Myths & Truths #1: you NEED an in-world store

When I was getting started with furniture, fellow designers insisted that I needed to set up a store in-world. I believe this is a common "myth"—or, if not a myth, then at least advice that sounds wiser than it actually is.

At one point in SL, shopping depended heavily on having a store—and not only that, but having one in an active shopping district. Foot traffic accounted for a good number of sales on any given day or week, so setting up a store properly and strategically was vital to building and growing your brand.

The advent of shopping events seems to be the point where that was no longer nearly as relevant. That, combined with a growing sense of brand loyalty as more stores became a stable presence in SL, and then the rise of websites such as Seraphim to help build those events and provide advertising opportunities, pretty much did the "shopping district" model in.

So here's my take on the "need" for in-world stores. They CAN be a great asset, if you know how to utilize them for increased sales and exposure. (More on this later.) And, if you make things that people will want to see and demo in-world, such as furniture, photo props, static poses or animations, etc., then an in-world store offers the benefit of that, which can lead to sales as well. But you don't NEED one—you can certainly sell all of these only through the Marketplace alone, if you want to.

If you make clothing, makeup, hair, or anything else that can be set up for demo through the Marketplace, then an in-world store is in NO WAY a necessity—and, because land is one of the highest costs of SL, it can become a huge liability.

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Salacity History Part 4... Many friends urged me to set up an in-world store. "You NEED a store," they said, "So that people can demo your furniture and see whether they want to buy it." This made a lot of sense—but also looked like it would cost me a lot of money. Fortunately, I had a secret weapon that very few in SL have the benefit of: a benefactor who, in support of me and my creative efforts, offered to underwrite the cost of rent for my store. Scotty was the first (but, gratefully, not the last) person to see potential in what I was trying to do and make. A friend of mine had recently featured a quaint, lovely shopping district on her blog, and on her recommendation I inquired about their rates. We made arrangements and Greg fronted me the rent—an investment he would go on to make for more than a year, which frankly made possible what otherwise would have been out of reach, cost-wise. Here's a picture of Scotty and me in front of that first store!
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