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Need to decide on a new project, help me decide...

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Lili On July 12, 2019
....................





Sunshine Land,
#1New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 22:36:05
I think I've narrowed it down to two options: Creating product review websites, or selling refurbished cellphones on craigslist. I'm not sure which I should do.

They both have pros and cons. For selling cellphones, I've never had a problem selling anything on craigslist, so I'm fairly certain of being able to make money that way. I have a wholesale supplier available to me, so I'm fairly certain I could have a consistent supply. But I'd be on the phone making appointments everyday, and that's annoying. Plus, the profit margin isn't all that high, so I'm not sure how much money I could really be making that way, without it sucking up all my time.

For making product review websites, I feel like this is more of a gamble, but the payoff could potentially be significant. I have a "gameplan", but I also have writer's block, which isn't a good thing when trying to create original content for a website. And of course there's always the possibility I could put a bunch of time into and get squat for all my effort. There's always that possibility when it comes to websites. But if it paid off, I'd have tons of freedom.

I have a fair amount of experience with both of these things, so I'm up in the air. My preference would be for the review sites, but it's riskier. I'm pretty sure craigslist one would work, but it's a lot more work in the long run.
mark_is_god On June 26, 2015




antrim, Ireland
#2New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 22:39:21
personally i would go with the mobile phone idea, purely because there are too many established product review sites.
Lili On July 12, 2019
....................





Sunshine Land,
#3New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 22:45:15
@mark_is_god Said

personally i would go with the mobile phone idea, purely because there are too many established product review sites.



I agree, there is a lot of competition. But one reason there are so many is because you don't necessarily need to be number one in order to make money from them. But I'd hate to put in all that effort and end up with a dead site.
Ko On January 25, 2011
\\m/(>.<)\\m/





949 Orange County, California
#4New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 22:49:46
To be honest, before asking you about the wholesale supplier and assuming it is like other wholesale supplier, the first one is riskier. Selling on craigslist is easy but you need to keep in mind what you are going to sell and you have to find ways to break all other competitors with the similar niche they're in. Selling cellphones or electronics has been the niche of most sellers online.

- Let's get to wholesale suppliers first:
Who is your supplier? Do you have to pay monthly payment to be a member to sell? Have you been with them to sell other products before?. The reason I want you to know about it is because wholesale suppliers and dropshippers (sometimes they are the same) charge you monthly, and/or base fees. And since the niche has already been expolited online and most likely on craigslist too, you need to provide or sell the celphones with lower price than others. THAT "lower price than others" can take you to the different site of making profits. If not lucky, you will always be ending with negative out of pockets because lowering the price cannot or will ONLY cover your monthly fee, access fee, and base fee.

-Now let's go onto Craigslist itself
Have you sold large scale before? If not, keep in mind that people selling electronics and cellphones on there are not individuals or not solely individuals. They have gone to freelancing to get craigslist forum posters, craigslist posters who have many verified accounts. They are hiring them (for example at getafreelancer.com) for a fee of $500 and up for posting job to post the ads within time intervals. YOu may have to follow the same road to compete with them. And then again "following same road" has never been a unique way and always end up only as who can afford more race, ather than having your products and your ad styles being exposed in unique way.

-Now to Product Review Site
If you do it right, this is the more profitable one if you also have patience. THe way you can profit from this is by implementing multiple features, with articles, reviews, user forums, and probably a place for users to report about products in detail as a forum interface. While doing so you should use commission junction or clickbank type ads and make sure the site shows related items only when users are reading reviews. Also make sure the ad itself are grabbed from source in a way that they also show ratings. SO that users reading a review on your site will SEE the HIGHER rating ad and will click to read AND even buy it!!

Product review works well with articles too. Make sure you write or buy articles or hire article writers for products and encourage users to do video reviews or detail review for an exchange for some higer membership or something.

This site, if you have aptience, it is less risk, and if you put dedications and long time effort, you will succeed. PLus on brighter side, the money you will be paying to possibly trying to out-compete other cellphone sellers can ALL or less of that amount can be used to maintain and improve the product review.

Keep those in mind and all the best,
-Ko




@Lili Said

I think I've narrowed it down to two options: Creating product review websites, or selling refurbished cellphones on craigslist. I'm not sure which I should do.

They both have pros and cons. For selling cellphones, I've never had a problem selling anything on craigslist, so I'm fairly certain of being able to make money that way. I have a wholesale supplier available to me, so I'm fairly certain I could have a consistent supply. But I'd be on the phone making appointments everyday, and that's annoying. Plus, the profit margin isn't all that high, so I'm not sure how much money I could really be making that way, without it sucking up all my time.

For making product review websites, I feel like this is more of a gamble, but the payoff could potentially be significant. I have a "gameplan", but I also have writer's block, which isn't a good thing when trying to create original content for a website. And of course there's always the possibility I could put a bunch of time into and get squat for all my effort. There's always that possibility when it comes to websites. But if it paid off, I'd have tons of freedom.

I have a fair amount of experience with both of these things, so I'm up in the air. My preference would be for the second one, but it's riskier. I'm pretty sure the first one would work, but it's a lot more work in the long run.
El_Tino On October 12, 2023
booyaka!





Albuquerque, New Mexico
#5New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 22:51:09
@Lili Said

I agree, there is a lot of competition. But one reason there are so many is because you don't necessarily need to be number one in order to make money from them. But I'd hate to put in all that effort and end up with a dead site.


If I were you I'd start with 1 or two products and see how it goes. See if you can get the traffic and make money at it. Start with something basic. Search on google for your terms and see what comes up in the results and the ads.
Grasshopper On January 11, 2023
Just me.





Fort Collins, Colorado
#6New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 22:56:50
You could try both you know.
Lili On July 12, 2019
....................





Sunshine Land,
#7New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 22:58:52
@Ko Said

To be honest, before asking you about the wholesale supplier and assuming it is like other wholesale supplier, the first one is riskier. Selling on craigslist is easy but you need to keep in mind what you are going to sell and you have to find ways to break all other competitors with the similar niche they're in. Selling cellphones or electronics has been the niche of most sellers online.

- Let's get to wholesale suppliers first:
Who is your supplier? Do you have to pay monthly payment to be a member to sell? Have you been with them to sell other products before?. The reason I want you to know about it is because wholesale suppliers and dropshippers (sometimes they are the same) charge you monthly, and/or base fees. And since the niche has already been expolited online and most likely on craigslist too, you need to provide or sell the celphones with lower price than others. THAT "lower price than others" can take you to the different site of making profits. If not lucky, you will always be ending with negative out of pockets because lowering the price cannot or will ONLY cover your monthly fee, access fee, and base fee.

-Now let's go onto Craigslist itself
Have you sold large scale before? If not, keep in mind that people selling electronics and cellphones on there are not individuals or not solely individuals. They have gone to freelancing to get craigslist forum posters, craigslist posters who have many verified accounts. They are hiring them (for example at getafreelancer.com) for a fee of $500 and up for posting job to post the ads within time intervals. YOu may have to follow the same road to compete with them. And then again "following same road" has never been a unique way and always end up only as who can afford more race, ather than having your products and your ad styles being exposed in unique way.

-Now to Product Review Site
If you do it right, this is the more profitable one if you also have patience. THe way you can profit from this is by implementing multiple features, with articles, reviews, user forums, and probably a place for users to report about products in detail as a forum interface. While doing so you should use commission junction or clickbank type ads and make sure the site shows related items only when users are reading reviews. Also make sure the ad itself are grabbed from source in a way that they also show ratings. SO that users reading a review on your site will SEE the HIGHER rating ad and will click to read AND even buy it!!

Product review works well with articles too. Make sure you write or buy articles or hire article writers for products and encourage users to do video reviews or detail review for an exchange for some higer membership or something.

This site, if you have aptience, it is less risk, and if you put dedications and long time effort, you will succeed. PLus on brighter side, the money you will be paying to possibly trying to out-compete other cellphone sellers can ALL or less of that amount can be used to maintain and improve the product review.

Keep those in mind and all the best,
-Ko



The wholesalers I've found do not have monthly memberships or access fees. I have seen that before, I know what you're talking about. The site I'd be using if more an auction style set up. The downside is the the supply isn't entirely reliable or consistent, but if they're sold on craigslist that doesn't matter, I'd just make an ad for whatever model of phone I happened to have at the moment. No dropshippers! Dropshippers are not something I would do. It sounds great in theory, but if (or should I say when) they screw up your order, you get all the blame, and there's nothing you can do about it. I wouldn't have a "store" website, I'd just post an ad on craigslist, that way I'm not really seen as a competitors to stores. I wouldn't have a brand or a storefront or any of that, my ads would just be the phone description, and my phone number, like most ads you see on craigslist.

I agree, the potential for a review site is way higher. But there are billions of websites, most of which don't ever get off the ground, so I still see it as a risky proposition. I would definitely prefer this option though if it actually paid off.
Lili On July 12, 2019
....................





Sunshine Land,
#8New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 23:12:52
@grasshopper Said

You could try both you know.



That certainly would be more diverse, lol. I would do that, but both will take a good amount of time on my part initially. The craigslist thing would take up jut about all of my time, and the review site would take up all my time for a short while to start with. I could try to do both, but then I'd be a terrible mother, lol. Or I could make a review site, and when I'm done with that and waiting around to see if it works, I could sell stuff on craigslist, lol.
Grasshopper On January 11, 2023
Just me.





Fort Collins, Colorado
#9New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 23:15:15
@Lili Said

That certainly would be more diverse, lol. I would do that, but both will take a good amount of time on my part initially. The craigslist thing would take up jut about all of my time, and the review site would take up all my time for a short while to start with. I could try to do both, but then I'd be a terrible mother, lol. Or I could make a review site, and when I'm done with that and waiting around to see if it works, I could sell stuff on craigslist, lol.



lol. Oh yea, you don't wanna forget about the kids

I think that last sentence would work well, depends on how devoted you are. Ya know?

Whatever you choose, good luck
Lili On July 12, 2019
....................





Sunshine Land,
#10New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 23:16:48
@grasshopper Said

lol. Oh yea, you don't wanna forget about the kids

I think that last sentence would work well, depends on how devoted you are. Ya know?

Whatever you choose, good luck


Yeah, procrastination is not my friend, but I know it well. lol

Thanks
Grasshopper On January 11, 2023
Just me.





Fort Collins, Colorado
#11New Post! Apr 02, 2010 @ 23:23:42
@Lili Said

Yeah, procrastination is not my friend, but I know it well. lol

Thanks



lol. Don't feel bad. I'm the same way.

You're welcome
Ko On January 25, 2011
\\m/(>.<)\\m/





949 Orange County, California
#12New Post! Apr 03, 2010 @ 07:03:19
@Lili Said

The wholesalers I've found do not have monthly memberships or access fees. I have seen that before, I know what you're talking about. The site I'd be using if more an auction style set up. The downside is the the supply isn't entirely reliable or consistent, but if they're sold on craigslist that doesn't matter, I'd just make an ad for whatever model of phone I happened to have at the moment. No dropshippers! Dropshippers are not something I would do. It sounds great in theory, but if (or should I say when) they screw up your order, you get all the blame, and there's nothing you can do about it. I wouldn't have a "store" website, I'd just post an ad on craigslist, that way I'm not really seen as a competitors to stores. I wouldn't have a brand or a storefront or any of that, my ads would just be the phone description, and my phone number, like most ads you see on craigslist.

I agree, the potential for a review site is way higher. But there are billions of websites, most of which don't ever get off the ground, so I still see it as a risky proposition. I would definitely prefer this option though if it actually paid off.


Ya in that case, go for it. Because if you sell, you will get profit.

It doesn't require you to buy in bulk too right? I mean to put some investment as in buy 100 and get some $ off deals where you will buy it and stock it at your own place. In that case, the products will sell but they might "lag at your place" for some time until all sold out and you get back some investments back.

Is it like even buying one product is still at a discount price? Are you going to be like those Avon agents who sell locally too and put ads on their own?

And yes, you should stick with Craigslist also because other online stores may charge you. Classifieds are the best for you and perhaps also the local magazines or newspaper you know, like weekenders and such.

Good luck!!
ucoole On April 06, 2010




Quanzhou, China
#13New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 20:20:15
goodluck!
silitom On May 13, 2010
Troll



changzhou, Florida
#14New Post! Apr 28, 2010 @ 08:05:57
thank you for the post,very good.Can we make friend? 8)
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