Latest Fascinating Posts…

• How to Increase Online Sales for Your e-Commerce WebsiteMay 20, 2013, 10:00 pm

  “I miss the days when all you had to do was buy a $200 yellow page ad and the phone would ring off the hook.” We’ve heard this time and time again. Those were the days before these unbelievably useful and simple tools called search engines came along. Slowly but surely the yellow pages have become obsolete to consumers (that article was written in 2010 – obsolete might be an understatement).

  The market shifted to the internet, retail was not far behind. Anyone can sell a product online, but not everyone knows how to market products online. There are – literally – thousands of ways to approach gaining traction in search engines. Below are five ways to get your products found online.

  1. Content and SEO

  There is a fine line between quality content and keyword stuffing for search engine optimization purposes. Make sure the product you are selling is titled with the key phrase someone might use to search for the product online. In the description of the product, put the quality content that will entice the viewer to purchase. The product should have a photo; make sure to add alt-tags to gain traction in image searches. Make sure to enter the keyword tags in order to increase your chances of being found online as well. If possible, review the product in your blog. Attach a link in the description – if you can get the site visitor to read the post, that’s a win as they have spent more time on your site which will hopefully translate into a sale (p.s. – link back to the product in the blog post or create a button that says: “Purchase this product”).

  2. Blogging

  Google loves new, fresh content. Blogging is a way to get fresh content on your site regularly. Blogging also shows your industry knowledge and expertise. Your blog will fuel your social media efforts (see number three). When you are on social media there are curators and creators. Curators share other users’ content. Creators share their own content and are seen as a source for good information to share. Start a blog if regardless if you have an e-commerce website or not. It is a huge factor in getting found online.

  3. Social Media

  Social media has been dubbed the <a target=_blank Continue reading…

• Delivering Loyalty: 10 Lessons From Zappos.comMay 20, 2013, 9:43 pm
  

  Zappos.com is more than an electronic shoe store. It is a supportive community that happens to put you in a pair of great-looking shoes.

  Somewhere in creating what is now one of the leading online retailers, founder Tony Hsieh established a state of mind ­– and ideal stemming from his own pursuit of happiness. Today, with 8 million products in inventory – from shoes to apparel – Zappos.com ships more than $1 billion in merchandise annually, each sent with the sole mission of delivering the same happiness.

  I was lucky enough to take a guided tour of Zappos’ headquarters and call center on a trip to Las Vegas, and I left practically dizzy, not only from the sensory overload, but from the brilliance of the company’s customer engagement philosophy. In essence, Zappos generates loyalty by being loyal – to its customers, its community, its shareholders and its staff.

  1. Zappos makes it easy

  By eliminating shipping fees on returns, Zappos has removed one of the main barriers to ordering shoes online: size. Not only can shoppers order several different sizes and then send the misfits back for free, Zappos’ call center employees encourage it. The company also issues 1,000 return labels daily for customers who can’t print them online.

  2. Zappos doesn’t leave you waiting

  

  Zappos executives intentionally decided to build their central warehouse in Louisville, Ky., so that it could be strategically located directly next to one of the nation’s largest UPS facilities. Every UPS package passes through this location, so by being next door, each Zappos.com order arrives at the customer’s doorstep within two days.

  3. Full of surprises

  

  The Zappos team is given complete freedom to do whatever they think is necessary to create a PEC (personal emotional connection) with every customer. This often means they extend creative signs of appreciation, from waived shipping fees to a bouquet of flowers. During our tour, I came across a call center employee in the midst of creating a card for a customer who said her dog was going into surgery.

  4. Makes heroes of its employees

  <img class="aligncenter" title="Makes heroes of its employees" alt="Delivering Continue reading…