If your retail website is already up and running, there are three options for listing and/or referring buyers to your wholesale products:
1. HARD COPY WHOLESALE INFORMATION WITH WEB LINK: Add a link on your retail site, to where retailers may download a wholesale Registration Form to fill out and submit, so they qualify as a wholesale buyer. After they submit the form (see the next section for ways you can set up the submission process), you then fax, mail, or email (a PDF attachment, normally) your wholesale price sheet, terms, and other information. A “hard copy” system like this works when you are getting started. But also is more time consuming, may use more paper, and is not as customer friendly as putting all your wholesale information online, and allowing them to order electronically.
2. SPECIAL WEBSITE SECTION: In this option, you will add an entire section to your retail web site, with a page button that says “WHOLESALE” or “Wholesale Information”. When a wholesale buyer clicks to that page, they will get a password-protected log-in screen. Instructions will point them, again, to a buyer registration form they must submit to you. However, this time, instead of sending back your complete wholesale packet after you receive their registration, you merely send them log-in information (username and password) for the wholesale log-in screen.
3. SEPARATE WHOLESALE WEB SITE: For this (best) alternative, offer a button, link, or special wholesale page on your retail web site, which directs wholesale prospects to your second, and wholesale-only, website. The first thing they see is the home page, with a keyword rich heading and description of what you offer to retailers. If a browser tries to click on a product page, or navigate around the site too far, a log-in page will pop up, and again, they are directed to register as a retailer. And just like you did for the special web site section in #2, above, you send them back a username and password, including any additional instructions they need. Be sure to mention on the registration page, how long it usually takes for you to get back with approval and a password.
For more information on building wholesale websites or on selling wholesale, check out The Complete Guide to Selling to Gift Shops
