| Boy do I spend a lot of time shopping for and | | | | order, use your beads, then go back to the |
| buying beads on the internet. My husband would | | | | website to order more, and find out that they are |
| say way TOO much time! Compared to shopping | | | | out of stock. |
| at my local craft stores, I just love the | | | | If you sell jewelry then a wholesale bead jewelry |
| unbelievable variety of beads available on the | | | | supplier that doesn't keep a stable level of stock |
| internet. | | | | can really put you in a bind. Find a supplier that |
| If you're patient, you can search various online | | | | maintains a high level of stock, particularly for |
| bead jewelry supply stores and find some | | | | items that you use often. |
| amazing prices on beads as well. This is particularly | | | | 6. Good Customer Care |
| important if you are buying beads and beading | | | | Even the best suppliers will occasionally make |
| supplies on a wholesale bead supply basis to make | | | | mistakes and ship you the wrong thing, the wrong |
| jewelry that you plan to sell. | | | | quantity, or a product will be damaged. |
| I've been buying beads online for so long now that | | | | When this happens, you want a supplier who will |
| I decided to put together a list of things that I | | | | quickly resolve the problem for you in the way |
| think make a great bead jewelry supply website. | | | | that you choose to communicate with them. |
| No site on the web is perfect on every aspect, | | | | Email, phone, quick response |
| but many of the places I shop on the web do | | | | 7. Shopping Cart that Stores your Information |
| very well in many of these categories. | | | | If you frequent a bead supply website often, you |
| I put the list in prioritized order of what's most | | | | don't want to have to re-enter all your shipping |
| important to me, but you may have different | | | | details each time you purchase something at the |
| preferences so please rearrange the list to fit | | | | site. |
| your own priorities as you see fit. | | | | Advanced shopping carts will store this |
| Here goes: | | | | information for you which makes it much easier, |
| 1. Secure Payment Page | | | | and much quicker to check out once you have all |
| I'm sure you hear horror stories on the news all | | | | the items you need. |
| the time about people having their financial | | | | 8. Volume Discounts Offered |
| information stolen when they purchased from not | | | | The more you buy from a retailer, the more |
| very reputable online stores. | | | | discount that store should be willing to offer you |
| Make sure you only purchase from a store that | | | | on your purchases. Smart retailers know that you |
| has a secure checkout. That means the site uses | | | | will buy more if they offer you a discount for |
| encrypted servers. How do you know if it is an | | | | doing so, or give you free shipping or some kind |
| encrypted server or not? You can identify this | | | | of incentive. |
| when you go to the payment page the browser | | | | Also, if you are making jewelry to sell to others |
| should have an https:// and not just http:// | | | | and buying large amounts of beading supplies, |
| 2. Great Value | | | | getting discounts on volume purchases means |
| Of course, you want to get the lowest prices you | | | | more profit for you when you sell your jewelry. |
| can get for what you buy. But make sure that | | | | 9. No Minimum Order Required |
| you buy quality as well. That means you should | | | | While it's true that it cost companies money to |
| look for the best value (the combination of quality | | | | process orders, it seems to me very self-serving |
| and price), not just the best price. | | | | and short-sighted when a company charges a fee |
| 3. Low or Free Shipping Costs | | | | if you don't purchase a minimum $ amount when |
| You've probably had the experience of shopping | | | | you order. It sure doesn't make you feel like a |
| on a website and thinking you found a great deal, | | | | valued customer. |
| then you get to the payment page and get | | | | Fortunately, there are some bead supply sites |
| surprised by a large shipping fee. Suddenly, that | | | | that don't have any minimum order requirements. |
| great deal turns out to be not quite as great as | | | | That can be a big help during times when you |
| you thought. | | | | only need a couple of small parts. |
| Make sure that the bead supply website you're | | | | 10. A Strong Privacy Policy |
| using doesn't use low prices to bring you in and | | | | No one likes spam. Many companies will sell their |
| then make up for it by tacking on high shipping | | | | customer's information to email list marketers, |
| charges. Look for sites that offer very low, or | | | | and that's when you will start receiving unsolicited |
| even better, Free shipping. | | | | emails for things you don't care about. |
| 4. Large Selection of Products | | | | Make sure the store has a policy of keeping your |
| When you go grocery shopping, wouldn't you | | | | information to themselves with a commitment to |
| rather get everything at one place rather than | | | | not give it to any third parties without your |
| having to go to many different places? | | | | express consent. |
| In the same way, when you are shopping online | | | | Are there more things to consider? Actually, I |
| it's nice to have a bead supply store that has a | | | | have an additional 15 or so things that I look for, |
| very large selection of products so that you can | | | | which I'll offer in another article, but the ones |
| do "one stop shopping" and save a lot of time. | | | | listed above are the big hitters. Use these tips |
| 5. Products Always in Stock | | | | when evaluating bead suppliers and you'll end up |
| It can be very frustrating to find what you think | | | | dealing with the best. |
| is a good bead supply website, you place an | | | | |