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[pedroh]

Hi everyone just new to this forum, and for a good while i always dreamed of my own car accessorys shop.

thanks to the joys of the internet this is now possible and ive got an online shop as good as ready to go.

only thing i lack is the stock, but i researched drop shipping and this seemed the ideal way to get it off the ground.

but now ive hit one snag ( poor planning maybe ), but i cant see to find a company to supply me with the products anywhere.

ive checked as much as possible, but now im crying out for help..

can anyone help

thanks

pete

[natasha]

hello

perhaps you could contact another member on here called ken that might be able to give you a few tips.

regards

[Ken]

I don't know about drop shippers at all .....nor about car "accessories " per se - but if you were thinking seriously in the longer term about importing, I would recommend the Frankfurt Automechanika which is the leading trade fair for the automotive industry and highlights mechanical components in the main,as well as related areas like accessories.This is held every two years in Frankfurt (*not to be confused with the Frankfurt Motor Show which showcases new models and is held every other year).
http://automechanika.messefrankfurt....t/en/home.html


The next Automechanika is on next year (2006) in September.
I attended last year and there are hundreds of exhibitors ...it really is huge.You need at least 3 days and you must plan your trip well in advance as all hotels in Frankfurt get booked up months in advance. One of the halls was specifically devoted to car accessories and there were representatives from all manner of global companies offering things like alloys,etc etc . May of these companies specialising in 'accessories' were from countries such as China,South Korea,Turkey etc.
If you look at the exhibitor list on the website you may find an idea of who specialises in the area you are looking for.Ask for their UK distributor details.

One word of caution though : (despite what some other people might say on the board here),I would strongly urge caution and advise you to do your homework before investing too much in the way of accessories originating from China as quality can be very,very neglible and you will lose your reputation quicker than you think if you get landed with duds ( ! ) I am aware of several companies here in the UK who have been suckered into buying supposedly great deals ,only to find that,in the long term,it has not done their reputation any good as the components have been of a far inferior quality than,eg,German OE (original equipment) counterparts. Quality wins out in the long run......

If you're not looking to import wholesale,I do not know of any drop-shippers myself who would offer what you are looking for. All I can suggest.perhaps ,is that you look at the following affiliates forum and do a search on 'car accessories' and you might find something that piques your interest.
http://www.a4uforum.co.uk

[pedroh]

ive got this up and running now.

http://samodz.com

problem is im currently only a third party retailer and basically working on a commission basis.

im not too bothered about this as at least its up and running and now i can push myself towards the marketing of it.

this is what im asking,

advice on marketing my site please? all ideas considered

[Incepto]

I think search engine optimization will definately be one of the best forms of marketing you could do- well targetted traffic, sp hopefully a good conversion rate-

Keep the site up to date- and offer the visitors something free- information, advice- You need to build a relationship with customers and potential customers- get known of related forums- not to plug your site, but to show people you know what you're talking about and it will build peoples trust in you- and when someone asks for something- point them to your site. It's basically online networking, but it can be quite time consuming- but you will learn things too!

Don't let your products get out of date, and maybe put some banners on the related forums, and high traffic sites- remember advertising space can nearly always be negotiable- and so can commissions so get the best deal you can.

Good luck.

[Wh1teLeopard]

This site has a list of modified cars sites/forums. It might be worth either just popping on them, putting a post in the relivant place, or talking to admin to arrange offical advertising on their sites.

http://www.topcruisesites.net/

Hope that helps,
-Em.

[pedroh]

thanks keep the ideas coming,

does anyone know about search engine optimisation?

[timnmb]

We do a fair bit of SEO,

We are on the first page of google for all our chosen search terms.

Have a look at our site and get in touch if you think maybe we can help you.

Alternatively if you plan to do the SEO yourself i would recommend buying a book or too on the subject and googling for some websites with tips