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Disquieter

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Apr 23, 2004
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WA
hey hey,

I'm doing some research for a project i've had in the works for quite some time.

I would like everyone to tell me what they would most like to see in an online bass only retail store.

specific brands, types of promotion, etc. etc.

not trying to horn in at all on bassplyr or...:ahem: the "dude" pit.
just trying to do something I love and get away with it.


so please, opinions.


I'm actually getting a startup loan in the next few weeks to get some initial merchandise and take care of the basics.


I would love to have a brick&mortar establishment but it would be so hard to compete with bass NW across the water.
I could always sell guitars as well, but then there's 5 GC's within driving distance.


what you guys think, it would be based in the seattle area, so I would ship out of there, and eventually if it takes off, i was thinking of relocating to the central cost (ca), and starting a retail store.


you guys play the basses I love, so i want your opinions.

thanks
joel D.
 

JB1

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Aug 2, 2004
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Well, I'm in the UK and we have good OL store, not just for basses. www.stringsdirect.co.uk

I'd like all the popular basses (maybe canvass MM, Fender, G&L, W****K etc to see what their best sellers are).

I'd also want strings, straps, bags & spares.

Maybe amps?

Hope this helps - good luck.
 

spectorbassguy

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Central Iowa
Joel I think you're on the right track by not doing what everyone else is doing; it'd be tough to compete with the buying power that Guitar Center and many other huge operations have. I'd look for exclusives; the unusual items that most retailers don't stock or even have access to. Maybe find a unique new bass builder that will agree to do all his sales thru you? Or an amp-maker? Maybe even sell bass-related apparel such as T-Shirts, etc. in regular AND bigger sizes too (Hint - 4XL is my friend).
Above all, make sure your customer service is better than the other guy's is. And KNOW what you sell.

Good Luck - I Wish you all the best. :D
 

phatduckk

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San Mateo, California, United States
as far as an online bass store goes ...

besides good inventory (which is obviously a must) there's a couple things that I think are pretty important.

1) the site has to look proferssional if im gonna buy stuff online. if it wasnt for bass centrals great reputation (which is very well deserved) and the fact that I could call in my order, i wouldnt have got my last sr there. to be more specific ... if it doesnt look pro, im not giving u my cc#.

2) pictures! so musiciansfriend has the pro thing going for them, but when you drill into a listing for an SR4 (or whatever) they have options for color x, y & z with features a & b but only a pic for white & black.

3) organization of the site. i should be able to intuitively navigate to the "strings section" then into the "EB Strings" section from there where i can check out the diff guages and types.

4) good search is key (but less important if #3 kiks ass).

5) inventory status with the item listing. I dont wanna submit my cc etc then find out later in a confirmation email that this item is "on order - expected to arrive in 7 days".

6) product reviews are cool especially if im gonna try out a new brand of strings or something like that. another example would be i wanna get my first 5 string but dont wanna spend too much suz i dont know if ill get into it ... reviews would help there.

7) user profiles ... mostly regarding #6. answer the question of "why would i trust this guy who says the Bongo sucks, that other guy said its great?" if the user had a profile and i knew he's a metalhead and mostly plays esp guitars, then i'll know to weigh their opinion less that someone like Bovine.

Hope this info was useful. I used to do ecommerce sites for a living so i could go off about this stuff for days. more or less get good inventory and copy what amazon.com does :)

good luck buddy!
 
Last edited:

crazybass888

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Apr 23, 2004
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282
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Atlanta, GA
Inventory is key. Find out what people want and carry it. Also make sure that your site keeps a current list of your inventory. I like to see things like "3 available" or "more in 2 weeks." Find some cool and unusual brands that other people don't carry. And of course, stand behind the products you sell, know the products you sell, and provide the best in customer service.
 

Disquieter

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Apr 23, 2004
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WA
ok..

working titles?

names for an establishment specializing in bass.

Bass Trap
The Basshole
i've got more, but i can't remember.


any ideas on this front?

joel D.

there is more collective experience and knowledge on this board than I can even begin to imagine, and while i considered myself knowledgable, theres always someone who knows more. that is why I ask you guys.
 

Dees

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May 13, 2003
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Laarne city, Belgium
phatduckk said:
"why would i trust this guy who says the Bongo sucks, that other guy said its great?" if the user had a profile and i knew he's a metalhead and mostly plays esp guitars, then i'll know to weigh their opinion less that someone like Bovine.

Hey, I'm a metalhead and I love Bongo's (well, the looks, haven't had the chance to play them, lousy dealers are 'afraid' to order them because they look weird and fear that therefore won't sell). I must say that I'm not 100% metalhead, also funk and stuff like that.

Anyway, back on topic. I think must is already said. Updates are important too. And LARGE pictures of the stuff you sell, not those louse 200*300 images.
 

midopa

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One gripe I have about many online retailers is that they often reuse a manufacturer's pic. of a product or have the forbidden flash distorting the beauty of a bass. Please take some time for nice, perfect, ruvery pics! :)

About user profiles and reviews, I'm not so sure about that one. You really can't these things. As I've said before, what led me to purchase my current ESP bass was a bunch of raving reviews. What does that tell you about the credibility of these things? :p

Best of luck! I will most certainly purchase nice lil' bass gitir trinkets from you once you're setup and going! :D
 

Disquieter

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WA
Essentially, i intend to have a well designed, thought out, layed out store that has the image quality of expensive porn.



i'm working on a rough outline and I'll bump it up for you guys soon.


thanks for your support everyone.

it's always been a dream of mine to do this, and the wife says I can if it looks like it will work well.

can anyone suggest a good web host.

I use Canaca for my current domain, 4 bucks a month (paid 1 yr in advance..) for 20gb of webspace, 50gb of bandwidth, full cgi access and 5000 emails with unlimited email space (essentially). I can upgrade to their business plan and get the secured site with carts and whatnot.


forms of payment are an odd one as well, i suppose i could incorporate a third party in there (not paypal). I'm sure theres companies that will give me the ability to accept credit cards for a monthly payment or a set ammount per transaction.


im excited, this will turn out good.

anyone who wants to suggest a specific brand of bass you'd like to see more exposure of, let me know at joel(at)substandardband(dot)com and I'll check into it.




thanks
joel D.
 

spectorbassguy

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Feb 19, 2004
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Central Iowa
Disquieter said:
anyone who wants to suggest a specific brand of bass you'd like to see more exposure of, let me know at joel(at)substandardband(dot)com and I'll check into it.
thanks
joel D.
How about some "Wish" basses? :p :p :p
 

Disquieter

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Apr 23, 2004
Messages
791
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WA
Mobay45 said:
Did you get my idea for a name? Did you like it?

Larry

it's taken.

reserved is more like it..

it was good though, but alas..

joel D.
 
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