Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

Are people in India buying cosmetics online already? Why or why not?

Who in India shops online? Where are they located? Ages? Gender?

Do you know which cosmetics sell well in stores in India (and are already well-known), so your online sales will be smoother?

Dear Info,

Who would you be selling to? At what price point? In which niche?
What promise would you be offering? How will you position yourself?

How long will it take to condition your prospects for them to know
you, like you, believe you, trust you, and want to buy from you?

Are there buyers for cosmetics in a large enough quantities to make
it a worthwhile venture for you?

How will you attract buyers? How will you build your list? How will
you process orders, take payment, ship, fulfill, and follow up? How
will you up sell and cross sell? What will you use as a one time
offer? What will you offer in terms of continuity?

You need to figure out all this stuff and a good deal more before
you take serious steps further into the market.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

You need to set yourself apart from the other place that people buy your products. For example, I worked at a film processing lab. One commercial client sent film in under 15 different store names. A 36 exposure roll of color slides would cost between $2 and $20 depending which name it cam in under. It was the same processing, but the difference was how it was marketed and packaged..

In your case, you may want to do one site to market to the low budget customer, and another to go after the top of the line customer. The look and feel of the site should reflect the appropriate customer. Do not let the consumer know that the sites are related...

Also, remember, you are not selling cosmetics, you are selling a feeling. Kodak sells film, but they market memories. Ford sells cars, but they market excitement.

I come from a different perspective since I actually sell cosmetics on line...well, skin care. (www.ReneeRouleau.com)
When you say cosmetics, do you mean makeup like eyeshadows, lipsticks etc...or do you mean skin care and body care? If it's makeup, it's much harder to sell because people want to see the actual colors so be sure to have good photography and good descriptions of the colors. This will make it easier. If it's skin care or body care, again, be as descriptive about the scent and texture of the product. Most people like to see it in person, but it certainly can be done on line with the right strategies and implementing the advice you have received from others.

Of course it's a good idea! Million others have been doing it for many years now. The question is - will anyone notice you behind monsters like Sephora?