Narrow focus or multiple categories per site


afedericojr
Free Member
  • Posts: 1
  • Joined: 07 Feb 11
  • Karma:
23 Mar 11 04:52:05 am
Good day.

I will be pursuing the avenue of dropshipping rather than bulk purchases, so I realize that the majority of my options will be generic items, as name brand are often limited to orders of a large quantity.
I am wondering if I should create a site tailored to one specific product category in order to give it a professional and specialized feel, or if I should offer multiple categories.
I just tried to think from my perspective of shopping. There are certain products that I really don't mind if they are generic, but if I landed on a site that sold everything from automotive accessories to tablecloths, I would be deterred from purchasing on that site.
However, if I was shopping for product A, and I landed on a site with many generic product A's but with a good pricepoint, I believe I would be more apt to purchase.

At what point is the line drawn? I don't want to give away too much information, but lets say I had three main categories.
Is it a bad idea to sell them all on one site, or would I have better success with three separate websites all tailored to each category.

Lastly, is there a downside in showing a relation between the sites, or should they remain autonomous?
For instance, Category A, B, C are part of "FictitousCompany Inc".
or...
Cat A, B, C are all independent sites with nothing tying it to a parent company, perhaps under which I have my Tax ID.

Thanks


richelle_salehoo1
Site Admin
  • Posts: 5202
  • Joined: 20 Oct 08
  • Karma:
23 Mar 11 09:56:26 pm
Hi and welcome afedericojr,

I think you can start out by offering a few products that belong under the same category for example if you want to sell mobile phones it might be good to offer various brands/models as well as add a few mobile phone accessories like headsets, chargers, screen protectors, casings and maybe even sim packs. This way you give your buyer choices although everything is contained in one product category. This may also gives you a higher chance of landing a sale.

I guess trying out a site that is focused on one particular product alone or one that offers various product categories or both (2 sites) might be a gamble but having both sites for comparison maybe the only one way of finding out for sure :)

Your question is the type that will get many different answers and honestly, I don't think one idea is a hundred percent better than the other. Remember you are catering to different types of customers who have different needs and preferences.

Hope this helps :)


Richelle

Customer Support Manager
SaleHoo Group Limited

 

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