How To Start Selling Wine Online

Instructions Feed Specification For Vivino Product Data

When creating a new feed for Vivino, you will need to include a few specific data in the right format.

Normally, the feed structure is as follows:

< vivino-product-list> < product> ---PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES AND DATA HERE--- < /product> < /vivino-product-list> 

Now, let us look at a list of the required product attributes that you should include on your product feed, and I will provide an example for each attribute for you to understand how to include the product data.

Later, I will show you an example of the complete structure of the XML feed and guide you on how you can generate the feed real quick.

Required Product Attributes To Submit to Vivino

The following are mandatory attributes that you must submit for every wine you want to list on Vivino.

Apart from these, there are several other extra attributes that you may include to optimize the feed.

To submit the extra attributes, you normally need to submit them by cascading them within the Extra tags.

Take a look at the example feed structure below to see how a Vivino XML feed looks like with all the mandatory attributes and a few recommended extra attributes.

How To Start A Wine Club: Steps For Success1 Learn The Rules

If youve been selling online and shipping direct-to-consumer already, youre likely familiar with the different laws and regulations you need to keep in mind. But, if this is your first venture into direct-to-consumer selling and shipping, its imperative that you follow both your state and local rules for shipping alcohol, as well as those regarding interstate shipments . Here are a few things you might need:

• An Alcohol Dealer Registration filed and approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
• A state winery licenseyou may need more than one depending on your shipping destinations
• A liquor delivery license, retail license, or other specialized licenses, depending on shipping destinations

Before choosing states and locales you want to ship to, we recommend performing a cost-benefit analysis for each area. Consider the number of customers you have from each area, and the buying behaviors of those customers. Because intra- and interstate shipping can quickly become expensive thanks to taxes and license fees, youll want to make some predictions about the profitability of a specific state or region before you expand.

Shipping Via Personal Sales

Furthermore, its important to note that it is illegal in all states for a consumer to personally ship wine to someone else. If you were hoping to sell wine on eBay, you should know that its illegal except for pre-approved sellers. And listing alcohol on Craigslist is forbidden, with no exceptions.

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Choose The Shipping Partner

Selecting the right shipping partner is highly essential to ensure that your product reaches the target audience effectively. Different countries have different shipping partners:

For instance, in the USA, to ship your wine products, you can either go with UPS or FedEx.

In order to sell wine through these partners, you have to follow some primary criteria:

• Create an account with shipping partners.
• Sign in an agreement with the alcohol shipping.
• Meet their package needs.
• Stick a label on every bottle that consists of alcohol.

Examples Of Wine Ecommerce Websites

When it comes to ecommerce, your homepage is your digital welcome mat. And for higher-end merchandise like wine, first impressions are especially important.

Because the culture and tradition of wine drinking has a unique influence on the decisions of wine buyers. And wine drinkers have particular expectations about the merchants with whom they shop.

The first time a shopper visits your website, they dont necessarily have to be blown away .

But they shouldnt be completely unimpressed, either. And they absolutely cannot be disappointed or irritated by an unaesthetic design or non-user-friendly navigation.

Your wine ecommerce website should tell the story of your brand and invite customers to become part of your community.

The design of your site should demonstrate your commitment to providing an exceptional shopping experience for every shopper from wine novices to wine connoisseurs to non-wine drinkers shopping for a gift.

There should be no barriers between the customer and what theyre looking for.

For a little inspiration, here are three wine ecommerce websites built with the customer experience in mind.

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Regularly Purge Your Cold Subscribers

No doubt some of you reading this are going to stiffen up at the thought of intentionally deleting hundreds of cold subscribers but please keep reading. This is about quality not quantity.

The best definition of cold subscribers is someone who has not opened or clicked an email within the last 90 days. They are not opening your emails now and they are highly unlikely to open any in the future.

But, rather than just delete them straight away, try following a cold subscriber re-engagement workflow. This article from ConvertKit will help immensely.

No matter how compelling and interesting your content is, there are going to be people who lose interest. You need to know who these people are and deal appropriately with them.

Working only with highly engaged subscribers will do several marvelous things for you. It will for sure improve your open rates. Itll lower your email software rates . It will also breath fresh wind into the sails of your creativity. There is nothing as fun as communicating with people who really want to hear from you!

How Much Does It Cost To Start An Online Wine Business

If you are planning to start an online wine business, the costs are relatively low. This, of course, depends on if you decide to start the business with lean expenses or bringing in a large team and spending more money.

Weve outlined two common scenarios for pre-opening costs of starting an online wine business and outline the costs you should expect for each:

• The estimated minimum starting cost = $8,166
• The estimated maximum starting cost = $52,111

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S To Start A Wine Store Perfectly

The wine industry is a lucrative niche and todays technology makes it simple to sell some ambrosial liquid and make a little money doing it only if you are not under-aged.

It is a multi-billion-dollar industry with millions of dollars being spent by consumers every year to purchase wine online. If youre passionate about wine, setting up your own successful online wine store is simple.

All you have to do is follow a step-by-step process of starting the wine store business and ensure its smooth functioning.

Whats The Best Way To Start A Wine Ecommerce Website

If youre starting from scratch, your first step is to identify your target audience. Then, like any ecommerce business, youll need to determine which types of merchandise youll sell.

From there, you need to connect with a wholesaler.

Once youve built your website, select an online shopping cart and payment processing provider.

Next, decide how youll distribute your products and if it makes sense to invest in an online shipping software.

If you already have a brick-and-mortar location, then you only need to worry about building a user-friendly site, setting up an online shopping cart and payment system, and developing an efficient shipping process.

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Best For Wine Shipment Within The United States: Vinoshipper

Wineries and breweries face a number of administrative problems when they try to ship wine across a number of states, which limits their sales and the overall success of the company. This is where VinoShipper steps in and eases the process of selling wine online across the United States.

Companies that collaborate with VinoShipper are provided with shipping permits for over 40 states. The company manages all reports, shipments, and orders on behalf of the client. Plus, it does a great job of taking care of the payment of taxes for wineries.

VinoShipper allows clients to streamline the process of selling wine online by providing them with a platform where they can manage all their members and clients in one place. Whats more, the platforms shipping options offer clients exceptional service. Every order is managed by the VinoShipper UPS account, so the client doesnt even need to have an account to process the orders.

Apart from that, wineries get to set their own shipping rates and discounts and change them at any given moment by using a real-time rate feature. VinoShipper is the perfect fit for wineries within the United States that want to start selling wine online and expand their customer base.

Diversify Your Product Line

Adding new products to your business is a great way to expand into new markets and grow your business.

It’s important to note that adding new products and diversifying may not be in the cards for you right this moment, and that’s okay. You can always consider it down the road.

Here are some reasons you may want to considering adding/diversifying your product

• Meeting the needs of your customers
• Establish yourself as a top provider in your industry and stay ahead of the game with competition
• Resistance to downturns/trends fading
• Create new revenue streams

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Can I Sell Other Types Of Alcohol Online

Yes, as long as you abide by the laws in the state from which youre shipping as well as the state to which youre shipping.

Every state has its own laws about selling alcohol online, including which certifications and licenses it requires as well as which types of alcohol can be sold and the maximum volume that can be shipped.

Consider Selling On Amazon

In addition to selling your products directly on your site, you may want to consider selling on Amazon to reach a wider audience and attract new customers.

Here are some pros and cons of selling on amazon:

Pros

• Easy and seamless process to get your product listed on Amazon
• There are roughly 100 million thoroughly committed prime customers, so you’re bound to tap into new business
• Can help grow your business exponentially and reach new audiences

Cons

• You may encounter some “copycats” and counterfeit products
• Amazon owns the relationship with the customer
• If you already have a low-markup, amazon may not wrth your while and you could end up losing money
• Commissions and listing fees are high – it’s easy to lose control of your offering

Follow these instructions to get your product listed on Amazon or check out the video below on how to get started:

Cory Stout, founder of Woodies provides us with specifics on how to rank better on amazon:

Our main product is walnut wood sunglasses that I sell for $25 on Amazon and Woodies.com.

I dedicated myself to becoming an Amazon expert. I listened to all the podcasts and read all the blog posts I could find. Shoutout EcomCrew I took the basic fundamentals that are out there and I added a couple of my own twists.

Amazon brings me, 100 brand new customers, every day for very little acquisition cost. If I tried that on my own, it would take a TON of work and it wouldnt be nearly as effective as Amazon, so I took the easy road on this one.

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How To Start A Wine Business

There are two approaches to start a wine business. If you wish to start a wine business where you sell your own wine, you need to have a winery to make your own wine, package it, and sell from there.

There is another approach where you dont make your own wine but instead buy huge bulk of wines from different wineries on a wholesale rate and then sell it further to distributors and retailers with a decent profit margin.

The process of starting both kinds of wine businesses is explained in detail in the blog above.

Setting Up Your Online Wine Business

When it comes to setting up your business, you may find yourself in a place where you have to make some financial and legal decisions.

The first thing you’ll want to decide on is whether you want to be an LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp.

These three options are found to be the most common when starting a small business, and all serve to protect your personal assets and also provide you with certain tax benefits.

• LLC: All income and expenses from the business are reported on the LLC personal income tax return.
• S corp: Owners pay themselves salaries + receive dividends from profits.
• C Corp: C Corps are separately taxable entities that file a corporate tax return . No income tax is paid at the corporate level and any tax due is paid at the owners individual expense.

Depending on where you’re conducting business, you’ll also want to consider securing the proper permits, licenses and liability insurance.

Need to start an LLC? Create an LLC in minutes with ZenBusiness.

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Build A Facebook Community

Building a community is a great way to grow your network and your business.

There are several different ways of building a community, one of the most effective ways is to build a Facebook group

Setting up the group page takes less than 10 minutes, and we’ve outlined ways the top 5 ways to create an engaging and successful group:

• Make the group exclusive. This may sound counter-intuitive, however, this ensures privacy and that the group will feel comfortable posting and engaging with members.
• Try to be warm and welcoming. A great way to do this is by having a “Member Monday” where you welcome new members and ask them to introduce themselves in the group
• Use polls/surveys. This is a great way to know your audience and see what people want more of in the group .
• Include influential people & conduct AMA’s . This is a great way to get members engaged
• Host an in-person event with members in the group. This will create stronger relationships and build a strong community.

Mike Doehla, founder of Stronger U, an online nutrition company noticed that his customers needed a little motivation and sense of community:

Most diets are lonely so we wanted to give support and a community.

I think many people fail diets because there is no one to talk to and no accountability.

You can by a book, or google a meal plan but whos going to keep you on track? We will. The entire SU community.

Well give you the science behind of what we do and show you what actually matters based on real research.

How To Start An Online Wine Selling Business

Now, to answer the million-dollar question, how to sell wine online? Or rather, how to start a wine business that sells online?

We discussed two business models that describe the online wine selling approach. Now, it is time to understand in detail how you would build such a platform and an online wine selling brand.

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Why 2021 Is The Perfect Year To Launch A Wine Business

We all knew that soon every business would be selling its products and services online. Some adopted this trend early, while some tend to catch up after their sales started to drop. 2021 was a disastrous year in terms of health and economic factors. Weve seen loss of countless lives as well as money, but theres always a silver lining to every gray cloud.

A quick adaptation of digitization in businesses has been the silver lining of 2021. Businesses have understood the importance of being present for their customers at the touch of a button. Several stores and small businesses were late to upgrade and have now closed for good.

If you own one of the lucky alcohol wineries or stores that are still alive or are yet to start your business journey, make sure digitization is the first thing on your mind. Although the year may seem very gloom even to try, it is still the perfect year if you plan to launch an on-demand wine delivery business.

An alcohol delivery service app does a lot more than just being a new channel of sales for alcohol drinks. It enables wine merchants to collect information about wine consumers that can be used to categorize their customers into small groups. Then these merchants can create hyper-targeted marketing strategies, offer customized deals, and give them a personalized experience via the liquor delivery app.

So, as I said earlier, make sure that digitization is the prime objective on your mind when you launch your wine business this year.

How To Sell Wine At Auction

If you’re looking to sell wine at an auction, you should research if a similar wine or collection has sold recently. This will give you insight into the current wine bottle price of your wine, and if there’s enough interest. If you can’t find a price history for your wine, you may still be able to sell it. Ultimately, that decision rests on the auction house.

Next, approach multiple respected auction houses to find the best value for your wine. They will provide you with an estimate based on your collection, vintage, and condition. Once you’ve chosen the auction house, they will take over from there. You can expect to pay a seller’s fee of up to 18% when the sale is finalized.

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Best Ways To Sell Your Wine

So what are the best ways to sell your wine online? We’ve already shown you the best places to buy wine online, but those aren’t the sites where you will be selling yours.

You may know that selling wine is not necessarily as easy as going on Craigslist or eBay. In fact, there are certain hoops you need to jump in order to do it legally. To find out more about how to sell wine and sales laws, keep reading.