June 13th, 2013
Businesses looking to sell online should take full advantage of Facebook. The social giant is an excellent way to build brand authority, provide excellent customer service, and marketing the company to increase sales.
Once you work in paid ads on Facebook, there’s no wonder why it is the primary network where companies spend the most time and money. Facebook represents an excellent opportunity for generating leads with posts and media that go viral.
But how can you get the most out of paid Facebook ads? Marcela De Vino offers four tips that can help you take advantage of these ads:
- Ad Placement: It used to be that paid ads were only on the right side. However, Facebook now allows for ads to be placed in the news feed. De Vino reports that these are eight times more engaging than “ordinary” right-hand-column ads.
- Choose Your Format Wisely: Optimize your ads for the highest conversion rate. From sponsored stories to photo page ads and link page ads, there is something for everyone. Make sure your ad is right for your content type.
- The Right Targeting Tools: You can choose between Facebook exchange and custom and native targeting. Depending on your needs, one of these methods is ideal for your campaigns.
- Optimization: Low-cost testing can help you maximize your efforts. De Vino recommends CPM instead of CPC for getting targeted users to take a specific action.
These strategies can help you make the most of your budget – as well as the huge social media giant Facebook.
Contact us for more tips to help you sell online, whether it’s social media, SEO, or other forms of marketing. We’ll be glad to talk to you about your needs.
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June 6th, 2013
So you have an online store and you’d like to see some sales growth? While there’s no magic bullet, there are some relatively simple things that you can do to increase the probability that you’ll see a bump in your top line.
Here are few tips to boost your online sales.
1. Rehash. Upon checkout, a customer should be prompted with a question like “Would you like to also purchase x for $y?” If the customer clicks yes, then that product immediately added to the shopping cart and you’ve got another sale. There are also promotions that you could implement like this. For example, you could ask the customer if he or she would be interested in purchasing an additional item at a discount.
2. Speed. If you’re e-commerce site is slow, you’re going to lose sales. Contact your IT people and ensure that your site is as lightning-fast as it can be. If necessary, add more hardware to support increased bandwidth. You may need to contact your host provider to get a dedicated server.
3. SEO. Have your website Search Engine Optimized so that it ranks higher among the search engines. There are services that will do this for a nominal fee.
4. Blog. Continuing with the previous point, you’ll find that the search engines love new content. Add that content via a blog, at least weekly. Spend time writing about subjects related to your offerings. This will add keywords to your site that the search engines will recognize. The end result is that more people will be directed to your site when they perform a search based on those keywords.
5. Social media. Get on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and various other popular social media sites. Use these outlets to advertise promotions, stay in touch with customers, and talk about your products. This is word-of-mouth advertising in cyberspace.
If you’d like to learn more about increasing your online sales feel free to contact us. We’re here to help.
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June 4th, 2013
Mobile commerce may just be the way everyone does all of their shopping some day. The same way online shopping has taken a bite out of the brick and mortar retail business, mobile commerce may actually be well-equipped to take it all one step further.
Yes, mobile commerce is here to stay and it is growing. But, how do you get your business to make mobile commerce work at a high level for your business? Below, I have a list of three great SEO tips to make mCom a true superstar for your you:
Presence – Trying to stop short of saying something like “d’uh” here, but it really is as simple as it sounds. You must have a mobile presence today, and it needs to be effectively unique. Recent estimates have up to 25% of web searches being done on mobile devices. You need to embrace this growing trend by making your site mobile friendly. Create unique mobile content for your potential mobile commerce shoppers.
Localize – Sure, a lot of people just automatically look at Amazon when they conduct an online shopping search. But, truth is, a lot of people also prefer to search local. Make sure your mobile content makes it easy for people to quickly locate store hours and locations especially. These two items, in particular, could be first on a potential shoppers mind. A lot of times, people already know exactly where they want to go for a particular item. They just want to know when they can go and how to get there. So, access to online directions isn’t a bad idea either.
Make Comparison Shopping Easy – A growing trend within mobile commerce is the idea of shoppers being in store and using their mobile device to compare prices. Make your mobile content easy to comparison shop and then easily make a purchase afterwards.
X-Cart custom designed skin customization templates are a marketing oriented shopping cart design that is easy to use, builds trust with your customers, increases conversion rates and helps to sell more. Contact us today! We would welcome your business and love to hear from you.
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May 24th, 2013
For online stores, the obvious goal is to sell online. This comes with SEO, PPC, social media, and a number of other great tools that can help you stimulate business.
Showcasing a product is a great way to increase sales. For instance, you might highlight a hot item on Facebook and other social media networks, with pictures, videos, and giveaways to get that viral effect. Using these same strategies, your business can bring a lot of excitement to future products.
Seize the opportunity with a future product. Here are some ways to generate interest:
Progressively release information and media, which can help keep some mystique in the offering
Simultaneously launch promotional giveaways for special customers; for instance, to those who like and share certain posts
Make social media campaigns site-specific, so that you’re giving your customers a reason to follow you on each and every network
As the release date approaches, unleash all sorts of media, such as videos, that generate buzz
Consider offering pre-orders to customers
By doing these sorts of things, you can engage your customers with a future product that isn’t even out yet. It will keep them coming back for more information – and get them one step closer to buying that and other products.
Online marketing is a powerful tool for selling products online. Whether you are a dedicated online retailer or have local stores as well, these strategies can help you generate a lot of buzz and interest. Contact us for more tips and tricks to selling online!
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May 20th, 2013
Online visitors are much more likely to do business with a site that is clear and enjoyable. If they experience problems or hitches, they may very well leave and purchase products from another retailer.
This is the state of ecommerce. Your online store has an opportunity to give the customer what he or she wants. There is only one chance to make a good impression – a sentiment that is true in the online world.
A product description can easily be overlooked. Yet, if there is not the right amount of information and media in the right spots, your online store can miss out. Keep the following tips in mind:
Text: Clear, concise text is a must. Make the text as reader-friendly as possible, and consider putting the specifications (and/or key uses or features) in bullet form, which can add space. Test the right amount of text for your products and make sure there is consistency across the online store.
Images: Quality is important here. Many choose to stick with one picture, though different industries can lend to more pictures being a good idea. Make sure that options are present, such as a product in a different color (that is or isn’t shown in the picture or pictures).
Video: Adding video can be a great idea or overkill, depending on your store. Give this some thought, for a product explanation or testimonial feature on the page.
Take a look at other online stores to see how information is presented. With the right approach, you can make your online store much more pleasant with the right text and media.
Contact us for more about the online store –from development to refining it for maximum sales growth.
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May 2nd, 2013
Your website’s blog can be one of the best ways to market your shopping cart. Based on search engine optimization (SEO) techniques that drive more visitors to your website, you can then direct them to your products and services. This simple link can improve e-commerce – at no charge.
Consider for a moment the power of SEO. Since many of your potential customers use a search engine to find products/services, it only makes sense that you’d want to be near the top. With SEO techniques that make your site more appealing to search engines, you can increase that search ranking. Once that happens, you will receive more of that natural search engine traffic.
How can you make that happen? Your blog is the key. Writing quality content that naturally uses keywords that people will search is what SEO is all about. While there is more to it than that, this simply practice can have an impressive result on your search engine rankings for keywords.
Aim to produce blog content for your website. Consider the types of posts that you can write:
- Informational: News and helpful information concerning your industry.
- Promotional: New products, services, sales, and much more where you can include links to your shopping cart.
- Entertainment: People will respond well to appropriate pieces that entertain. They can be especially effective for a change of pace.
Include media and other items that can jump out at visitors. Also, don’t forget to share blog posts on social media, which can have a direct effect on SEO. Research has demonstrated that a big social media following can improve SEO considerations.
Want to learn more about leveraging your shopping cart? Contact us for more!
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April 26th, 2013
Over half of all Internet-connected people are on Facebook, in the United States. Numbers are rising for other social media sites as well, and businesses have already starting taking note of the trend.
Why? Social media, especially Facebook and the other giants (Twitter and Google+) is the key to driving sales. If your company wants to sell online, social media must be part of the plan.
One of the best ways to leverage Facebook is to fill your business’ page with great media. Videos and pictures have been proven to stick out to followers, as it catches the eye easily and it can be viewed conveniently. Here are some tips to get you started:
Start with pictures of your business, products, and/or services. Some may be more inclined to pictures than others, such as a food-based company, but any business can participate – even fun-spirited pictures of the office can be great.
Videos can help connect to customers as well. Use videos to explain your business and/or products, including brand new offerings and even holiday-themed sales. There are plenty of types of videos that can be used – such as Q&As and testimonials.
Find media from other sources to share. Perhaps there’s an informational/entertaining picture or video that would appeal to your customers. Share this kind of content to become a thought leader in your industry, and a welcomed source of entertainment.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Facebook and other social media avenues can help connect you with the customer, and ultimately improve your sales dramatically.
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April 19th, 2013
Online sales methods can seem to hit a plateau. While your business might be producing optimized PPC ads, SEO strategies to gain traction on search engines, and social media to highlight your products/services, it might not seem like enough.
You are not alone. Every online store can have difficulties obtaining that “next level” of growth.
There is a method popular to social media networks that can greatly stimulate interest in the business and its products. Giveaways can generate a lot of buzz and stand as a great asset to a marketing campaign.
The idea is simple: Encourage your customers and followers to like, comment, and share a post on social media to have a chance at winning something. You can even set the parameters as only those who like and share the post on Facebook are eligible. One or a few lucky winners would then be selected at the deadline.
What does that do for your business? Your social media page(s) will receive a great deal of exposure, as well as the product(s) that you are highlighting – creating natural interest in them. Customers will be excited at the possibility of winning since they are desirable, after all, which can lead to an increase in purchases.
Try out this sales tactic and monitor how it fares with other paid forms of advertising. It may be cheaper and more effective than any other method you have tried in the past. Complete the offering with great social media copy and visuals – and you could be on your way to improving your online store’s business.
Contact us to learn more about leveraging your online store for your business.
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April 17th, 2013
While the use of mobile devices grows more and more every year, a new report reveals that affluent, big spenders prefer the convenience of mobile commerce more than shopping with a personal computer. Whether your business sells products or services online, you can’t afford to overlook mobile shopping features any longer.
According to the new study, affluent shoppers using mobile devices for purchasing in the U.S. increased drastically last year, particularly among the younger set, reports Business News Daily. Here are just some of the results of the study:
· Affluent shoppers indicated mobile shopping was “very important” in the marketing study.
· Affluent shoppers using mobile rose last year from 22 to 38 percent.
· Almost half of affluent consumers under age 45 shopped or purchases products using a mobile phone.
· Overall research for products on mobile devices grew from 23 to 51 percent.
Mobile commerce is not all about the wealthy shoppers though. With the increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets in middle income families, the fast rise in mobile shopping has banks and credit card companies on the alert too, according to a Business Insider report. Here are a few of its findings:
· Mobile payments while shopping inside a brick and mortar store almost quadrupled last year.
· Mobile payments are exploding overall; for example, Paypal handled $14 billion in mobile payments last year and plans to expand its mobile payment options even more this year.
Is your online store ready for the big spenders on mobile? If not, ASF Design can help. We provide mobile-friendly website development and shopping cart services customized for your business. To see examples of our mobile commerce service, visit www.budgetgolf.com or www.curls.biz from your mobile device. Visit our website and contact us today to find out more about how we can help you sell products on mobile.
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April 15th, 2013
Inc.com featured some great examples recently from major retail websites to show how to sell products online by using effective content. If you’re looking for an ecommerce solution for your retail business or want to increase your sales, follow these tips to maximize your website’s effectiveness.
Product Descriptions: Include at least 75 to 200 words of product description with appropriate details like sizes, colors, weight, and shipping information. Use search engine optimized (SEO) keywords along with suitable marketing copy for best results.
High Quality Photographs: This is “the second most important thing about selling online”, according to the article and photos should be enlargeable without distortion. Photos are critical for sharing your products on visually based social media websites like Pinterest and Facebook.
Contact Information on Every Page: Include phone numbers, physical address, e-mail address, and contact availability hours in a prominent place on each page. Many potential customers will not order online from small businesses that do not include contact information in order to avoid scammers.
Internal Website Search: Visitors that land on your home page should be able to find the products they’re looking for easily by using a search feature within your website. While some may want to browse through different product categories, they may leave if they’re looking for something specific and can’t find it quickly.
Shopping Cart Action Buttons: Call to action buttons such as “Buy now” or “Download Now” should appear on every product page.
Visit our website and contact us today to learn more about our ecommerce and shopping cart solutions. We offer cost-effective solutions with over 15,000 ready-made website templates to choose from as well as custom website design options. We can also turn your existing website design into a working ecommerce platform. Be sure to browse through our portfolio of completed website projects and happy customer testimonials too!
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