Recent Articles
4 ‘Free’ Marketing Incentives Every SMB Should be Using
Why ‘Free’ In Marketing Works The motivating four-letter word ‘Free’ gets attention from consumers no matter what it’s referring to. Whether they are ecstatic about free Wi-Fi, free product returns or even a free donut with a beverage. That free fried dough on National Donut Day drives people mad, so much so you’d think one would cost more than $1.25. There is just something about the term that gets the people going, but what is it? Sure it’s enticing to get free stuff, but why is it the main driving factor in online purchases, and just overall shopping experiences? In Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Duke Professor Dan Ariely delves into how rational our buying decisions really are. “Most transactions have an upside and a downside, but when something is FREE! We forget the downside. FREE! Gives us such an emotional charge that we perceive what is being offered as immensely more valuable than it really is.” –Predictably Irrational So what can a small business owner do to comply with this term consumers love so much without breaking the bank? Consider using these
7 Essential Strategies Before Offering Free Product Returns
Consumers love the four-letter word, 'Free,' whether that means scooping up some needless key chains or reveling in a free shipping purchase they just made. The reasons to offer free shipping have risen over the years with increased conversions and more, but, free returns might be on its way to matching free shipping in years to come. “Free returns and exchanges surpassed one-day shipping this year as the No. 2 incentive – 65 percent compared to 62 percent.” -Walker Sands Communications Free shipping is not going anywhere, as it remains the top reason 83% of consumers do more of their shopping online. But, will retailers need to take advantage of more free incentives to keep up? With 'free' advertising becoming more and more popular, offering free product returns might soon be a necessity for retailers, especially in apparel. What Should Retailers Be Aware of? Shopping online more frequently is not the only thing growing in popularity, as more consumers are expected to buy expensive items online this year. “Nearly three times as many consumers (27 percent compared to 10 percent) would purchase a product costing more than $1,000 without
5 Small Business Website Blunders to Avoid
Have you ever stumbled upon a store you never even knew existed? I have. After residing in my city for several months, I recently discovered a close health/grocery food/vitamin haven, which would have made my life so much easier if I knew of its existence. Because they had no online presence whatsoever, they lost a good six months of my business. Since an online search for nearby stores brought up nothing in my area, that business showed up lost on my radar. Your brick and mortar store is no longer the only part of your business you need to tend to. There are many small business website blunders to avoid when starting out. Although the process can be challenging, here are a few tidbits to keep in mind when taking the plunge into the online world. 1) Avoiding the New Yellow Pages: Google How easy is it to Google your business? 'Google My Business' listings are pretty much the new yellow pages, so every business should be on it, especially the smaller variety. Not only does Google’s presence drastically improve your search rankings and raise the chances
Why eCommerce Product Reviews are a Must-Have
The first place that comes to mind when I think of product reviews is Amazon, the eCommerce land chock full of yellow stars everywhere you click. Maybe I am a little biased as an avid Amazon shopper, but beyond just the product price, I am always looking for ample five-star ratings. But, I’ll settle for four and a half sometimes. Apparently, I am not alone in my thinking. 90% of consumers say buying decisions are influenced by online reviews, both positive and negative. -Study by Dimensional Research While these numbers may seem overwhelming, only half of small businesses believe positive product reviews are of any importance. It’s arguably even more vital for small businesses to implement eCommerce product reviews to compete with the big-name brands. Making sure your business is recognized on the web is also equally as important. Some ideal places to start collecting online reviews are Yelp and Google. Why People Love Product Reviews Consumers are driven by product reviews, so it’s no surprise that the motive to writing them is any different. Think about how excited you get with a new
How to Optimize eCommerce Landing Pages
You've got an awesome product, built a great online store, perfected your content, and started pouring money into Search Engine Marketing, only to find out your bounce rate is well north of 50%. It is costing you more to acquire a customer, than the customer is worth, which is unfortunately not a sustainable business model. It's time to start optimizing your landing pages for conversions. While this may seem like a time consuming and complicated task, it can be quite easy when using the four simple techniques below. 1. Does Your Copy Match Your Ad? You've just spent hours coming up with the best ad copy to fit within the 25 character limit of Google AdWords. Remembering the 4 P's of Marketing for your Intro to Marketing class you decide to incorporate a great promotion promising 20% off wicker chairs. But when someone clicks your ad, they are taken to your product summary page with all of your sofas, tables and dressers listed with no mention of 20% off anywhere. This is a common mistake and is typically the primary driver of high bounce rates.
4 Useful Tools For Managing eBay Inventory
Staying on top of all of your orders and returns for after the busy holiday retail season can be extremely overwhelming, so why not look into some added help to ease your anxiety? One way to prepare for the upcoming holiday season is to efficiently manage your eBay inventory. Implementing an eBay inventory management integration solution is a great starting point to boost sales and visibility for your orders. Below are some useful tools to help you find out how simple selling on eBay can be. Take a look at the list below to better manage eBay inventory for the busy season ahead. 4) eBay Pulse Have you ever heard the question, what’s trending? Of course you have. This widely used phrase is not only used throughout all social media and Google, but it has become the key to marketing in today’s world. Managing eBay inventory can benefit from a little trending action as well. eBay Pulse helps retailers by implementing a snapshot of the top trends, relevant searches, average selling prices, keyword performance and more. Whether you are