The Chronicles Of DDall - A Progress/Execution Thread (Damn $3Mg/$700Knet!)

[Denim Chicken]

Reviews as far as I've determined do not DIRECTLY affect ranking, although previously Amazon's A9 may have taken them into account. Reviews however greatly assist with conversion rates (via social proof, additional imagery and hopefully convincing descriptions in use) which DOES affect ranking. They may also indirectly help with Google's keyword ranking of the listing page.

Persoanlly I'm overjoyed Amazon has advanced their position on 'honest reviews in exchange for test product' to one of non-compliance. It was undermining the entire trust of the system to consumers. Reviews are essential in the overall scheme of growth, but more important than anything is the value proposition and your competitive differentiator. Reviews can still be easily garnered by utilizing your own email list on launch products, using Facebook funnels, doing contests, family friends etc., and email follow up (word of note, as of this writing word is Amazon is testing the elimination of any follow up emails which mention reviews. I've personally changed my follow up sequence and will not be surprised if this becomes a TOS violation. Amazon customers are inundated with email spam and the customer experience is degraded as a result).

My very first product was a success, but it was validated more or less on eBay before I brought it over to Amazon. There were many other products I passed on after sampling.

I changed my username, this was a reply to my post. Thanks for that, I'm also glad they cracked down on the reviews especially as a consumer.

 

[quanttastic]

This is actually a great question. Here is a lengthy article explaining what @biophase is talking about in detail.

I'm very fortunate that I only deal with US Suppliers in my current business, and my lead times are very short. My cash churn is very low compared to the volume we do. This has allowed for quick growth and for being highly profitable at the same time.

I've invested in another business importing from China, and while it has gone well, getting things from overseas eats cash. Be prepared for it!

Great insight @biophase

Any general advice on finding manufacturers in the US?

I've tried Thomas.net but without much luck. Makers Row seems good for fashion, but not much else. It has been so much easier for me to find manufacturers in China and India than stateside. I wish there was an Alibaba for US firms!

 

[TrueCreator97]

Any general advice on finding manufacturers in the US?

I've tried Thomas.net but without much luck. Makers Row seems good for fashion, but not much else. It has been so much easier for me to find manufacturers in China and India than stateside. I wish there was an Alibaba for US firms!

Have you tried contacting distributors of the products you want to source and asking them what/if any companies they distribute for manufacture in the USA?

Depending on your product/industry, you may also find this directory to be of help - Manufacturing Quotes | Contract Manufacturers | MFG.com

 

[#nowhere]

There is just as much opportunity for selling on those sites, as there was for selling on .com 7-8 years ago.

Those marketplaces are only getting larger.

It should be a part of everyone's selling strategy.

In this case... opportunity would be huuuuuuuuuuuuge in stated countries.

Could you please explain your impression, if you're able to ... ?

 

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[#nowhere]

What if you knew a market was going to be hot in 5 years? 10 years?

Would you wait until 5 to 10 years from now to start selling?

Or would you establish yourself now, while the competition is sparse, and potential for upside is huge?

Oh sorry, maybe you got me wrong because my english is too bad.....

What I meant to say: How do you get the impression that the market is 7-8 years behind to .com ? Maybe you have some real examples. I would not have known that this lag is there.

 

[Walter Hay]

Have you tried contacting distributors of the products you want to source and asking them what/if any companies they distribute for manufacture in the USA?

Depending on your product/industry, you may also find this directory to be of help - Manufacturing Quotes | Contract Manufacturers | MFG.com

Unfortunately, just like Thomasnet, MFG.com is not only listing US manufacturers. You'll find companies there from all over the world. China, Japan, Malaysia, France etc., Oh. also many in the USA.

It's not an easy site to use if searching for someone to manufacture a particular product. A keyword search can bring up a lot of results irrelevant to your particular need. At least with Thomasnet you can filter for US manufacturers.

Walter

 

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