|
How to Make a lot of Neopoints from Neopets Malls
Written by Yukio
So you want to make a lot of neopoints huh? Have you got the grit,
determination, and a lot of time to waste? You've come to the right guide then!
Because this can show you how to make anywhere from 300,000+ neopoints a day if
you play it right.
Guide Sections
1) What Malls Are
2) Why Work in Malls?
3) Terminology (alphabetically sorted)
4) Common Misconceptions
5) Malls Make Neopoints
6) Good Malls
7) How to Make a Mall
8) Joining an Already Established Mall
9) A Rules and Guidelines Template
10) Maximizing Money
11) Final Note: What to Expect
What Malls Are
Malls aren't a new concept. They have been around for ages, however the
appearances of multiple main player malls have become dominant during the second
half of 2005.
Malls are a collective venture between Neopians who join their shops together to
form a mall. Shops are generally large (200+ in size) so that large stock can be
held. Malls aim to reflect department stores in the real world, and place
everything under one roof. The reason why people join together is to make
stocking and coverage of item groups easier. That way, each user is able to
concentrate on one genre of item stock. For example, Neopets A stocks toys and
Neopets B stocks chocolate goods. A typical mall will have approximately 10
different shops, depending on how specialized the mall conglomerate want to be.
Malls are all interlinked, usually by graphic banners, in each shop lookup. That
way, when a user visits a shop, linked mall shops are advertised in the same
shop.
Malls are accessed by visiting the main market on Neopets. Unless your shop
appears on the main marketplace listings on Neopets, your mall isn't considered
a "main market". Your shop will appear there by default and the larger the size
of your shop, the higher up in the list it will appear.
[Back to Top]
Why Work in Malls?
Malls increase the potential exposure of your shop. Because a significant
portion of traffic to your shop occurs from the marketplaces (if you're a
competing maller), the ability to have all networked mall shops under one roof,
promoting each other increases your chances of being seen significantly more
than if you were working on your own.
The neopoints incentive is great as well. Mall items, although have inflated
prices, are bought by people who use the marketplace service (typically questers
and new players to Neopets). This gives people who own malls a bigger profit
margin that those who base their prices on the lowest via the Shop Wizard.
[Back to Top]
Terminology (alphabetically sorted)
Hut Position – The rank your shop appears relative to other shop sizes. The
larger your shop, the higher up your shop or hut position is.
Main Market – A main market shop is a shop that appears in the listings of the
main market. The larger the size of the shop, the higher up in the main metket
listings it appears. This is commonlny referred to as hut positions. There are
three market places in Neopia: (1) Neopia Central; (2) Spooky Marketplace; and
(3) Mystery Island Marketplace.
Mall - For the purposes of this guide, a mall is a collective agreement between
Neopians to cross-promote each other's speciailized goods under one roof to help
maximize profits.
Mall Leader – The person who co-ordinates mall activity, members, and
promotions.
Mallers - People who participate in malls.
Spots – A spot is a place taken up by a shop. For example, if I am part of a
mall, I take up one spot of the mall. Thus, in a 10 spot mall, only 9 spots are
available left for other people unless I take more than 1 spot.
[Back to Top]
Common Misconceptions
One of the common misconceptions are that malls don't make money, and that their
items are too overpriced. True that items are overpriced, however, people who
buy from malls are new players to Neopets who don't know how to use the Shop
Wizard, or use the malls to find items for their quests. Additionally, items in
malls are priced higher, because the cost to upgrade shops are very expensive.
For example, it costs approximately 16,000,000 neopoints to upgrade a shop to
size 400. Additionally, good malls have advertising funds where members are
required to donate each time the mall wants to run an advertisement (they can
range anywhere from each week to each month). In a typical mall of 10 people,
each person usually donates 400,000 neopoints and needs to make enough from
their shop to cover this.
Additionally, the time investment required to running a mall shop is quite
large. There needs to be some repayment in terms of neopoints for the time
invested.
[Back to Top]
Malls Make Neopoints
People form malls because they make neopoints, and lots of it. Mall items are
typically overpriced. How then, do they make so much money? People who buy from
these malls are new players to Neopets. They don't know how to use the Shop
Wizard, and as a result, they often visit the market shops for their items.
Additionally, Neopets' quests don't allow the use of the Shop Wizard, and new
players tend to use the market shops as their first resource for items. Because
the larger shops are listed higher up in the market shop listings, these malls
are highly traffic and as a result, sell more, and are able to sell their
overpriced goods.
Another reason malls make neopoints, is that they are always stocked (good mall
shops anyway) as opposed to the main Neopia shops, which run out of stock
quickly. This makes it convenient for visitors to shop there as their wanted
items are always guaranteed to be there.
[Back to Top]
Good Malls
1) Good malls have excellent leadership.
2) Good malls are consistently stocked.
3) Good malls check their hut ratings consistently and look at improving it.
4) Have good advertising.
5) Remember, communication is the key to running a good mall.
[Back to Top]
How to Make a Mall
So you want to form a mall of your own? This article is written from the
viewpoint of the mall leader. Thus, when reading this, consider yourself the
mall leader.
First ensure that you have a well-stocked shop that appears on the main market.
If you're going to be the mall leader, you need to have better qualifications
than everyone else.
Have a think through how you want your mall to be. What shops will there be, and
what the rules will be. Write them down.
Post that you have mall openings on the NeoBoards. Mallers tend to hand out a
the Battledome Chat so this would be a good place to start.
Determine where your hut position is and how to improve it.
Determine how you will advertise the malls. Most malls advertise on the front
page of the notice board every week or other week. These advertisements cost
4,000,000 neopoints, so to balance the cost, each member of the mall contributes
neopoints into the notice board fund. For example, if a mall had 10 members, the
4,000,000 neopoints would be divdided amongst the 10 members, so each person
would contribute 400,000 neopoints each week for a weekly notice board
advertisement. Other mall leaders divide the percentage share to differing
members, because some mall spots are more profitable than others, for example,
petpets.
With all that in mind, be aware that creating a good mall is quite difficult, as
good mallers are typically all a part of a mall already. Additionally, the
competition between malls is stiff, so unless you're willing to put in the time
and effort, it won't work.
[Back to Top]
Joining an Already Established Mall
If you're looking to join a mall, you could start by posting a notice in the
Battledome Chat. Be aware that to get into a good mall (a good anything for that
matter), you have to fit into a certain set of criteria because they can be very
selective.
A big determining factor will be your shop size, and whether your shop appears
in the marketplace listings. For a guarantee, you'd want a shop to be over the
size of 300. For a shop size of 400, you will require an investment of
approximately 16,000,000 neopoints.
It'd also be a good idea to showcase what you propose to do. For example, if you
plan to specialize in toys, then stock your shop with toys. Mall leaders want
shops that are ready to go, not one that needs to be developed.
When you're in a mall, relationships with other people in the mall and with the
mall leader is important. In addition to creating a better 'working'
environment, these people can help you network with others. Most of the open
mall positions are given to people the mall leaders know, rather than
advertised.
It should also be of note that mall rules are complied with. Make sure you read
them.
From your viewpoint, before joining a mall, you'll need to consider a few
things. For example, does this mall appear to be a functioning, cohesive unit?
You're wasting your time unless the mall system is actually working. A good
indication of this is looking at the notice board advertisements. Good malls
that work are ones that advertise on a weekly of fortnightly basis
(alternatively, on a consistent basis). They should also have clear rules,
expectations and a system of reporting to the mall leader, in addition to a good
system of communication. Know what you're getting into, and what you're signing
up for, and the best way to find out this information is to ask. Mall leaders
want the same things as you do, to make neopoints so they will more often than
not, be upfront with you.
[Back to Top]
A Rules and Guidelines Template
1) All mall shops convey a consistent theme and feel.
2) No extras that would distract from the buying process. Therefore, no music,
backgrounds etc unless they fit with the theme of the mall.
3) No links to outside shops or malls.
4) The mall network banners in every mall. Typically these banners are the only
ones allowed.
5) Stocking of the selected category only.
6) The requirement that the shop remains consistently stocked.
7) The requirement of a notice board contribution.
[Back to Top]
Maximizing Money
Price your goods at above average prices.
Upgrade shop size to bring up your shop listing in the market listings. If you
have a good network of malls, then usually having one shop big will be
sufficient if that shop links to all the other shops in the shop lookup.
However, having more of your mall shops up there increases exposure for the mall
overall as the larger your shop size, the higher you're your shop appears in the
market listing or hut position.
Ensure the shops in the mall stock impressive stock.
If you price and advertise your mall correctly, then any mall shop should be
able to make a nice profit. However, it is generally accepted that the following
mall shops tend to have a bigger running profit and hence, more desirable: (1)
faerie quest items such as books, cards, clothing, grooming, magic, and toys;
(2) petpets; and (3) battledome items.
[Back to Top]
Final Note: What to Expect
In regards to sales, malls generally make more neopoints over the weekends. It
can get low traffic on weekends, and all this, of course, depends on how high up
your shops appear in the hut positions and how much advertising is done for your
mall.
In a good mall, the average spot makes 300,000 neopoints a day. Some people make
500,000 neopoints off malls but that's a good sales per day.
Expect a considerable time investment. You must consistently watch your hut
position, make sure all mall members are doing their job, and your shop is
constantly stocked.
[Back to Top]
|
