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1. Online retailers report record sales
 Several
online merchants reported record sales during the holiday shopping season, including online retail giant Amazon.com,
which said popular items were iPod music players, video games, coats and jewelry.
Amazon said it had its best holiday sales season ever, with more than 108 million items ordered.
The busiest day for the world's largest online store was Monday, Dec. 12, when more than 3.6
million items were ordered, or 41 items per second. The most expensive item purchased during the period was a
pair of diamond earrings worth $94,000.
more
>
1. C|NET news: 05
Jan. - Gvmt. sites are keeping an eye on you >
2. C|NET news: 12
Dec. - Study: Online shopping on upswing >
Are you e-commerce capable? Are you exasperated with your e-commerce system?
If you have a product line and no e-commerce website, you're missing significant sales!
There are literally HUNDREDS of e-commerce systems out there, but the best e-commerce systems
have:
- easy checkout system
- a variety of ways to list products
- easy administrative interface for order tracking, shipping options, product entry and 'specials'
options
- customer account interface (to check order status and review of past orders)
- stable, secure system that integrates with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
- wish list and product notifications, as well as a way to control 'specials'
In addition, e-commerce websites would have a
- built in search function
- changing content monthly
- newsletter (for viral marketing)
E-commerce sites are tough to perfect, but OSCommerce makes it easy to make your site visually
pleasing and functional. Check out these wonderful capabilities:
A OSCommerce setup is only $1800. It could make you thousands of dollars
over a single year! We can integrate an OSCommerce system into almost ANY existing website.
For more information on OSCommerce
>
Traffic is not everything. You could bring in tremendous amounts of targeted potential customers
and not make a single sale. Why?
Because Web Marketing is different than Web Sales.
Web Marketing is the process of getting customers to a website. Web Sales gets
those customers to buy something. Here are some helpful tips to concentrate that selling power:
- Does your website have a striking slogan? The first thing a potential customer (PC)
should see is the PURPOSE of the site. That focuses their need of your product line.
- Is your opening sentence compelling and stimulating? Don't lose their attention!
Keep them moving towards that purchase with a great opening paragraph. Make sure that they understand the BENEFIT
of your products to them. Is it exciting? Make them dream! Create desire!
- Is your website unclutted and easy to read? Make sure they don't get 'situational
overload' with too much information.
- Don't talk about your product, not your company. Many sites make this mistake. Customers
are interested in what you can do for them, not you.
- Take away risk. You can offer a 100% money-back guarantee. Make sure that customers
don't feel buying from you is an emotional hurdle.
- Lower risk. Offer free shipping and an 800 number.
- Things are easy to find. Make sure that if you have over 20 products there is a 'search'
function.
- Create a 'why buy from us?' page and layout the entire pitch, right there. Your product
is different from other products. Emphasize it! Discover what makes you a good buy and your customers will!
This
article was inspired from Clint Dixon at SEOChat >
Sometimes it is impossible to meet every potential customer. So find the people that connect
with others and befriend them.
How many people do you know? 50? 200? Thousands?
Some people are naturally gregarious and love to connect with others. They are masters of the
'weak tie.' That means they are experts of keeping in contact with others, on a casual basis. You know who I
am talking about; I would guess that everyone knows at least one person who excels at keeping in touch.
For me, it's Dennis Longaberger at Sunset Kidd Cruises. That guy knows
EVEYRONE. Not only is he personable, but can keep odd facts in his head about everyone. Things that make others
feel special. He has a genuine interest in others lives. We call this type of person a connector.
My biggest connection recently is Jean Swift, the Marketing Director at the Ventura
Chamber of Commerce. She knows everyone. I give her an idea, and she immediately turns around and gives me
3 names for people that I should contact. It's spooky. Jean has helped me in so many ways by just being my friend.
I owe her about 5 dinners, now.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, finding those connectors (or rather, them finding you) is
a great way to market. Marketing isn't just about getting message to the masses. It's about finding the
connector and allowing them to get it to the masses. At the very least, they will turn around and tell you who
to talk to.
Sure, connectors might not work as good as a newspaper ad. But they might tell you which newspaper
to advertise in. They'll probably even know someone at the newspaper that could help you build the ad.
The Connector concept was taken from a book that I read over 4 years ago called The
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. See review below.
Back by popular demand! We have, in January, a seminar talking about the 10 biggest mistakes
that websites make. A MUST SEE for people designing their own websites!
For more about the 10 biggest mistakes (downloadable
copy) >
To contact Gregory about the seminar >
 Gregory's
Note: About 4 years ago, I was browsing through a bookstore god-knows-where and came upon this
book. I bought it because it looked like fun. It turned about to be one of the best purchases I have ever made
for life and business.
Although not about marketing per se, it IS about human nature and how ideas spread thorugh society.
And THAT is important to know, for marketing, for life. it's also deliciously scientific. Gladwell is a smart
and engaging writer.
Basically, Gladwell says that there are three types of people that define the way we think, purchase,
understand, and conduct our lives. They are Mavens (yiddish for 'wise one') Connectors (masters of the weak tie)
and Salesmen (those who convince others that something is important.) Mavens dig up information, pass it off
to Connectors, who in turn find appropriate Salesmen for dispersement. It's a really, really, fun book.
Some interesting points in the book:
- How the game the Six Degrees (of Kevin Bacon) started
- Why Paul Revere is the only one (of two men) during colonial times that got the message out
about the British arriving
- why Hush Puppies and Sketcher shoes took off almost overnight
- why some concepts are 'sticky' and others are not
Take my word for it: it's a fun read. And you might just discover yourself in there. And let
me know if you're a Maven, Connector, or Salesman!
Malcolm Gladwell's
book ONLINE >
Gregory's Note: Isn't America wonderful? I have recently rediscovered
the United States Small Business Administration. Not only do they have news
and tons of information on how to own a small business in the US, they also have a FREE
training courses. After inputting a small amount of information, voila! Instant great information. Yay!
Check out www.sba.gov now! >
If you have suggestions as to content, layout, or relevance of material above, don't hesitate to
email Gregory at gregory@leyline.net.
----------- (END OF NEWSLETTER) -----------
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Sincerely, Gregory Cox, 805-258-3112 |
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