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Rule number one in sales : never stop to sell
What you can do is to reduce your ad spends and provide a pre-order button directly on your product page. This pre-order option will inform your customers is not available currently and then can be notified when it will be again by giving you their email.
Totally agree 👍🏼
If you’re out of stock at some point, make sure you let everyone know that the product is scarce and they can pre-order today to be among the first to get the product, once it’s back in stock.
I would also suggest to take a look at your pricing strategy.
Was going to say this, perhaps you can raise the price a bit OP.
Problem is, holiday spending is very impulse and specific date oriented
Sure, pre order or “expected delivery” will continue to capture some sales but the more prominent that “won’t arrive by Christmas” is displayed, the less conversion op will experience… and on the flip side, if it’s not displayed prominently enough, lots of CC Chargebacks will be filed 12/22/23
Well the advice you seeing is on top of, 100% not making an actual sale for product you don't have.
Could always look at increasing the price
This is the real answer
Right, he’s selling too fast because he’s underpriced it for the value they’re getting
I wish I had this problem haha. Good luck 😁
Congrats! I’ll buy one - dm link.
Me too!
Pre-orders
Air freight replacement stock in. Pay factory extra to skip the queue if your margins can afford it. Lower the ad budget on a CPA basis.
Why not up the stock? Makes no sense, you are selling like hot cakes and you want to pull the brakes? What’s stopping you from getting more stock?
He literally said restock would take a month and a half.... its private label, he has to wait on the manufacturer.
Up the price slightly, lower the ad spend, more and more as you're getting to the dead end.
Let people clearly know you're running out of stock if they need it for Christmas on your site.
Could take email preorders at dead end and offer a discount code for after Christmas. (Discount on your upper priced item brings you back down to more normal/original price you were selling for and increaes chances they return.
Look for any ways to expedite resupply, airfreight, paying more to supplier etc, if margins allow.
What's the niche/product area? don't have to say exact product if you don't want. But Is their an alternative product you could sell /get quickly that could pad demand/fill same need?
A bit off topic, but does one need to know how to create or own a website to be able to sell online? I saw a few mention of product pages, but I've only done selling a few bits and bobs on eBay or FB marketplace. No idea how to even create a site
Shopify? It’s really easy to set-up and fiverrr has some affordable devs who could quickly make one for it. It easily integrates with Etsy & PayPal. If u want something a bit less ‘plug & play’ but with more options, Wordpress is a scalable beginner-friendly option.
Adding to other commentor wix is better than wordpress, a lot more user friendly.
But Shopify i saw recently is offering free site to.sell your goods with Shopify.
What kind of products?
Sell, sell, sell !
Strike while it's hot. You know what you have today. Tomorrow's a mystery.
I would probably sell 100-120 before raising prices or cutting as spend. Then raise the price a little on the next 40 and again for the last 40. I'd also cut ad bids incrementally.
Its unlikely but it could be that your two main bid competitors haven't paid their bill or reset budget limits so you were getting great cost per click. Tomorrow you could find your costs have gone up and your conversions down.
Can your vendor send you unbranded product via air?
That would allow you to keep selling. Customer won’t care if it doesn’t have your logo.
Pre-orders is what you are looking for. But make sure you can supply the demand in timely manner.
Find another manufacturer.
Offer a discount on a pre sale when you run out! Salvage something it guess!
Take the sales, always. Being sold out proves you have a desirable product.
I own a coffee cafe/roastery and I love when customers are to the door, or are asking for a coffee we just sold out of. Having to wait a couple of minutes on a latte, or a couple of days on the roast you insist on validates the quality of the service and product.
I can put you in touch with a sourcing agent who can get product to you in as little as 3 days - even if it's currently in China.
Let me know if you'd like to talk - he started the sourcing business because he ran into this problem himself. Was selling through shopify, blew threw inventory, and had to re-stock quickly. Over the years he learned how to make it happen.
Don't do pre-orders! Not only are they against the terms of some credit card processors, if your stock doesn't arrive in a timely manner you're going to get HAMMERED with chargebacks. This will cause you to lose the ability to process, and you'll also lose your advertising accounts.
Pre-orders without inventory in hand around this time of year is a VERY bad idea.
Can you dropship it? Could be a solution until you get another batch
I think you are looking for a demand side solution for a supply side problem.
Do you have other options for quicker restocking? It's okay if those options are costlier. As everyone is suggesting are in a position to put a surge price.
Yep, you should always ask yourself if you can scale when this happens.
As others pointed out, some options are:
Raise the price, restock in the meantime, lower the ad budget, sell what you have, and take preorders if you can make it.
Increase the price asap!
Keep the ads and make them register to be notified when it comes back. It’s actually a strategy many companies use to sell more, they’ll want it even more. Don’t listen to the “increase the price crap” - your product is just starting out and it would kill it long term
What’s your product?