Name of your website?Online Fuller Brush
Your name?
Christne Reinhart
Your Location (city, etc)
Ormond Beach
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Complete online catalog for hundreds of Fuller Brush products. We're not just brushes! We have brushes, mops, brooms; cleaning supplies for kitchen, bath, laundry, car care, personal scents, and hairbrushes. All products are 100% guaranteed. Free gift with online purchase. Fuller Brush has been in business over 100 years.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I've always had an entrepreneurial bug and want to be my own boss. I like to feel a sense of ownership--success will come with hard work. Failure with no enthusiasm for the job.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
My first website was launched about one year ago. It was Fuller Brush Express. We still operate it but have branched out to a few more sites. I'm learning as I go and am enjoying the challenges.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Needed to incorporate the Fuller Brush name since this brand has been around for over 100 years. The ease of ordering online made Fuller Brush Express and Online Fuller Brush easy choices for names.
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
There is a lot of competition out there from other distributors. Keeping the website fresh and updated with accurate pricing is our number one priority, along with exellent Customer Satisfaction.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
Our ultimate goal is, of course, to be successful at this and future websites selling Fuller Brush products. This will entail learning how to design our websites to make them fresh and inviting.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Being a new business, the investment of time is almost non-stop. But as we get more successful and name recognition will be a key factor, it will take a little less of our time. But there will always be improvements to be made. It's not a static business. Change is necessary for success.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would enroll in web design classes rather than trying to teach myself. On a limited budget, self-teaching is necessary. This is why I'm slow to make improvements to our website.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes, most definately. I may have to devote more of my free time to it, or maybe even resign my part-time job so I could devote all of my time to my business.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
I've been able to keep costs to a bare minimum. My major costs are postage to send catalogs through the US Mail. I'm now transitioning to sending monthly product sale announcements via an email service at a fraction of the cost of postage.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Finding new customers. I don't have as much time as I'd like to recruit new customers. I'll never run out of leads because everyone can use Fuller Brush products.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Registerng the the major search engines and directories, and getting my name out there on message boards. I also use AdWords. Since we sell Fuller Brush cleaning products, our name is very recognizable. So that part of marketing is easy. Most people have heard of our products and know they are quality products.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Sometimes I find it difficult to write new copy about our products. There are only so many ways to describe a mop, for instance.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
The site has been up a little over a year. I plan on running it indefinately.
You're semi-retired, so why start something that takes so much time?
Because I love a challenge and the feeling of accomplishment when I put a page together on the Internet. And when I make a sale, no matter how small, I glow with excitement! The first sales was the best, but I get just as excited with each one.
What is your website address?
Online Fuller Brush
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