Socially|Mundane

Linden Lab have released a roadmap for changes to the way XStreet SL (XSL) will work and these include things such as: minimum L$3 commission per sale and L$10 per listing per month. But do not fret! These are good things because they will benefit you, the XSL merchant in the long run by helping to increase your visibility.

This is a bit of an unusual tip because I am endorsing a specific product by a specific creator. There may be similar products with similar functions and certainly other scripters will create likewise systems. But the system I will speak on is the system I use and have used for the last year and it works flawlessly.

So, consider this a bonus sales tip in the XStreet SL category:

• Problem: You make a very nice pair of shoes, available in 15 different colors and sell each separately. How do you sell them on XSL without paying L$150 each month (L$10 per listing)?
  

1. Solution: Create a "fat-pack" and in that listing state something like "individually available in-world" or something. And be sure to include a SLURL like you should be doing anyway.
2. Solution: Open a WordPress.com account and create your entire catalog there (you can create multiple pages) - then make one XSL litsing with all the information that is common across your entire line (such as: "All items are copy/modify unless specified otherwise; here is my customer support policy; here is my SLURL; see differences between product version at my web-site; purchase here on XSL for L$1 to receive a free gift to thank you for reading about my stuff here, and a landmark is included; blah, blah") - provide links to appropriate pages at that blog for each line of product.
3. Solution: Don't list on XSL at all.

Of course these solutions are what you already are thinking of and none are really optimal for making sales and making it easy as possible for anyone to give you their money! So I present the following:

1. Best Solution: Create one listing; give full details, include images of ALL versions and variations with SLURL to your shop and use a special product server (mentioned specifically below) that allows the purchaser to choose the color they want after the purchase!
   

As for the last solution above, one of the major complaints of shoppers about shopping on XSL is the sifting through of 25 listings of the same product in different variations such as our 'shoes' example above. This also can be a nightmare for shoppers if you are using a vendor system in-world that only show a few products at a time as each 'flip' of the vendor must rez the new images (please, Please, PLEASE optimize your in-world product art!)

The answer is very simple: The product I shall speak of is marketed as a "gift certificate" system, but in reality it is a far more powerful and flexible tool. It is called "Giftex" by Keelia DeCuir and is available at XSL for L$550.

The premise: Put all the products you want into a one-prim server - give a one-prims "redemption" box. The buyer rezzes the "redemption" box and they choose which product to have delivered to them. Now I'll elaborate...

Here is how it works: we take all variations of this same shoe and put it into the "giftex" server (a one-prim box) - include a highly-detailed notecard with product information and in that same notecard, include all images of each variation of the shoe (or everything else we throw into that server.)

Name each box by it's variation (Red, Blue, Pink, Orange, etc.) - a short name so those names appear clearly on "blue menu" buttons.

Create a simple texture for the "certificate" prim. This is the prim we actually sell or give away, what O calle the "redemption" prim or certificate - and be sure the texture is very low-resolution for super-fast rezzing (like 128x128) and clearly says something like "Do not open - click me!" Make that certificate box giant - like 3 or 4 meters tall and wide (maybe 1 meter thick).

Sell the "certificate" on XSL (even in-world vendors) - in one XSL listing, give all the details of the shoe, include images of each variation (all in this one listing) and make it clear that the buyer will choose their variation after "delivery of the product".

How it works for the customer: I buy this "shoe" and receive the "certificate" box. I rez the box and the box contacts your server to see what's inside and presents me with a menu. Among the choices is "Notecard" - which gives me the notecard you placed into the server - I read it, I look at all the pictures of different variations (which in the notecard will tell me which menu button to click) - I click the menu button of the variation I want.

The box containing the variation I chose is delivered to me and the certificate immediately deletes itself so it cannot be reused. Also - the certificate is transferable (even if the final product is not) so it makes a great gift certificate too. And there are security checks to ensure you are the creator of the certificate prim - so it's locked-down tight.

I simply set-up a different one-prim server for each product line (or differently-priced items). It's a great way to sell multiple items priced the same - especially if there are multiple variations.

I sell thrones and I have three variations: "Basic", "Classic" and "Deluxe" - three price points, but each variation has 12 different styles each. So I have three of these giftex servers (one for each variation) - when you buy, you choose which style you want in this method.

All you as a merchant need do is invest L$550 (less than $3 U.S.) into your business and you save a lot of money in the long run (in work effort and time and now in your XSL listing costs), and also make your customer's shopping experience more pleasant and in this case, empower them even further - especially if they are giving a gift:

"Here's a gift of nice shoes for you and you get to choose the color you want!"

And be sure to set the permissions of your products to help control sales.

**********

Want the whole kaboodle? There is far more detail in the 'how' and 'why' in my book: Successful Business in Second Life (SBSL - Second Edition for 2009/10; 270-pages) is available at XStreet SL. The book includes both, an in-world and eReader version. There also is an Amazon Kindle version, (you receive both: ereader and in-world versions no matter where you purchase it.)