I recently launched a new pet store of mine that is dropshipping and I have a few questions on the proper way to market the store to sell products. I have over 500 products added currently and most of them are toys and apparel. I know the pet niche is big, so how do I go about marketing? I am running OpenCart right now but if I want to publish articles, do you recommend using Wordpress for the /Blog directory? Is it best to just use a simple wordpress single column theme? How much profit markup should I make my products? Right now they are at 100%. My supplier for example sells a product to me for $5, I have it listed for $10. Please take a look and feedback is appreciated. http://petmerch.com
In reverse order: 1) Link is not working 2) 100% profit seems rather ideal 3) I love wordpress (20+ sites), keep the theme simple. I like One main column down the middle and two side columns 4) Join some pet forums and contribute quality content with a signature link back to your site Good Luck
For a while, I consulted for a designer dog collar manufacturer. EVERYONE knows the pet industry is growing by leaps and bounds so it is a very competitive market online and offline. So, I would try to find a niche to target and speak to their needs, likes, desires, etc. For example (and, admittedly, this is a bad one), perhaps you could target police dogs/pets. You may not have any police-specific products, but your content, pictures, graphics, etc., could all speak to that niche so that when the right potential buyers come, they will feel at home and hopefully stay long enough to buy from your store. You might even be able to get some PR going through police-industry media outlets because of your focus. Note that I do not think that "police dogs" is a good niche, I am just using it as an example.
I agree with jrbiz that you will have more success if you focus on a specific niche of the pet industry. Right now, it appears that you are trying to cover everything -- from pet food to flea protection to clothes. Focus on one or two things until you become well known! It's also critical to become part of the community. If people know and trust you, they are infinitely more likely to buy from you. I noticed that your "About Us" page is blank. I'd recommend filling that up quickly, because seeing that empty does not make me want to buy from your shop. Start joining online communities, and even putting up fliers at local dog parks. It's all about getting your name out there, and making sure that people know you're trustworthy!
Paid Traffic (Google and Bing) may be a great route for you as people looking for pet related products are googling around etc. So many corner Pet stores are gone now!