Setting up my first in-world store, any advice?

[Coral Starlight]

Hi!

I have a question about getting a store in-world. I have had a Marketplace up until now and now I am thinking about perhaps getting a store. One thing I am thinking about is how shops share sims/parcels cause I can see how sharing would give both stores more exposure to eachothers customers and traffic for both of them. However, I wouldn't know how to go about that or how to find another store that would want to share place. Let me know what you all think.

[Prokofy Neva]

I've wondered that, too, how designers that you never saw together, and who seem to be on opposite sides of the globe, somehow find each other in SL. And I think if you are starting out, you can only do it through trial and error. Maybe first try a store in a mall or plaza and see how it goes and then maybe ask someone if they want to go in with you. You could just post that on the forums but it might not work. It might be better to 

Here are some suggestions I have -- I'm only a small business and am only renting to other small businesses so get a lot more information.

o Don't have automatic greeters, card givers, requests to show your profile -- these are all annoying, people bat them away, they don't work to increase sales, they are like buzzing flies. Put a group joiner or list server or info card on demand.

o Have a group -- everybody has groups and they are expected. Put out group gifts that you get only with the group. And maybe one item that is a gift not with a group.

o Make sure it is easy to walk around and cam around in your store without obstacles.

o Put in music but not the kind that is startling that might turn people away.

o Put a search/places ad for 30L week, many sales come from search/places. Don't just string a bunch of key words together; people like to read short, coherent sentences with very descriptive words in them.

o Put in a classified.

o Put your store in your picks

I would think until you establish yourself first it will be hard for someone to agree to partner with you to share a sim. So spend some time on that first. It can be very hard and lonely at first. Keep trying. Try different key words. Try different products fronted. See if you can get into a merchants' event. Maybe you can get into a weekend sale. Some of these aren't so hard to get into, but staying in them is hard because you have to have a sale item every single week or some formula the event owners stipulate or you are booted.

o Use Twitter, Plurk, Facebook to advertise your products and put your social media links on a board at your store.

o Take part in hunts.

[Coral Starlight]

5 hours ago, Prokofy Neva said:

I've wondered that, too, how designers that you never saw together, and who seem to be on opposite sides of the globe, somehow find each other in SL. And I think if you are starting out, you can only do it through trial and error. Maybe first try a store in a mall or plaza and see how it goes and then maybe ask someone if they want to go in with you. You could just post that on the forums but it might not work. It might be better to 

Here are some suggestions I have -- I'm only a small business and am only renting to other small businesses so get a lot more information.

o Don't have automatic greeters, card givers, requests to show your profile -- these are all annoying, people bat them away, they don't work to increase sales, they are like buzzing flies. Put a group joiner or list server or info card on demand.

o Have a group -- everybody has groups and they are expected. Put out group gifts that you get only with the group. And maybe one item that is a gift not with a group.

o Make sure it is easy to walk around and cam around in your store without obstacles.

o Put in music but not the kind that is startling that might turn people away.

o Put a search/places ad for 30L week, many sales come from search/places. Don't just string a bunch of key words together; people like to read short, coherent sentences with very descriptive words in them.

o Put in a classified.

o Put your store in your picks

I would think until you establish yourself first it will be hard for someone to agree to partner with you to share a sim. So spend some time on that first. It can be very hard and lonely at first. Keep trying. Try different key words. Try different products fronted. See if you can get into a merchants' event. Maybe you can get into a weekend sale. Some of these aren't so hard to get into, but staying in them is hard because you have to have a sale item every single week or some formula the event owners stipulate or you are booted.

o Use Twitter, Plurk, Facebook to advertise your products and put your social media links on a board at your store.

o Take part in hunts.

Thanks a lot Profoky! I really appreciate it :). great advice for a start. I will probably start off with something like that.

 

[JSeesaw]

I know some creators rent a full-sim/homestead and share the tier with their friends.

They build their stores together, and they can easily discuss hosting sale events.

In addition to Profoky's advice, if you would like to have a neighbor partner, maybe taking some time to look at the local community and the surrounding would be essential viewpoints.

[Coral Starlight]

8 hours ago, JSeesaw said:

I know some creators rent a full-sim/homestead and share the tier with their friends.

They build their stores together, and they can easily discuss hosting sale events.

In addition to Profoky's advice, if you would like to have a neighbor partner, maybe taking some time to look at the local community and the surrounding would be essential viewpoints.

yeah! that sounds like a very fun way to have your store. less lonely too x'D

[Stephanie Misfit]

On 12/12/2021 at 11:01 PM, Coral Starlight said:

Hi!

I have a question about getting a store in-world. I have had a Marketplace up until now and now I am thinking about perhaps getting a store. One thing I am thinking about is how shops share sims/parcels cause I can see how sharing would give both stores more exposure to eachothers customers and traffic for both of them. However, I wouldn't know how to go about that or how to find another store that would want to share place. Let me know what you all think.

When I used to share a sim (my old store years ago), it was with a friend. Then we got some other people on the sim and they were our friends too. We all just happened to make stuff but we were primarily friends. Try building friendships with fellow creatives.

[anniebumpkins]

Hi Coral! I'm also starting out with my first store and am more or less just following this thread for advice, but if you ever want to connect/network as creators feel free to get in touch! At the moment I have my store on the mainland and my customer base is very small, but as I'm expanding I've been looking into maybe migrating back into a sim sometime next year or so. Either way, best of luck to you! I've really really enjoyed doing commerce in SL and learning more and more about mesh in the process, hopefully it'll be a similarly rewarding experience for you! 

[Marigold Devin]

On 12/12/2021 at 12:01 PM, Coral Starlight said:

Hi!

I have a question about getting a store in-world. I have had a Marketplace up until now and now I am thinking about perhaps getting a store. One thing I am thinking about is how shops share sims/parcels cause I can see how sharing would give both stores more exposure to eachothers customers and traffic for both of them. However, I wouldn't know how to go about that or how to find another store that would want to share place. Let me know what you all think.

I look forward each week to receiving the Fifty Five Thursday notecard from Nola Hellershanks which lists quite a few stores who have a special offer each week. Obviously the whole point is to bring people into their stores in the first place, but it does seem to work as these notecards have been sent out for more than ten years. There are, I am sure, lots of other people who collaborate in similar ways. If you have a look around your favourite in world stores you may even see something similar - or the same - on a notice board in the foyer or landing point. The notecard will give you instructions of how to apply to be part of such a collaboration.  

Good luck with your in world venture and continuing success with Marketplace too. 

[Salt Peppermint]

I would highly suggest to join the "creators supporting creators" discord channel. it's full of SL creators, supporting each other in any possible field. starting from sharing store spaces to help in various software and also just chatter. being a creator you can apply to be invited here: https://forms.gle/vgeFMrSj1VUH2q1F7