Does it have analytics, reporting?

How difficult was it to set up?
It really could not have been easier. They sell their cart to others that already have websites, so they have made it outstanding as a stand-alone product. It seamlessly integrated with my website.

Does it have analytics, reporting?
It has counters that tell you the number of hits on each page (and which can be shown for weekly, monthly, etc.), but for thorough analytics I use Google. It was very easy to add.

What features do you wish it had?
I wish it had a bulk editor. (Actually, I think the version they came out with after the one I'm using may have it.) I wish my version could show more than 10 items per page. (Which in the new version you can.) However, in my version I can put each product under multiple categories, and you can't in the newer version. I checked into upgrading to the new version, and stayed with the one I have because of that category limitation.

What are the challenges you faced in starting your own website?
As with most websites, getting traffic is the big thing, especially in a competitive field like I am in. Although Prestostores does a Google feed on all of their stores, not too long after I started there I asked to do my own, so that I could add more information ("attributes"). The first year was definitely slow. But it has picked up nicely and the last couple to three years I have been very happy with the results. And it is still growing month-to-month.

I would say to anyone starting a new site - have patience! And since Google products, and Yahoo and Bing are more into featuring "shopping" items, it is a lot easier and quicker to be seen now. I make sure my pictures are good, and my descriptions, though accurate, are definitely not long and "flowery." But they do the job.

I think one important key is to get as much product listed as quickly as you can, because that makes you come up better in search.

What would you do differently if you were setting up a website today?
I might consider doing one that I put together from scratch and that would then be 100% "portable" - so there was no relying on a host like Prestostore. However, when I think about all the extra work that would have taken, it kind of makes me shudder. And with Presto I can at least download all my products in a csv file, though it would still take a lot of work to move to a new home. So really, I can't think of much I would do differently. I would rather put my time into adding product than fiddling around with code, etc.

How do you control inventory as a multi-channel seller? In other words, if you have the same item listed on multiple channels, and it sells, how do you make sure you take it down from the other channels?
Well, Google really frowns on doing that, and so for a couple of years now I do not list any product on more than one site. Easy for me to do that, because each of my products is fairly unique.

My inventory system is what you might call old fashioned and would probably drive some people nuts. As I get new inventory, I assign it a number and enter the info on an index card. I also put it on a list (spreadsheet form) - just the number and a short, maybe 5 word description, and a category abbreviation. This is so I can sort the inventory by number or category. Then, when I list something, the index card goes into either the SVS, Bonz or eCrater file. When it sells, I pull the card. And all of my jewelry (about 1500 items or so) is all neatly filed in numerical order. I never have to look for an item when it sells. (Well, never say never.)

Anyhow, it is a simple, easy to use filing/inventory system. It probably wouldn't work for someone who sells hundreds of items a month.

How did you create the logo/branding for your business/site?
My logo is used on all my sites, so it is getting fairly familiar.

How do you differentiate yourself from others selling similar products?
Well, I give quite good service, so get a fair amount of repeat buyers. Also, it seems that I get word-of-mouth recommendations. I try and provide a large variety of items, and include extra "content" such as designer information.

How do you drive traffic to your listings, and which channel do you primarily drive traffic to?
I drive almost all the traffic to my website, primarily through Google, though Bing and the others are coming on board nicely. Google provides about 65% of my traffic (Google Products was about 10%, back when you could see that info using the old tracking system, but at this point I have no idea how much traffic comes from there). Bing is at about 6%, but it has great metrics - people look at more pages and stay on the site longer. I have to confess I do little to drive traffic to my market sites (Bonanzle and eCrater). They would no doubt do better if I did.

Can you talk about some of the SEO techniques you employ to drive traffic to your site(s)?
I do a Google feed every couple of weeks, and it includes extra attributes (color, feature, etc.). I use excellent titles. I get a lot of traffic from Google images, so apparently they like my pictures.

I just recently went through all of my listings and put my "boilerplate" info in a picture, so Google wouldn't pick it up when it is crawling.