Need Help Do you sell online?

[FireSprint.com]

How many of you operate an ecommerce store for signs? Would you like to, or do you think that wouldn't work with your business model? What is holding you back?

 

[CanuckSigns]

We don't have an e-commerce site, but we get a ton of quote requests for certain products we sell from our website, it's a bit of a niche product so we rank extremely well in Google for it, it's become a very good seller for us in the past year.

I have considered an ecommerce site, but due to the custom nature of most of what we do it's difficult to price for every item.

 

[Pauly]

I would like to provide an online service. Because i know there's a lot of people who like to do the whole online purchase and order with out actually going anywhere.
It's something i'll eventually do, i just need to work out what products are most viable. A lot of our stuff is either to big for an online order and delivery and requires professional installation or custom size because it's usually made to fit.

 

[kanini]

Our customers want us to solve their signage/decal/van or truck lettering problems so they appreciate more the personal contact and discussion. Many SMB customers don't have the time or interest in buying this stuff online (they don't know what material to use, what layout to make etc.) so they throw us a hasty non-understandable email about some sign they want and we'll take it from there...
I think a webshop works for standard signs, decals and so on but a lot of products is maybe too complex and have too many variables to easily sell online. I'd love to be proven wrong and if someone has an example of a good webshop for signs I'd love to check it out.

 

[Billct2]

No interest in trying to sell a commodity type product online. And trying to sell a custom product online seems problematic.

 

[shoresigns]

It would not fit our business model. We don't have any one category that's repetitive enough to adapt to e-commerce. Most of the work we do requires interaction with clients and offering our expertise.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I do for stock designs that I've created. Not for custom work though.

It works for pre-fabbed stuff. Custom can be done, logistics are slightly different though.

 

[jkdbjj]

The main barrier to online signs is the design aspect.
Commercial customers with marketing personnel can deal with artwork, and then perhaps order online, but usually want to speak with someone about specifics.
Consumer customers ordering something for a bedroom is not our market so we would not market something to them at this time.
I could see it useful for them, but the design gets boiled down to something they upload or them choosing a canned template. Either case does seem problematic.

When someone can solve the design aspect for customer signs into eCommerce they might just become a millionaire.
What I can say is the HP Signage Solution product is well on its way. It is super slick and I would love to have something like that on my website. It is something I am playing with behind the scene but still long way away.

 

[shoresigns]

We were forced to try online ordering a few years back and it was a disaster. All we got was godawful artwork from the "design online" tool that needed to be redone, and customers that wanted the lowest possible price on a banner for their sister's birthday. No thanks.

 

[FireSprint.com]

Great feedback!

​

What is the HP Signage Solution? Link? I have not heard of that. I did a google search and couldn't really find much other than their digital signage tools.

The main barrier to online signs is the design aspect.
Commercial customers with marketing personnel can deal with artwork, and then perhaps order online, but usually want to speak with someone about specifics.
Consumer customers ordering something for a bedroom is not our market so we would not market something to them at this time.
I could see it useful for them, but the design gets boiled down to something they upload or them choosing a canned template. Either case does seem problematic.

When someone can solve the design aspect for customer signs into eCommerce they might just become a millionaire.
What I can say is the HP Signage Solution product is well on its way. It is super slick and I would love to have something like that on my website. It is something I am playing with behind the scene but still long way away.

 

[Bly]

HP Signage Suite
We have had the wallart suite link on our site for a while but no orders ever.
I think it's too scary for people for a large wall covering - if they screw up the size it's their own fault.
It's also a bit slow and cumbersome but definitely has potential.

 

[czar2178]

I would love to get on eCommerce store up and running but I have yet to find a solution that works for me. There are some companies that have exactly what i am looking for but for the price they are charging monthly it is not even close to being worth the money because this is a new venture and like anything new it will take time to grow, i just don't want to spend $xxxxxx of dollars at this point to grow it. I also looking at developing my own but that is just as costly and then i will have all types of bugs to work out that will also be an ongoing expense.

If you have a better solution or even a designer/developer that can make something happen I wouldn't be opposed to going in on this venture with someone to split the expense and both get the benefits of it.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I would love to get on eCommerce store up and running but I have yet to find a solution that works for me. There are some companies that have exactly what i am looking for but for the price they are charging monthly it is not even close to being worth the money because this is a new venture and like anything new it will take time to grow, i just don't want to spend $xxxxxx of dollars at this point to grow it. I also looking at developing my own but that is just as costly and then i will have all types of bugs to work out that will also be an ongoing expense.

If you have a better solution or even a designer/developer that can make something happen I wouldn't be opposed to going in on this venture with someone to split the expense and both get the benefits of it.

If you go through somebody to host your website, sometimes they will have solutions and some of those solutions are free and even open source (not necessarily the same thing, despite what a lot of people think).

If they are open source solutions, may be able to expand as you grow (but that would mean you would need to know how to code and expand or find someone that can for you). Just something to look into if you go through someone else to host your site.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Being in the sign industry, I doubt you can make it 100% online because you need to be local and transport things that are not easily shipped. I like to think I'm blending in as much "online ordering" that I can. I have some customers that I've never seen or spoken to on the phone that just order via e-mail or text and pay my online invoices and I drop ship the signs or deliver them personally.

 

[czar2178]

If you go through somebody to host your website, sometimes they will have solutions and some of those solutions are free and even open source (not necessarily the same thing, despite what a lot of people think).

If they are open source solutions, may be able to expand as you grow (but that would mean you would need to know how to code and expand or find someone that can for you). Just something to look into if you go through someone else to host your site.

I am aware of a lot of open source scripts as I have my own server and a lot of different sites floating around the web, but I am in NO means any type of programmer, everything i do is self taught and a lot of trial and error. I have tried many of the different solutions and as they do work they don't do what I am looking for in an easy manner.

 

[Levis]

I have an online store of custom rubber bracelets. where the customers can design their own bracelets at a very cheapest price. we are supplier and manufacture of bracelets and wristbands.

 

[MichaelWilson]

How many of you operate an ecommerce store for signs? Would you like to, or do you think that wouldn't work with your business model? What is holding you back?

I would like to vote for online business, as it always works to save the time in today's busy life of the busy world