Website and hosting with templates and carts advice please

[Mary_1]

I have bought a web site name and I am now look for hosting sites.

i was going for a website designed for me BUT I was told if I wanted to sell retail on my site it would cost me about £6k! I hope was someone trying to put me off but I have found a few hosting web sites / Shopping cart hosting that look good but are not based in the UK Anyone used them? PLEASE????

I have looked at ShopIfy (but they don't include the cart) I don't fully understand it and just want a professional looking web site with the right meta tags etc (this is like writing Arabic for me)
Also Volusion looked good to as that inc the shopping cart but is based in the USA. They all are that inc a template and that are about $150 a month.
Or the one I think I like best and going on website and buisness forums seem best (unless I start having to pay VAT) IS Big commerce has anyone dealt with any of these?
They have templates for your web site and you add your content wont be thrilling to look out but that's better than looking home made for me.
My son (16) and forced to help. started to speak in tech talk sating I need SLL and more gibberish!
To make it worse i am dyslexic so i writing things down the wrong way etc.
.
As I would also like recommendations on brands that sell well on the web. I have OPI and Nail inc but am able to sell these online or do i need permishion from lena white etc
I am leaning towards Elemis but i know i would need to train with them can anyone give me prices for that by PM or Decleor? sorry read somewhere prices couldnt be stated but i will feel a fool saying that much? Ok sorry to bother you to elemis or Clarins etc:green::cry:
(I look on Ebay and despair ) Though surely not that many people will trust ebay
Thanks so much
Mary ( minus her little lamb!)
Please be gentle with me new to this and a dyslexic which i why choose something that didn't involve writing all the time

Sorry for all the Qs but you guys know everything in the whole wide world :hug:
x

 

[Ruth Mills]

It's certainly possible to get a bespoke designed (as opposed to a template) UK-based shopping cart website that accepts payments via PayPal or Google Checkout for just over the £300 mark; and the running costs once it's set up would be a lot less than $150 per month (which sounds really expensive - $150 per month would work out over a grand a year).

 

[Mary_1]

Hi helen,
Really thats way better news than i was given have you had first hand experience with a co that you think are good?
I want to do as little possible (i know doesnt everyone) but i have made 3-4 querries with biz peeps who all say you would need at least £3k to start and i simply do not have that.
I know its half the amount i quoted i have been busy..
Though please advise if first hand
Thanx
Mary xx

 

[persianista]

Elemis, clarins etc will only supply certain types of salons with 2 or more treatment rooms/ therapists. set up costs are high and yes, you do need permission to sell online.
I sell online, and got all the companies approval first. Dermalogica have extremely stringent conditions in perticular and will stop supplying anyone who breaks their rules online.
I would expect clarins/elemis/ decleor etc etc to have similar restrictions. Plus you need several thousand to pay for setup to become a stockist in the first place.

If you like what Mark has done with my online shop, I can ask him what he would charge to do a one off for you.

 

[trulyscrump]

It's a very competitive market place. If you are wondering about spending £6k on your site, perhaps I would suggest it's not for you. It's become and expensive game to join.

There's web design, build, hosting, payment processing costs, postage costs, web marketing and SEO... the list goes on.

Many brands also require you to have a high street showing too (in fact many of the big players in the UK, run salons just to allow them to sell the products). You also need to commit to minimum initial stock purchases. eg. Decleor is about £3-4k.

Then, you'd need to compete against all the people discounting the products and all the companies selling into the UK from Jersey who don't need to charge VAT so can undercut your prices.

Sorry to be putting you off, but it's a very tough market and a big decision to compete.

 

[TweezerHappy]

Salon Alchemy - Professional Salon Web Design and Secure Online Salon Management Software - Welcome

Ruth Mills will do you a great website with shopping cart for a very reasonable price. Your initial outlay for products to sell may well be thousands but if you got a website through Ruth it most definitely wouldn't be.

 

[Mary_1]

Hi, The brands i metioned i hoped to be able to get though i am aiming at non pro items mainly though of course i would love Elemis Dec etc.

Completely fair comments thank-you if i was just as i sounded an air head (really i re read what i wrote)
Though i do have many rare / not in the UK products i sell in the salon and i think i will be best to stick to those.
Brushes etc that are pro and cruelty free which is also important to me.
Sorry for how i came across i agree having read my very looooong and air head Q i would completely agree and thank you for trying to save me from going under
Mary xx