Name of your website?Brooke Boutique
Your name?
Anne Brandon
Your Location (city, etc)
Saline
Please give us a short summary of your website?
My website is one of the best sites offering Women's Designer swimwear, swimsuits, bikinis, thongs, tankinis, separate tops & bottoms, one piece bathing suits, and beachwear accessories at incredible discounted prices. My gift boutique has great holiday gifts of jewelry trees, christmas ornaments, and more.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I was a Retail Personal Shopper for a major retail company. I have a passion and eye for selecting items I believe Women will love. I shop so you do not have too.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
This is my first website (store) outside of eBay & Amazon.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Brooke is my daughter's name. She has inherited my passion for shopping and pleasing customers (others)
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
I believe my prices are unmatched because I keep a low overhead. I also try to carry hard to find and funky items.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
Originally it started as a hobby, but now I have seen the income opportunities for me and my family.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
I am still in the early stages of my business and website, so the return on my time & money has not come full circle yet. I expect that things will take off soon as I build up some web exposure.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would invest in more internet tools to help increase sales. I also would invest in more inventory.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Well I do have some room for growth but if I really got big, my husband would leave his job to help.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Shipping and Packing materials chip away at you unexpectively. I need to insure that my sold items are packed safely and securely.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Learning all the particulars regarding Web presence. I did not have much computer & internet experience prior to my ventures.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Word of mouth and putting on personal Swimsuit events. I use the events to promote my website, not to just do POS transactions.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
I have to wear many hats. I used to have face-to-face sales experiences. Now, there usual is no face with the name.
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 for over a year now. I plan on this being my lifelong passion and job.
How is the new challenge like your old job?
Retail is Retail. There are many aspects on the Internet that are much like the Store aspects.
What is your website address?
Brooke Boutique
