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Crystal Games & Books Online Store Pre-Launch Madness

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JP1138
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« on: December 10, 2011, 08:58:04 am »

Probably the longest post title ever, but neccessarily so. I was going to wait until Monday to post this, but I'm that excited I couldn't wait.

On Monday 12 th December and running until New Years Eve, our new webstore will be taking pre-orders in the run up to our full launch mid January 2012. However we WON'T BE SHIPPING until the new year. Let me make that very clear: nothing is being shipped until mid-January when we launch. The reason we're taking pre-orders now is to know what people want before we send off the final confirmed order towards the end of December.

We have not being able to secure the full funding needed to get both the webstore and the bricks and mortar shop up and running at the same time and so are concentrating on the online store. As we are funding this ourselves, we can't risk buying in stock that people don't want and so we thought we'd let you put in the orders for what you want now based on our 'suggested' stock line on the site.

This will give us a better idea what to get lots in of as well as some instant cash-flow to add to what we've already put in.

Shipping costs are easy:

A: Postage on orders from £1-£54.99  are charged at £3
B: Postage on orders £55 and above are FREE

At the minute that is the best deal we can offer on postage. We hope to be able to bring this down in the very near future.

Now, this means you will have to wait a few extra weeks for your toy soldiers to get to you and to reward you for your support, understanding and patience we are offering 15% off your total order for this pre-order phase.

Our prices are a little cheaper to begin with, so we think this is a pretty sweet deal (and there might be a belated  little something extra in your packages from Santa Wink)

Just enter the code: CRYSTALMADNESS in the discount section of the checkout.

NOW...

Come 11.30pm GMT on December 31, the website will change to SOLD OUT on everything and will remain so until these initial orders have been sent out (remember this is just me and Lucy running the show Smiley). You won't be able to order anything for about a week or two. This is to allow us to get the orders sent, packaged and shipped out and then update the site with the new stock as well as inventory levels so we can make sure we always have what you need, when you need it. It all depends on how many pre-orders we get in.

The discount will end and the prices revert to what is shown.

BUT...

We will also be offering Inner Circle membership. This year long membership will give you a healthy discount on every order, exclusive access to special discounts, models and merchandise not available to non-members, a monthly newsletter with sneak peaks at upcoming releases before anyone else as well as invites to tournaments, campaigns and other events run by Crystal Games & Books.

Membership is £30 - but until 31 December you'll get 15% off! How's that for a deal? You can only have 15% off your orders though - not the special discount AND the Inner Circle Discount.

So here's the schedule:

1. The webstore goes LIVE Monday 12th December.
2. Order what you want.
3. Remember to use the code: CRYSTAL MADNESS at checkout to get your 15% discount.
4. December 31 23.30 GMT the webstore shuts down while we will collate the orders and start sending them out the first week of January.
5. You should have your toy soldiers by 16 January 2012
6. 16 January 2012 the webstore REOPENS with thunderous applause!

We stock a full range of:

* Kings Of War
* Warpath
* Dwarf Kings Hold

as well as starter sets for:

* Brushfire
* Relics

and don't forget your painting needs with:

* Army Painter

So how does that sound?


« Last Edit: December 10, 2011, 09:22:13 am by JP1138 » Report Spam   Logged

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scarletsquig
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« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2011, 10:31:17 am »

Advice - The pitch is too lengthy, and difficult for the customer to understand.

If I'm right in thinking this offer is "15% off an already slightly discounted range".. so say that slight discount is 10%, you then have to work out what 15% of the remaining 90% is expressed in terms of the original 100% and it all gets very confusing. Alternatively, the customer might think "15%" is the discount and not even realise that there is a secondary discount applicable that is applied before the 15%.

Just keep it simple and state "Launch offer! XX% off RRP until January 1st! Free shipping on orders over £55!". Done. One line, not 7 paragraphs, and you're not asking your customers to do their heads in with maths just to understand what it is you're trying to say. Smiley

Also, I would advise not selling Inner circle membership until your bricks and mortar store actually exists, otherwise if it doesn't materialise, you're going to upset people.

Seriously, that kind of thing just screams "scam", and as someone who has personally lost over £100 to an online GW discounter stealing his money (got burnt in the DWHS several a few years back), that kind of "give us your money now, and hope we deliver later" thing would turn me off the site in an instant.

I have to admit, tournaments in a brick and mortar store were the main thing I was personally interested in, but if you seriously want to compete as an online webstore I'm happy to share my thoughts on those too, having bought from pretty much every store out there.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2011, 10:39:18 am by scarletsquig » Report Spam   Logged
JP1138
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« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2011, 10:38:47 am »

I guess in trying to make it clear, I confused the issue.

Basically:

* 15% off the price you see until December 31.
* start shipping January - orders to arrive by 16 January

The Inner Circle gives 10% discount year round, plus added discounts when we have, for example, a Brushfire Specials week, or an Undead week. It will also help towards tournament costs, as we already have a venue set up for these (the store only has space for 8X4 table).

Hope that clears things up
 Smiley
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scarletsquig
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« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2011, 10:54:25 am »

Ah, but what is "The price you see"? I wasn't confused about what you were trying to say, I was saying "this will confuse the hell out of any potential customers in it's current form".

As a random person, looking to buy from an internet retailer, I could either go to site A) and think "right, I can get X% off RRP there"

... or I can go to your site and think "Right, I get X% off.. some price that isn't the RRP.. err... how much is that *break out calculators*, oh it's Y%!.. okay now I just add X% to Y% and I'm done, right.. oh wait, damn, I can't do that, I have to calculate 100 - ((100 - Y%)*(100- X%)) to work out what the actual discount is. (answer is 23.5% off RRP using 15% and 10% as X and Y).

Combine the discounts, display a flat % off RRP to your customers, anything else is just going to be confusing, none of your customers are going to want to have to do all that maths just to make a price comparison. Hell, half of them probably won't even know how to do the maths required, and other half won't want to do the maths required.

It looks like a damn good launch deal that will probably be lower than all major competition after postage is factored in, why hide it by forcing people to calculate discounts on discounts? This sort of thing is one of the top things that will make me look at an online store and think "eh, screw this jazz, the rest of the internet is only 1 click away, I'll buy from there instead." I could make a longer post about the other things that have made me either not buy or stop buying from online stores if you want to avoid some common pitfalls.

Harsh criticism from a detached perspective at this point in your business is only going to do you favours, especially if you're trying to make it as an webstore, an area which is especially cut-throat and already has a ton of quality established competition.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2011, 11:06:11 am by scarletsquig » Report Spam   Logged
JP1138
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« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2011, 11:10:19 am »

I guess this is all moot now as we've just learnt a bit of bad news which means we might not be able to progress with the online store either.

never rains but it bloody pours!   Cry

Update shortly
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« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2011, 11:11:21 am »

Aww, dang, really wanted to see this work out for you. Sad
« Last Edit: December 10, 2011, 11:13:53 am by scarletsquig » Report Spam   Logged
JP1138
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« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2011, 11:31:43 am »

Apparently we can't run an online business from home - the landlord won't let us. The bank refused the full bricks and mortar loan so we thought get the online up and running and part fund the shop with it in a few months.

But no.

These things happen but it doesn't make me feel any better. Embarrassed-much?!

I now go to either slit my wrists (JOKE) or drink vast quantities of alcohol that would shame Thor (NOT A JOKE).
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« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2011, 11:44:29 am »

Damn landlords, ever the scourge of civilised society. Sad

Wayland started up by selling from their spare bedroom and took it from there, so that's just really petty of them on their part after you put so much work into this.

Sorry for the blunt posts, there was no easier way of making them that didn't cut to the point, but they probably weren't the best thing to be hearing right before the news that it was all buggered anyway.  Undecided
« Last Edit: December 10, 2011, 11:47:49 am by scarletsquig » Report Spam   Logged
JP1138
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« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2011, 11:49:41 am »

No SS you always give good advice and I thank you for that. It has just been a really shitty week, topped off by this. We were a gnats pube away from going into business and now this.

But I'd rather have tried and failed than looked back a few years from now and gone: "what if..."
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« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2011, 12:38:46 pm »

So if you rented a storage unit and ran the business from there...?

Of course, the computer side could be accomplished from home, print your shipping labels, take them to the storage unit, ready your parcels, then drive them to the post.

Just ideas.  Trying to help you think outside the box a little
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« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2011, 01:37:59 pm »

got any friends who might let you a garage as an 'office'? failing that, tiny offices tend to be quite cheap. Also if you've any friends with their own business they might not mind you sharing part of their premises for your purposes.
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« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2011, 02:26:24 pm »

I'm sorry to hear that -- we were in much the same position here, but it was an evil condo association, not a landlord.

There are often other business folks who'll be willing to help out or lend a hand for some consideration.

We found a local tea-room style restaurant that closed at 3PM.  We worked it out to rent her kitchen in the evenings.  It costs us far less than it would to have our own commercial kitchen space, and it gives her some rent while her new restaurant is trying to build a clientele.  (And we put stock in her store so she can sell some of the product and we can drive some customers there for word of mouth.  And we get exposed to customers who might not have heard of us as well.)

I hope you guys can work something out.

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JP1138
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« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2011, 04:25:03 pm »

Thanks for all your well wishes guys. Helped today be a bit more bearable - that and the Baileys as we put the Xmas tree up Smiley

We thought about renting another space but can't really afford the outlay as such a small start up.

Still better to have loved and lost and all that. And its not as if its going to stop my hobby enjoyment. Plus I have all the Mantic writing to fall back on as well, so there's still things to look forward to.

Chin up, lad.  Cool
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« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2011, 04:50:55 pm »

Sorry to hear that - I was really hoping this worked out for you.
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« Reply #14 on: December 11, 2011, 07:49:51 pm »

sad times. Anyway, keep half an eye out locally as the tories ffrom time to time come up with small business incentive package type things.
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