5 Most Effective Marketing Tools
e-Marketing Articles - e-Marketing: Strategy
Like any industry, Internet Marketing has its own special marketing tools and methods. Many of these marketing tools may already be familiar to you: autoresponders, SEO software, link-building systems, content management programs, affiliate software... and the list goes on.
However, Internet Marketing has other more effective, non-traditional marketing tools every marketer should know about if they want to reach their full potential as online marketers. Some of these marketing tools come cleverly disguised or camouflaged, with many surfers or customers completely unaware that they're receiving a sales-pitch. Yet, these innocent and simple sales techniques are some of the most effective marketing tools on the web. For anyone involved in Internet Marketing or for anyone wishing to become involved, a quick rundown of these marketing tools may prove helpful.
Here's a brief list and a few pointers on how to effectively use these marketing tools.
1. Domain Name. Lets start at the very beginning. Your domain name should be considered your first Internet marketing tool. Pick it right and your domain name can also be your most effective marketing tool. Get it wrong and it may spell game over.
Most marketers agree you should pick a short memorable keyword-related domain name. For example, www.hotels.com, it's easy to remember/spell and it tells you exactly what the site is about. Picking a domain directly related to the keyword or keywords of your site will help greatly in obtaining a high ranking for your site with the search engines. Not to mention, it will be a great marketing and promotional tool, telling your potential customers exactly what your site is promoting and displaying.
On the other hand, some marketers suggest you opt for a short jazzy name that can be easily remembered by your visitors. Ebay, Google, Napster, Yahoo... regardless of which route you take, make sure you examine all the marketing potential before you pick your domain name. The right domain name can be one of your most effective marketing tools on the world wide web.
Many experts also suggest you only set up a dedicated server for your domain or domains. A dedicated server only carries one domain. Most hosting companies (for economic reasons) often share hosting servers, i.e. your domain is co-hosted with hundreds of other domains on the same server. Since you will be using the same IP address this may have dire consequences if one of the domains is accused of spamming or some other unscrupulous behavior. Even if you can't afford a dedicated server, it would be wise (for SEO purposes) to have a separate IP address for each domain you own. Most hosting companies provide this service for a small fee.
2. Keywords. what surfers type into search engines to find what they're looking for, are the real building blocks of the web. They are the single most important element in any online marketing venture. Pick the right keywords and you're in business, pick the wrong keywords and again, it's game over.
Therefore, you must have special keyword software or use some online sites or services to help you pick the right keywords. Many top marketers use WordTracker.com, GoodKeywords.com, or the new Keyword Elite by Brad Callen. A superior keyword research product will supply valuable information: number of searches made each month, amount of competition and the top sites targeting your keywords.
Remember, you must target the right keywords with your site or online marketing. Targeted keywords draw targeted traffic (customers) to your sites or products. The right keyword software or program will have a direct correlation to the success or failure of your online marketing efforts.So choose wisely!
3. Articles. Many marketers believe in and rely upon purely organic SEO techniques for marketing their sites. One simple method of organic SEO is writing and submitting keyword related articles around the topic of your website with links back to your site.
As other sites display your articles you gain valuable one-way links back to your site. Search engines then follow all of these links and rank your site highly for the keywords in these articles. For this reason the modest article may prove to be the single most important marketing tool you have in your arsenal.As your site becomes highly ranked for these keywords, other sites will want to link to your site in order to become optimized for those same keywords... article keyword marketing is one of the most effective Internet marketing tools at your disposal. Used properly if can position your site in the search engines and bring in all that highly prized targeted traffic.
Keep in mind, many Internet marketers have side-stepped the whole SEO optimization process by going directly to search engines and buying their traffic with PPC pay-per-click advertising. Overture and Google Adwords program are good examples of this method. Marketers bid on clicks to their site's keywords and bring in targeted customers. In knowledgeable hands, PPC marketing is an extremely effective and lucrative marketing tool.
4. Lists. The backbone of any Internet marketing system is the list. It is another marketing tool you can't do without. The list is simply a large database of contacts, people who have given you permission to email or contact them. These are subscribers who have opted-in to your ezine or newsletter. Most successful marketers keep countless different databases for each product or topic they're targeting with their marketing.
Ezines or newsletters are vital Internet Marketing tools that no online business should ignore. It is essential you keep in contact/touch with your past and future customers.You must build an ongoing relationship and connection with your customers.
Besides your ezine or newsletter, many marketers also set up lists of affiliates to help promote and sell their products. Never underestimate the power of an affiliate system as an effective marketing tool. It is the stuff Empires are made of! Once a marketer has acquired a large list of loyal contacts or affiliates - the flood waters open up. Opportunities for JVs or Joint Ventures with other online marketers make for serious cash flow.
5. Blogs. And RSS FeedsBlogging and RSS feeds have become essential marketing tools for savvy online marketers. Online journals or blogs are all the rage, especially in the marketing field. These blogging systems such as WordPress are great content management tools that will quickly build a content-rich site, pulling in targeted traffic from the search engines.
Search engines are enamored with blogs and RSS feeds mainly because blogs provide fresh content, the main lifeblood of every good search engine. For this reason no site should be without a blog and RSS feed, it will keep your content regularly visited and indexed by the search engines. In addition, all that information and content is a perfect tool for drawing potential customers to your products and services.
Along with your domains, lists, keywords, and articles - blogs are effective marketing tools that will play an important role in the success of your online marketing. In the right hands, these Internet marketing tools can work magic on any company's bottom line. They are some of Internet Marketing's most effective tools.
You don't have to think outside of the box, you just have to know what makes up the box!
Is this the most effective way to fill your e-commerce concept box for your business? What other components would you place in your box to create an effective & efficient e-marketing presence on the web based upon your knowledge from the course work, recent discussions and readings? (Due Feb. 22nd)
Friday, February 15, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Time For Change
Time for Change
Meet our e-commerce makeover winners, whose online sales are set to soar
Never underestimate the power of a good makeover. That was the message behind the e-Business Boost Challenge, sponsored by Entrepreneur magazine and ProStores, an eBay company and full-service e-commerce solution for SMBs.
However, this makeover wasn’t about fashion and grooming. Instead, the winners, who were announced on June 13 at the annual eBay Live! convention, held this year at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center in Las Vegas, received a complete overhaul of their online sales efforts. More than 500 entrepreneurs operating online or through brick-and-mortar stores submitted entries describing their businesses and products as well as why they needed an enhanced online presence.
“We wanted to [encourage] business owners to take advantage of a powerful small-business web solution designed to establish and build an online presence,” says Julian Green, director of ProStores. “We are eager to educate entrepreneurs who want to further develop their businesses but don’t know how to actualize their growth potential through online sales channels.”
Over a five-month period, the six winning businesses were evaluated, and professionals from Entrepreneur, About.com, PayPal, ProStores and eBay provided consulting services to each business, teaching them how to ramp up their online and offline marketing efforts and business operations. In addition, each winning business received a website overhaul from ProStores, complete with integrated e-commerce functions and a one-year subscription to ProStores’ Business tier service. Here’s a closer look at the six winners, their online challenges and the striking makeovers.
Maggie Vasilyadis, 27Essenceology.com, New York cityProjected 2006 Sales: $25,000The Business: Maggie Vasilyadis knows all about makeovers. Working in the cosmetics industry for nine years, she noticed a distinct trend toward more natural beauty products. “I saw this big change coming, with a lot of demand for natural products, and wanted to start right away,” she explains. So she downloaded a website builder from Yahoo! and created her website in less than a month, launching in January 2006 and sourcing products by turning to trade magazines and attending trade shows.
The Challenge: Essenceology.com is run on a very small budget, and Vasilyadis works on it part time while holding her day job. She wasn’t thrilled with the design limitations of the site builder she chose and felt her site could be cleaner and easier to navigate.
According to ProStores business advisor Richard Lawrence, the online beauty products space is very crowded, and Essenceology.com needs some basics to survive. “Essenceology must have a sophisticated web design that will allow it to compete with the major beauty product sites,” he says. “The company is focusing on a fast-growing niche in the beauty products industry: natural and organic products. Unlike her competitors, [Vasilyadis’] products are very reasonably priced. [She] has a good eye for the types of beauty products that are in demand, as she shops the world looking for the best values.”
The Solution: The key word in the redesign seems to be clarity. The new site, says Vasilyadis, keeps the clean look of her previous endeavor but adds many new features for consumers’ convenience, including clear descriptions of each product and its use, along with better organization of products by category. The site also captures more customer and sales information for future marketing efforts. Checkout is seamless, using ProStores’ interface with PayPal, and Vasilyadis can easily add products as she finds more that fit her mix.
“I learned that I don’t have to do everything myself,” Vasilyadis says. “My expertise is in the beauty industry, not in building and designing a site. With help from ProStores, I was able to have control over the design and administrative options to build a site exactly as I pictured it. With more professional design, more consumers will trust the site, and there will be [fewer] abandoned carts.”
Adding E-Commerce Capabilities
Patrick Coughlin, 45American Diamond Importers, St. Clair, MichiganProjected 2006 Sales: $1.8 millionThe Business: In 1988, Patrick Coughlin carved out a nice niche selling diamonds at wholesale prices to insurance companies that needed to replace lost or stolen gems. When a local retail jeweler came on the market four years later, Coughlin saw a chance to expand and purchased the shop, entering the retail jewelry marketplace. Still, it took a while for customers to catch on that the store offered more than just diamonds, and the name, American Diamond Importers, didn’t help. In 2005, Coughlin decided it was time to create a website to help spread the word about his business.
The Challenge: Initially, the site was just an informational website about the company with no e-commerce functionality. Changing that, says ProStores business advisor Jen Mouritsen, was the big challenge. “The first hurdle was turning his site into a full e-commerce solution and getting his customers to be able to find him and buy online without having to make a phone call,” she explains. “As we move into the integration with eBay and getting ProStores up and running, we need to be sure that he has feedback and support to keep running the business effectively online.”
The Solution: ADI’s new website is fully optimized, and Coughlin has had a crash course in how to make his site rank higher in customers’ online searches for fine jewelry. Now customers can immediately see the wide variety of offerings his company has and easily make purchases. Because the new site allows him to reach out to customers in other states--and even other countries--Coughlin says he’ll be able to keep their business, even if they relocate.
“Optimization, spiders, sponsorships--it’s like I’ve learned a whole new language,” Coughlin says. But he expects that language to pay off in a big way. “When you turn on the news here, it’s hard not to get depressed. Michigan’s economy is in the dumpster because of all the news coming out of the car [industry],” he explains. “We were expecting to do $1 million in online sales next year, but now we expect to double that. We’ve already hired six new full-time people to handle the increase, and if all goes according to plan, we’ll probably hire another six more. That’s great news for our area.”
Warren Tracy, 49The Busted Knuckle Garage, Prescott, ArizonaProjected 2006 Sales: More than $300,000The Business: When Warren Tracy stumbled out of bed in the middle of the night in August 1996 and scrawled a foggy idea on a piece of paper, he didn’t realize he had just started his next business venture. A year later, Tracy refined and trademarked that late-night doodle to launch The Busted Knuckle Garage, a gift company that now offers 150 distinctive, branded items for car and motorcycle enthusiasts.
Tracy started getting the word out by promoting skin-care products for mechanics and other hands-on types, such as the river guides he worked with at the Grand Canyon. He began publicizing his products through back-of-the-book advertising in an automotive magazine, and sales increased. When the business picked up some momentum, he quit his job, sold his small collection of cars and motorcycles, and refinanced his house to get the capital he needed to grow the business.
The Challenge: Revenue growth has been steady since the company’s founding in 1997--Tracy has licensed his trademarked name to other manufacturers and closed a 3,400-store distribution deal for a major automobile parts retailer--but Tracy knew sales through his website could be stronger.
“We created retail demand for [our] product and focused on wholesaling to stores and catalog companies,” Tracy explains. “We didn’t really customize the website to any great extent but watched it grow every year. Someone needed to come in with tools and bring it up [a] level. I raised my hand and said, ‘I’m not the one.’”
The Solution: Spearheaded by ProStores director Julian Green, the team created a slick new look and a more functional shopping cart for the site, as well as back-end functions that capture more customer information and sales data, allowing the site to handle a greater volume of sales seamlessly. “Through ProStores, Tracy will be able to list items on eBay as well as other comparison shopping sites [such as Froogle and Shopping.com],” says Green. “Managing and updating those listings will help drive traffic to [his] products.”
Tracy expects the site and other marketing will result in an uptick in referral business: “I believe we’ve built something so friendly and so inviting that new and existing customers will be extremely motivated to tell their friends and family what they’ve discovered.”
Breaking into a Niche Market
Elena Neitlich, 39; Andrew Neitlich, 40; & Cari Whiddon, 38Moms on Edge LLC, Osprey, FloridaProjected 2006 Sales: $55,000The Business: Best friends Elena Neitlich and Cari Whiddon were discussing the challenges of teaching their children how to behave. How can parents be consistent with consequences? After all, it’s not easy to make a little one take five in the middle of a shopping mall. Soon, an idea began to take shape: The Original Naughty Spot--a portable mat with a timer for timeouts.
Whiddon and Neitlich carved out time to develop that idea and others by parking next to each other at the local Wendy’s with sleeping children in the back seat or taking their cordless phones into their closets for a few minutes of uninterrupted discussion. Soon, Andrew Neitlich, Elena’s husband, came onboard as a partner and director of operations. The business officially launched in 2005.
“Our site was up in September, and we got our first order in October,” says Elena. “When people placed orders, Cari sent out an e-mail that said we didn’t have our products in yet, but people e-mailed back and said, ‘We’ll wait.’ That’s when I knew we had something special--when people wanted to purchase [our products] without us having them in our hands.”
The Challenge: Because the company specializes in niche products--“products for peace, quiet and good behavior,” says the tag line--educating customers and getting them to the site were key challenges. ProStores business advisor Angela Troy says, “Children’s items are so competitive. There are numerous hits for ‘place mats,’ so we needed to be sure that the right keywords were being used.”
The Solution: The redesign includes enhanced graphics and a cleaner look. The ProStores team added featured products to the home page, which helps educate customers on the types of products the company specializes in. Other additions include a shopping cart that’s easier to use, an online retail order form and price list, more shipping options and free shipping promotions, and a much easier back-end interface. Links to eBay make managing auctions simpler, and a blog keeps customers entertained and informed and gives them another place to provide feedback.
“Revamping an e-commerce site is not just about web design,” says Whiddon. “It is about a comprehensive strategy to attract prospects, convert them to customers, and manage the back-end order and fulfillment process. We have become much more aware of the importance of various online marketing options, as well as the potential [for] PR.”
Marc Desrosiers, 50RaceWax.com LLC, Waynesboro, PennsylvaniaProjected 2006 Sales: $100,000The Business: Marc Desrosiers liked watching his son’s ski team race but didn’t like dipping into his pockets regularly for $50 bars of race wax and $100-per-bottle speed additives. As a chemist, Desrosiers recognized that the ingredients in those pricey products were actually relatively inexpensive.
When his son decided to test ski waxes for his science fair project, Desrosiers did some experimenting of his own. He purchased some of the ingredients and began creating his own ski wax, which he distributed to his son’s racing team.
“They were thrilled that I was able to give them some of the stuff that they pay a lot of money for,” Desrosiers explains. “Then they said, ‘Hey, you should sell this stuff.’ I had the idea that I would put up a website and send [prospects] a small sample [for free], and if they wanted more, they [could] buy some from me.” Since that nondescript launch in 1999, Racewax, which specializes in affordable ski and snowboard wax products, has been featured in a ski trade magazine and has fielded orders from around the world.
The Challenge: Desrosiers felt that his lack of business training was holding him back. After reading about using eBay as a marketing tool, he gave it a try, and his sales volume steadily increased. However, there was no strategy or comprehensive approach to his marketing or branding, especially on his website, www.racewax.com.
ProStores business advisor Lin Shearer says this is another case where looks matter. “In the product line he’s in, a cool logo is going to go a long way on patches [and] decals,” says Shearer. “He needs to create a true corporate identity.”
The Solution: Sporting a hot new logo created as part of the makeover, Desrosiers’ new site is now far more functional, even allowing customers to accurately compute shipping from many countries. He’s learned a great deal about search engine optimization from the consulting sessions and webinars in which he participated. Plus, the ability of the site to capture more customer data from both his eBay auctions and his direct sales will boost his ability to market his business. Says Des-rosiers, “One of my goals, along with the management of customer information and inventory, was just to be able to use information technology to do a lot more and make my busy life a little easier.”
Making Your Website Cozy
Pamela Huber-Hauck, 46Spirit Work Knitting and Designs, Rochester, New YorkProjected 2006 Sales: $375,000The Business: When Pamela Huber-Hauck left her management position at a telecommunications company to follow her passion and open a yarn shop, her well-honed business acumen served her well. Huber-Hauck’s knowledge of what her clients wanted, as well as the fact that knitting and crochet were on the upswing, created an environment for explosive growth. The startup she launched in 2003 moved from a tiny, 400-square-foot storefront into a 2,400-square-foot facility by the end of her second year in business.
As Huber-Hauck explains, the store became the priority. “Our whole strategy around the brick-and-mortar store was finding what we could do that’s different and innovative,” she says. “We brought in couches and seating and coffee and spa music. We shifted our focus away from [the] website.”
The Challenge: When business had fallen 40 percent by early 2006, Huber-Hauck knew she needed to find new revenue streams. However, the online yarn market was already dominated by a few sellers who were doing it well, and Huber-Hauck wasn’t sure how to transform her website (www.spiritworkknit.com) from a place to learn about upcoming in-store events to a full-service online retailer of yarn and related accessories.
Even though Huber-Hauck was spending as many as 10 hours a week updating her site with new images and information, that time wasn’t paying off in increased sales. ProStores business advisor Mike Miller says the problem was two-fold. “First, it was hard to tell when navigating if you could actually purchase products,” he explains. “Second, we had to [take] the warm, fuzzy feeling of the retail [store] and put it in the online setting.”
The Solution: The new site places the retail experience first. “My site was primarily a marketing tool for local customers,” Huber-Hauck says. “The redesign placed the emphasis first on shopping, then on communication and community building.” But that doesn’t mean she’s abandoning her commitment to the local market, adding, “The new site will allow us to leverage technology, e-mail marketing, etc. that will help us stay connected with local customers, communicate in a timely manner and drive sales.”
Comment on the above success stories! View in respect to the overall e-marketing plan, consumer behaviour &/or product that was being marketed. In your opinion, which story has the most potential for e-growth and which is the most successful? (Comments due by Feb. 19th - 2008)
Meet our e-commerce makeover winners, whose online sales are set to soar
Never underestimate the power of a good makeover. That was the message behind the e-Business Boost Challenge, sponsored by Entrepreneur magazine and ProStores, an eBay company and full-service e-commerce solution for SMBs.
However, this makeover wasn’t about fashion and grooming. Instead, the winners, who were announced on June 13 at the annual eBay Live! convention, held this year at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center in Las Vegas, received a complete overhaul of their online sales efforts. More than 500 entrepreneurs operating online or through brick-and-mortar stores submitted entries describing their businesses and products as well as why they needed an enhanced online presence.
“We wanted to [encourage] business owners to take advantage of a powerful small-business web solution designed to establish and build an online presence,” says Julian Green, director of ProStores. “We are eager to educate entrepreneurs who want to further develop their businesses but don’t know how to actualize their growth potential through online sales channels.”
Over a five-month period, the six winning businesses were evaluated, and professionals from Entrepreneur, About.com, PayPal, ProStores and eBay provided consulting services to each business, teaching them how to ramp up their online and offline marketing efforts and business operations. In addition, each winning business received a website overhaul from ProStores, complete with integrated e-commerce functions and a one-year subscription to ProStores’ Business tier service. Here’s a closer look at the six winners, their online challenges and the striking makeovers.
Maggie Vasilyadis, 27Essenceology.com, New York cityProjected 2006 Sales: $25,000The Business: Maggie Vasilyadis knows all about makeovers. Working in the cosmetics industry for nine years, she noticed a distinct trend toward more natural beauty products. “I saw this big change coming, with a lot of demand for natural products, and wanted to start right away,” she explains. So she downloaded a website builder from Yahoo! and created her website in less than a month, launching in January 2006 and sourcing products by turning to trade magazines and attending trade shows.
The Challenge: Essenceology.com is run on a very small budget, and Vasilyadis works on it part time while holding her day job. She wasn’t thrilled with the design limitations of the site builder she chose and felt her site could be cleaner and easier to navigate.
According to ProStores business advisor Richard Lawrence, the online beauty products space is very crowded, and Essenceology.com needs some basics to survive. “Essenceology must have a sophisticated web design that will allow it to compete with the major beauty product sites,” he says. “The company is focusing on a fast-growing niche in the beauty products industry: natural and organic products. Unlike her competitors, [Vasilyadis’] products are very reasonably priced. [She] has a good eye for the types of beauty products that are in demand, as she shops the world looking for the best values.”
The Solution: The key word in the redesign seems to be clarity. The new site, says Vasilyadis, keeps the clean look of her previous endeavor but adds many new features for consumers’ convenience, including clear descriptions of each product and its use, along with better organization of products by category. The site also captures more customer and sales information for future marketing efforts. Checkout is seamless, using ProStores’ interface with PayPal, and Vasilyadis can easily add products as she finds more that fit her mix.
“I learned that I don’t have to do everything myself,” Vasilyadis says. “My expertise is in the beauty industry, not in building and designing a site. With help from ProStores, I was able to have control over the design and administrative options to build a site exactly as I pictured it. With more professional design, more consumers will trust the site, and there will be [fewer] abandoned carts.”
Adding E-Commerce Capabilities
Patrick Coughlin, 45American Diamond Importers, St. Clair, MichiganProjected 2006 Sales: $1.8 millionThe Business: In 1988, Patrick Coughlin carved out a nice niche selling diamonds at wholesale prices to insurance companies that needed to replace lost or stolen gems. When a local retail jeweler came on the market four years later, Coughlin saw a chance to expand and purchased the shop, entering the retail jewelry marketplace. Still, it took a while for customers to catch on that the store offered more than just diamonds, and the name, American Diamond Importers, didn’t help. In 2005, Coughlin decided it was time to create a website to help spread the word about his business.
The Challenge: Initially, the site was just an informational website about the company with no e-commerce functionality. Changing that, says ProStores business advisor Jen Mouritsen, was the big challenge. “The first hurdle was turning his site into a full e-commerce solution and getting his customers to be able to find him and buy online without having to make a phone call,” she explains. “As we move into the integration with eBay and getting ProStores up and running, we need to be sure that he has feedback and support to keep running the business effectively online.”
The Solution: ADI’s new website is fully optimized, and Coughlin has had a crash course in how to make his site rank higher in customers’ online searches for fine jewelry. Now customers can immediately see the wide variety of offerings his company has and easily make purchases. Because the new site allows him to reach out to customers in other states--and even other countries--Coughlin says he’ll be able to keep their business, even if they relocate.
“Optimization, spiders, sponsorships--it’s like I’ve learned a whole new language,” Coughlin says. But he expects that language to pay off in a big way. “When you turn on the news here, it’s hard not to get depressed. Michigan’s economy is in the dumpster because of all the news coming out of the car [industry],” he explains. “We were expecting to do $1 million in online sales next year, but now we expect to double that. We’ve already hired six new full-time people to handle the increase, and if all goes according to plan, we’ll probably hire another six more. That’s great news for our area.”
Warren Tracy, 49The Busted Knuckle Garage, Prescott, ArizonaProjected 2006 Sales: More than $300,000The Business: When Warren Tracy stumbled out of bed in the middle of the night in August 1996 and scrawled a foggy idea on a piece of paper, he didn’t realize he had just started his next business venture. A year later, Tracy refined and trademarked that late-night doodle to launch The Busted Knuckle Garage, a gift company that now offers 150 distinctive, branded items for car and motorcycle enthusiasts.
Tracy started getting the word out by promoting skin-care products for mechanics and other hands-on types, such as the river guides he worked with at the Grand Canyon. He began publicizing his products through back-of-the-book advertising in an automotive magazine, and sales increased. When the business picked up some momentum, he quit his job, sold his small collection of cars and motorcycles, and refinanced his house to get the capital he needed to grow the business.
The Challenge: Revenue growth has been steady since the company’s founding in 1997--Tracy has licensed his trademarked name to other manufacturers and closed a 3,400-store distribution deal for a major automobile parts retailer--but Tracy knew sales through his website could be stronger.
“We created retail demand for [our] product and focused on wholesaling to stores and catalog companies,” Tracy explains. “We didn’t really customize the website to any great extent but watched it grow every year. Someone needed to come in with tools and bring it up [a] level. I raised my hand and said, ‘I’m not the one.’”
The Solution: Spearheaded by ProStores director Julian Green, the team created a slick new look and a more functional shopping cart for the site, as well as back-end functions that capture more customer information and sales data, allowing the site to handle a greater volume of sales seamlessly. “Through ProStores, Tracy will be able to list items on eBay as well as other comparison shopping sites [such as Froogle and Shopping.com],” says Green. “Managing and updating those listings will help drive traffic to [his] products.”
Tracy expects the site and other marketing will result in an uptick in referral business: “I believe we’ve built something so friendly and so inviting that new and existing customers will be extremely motivated to tell their friends and family what they’ve discovered.”
Breaking into a Niche Market
Elena Neitlich, 39; Andrew Neitlich, 40; & Cari Whiddon, 38Moms on Edge LLC, Osprey, FloridaProjected 2006 Sales: $55,000The Business: Best friends Elena Neitlich and Cari Whiddon were discussing the challenges of teaching their children how to behave. How can parents be consistent with consequences? After all, it’s not easy to make a little one take five in the middle of a shopping mall. Soon, an idea began to take shape: The Original Naughty Spot--a portable mat with a timer for timeouts.
Whiddon and Neitlich carved out time to develop that idea and others by parking next to each other at the local Wendy’s with sleeping children in the back seat or taking their cordless phones into their closets for a few minutes of uninterrupted discussion. Soon, Andrew Neitlich, Elena’s husband, came onboard as a partner and director of operations. The business officially launched in 2005.
“Our site was up in September, and we got our first order in October,” says Elena. “When people placed orders, Cari sent out an e-mail that said we didn’t have our products in yet, but people e-mailed back and said, ‘We’ll wait.’ That’s when I knew we had something special--when people wanted to purchase [our products] without us having them in our hands.”
The Challenge: Because the company specializes in niche products--“products for peace, quiet and good behavior,” says the tag line--educating customers and getting them to the site were key challenges. ProStores business advisor Angela Troy says, “Children’s items are so competitive. There are numerous hits for ‘place mats,’ so we needed to be sure that the right keywords were being used.”
The Solution: The redesign includes enhanced graphics and a cleaner look. The ProStores team added featured products to the home page, which helps educate customers on the types of products the company specializes in. Other additions include a shopping cart that’s easier to use, an online retail order form and price list, more shipping options and free shipping promotions, and a much easier back-end interface. Links to eBay make managing auctions simpler, and a blog keeps customers entertained and informed and gives them another place to provide feedback.
“Revamping an e-commerce site is not just about web design,” says Whiddon. “It is about a comprehensive strategy to attract prospects, convert them to customers, and manage the back-end order and fulfillment process. We have become much more aware of the importance of various online marketing options, as well as the potential [for] PR.”
Marc Desrosiers, 50RaceWax.com LLC, Waynesboro, PennsylvaniaProjected 2006 Sales: $100,000The Business: Marc Desrosiers liked watching his son’s ski team race but didn’t like dipping into his pockets regularly for $50 bars of race wax and $100-per-bottle speed additives. As a chemist, Desrosiers recognized that the ingredients in those pricey products were actually relatively inexpensive.
When his son decided to test ski waxes for his science fair project, Desrosiers did some experimenting of his own. He purchased some of the ingredients and began creating his own ski wax, which he distributed to his son’s racing team.
“They were thrilled that I was able to give them some of the stuff that they pay a lot of money for,” Desrosiers explains. “Then they said, ‘Hey, you should sell this stuff.’ I had the idea that I would put up a website and send [prospects] a small sample [for free], and if they wanted more, they [could] buy some from me.” Since that nondescript launch in 1999, Racewax, which specializes in affordable ski and snowboard wax products, has been featured in a ski trade magazine and has fielded orders from around the world.
The Challenge: Desrosiers felt that his lack of business training was holding him back. After reading about using eBay as a marketing tool, he gave it a try, and his sales volume steadily increased. However, there was no strategy or comprehensive approach to his marketing or branding, especially on his website, www.racewax.com.
ProStores business advisor Lin Shearer says this is another case where looks matter. “In the product line he’s in, a cool logo is going to go a long way on patches [and] decals,” says Shearer. “He needs to create a true corporate identity.”
The Solution: Sporting a hot new logo created as part of the makeover, Desrosiers’ new site is now far more functional, even allowing customers to accurately compute shipping from many countries. He’s learned a great deal about search engine optimization from the consulting sessions and webinars in which he participated. Plus, the ability of the site to capture more customer data from both his eBay auctions and his direct sales will boost his ability to market his business. Says Des-rosiers, “One of my goals, along with the management of customer information and inventory, was just to be able to use information technology to do a lot more and make my busy life a little easier.”
Making Your Website Cozy
Pamela Huber-Hauck, 46Spirit Work Knitting and Designs, Rochester, New YorkProjected 2006 Sales: $375,000The Business: When Pamela Huber-Hauck left her management position at a telecommunications company to follow her passion and open a yarn shop, her well-honed business acumen served her well. Huber-Hauck’s knowledge of what her clients wanted, as well as the fact that knitting and crochet were on the upswing, created an environment for explosive growth. The startup she launched in 2003 moved from a tiny, 400-square-foot storefront into a 2,400-square-foot facility by the end of her second year in business.
As Huber-Hauck explains, the store became the priority. “Our whole strategy around the brick-and-mortar store was finding what we could do that’s different and innovative,” she says. “We brought in couches and seating and coffee and spa music. We shifted our focus away from [the] website.”
The Challenge: When business had fallen 40 percent by early 2006, Huber-Hauck knew she needed to find new revenue streams. However, the online yarn market was already dominated by a few sellers who were doing it well, and Huber-Hauck wasn’t sure how to transform her website (www.spiritworkknit.com) from a place to learn about upcoming in-store events to a full-service online retailer of yarn and related accessories.
Even though Huber-Hauck was spending as many as 10 hours a week updating her site with new images and information, that time wasn’t paying off in increased sales. ProStores business advisor Mike Miller says the problem was two-fold. “First, it was hard to tell when navigating if you could actually purchase products,” he explains. “Second, we had to [take] the warm, fuzzy feeling of the retail [store] and put it in the online setting.”
The Solution: The new site places the retail experience first. “My site was primarily a marketing tool for local customers,” Huber-Hauck says. “The redesign placed the emphasis first on shopping, then on communication and community building.” But that doesn’t mean she’s abandoning her commitment to the local market, adding, “The new site will allow us to leverage technology, e-mail marketing, etc. that will help us stay connected with local customers, communicate in a timely manner and drive sales.”
Comment on the above success stories! View in respect to the overall e-marketing plan, consumer behaviour &/or product that was being marketed. In your opinion, which story has the most potential for e-growth and which is the most successful? (Comments due by Feb. 19th - 2008)
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
C-Level Marketing vs the 4P's
C-Level Marketing
It used to be critical for every marketer to understand and apply the 4 P's of marketing. They are Product, Price, Place (Distribution) and Promotion. Seems a bit out of sync these days given the new world of marketing and the evolution of consumer interaction in the digital space.
I'm not suggesting we forget about the 4 P's, not at all. However, I propose we move up the alphabet and expand out. I believe we are now faced with 7 C’s of Digital Marketing. They are Content, Community, Conversation, Creative, Campaigns, Conversion and Commerce.
All play a very significant role together in today's ever changing marketing landscape. As search, social media, social networks, online video, virtual worlds, widgets, mobile and a host of other areas and elements gain in popularity, marketers must continually reformulate the way they approach and engage their audience. Today context is vital along with utility and, to a certain degree, entertainment. And, we can't forget about measurement. The need to quantify the effectiveness of our efforts is greater today (and I'd argue more attainable) than ever before.
Understanding how the 7 C's overlap, intertwine and are used in combination is just as important as the foundation set with the 4 P's.
Change is good.
Your thoughts in respect to "New" ideas, "New" concepts in e-marketing & e-commerce today and in the future! Technology is key to growth in today's marketing! Discuss.
It used to be critical for every marketer to understand and apply the 4 P's of marketing. They are Product, Price, Place (Distribution) and Promotion. Seems a bit out of sync these days given the new world of marketing and the evolution of consumer interaction in the digital space.
I'm not suggesting we forget about the 4 P's, not at all. However, I propose we move up the alphabet and expand out. I believe we are now faced with 7 C’s of Digital Marketing. They are Content, Community, Conversation, Creative, Campaigns, Conversion and Commerce.
All play a very significant role together in today's ever changing marketing landscape. As search, social media, social networks, online video, virtual worlds, widgets, mobile and a host of other areas and elements gain in popularity, marketers must continually reformulate the way they approach and engage their audience. Today context is vital along with utility and, to a certain degree, entertainment. And, we can't forget about measurement. The need to quantify the effectiveness of our efforts is greater today (and I'd argue more attainable) than ever before.
Understanding how the 7 C's overlap, intertwine and are used in combination is just as important as the foundation set with the 4 P's.
Change is good.
Your thoughts in respect to "New" ideas, "New" concepts in e-marketing & e-commerce today and in the future! Technology is key to growth in today's marketing! Discuss.
Friday, February 1, 2008
E-tailers Report
E-BUSINESS SPECIAL REPORTAre Small E-Tailers Finished?
In online malls, small businesses selling the same products as larger e-tailers may find themselves marginalized unless they can afford to purchase good placement.
Free Report from Keynote Systems2007 Trends and Observations of the Mobile and Connected World examines how technologies, from the Web to the mobile phone, are specifically impacting key vertical industries, from financial services to new media. Download yours here.
In the early days of e-commerce, small businesses flocked to the Web with grandiose visions of transforming mom-and-pop shops into mega retailers. Those visions turned out to be pipe dreams for most merchants, and the dawn of reality convinced many early adopters to retreat to the brick-and-mortar world.
But small e-tailers are not finished, according to analysts. In fact, they are just beginning to gain momentum in a Web world that finally offers the necessary technology infrastructure to help them get off the ground. And the savvy ones have come to understand the real value of the Internet: It is a cost-effective means of supplementing sales by reaching customers who may have been inaccessible offline.
Of course, small e-businesses still face challenges, including daunting competition from e-tail giants and well-known multichannel retailers.
Acknowledging Advantages
Online shopping malls like Yahoo! Shopping and Web-based auctioneers like eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) are flourishing, and small e-tailers can gain an edge in this climate. To do so, they must leverage such sites to their benefit, Forrester Research analyst Carrie Johnson told the E-Commerce Times. "Large companies are hindered by all sorts of organizational and even acknowledged technological issues that prevent them from experimenting with auctions," she said.
Another factor in favor of small e-tailers, Johnson added, is that it is less daunting to get up and running in today's e-commerce environment. "It's easier for small merchants to succeed now, because there's no more pressure to become the next Amazon," she said. "It's pretty well understood that no one is going to make it really big as a small merchant online anymore."
In addition, merchants need not make significant investments in technology to play the game.
"In the past, people had to build their own Web pages, and the billing systems were horrid," Giga Information Group research fellow Rob Enderle told the E-Commerce Times. "Now you can use a service like PayPal for billing and collection."
Debating Disadvantages
Small e-tailers enjoyed an advantage in the early days, as brick-and-mortar stores tried to figure out the Web and build online infrastructure, but large e-tailers now understand e-commerce, making the competition much stiffer.
According to Enderle, small businesses are at a disadvantage in online shopping malls that also include large companies. Much like the situation in brick-and-mortar malls, the anchor tenant gets the best position and the most traffic. Therefore, small businesses selling the same products as larger e-tailers may find themselves marginalized unless they can shell out cash to secure good placement.
"If there is one vendor that can sell the same products cheaper than you can, then there's a good chance they can get better placement," he said. "That means the little guy can't compete."
Plenty of Room
Even so, there is plenty of room online for small merchants that understand their own strengths and weaknesses.
"There will always be a place for small e-tailers that can operate on low overhead with high gross margins," Yankee Group analyst Paul Ritter told the E-Commerce Times. The key for such e-tailers, Ritter added, is to maintain strength and traction in a niche space with hard-to-find products. For example, he cited online furnishings company Bellacor as a firm that has done well because it has high gross margins, low overhead and high-quality customer service.
Steps to Success
According to Enderle, the first step toward success is differentiation. If small businesses sell the same items as large competitors, he said, they are out of business already. They just may not know it yet.
The next step is providing a customer experience that is more customized and better targeted. "If you get to know your customers on a one-to-one basis -- like buyers of artwork or even high-end electronic equipment -- there's a chance that the user will come back on a regular basis and pay a premium to maintain that experience," Enderle said. "But it has to be a personal experience."
Johnson agreed, noting that big retailers have the same customer service goals as small businesses, but with more automated processes and less incentive to impress customers.
Take the Time
Lastly, small e-tailers have something that large companies lack: more time. According to Johnson, small businesses can gain an advantage by dedicating time to determine which products sell well through auctions. In fact, he said, such research is one of the most cost-effective methods of increasing online sales.
"Really look at product categories, what other items are for sale, and what reserve prices need to be to ensure your items sell at the highest possible closing price," Johnson said. "That's the best way for small merchants to go about it right now."
In online malls, small businesses selling the same products as larger e-tailers may find themselves marginalized unless they can afford to purchase good placement.
Free Report from Keynote Systems2007 Trends and Observations of the Mobile and Connected World examines how technologies, from the Web to the mobile phone, are specifically impacting key vertical industries, from financial services to new media. Download yours here.
In the early days of e-commerce, small businesses flocked to the Web with grandiose visions of transforming mom-and-pop shops into mega retailers. Those visions turned out to be pipe dreams for most merchants, and the dawn of reality convinced many early adopters to retreat to the brick-and-mortar world.
But small e-tailers are not finished, according to analysts. In fact, they are just beginning to gain momentum in a Web world that finally offers the necessary technology infrastructure to help them get off the ground. And the savvy ones have come to understand the real value of the Internet: It is a cost-effective means of supplementing sales by reaching customers who may have been inaccessible offline.
Of course, small e-businesses still face challenges, including daunting competition from e-tail giants and well-known multichannel retailers.
Acknowledging Advantages
Online shopping malls like Yahoo! Shopping and Web-based auctioneers like eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) are flourishing, and small e-tailers can gain an edge in this climate. To do so, they must leverage such sites to their benefit, Forrester Research analyst Carrie Johnson told the E-Commerce Times. "Large companies are hindered by all sorts of organizational and even acknowledged technological issues that prevent them from experimenting with auctions," she said.
Another factor in favor of small e-tailers, Johnson added, is that it is less daunting to get up and running in today's e-commerce environment. "It's easier for small merchants to succeed now, because there's no more pressure to become the next Amazon," she said. "It's pretty well understood that no one is going to make it really big as a small merchant online anymore."
In addition, merchants need not make significant investments in technology to play the game.
"In the past, people had to build their own Web pages, and the billing systems were horrid," Giga Information Group research fellow Rob Enderle told the E-Commerce Times. "Now you can use a service like PayPal for billing and collection."
Debating Disadvantages
Small e-tailers enjoyed an advantage in the early days, as brick-and-mortar stores tried to figure out the Web and build online infrastructure, but large e-tailers now understand e-commerce, making the competition much stiffer.
According to Enderle, small businesses are at a disadvantage in online shopping malls that also include large companies. Much like the situation in brick-and-mortar malls, the anchor tenant gets the best position and the most traffic. Therefore, small businesses selling the same products as larger e-tailers may find themselves marginalized unless they can shell out cash to secure good placement.
"If there is one vendor that can sell the same products cheaper than you can, then there's a good chance they can get better placement," he said. "That means the little guy can't compete."
Plenty of Room
Even so, there is plenty of room online for small merchants that understand their own strengths and weaknesses.
"There will always be a place for small e-tailers that can operate on low overhead with high gross margins," Yankee Group analyst Paul Ritter told the E-Commerce Times. The key for such e-tailers, Ritter added, is to maintain strength and traction in a niche space with hard-to-find products. For example, he cited online furnishings company Bellacor as a firm that has done well because it has high gross margins, low overhead and high-quality customer service.
Steps to Success
According to Enderle, the first step toward success is differentiation. If small businesses sell the same items as large competitors, he said, they are out of business already. They just may not know it yet.
The next step is providing a customer experience that is more customized and better targeted. "If you get to know your customers on a one-to-one basis -- like buyers of artwork or even high-end electronic equipment -- there's a chance that the user will come back on a regular basis and pay a premium to maintain that experience," Enderle said. "But it has to be a personal experience."
Johnson agreed, noting that big retailers have the same customer service goals as small businesses, but with more automated processes and less incentive to impress customers.
Take the Time
Lastly, small e-tailers have something that large companies lack: more time. According to Johnson, small businesses can gain an advantage by dedicating time to determine which products sell well through auctions. In fact, he said, such research is one of the most cost-effective methods of increasing online sales.
"Really look at product categories, what other items are for sale, and what reserve prices need to be to ensure your items sell at the highest possible closing price," Johnson said. "That's the best way for small merchants to go about it right now."
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