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Ten More (Great) Ecommerce Ideas
Ten industry professionals share insights
By: Practical eCommerce Staff
Comments: 1
Practical eCommerce recently asked 50 industry insiders to share a great, innovative idea that could potentially help an ecommerce firm. Here’s what ten of them had to say.
BRYAN EISENBERG
CHIEF PERSUASION OFFICER & CO-FOUNDER
FUTURE NOW, INC.
FUTURENOWINC.COM
Determine Valuable Variables
Doing multivariate testing use to require some in-house programming expertise or expensive third-party software. Thankfully, Google Website Optimizer has provided us with a free alternative. You don’t need to have the right answer, your customer will.
GARY PAULINO
CO-OWNER
TRACKSIDE SALES
TRACKSIDESALES.COM
Don’t Fail To Plan
Having been through the personal experience of becoming involved with a young business, and trying to slide a foundation under the building, after it has begun construction, has taught me the importance of planning. Take the time to plan your site. The end result will pay you back more than you can imagine.
MICHELLE GREER
MARKETING SPECIALIST
VOLUSION, INC.
VOLUSION.COM
Don’t Filter Feedback
Merchants cannot control their credibility — they can only influence it. If a customer leaves a bad, yet constructive review for one of your products, leave it up. Prospective customers trust other customers more than they trust you. Filtering that feedback can tarnish your credibility with the reviewer and the visitor.
CHRIS FINKEN
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER & CO-FOUNDER
ORANGE SODA, INC.
ORANGESODA.COM
Include A Toll-Free Number
Get a toll-free number and use it in your Google AdWords. It’s one of the last search engines to let you show your contact information in the ad — you’ll get calls from people just looking to order over the phone because they are busy or they don’t trust the web.
CAROLYN GARDNER
DIRECTOR OF E-MARKETING SERVICES
SITEBRAND
SITEBRAND.COM
Persuasion Through Web Personalization
Successful ecommerce firms understand the correlation between sales and positive customer experience management. Offering easy returns and free shipping are expected. Leveraging customer behaviors/attributes so you can serve persuasive offers that change in real-time goes a step further. To promote the right product/service at the right time, think web personalization.
SHAWN COLLINS
CO-FOUNDER OF THE AFFILIATE SUMMIT
CONFERENCE
AFFILIATETIP.COM
Use Video
Start creating short videos on a regular basis that solve a problem for your target audience. Keep the videos at two minutes or so, include B-roll, upload to multiple sites via TubeMogul.com, and archive uncompressed, high quality versions of the videos for future use. Create a Magnify.net channel, too.
DAVID VAP
VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTS
RIGHTNOW TECHNOLOGY
RIGHTNOW.COM
Syndicate Content Via Widgets
Adding a syndication widget enables ecommerce sites to easily syndicate and distribute dynamic content from a knowledge base, such as frequently asked questions, product specifications and warranty information — across multiple websites.
TOM LANGELL
CEO
AUCTION CAMERA
AUCTIONCAMERA.COM
Talk With Your Customers
Websites, emails and forums are great for getting out your message, but talking with your customers about their needs and how you can provide solutions or products is the best way to build a long-term relationship and customer satisfaction. Remember your customers are not just another row in your database.
CINDY BARRILLEAUX
PRESIDENT
WRITING COACHING SERVICES
WRITEYOURBEST.COM
Back To The Future
I revolutionized my time management by abandoning my PDA for an old-fashioned Franklin Covey Planner. Now my mission, values, and most important goals are in front of me daily, and I’m getting done what really matters. I’m more efficient and focused.
KEVIN LANE
DIRECTOR OF EXPERIENCE PLANNING
ICROSSING
ICROSSING.COM
Align Consumer Strategies To Increase Conversion
Before spending your limited online marketing and web development dollars on rich media merchandising, get to know your customers. Uncover their critical decision-making needs, and align your online brand and user experience strategies with them for increased purchase conversion.
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Published on Wednesday, January 09, 2008
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"I revolutionized my time management by abandoning my PDA for an old-fashioned Franklin Covey Planner. "
Don't forget the time saved by not having to type things IN to your PDA!
Some very basic ideas here, but still always nice to see the reminders.
I wish David Vap had been a little more specific on his syndication widgets. That sounds like something I'd like to try, but no idea where to start.
Posted by: Beth
Thursday, January 10, 2008