Selling products online is by no means a simple task. To sell products online not only requires making use of high end marketing strategies but also involves lots of planning. This article is meant for those of you who intent to start an online store. It is intended to give you a fair idea of what you would need to do and what you need to avoid while planning an online selling business.
The following are the various steps that you would need to take in order to open a successful online store.
1.) Designing a website that sells.
The first important aspect of online selling is to have a professional looking web site that is designed to sell. You can chose to create the web site using web designers or simply chose readymade website templates. If you are purchasing web site templates, make sure the templates are professionally designed and have the option of shopping carts. Buying templates from providers who offer allied services like template customization, web hosting; SEO etc would be even better. Some template providers like ‘buytemplates.net’ offer allied services irrespective of where you actually purchased the template from. To get a idea of how your site should be designed you can take hints from successful online stores.
2.) Hosting your store online
There are many factors that you need to take into consideration before selecting your web host when it comes to online selling. Some of the major factors are discussed as follows.
a.) Secure servers
Firstly you got to make sure if your web host offers you with SSL encryption which is very important for secure money transactions online. Most web hosting companies would offer you with SSL secure server facilities along with a regular package whereas a few would charge you an extra amount for the service.
b.) Up time guarantees
Your business is only as good as it remains online. Make sure to go for web hosting service providers who promise you an uptime guarantee of 99 %. Also check to see as to how they back up their data and what kind of back up systems they have in place in case of emergencies.
c.) Private CGI-BIN
A CGI-BIN directory is a location on your web server where you can upload your binary scripts or interactive programs. This is very important for payment processing and shopping cart management. So be sure that the hosing company gives you a private CGI BIN directory.
d.) Web logs and web statistics
Web logs and statistics are vital for your online business. Studying the web logs can give you much needed information about your customers and your sales records. Understanding your customer behavior can help you retain customers and attract new customers.
e.) Customer support
Get information about the hosting company’s support policies and the type of support they offer. Chose web hosting companies that offer 24/7 customer support.
f.) References
Most web hosts promise you lots of goodies, but may not actually fulfill these promises. Make sure to test the web host’s credibility by asking them for references. The existing customers of the hosting company can give your first hand information on the service that you can expect to get.
In addition to this you should also look for services that offer you Mysql database and PHP scripting, unlimited emails and a minimum space of 10GB.
3.) Deciding on shopping carts
If you are selling more than a handful of products then having a shopping cart on your site is a good idea. You have three major options of getting yourself an online shopping cart. First one is buying a shopping cart software program, the second is using services of an ASP and the third is programming it yourself.
Your best option as a beginner would be to go for ASP services. These services are cheap and come with flexible options. As time passes and you online business develops, you can hire programmers to design yourself a customized shopping cart or buy shopping cart software programs that can be set up in your server. Some good ASP’s that offer shopping cart services are ‘SecureNetShop’ (SecureNetShop.com) and ‘GoEmerchant’ (GoEmerchant.com).
Shopping cart software programs are a costly option for beginners and can cost you anything between $ 150 - $ 800. Some good shopping cart software programs are ‘shopfactory 6’ (shopfactory.com) and ‘storefront’ (strorefront.net) One more option as already discussed above is making use of ecommerce website templates. These ecommerce templates have pre installed shopping cart systems and can help you set up a store in minutes. Some of these template providers also offer template customization services that would allow you to get your ordinary templates in selling modules.
4.) Deciding on how to accept payments
No matter what the speculation, credit cards are still the best way to accept payments. So make sure that your online business has facilities to accept credit cards. There was a time when you had to have a merchant account from a bank or financial institution to process credit card payments. But today there are enough options available that allow you to accept credit card payments even without a merchant account.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Online Shopping Through A Million Pixel Home Page - Will It Work?
Online Shopping is growing in higher numbers every year with new Online Shopping venues becoming available. The Million Pixel Home Page Online Shopping Mall may be the newest but will it work?
With the emergence of the Million-Pixel Advertising Home Page becoming a real option for Internet marketing. The ever quickly evolving platform is starting become more targeted for particular categories and themes. The Million Pixel Home Page as an Online Shopping mall for anything under the sun has really become a topic of discussion for both believers and skeptics.
The Million Pixel Advertising Online Shopping mall is a billboard of micro ads for website owners looking to create a new way of gaining exposure. The Million Pixel Online Shopping Home Page is thought as new platform to eliminate the days of page by page clicking seen by directories of the same theme. Skeptics have concerns of online surfers not adapting to this new concept and thought to be just a passing fad that won’t translate to online shopping.
Believers of the Million Pixel Advertising Home Page say creativity with ads in the Online Shopping platform may prove to be the biggest piece of importance for success. Grabbing the attention of visitors with smart and original micro ads are believed to be more affective than ordinary text ads.
Even as the Online Shopping advertising home page continues to show impressive numbers, opponents to the Million-Pixel sites doubt it will last. Visitors are coming and high traffic amounts are converting with the new changes and marketing plans. It is thought that once the buzz fades over time so will the traffic but at the current time The Online Shopping Pixel sites are holding there own.
So will the Pixel Online Shopping Mall work?
This new concept of The Million Pixel Home Page may very well change the way Internet Online Shopping and website promotion is done and The Million Pixel Home and Online Shopping may prove to be the perfect match but only time will tell.
With the emergence of the Million-Pixel Advertising Home Page becoming a real option for Internet marketing. The ever quickly evolving platform is starting become more targeted for particular categories and themes. The Million Pixel Home Page as an Online Shopping mall for anything under the sun has really become a topic of discussion for both believers and skeptics.
The Million Pixel Advertising Online Shopping mall is a billboard of micro ads for website owners looking to create a new way of gaining exposure. The Million Pixel Online Shopping Home Page is thought as new platform to eliminate the days of page by page clicking seen by directories of the same theme. Skeptics have concerns of online surfers not adapting to this new concept and thought to be just a passing fad that won’t translate to online shopping.
Believers of the Million Pixel Advertising Home Page say creativity with ads in the Online Shopping platform may prove to be the biggest piece of importance for success. Grabbing the attention of visitors with smart and original micro ads are believed to be more affective than ordinary text ads.
Even as the Online Shopping advertising home page continues to show impressive numbers, opponents to the Million-Pixel sites doubt it will last. Visitors are coming and high traffic amounts are converting with the new changes and marketing plans. It is thought that once the buzz fades over time so will the traffic but at the current time The Online Shopping Pixel sites are holding there own.
So will the Pixel Online Shopping Mall work?
This new concept of The Million Pixel Home Page may very well change the way Internet Online Shopping and website promotion is done and The Million Pixel Home and Online Shopping may prove to be the perfect match but only time will tell.
Priorities for ECommerce
The imprtance of providing what a customer wants can never be underesimated when it comes to online buying and selling. Once a website has been created, it fits into two basic categories. Those are information and ecommerce sites. Both types of website have a great deal in common, one of which is to gain the maximum amount of viewers who have an interest in the information or products provided.
However, there are numerous ways in which the website owner can attract visitors, and these have to be prioritised so as to provide the maximum benefit to the end user. Firstly, the site needs to be attractive to the viewer, with a balanced blend of colour, and an appealing layout. Each section of the website should be easy to navigate from one area to another, and absolute clarity throughout the pages regarding what is being portrayed.
Having designed the site in an appealing way, the next issue is the content. Many websites fail to provide either adequate content or indeed content of the right type. Many thousands of new websites are added to the internet each month, and so the choice for internet users is enormous. It is therefore more important each day that passes, that a website offers a distinct presentation and content.
The number one priority for any ecommerce website, is the customer. If the customer is innovated by what he or she sees, and feels that the site either is, or can be, of use to them, then success can be measured by return visits aswell as time spent on the site using the information available, and making purchases. It is extremely important to provide what a customer is searching for. Otherwise, the opportunity is lost, as the next website is only a click away!
An ecommerce website can be considered as a shopfront, except that there are two major differences. One is that the shopper does not have to walk out into the cold to look at another shop, and the other is that the products cannot be physically touched. Because of this, it is most important to present the product in the most beneficial way possible, leaving no room for ambiguity regarding what the product is, how much it costs, and how they can obtain it as quickly as possible.
Providing a clear set of terms and conditions, privacy policy, returns policy where applicable, together with information on the Company presenting the website, will add to the overall positive impression that people will have.
The viewing public quite likely have not taken into account just how much time is spent creating a website, promoting it, ensuring it is running efficiently, aswell as customer services, accounts, staff and all of the other things that running a business entails. Neither should they be concerned with these issues, as their time is spent perusing the internet, searching for what is of interest to them. Making a customer feel relaxed, and enjoy the experience of browsing your website, is the ultimate reward.
It is always best to be clear and concise, provide good content, and an easily navigable website. However, if the site can provide goods or services that are of use, are appealing, and are value for money, then these together with a well thought out presentation, will ensure eventual success, as in any commercial business.
However, there are numerous ways in which the website owner can attract visitors, and these have to be prioritised so as to provide the maximum benefit to the end user. Firstly, the site needs to be attractive to the viewer, with a balanced blend of colour, and an appealing layout. Each section of the website should be easy to navigate from one area to another, and absolute clarity throughout the pages regarding what is being portrayed.
Having designed the site in an appealing way, the next issue is the content. Many websites fail to provide either adequate content or indeed content of the right type. Many thousands of new websites are added to the internet each month, and so the choice for internet users is enormous. It is therefore more important each day that passes, that a website offers a distinct presentation and content.
The number one priority for any ecommerce website, is the customer. If the customer is innovated by what he or she sees, and feels that the site either is, or can be, of use to them, then success can be measured by return visits aswell as time spent on the site using the information available, and making purchases. It is extremely important to provide what a customer is searching for. Otherwise, the opportunity is lost, as the next website is only a click away!
An ecommerce website can be considered as a shopfront, except that there are two major differences. One is that the shopper does not have to walk out into the cold to look at another shop, and the other is that the products cannot be physically touched. Because of this, it is most important to present the product in the most beneficial way possible, leaving no room for ambiguity regarding what the product is, how much it costs, and how they can obtain it as quickly as possible.
Providing a clear set of terms and conditions, privacy policy, returns policy where applicable, together with information on the Company presenting the website, will add to the overall positive impression that people will have.
The viewing public quite likely have not taken into account just how much time is spent creating a website, promoting it, ensuring it is running efficiently, aswell as customer services, accounts, staff and all of the other things that running a business entails. Neither should they be concerned with these issues, as their time is spent perusing the internet, searching for what is of interest to them. Making a customer feel relaxed, and enjoy the experience of browsing your website, is the ultimate reward.
It is always best to be clear and concise, provide good content, and an easily navigable website. However, if the site can provide goods or services that are of use, are appealing, and are value for money, then these together with a well thought out presentation, will ensure eventual success, as in any commercial business.
Tips for Building Your First Online Shopping Cart
Starting your first online store?
Starting an online store can be extremely daunting for someone new to the world of online businesses, but, for a good reason. There are so many aspects which create success for a shopping cart in a world of powerful search engines, directories, affiliates and word of mouth, the chance of making it big can rely purely on a big budget or a brand new idea.
If you’re thinking of building your online extension of a current business or even starting a purely online business then hopefully the following will outline some of the most important aspects of getting started.
Market research Ask yourself, is there any point in setting up any kind of online business at all, if there is no demand or so much competition you will be lost in the crowd?
There have been a few exceptions in the past where small businesses are so well structured and marketed that they grow quickly and succeed, however this can be very difficult without the right support.
So how are you going to set yourself apart? What will be your image? And what are your goals?
These are questions you need to think about when you are researching. Find out if there is truly an opportunity for your company to succeed. The worst thing you can do is simply jump in and hope for the best, did the most successful companies in the world do that?
Setting Targets and Goals Figuring out where you will be in 5... 10... 15... 20 years from now plays an integral part in the way your shopping cart is structured, managed and performs now. Target and goal setting makes an incredible difference to the level of success or success at all a company can enjoy.
Start thinking about the steps your online store will make at each stage of it's life.
When it starts to grow needing new staff
When it needs financial assistance
When changes to tax structure is important
What new markets you wish to tap into
Your staff rewards when targets are met
Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly sales targets
…and the list goes on. Think big! If you aim higher than the rest, the chance of your shopping cart being successful is also higher.
Setting up Your Store – general rules
- Business Contact information
The following information should be posted to the website in an easy to see location:
A corporate address
Product return address
An e-mail address
A contact number
Big detailed pictures pay off
Just like in a physical retail shop, your customers want to really know what they are buying and need to see it close up. Make sure you are uploading images larger than just the detailed product view. Upload at least 400 X 400 pixels and up to 700 X 700 pixels for every product image so your customer can get a clear detailed view of what they plan to buy from you, otherwise, they will simply click away.
Testimonials
Do testimonials work? Can testimonials be rigged and seem unauthentic? Sure. It seems like most testimonials are generic. If you include the first and last name as well as possibly an email address of the testimonial, you will earn trust and credibility.
- Graphics
While a flashy site with neat graphics may catch someone's eye, well written, descriptive, persuasive text is the ticket to sales conversions... it's the difference between the prospective buyer exiting your site and opening their pocketbook. Avoid any annoying music and long loading flash movies on your main pages.
- Only knowledgeable people to take phone calls
Consumers shopping online are no different than regular retail customers, they have questions about your product, your business and your delivery methods. It is important to greet any phone calls or emails with well trained staff who are knowledgeable about your company and products. The more your company can assist consumers, the better the conversion rates and repeat buying. Don't forget to cross sell and up-sell at this point!
- Return policies should be easy and fair
A good return policy can promote trust in the buyer and multiple orders. It is important to include return labels with the packaging and provide refunds when requested. Repeat business is your best business. Provide them with your best customer service and they will reward you for it by ordering from your shopping cart- not someone else's.
- Navigation
Make sure you maintain a simple navigation throughout your shopping cart. There should be no reason to steer customers more than two to three clicks deep within your site, the home page should always be only a click away. The clearer your site is presented, the more time customers can spend looking at all your products and info without getting frustrated. It is important that your build your shopping cart using a quality programmer and designer or well designed/built shopping cart software.
-Be sure of your postal methods
Ever not received an item you ordered online and paid for upfront, only to find out no-one knows where it is? Ever received an item in the post only to open and see it damaged? This is one of the most frustrating things about buying online. Make sure you back yourself up with tracking codes and trustworthy shipping companies.
Content Make It Count!
A method to inducing the first click is providing a strong call to action or incentive. By featuring discounts and free shipping offers, the offer may intrigue the user to commit another click.
Don't let them go
Once you have the prospective buyer "on the hook"… don't kill the sale with poorly written product descriptions. Nothing kills a sale quicker than a product that is as enthralling as reading the ingredients of a bag of frozen peas. You have invested the time and effort to build your shopping cart; don't miss out on sales due to poorly worded product descriptions.
Being personable is also important. Instead of having the most exciting part of a television product description be it's "titanium silver color"… talk about how the consumer's home will be the place to come and watch the big game (on a screen so big you can see the sweat coming out of the players' pores). Speak about how the "picture in picture" capability means there will be no more flipping back and forth- saving the fingers precious energy for snatching up potato chips.
Do all you can to involve the person's emotions and senses into the product description. Sure, the technical stuff should be included, but put it at the bottom of the description.
Starting an online store can be extremely daunting for someone new to the world of online businesses, but, for a good reason. There are so many aspects which create success for a shopping cart in a world of powerful search engines, directories, affiliates and word of mouth, the chance of making it big can rely purely on a big budget or a brand new idea.
If you’re thinking of building your online extension of a current business or even starting a purely online business then hopefully the following will outline some of the most important aspects of getting started.
Market research Ask yourself, is there any point in setting up any kind of online business at all, if there is no demand or so much competition you will be lost in the crowd?
There have been a few exceptions in the past where small businesses are so well structured and marketed that they grow quickly and succeed, however this can be very difficult without the right support.
So how are you going to set yourself apart? What will be your image? And what are your goals?
These are questions you need to think about when you are researching. Find out if there is truly an opportunity for your company to succeed. The worst thing you can do is simply jump in and hope for the best, did the most successful companies in the world do that?
Setting Targets and Goals Figuring out where you will be in 5... 10... 15... 20 years from now plays an integral part in the way your shopping cart is structured, managed and performs now. Target and goal setting makes an incredible difference to the level of success or success at all a company can enjoy.
Start thinking about the steps your online store will make at each stage of it's life.
When it starts to grow needing new staff
When it needs financial assistance
When changes to tax structure is important
What new markets you wish to tap into
Your staff rewards when targets are met
Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly sales targets
…and the list goes on. Think big! If you aim higher than the rest, the chance of your shopping cart being successful is also higher.
Setting up Your Store – general rules
- Business Contact information
The following information should be posted to the website in an easy to see location:
A corporate address
Product return address
An e-mail address
A contact number
Big detailed pictures pay off
Just like in a physical retail shop, your customers want to really know what they are buying and need to see it close up. Make sure you are uploading images larger than just the detailed product view. Upload at least 400 X 400 pixels and up to 700 X 700 pixels for every product image so your customer can get a clear detailed view of what they plan to buy from you, otherwise, they will simply click away.
Testimonials
Do testimonials work? Can testimonials be rigged and seem unauthentic? Sure. It seems like most testimonials are generic. If you include the first and last name as well as possibly an email address of the testimonial, you will earn trust and credibility.
- Graphics
While a flashy site with neat graphics may catch someone's eye, well written, descriptive, persuasive text is the ticket to sales conversions... it's the difference between the prospective buyer exiting your site and opening their pocketbook. Avoid any annoying music and long loading flash movies on your main pages.
- Only knowledgeable people to take phone calls
Consumers shopping online are no different than regular retail customers, they have questions about your product, your business and your delivery methods. It is important to greet any phone calls or emails with well trained staff who are knowledgeable about your company and products. The more your company can assist consumers, the better the conversion rates and repeat buying. Don't forget to cross sell and up-sell at this point!
- Return policies should be easy and fair
A good return policy can promote trust in the buyer and multiple orders. It is important to include return labels with the packaging and provide refunds when requested. Repeat business is your best business. Provide them with your best customer service and they will reward you for it by ordering from your shopping cart- not someone else's.
- Navigation
Make sure you maintain a simple navigation throughout your shopping cart. There should be no reason to steer customers more than two to three clicks deep within your site, the home page should always be only a click away. The clearer your site is presented, the more time customers can spend looking at all your products and info without getting frustrated. It is important that your build your shopping cart using a quality programmer and designer or well designed/built shopping cart software.
-Be sure of your postal methods
Ever not received an item you ordered online and paid for upfront, only to find out no-one knows where it is? Ever received an item in the post only to open and see it damaged? This is one of the most frustrating things about buying online. Make sure you back yourself up with tracking codes and trustworthy shipping companies.
Content Make It Count!
A method to inducing the first click is providing a strong call to action or incentive. By featuring discounts and free shipping offers, the offer may intrigue the user to commit another click.
Don't let them go
Once you have the prospective buyer "on the hook"… don't kill the sale with poorly written product descriptions. Nothing kills a sale quicker than a product that is as enthralling as reading the ingredients of a bag of frozen peas. You have invested the time and effort to build your shopping cart; don't miss out on sales due to poorly worded product descriptions.
Being personable is also important. Instead of having the most exciting part of a television product description be it's "titanium silver color"… talk about how the consumer's home will be the place to come and watch the big game (on a screen so big you can see the sweat coming out of the players' pores). Speak about how the "picture in picture" capability means there will be no more flipping back and forth- saving the fingers precious energy for snatching up potato chips.
Do all you can to involve the person's emotions and senses into the product description. Sure, the technical stuff should be included, but put it at the bottom of the description.
Setting of Your Payment Processors (Part 2 )
Paypal is not open to all international customer(it is the major disadvantage of papal). you have three account possibility with paypal: Personal, Premier and Business. Premier account is preferable; you will be able to receive any type of payments, credits cards...) If you decide to open an account with them, you will be able to receive payments within minutes.
A second option is Stormpay. It is a good payment processor( there is actually some different with autosurf sites, but customers who are not involved in theses programs don' t have any restrictions in using their accounts. It is a good alternative to paypal, because they do not have any restrictions concerning the country of application for the account. It is available worldwide. The fonctionement of Stormpay is similar to paypal, and for the beginner, the newbie, he can start after going through the tutorial.
Now, the paid payment processors. 2 payment processors must retain your attention when you start:ClickBank and 2checkout. Before opening your account with click bank, you will have to submit a product approval request. You will be able after your acceptation, to accept payment by credit card, paypal balance, e checks. Also, you will have the benefit of being listed in the ClickBank marketplace, that will allow you to run your own affiliate program. Note that I recommend that you host your own affiliate Programs. You will have to pay $49.95 to open your account.
The second payment processor is 2checkout. I highly recommend that you register with 2checkout as your payment processor. It is a fast and reliable payment processor. You just have to pay a one time payment fee of $49.95(no monthly fees). And you will be able to receive all kind of payment for your online business. You will then accept payment by credit cards, debit and checks, from any part of the world.
You will be able also to set an automatic rebilling of your customer' s monthly fee, with 2checkout, paypal and stormpay.
You must know that if you don' t provide to your customers a way to pay you from any part of the world, that will result for you in a lost of sales, and residual customers over time. The best payment processor available right now is 2checkout, because it enable you to receive all kind of payment available worldwide.
A second option is Stormpay. It is a good payment processor( there is actually some different with autosurf sites, but customers who are not involved in theses programs don' t have any restrictions in using their accounts. It is a good alternative to paypal, because they do not have any restrictions concerning the country of application for the account. It is available worldwide. The fonctionement of Stormpay is similar to paypal, and for the beginner, the newbie, he can start after going through the tutorial.
Now, the paid payment processors. 2 payment processors must retain your attention when you start:ClickBank and 2checkout. Before opening your account with click bank, you will have to submit a product approval request. You will be able after your acceptation, to accept payment by credit card, paypal balance, e checks. Also, you will have the benefit of being listed in the ClickBank marketplace, that will allow you to run your own affiliate program. Note that I recommend that you host your own affiliate Programs. You will have to pay $49.95 to open your account.
The second payment processor is 2checkout. I highly recommend that you register with 2checkout as your payment processor. It is a fast and reliable payment processor. You just have to pay a one time payment fee of $49.95(no monthly fees). And you will be able to receive all kind of payment for your online business. You will then accept payment by credit cards, debit and checks, from any part of the world.
You will be able also to set an automatic rebilling of your customer' s monthly fee, with 2checkout, paypal and stormpay.
You must know that if you don' t provide to your customers a way to pay you from any part of the world, that will result for you in a lost of sales, and residual customers over time. The best payment processor available right now is 2checkout, because it enable you to receive all kind of payment available worldwide.
The Advantages Of Using A Merchant Account
In today’s fast pace of technological advancement, more and more people are engaging into online business. They have seen the fast proliferation of the information technology.
With this, the industry is trying to cope up with the growing needs of the market by creating various techniques, strategies, and devices that will best suit the necessities of the consumers as well as the online businesses.
Moreover, with the proliferation of the credit card industry, more and more people are enticed to do “cashless shopping,” where convenience is the name of the game.
In fact, some statistical reports can attest that in the U.S. alone, nearly 500 million credit cards are being issued every year. From this point, consumers are enticed to use their credit cards, which accounts to almost 50% of all the expenses, which is more than $50, of the average consumer.
That is why certain marketing tools such as the merchant account were created in order to compensate the growing demands of the market. This can be very useful especially because almost 60% of the products and services available in the market are being sold online.
The Concept of Merchant Account
Merchant accounts are actually “bank accounts” created by a particular online business with a merchant bank, which provides necessary consent to accept credit card payments via online transactions.
The “merchant account provider” will be the one to make the necessary transfer of funds into the business’ bank account as soon as there are payments made by the consumer.
In line with this, many online businesses are wondering whether it is really necessary for them to get a merchant account. Hence, for those who wish to know the answer, here is a list of what merchant account can do for the business:
1. A good way to start online business
One of the greatest benefits of using merchant account for online business is that it can provide instant ease in online transactions especially for those who are just starting new.
2. Safe transactions
The merchant account provider will provide the necessary tools that will safeguard the financial matters of the online business. This refers to the management of fraudulent activities over the Internet such as scams, identity theft, etc. They will also provide the business with advanced “customer service” such as automated payments, security, and handling orders.
3. Flexibility
With a merchant account, the online business can customize the needs of the company by choosing the credit cards that will only be allowed in their online transactions.
Moreover, they can also select the proper kinds of credit cards that are appropriate in the kind of business that they have.
4. Convenience
Merchant account is the most economical and feasible way of accepting credit card payments online. The process is quick to establish, hence, both the business and the consumer will not have a hard time accessing the benefits through this online transaction.
5. No super add-ons
The best thing about getting a merchant account is that the businessperson will simply get what he or she needs. This means that when the business will apply for a merchant account, there will be no extra requirements needed.
Unlike applying for credit cards, most merchant account providers will not evaluate your credit history. That is why merchant accounts are also applicable even to the new online businesses.
Indeed, merchant account can provide online businesses a thousand and one ways as far as online transactions are concerned. Sales will be on its optimum peak because most of the consumers nowadays are purchasing items online, and without a merchant account, the business will be at a lost.
With this, the industry is trying to cope up with the growing needs of the market by creating various techniques, strategies, and devices that will best suit the necessities of the consumers as well as the online businesses.
Moreover, with the proliferation of the credit card industry, more and more people are enticed to do “cashless shopping,” where convenience is the name of the game.
In fact, some statistical reports can attest that in the U.S. alone, nearly 500 million credit cards are being issued every year. From this point, consumers are enticed to use their credit cards, which accounts to almost 50% of all the expenses, which is more than $50, of the average consumer.
That is why certain marketing tools such as the merchant account were created in order to compensate the growing demands of the market. This can be very useful especially because almost 60% of the products and services available in the market are being sold online.
The Concept of Merchant Account
Merchant accounts are actually “bank accounts” created by a particular online business with a merchant bank, which provides necessary consent to accept credit card payments via online transactions.
The “merchant account provider” will be the one to make the necessary transfer of funds into the business’ bank account as soon as there are payments made by the consumer.
In line with this, many online businesses are wondering whether it is really necessary for them to get a merchant account. Hence, for those who wish to know the answer, here is a list of what merchant account can do for the business:
1. A good way to start online business
One of the greatest benefits of using merchant account for online business is that it can provide instant ease in online transactions especially for those who are just starting new.
2. Safe transactions
The merchant account provider will provide the necessary tools that will safeguard the financial matters of the online business. This refers to the management of fraudulent activities over the Internet such as scams, identity theft, etc. They will also provide the business with advanced “customer service” such as automated payments, security, and handling orders.
3. Flexibility
With a merchant account, the online business can customize the needs of the company by choosing the credit cards that will only be allowed in their online transactions.
Moreover, they can also select the proper kinds of credit cards that are appropriate in the kind of business that they have.
4. Convenience
Merchant account is the most economical and feasible way of accepting credit card payments online. The process is quick to establish, hence, both the business and the consumer will not have a hard time accessing the benefits through this online transaction.
5. No super add-ons
The best thing about getting a merchant account is that the businessperson will simply get what he or she needs. This means that when the business will apply for a merchant account, there will be no extra requirements needed.
Unlike applying for credit cards, most merchant account providers will not evaluate your credit history. That is why merchant accounts are also applicable even to the new online businesses.
Indeed, merchant account can provide online businesses a thousand and one ways as far as online transactions are concerned. Sales will be on its optimum peak because most of the consumers nowadays are purchasing items online, and without a merchant account, the business will be at a lost.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Deals Online
Ever wonder if deals online are really better than deals found in your local retail store or outlet? Are you one of those people who think you can wait and get a good deal later? Weather you have considered both of these questions, or just want to make your dollar stretch as far as possible, there are few things you should know about online shopping.
Consumers are constantly bombarded with so many online advertisements that we easily take most offers for granted, or are just plain annoyed by all the attempts and schemes to get into our wallets. Think about it. When was the last time you clicked on a banner ad? I would even venture to say you don't even remember the last banner ad you saw.
Most people who shop online already have their favorite shopping sites picked out, and rarely go elsewhere. As with most people, when I find something good, I stick with it, but if you shop online for convenience, and always go to the same source for deals online, you may be missing out on some good bargains from lesser known sites.
Aren't the best deals online the ones that provide the same product's and services found at retail outlets or larger online stores for less money? Today's online businesses have to compete with retail outlets and giant online stores and usually do this with free online offers, rebates or even a reduced cost for service.
When you shop at a retail store, you have the ability to get a feel for the product you are about to purchase. When shopping online, you cannot touch, feel or tinker with the product at all, that's where free offers come in. Many times vendors such as satellite TV or cellular companies will offer free equipment in exchange for a service agreement.
You'll also find that many online vendors like broadband, or dial up Internet providers offer reduced rates for service, or rebates that aren't always available if you went directly to the source, in an effort to compete with the larger companies or service providers. These online deals are a good way of offsetting the cost for new service.
We've all seen these kind of deals online and passed them by with the common misconception they'll be there later. This simply is not true. As an online marketer myself, I have seen product offerings go up as much as 30 dollars overnight. Nothing discourages me more than to see a customer have to pay more for a product than they would have if they would have just signed up in the first place.
Consumers are constantly bombarded with so many online advertisements that we easily take most offers for granted, or are just plain annoyed by all the attempts and schemes to get into our wallets. Think about it. When was the last time you clicked on a banner ad? I would even venture to say you don't even remember the last banner ad you saw.
Most people who shop online already have their favorite shopping sites picked out, and rarely go elsewhere. As with most people, when I find something good, I stick with it, but if you shop online for convenience, and always go to the same source for deals online, you may be missing out on some good bargains from lesser known sites.
Aren't the best deals online the ones that provide the same product's and services found at retail outlets or larger online stores for less money? Today's online businesses have to compete with retail outlets and giant online stores and usually do this with free online offers, rebates or even a reduced cost for service.
When you shop at a retail store, you have the ability to get a feel for the product you are about to purchase. When shopping online, you cannot touch, feel or tinker with the product at all, that's where free offers come in. Many times vendors such as satellite TV or cellular companies will offer free equipment in exchange for a service agreement.
You'll also find that many online vendors like broadband, or dial up Internet providers offer reduced rates for service, or rebates that aren't always available if you went directly to the source, in an effort to compete with the larger companies or service providers. These online deals are a good way of offsetting the cost for new service.
We've all seen these kind of deals online and passed them by with the common misconception they'll be there later. This simply is not true. As an online marketer myself, I have seen product offerings go up as much as 30 dollars overnight. Nothing discourages me more than to see a customer have to pay more for a product than they would have if they would have just signed up in the first place.
9 Ways of Invigorating a Tired E-commerce Blog
It's well known that the search engines are suckers for fresh content. Sites that are updated regularly fare better than those that remain static over long periods of time. This has always posed a problem for us store owners, because simply adding a few new products each month just isn't going to suffice in competitive markets. Nor is shuffling the featured products around on our home pages every now and again!
Thankfully blogging goes a long way toward solving this dilemma. Get into the habit of making frequent, regular posts to a blog and sites soon take on that fresh, organic quality the search engines love.
Of course, as well as helping rankings, blogs are also great way of interacting with clients. Sharing views and news with visitors and allowing them to comment on posts creates a sense of community around a store. This does wonders for conversion rates.
So blogs and ecommerce are a healthy combination – but what about the writing itself? It's vital that a blog is kept ticking over but posting fresh material every few days can soon become taxing! So here a few tips and ideas for when you run out of inspiration.
1.Product news.
The arrival of new product lines should always be announced on your blog. If nothing else it provides an ideal opportunity to get keywords into action, so use them in the titles of your posts as well as the body. Similarly you can also use your blog to inform customers when a particular item is back in stock.
2.Additional product reviews
Not everyone likes long copy and you may prefer to keep your actual store's product descriptions short and to the point. But your blog provides an ideal opportunity to pull out all the stops for the more obsessive customer. Add extra photos, tell anecdotes – use all that extra space to your advantage. With a little care and attention you can nail plenty of keyword variations.
3.Apologies
Whenever there's a problem with your store or something goes wrong, address in it your blog. Say sorry if necessary. Customers will appreciate your honesty!
4.The future
Good websites are always a work in progress and you should keep your customers informed of any changes on the horizon. So if you are planning on offering another payment method in a few months, talk about it. Say why you're doing it and when it will happen.
5.We're great!
Create a a blog category exclusively for your customer testimonials. Then whenever you receive a complimentary email, ask the customer if you can post it. You should be able to collect a nice backlog of such comments for days when you don't have any news. Then you can just post a testimonial to keep the spiders happy! Of course, this tactic also serves a double purpose in that you'll soon have a fully functioning testimonial page which you can link to from the main site.
6.Sales and promotions.
Offering any discounts this week? Don't just tell your newsletter subscribers, post it.
7.Happy holidays!
There are countless different festivals, holy days and holidays celebrated at different times throughout the year. Mention them. Your customers may be of various nationalities and religious persuasions so don't limit yourself to Happy Christmas and Happy Halloween!
8.News close to home.
You should never approach your store's blog as a personal diary. After all your customers don't want to hear about what you had for breakfast. But that doesn't mean that you can't mention momentous or life changing events. Maybe a member of your staff is getting married or expecting a baby, for example. Depending on the overall personality of your store this may not be something that you'd like to do, but in the right circumstances mentioning this kind of news can endear you to your customers very effectively. Everybody likes to be reassured that they are dealing with 3 dimensional people, not just a faceless money making machine. Just don't overdo it.
9.Current bestsellers.
If a particular product is really popular, it's worth mentioning for two reasons. Firstly it can create a sense of urgency in your customers if they think that stocks may be getting low. Secondly, if a lot of people are buying a certain product there are probably a lot of people searching for it as well. When you've got a hot keyword, pepper a post with it and then feed it to the spiders!
Thankfully blogging goes a long way toward solving this dilemma. Get into the habit of making frequent, regular posts to a blog and sites soon take on that fresh, organic quality the search engines love.
Of course, as well as helping rankings, blogs are also great way of interacting with clients. Sharing views and news with visitors and allowing them to comment on posts creates a sense of community around a store. This does wonders for conversion rates.
So blogs and ecommerce are a healthy combination – but what about the writing itself? It's vital that a blog is kept ticking over but posting fresh material every few days can soon become taxing! So here a few tips and ideas for when you run out of inspiration.
1.Product news.
The arrival of new product lines should always be announced on your blog. If nothing else it provides an ideal opportunity to get keywords into action, so use them in the titles of your posts as well as the body. Similarly you can also use your blog to inform customers when a particular item is back in stock.
2.Additional product reviews
Not everyone likes long copy and you may prefer to keep your actual store's product descriptions short and to the point. But your blog provides an ideal opportunity to pull out all the stops for the more obsessive customer. Add extra photos, tell anecdotes – use all that extra space to your advantage. With a little care and attention you can nail plenty of keyword variations.
3.Apologies
Whenever there's a problem with your store or something goes wrong, address in it your blog. Say sorry if necessary. Customers will appreciate your honesty!
4.The future
Good websites are always a work in progress and you should keep your customers informed of any changes on the horizon. So if you are planning on offering another payment method in a few months, talk about it. Say why you're doing it and when it will happen.
5.We're great!
Create a a blog category exclusively for your customer testimonials. Then whenever you receive a complimentary email, ask the customer if you can post it. You should be able to collect a nice backlog of such comments for days when you don't have any news. Then you can just post a testimonial to keep the spiders happy! Of course, this tactic also serves a double purpose in that you'll soon have a fully functioning testimonial page which you can link to from the main site.
6.Sales and promotions.
Offering any discounts this week? Don't just tell your newsletter subscribers, post it.
7.Happy holidays!
There are countless different festivals, holy days and holidays celebrated at different times throughout the year. Mention them. Your customers may be of various nationalities and religious persuasions so don't limit yourself to Happy Christmas and Happy Halloween!
8.News close to home.
You should never approach your store's blog as a personal diary. After all your customers don't want to hear about what you had for breakfast. But that doesn't mean that you can't mention momentous or life changing events. Maybe a member of your staff is getting married or expecting a baby, for example. Depending on the overall personality of your store this may not be something that you'd like to do, but in the right circumstances mentioning this kind of news can endear you to your customers very effectively. Everybody likes to be reassured that they are dealing with 3 dimensional people, not just a faceless money making machine. Just don't overdo it.
9.Current bestsellers.
If a particular product is really popular, it's worth mentioning for two reasons. Firstly it can create a sense of urgency in your customers if they think that stocks may be getting low. Secondly, if a lot of people are buying a certain product there are probably a lot of people searching for it as well. When you've got a hot keyword, pepper a post with it and then feed it to the spiders!
4 Reasons Why You Should Start a Membership Website
Membership websites are quickly becoming common place. More and more consumers are willing to pay for information that is specific to their interests. The "give it all away for free" website model is becoming more difficult to prosper at. Advertising cost are down and competition is fierce.
So why is the "Pay for Content" model such an attractive one?
1. Quick and Low Cost Startup:
Membership Websites can be up and running in just a couple of weeks, depending on your computer and html skills, maybe less. The cost associated with starting a membership site is pretty small compared to most other business models. In most cases you can start one with just a few hundred dollars.
2. High Profit Percentage:
Membership Websites have fairly low overhead and do not necessarily need any employees other than yourself. That means after expenses such as membership software, hosting, etc... you average from 50% to 80%. This extremely high profit percentage.
3. Continual Income:
One of the biggest problems business face is maintaining income and cash flow on a continual basis. Constantly seeking out new customers is time consuming and expensive. With a Membership Website you can have a steady income month after month without having to continually get new customers.
4. Quick Turn Around on Investment:
One of the biggest advantages of a Membership site is the quick return on investment possibilities. For example... Let's say it costs you $300 to get started and around $100/month to maintain the site. If you only charged $19.95/month for a subscription it would only take you 16 subscribers to cover the costs of start up. Not only that, but every month after that you would be making $200 a month from the same 16 subscribers... That's $2,400 a year. That may not sound like a lot of money but what if you had 50 or 100 subscribers. Your income quickly rises to thousands a month.
Don't think you know anything people are willing to pay for...well you do. Their are membership website on every topic from business to fishing to socks (yes that's right socks, like the one's on your feet). The good news is that the smaller niche market is for your information the more likely people with be willing to pay for it. Not only that but it usually means you can charge more as well.
So why is the "Pay for Content" model such an attractive one?
1. Quick and Low Cost Startup:
Membership Websites can be up and running in just a couple of weeks, depending on your computer and html skills, maybe less. The cost associated with starting a membership site is pretty small compared to most other business models. In most cases you can start one with just a few hundred dollars.
2. High Profit Percentage:
Membership Websites have fairly low overhead and do not necessarily need any employees other than yourself. That means after expenses such as membership software, hosting, etc... you average from 50% to 80%. This extremely high profit percentage.
3. Continual Income:
One of the biggest problems business face is maintaining income and cash flow on a continual basis. Constantly seeking out new customers is time consuming and expensive. With a Membership Website you can have a steady income month after month without having to continually get new customers.
4. Quick Turn Around on Investment:
One of the biggest advantages of a Membership site is the quick return on investment possibilities. For example... Let's say it costs you $300 to get started and around $100/month to maintain the site. If you only charged $19.95/month for a subscription it would only take you 16 subscribers to cover the costs of start up. Not only that, but every month after that you would be making $200 a month from the same 16 subscribers... That's $2,400 a year. That may not sound like a lot of money but what if you had 50 or 100 subscribers. Your income quickly rises to thousands a month.
Don't think you know anything people are willing to pay for...well you do. Their are membership website on every topic from business to fishing to socks (yes that's right socks, like the one's on your feet). The good news is that the smaller niche market is for your information the more likely people with be willing to pay for it. Not only that but it usually means you can charge more as well.
Critical Steps In Starting A Profitable Online Business
An e-commerce business certainly can be profitable and very rewarding. It can also be very frustrating. There is so much hype and outrageous claims of wealth. It is more about building relationships than instant wealth. I wanted to share a website that I found really refreshing and provides a wealth of great content without the hype.
This website teaches many of the marketing techniques that I paid more than $500.00 to learn and offers if for free. Not only does it teach the important techniques of building a profitable e-commerce business but it also teaches you how to develop a website eliminating the cost of having somebody else develop it for you. I was amazed at how much information this website revealed.
One of the biggest obstacles that most people face when starting an e-commerce business is thinking of an idea, service or product that they can offer online that will actually make them a profit. I really enjoyed how this online audio course helped take away most of the guess work in thinking of ideas. Some of the initial sources recommended in searching an idea for a product or service is visiting affiliate marketing services to discover what products are listed in level of popularity, visit magazine racks and notice ones with multiple copies of the same target market, visit general directories, visit online groups to see which ones have a large population of members, listen to infomercials for ideas and try to offer this online as a cheaper alternative. This is just scratching the surface as to what this course teaches.
One of the most important lessons in the course is teaching you about the tools available to do product research. Once you have finally thought of an idea, you are now ready to research if it is indeed a viable one. I can’t stress the importance of this step. If you eliminate this step your could waste precious time and needless amounts of money.
This website teaches many of the marketing techniques that I paid more than $500.00 to learn and offers if for free. Not only does it teach the important techniques of building a profitable e-commerce business but it also teaches you how to develop a website eliminating the cost of having somebody else develop it for you. I was amazed at how much information this website revealed.
One of the biggest obstacles that most people face when starting an e-commerce business is thinking of an idea, service or product that they can offer online that will actually make them a profit. I really enjoyed how this online audio course helped take away most of the guess work in thinking of ideas. Some of the initial sources recommended in searching an idea for a product or service is visiting affiliate marketing services to discover what products are listed in level of popularity, visit magazine racks and notice ones with multiple copies of the same target market, visit general directories, visit online groups to see which ones have a large population of members, listen to infomercials for ideas and try to offer this online as a cheaper alternative. This is just scratching the surface as to what this course teaches.
One of the most important lessons in the course is teaching you about the tools available to do product research. Once you have finally thought of an idea, you are now ready to research if it is indeed a viable one. I can’t stress the importance of this step. If you eliminate this step your could waste precious time and needless amounts of money.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Tips for Building Your First Online Shopping Cart
Starting your first online store?
Starting an online store can be extremely daunting for someone new to the world of online businesses, but, for a good reason. There are so many aspects which create success for a shopping cart in a world of powerful search engines, directories, affiliates and word of mouth, the chance of making it big can rely purely on a big budget or a brand new idea.
If you’re thinking of building your online extension of a current business or even starting a purely online business then hopefully the following will outline some of the most important aspects of getting started.
Market research Ask yourself, is there any point in setting up any kind of online business at all, if there is no demand or so much competition you will be lost in the crowd?
There have been a few exceptions in the past where small businesses are so well structured and marketed that they grow quickly and succeed, however this can be very difficult without the right support.
So how are you going to set yourself apart? What will be your image? And what are your goals?
These are questions you need to think about when you are researching. Find out if there is truly an opportunity for your company to succeed. The worst thing you can do is simply jump in and hope for the best, did the most successful companies in the world do that?
Setting Targets and Goals Figuring out where you will be in 5... 10... 15... 20 years from now plays an integral part in the way your shopping cart is structured, managed and performs now. Target and goal setting makes an incredible difference to the level of success or success at all a company can enjoy.
Start thinking about the steps your online store will make at each stage of it's life.
When it starts to grow needing new staff
When it needs financial assistance
When changes to tax structure is important
What new markets you wish to tap into
Your staff rewards when targets are met
Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly sales targets
…and the list goes on. Think big! If you aim higher than the rest, the chance of your shopping cart being successful is also higher.
Setting up Your Store – general rules
- Business Contact information
The following information should be posted to the website in an easy to see location:
A corporate address
Product return address
An e-mail address
A contact number
Big detailed pictures pay off
Just like in a physical retail shop, your customers want to really know what they are buying and need to see it close up. Make sure you are uploading images larger than just the detailed product view. Upload at least 400 X 400 pixels and up to 700 X 700 pixels for every product image so your customer can get a clear detailed view of what they plan to buy from you, otherwise, they will simply click away.
Testimonials
Do testimonials work? Can testimonials be rigged and seem unauthentic? Sure. It seems like most testimonials are generic. If you include the first and last name as well as possibly an email address of the testimonial, you will earn trust and credibility.
- Graphics
While a flashy site with neat graphics may catch someone's eye, well written, descriptive, persuasive text is the ticket to sales conversions... it's the difference between the prospective buyer exiting your site and opening their pocketbook. Avoid any annoying music and long loading flash movies on your main pages.
- Only knowledgeable people to take phone calls
Consumers shopping online are no different than regular retail customers, they have questions about your product, your business and your delivery methods. It is important to greet any phone calls or emails with well trained staff who are knowledgeable about your company and products. The more your company can assist consumers, the better the conversion rates and repeat buying. Don't forget to cross sell and up-sell at this point!
- Return policies should be easy and fair
A good return policy can promote trust in the buyer and multiple orders. It is important to include return labels with the packaging and provide refunds when requested. Repeat business is your best business. Provide them with your best customer service and they will reward you for it by ordering from your shopping cart- not someone else's.
- Navigation
Make sure you maintain a simple navigation throughout your shopping cart. There should be no reason to steer customers more than two to three clicks deep within your site, the home page should always be only a click away. The clearer your site is presented, the more time customers can spend looking at all your products and info without getting frustrated. It is important that your build your shopping cart using a quality programmer and designer or well designed/built shopping cart software.
-Be sure of your postal methods
Ever not received an item you ordered online and paid for upfront, only to find out no-one knows where it is? Ever received an item in the post only to open and see it damaged? This is one of the most frustrating things about buying online. Make sure you back yourself up with tracking codes and trustworthy shipping companies.
Content Make It Count!
A method to inducing the first click is providing a strong call to action or incentive. By featuring discounts and free shipping offers, the offer may intrigue the user to commit another click.
Don't let them go
Once you have the prospective buyer "on the hook"… don't kill the sale with poorly written product descriptions. Nothing kills a sale quicker than a product that is as enthralling as reading the ingredients of a bag of frozen peas. You have invested the time and effort to build your shopping cart; don't miss out on sales due to poorly worded product descriptions.
Being personable is also important. Instead of having the most exciting part of a television product description be it's "titanium silver color"… talk about how the consumer's home will be the place to come and watch the big game (on a screen so big you can see the sweat coming out of the players' pores). Speak about how the "picture in picture" capability means there will be no more flipping back and forth- saving the fingers precious energy for snatching up potato chips.
Do all you can to involve the person's emotions and senses into the product description. Sure, the technical stuff should be included, but put it at the bottom of the description.
Starting an online store can be extremely daunting for someone new to the world of online businesses, but, for a good reason. There are so many aspects which create success for a shopping cart in a world of powerful search engines, directories, affiliates and word of mouth, the chance of making it big can rely purely on a big budget or a brand new idea.
If you’re thinking of building your online extension of a current business or even starting a purely online business then hopefully the following will outline some of the most important aspects of getting started.
Market research Ask yourself, is there any point in setting up any kind of online business at all, if there is no demand or so much competition you will be lost in the crowd?
There have been a few exceptions in the past where small businesses are so well structured and marketed that they grow quickly and succeed, however this can be very difficult without the right support.
So how are you going to set yourself apart? What will be your image? And what are your goals?
These are questions you need to think about when you are researching. Find out if there is truly an opportunity for your company to succeed. The worst thing you can do is simply jump in and hope for the best, did the most successful companies in the world do that?
Setting Targets and Goals Figuring out where you will be in 5... 10... 15... 20 years from now plays an integral part in the way your shopping cart is structured, managed and performs now. Target and goal setting makes an incredible difference to the level of success or success at all a company can enjoy.
Start thinking about the steps your online store will make at each stage of it's life.
When it starts to grow needing new staff
When it needs financial assistance
When changes to tax structure is important
What new markets you wish to tap into
Your staff rewards when targets are met
Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly sales targets
…and the list goes on. Think big! If you aim higher than the rest, the chance of your shopping cart being successful is also higher.
Setting up Your Store – general rules
- Business Contact information
The following information should be posted to the website in an easy to see location:
A corporate address
Product return address
An e-mail address
A contact number
Big detailed pictures pay off
Just like in a physical retail shop, your customers want to really know what they are buying and need to see it close up. Make sure you are uploading images larger than just the detailed product view. Upload at least 400 X 400 pixels and up to 700 X 700 pixels for every product image so your customer can get a clear detailed view of what they plan to buy from you, otherwise, they will simply click away.
Testimonials
Do testimonials work? Can testimonials be rigged and seem unauthentic? Sure. It seems like most testimonials are generic. If you include the first and last name as well as possibly an email address of the testimonial, you will earn trust and credibility.
- Graphics
While a flashy site with neat graphics may catch someone's eye, well written, descriptive, persuasive text is the ticket to sales conversions... it's the difference between the prospective buyer exiting your site and opening their pocketbook. Avoid any annoying music and long loading flash movies on your main pages.
- Only knowledgeable people to take phone calls
Consumers shopping online are no different than regular retail customers, they have questions about your product, your business and your delivery methods. It is important to greet any phone calls or emails with well trained staff who are knowledgeable about your company and products. The more your company can assist consumers, the better the conversion rates and repeat buying. Don't forget to cross sell and up-sell at this point!
- Return policies should be easy and fair
A good return policy can promote trust in the buyer and multiple orders. It is important to include return labels with the packaging and provide refunds when requested. Repeat business is your best business. Provide them with your best customer service and they will reward you for it by ordering from your shopping cart- not someone else's.
- Navigation
Make sure you maintain a simple navigation throughout your shopping cart. There should be no reason to steer customers more than two to three clicks deep within your site, the home page should always be only a click away. The clearer your site is presented, the more time customers can spend looking at all your products and info without getting frustrated. It is important that your build your shopping cart using a quality programmer and designer or well designed/built shopping cart software.
-Be sure of your postal methods
Ever not received an item you ordered online and paid for upfront, only to find out no-one knows where it is? Ever received an item in the post only to open and see it damaged? This is one of the most frustrating things about buying online. Make sure you back yourself up with tracking codes and trustworthy shipping companies.
Content Make It Count!
A method to inducing the first click is providing a strong call to action or incentive. By featuring discounts and free shipping offers, the offer may intrigue the user to commit another click.
Don't let them go
Once you have the prospective buyer "on the hook"… don't kill the sale with poorly written product descriptions. Nothing kills a sale quicker than a product that is as enthralling as reading the ingredients of a bag of frozen peas. You have invested the time and effort to build your shopping cart; don't miss out on sales due to poorly worded product descriptions.
Being personable is also important. Instead of having the most exciting part of a television product description be it's "titanium silver color"… talk about how the consumer's home will be the place to come and watch the big game (on a screen so big you can see the sweat coming out of the players' pores). Speak about how the "picture in picture" capability means there will be no more flipping back and forth- saving the fingers precious energy for snatching up potato chips.
Do all you can to involve the person's emotions and senses into the product description. Sure, the technical stuff should be included, but put it at the bottom of the description.
Setting of Your Payment Processors
Paypal is not open to all international customer(it is the major disadvantage of papal). you have three account possibility with paypal: Personal, Premier and Business. Premier account is preferable; you will be able to receive any type of payments, credits cards...) If you decide to open an account with them, you will be able to receive payments within minutes.
A second option is Stormpay. It is a good payment processor( there is actually some different with autosurf sites, but customers who are not involved in theses programs don' t have any restrictions in using their accounts. It is a good alternative to paypal, because they do not have any restrictions concerning the country of application for the account. It is available worldwide. The fonctionement of Stormpay is similar to paypal, and for the beginner, the newbie, he can start after going through the tutorial.
Now, the paid payment processors. 2 payment processors must retain your attention when you start:ClickBank and 2checkout. Before opening your account with click bank, you will have to submit a product approval request. You will be able after your acceptation, to accept payment by credit card, paypal balance, e checks. Also, you will have the benefit of being listed in the ClickBank marketplace, that will allow you to run your own affiliate program. Note that I recommend that you host your own affiliate Programs. You will have to pay $49.95 to open your account.
The second payment processor is 2checkout. I highly recommend that you register with 2checkout as your payment processor. It is a fast and reliable payment processor. You just have to pay a one time payment fee of $49.95(no monthly fees). And you will be able to receive all kind of payment for your online business. You will then accept payment by credit cards, debit and checks, from any part of the world.
You will be able also to set an automatic rebilling of your customer' s monthly fee, with 2checkout, paypal and stormpay.
You must know that if you don' t provide to your customers a way to pay you from any part of the world, that will result for you in a lost of sales, and residual customers over time. The best payment processor available right now is 2checkout, because it enable you to receive all kind of payment available worldwide.
A second option is Stormpay. It is a good payment processor( there is actually some different with autosurf sites, but customers who are not involved in theses programs don' t have any restrictions in using their accounts. It is a good alternative to paypal, because they do not have any restrictions concerning the country of application for the account. It is available worldwide. The fonctionement of Stormpay is similar to paypal, and for the beginner, the newbie, he can start after going through the tutorial.
Now, the paid payment processors. 2 payment processors must retain your attention when you start:ClickBank and 2checkout. Before opening your account with click bank, you will have to submit a product approval request. You will be able after your acceptation, to accept payment by credit card, paypal balance, e checks. Also, you will have the benefit of being listed in the ClickBank marketplace, that will allow you to run your own affiliate program. Note that I recommend that you host your own affiliate Programs. You will have to pay $49.95 to open your account.
The second payment processor is 2checkout. I highly recommend that you register with 2checkout as your payment processor. It is a fast and reliable payment processor. You just have to pay a one time payment fee of $49.95(no monthly fees). And you will be able to receive all kind of payment for your online business. You will then accept payment by credit cards, debit and checks, from any part of the world.
You will be able also to set an automatic rebilling of your customer' s monthly fee, with 2checkout, paypal and stormpay.
You must know that if you don' t provide to your customers a way to pay you from any part of the world, that will result for you in a lost of sales, and residual customers over time. The best payment processor available right now is 2checkout, because it enable you to receive all kind of payment available worldwide.
The Advantages Of Using A Merchant Account
In today’s fast pace of technological advancement, more and more people are engaging into online business. They have seen the fast proliferation of the information technology.
With this, the industry is trying to cope up with the growing needs of the market by creating various techniques, strategies, and devices that will best suit the necessities of the consumers as well as the online businesses.
Moreover, with the proliferation of the credit card industry, more and more people are enticed to do “cashless shopping,” where convenience is the name of the game.
In fact, some statistical reports can attest that in the U.S. alone, nearly 500 million credit cards are being issued every year. From this point, consumers are enticed to use their credit cards, which accounts to almost 50% of all the expenses, which is more than $50, of the average consumer.
That is why certain marketing tools such as the merchant account were created in order to compensate the growing demands of the market. This can be very useful especially because almost 60% of the products and services available in the market are being sold online.
The Concept of Merchant Account
Merchant accounts are actually “bank accounts” created by a particular online business with a merchant bank, which provides necessary consent to accept credit card payments via online transactions.
The “merchant account provider” will be the one to make the necessary transfer of funds into the business’ bank account as soon as there are payments made by the consumer.
In line with this, many online businesses are wondering whether it is really necessary for them to get a merchant account. Hence, for those who wish to know the answer, here is a list of what merchant account can do for the business:
1. A good way to start online business
One of the greatest benefits of using merchant account for online business is that it can provide instant ease in online transactions especially for those who are just starting new.
2. Safe transactions
The merchant account provider will provide the necessary tools that will safeguard the financial matters of the online business. This refers to the management of fraudulent activities over the Internet such as scams, identity theft, etc. They will also provide the business with advanced “customer service” such as automated payments, security, and handling orders.
3. Flexibility
With a merchant account, the online business can customize the needs of the company by choosing the credit cards that will only be allowed in their online transactions.
Moreover, they can also select the proper kinds of credit cards that are appropriate in the kind of business that they have.
4. Convenience
Merchant account is the most economical and feasible way of accepting credit card payments online. The process is quick to establish, hence, both the business and the consumer will not have a hard time accessing the benefits through this online transaction.
5. No super add-ons
The best thing about getting a merchant account is that the businessperson will simply get what he or she needs. This means that when the business will apply for a merchant account, there will be no extra requirements needed.
Unlike applying for credit cards, most merchant account providers will not evaluate your credit history. That is why merchant accounts are also applicable even to the new online businesses.
Indeed, merchant account can provide online businesses a thousand and one ways as far as online transactions are concerned. Sales will be on its optimum peak because most of the consumers nowadays are purchasing items online, and without a merchant account, the business will be at a lost.
With this, the industry is trying to cope up with the growing needs of the market by creating various techniques, strategies, and devices that will best suit the necessities of the consumers as well as the online businesses.
Moreover, with the proliferation of the credit card industry, more and more people are enticed to do “cashless shopping,” where convenience is the name of the game.
In fact, some statistical reports can attest that in the U.S. alone, nearly 500 million credit cards are being issued every year. From this point, consumers are enticed to use their credit cards, which accounts to almost 50% of all the expenses, which is more than $50, of the average consumer.
That is why certain marketing tools such as the merchant account were created in order to compensate the growing demands of the market. This can be very useful especially because almost 60% of the products and services available in the market are being sold online.
The Concept of Merchant Account
Merchant accounts are actually “bank accounts” created by a particular online business with a merchant bank, which provides necessary consent to accept credit card payments via online transactions.
The “merchant account provider” will be the one to make the necessary transfer of funds into the business’ bank account as soon as there are payments made by the consumer.
In line with this, many online businesses are wondering whether it is really necessary for them to get a merchant account. Hence, for those who wish to know the answer, here is a list of what merchant account can do for the business:
1. A good way to start online business
One of the greatest benefits of using merchant account for online business is that it can provide instant ease in online transactions especially for those who are just starting new.
2. Safe transactions
The merchant account provider will provide the necessary tools that will safeguard the financial matters of the online business. This refers to the management of fraudulent activities over the Internet such as scams, identity theft, etc. They will also provide the business with advanced “customer service” such as automated payments, security, and handling orders.
3. Flexibility
With a merchant account, the online business can customize the needs of the company by choosing the credit cards that will only be allowed in their online transactions.
Moreover, they can also select the proper kinds of credit cards that are appropriate in the kind of business that they have.
4. Convenience
Merchant account is the most economical and feasible way of accepting credit card payments online. The process is quick to establish, hence, both the business and the consumer will not have a hard time accessing the benefits through this online transaction.
5. No super add-ons
The best thing about getting a merchant account is that the businessperson will simply get what he or she needs. This means that when the business will apply for a merchant account, there will be no extra requirements needed.
Unlike applying for credit cards, most merchant account providers will not evaluate your credit history. That is why merchant accounts are also applicable even to the new online businesses.
Indeed, merchant account can provide online businesses a thousand and one ways as far as online transactions are concerned. Sales will be on its optimum peak because most of the consumers nowadays are purchasing items online, and without a merchant account, the business will be at a lost.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
6 Tips For Choosing The Perfect Shopping Cart
OK - Just What Is A Shopping Cart Supposed to Do?
Shopping carts are more commonly used as a way to display physical products, products like televisions, groceries, electronic equipment, clothes, and memorabilia, etc, NOT digital products. Shopping carts make it easy to cross-sell and up-sell your customers once they arrive at your store. Shopping carts typically handle the shipping and handling calculation, taxes and credit card processing. A good shopping cart handles all of these efficiently and securely.
Dynamic Operation
A good shopping cart program also creates dynamic order forms on the fly as the order takes place. The shopping cart should be totally dynamic; meaning it only executes code and retrieves products, images, and product descriptions from your database when your customers request it. During the checkout process it should also calculate shipping/handling and taxes for you.
Real-Time Credit Card Processing
Powerful CGI, PHP, CFM, ASP, etc, scripting, processes commands for you on secure servers when your customers place their orders. Don't get this confused with credit card processing. What I'm speaking of here is the passing of your customers' order information from a secure form, to your merchant or payment processor, using one of the scripting languages above. Your payment processor or merchant, like PayPal, 2CheckOut, or Authorize.Net will then process the credit card. If you don't currently have a merchant or payment processor, and you are going to be selling online, then you NEED one.
Usability
You can choose what options you want your customer to see. For instance, you can choose to display a search form on your shopping cart. A search form allows your customers to search your store for items by keyword or product name, etc. You can choose to display options like color, size and quantity, and even adjust the price based on the customer's selection. These are called options. Your shopping cart should also allow you to upload images of your products as well.
Stand-Alone -vs- Hosted Shopping Carts
However, you CAN purchase standalone shopping cart software or services. The stand alone software, of course, requires skill and expertise to install it on your web host or on your own server. Some of the shopping cart services, although it may not seem like it at first, limit you as to what you can and cannot do. These services are most commonly offered by web hosts as a way to entice you to host your site with them. When using these types of services, remember, you're locked into using that web host when you opt to use their shopping cart service. Your business is not portable and becomes a part of that web host. Make sure there is a simple export process that allows you to easily download your website and shopping cart if you no longer wish to use their services. In my opinion, the best option is to use a shopping cart that runs from your own website, independent of your web host. Both Prowebware and stand-alone shopping cart applications run from YOUR website, giving you both control and flexibility.
So, Which Is The Right System For You?
Choosing a shopping cart boils down to 4 things:
1 Your Budget - Is FREE your only option or are you serious about your business?
2 Your Skill-level - Do you have the expertise to edit & install scripts on your server?
3 Desired Functionality - Want a professional results oriented system or a display case?
4 Time - Have time to take away from your business to shape and mold a new program?
Whatever you decide, your cart should also permit you to follow-up with your customers automatically and even instantly auto-subscribe them to your mailing list.
To implement most out-of-the-box applications, you will need to know how to edit PHP, HTML, or ASP code and how to set up a MySQL database on your server for dynamic operation. Then, with some, all you need to know is how to copy/paste some simple code to your existing web pages or the template you're using. The system should also include some type of easy help or instructions, like an HTML file or contextual help menus that walk you through setting up your new cart.
Shopping carts are more commonly used as a way to display physical products, products like televisions, groceries, electronic equipment, clothes, and memorabilia, etc, NOT digital products. Shopping carts make it easy to cross-sell and up-sell your customers once they arrive at your store. Shopping carts typically handle the shipping and handling calculation, taxes and credit card processing. A good shopping cart handles all of these efficiently and securely.
Dynamic Operation
A good shopping cart program also creates dynamic order forms on the fly as the order takes place. The shopping cart should be totally dynamic; meaning it only executes code and retrieves products, images, and product descriptions from your database when your customers request it. During the checkout process it should also calculate shipping/handling and taxes for you.
Real-Time Credit Card Processing
Powerful CGI, PHP, CFM, ASP, etc, scripting, processes commands for you on secure servers when your customers place their orders. Don't get this confused with credit card processing. What I'm speaking of here is the passing of your customers' order information from a secure form, to your merchant or payment processor, using one of the scripting languages above. Your payment processor or merchant, like PayPal, 2CheckOut, or Authorize.Net will then process the credit card. If you don't currently have a merchant or payment processor, and you are going to be selling online, then you NEED one.
Usability
You can choose what options you want your customer to see. For instance, you can choose to display a search form on your shopping cart. A search form allows your customers to search your store for items by keyword or product name, etc. You can choose to display options like color, size and quantity, and even adjust the price based on the customer's selection. These are called options. Your shopping cart should also allow you to upload images of your products as well.
Stand-Alone -vs- Hosted Shopping Carts
However, you CAN purchase standalone shopping cart software or services. The stand alone software, of course, requires skill and expertise to install it on your web host or on your own server. Some of the shopping cart services, although it may not seem like it at first, limit you as to what you can and cannot do. These services are most commonly offered by web hosts as a way to entice you to host your site with them. When using these types of services, remember, you're locked into using that web host when you opt to use their shopping cart service. Your business is not portable and becomes a part of that web host. Make sure there is a simple export process that allows you to easily download your website and shopping cart if you no longer wish to use their services. In my opinion, the best option is to use a shopping cart that runs from your own website, independent of your web host. Both Prowebware and stand-alone shopping cart applications run from YOUR website, giving you both control and flexibility.
So, Which Is The Right System For You?
Choosing a shopping cart boils down to 4 things:
1 Your Budget - Is FREE your only option or are you serious about your business?
2 Your Skill-level - Do you have the expertise to edit & install scripts on your server?
3 Desired Functionality - Want a professional results oriented system or a display case?
4 Time - Have time to take away from your business to shape and mold a new program?
Whatever you decide, your cart should also permit you to follow-up with your customers automatically and even instantly auto-subscribe them to your mailing list.
To implement most out-of-the-box applications, you will need to know how to edit PHP, HTML, or ASP code and how to set up a MySQL database on your server for dynamic operation. Then, with some, all you need to know is how to copy/paste some simple code to your existing web pages or the template you're using. The system should also include some type of easy help or instructions, like an HTML file or contextual help menus that walk you through setting up your new cart.
E-Commerce Hosting - Factors to Consider
So you have decided to take the plunge and take your business on the web. This most likely means you will need a reliable hosting service to host your e-Commerce website. What are the key factors that you should consider when considering various web hosting companies?
When considering a web hosting service you should consider at least three factors, how reliable the service actually is, how knowledgeable and prompt are their support staff and what is the actual cost of using this service. Let's break down each factor and really consider this situation in depth.
The reliability of the web hosting service is perhaps the most important to your business as a unreliable service can seriously hamper the reputation of your business. So how do you determine if a host is actually reliable? The first and perhaps the easiest way is to join a public newsgroup of web developers and simply ask them who they use to host their websites.
For instance if you should want to use a ASP/ASP.Net hosting service I would go to asp.net and simply ask who is the most reliable hosting service. Also, searching through these newsgroups will reveal quite a lot of information regarding how knowledgably and helpful the support staff is as well. Simply stay away from hosting providers that have a poor reputation as those service companies most likely are only concerned with separating your money from your wallet and not actually helping you grow your business.
How do you determine which service has the most knowledgeable and helpful staff? This one is again fairly easy to determine. If the staff of the company takes the time to answer questions on public newsgroups and is willing to share their time and knowledge to help out others then this is the company you should utilize. For instance I have noticed that on some public newsgroups or forums many of the questions being answered are from various web hosting services. This not only reinforces their reputation of being really knowledgeable and helpful but it allows the company to get some "free advertising" as well.
Lastly is the cost factor to consider. There are many low cost web hosting providers out there. All you have to do is a search on Google and you will obtain potentially millions of hits on that key term. However, even low cost web hosting services can turn out to be expensive when you consider the various add-ons that you may have to attach to your website to make it truly useful to you. So therefore when considering a web hosting service write down your exact requirements you need to make your website run. Also consider the amount of growth that you anticipate when using this website.
A website that may work for you now may not work for you in the near future if your business should really take off and you have not factored that consideration into account. Also take into account any cost of upgrading your service should you outgrow it or you need to move to a high end hosting solution.
When considering a e-Commerce hosting service or any web hosting service these are the key factors to consider before making any purchase. While certainly not an exhaustive listing of everything you need to consider this should get you on the right path to narrow your choices down to at least three or four services.
When considering a web hosting service you should consider at least three factors, how reliable the service actually is, how knowledgeable and prompt are their support staff and what is the actual cost of using this service. Let's break down each factor and really consider this situation in depth.
The reliability of the web hosting service is perhaps the most important to your business as a unreliable service can seriously hamper the reputation of your business. So how do you determine if a host is actually reliable? The first and perhaps the easiest way is to join a public newsgroup of web developers and simply ask them who they use to host their websites.
For instance if you should want to use a ASP/ASP.Net hosting service I would go to asp.net and simply ask who is the most reliable hosting service. Also, searching through these newsgroups will reveal quite a lot of information regarding how knowledgably and helpful the support staff is as well. Simply stay away from hosting providers that have a poor reputation as those service companies most likely are only concerned with separating your money from your wallet and not actually helping you grow your business.
How do you determine which service has the most knowledgeable and helpful staff? This one is again fairly easy to determine. If the staff of the company takes the time to answer questions on public newsgroups and is willing to share their time and knowledge to help out others then this is the company you should utilize. For instance I have noticed that on some public newsgroups or forums many of the questions being answered are from various web hosting services. This not only reinforces their reputation of being really knowledgeable and helpful but it allows the company to get some "free advertising" as well.
Lastly is the cost factor to consider. There are many low cost web hosting providers out there. All you have to do is a search on Google and you will obtain potentially millions of hits on that key term. However, even low cost web hosting services can turn out to be expensive when you consider the various add-ons that you may have to attach to your website to make it truly useful to you. So therefore when considering a web hosting service write down your exact requirements you need to make your website run. Also consider the amount of growth that you anticipate when using this website.
A website that may work for you now may not work for you in the near future if your business should really take off and you have not factored that consideration into account. Also take into account any cost of upgrading your service should you outgrow it or you need to move to a high end hosting solution.
When considering a e-Commerce hosting service or any web hosting service these are the key factors to consider before making any purchase. While certainly not an exhaustive listing of everything you need to consider this should get you on the right path to narrow your choices down to at least three or four services.
Beginner's Guide for Setting Up a Successful Online Store
Selling products online is by no means a simple task. To sell products online not only requires making use of high end marketing strategies but also involves lots of planning. This article is meant for those of you who intent to start an online store. It is intended to give you a fair idea of what you would need to do and what you need to avoid while planning an online selling business.
The following are the various steps that you would need to take in order to open a successful online store.
1.) Designing a website that sells.
The first important aspect of online selling is to have a professional looking web site that is designed to sell. You can chose to create the web site using web designers or simply chose readymade website templates. If you are purchasing web site templates, make sure the templates are professionally designed and have the option of shopping carts. Buying templates from providers who offer allied services like template customization, web hosting; SEO etc would be even better. Some template providers like ‘buytemplates.net’ offer allied services irrespective of where you actually purchased the template from. To get a idea of how your site should be designed you can take hints from successful online stores.
2.) Hosting your store online
There are many factors that you need to take into consideration before selecting your web host when it comes to online selling. Some of the major factors are discussed as follows.
a.) Secure servers
Firstly you got to make sure if your web host offers you with SSL encryption which is very important for secure money transactions online. Most web hosting companies would offer you with SSL secure server facilities along with a regular package whereas a few would charge you an extra amount for the service.
b.) Up time guarantees
Your business is only as good as it remains online. Make sure to go for web hosting service providers who promise you an uptime guarantee of 99 %. Also check to see as to how they back up their data and what kind of back up systems they have in place in case of emergencies.
c.) Private CGI-BIN
A CGI-BIN directory is a location on your web server where you can upload your binary scripts or interactive programs. This is very important for payment processing and shopping cart management. So be sure that the hosing company gives you a private CGI BIN directory.
d.) Web logs and web statistics
Web logs and statistics are vital for your online business. Studying the web logs can give you much needed information about your customers and your sales records. Understanding your customer behavior can help you retain customers and attract new customers.
e.) Customer support
Get information about the hosting company’s support policies and the type of support they offer. Chose web hosting companies that offer 24/7 customer support.
f.) References
Most web hosts promise you lots of goodies, but may not actually fulfill these promises. Make sure to test the web host’s credibility by asking them for references. The existing customers of the hosting company can give your first hand information on the service that you can expect to get.
In addition to this you should also look for services that offer you Mysql database and PHP scripting, unlimited emails and a minimum space of 10GB.
3.) Deciding on shopping carts
If you are selling more than a handful of products then having a shopping cart on your site is a good idea. You have three major options of getting yourself an online shopping cart. First one is buying a shopping cart software program, the second is using services of an ASP and the third is programming it yourself.
Your best option as a beginner would be to go for ASP services. These services are cheap and come with flexible options. As time passes and you online business develops, you can hire programmers to design yourself a customized shopping cart or buy shopping cart software programs that can be set up in your server. Some good ASP’s that offer shopping cart services are ‘SecureNetShop’ (SecureNetShop.com) and ‘GoEmerchant’ (GoEmerchant.com).
Shopping cart software programs are a costly option for beginners and can cost you anything between $ 150 - $ 800. Some good shopping cart software programs are ‘shopfactory 6’ (shopfactory.com) and ‘storefront’ (strorefront.net) One more option as already discussed above is making use of ecommerce website templates. These ecommerce templates have pre installed shopping cart systems and can help you set up a store in minutes. Some of these template providers also offer template customization services that would allow you to get your ordinary templates in selling modules.
4.) Deciding on how to accept payments
No matter what the speculation, credit cards are still the best way to accept payments. So make sure that your online business has facilities to accept credit cards. There was a time when you had to have a merchant account from a bank or financial institution to process credit card payments. But today there are enough options available that allow you to accept credit card payments even without a merchant account.
Paypal (paypal.com) is perhaps the best payment gateway and has no initial joining fees. Their service fees, per-transaction is very low and they allow you to accept payments from all over the world. In addition to Paypal some other good payment gateways are ‘2checkout’ (2checkout.com), ‘clickbank’ (clickbank.com) and ‘paysystems’ (paysystems.com).
Payment options other than credit cards
It is not certain that all your customers will have credit cards. As a matter of fact many of your customers don’t have credit cards, many don’t like to use credit cards, many have credit card phobias and the remaining may not wish to share their credit card information online. Under such a situation it would be best for you to provide alternate payment options.
The following are the various steps that you would need to take in order to open a successful online store.
1.) Designing a website that sells.
The first important aspect of online selling is to have a professional looking web site that is designed to sell. You can chose to create the web site using web designers or simply chose readymade website templates. If you are purchasing web site templates, make sure the templates are professionally designed and have the option of shopping carts. Buying templates from providers who offer allied services like template customization, web hosting; SEO etc would be even better. Some template providers like ‘buytemplates.net’ offer allied services irrespective of where you actually purchased the template from. To get a idea of how your site should be designed you can take hints from successful online stores.
2.) Hosting your store online
There are many factors that you need to take into consideration before selecting your web host when it comes to online selling. Some of the major factors are discussed as follows.
a.) Secure servers
Firstly you got to make sure if your web host offers you with SSL encryption which is very important for secure money transactions online. Most web hosting companies would offer you with SSL secure server facilities along with a regular package whereas a few would charge you an extra amount for the service.
b.) Up time guarantees
Your business is only as good as it remains online. Make sure to go for web hosting service providers who promise you an uptime guarantee of 99 %. Also check to see as to how they back up their data and what kind of back up systems they have in place in case of emergencies.
c.) Private CGI-BIN
A CGI-BIN directory is a location on your web server where you can upload your binary scripts or interactive programs. This is very important for payment processing and shopping cart management. So be sure that the hosing company gives you a private CGI BIN directory.
d.) Web logs and web statistics
Web logs and statistics are vital for your online business. Studying the web logs can give you much needed information about your customers and your sales records. Understanding your customer behavior can help you retain customers and attract new customers.
e.) Customer support
Get information about the hosting company’s support policies and the type of support they offer. Chose web hosting companies that offer 24/7 customer support.
f.) References
Most web hosts promise you lots of goodies, but may not actually fulfill these promises. Make sure to test the web host’s credibility by asking them for references. The existing customers of the hosting company can give your first hand information on the service that you can expect to get.
In addition to this you should also look for services that offer you Mysql database and PHP scripting, unlimited emails and a minimum space of 10GB.
3.) Deciding on shopping carts
If you are selling more than a handful of products then having a shopping cart on your site is a good idea. You have three major options of getting yourself an online shopping cart. First one is buying a shopping cart software program, the second is using services of an ASP and the third is programming it yourself.
Your best option as a beginner would be to go for ASP services. These services are cheap and come with flexible options. As time passes and you online business develops, you can hire programmers to design yourself a customized shopping cart or buy shopping cart software programs that can be set up in your server. Some good ASP’s that offer shopping cart services are ‘SecureNetShop’ (SecureNetShop.com) and ‘GoEmerchant’ (GoEmerchant.com).
Shopping cart software programs are a costly option for beginners and can cost you anything between $ 150 - $ 800. Some good shopping cart software programs are ‘shopfactory 6’ (shopfactory.com) and ‘storefront’ (strorefront.net) One more option as already discussed above is making use of ecommerce website templates. These ecommerce templates have pre installed shopping cart systems and can help you set up a store in minutes. Some of these template providers also offer template customization services that would allow you to get your ordinary templates in selling modules.
4.) Deciding on how to accept payments
No matter what the speculation, credit cards are still the best way to accept payments. So make sure that your online business has facilities to accept credit cards. There was a time when you had to have a merchant account from a bank or financial institution to process credit card payments. But today there are enough options available that allow you to accept credit card payments even without a merchant account.
Paypal (paypal.com) is perhaps the best payment gateway and has no initial joining fees. Their service fees, per-transaction is very low and they allow you to accept payments from all over the world. In addition to Paypal some other good payment gateways are ‘2checkout’ (2checkout.com), ‘clickbank’ (clickbank.com) and ‘paysystems’ (paysystems.com).
Payment options other than credit cards
It is not certain that all your customers will have credit cards. As a matter of fact many of your customers don’t have credit cards, many don’t like to use credit cards, many have credit card phobias and the remaining may not wish to share their credit card information online. Under such a situation it would be best for you to provide alternate payment options.
Online Shopping Through A Million Pixel Home Page - Will It Work?
Online Shopping is growing in higher numbers every year with new Online Shopping venues becoming available. The Million Pixel Home Page Online Shopping Mall may be the newest but will it work?
With the emergence of the Million-Pixel Advertising Home Page becoming a real option for Internet marketing. The ever quickly evolving platform is starting become more targeted for particular categories and themes. The Million Pixel Home Page as an Online Shopping mall for anything under the sun has really become a topic of discussion for both believers and skeptics.
The Million Pixel Advertising Online Shopping mall is a billboard of micro ads for website owners looking to create a new way of gaining exposure. The Million Pixel Online Shopping Home Page is thought as new platform to eliminate the days of page by page clicking seen by directories of the same theme. Skeptics have concerns of online surfers not adapting to this new concept and thought to be just a passing fad that won’t translate to online shopping.
Believers of the Million Pixel Advertising Home Page say creativity with ads in the Online Shopping platform may prove to be the biggest piece of importance for success. Grabbing the attention of visitors with smart and original micro ads are believed to be more affective than ordinary text ads.
Even as the Online Shopping advertising home page continues to show impressive numbers, opponents to the Million-Pixel sites doubt it will last. Visitors are coming and high traffic amounts are converting with the new changes and marketing plans. It is thought that once the buzz fades over time so will the traffic but at the current time The Online Shopping Pixel sites are holding there own.
So will the Pixel Online Shopping Mall work?
This new concept of The Million Pixel Home Page may very well change the way Internet Online Shopping and website promotion is done and The Million Pixel Home and Online Shopping may prove to be the perfect match but only time will tell.
With the emergence of the Million-Pixel Advertising Home Page becoming a real option for Internet marketing. The ever quickly evolving platform is starting become more targeted for particular categories and themes. The Million Pixel Home Page as an Online Shopping mall for anything under the sun has really become a topic of discussion for both believers and skeptics.
The Million Pixel Advertising Online Shopping mall is a billboard of micro ads for website owners looking to create a new way of gaining exposure. The Million Pixel Online Shopping Home Page is thought as new platform to eliminate the days of page by page clicking seen by directories of the same theme. Skeptics have concerns of online surfers not adapting to this new concept and thought to be just a passing fad that won’t translate to online shopping.
Believers of the Million Pixel Advertising Home Page say creativity with ads in the Online Shopping platform may prove to be the biggest piece of importance for success. Grabbing the attention of visitors with smart and original micro ads are believed to be more affective than ordinary text ads.
Even as the Online Shopping advertising home page continues to show impressive numbers, opponents to the Million-Pixel sites doubt it will last. Visitors are coming and high traffic amounts are converting with the new changes and marketing plans. It is thought that once the buzz fades over time so will the traffic but at the current time The Online Shopping Pixel sites are holding there own.
So will the Pixel Online Shopping Mall work?
This new concept of The Million Pixel Home Page may very well change the way Internet Online Shopping and website promotion is done and The Million Pixel Home and Online Shopping may prove to be the perfect match but only time will tell.
Priorities for ECommerce
The imprtance of providing what a customer wants can never be underesimated when it comes to online buying and selling. Once a website has been created, it fits into two basic categories. Those are information and ecommerce sites. Both types of website have a great deal in common, one of which is to gain the maximum amount of viewers who have an interest in the information or products provided.
However, there are numerous ways in which the website owner can attract visitors, and these have to be prioritised so as to provide the maximum benefit to the end user. Firstly, the site needs to be attractive to the viewer, with a balanced blend of colour, and an appealing layout. Each section of the website should be easy to navigate from one area to another, and absolute clarity throughout the pages regarding what is being portrayed.
Having designed the site in an appealing way, the next issue is the content. Many websites fail to provide either adequate content or indeed content of the right type. Many thousands of new websites are added to the internet each month, and so the choice for internet users is enormous. It is therefore more important each day that passes, that a website offers a distinct presentation and content.
The number one priority for any ecommerce website, is the customer. If the customer is innovated by what he or she sees, and feels that the site either is, or can be, of use to them, then success can be measured by return visits aswell as time spent on the site using the information available, and making purchases. It is extremely important to provide what a customer is searching for. Otherwise, the opportunity is lost, as the next website is only a click away!
An ecommerce website can be considered as a shopfront, except that there are two major differences. One is that the shopper does not have to walk out into the cold to look at another shop, and the other is that the products cannot be physically touched. Because of this, it is most important to present the product in the most beneficial way possible, leaving no room for ambiguity regarding what the product is, how much it costs, and how they can obtain it as quickly as possible.
Providing a clear set of terms and conditions, privacy policy, returns policy where applicable, together with information on the Company presenting the website, will add to the overall positive impression that people will have.
The viewing public quite likely have not taken into account just how much time is spent creating a website, promoting it, ensuring it is running efficiently, aswell as customer services, accounts, staff and all of the other things that running a business entails. Neither should they be concerned with these issues, as their time is spent perusing the internet, searching for what is of interest to them. Making a customer feel relaxed, and enjoy the experience of browsing your website, is the ultimate reward.
It is always best to be clear and concise, provide good content, and an easily navigable website. However, if the site can provide goods or services that are of use, are appealing, and are value for money, then these together with a well thought out presentation, will ensure eventual success, as in any commercial business.
However, there are numerous ways in which the website owner can attract visitors, and these have to be prioritised so as to provide the maximum benefit to the end user. Firstly, the site needs to be attractive to the viewer, with a balanced blend of colour, and an appealing layout. Each section of the website should be easy to navigate from one area to another, and absolute clarity throughout the pages regarding what is being portrayed.
Having designed the site in an appealing way, the next issue is the content. Many websites fail to provide either adequate content or indeed content of the right type. Many thousands of new websites are added to the internet each month, and so the choice for internet users is enormous. It is therefore more important each day that passes, that a website offers a distinct presentation and content.
The number one priority for any ecommerce website, is the customer. If the customer is innovated by what he or she sees, and feels that the site either is, or can be, of use to them, then success can be measured by return visits aswell as time spent on the site using the information available, and making purchases. It is extremely important to provide what a customer is searching for. Otherwise, the opportunity is lost, as the next website is only a click away!
An ecommerce website can be considered as a shopfront, except that there are two major differences. One is that the shopper does not have to walk out into the cold to look at another shop, and the other is that the products cannot be physically touched. Because of this, it is most important to present the product in the most beneficial way possible, leaving no room for ambiguity regarding what the product is, how much it costs, and how they can obtain it as quickly as possible.
Providing a clear set of terms and conditions, privacy policy, returns policy where applicable, together with information on the Company presenting the website, will add to the overall positive impression that people will have.
The viewing public quite likely have not taken into account just how much time is spent creating a website, promoting it, ensuring it is running efficiently, aswell as customer services, accounts, staff and all of the other things that running a business entails. Neither should they be concerned with these issues, as their time is spent perusing the internet, searching for what is of interest to them. Making a customer feel relaxed, and enjoy the experience of browsing your website, is the ultimate reward.
It is always best to be clear and concise, provide good content, and an easily navigable website. However, if the site can provide goods or services that are of use, are appealing, and are value for money, then these together with a well thought out presentation, will ensure eventual success, as in any commercial business.
Tips for Building Your First Online Shopping Cart
Starting your first online store?
Starting an online store can be extremely daunting for someone new to the world of online businesses, but, for a good reason. There are so many aspects which create success for a shopping cart in a world of powerful search engines, directories, affiliates and word of mouth, the chance of making it big can rely purely on a big budget or a brand new idea.
If you’re thinking of building your online extension of a current business or even starting a purely online business then hopefully the following will outline some of the most important aspects of getting started.
Market research Ask yourself, is there any point in setting up any kind of online business at all, if there is no demand or so much competition you will be lost in the crowd?
There have been a few exceptions in the past where small businesses are so well structured and marketed that they grow quickly and succeed, however this can be very difficult without the right support.
So how are you going to set yourself apart? What will be your image? And what are your goals?
These are questions you need to think about when you are researching. Find out if there is truly an opportunity for your company to succeed. The worst thing you can do is simply jump in and hope for the best, did the most successful companies in the world do that?
Setting Targets and Goals Figuring out where you will be in 5... 10... 15... 20 years from now plays an integral part in the way your shopping cart is structured, managed and performs now. Target and goal setting makes an incredible difference to the level of success or success at all a company can enjoy.
Start thinking about the steps your online store will make at each stage of it's life.
When it starts to grow needing new staff
When it needs financial assistance
When changes to tax structure is important
What new markets you wish to tap into
Your staff rewards when targets are met
Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly sales targets
…and the list goes on. Think big! If you aim higher than the rest, the chance of your shopping cart being successful is also higher.
Setting up Your Store – general rules
- Business Contact information
The following information should be posted to the website in an easy to see location:
A corporate address
Product return address
An e-mail address
A contact number
Big detailed pictures pay off
Just like in a physical retail shop, your customers want to really know what they are buying and need to see it close up. Make sure you are uploading images larger than just the detailed product view. Upload at least 400 X 400 pixels and up to 700 X 700 pixels for every product image so your customer can get a clear detailed view of what they plan to buy from you, otherwise, they will simply click away.
Testimonials
Do testimonials work? Can testimonials be rigged and seem unauthentic? Sure. It seems like most testimonials are generic. If you include the first and last name as well as possibly an email address of the testimonial, you will earn trust and credibility.
- Graphics
While a flashy site with neat graphics may catch someone's eye, well written, descriptive, persuasive text is the ticket to sales conversions... it's the difference between the prospective buyer exiting your site and opening their pocketbook. Avoid any annoying music and long loading flash movies on your main pages.
- Only knowledgeable people to take phone calls
Consumers shopping online are no different than regular retail customers, they have questions about your product, your business and your delivery methods. It is important to greet any phone calls or emails with well trained staff who are knowledgeable about your company and products. The more your company can assist consumers, the better the conversion rates and repeat buying. Don't forget to cross sell and up-sell at this point!
- Return policies should be easy and fair
A good return policy can promote trust in the buyer and multiple orders. It is important to include return labels with the packaging and provide refunds when requested. Repeat business is your best business. Provide them with your best customer service and they will reward you for it by ordering from your shopping cart- not someone else's.
- Navigation
Make sure you maintain a simple navigation throughout your shopping cart. There should be no reason to steer customers more than two to three clicks deep within your site, the home page should always be only a click away. The clearer your site is presented, the more time customers can spend looking at all your products and info without getting frustrated. It is important that your build your shopping cart using a quality programmer and designer or well designed/built shopping cart software.
Starting an online store can be extremely daunting for someone new to the world of online businesses, but, for a good reason. There are so many aspects which create success for a shopping cart in a world of powerful search engines, directories, affiliates and word of mouth, the chance of making it big can rely purely on a big budget or a brand new idea.
If you’re thinking of building your online extension of a current business or even starting a purely online business then hopefully the following will outline some of the most important aspects of getting started.
Market research Ask yourself, is there any point in setting up any kind of online business at all, if there is no demand or so much competition you will be lost in the crowd?
There have been a few exceptions in the past where small businesses are so well structured and marketed that they grow quickly and succeed, however this can be very difficult without the right support.
So how are you going to set yourself apart? What will be your image? And what are your goals?
These are questions you need to think about when you are researching. Find out if there is truly an opportunity for your company to succeed. The worst thing you can do is simply jump in and hope for the best, did the most successful companies in the world do that?
Setting Targets and Goals Figuring out where you will be in 5... 10... 15... 20 years from now plays an integral part in the way your shopping cart is structured, managed and performs now. Target and goal setting makes an incredible difference to the level of success or success at all a company can enjoy.
Start thinking about the steps your online store will make at each stage of it's life.
When it starts to grow needing new staff
When it needs financial assistance
When changes to tax structure is important
What new markets you wish to tap into
Your staff rewards when targets are met
Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly sales targets
…and the list goes on. Think big! If you aim higher than the rest, the chance of your shopping cart being successful is also higher.
Setting up Your Store – general rules
- Business Contact information
The following information should be posted to the website in an easy to see location:
A corporate address
Product return address
An e-mail address
A contact number
Big detailed pictures pay off
Just like in a physical retail shop, your customers want to really know what they are buying and need to see it close up. Make sure you are uploading images larger than just the detailed product view. Upload at least 400 X 400 pixels and up to 700 X 700 pixels for every product image so your customer can get a clear detailed view of what they plan to buy from you, otherwise, they will simply click away.
Testimonials
Do testimonials work? Can testimonials be rigged and seem unauthentic? Sure. It seems like most testimonials are generic. If you include the first and last name as well as possibly an email address of the testimonial, you will earn trust and credibility.
- Graphics
While a flashy site with neat graphics may catch someone's eye, well written, descriptive, persuasive text is the ticket to sales conversions... it's the difference between the prospective buyer exiting your site and opening their pocketbook. Avoid any annoying music and long loading flash movies on your main pages.
- Only knowledgeable people to take phone calls
Consumers shopping online are no different than regular retail customers, they have questions about your product, your business and your delivery methods. It is important to greet any phone calls or emails with well trained staff who are knowledgeable about your company and products. The more your company can assist consumers, the better the conversion rates and repeat buying. Don't forget to cross sell and up-sell at this point!
- Return policies should be easy and fair
A good return policy can promote trust in the buyer and multiple orders. It is important to include return labels with the packaging and provide refunds when requested. Repeat business is your best business. Provide them with your best customer service and they will reward you for it by ordering from your shopping cart- not someone else's.
- Navigation
Make sure you maintain a simple navigation throughout your shopping cart. There should be no reason to steer customers more than two to three clicks deep within your site, the home page should always be only a click away. The clearer your site is presented, the more time customers can spend looking at all your products and info without getting frustrated. It is important that your build your shopping cart using a quality programmer and designer or well designed/built shopping cart software.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
The 10 Keys To E-Commerce Success
1. People tend to click more often when specifically told to do so.
CLICK HERE to download the secret to my success! No, really. Please... One day when talking to a friend of mine through removing some spyware from his computer, I asked how he thought he got it. "I don't know..." he quickly replied..."I guess I clicked on something that told me to click on it."... I do recall reading somewhere that 10% of us turn our brains off when we get online. If you want someone to buy something, don't just tell them to buy it, tell them exactly how to buy it.
2. Most people can't remember more than seven things at once
There is a reason US phone numbers are 7 digits long - 10 if you include the area code... Humans are pattern driven creatures. We like 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 4 weeks in a month, 12 months in a year... and so on. The more patterns we make as humans, the more our mind can relate different things. However, for the most of us, the patterns cannot be too complex. Don't confuse your customers. Give them details. Allow them to form the pattern in their mind. Then tell them to buy your product.
3. Research shows that web readers scan pages before they read anything, meaning they may leave your site if it doesn't grab their attention.
In the dial up days, I used to tell people they had 30 seconds to make an impression on a visitor. Now, it's a micro-fraction of that. The latest study indicated that a website had 3 seconds to deliver the content to the user, and that a user would make up their minds within 1 second. 1/2 second if that user was a female - seriously. It's what I call the "ummm". A site loads, a user says, "Ummm..." and that's followed by a "yes" or a "no". As soon as that scan is done with, the user knows if they feel comfortable on your site. If you use highlighting and bolding of keywords on your site - say about 7 of them per fold - and you tell the customer what to do within those 7 highlighted or bolded words... your site has more of a chance of converting a visitor into a customer.
4. Most buyers complete their purchase-related search engine research two or more weeks before they buy.
Two weeks. 14 days. 2 sets of 7 days. If your site doesn't make a lasting impression with the user - even visually - they won't be back. And if they don't come back, you don't make the sale.
Not too long ago, I was doing some reasearch on a particular subject. I had found a very good source, and shared it with a colleague of mine. About two weeks later, we were discussing the subject again. I hadn't book marked the page, and couldn't recall the name of the site. What I did recall was the pattern of the layout. I remembered the red and blue colors, with the yellow highlighted price. When I again found that pattern, I recalled more information about that website.
Had that site not grabbed my attention, and given me a few key items to remember, they would have lost a sale. Needless to say, they got my business.
5. People are more likely to read a headline that is followed by a blurb
This week I was driving by a steak house. I thought, "yeah.. I might like a steak tonight... but, there are some other restraunts on this road..." As I got closer to the steak house, the smell of that wood burning grill assaulted my senses... "Wow, I gotta have a steak, right now!" Was my next thought.... What changed my mind? The blurb after the headline. The restraunt itself wasn't enough to get the sale - but those guys aren't fools - they know how to get a customer in the door. The same holds true for any attention grabbing headline - without any more information, it's just a headline. Without that smell, a steak is just a piece of dead cow.
CLICK HERE to download the secret to my success! No, really. Please... One day when talking to a friend of mine through removing some spyware from his computer, I asked how he thought he got it. "I don't know..." he quickly replied..."I guess I clicked on something that told me to click on it."... I do recall reading somewhere that 10% of us turn our brains off when we get online. If you want someone to buy something, don't just tell them to buy it, tell them exactly how to buy it.
2. Most people can't remember more than seven things at once
There is a reason US phone numbers are 7 digits long - 10 if you include the area code... Humans are pattern driven creatures. We like 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 4 weeks in a month, 12 months in a year... and so on. The more patterns we make as humans, the more our mind can relate different things. However, for the most of us, the patterns cannot be too complex. Don't confuse your customers. Give them details. Allow them to form the pattern in their mind. Then tell them to buy your product.
3. Research shows that web readers scan pages before they read anything, meaning they may leave your site if it doesn't grab their attention.
In the dial up days, I used to tell people they had 30 seconds to make an impression on a visitor. Now, it's a micro-fraction of that. The latest study indicated that a website had 3 seconds to deliver the content to the user, and that a user would make up their minds within 1 second. 1/2 second if that user was a female - seriously. It's what I call the "ummm". A site loads, a user says, "Ummm..." and that's followed by a "yes" or a "no". As soon as that scan is done with, the user knows if they feel comfortable on your site. If you use highlighting and bolding of keywords on your site - say about 7 of them per fold - and you tell the customer what to do within those 7 highlighted or bolded words... your site has more of a chance of converting a visitor into a customer.
4. Most buyers complete their purchase-related search engine research two or more weeks before they buy.
Two weeks. 14 days. 2 sets of 7 days. If your site doesn't make a lasting impression with the user - even visually - they won't be back. And if they don't come back, you don't make the sale.
Not too long ago, I was doing some reasearch on a particular subject. I had found a very good source, and shared it with a colleague of mine. About two weeks later, we were discussing the subject again. I hadn't book marked the page, and couldn't recall the name of the site. What I did recall was the pattern of the layout. I remembered the red and blue colors, with the yellow highlighted price. When I again found that pattern, I recalled more information about that website.
Had that site not grabbed my attention, and given me a few key items to remember, they would have lost a sale. Needless to say, they got my business.
5. People are more likely to read a headline that is followed by a blurb
This week I was driving by a steak house. I thought, "yeah.. I might like a steak tonight... but, there are some other restraunts on this road..." As I got closer to the steak house, the smell of that wood burning grill assaulted my senses... "Wow, I gotta have a steak, right now!" Was my next thought.... What changed my mind? The blurb after the headline. The restraunt itself wasn't enough to get the sale - but those guys aren't fools - they know how to get a customer in the door. The same holds true for any attention grabbing headline - without any more information, it's just a headline. Without that smell, a steak is just a piece of dead cow.
E-Commerce - Perception Versus Reality
Electronic commerce over the Internet is predicted to grow at an ever-increasing rate over the next few years, with on-line sales already heading for several billion. Yet, instant gratification is still the current perception of e-commerce on the Internet to the world at large. A profusion of web-sites announce, "Three steps to build your website" - "Use our Shopping Cart Wizard and be selling on the Internet in a few minutes" - "Free templates" - "Free Hosting" - "Complete web-sites 'Only $199' - "Four million e-mail addresses only $24.95" - "Search engine submissions to 2,000 search engines only $19.95". So, the myth is perpetuated.
One would think the numerous Dot.com's that consumed millions of investment dollars to no avail on the flawed premise that "build it and they will come" would have blunted this perception but no. It persists. Supported by large commercial entities selling their version of Dot.com heaven in volume. The very latest in digital direct marketing. Display 'x' messages and 'y' viewers will buy. Good old-fashioned marketing math for deep pockets and an infrastructure plus investors that still support such an approach. And like digital lemmings other web-sites with smaller pockets blindly follow.
Particularly in the building of e-commerce web sites, automation reigns. Each competing player offering fewer and fewer steps to build and establish an e-commerce presence using readily available templates. Be on-line and selling within "Minutes or Hours" is the cry.
These automated efforts designed by programmers and technical gurus cheerfully suspend business reality. Corporate identities become blurred, merchandising fragmented, marketing messages distorted and expectations enhanced. In effect the perfect recipe for corporate disaster.
The reality of e-commerce on the Internet is that it mimics business in the real world. The Internet is a different sales medium with direct sales and retail characteristics, yet it still requires strategic business planning, budgeting, clearly defined expectations and a realistic return on investment.
A reality-based question must be asked. Would you expect to open a retail store overnight with little or no planning? Especially when the store came in only eight colours, five window display types, potentially insufficient shelf space and was located in a new sub-division, unknown, unfinished and unmapped. Mmm!.. No!
So! Why suspend reality when choosing to conduct business on the Internet? Perhaps many business managers not fully understanding the technicalities of the Internet allow technical consultants with little business background to guide them.
Why should an e-commerce website not be carefully integrated into any existing or future business with the same attention to detail that any other business operation would require?
It is absolutely necessary that reality be enforced if companies wish to be successful utilizing this new business medium. As more businesses understand that the Internet is an extension of their marketing strategy and an effective business solution to increase revenues, reduce certain costs and increase bottom line profitability, current perceptions will more closely match reality.
Remember! The technical considerations of conducting business on the Internet must support your business decisions not the reverse. Plan your business and then build your Internet operation to support that plan, budget and objective. Determine your consultant's business experience. Their perception could distort your reality. - John Shenton
One would think the numerous Dot.com's that consumed millions of investment dollars to no avail on the flawed premise that "build it and they will come" would have blunted this perception but no. It persists. Supported by large commercial entities selling their version of Dot.com heaven in volume. The very latest in digital direct marketing. Display 'x' messages and 'y' viewers will buy. Good old-fashioned marketing math for deep pockets and an infrastructure plus investors that still support such an approach. And like digital lemmings other web-sites with smaller pockets blindly follow.
Particularly in the building of e-commerce web sites, automation reigns. Each competing player offering fewer and fewer steps to build and establish an e-commerce presence using readily available templates. Be on-line and selling within "Minutes or Hours" is the cry.
These automated efforts designed by programmers and technical gurus cheerfully suspend business reality. Corporate identities become blurred, merchandising fragmented, marketing messages distorted and expectations enhanced. In effect the perfect recipe for corporate disaster.
The reality of e-commerce on the Internet is that it mimics business in the real world. The Internet is a different sales medium with direct sales and retail characteristics, yet it still requires strategic business planning, budgeting, clearly defined expectations and a realistic return on investment.
A reality-based question must be asked. Would you expect to open a retail store overnight with little or no planning? Especially when the store came in only eight colours, five window display types, potentially insufficient shelf space and was located in a new sub-division, unknown, unfinished and unmapped. Mmm!.. No!
So! Why suspend reality when choosing to conduct business on the Internet? Perhaps many business managers not fully understanding the technicalities of the Internet allow technical consultants with little business background to guide them.
Why should an e-commerce website not be carefully integrated into any existing or future business with the same attention to detail that any other business operation would require?
It is absolutely necessary that reality be enforced if companies wish to be successful utilizing this new business medium. As more businesses understand that the Internet is an extension of their marketing strategy and an effective business solution to increase revenues, reduce certain costs and increase bottom line profitability, current perceptions will more closely match reality.
Remember! The technical considerations of conducting business on the Internet must support your business decisions not the reverse. Plan your business and then build your Internet operation to support that plan, budget and objective. Determine your consultant's business experience. Their perception could distort your reality. - John Shenton
Make Money Online - The Perfect Method
There are a multitude of ways an individual or company can utilize the Internet for earning revenue. Many of which require developing your own web site, attracting traffic, processing payments and other tasks required for generating revenue. One method does not require any of these and just may be the perfect method for making money online.
The method I am referring to is trading foreign currency, also known as forex. Other acronyms include 4X and FX.
I don't want to be misunderstood. Trading forex is not easy if you are unfamiliar with it. There are many things to learn before you trade real money. How do foreign currency prices work, how to choose the right broker, how does the daily news affect prices, what do technical indicators (price charts) tell you about price movement, proper money management and other information must be learned.
The good news is that there is a wealth of information that can be found on the Internet regarding forex. You can learn the basics first, then advance to more difficult concepts simply by researching the Internet at your own pace.
After learning the information you need regarding forex, you will need to then begin developing a trading strategy. You can develop your own strategy based on what you learned, or you can use a strategy developed by another trader. But be very careful, there are many unscrupulous people trying to promote strategies that may simply not work. Once again, do your research before purchasing any trading strategies.
Once you have decided on a trading strategy, be sure you test and re-test the strategy before using real money. That's one of the many great benefits of trading forex is that you get to test your strategies with fake money (demo account) before committing any real money. Nearly all forex brokers offer a free demo account in exchange for your e-mail address that utilizes the same procedures as a real account.
Most people that think about making money online generally relate to having an online business where you sell products or services. The reason I chose to include trading forex in the 'make money online' category is because everything you need to learn can be found on the Internet, communication with forex brokers is done via the Internet, currency prices are served over the Internet, and trade execution is performed using your broker's software interface over your Internet connection.
Because there are no sales to make, no traffic to generate, and no payments to process makes trading forex, in my opinion, the perfect method to make money online.
The method I am referring to is trading foreign currency, also known as forex. Other acronyms include 4X and FX.
I don't want to be misunderstood. Trading forex is not easy if you are unfamiliar with it. There are many things to learn before you trade real money. How do foreign currency prices work, how to choose the right broker, how does the daily news affect prices, what do technical indicators (price charts) tell you about price movement, proper money management and other information must be learned.
The good news is that there is a wealth of information that can be found on the Internet regarding forex. You can learn the basics first, then advance to more difficult concepts simply by researching the Internet at your own pace.
After learning the information you need regarding forex, you will need to then begin developing a trading strategy. You can develop your own strategy based on what you learned, or you can use a strategy developed by another trader. But be very careful, there are many unscrupulous people trying to promote strategies that may simply not work. Once again, do your research before purchasing any trading strategies.
Once you have decided on a trading strategy, be sure you test and re-test the strategy before using real money. That's one of the many great benefits of trading forex is that you get to test your strategies with fake money (demo account) before committing any real money. Nearly all forex brokers offer a free demo account in exchange for your e-mail address that utilizes the same procedures as a real account.
Most people that think about making money online generally relate to having an online business where you sell products or services. The reason I chose to include trading forex in the 'make money online' category is because everything you need to learn can be found on the Internet, communication with forex brokers is done via the Internet, currency prices are served over the Internet, and trade execution is performed using your broker's software interface over your Internet connection.
Because there are no sales to make, no traffic to generate, and no payments to process makes trading forex, in my opinion, the perfect method to make money online.
OS Commerce - Helping Out the Little guys
eCommerce platforms are being commoditized. Enterprise level solutions are coming down in price and new open source solutions are being made available to anyone with an internet connection for free.
The most robust of these open source solutions is OS Commerce (OSC) – a community driven eCommerce solution that is flexible, scalable, and user friendly. As eCommerce becomes even more a part of mainstream retail, OSC will provide businesses of all shapes and sizes with the functionality and capabilities of the big boys. This brief examines some of the advantages of OS Commerce and provides insights into how it can help your business.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.Now that sounds complicated, but really anyone can do it with some concentrated effort. Much of the documentation online regarding OS is very thorough and provides step by step plans on how to get your store up and running. Any newbie to this type of work will likely come across some roadblocks, but the OS Commerce community forums are only a click away to start trouble shooting.
The solution is community driven, meaning that like minded OSCers are ready to help out their peers with answers to posted questions. Yes, at times this can be extremely frustrating waiting for an answer, but it is very rewarding to overcome a technology bug on your own.
Contribute to the Cause
The best part of OSC is the number of contributions that can be added to your site at any time. Again, there is no cost for these enhancements and upgrades – just the need to be patient in your installations. In most cases, contributions are located on the OS commerce community section and are downloadable via zip files. After opening the file, read the “read me” file which will walk you through the file additions, subtractions, and code changes needed to make your enhancement work properly. If you explore the OS platform be sure to upgrade with the following contributions.
Ultimate SEO URL’s by Chemo
This cool contribution allows the site owner to create static URL’s out of a database driven site. This will dramatically help in search saturation as more pages are able to be indexed. Its no secret that search spiders like traditional urls better than ones that are dynamic and this contribution helps achieve that.
The most robust of these open source solutions is OS Commerce (OSC) – a community driven eCommerce solution that is flexible, scalable, and user friendly. As eCommerce becomes even more a part of mainstream retail, OSC will provide businesses of all shapes and sizes with the functionality and capabilities of the big boys. This brief examines some of the advantages of OS Commerce and provides insights into how it can help your business.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.Now that sounds complicated, but really anyone can do it with some concentrated effort. Much of the documentation online regarding OS is very thorough and provides step by step plans on how to get your store up and running. Any newbie to this type of work will likely come across some roadblocks, but the OS Commerce community forums are only a click away to start trouble shooting.
The solution is community driven, meaning that like minded OSCers are ready to help out their peers with answers to posted questions. Yes, at times this can be extremely frustrating waiting for an answer, but it is very rewarding to overcome a technology bug on your own.
Contribute to the Cause
The best part of OSC is the number of contributions that can be added to your site at any time. Again, there is no cost for these enhancements and upgrades – just the need to be patient in your installations. In most cases, contributions are located on the OS commerce community section and are downloadable via zip files. After opening the file, read the “read me” file which will walk you through the file additions, subtractions, and code changes needed to make your enhancement work properly. If you explore the OS platform be sure to upgrade with the following contributions.
Ultimate SEO URL’s by Chemo
This cool contribution allows the site owner to create static URL’s out of a database driven site. This will dramatically help in search saturation as more pages are able to be indexed. Its no secret that search spiders like traditional urls better than ones that are dynamic and this contribution helps achieve that.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
5 Reasons You Should Shop Online
Online shopping has increased in popularity the last few years and it will continue to increase in popularity as time goes on. Even with the that said, many people are still reluctant to purchase goods online for many different reasons. Some of them being high shipping costs, fear of credit card theft and lack of security. Below I will list 5 reasons why people that are not shopping online should start.
1. Lower prices. Due to the fact that e-commerce store owners have lower operating costs, they can often offer products at a lower cost than brick and mortar retailers.
2. Free shipping. Many websites offer free shipping on purchases over a certain amount to be competitive.
3. Larger selections. On the internet you can find a lot of items that you would not see at your local retail stores.
4. Convenience. Shopping online is a lot more convenient, especially around the holidays. You do not have to worry about finding a parking space or fighting through crowds and long lines.
5. The internet is safe. there are a lot of things that shoppers can do to insure that their credit card information is being sent successfully. If the padlock at the bottom of the screen is locked, that means the website is secure. Also many websites use third-party companies to verify that they are safe.
1. Lower prices. Due to the fact that e-commerce store owners have lower operating costs, they can often offer products at a lower cost than brick and mortar retailers.
2. Free shipping. Many websites offer free shipping on purchases over a certain amount to be competitive.
3. Larger selections. On the internet you can find a lot of items that you would not see at your local retail stores.
4. Convenience. Shopping online is a lot more convenient, especially around the holidays. You do not have to worry about finding a parking space or fighting through crowds and long lines.
5. The internet is safe. there are a lot of things that shoppers can do to insure that their credit card information is being sent successfully. If the padlock at the bottom of the screen is locked, that means the website is secure. Also many websites use third-party companies to verify that they are safe.
Post Launch Laundry List - Did You Know You Should Have One? Part Deux
With your autoresponders on set and forget, and your product flying off your virtual shelves you’d think this project was done wouldn’t you? Nope, not by a long shot. There are a number of things you should consider when you are running a marketing campaign to maximize your monetization of that campaign.
To take shortcuts is simply leaving money on the table. The fact of the matter is that most products have a relatively short shelf life because people are fickle and will quickly move on to “bigger and better”. This truth is even more evident with digital products. There’s a little secret amongst many in the Internet Marketing community that goes a little something like this, “If you can’t afford something you want, wait four months and it’ll be free”. Shhh, don’t tell.
So, what does that have to do with you and your campaign? Well, it means you have a limited window in which you can capitalize on your product or program that you so brilliantly developed. And you need to make the best of that window or you will lose money.
One way that you can additionally leverage your product or program’s existing popularity is with the One Time Offer. I’m sure many of you have seen them and didn’t even know that was what you were looking at. The One Time Offer comes in many different shapes and sizes but they all do the same thing, they add new revenue and fully leverage the popularity of your campaign.
Let’s revisit Part 1 of this series and combine it with Part “Deux” to see how this all ties together-
1) You advertise your newsletter or free giveaway in return for prospect’s information
2) Prospect gets freebie and or begins receiving newsletter
3) Prospect is redirected to your main sales page and views your offer. If he/she makes the purchase, they are then directed to your One Time Offer for additional monetization. If prospect clears out and makes no purchase they continue onto number 4.
4) Your autoresponder begins to market the prospect with a series of well written and well timed messages promoting your original offer.
5) If your prospect does purchase as a result of one of your 10-15 follow up messages they are then directed to…what? Yes, your One Time Offer.
Let’s hit on key components of a One Time Offer that will increase your chances of success with it. Don’t call it a “One Time Offer”. People like personalization, and One Time Offer has been used to death…so call it Franks Special Deal…Today Only!, or Sam’s Super Sale, Now or Never!…you get the gist. Just be certain to emphasize that this deal is only available while the prospect is on that page; and if they leave without dropping the hammer it will be available for much more elsewhere.
Your objective is to create a sense of urgency that adds new revenue to your bottom line. There are definitely things your do NOT want to do…don’t offer products irrelevant to your primary campaign. If your campaign is horse shampoo and your One Time Offer is for “The Surefire Blackjack Beater” you’re not gonna sell squat, and you’ll lose all your subscribers just as fast as you get them.
Also, never offer garbage. Don’t just slap together 5 reseller items that your buyer can get anywhere else for free or for next to nothing. Lastly, don’t go ballistic on price either. You’re a marketer, so you are looking to profit, but you don’t need to get obscene with it.
With this technique you completely leverage your relationships with your subscribers and you are monetizing your campaign to the best of your abilities. However, let me throw in a twist on this that I haven’t seen anywhere else and which has been working quite well for me…again, Shhhh. “The New Subscriber One Time Offer…it looks a lot like the post-purchase One Time Offer, but not exactly.
With this technique you will actually redirect your recent newsletter or free giveaway subscribers to a One Time Offer sales page once they have registered. Your pitch would read something like this, “As a subscriber you are entitled to special offers that you cannot find anywhere else. Right now, and right now only, you can get such and such for only $X” Get it?
You will be able to monetize brand new subscribers in a way that’s not being done anywhere else. And here’s the really cool part. If you are double opting your subscribers, you already know that 10-30% will never complete the confirmation. If you get a One Time Offer in front of them, you will be able to cash in on some of those which you never would have been able to before. If they don’t complete the second opt-in then you can’t mail them. No mail, no money. Well, here’s your opportunity to benefit from their first opt.
So, now you truly have leveraged your existing customer base and you learned how to leverage those cats that just couldn’t seem to complete their double opt confirmations. You’ve done this with the One Time Offer or its twisted sister, “The New Subscriber One Time Offer”. You are the epitome of leverage and monetization. Tune in next week when we discuss one other “hot” item on your Post Launch Laundry List.
To take shortcuts is simply leaving money on the table. The fact of the matter is that most products have a relatively short shelf life because people are fickle and will quickly move on to “bigger and better”. This truth is even more evident with digital products. There’s a little secret amongst many in the Internet Marketing community that goes a little something like this, “If you can’t afford something you want, wait four months and it’ll be free”. Shhh, don’t tell.
So, what does that have to do with you and your campaign? Well, it means you have a limited window in which you can capitalize on your product or program that you so brilliantly developed. And you need to make the best of that window or you will lose money.
One way that you can additionally leverage your product or program’s existing popularity is with the One Time Offer. I’m sure many of you have seen them and didn’t even know that was what you were looking at. The One Time Offer comes in many different shapes and sizes but they all do the same thing, they add new revenue and fully leverage the popularity of your campaign.
Let’s revisit Part 1 of this series and combine it with Part “Deux” to see how this all ties together-
1) You advertise your newsletter or free giveaway in return for prospect’s information
2) Prospect gets freebie and or begins receiving newsletter
3) Prospect is redirected to your main sales page and views your offer. If he/she makes the purchase, they are then directed to your One Time Offer for additional monetization. If prospect clears out and makes no purchase they continue onto number 4.
4) Your autoresponder begins to market the prospect with a series of well written and well timed messages promoting your original offer.
5) If your prospect does purchase as a result of one of your 10-15 follow up messages they are then directed to…what? Yes, your One Time Offer.
Let’s hit on key components of a One Time Offer that will increase your chances of success with it. Don’t call it a “One Time Offer”. People like personalization, and One Time Offer has been used to death…so call it Franks Special Deal…Today Only!, or Sam’s Super Sale, Now or Never!…you get the gist. Just be certain to emphasize that this deal is only available while the prospect is on that page; and if they leave without dropping the hammer it will be available for much more elsewhere.
Your objective is to create a sense of urgency that adds new revenue to your bottom line. There are definitely things your do NOT want to do…don’t offer products irrelevant to your primary campaign. If your campaign is horse shampoo and your One Time Offer is for “The Surefire Blackjack Beater” you’re not gonna sell squat, and you’ll lose all your subscribers just as fast as you get them.
Also, never offer garbage. Don’t just slap together 5 reseller items that your buyer can get anywhere else for free or for next to nothing. Lastly, don’t go ballistic on price either. You’re a marketer, so you are looking to profit, but you don’t need to get obscene with it.
With this technique you completely leverage your relationships with your subscribers and you are monetizing your campaign to the best of your abilities. However, let me throw in a twist on this that I haven’t seen anywhere else and which has been working quite well for me…again, Shhhh. “The New Subscriber One Time Offer…it looks a lot like the post-purchase One Time Offer, but not exactly.
With this technique you will actually redirect your recent newsletter or free giveaway subscribers to a One Time Offer sales page once they have registered. Your pitch would read something like this, “As a subscriber you are entitled to special offers that you cannot find anywhere else. Right now, and right now only, you can get such and such for only $X” Get it?
You will be able to monetize brand new subscribers in a way that’s not being done anywhere else. And here’s the really cool part. If you are double opting your subscribers, you already know that 10-30% will never complete the confirmation. If you get a One Time Offer in front of them, you will be able to cash in on some of those which you never would have been able to before. If they don’t complete the second opt-in then you can’t mail them. No mail, no money. Well, here’s your opportunity to benefit from their first opt.
So, now you truly have leveraged your existing customer base and you learned how to leverage those cats that just couldn’t seem to complete their double opt confirmations. You’ve done this with the One Time Offer or its twisted sister, “The New Subscriber One Time Offer”. You are the epitome of leverage and monetization. Tune in next week when we discuss one other “hot” item on your Post Launch Laundry List.
Welcome to the Exciting World of Ecommerce
The simple word ecommerce means many different things to many different people. To some of us, ecommerce means the ability to buy that great new book at 4 in the morning from our favorite online bookstore. To others, ecommerce means cleaning out the closet and making some money by putting those unwanted treasures up for sale at our favorite online auction house. To others, ecommerce means the ability to have different businesses connect seamlessly and cost efficiently, and the business to business world of ecommerce is one of the fastest growing segments of the market.
Ecommerce allows suppliers to easily connect with buyers of finished products, and business people to easily compare prices and quality among different suppliers. The Internet also provides a wealth of information, and this information is an integral part of the ecommerce solution.
When the Internet first emerged on the scene, it was used by government agencies as a secure way to communicate with one another. Even when the Internet became the province of ordinary users, it was mostly a playground for college students and computer geeks. It took quite some time for the commercial potential of the Internet to be exploited, and the first ecommerce companies were quite primitive by today’s standards. Some of those first ecommerce companies are still around and stronger than ever, while others failed to make a profit. Anyone interested in opening an ecommerce business of their own would do well to study the history of ecommerce and the Internet for important lessons.
Despite the bursting of the Internet bubble, ecommerce continues to have nearly unlimited potential for smart entrepreneurs. In fact, the world of ecommerce offers so many advantages over traditional brick and mortar businesses that it simply cannot be ignored. While a brick and mortar business needs to rent space and hire employees, a start up ecommerce business can be run from a single computer as a one man or one woman operation. Many of the most successful ecommerce businesses got their start in just such a manner, and more and more ecommerce startups are born every day.
There have been a great many changes in the world of business over the last couple of decades, but perhaps no change has been more important than that of the Internet. The World Wide Web has become so important in our lives that many of our children could not conceive of a world without it. Business has been changed in many ways by the power of technology, affecting everything from the way we get hired to the way we do our jobs.
Ecommerce allows suppliers to easily connect with buyers of finished products, and business people to easily compare prices and quality among different suppliers. The Internet also provides a wealth of information, and this information is an integral part of the ecommerce solution.
When the Internet first emerged on the scene, it was used by government agencies as a secure way to communicate with one another. Even when the Internet became the province of ordinary users, it was mostly a playground for college students and computer geeks. It took quite some time for the commercial potential of the Internet to be exploited, and the first ecommerce companies were quite primitive by today’s standards. Some of those first ecommerce companies are still around and stronger than ever, while others failed to make a profit. Anyone interested in opening an ecommerce business of their own would do well to study the history of ecommerce and the Internet for important lessons.
Despite the bursting of the Internet bubble, ecommerce continues to have nearly unlimited potential for smart entrepreneurs. In fact, the world of ecommerce offers so many advantages over traditional brick and mortar businesses that it simply cannot be ignored. While a brick and mortar business needs to rent space and hire employees, a start up ecommerce business can be run from a single computer as a one man or one woman operation. Many of the most successful ecommerce businesses got their start in just such a manner, and more and more ecommerce startups are born every day.
There have been a great many changes in the world of business over the last couple of decades, but perhaps no change has been more important than that of the Internet. The World Wide Web has become so important in our lives that many of our children could not conceive of a world without it. Business has been changed in many ways by the power of technology, affecting everything from the way we get hired to the way we do our jobs.
Post Launch Laundry List = Did You Know You Should Have One?
You pre-notified your opt in list of your upcoming product and put together an incredible army of JV partners and super affiliates and now the sales are coming in like you could have only imagined. What else is there to do but move onto your next project? After all, this baby’s on auto-pilot. Wrong.
You’re in this Internet Marketing game to make money right? So, it would seem logical that once you have launched a product successfully and the money’s coming in, you should decide what you want to do next. Well, that is just plain leaving cash on the table...and lots of it.
It’s relatively common knowledge that it takes 6-10 views of a marketer’s message to entice folks to seal the deal, and open their wallets. In addition to that, almost 98% of folks that see your page the first time will not buy. If you think these stats don’t matter because you are already rolling in it, think again.
Ever heard the phrase “the money is in the list” before? Actually, that’s not entirely true. People with the money, are in the list. The money is in the follow up! You need to make sure you have a 10-15 message autoresponder series (more could amount to overkill and a silly unsubscribe rate) plugged in and ready to go to every new person registering for your list.
If done right you will absolutely see a noticeable increase in click thru to sales rates, sometimes into the double digits. And what does “done right” actually entail? There are a few things you should focus on when creating an autoresponder series.
1)Make sure there’s a logical chronology to your series. I am a subscriber to many lists and read my emails avidly...for one I want to always be learning and for another I just like to see what my competition is up to.
What’s amazing is the number of autoresponder series I’ve registered for where there is no clear and concise path. One day the mail is about this and the next day it’s about that. This is a surefire way to negatively impact your bottom line.
2)Personalize the messages as much as you possibly can. Yes, that includes utilizing code to automatically input the first name of the recipient but it goes deeper than that. People can smell mass production and are typically adverse to blatant pitches...especially when repeated through a series of emails.
So, how do you get your message across and yet still market your wares to your list? Share information about yourself...utilize your experiences and your personal histories to your benefit. Give people a glimpse into your life and they will feel an “attachment” to you and will be better able to relate. Once you have endeared them to you they will be more open to buying from you.
Now don’t go making stuff up and certainly don’t give them every intimate detail you have...but subtle references to you and your family as it specifically relates to what you are selling is a good thing.
3)For the love of all things holy don’t “slam” your list with back to back to back pitches and every affiliate offering under the sun. That just seems like common sense but I get so many messages from marketers where it’s a daily event and a new product each day...all the “best opportunity I’ll ever see”.
Be sure to space out your autoresponder series over the course of at least two to three weeks. You’ll want a Day Zero message which will arrive as soon as someone registers, then a Day One message to follow that up...from there consider a Day Three message for a little breathing room...then a Day Five or Six. You get the gist.
And never try to “product dump” your list. Think about lists that you are on. Do you really enjoy getting tons of email messages from the same person every day which all pimp different products? Kind of annoying, don'tcha think?
So, before moving onto your next big project you’ll want to make sure that you have completely leveraged your existing customer base and that you maximize the monetization of that base. You can help do this by creating a personalized, logically sequenced, consistent, and staggered autoresponder series. Tune in next week when we discuss some other “hot” items on your Post Launch Laundry List.
You’re in this Internet Marketing game to make money right? So, it would seem logical that once you have launched a product successfully and the money’s coming in, you should decide what you want to do next. Well, that is just plain leaving cash on the table...and lots of it.
It’s relatively common knowledge that it takes 6-10 views of a marketer’s message to entice folks to seal the deal, and open their wallets. In addition to that, almost 98% of folks that see your page the first time will not buy. If you think these stats don’t matter because you are already rolling in it, think again.
Ever heard the phrase “the money is in the list” before? Actually, that’s not entirely true. People with the money, are in the list. The money is in the follow up! You need to make sure you have a 10-15 message autoresponder series (more could amount to overkill and a silly unsubscribe rate) plugged in and ready to go to every new person registering for your list.
If done right you will absolutely see a noticeable increase in click thru to sales rates, sometimes into the double digits. And what does “done right” actually entail? There are a few things you should focus on when creating an autoresponder series.
1)Make sure there’s a logical chronology to your series. I am a subscriber to many lists and read my emails avidly...for one I want to always be learning and for another I just like to see what my competition is up to.
What’s amazing is the number of autoresponder series I’ve registered for where there is no clear and concise path. One day the mail is about this and the next day it’s about that. This is a surefire way to negatively impact your bottom line.
2)Personalize the messages as much as you possibly can. Yes, that includes utilizing code to automatically input the first name of the recipient but it goes deeper than that. People can smell mass production and are typically adverse to blatant pitches...especially when repeated through a series of emails.
So, how do you get your message across and yet still market your wares to your list? Share information about yourself...utilize your experiences and your personal histories to your benefit. Give people a glimpse into your life and they will feel an “attachment” to you and will be better able to relate. Once you have endeared them to you they will be more open to buying from you.
Now don’t go making stuff up and certainly don’t give them every intimate detail you have...but subtle references to you and your family as it specifically relates to what you are selling is a good thing.
3)For the love of all things holy don’t “slam” your list with back to back to back pitches and every affiliate offering under the sun. That just seems like common sense but I get so many messages from marketers where it’s a daily event and a new product each day...all the “best opportunity I’ll ever see”.
Be sure to space out your autoresponder series over the course of at least two to three weeks. You’ll want a Day Zero message which will arrive as soon as someone registers, then a Day One message to follow that up...from there consider a Day Three message for a little breathing room...then a Day Five or Six. You get the gist.
And never try to “product dump” your list. Think about lists that you are on. Do you really enjoy getting tons of email messages from the same person every day which all pimp different products? Kind of annoying, don'tcha think?
So, before moving onto your next big project you’ll want to make sure that you have completely leveraged your existing customer base and that you maximize the monetization of that base. You can help do this by creating a personalized, logically sequenced, consistent, and staggered autoresponder series. Tune in next week when we discuss some other “hot” items on your Post Launch Laundry List.
E-commerce Success: Is it too Late?
A large percentage of people that started online businesses before 1998 have become very successful. Many are in the top ten on search engines for their respective keywords, they have a large amount of links pointing to their website, and a high page rank on Google. Many receive millions of visitors each month and make millions of dollars each year.
Some people that started businesses in the years 2001 or 2002 have also been able to achieve success, even some companies like Adbrite in 2004 have done it, but is it to late for e-commerce success? Can an e-commerce website compete in 2006?
I believe that an e-commerce website can compete in 2006. The key to a successful website is offline and online advertising, search engine optimization, publicity, an affiliate program, and good customer service. In essence, things are more technical now than they were before. In the nineties if you were first to market you were bound to make a lot of money, search engine optimization and things like that did not matter that much then, but now they are the most important things to a successful website.
Any new e-commerce website that focuses on those things can achieve success, it may take a little while, especially the search engine optimization but it will be worth it once the sales start to roll in.
Some people that started businesses in the years 2001 or 2002 have also been able to achieve success, even some companies like Adbrite in 2004 have done it, but is it to late for e-commerce success? Can an e-commerce website compete in 2006?
I believe that an e-commerce website can compete in 2006. The key to a successful website is offline and online advertising, search engine optimization, publicity, an affiliate program, and good customer service. In essence, things are more technical now than they were before. In the nineties if you were first to market you were bound to make a lot of money, search engine optimization and things like that did not matter that much then, but now they are the most important things to a successful website.
Any new e-commerce website that focuses on those things can achieve success, it may take a little while, especially the search engine optimization but it will be worth it once the sales start to roll in.
Retail Stores Dying a Slow Death as More People Shop Online
When most potential business owners think of opening a retail store they are most likely considering an online store rather than a bricks and mortar store. The main reasons for that are cost and more people are shopping online. Everyone knows that it is a lot less risky to open an online store; you don’t need to sign a long lease, deal with utilities, or employees. That cuts costs down a lot. Most e-commerce websites start as one and two man shows and grow over time. A retail store cannot start small like that.
Another thing that entices people to sell goods online rather than in a traditional retail store is the fact that they can reach a worldwide audience. With a brick and mortar store you can only sell goods locally.
Shopping on the internet is growing every year as the internet becomes more secure and more convenient. A majority of people would much rather shop online because they don’t have to deal with the crowds and parking, and in most cases they can save a lot of money. If you plan to open a bricks and mortar store please keep in mind that people love to shop online, and that love is only going to grow.
Another thing that entices people to sell goods online rather than in a traditional retail store is the fact that they can reach a worldwide audience. With a brick and mortar store you can only sell goods locally.
Shopping on the internet is growing every year as the internet becomes more secure and more convenient. A majority of people would much rather shop online because they don’t have to deal with the crowds and parking, and in most cases they can save a lot of money. If you plan to open a bricks and mortar store please keep in mind that people love to shop online, and that love is only going to grow.
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