Name of your website?Himalayan Salt Shop
Your name?
Ernest Gaglione
Your Location (city, etc)
Parsippany, NJ
Please give us a short summary of your website?
We sell Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamps which are natural air purifiers made of crystal salt mined from the Himalayan Mountain Chain in Asia. When these lamps are warmed from the light bulb inside, they cause the salt to emit negative ions and help naturally clean the air. They are also very beautiful works of art.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I was always into computers, even before the Internet and I was always entrepreneurial. I also was into environmentally safe products. I was able to marry all these characteristics with my website.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
My very first website was about Italy and soccer launched back in 1996 when I was a Rutgers student. My father is born near Rome and I am a soccer fan.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
My website www.himalayansaltshop.com is named after the products I sell.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
We offer significant amounts of information in our Salt Lamp Information Center along with a Salt Lamp Size Chart so people know what salt lamp is right for .
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I plan on opening other websites as well to provide information to consumers as well as sell products. I ultimately want to start my website www.addtoyourbrain.com which will be a site discussing a myriad of social topics.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
My website is fairly new, so I invest LOADS if time and a pretty decent amount of money. I am successful during the holiday season, but am really starting to try to promote the product in hopes of catching the eye of stores or account to sustain me throughout the year and grow the business and product line.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would invest in more advertising as well as pr. I would probably hire an expert in pr or a pr firm. That is the best and most credible form of publicity.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes, because I outsource when I can, which is a quick way to gain manpower. I make sure that the sources I choose are reputable though. If you choose a bad outside company, things can get ugly quickly.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
I initially offered free shipping which KILLED my profit, as my items were heavy. I did so because some competitors offered this, but realized that you still can command a higher price with a good website and good service. Also, as a new business owner, I realized how quickly costs can get out of hand without fanatical scrutiny.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Finding time to focus on getting the word out while having to wear many other hats (accounting, customer service, some packing, etc.)
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Initially, Google Adwords, but I have started focusing on SEO and am in the process of trying to create backlinks, contribute to relevant blogs an forums, getting PR, etc. You can't rely on PPC forever, you will probably go broke!
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
It is a heck of a lot more time-consuming than I thought! I thought "If you build it, they will come", but this ain't no Field f Dreams (although I do love it.)
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
I have been running it for about 3 years, I hope to try to stick it out indefinitely, I feel that I am close to "turning the corner" and making it big.
What has starting your own business taught you?
Stay positive, but reasonable. Work smarter (and a little harder). When you get discouraged, realize that only through employing yourself will you truly become wealthy and free.
What is your website address?
Himalayan Salt Shop
