how to market a dress shop?

lessers

i recently set up a bebo page selling dresses for debs, balls, weddings etc.

i was just woundering how to market it?

www.bebo.com/dresswaterford

byronyasgur

nice looking page .

get the url (www.bebo.com/dresswaterford) out as much as possible

• business cards ( you can get 1000 for €100 in some places ) - make sure your url is on it and as it's an online business make it prominant
• flyers ( same as above )
• text/email everyone you know with the url
• you could start a blog on one of the many sites that offer this service - write fairly regularly about debs, dresses, fashion etc etc - make sure your url is visible on this also
• try to think up ways to highlight your shop in local community - maybe sponsor an event - or run a competition for a voucher comming up to debs time
• go to directory sites all over the internet ( for instance yahoo directory ) and add your site - make sure it's in the right place - try to go for GOOD IRISH sites
• you could buy some adwords from google - you would need to do a good bit of research on this though
• try to do link exchanges with other businesses in similar areas - for instance accessories shops
• before you do any of this ( although there is nothing wrong with your current url really) you could improve on it for a few quid per year if you buy a domain name and have it set to point to your current domain - ie www.dresseswaterford.com or something ( there is a domain checker here if you need to check availablility)
• you might want to research "branding" if you are doing that last one as you cant change printed material
• you could also get t-shirts or bags or something else like that with the name on it from cafepress - sorry dont have url but worth searching for
• make sure your url is on everything - like if you put an add in a school magazine - which is probably cheap so you could do every girls school in the south east

good luck

valz_walsh

For things like your debs dresses, it might be an idea if you went around to the schools, with flyers. Maybe you could get a few models to the schools to show off the dresses. Its a bit late for the at this stage, as the schools are closed, but maybe next year.

For your wedding dresses, you could drop flyers into hairdresser's, or salons, or florests, maybe in to mans tux' shops. You could also drop them into popular places where wedding receptions happen. When someone is checking out reception venues they could pick up a flyer too.

Could you put your dresses on e-bay?

An ad in the paper/radio? Is it possible to get an advert in a wedding magazine?

Dabko

lessers wrote: »

i recently set up a bebo page selling dresses for debs, balls, weddings etc.

i was just woundering how to market it?

www.bebo.com/dresswaterford

Great idea, nice looking page. I think some of the other posters are right though, buy a domain and set up a website.

With full online-shopping websites that you can update yourself, now available for under 1000euro, may be well worth the investment. Think, you are in a market where there will always be a demand.

Here are some great free business directories.

http://www.gimmedat.ie
http://www.browseireland.com
http://www.irishsites.com
http://www.finditireland.com
http://www.search.ie
http://www.whatswhat.ie
http://www.armchair.ie


These sites are paid directory sites, but well worth a look:

http://www.party.ie
http://www.lookout.ie


Maybe look into the online wedding directories as these have entire sections for your kind of business. Although some can be quite expensive to advertise with - haggle like hell:D


http://www.weddingsonline.ie
http://www.irishweddingdiary.ie
http://www.irishweddingsonline.com
http://www.weddingsireland.com

Give me a shout if you want advice on shopping sites:D:D:D

Vim Fuego

I would think of the long term and try to get a proper website together. I think you could do well advertising Debs dresses on Google in the run-up to Debs season. If you have any sort of marketing budget, you could call the following Irish agencies and see what they can do for that money:

BluecubeInteractive.com
ContinuumMarketing.ie
Cybercom.ie
InteractiveReturn.com
etc etc

I'd say you'd be looking at 2kish for a solid website and then you would probably do well to spend a few hundred per month on adwords with a reputable agency.

Or get reading and have a go yourself.

lessers

Thanks for all your help. I havent had time to even look into any of it as the dresses have been selling and ive been soo busy. Im also looking for a name for the dress shop if anyone can think of one. Dont really want the word dress in it. Was thinking along the lines of Pretty Woman or something like that.

forbairt

Lets dress waterford ?

As was already said ... get yourself a domain name and hosting (that'll be the cheapish bit) and cost you around 40 quid a year

Bebo is probably great .. but ... not exactly where I'd go to buy a dress

Add yourself to directories online

Get business cards done up (give them to friends / family / neighbours) and ask them to give them to friends

Good luck with the venture

caminowebmaster

I would agree with forbait - get your own domain name and site.