E-Commerce - Multiple Category Setup

[Stevens]

I am establishing a web store for the sales of promotional merchandise of alcohol companies. I've got accounts with Guinness, Budshop, and Captain Morgan so far. I need to get an idea as to how I am going to set up the naming structure to promote these sites since they are all separated by brand name.

There are a few ways I have come up with for the most benefit. I could list all brands on a single site, promote that site, then have an area on that site for the types of merchandise of each brand. The problem with this is that if a search is done for Guinness, the occurrance of the word would not be as frequent as if the Guinness merchandise had its own site.

Giving a brand its own site, however, would have more overhead and take more man-hours for promotion...not to mention the creation of more sites.

The structure will go something like thisthese structure diagrams didn't work out, but you should get the idea...)

www.barsupply.net(ex.)
|
/guinness.php----------/cmorgan.php----------/Budshop.php
| | |
Merchandise: Merchandise: Merchandise:
Barware Barware Barware
Signs Posters No. 8
Appearal Collectibles Collectibles
Sports Signs Mirrors

That is an example. So under that general model, one site would provide direct access and store services for all brands and merchandise types. Searches, however, are mostly done by brand...and each brand has only 1/3 of the site dedicated to it...even less if I start purchasing from other distributors. Might I be able to promote 4 sites here...www.barsupply.net, and the 3 www.barsupply.net/XXXXXX.php sites?

Now, I could forgo the single-site idea and have 3 separate sites like this:

www.guinness.net www.captain-morgan.net www.bud.net
| | |
Merchandise: Merchandise: Merchandise:
Barware Barware Barware
Signs Posters No. 8
Appearal Collectibles Collectibles
Sports Signs Mirrors

That will give me 3 separate sites that have 3-times the overhead, 3 times the store configurations, 3-times the promotion man-hours, etc. I'd think it would be a lot harder to maintain, and take way more start-up.

Thirdly, I might do the directory thing like this:

www.barsupply.net(ex.)
|
http://www.guinness.net----www.cmorg...---www.bud.net
| | |
Merchandise: Merchandise: Merchandise:
Barware Barware Barware
Signs Posters No. 8
Appearal Collectibles Collectibles
Sports Signs Mirrors

That way I would have one directory to promote that could be all-inclusive, then I could promote the other domains at my will...I guess. I'd think this method would once again cost much more to aintain and again require more store fees with gateways and such.

I am just looking for some ideas with some pros and cons as to how to set this system up and git 'er up 'n runnin' asap. Let me know if there are any suggestions out there.

ERIC