How To Establish A Clientele: Part 1 - How I Did It By Michele Johnson AuctionBytes.com
March 31, 2001
Recently with all of the changes eBay has made, I decided to make a change myself. I moved my auctions to a new location. As I told people this, I could almost feel them quivering when they read my notes about leaving eBay. A number of them just asked me "How can you do that when eBay has clearly the biggest user base?" But my view of where I should sell is not based on those figures. I have established a clientele who shops with me wherever I go.
A good example of what I mean is a local store called Roberts Jewelers. For many years, Robert's Jewelers had been downtown, and I went there to shop. Then they moved, so I went to their new location. They moved again, and I went to the newest location to buy. I go where they go. Why? Because I am their customer - not the strip mall customer.
It's the same with my online store. I have customers that shop with me because they like my merchandise, the service, and the friendliness they receive. I had my auctions on eBay. Now I have moved to Epier http://www.epier.com, and the customers are kind enough to just "come to my new location."
Although I began solely with auctioning items from around my home, I quickly found a product I enjoyed and moved into selling a lot of it. Soon, I had so much to sell, it only made sense to open an online store. Getting customers was achieved through the use of the auctions, as well as actually inviting people to come to my store. It also involved picking an online "mall" where I could display my store in a nice manner and for a reasonable fee - and that is when I signed on with Collector Online http://www.collectoronline.com. I have also put my store in Q-Tiques http://www.q-tiques.com, which is an online mall that specializes in vintage jewelry and collectibles. I benefit from their traffic - they bring the customer to the door, and then I invite them in to become a part of the "family."
All of my Web sites point to my auctions. Of course, when I sell items at auction, it brings lower prices. But the trade-off is that it brings in new customers, and reminds previous ones that I still exist.
When I began auctioning, I picked a user name that is easy-to-remember. It also is the same name as one of my Web sites. Customers recognize the name. They search for it when they are looking for vintage jewelry on auction. If they cannot find any auctions, they will write and ask me when I am going to list more items for auction. They like to get a deal. And I like to give them one! They are a part of my clientele, and I want them to stay that way.
Look for Part II of How To Establish A Clientele in the next issue. It's full of exciting marketing tips to help you get new customers and keep the old customers coming back.
