’t know why people spent $10++ on a rare one. I must be a moron hahaxD
Anyway, just see what people love at the moment and get them in bulk. Quickly sell them before they are out of trend.
3. Price your items cheaper than the other blogshop
It may sound difficult, but with some effort in sourcing cheap supplier, I’m pretty sure you can find someone selling items cheap and you will be able to sell the items cheaper than other blogshop. My guide to finding cheap items is to wait for people who are urgently clearing because they are closing down blogshop etc, or buy them in bulk. People always buy from the person who sell it cheapest, so of course you should sell as cheap as possible(but earn some profit at the same time).
It is possible, if you ask me. I can sell items at $5 but earn profit of $2++ when other people sell the same item at $10 and earn only $0.50. It is a skill to find cheap items.
4. Spread words about your blogshop
Having a giveaway is a way to spread words about your blogshop. Spread words = advertise
But if your giveaway prize is shit, of course this method will fail.
You can also tell your friends/classmates/siblings friends about your blogshop. I ask my sister to tell her friends about my blogshop, and they became many of my regular customers. They always clear my leftover stocks that I cannot sell after a week 😛 I gave them special discount though, because they are my sister’s friends. Lucky them keekeekee xD
5. Be easily contactable
Many people have their blogshop on facebook now, and that cursed platform block us all the time, because too many people report blah blah blah. This is why, when a customer is going to make payment, I’ll give them my phone number and email address in case I get block after they pay, so they can call me to ensure I didn’t run away with their money.
6. Be friendly
I hate blogshop owners that talk to me like I owe them $1000000. Rude to the max, and do they know I’m older them them? irk
If you’re friendly, chances are you get good feedbacks, and your business continue to prosper. Bad manners and rudeness also chase away potential customers.
7. Reply fast
If you reply too slowly, customers may lose interest in that item. My guide is, reply as soon as possible. If you reply them 3 days after they message you, they might have found another person who reply them instantly and bought from them. You will lose customers.
I want to do a longer guide, but I’m meeting somebody at 5PM for my 2am items. And my computer left 10% battery oh damn So annyeong for now ^^
hey