Comments on: Interview: Ross Kilpatrick Owner StreetSmartShopper.com.au

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:42:50 +0000

To be honest, I think Ross’s pessimism in ” I predict 99.98% will fail online in the next 10 years. Don’t go into a partnership for the safety factor, 99% of business partnerships fail and your ideas will be compromised.” is about as accurate as his prediction that the web would be too slow for business to ever pick up.

Also, you claimed that “It (finding goldmines online) will only come to a few who are persistent, patient and willing to look for new opportunities.” then shut down the aspirations of any hopefuls in the next question.

More than 0.02% of people who get into online marketing are persistent, patient and willing. Many current, and future success’s won’t even have any years of marketing and advertising experience, let alone 19 years.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:26:58 +0000

Sorry to be negative, but “selling at lower prices than any bricks and mortar stores” is not a USP. A quick check of some comparison shopping sites and there are cheaper online sources for these products.

Getting a slot on “A Current Affair” and featuring in the Daily Telegraph will give a quick boost to traffic, but you cannot market on price alone because it’s just a matter of time before someone undercuts you. I wonder whether the site saw a boost in sales conversion, too, though I suspect not.

Also, it appears that Ross relies on other businesses to store/pick/pack the stock. This creates a very lean business model, but also leaves him exposed. What happens, for example, when one of his suppliers decides to launch their own website?

I think Ross needs to take a look at what he’s offering and sharpen his proposition before he puts his [apparently very good] marketing machine to any more work and potentially puts people off for the long term.

Ross’s own “RIVER OF GOLD” is more likely to come from marketing other people’s websites than creating his own, in my opinion.

My recommendation - sell to a competitor now.

Paul

By: admin

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:14:42 +0000

I am going to have to agree with you Tim. I am a little more optimistic than Ross on this one.

Perhaps that is why we both use twitter!

By: Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:31:37 +0000

Hi Ross,

I’d challenge the 99.98% figure (and I realise you were being slightly tongue-in-cheek). Perhaps you are thinking of mainstream, consumer-facing sites. of course these take a lot of marketing firepower and investment, along with a spot of luck to find a niche.

But many sites spring out of existing busiensses who already have a relationship with a finite group of consumers or customers. And in the vast majority they are lookign to target an identifiable (and relatively easily) reachable niche.

There’s no reason these shouldn’t succeed at the same proprtion as any offline business.

Indeed, the web probably has fewer barriers to entry than any other form of business.

Cheers,

Tim