Have a question and need advice

[cranky_hippie]

For lots of reasons, getting my website going is coming along far too slowly. It was my intention once I got the new website going to move my books website to Tulip Hosting with the oscMax cart as well. So I have decided to just move the book site now. I can get that set up much more quickly than the new one.

Question:

My book site is not indexed well. Clearly, I did not know what I was doing when I set it up. (Still don't  ) In addition, when I do a search for my web store name, most of what comes up on Google is my damned Ebay stuff...old listings and the now-gone Ebay store. So is there any advantage to keeping the name? Or would I be better off just starting over with a new domain name?

My domain name would need to be renewed shortly anyway so that is not an issue. And what I sell does not invite a lot of repeat customers so that also is not an issue.

It just aggravates the crap out of me to see Ebay, Ebay, Ebay in Google and none of it helps me at all. I have a bad habit of over-thinking everything and losing track of some things in the process. So am I missing something and there really IS a good reason to keep the domain name? Or does it not matter either way?

[xppman]

If you are talking about the "anycollectables" one.
If it was me I would keep it.

I would think that if the search engines are picking you up that eventually
another craw will index your domain name as well.
I don't know this for sure just a hunch.

If you do decide to keep it. You got product just start loading it to the oscmax
site you have now. You can categorize it with a click of a mouse.
You can even just copy and paste you ad copy in the admin Products area
or I think you can bulk up load it too.

The Category and New Product interface is the easiest part of the whole process.
Especially if you already have all this stuff out there i.e pics HTML.

I'm talking basically copy paste operations here.

[amy]

My book site is not indexed well. Clearly, I did not know what I was doing when I set it up.

Probably because you didn't pay ShopPal's $49 domain fee. 

If the book domain isn't indexed and doesn't have any inbound links it wouldn't hurt you if you used a new name.

[xppman]

Oh duh she's talking about the book site.  ???

[cranky_hippie]

Probably because you didn't pay ShopPal's $49 domain fee.

Yep. That's what I think. And I won't pay it either. 

I think they have me screwed in more ways than one with that. I change my home page text but the search engines seem to still be seeing the old text.  :o

I didn't think about inbound links. That's why I asked ! Thanks, Amy.  There are some out there but I'm not sure any of them are all that important. And I really hate the Ebay thing. I keep thinking that just can't be helping me and I also don't really want to be associated with Ebay. 

[DecorativeDishes]

It looks like you are coming up in Google. When I type in ***book (don't know if you want to use your name here) I didn't see anything eBay--just your site. I entered a name of one of your books in quotes on Google and your site came up as the only one.

Why not keep the same name? It sounds friendly. Won't the eBay stuff fade away soon enough? Kim

[cranky_hippie]

(don't know if you want to use your name here)

Thanks for not using it, Kim. Most everyone here knows the site but I have an unfriendly troll who doesn't need to know it. 

I think I will keep the name. It's a family name so maybe it's lucky.

And about shoppal, while I didn't like the extra cost for the top level domain, I can't say that I wouldn't still recommend them to others. It's just that there isn't room to grow there unless you can or will spend more money. I need to grow my business but I can't afford their prices to do so. Nor do I really want to. I'm a tightwad.  But they are certainly good under the right circumstances.

[DecorativeDishes]

It's just that there isn't room to grow there unless you can or will spend more money

Unfortunately I've never had a business where that wasn't the case  If you don't pay w/ money you pay with time

It was well worth it to me to fork over the $50. I have long since re-couped it, but every business model is different.

I will say that their support is terrific. After coming from eBay it took me several months to realize that if I was having a problem I could just ASK a question and support would answer it.

The most cost effective moneywise is to do what you are doing and build a site here. Obviously the support is first rate also  . Once you learn it you are set. Kim

[bargainbloodhound]

I think I will keep the name. It's a family name so maybe it's lucky.

good answer, good answer.