Outfox e-Retail

USING SHIPPING DISCOUNTS TO INCREASE CONVERSIONS

2008-01-15T22:05:00.000-08:00

Why is it that small retailers are so afraid of eating shipping costs? Reducing shipping costs can dramatically increase conversions - meaning it costs you less to acquire each order. Shipping discounts may decrease your net margin per order - but you'll likely get significantly more orders.I've seen cases where retailers gain a full point on conversion rates by offering free shipping! (

"PAIN-PER-CLICK" - PUTTING THE "PAY" INTO THE CLICK

2008-01-15T00:09:00.000-08:00

Easy access to Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing has made PPC the most (mis) used online marketing tactic for small retailers. Tips and advice on how to put the pay back into the click.Rule #1: PPC is Lazy Man's MarketingPPC can be effective at driving some sales - and in some cases, significant sales. But, compared to other creative marketing (like good strategic partnerships), PPC is expensive.

NO MARKETING PLAN IS A PLAN TO FAIL

2008-01-14T22:56:00.000-08:00

"We're going to get ranked high on the search engines!" he said, gesticulating wild growth emphatically with his hands. "And we're going to do pay-per-click marketing too...did you know there are thousands of people per day searching for solar panels on the web? The streets are paved with gold out there!"That was two years ago, when he insisted he didn't need to spend time on "formalities" like

GOOD CHEESE DOESN'T STAND ALONE

2008-01-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

I just got my latest copy of Internet Retailer - the industry rag for all of us hardcore e-commerce geeks. This month's issue features an article about whether you should build or buy your online retail platform.While there are arguments on both sides of this one, small retailers definitely agree that the cost of building a robust platform is prohibitive, not to mention that it takes so much

SOCIAL SHOPPING - BOOM OR BUST?

2008-01-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

It's all the rage these days. Every time I read the latest business news it seems like someone's hyping social shopping. But will it be as big as its buzz?If you're new to social shopping, there's a great introduction in this article from the NY Times. Essentially it's the marriage of online social networking like My Space, and independent product recommendations. Perhaps the most popular

WHY WHAT WORKS FOR AMAZON, WON'T WORK FOR YOU

2008-01-13T19:04:00.000-08:00

How and why a small retailer has the advantage in effective cross-sell recommendations.Recently a client approached me, asking if we could implement the same product recommendations strategy that Amazon.com uses, for his retail site.If you've shopped Amazon.com lately, then you've probably noticed their product recommendations. The typical "you may also like these items..." sort of thing that

10 BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING

2008-01-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

Preparing to launch a new online retail venture? Trying to increase sales on one you've already got?Here are some basics of effective online merchandising that you should be careful to implement! Also be sure to checkout the TOP 10 MISTAKES OF SMALL ONLINE RETAILERS.Just the basics, man: THINK LIKE A CUSTOMERDON'T RUN WITH TURKEYSUSE CROSS-SELL EFFECTIVELYIF I CAN'T SEARCH IT, YOU

IF THEY WANTED TO CALL, THEY WOULDN'T BE ON YOUR WEBSITE

2008-01-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

One of the important BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING. Leave shoppers wondering and they’ll leave you penniless.If a shopper wanted to pick up the phone and talk to one of your customer service reps, they would have called you to place their order, instead of shopping your website. Online shoppers don’t want to have to call you, and frankly you’ll save money if they don’t have to. If they do

CREATING AN IMPULSE TO BUY - NOW!

2008-01-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

One of the important BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING. An effective online retailer is one who can convince the “tire kicker” to actually complete their purchase online, right now. Your merchandising must invoke an impulse to buy for the shopper.Most shoppers are tire-kickers and best deal hunters.For every shopper that visits your website with a clear intention to purchase a product online,

YOU GOTTA BE EASY

2008-01-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

One of the important BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING. In a recent poll of internet shoppers, most indicated that some of the top reasons for abandoning a retail site without placing an order included frustration with sites that were difficult to use or navigate, and sites that were slow to respond. In order to grow your online retail venture successfully, you need to convert the maximum

EVERY PRODUCT IS WORTH A PICTURE

2008-01-13T08:38:00.000-08:00

One of the important BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING. It’s easy to understand the importance of using good product photography for items purchased primarily on visual appeal. Chances are you wouldn’t buy a shirt, or a piece of art without seeing a picture of it. It may surprise you to know how important pictures are for products that are purchased based on technical specifications, or other

ALWAYS TELL ME...WHY SHOULD I BUY FROM YOU???

2008-01-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

One of the important BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING. Your Unique Selling Position ("USP") is the reason that shoppers would buy from you, instead of your competitors. Maybe it’s your lower price point, or perhaps greater expertise in the product line, or better after sale service, or something else. Whatever your USP is, it should be demonstrated throughout the entirety of your

IF I CAN'T SEARCH IT...YOU AIN'T GOT IT.

2008-01-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

One of the important BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING. Your catalog search feature may be killing you."In some retail segments, as much as 22% of shoppers now indicate that they *start* shopping by using a site's search feature. Nearly 40% of shoppers surveyed indicated that if they search and don't find the product they want, they leave the retailer's website without trying to browse for the

WANT THE SALE? THEN FEED THE NEED!!!

2008-01-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

Nobody buys a product unless it meets a NEED. Period. Consider this: A man buys a Ferrari. Why? What need is he filling? If he wants a fast car, he could buy a Corvette for a third of the price. So why, a Ferrari? He probably wants to stand out, to be recognized. A shopper buys a computer game. Why? Most likely a need to escape from real life for a while. Every product is

WHY PEOPLE BUY "THINGS"

2008-01-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

I was flying back home a few weeks ago and flipping through the Sky Mall catalog - as I'm prone to doing since I consulted for them years ago. Page after page of "things". Some cool things, some weird things - lots of things that nobody really needs.Or do they?Sky Mall sells some $150M per year in stuff it seems nobody really needs.And that perception is a major mistake that many small

USE LOGICAL PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

2008-01-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

One of the important BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING. Anyone who has shopped a major online retailer is likely to be familiar with the concept of product recommendations, also known as “cross-sell” or “up-sell” merchandising. However, most small online retailers either underestimate the importance of them, or don’t implement them effectively (or at all). Effective product

DON'T RUN WITH TURKEYS

2008-01-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

One of the important BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING. I can’t count the number of times in my career working with online retailers that I’ve heard some variation of the phrase “we do it like that because that’s how everyone else does it…” It always amazes me how many times the competitors referenced by “everyone else” are the “average” competitors in the marketplace, rarely the

THINK LIKE A CUSTOMER!

2008-01-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

One of the important BASICS OF EFFECTIVE E-MERCHANDISING. The most successful online retailers have all mastered this simple concept. And, while it’s simple in concept it’s not always easy – but thinking like a customer is critical to developing effective online merchandising. Thinking like a customer must start at the very basic levels of your merchandising strategy – such as the development

RECESSION IS COMING...CELEBRATE!

2008-01-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Nobody of any influence wants to talk about it. The big stock analysts are avoiding it, playing it down - and what a shock - if they admit it and stocks fall as a result, they stand to lose the most.But, try as they might to convince the nation at large that it isn't happening, the mortgage and housing market slump is going to have a substantial impact on the economy. Maybe a huge one. My

IT'S A DAMN GOOD TIME TO BE SMALL!

2008-01-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

Over the years I've been asked a number of times why Suite Spot Commerce doesn't go after bigger e-retail clients. Our platform certainly competes with the "big dogs" for functionality, and we know our stuff.Well, I've always insisted this time would come. And now it's here. Small online retailers are gaining ground against the giants (NY Times, 12/11/07).States the article:The number of small

THE TOP 10 SMALL E-RETAILER MISTAKES

2008-01-10T15:19:00.001-08:00

The top 10 mistakes that lead to the failure and demise of 90% of startup online retailers.If you're a small online retailer you probably have made, or are currently making one of these mistakes. New online retailers - learn the easy way. Read up! TESTING THE WATERHIRING THE RETAIL BLINDBLIND LEADING THE BLINDDICTATED BY TECHNOLOGYFISHING WITHOUT BAITIF I BUILD IT,

IS IT MY PICKUP LINE? OR AM I JUST DULL???

2008-01-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

If you're spending money marketing your retail site, but not getting the sales to justify your marketing investment and grow - this post is for you.Maybe it's your pickup line. Maybe you're just dull. Or, maybe, you're trying to romance the wrong customer.So what's your problem?Sometimes it takes a lot of detailed metrics and focus to figure out exactly where the problem lies. Sometimes a

HELP IS OUT THERE!

2008-01-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

Not sure where to begin? Got some ideas from our blog but not sure how to implement? Suite Spot Commerce can help!Give us a ring. 866-731-6522Retail Site AnalysisIf you have a retail site now, and are trying to increase conversions, or improve marketing results we can perform a thorough Retail Site Analysis that will tell you exactly what you need to change, and why. The cost is between $400

ABANDONMENT ISSUES? THERAPY RECOMMENDED...

2008-01-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

Do you feel abandoned? Do shoppers come by, make a quick connection - and then just leave you hanging, longing for more?It's not you, it's me. Wait...no, it's you.It's always you. The online shopper is under no obligation or desire to romance you. They've got hundreds of options to choose from. If you want e-retail romance, you've got to kindle the fire.Analyzing your abandonment issuesFor

THE GOLD MINE YOU'RE IGNORING - PR

2008-01-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

Chatham's Fine Chocolates had just launched. The online marketing component hadn't yet begun, and the site visitor count for the first week was so near zero it's not worth mentioning. Then, a local TV channel did a live remote from the store...and internet sales jumped from zero to a full wallet in a matter of hours.If you're like most small e-retailers you've tried a lot of marketing ideas.

GOOD SEARCH OPTIMIZATION CAN BE BAD!

2008-01-09T21:38:00.001-08:00

Getting more traffic from search engines is a good thing...right?Maybe.Effective search engine optimization ("SEO") costs money. And it's not necessarily a good investment.Search engine optimizers often claim victory before the war is won - before the order is actually placed. They measure their value based on how many visitors they brought to your website - not the value of the orders their

THE $10K MILLIONAIRE

2008-01-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

One of the TOP 10 SMALL e-RETAILER MISTAKES that lead the the demise of startup online retailers.One of the more attractive perceptions of online business is that an online business has a much lower overhead than a typical brick and mortar retail store. This is generally true. But with the exception of very unique niche products, the internet is also far more price-point competitive than

DICTATED BY TECHNOLOGY

2008-01-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

One of the TOP 10 SMALL e-RETAILER MISTAKES that lead the the demise of startup online retailers.If you're like most small online retailers, you probably didn't select the online retail software (or shopping cart) that your website utilizes to merchandise products and process orders. Rather, you selected a web designer who then selected that software based on their knowledge of it, and/or it's

LA to NY WITHOUT A MAP

2008-01-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

One of the TOP 10 SMALL e-RETAILER MISTAKES that lead the the demise of startup online retailers.Imagine you’re in Los Angeles. I give you a car and a couple hundred bucks of gas money and tell you you’ve got to make it to New York – before you run out of gas money. The first thing you would probably demand is a map. If you take the wrong turn and end up hundreds of miles out of

FISHING WITHOUT BAIT

2008-01-09T20:10:00.000-08:00

One of the TOP 10 SMALL e-RETAILER MISTAKES that lead the the demise of startup online retailers.One of the most common and damaging assumptions made by small online retailers is the concept that if they launch a retail site selling their products they will get business by simple merit of the fact that they exist. The internet is like a giant pond, with millions of fish - and millions of

IF I BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

2008-01-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

One of the TOP 10 SMALL e-RETAILER MISTAKES that lead the the demise of startup online retailers.If you haven't seen the movie "Field of Dreams", I'll set up the title line of this segment for you. Kevin Costner is a farmer. His family thinks he's lost his mind because he keeps seeing visions of the long-deceased baseball great Joe DiMaggio, and hears a voice from nowhere that whispers "if you

I DON’T PLAY DRESS-UP

2008-01-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

One of the TOP 10 SMALL e-RETAILER MISTAKES that lead the the demise of startup online retailers.Dress-up and pretend isn’t just for school kids. It’s a powerful tool for an online retailer. You can learn a lot by dressing up in the mind-set of a consumer and shopping your products online. In all my years working with online retailers, it has never ceased to amaze me how little small online

THE CLEAN SLATE MENTALITY

2008-01-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

Shopping the internet feels very different from shopping in a physical retail store. The medium is so different that "brick and mortar" retailers approaching online retail tend to assume that everything they know about retail merchandising is suddenly irrelevant. This is a big mistake. It leads to experienced merchandisers relying on web designers with little retail experience to define many

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND

2008-01-09T20:01:00.000-08:00

One of the TOP 10 SMALL e-RETAILER MISTAKES that lead the the demise of startup online retailers.Even if you’re a techno-junkie with the latest phone, computer and iPod the odds are good you find the inner workings of technology daunting. Geek speak of META tags, image optimization and kilobytes is all Greek. That's OK. But, where most small retailers fail is that they allow

TESTING THE WATER

2008-01-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

One of the TOP 10 SMALL e-RETAILER MISTAKES that lead the the demise of startup online retailers.Many small online retailers launch with the attitude that they're "testing the water" to see how well their product will retail online. This mentality seems logical enough - invest a very small amount of money building a simple retail site and then see how well it performs. If it

HIRING THE RETAIL BLIND

2008-01-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

One of the TOP 10 SMALL e-RETAILER MISTAKES that lead the the demise of startup online retailers.Web Designers Most new online retailers don't have their own in-house e-commerce programmers. A common solution is to contract a "web designer" to build out your website. Many of these web designers are talented, and can build a visually appealing and functional website. Most of them build