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The i-fete Concept

The i-fete concept has two primary functions, what we offer our vendors and what we offer consumers. Both functions are discussed in detail below.

What We Offer Our Vendors

Essentially, we offer our vendors a presence in the online environment with extensive back-office support and a complete marketing program, to promote long-term success.

Starting a website can be a costly experience in terms of both actual costs and time spent. A basic site will usually cost several hundred dollars and several weeks, or more, considering domain registration, web hosting, website development, shopping cart integration, and graphic design. Even once the site is live, the online retailer still has considerable obstacles to overcome, including getting the attention of potential customers and managing customer relationships.

At i-fete, we handle each of these functions for our vendors. We have developed a cutting-edge website with features that are currently unavailable on other sites. We input product information and manage the product database; vendors only have to provide images, product descriptions, and prices. We have begun implementing a comprehensive marketing plan, designed by an MBA in marketing to compete against major internet retail sites including e-Bay and Amazon. And, we handle all customer relations issues; we will answer the phones, respond to emails, work with vendors to resolve customer disputes, manage payments, and dedicate ourselves to building long-term customer relationships.

We minimize the work and frustration of selling online for our vendors.

What We Offer Consumers

With the wide selection of websites available, a new website must be significantly different and offer fundamental benefits to the consumer in order to be successful.

The i-fete difference lies in the navigation of the website. Unlike other online retailers, we allow consumers to "browse" through the site, much like they would through a mall or flea market. This is accomplished by having a "Store Front" page for each vendor. This page highlights any specials or sales that the vendor may be having and shows the vendor's top selling products. The "Store Front" page is similar to a shop window in a mall. What a vendor has in the window will often determine whether the customer enters the store or not. If a customer likes what he or she sees in the window, they can enter the store to view the full line of products. If the customer has no need for the products in the window, he or she can continue on to the next store with a simple click of the mouse. Unlike a traditional mall or market, however, i-fete allows customers the convenience of paying only once, regardless of how many vendors they have purchased from.

The benefits to consumers are obvious. i-fete is a perfect place to shop for gifts or just look around for fun. i-fete vendors are, primarily, traditional flea market vendors and artisans. They offer unique products that are not readily available at traditional stores. In addition, the browsing feature makes it easy to find gifts even if the customer doesn't know exactly what they are looking for. And, due to the low overhead costs, i-fete vendors can sell their products for substantially less than traditional retail outlets.

i-fete customers can see products and offerings from 50+ vendors in the time it would normally take to search and visit only a handful of sites.

50 Stores on 1 Website with 1 Checkout means 1 Easy Shopping Experience



  
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