The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.
Name: Goodsie
Quick Pitch: Do-it-yourself branded online storefronts.
Genius Idea: Making a point-and-click product look like it was made by a designer.
People looking to sell products on the Internet have no shortage of options. There are marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon where launching a page takes a matter of minutes, and dozens of storefront services such as BigCommerce or Shopify if you’re selling for a small business.
In April, Goodsie jumped into this already crowded space with a new make-your-own online store product.
If it weren’t doing something different, it would be doomed. But the startup has managed to differentiate on three points: ease of use, design and price.
To start with, its creation tool is intuitive and requires no code knowledge — as evidenced by the fact that I was able to create this rough site in about ten minutes. Every detail, down to the logo on the checkout button, is a point-and-click command.
“It’s like you’re designing on a napkin and you can see it come to life on the screen,” CEO and founder Jonathan Marcus says.
The well-known companies in the space tend to offer themes that are only truly customizable if you’re fluent in CSS and HTML.
Easier options often create cookie-cutter pages, but Goodsie has enough flexibility to create varying results. It’s hard to tell from the rough store that I created, but it’s possible to create a professional-looking webpage. Check out this storefront from MilkMade, a members-only homemade ice cream delivery service in NYC:
Goodsie costs $15 per month, which is $10 less than BigCommerce’s lowest plan, $15 less than Shopify’s lowest plan, and $15 less than Yahoo eCommerce’s lowest plan. Granted, it does lack some of the features of more robust products such as Facebook and eBay storefronts, marketing features and a way to import product listings without entering them individually.
It also is still in the process of integrating technology that will allow vendors to accept credit cards in addition to Paypal and Google Checkout. But for my needs as a hypothetical tent seller, it works.
Marcus and his team built the product using much of the same point-and-click design used in another of its projects, Flavors.me. Eventually, Marcus hopes to more fully integrate the capabilities of Flavors.me and Goodsie so that users can combine their storefronts and their main web presence.
As a standalone storefront, about 500 companies pay for Goodsie and another 1,000 are enrolled in a free 30-day trial. That’s been enough to impress investors.
On Wednesday, Goodsie closed a $3 million round of funding from angel investors that include Path co-founder Dave Morin, TechStar’s David Tisch and Alex Zubillaga.
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
More About: Goodsie, storefrontFor more Startups coverage:Follow Mashable Startups on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Startups channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 03:05:28 +0000 at http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/goodsi/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/goodsi/#comments
Name: Goodsie
Quick Pitch: Do-it-yourself branded online storefronts.
Genius Idea: Making a point-and-click product look like it was made by a designer.
People looking to sell products on the Internet have no shortage of options. There are marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon where launching a page takes a matter of minutes, and dozens of storefront services such as BigCommerce or Shopify if you’re selling for a small business.
In April, Goodsie jumped into this already crowded space with a new make-your-own online store product.
If it weren’t doing something different, it would be doomed. But the startup has managed to differentiate on three points: ease of use, design and price.
To start with, its creation tool is intuitive and requires no code knowledge — as evidenced by the fact that I was able to create this rough site in about ten minutes. Every detail, down to the logo on the checkout button, is a point-and-click command.
“It’s like you’re designing on a napkin and you can see it come to life on the screen,” CEO and founder Jonathan Marcus says.
The well-known companies in the space tend to offer themes that are only truly customizable if you’re fluent in CSS and HTML.
Easier options often create cookie-cutter pages, but Goodsie has enough flexibility to create varying results. It’s hard to tell from the rough store that I created, but it’s possible to create a professional-looking webpage. Check out this storefront from MilkMade, a members-only homemade ice cream delivery service in NYC:
Goodsie costs $15 per month, which is $10 less than BigCommerce’s lowest plan, $15 less than Shopify’s lowest plan, and $15 less than Yahoo eCommerce’s lowest plan. Granted, it does lack some of the features of more robust products such as Facebook and eBay storefronts, marketing features and a way to import product listings without entering them individually.
It also is still in the process of integrating technology that will allow vendors to accept credit cards in addition to Paypal and Google Checkout. But for my needs as a hypothetical tent seller, it works.
Marcus and his team built the product using much of the same point-and-click design used in another of its projects, Flavors.me. Eventually, Marcus hopes to more fully integrate the capabilities of Flavors.me and Goodsie so that users can combine their storefronts and their main web presence.
As a standalone storefront, about 500 companies pay for Goodsie and another 1,000 are enrolled in a free 30-day trial. That’s been enough to impress investors.
On Wednesday, Goodsie closed a $3 million round of funding from angel investors that include Path co-founder Dave Morin, TechStar’s David Tisch and Alex Zubillaga.
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
More About: Goodsie, storefrontFor more Startups coverage:Follow Mashable Startups on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Startups channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 03:05:28 +0000 at http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/goodsi/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/goodsi/#comments