Online shop for builders and masons: past work, site visits and deposits

A mason doesn’t sell a wall from a catalogue. But before calling you, the customer wants to see what you have already built, know whether you work in their area and roughly how much a concrete slab or a low wall costs. If they find nothing, they call the next one.

A shop on 123ventes.com is a shop window for your projects and a till for whatever can be sold in advance. Here are the questions builders ask, and how 123Ventes answers them.

What can a builder sell online?

More than you might think: the site visit and measuring, paid for and deducted from the quote if it is signed; small fixed-price jobs, such as a door threshold, render repairs by the square metre, a garden wall by the linear metre, or building in a letterbox; and the deposit for accepted projects.

Major structural work made to measure is still a matter for a quote. The 123Ventes shop doesn’t replace it: it brings the customer to you and takes payment for whatever can be paid for.

How do I show my projects without building a separate website?

Each service has its photos: before, during and after. An “Our work” category shows your stone walls, your terraces and your slabs, with the town and the type of work. The customer sees your work before calling you, and that is often what makes up their mind. See catalogue management.

Can you sell work by the square metre?

Yes. The customer enters the quantity, for example 12 m² of render, and the price is worked out. The lists of options cover the rest: scraped or floated finish, lime or cement render, removal of rubble. Every choice is written on the order.

How do I limit my jobs to my own area?

The “your own delivery” option becomes your service area: you choose the towns, grouped into zones, with a travel charge for each zone. A customer who is too far away can’t order. See the delivery options.

How do I get paid a deposit or a stage payment?

Create a “Deposit” or “Stage payment” product for the agreed amount. The customer pays by card or by bank transfer, which is better suited to large amounts. 123Ventes creates the invoice as a PDF as soon as payment is made, and you keep track of who has paid what in your dashboard. See order management.

Can the customer choose the date of the work?

Not in a diary: 123Ventes doesn’t manage schedules. The customer writes the period they would like in the note attached to the order, and you set the date together. For a builder, the weather has its say anyway.

What legal information do I have to display?

In France, your ten-year liability insurance (assurance décennale) must appear on your quotes and invoices: the insurer’s name and the area covered. Add it to your terms of sale and to your product pages, along with any qualifications you hold. Work sold at a distance to private customers also has its own rules, in particular on the right to cancel.

For the exact rules, check with your chamber of trades (chambre de métiers) or the building federation (Fédération du bâtiment) in your département.

How do I get found for “builder” + my town?

Your 123Ventes shop has its own titles and descriptions, which you set in the dashboard. Name your towns in your texts and in your past work, and add your shop’s link to your Google Business Profile, on your site boards and on your van. See search engine optimisation.

How much does a 123Ventes shop cost for a builder?

The subscription costs 29.90 € a month or 319.90 € a year, with hosting and the security certificate included. 123Ventes takes no commission, not even on a 5,000 € deposit: only your payment provider’s fees apply, and bank transfer is available. The turnkey set-up costs 400 €. The details are on the pricing page.

Your questions

Does 123Ventes take a percentage of my jobs?

No. The subscription is fixed, at 29.90 € a month, whatever the amount of your sales. Only the payment provider’s fees apply.

How many photos can I put online?

The number of products is unlimited on 123Ventes, and each product page has its own photos. You can show as much of your work as you like.

I’m not comfortable with computers: is it doable?

Yes. Everything is done with forms, with no code. And if you would rather stay on site, the turnkey set-up puts the shop online for you.

Can I manage my shop from my phone?

Yes. The 123Ventes dashboard works on a phone: new orders, payments received, prices to change.

Who helps me if I get stuck?

123Ventes support answers in French, by email and by phone, and it is included in the subscription. Your data is hosted in France.