# Success so far. Now at crossroads. Experienced answers only please



## pube12 (Jun 5, 2007)

Hello fellow entrepreneurs...

I've been lurking for awhile and basically used this site to start my company. I have a college football t shirt site (shame - u . com) and we have had good success so far. I've taught myself every single part of starting an online company and now need to figure out what to do. Here are the issues - 

1.Fulfillment is becoming an issue. However, I've invested a lot of time and $ in the website. I'm thinking of cafepress or a fulfillment company, but this is one part I haven't researched. Has anyone switch TO Cafepress (rather than FROM) and how hard is the integration? I don't see how I can keep the current site/links/SEO 'equity'


2. Conversion % is low (<.5%). Not sure why. I think the site is slow, but other thoughts are encouraged.
Traffic is good and sales are there during the season (about 100 shirts the first 3 months).

Just looking for some thoughtful opinions for others that have been there done that. I've worked my a** off so far and have learned to learn from others experiences.

Many more thoughts but I'll keep it short. You been here before or have thoughts???


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

You don't give enough info for much of an opinion, but yes you can integrate Cafepress with your own website (Google is your friend). I would offload the slow sellers to Cafepress and do your own fulfillment on the best sellers. How are you fulfilling now and what are your issues?


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## Patrick1979 (Jan 6, 2009)

pube12 said:


> Hello fellow entrepreneurs...
> 
> I've been lurking for awhile and basically used this site to start my company. I have a college football t shirt site (shame - u . com) and we have had good success so far. I've taught myself every single part of starting an online company and now need to figure out what to do. Here are the issues -
> 
> ...


I checked out your site and it didn't seem too slow for me. You have products for sale, so I'm not sure why you're asking about Print-On-Demand integration, unless you're wanting to start another store somewhere on the web with a different resource...

Personally, I think Cafepress is great, except for the fact that they began nickle and diming all of their customers. They're good because they've been around a while, and many people shop there..

As far as excellent integration, without any upfront cost whatsoever - I like Zazzle.com the best. I have all of my products manufactured through them... Excellent quality so far, and happy customers. Problem with any Print on Demand service is you're not making a whole lot off of the sale, unless you jack your percentage way up, but then no one will buy anything from you... so that's pointless.

Anyway, I wish you luck.. but like the other reply, I'm not exactly sure what you're asking.

Patrick


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## pube12 (Jun 5, 2007)

Thanks for your replies. Sincerely appreciated.

Right now I am spending time during the day picking up blanks, running to the post office, and other little things (while doing my "real" job), printing the shirts, etc. We have a different system in that I keep all the screens and print each shirt after it's ordered, leaving no inventory. 

Do I need to get a web developer to integrate the current site with a fulfillment site? I just don't see specifically how that would work.

Also, is a .5% conversion rate low? Seems low. At 1% it would be profitable to start running banner ads and PPC, but at .5% very little advertising is profitable.

Thanks again!!


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

Yeah, with all those designs it would be a bit of a pain keeping the screens around. Another option would be plastisol transfers. The upfront cost would be greater but storage and fulfillment would be much, much easier. Since you have the printing equipment you could make your own transfers. When a shirt is ordered, print an extra dozen or two dozen transfers depending on how well the design sells then press as needed. You could reclaim your screens and only burn as necessary. It takes a little practice to make the transfers so make sure they transfer correctly before tearing down the press. Instead of running to the post office, buy prepaid priority mail envelopes and mail them from home.

Can't help with conversion rates, I'm not doing e-commerce ... yet. I am about to integrate a Cafepress store with my website ... doing exactly what I recommended to you. I'll be doing my own fulfillment on popular designs and lesser or new stuff will go on Cafepress (or maybe Zazzle).


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## bigtyme805 (Jun 26, 2008)

I also work on my own and make 20 shirts a day all heat transfers. We do well, profit for each shirt is $9.75 per shirt after all expenses. Wormil helped me solve a problem because we are expanding to colored shirts and chose Plastisol transfers where I can press them myself. He recommended F & M and prices are good.

My shirt line is print on demand don't want the heavy inventory I have 140 different designs. 

With the colored shirts demand will double. 

You can screen your own transfers so that may help your profit margin.

If I were you I would definitely do Plastisol transfers probably will solve a lot of your problems and give you more time.


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## pube12 (Jun 5, 2007)

Interesting. I've thought about the transfers, but I have worried about quality and upfront learning curve. It took awhile to learn screen printing and about $2k upfront. I now have a 4 color printer, (crappy) flash dryer, and home screen burning equip (500W halogen bulbs) and about 30 screens. Another 'crossroads' or decision coming up is invest in more or better equip or not.
*W Transfers, How long does it take to make 1 shirt?*  Right now screen printing, I grab the pre made screen, grab the shirt, swipe the ink to the shirt dry with a small flash dryer, and package. Sometimes I have to wipe the screen ink if I have to change colors which takes 5 minutes. I can do about 5 - 8 shirts per hour. Overall variable cost is 2.25 for blank, ink, and packaging. Fixed is the film for burning the screen, the screen, & emulsion. Retail price = $17.99, so I calculate about profit $13/per shirt (plus any shipping profit) = about $100 profit per hour, but NOT scalable  

Wormil - pm if you need any help with ecomm. I've had success with SEO, blogging, and natural traffic.

bigtyme805 - interesting. Most of my designs are 1 color and I could easily move to all one color. How is the quality of your shirts?

Thanks for the help!


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## bigtyme805 (Jun 26, 2008)

100% feedback on ebay and thousands of sales.
Never had one return except for exchanges, bought wrong sizes.

My customers have no idea they are Heat Transferred so that probably answers your question. It takes me and my wife 2 hours to print, cut, press, package and drop off Mail. That is for 20 shirts.

The rest of the time I am marketing and designing a new shirt every day. I try and make it a goal to design 1 shirt a day. Never happens but is my goal!

With the addition of colored shirts business will double. Already have 400 shirts on order for colored shirts. Sent emails to my customers asking for orders if they were interested.

I have just kicked off Polo's and Sweatshirts and Long Sleeves so that will help make more profit, margin is higher. 

I started slow wanted to make sure this was going to work before I left job. 

I learned a lot along the way. Especially shipping and different Heat transfer methods, paper, ink, etc,..

**** had an issue one time where I made a shirt 10 times, the ink kept sticking to the paper. Man was I pissed. Greenhorn is the term I think! LOL!


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> Do I need to get a web developer to integrate the current site with a fulfillment site? I just don't see specifically how that would work.


If you are familiar with HTML, then no, you wouldn't need to hire a developer to do this.

There are a few, easy to use scripts that you can install on your website to show your CafePress products on your own site. I think there are some for Zazzle and other fulfillment services as well.




> Also, is a .5% conversion rate low? Seems low. At 1% it would be profitable to start running banner ads and PPC, but at .5% very little advertising is profitable.


.5% is a bit low. 1% is a good or OK conversion rate.


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

When I was screenprinting, it took us a couple of hours to perfect our transfers after reading the instructions. We had to play around with the speed of the conveyor, preheating paper, mesh size (you can use a high mesh count), additives, adhesive crystals, etc. But once we got the transfer thing down, we started using them more and more; eventually using our big vacuum presses to print large sheets. Some items are just easier to heat press, hats & jackets especially, than they are to screenprint.

Time: It takes about twenty minutes or so for the heat press to come up to temperature. I'm not sure exactly as I just turn it on and go do other things. Once the press is hot, it takes 30 - 60 seconds to heat press a shirt (15-30 seconds to arrange the shirt, 7 second pre-press, 5-10 seconds to align the image, 7 seconds to press, 5 seconds to peel and stack shirt). Once you get going it goes faster.

Screenprinting is faster once you get going but I like not having to burn, clean, and reclaim screens for just a few shirts.


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