Dale Traxler

Articles by: Dale Traxler

Dale Traxler

Dale Traxler is a contributing editor for Practical Ecommerce. He is an ecommerce veteran with hands-on experience — since 2002 — as co-founder and C.E.O. of an online jewelry supply distributor that was successfully sold in 2012.

Dale is now V.P. Commerce Solutions for Rightpoint, a digital agency, where he focuses on delivering world-class digital commerce solutions for enterprise companies in manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, and retail.

Email Dale at dale@practicalecommerce.com.

Business
Ecommerce Lessons from the 2008 Crash

March 17, 2020 • Dale Traxler

Back in 2008, just before the Great Recession, I was managing a thriving ecommerce business selling jewelry supplies to crafters, artisans, and professional jewelers. More than 30 percent of our revenue came from selling sterling silver at a very high margin.
Inventory
3 Inventory KPIs to Drive Ecommerce Profits

February 10, 2020 • Dale Traxler

Basic inventory management involves tracking quantities by channel, location, and return rates. Key performance indicators, however, are far more critical for driving profits. In this post, I'll address three essential inventory KPIs: turnover, carrying costs, and opportunity costs.
Business
8 Key Personnel Roles for Ecommerce Success in 2020

December 29, 2019 • Dale Traxler

It is easier than ever to launch an ecommerce business. Sourcing products is not a problem. Platforms equalize the capabilities of competing stores. Success, therefore, depends on your execution.
Business
The 2 Universal KPIs for Ecommerce Retailers

November 12, 2019 • Dale Traxler

A business's key performance indicators typically change over time with new opportunities and challenges. But Gross Revenue and Gross Profit are universal KPIs for all ecommerce retailers, all of the time.
Conversion
Want More Ecommerce Conversions? Improve Your Product Search

October 9, 2019 • Dale Traxler

Retailers have greatly improved their online stores in the past few years. User flows are streamlined. Designs are better tuned to tell the brand's story. But for many online stores, site search is weak.
Conversion
17 Ideas to Reinvent Your Ecommerce Business

August 26, 2019 • Dale Traxler

When was the last time you did something innovative with your online store? Innovation involves taking a risk. In this post, I'll offer ideas that have the potential to reinvent your business. Most involve investing in design, development, tools, or support services.
Business
How to Choose a Digital Agency for Your Ecommerce Business

June 18, 2019 • Dale Traxler

Outsourcing aspects of an ecommerce business can help management focus on critical areas. It can also deliver sophisticated skills and insights that are unavailable in-house. But choosing the right outsourced partner is not easy.
Content Marketing
Without Compelling Content, Ecommerce Success Is Nearly Impossible

March 31, 2019 • Dale Traxler

As I work with clients to improve conversion rates, average order values, and market share, content strategy becomes critical. Without compelling content, it’s nearly impossible to be successful in ecommerce. In this post, I'll describe the benefits (and challenges) of compelling content.
Marketing & Advertising
7 Old-school Selling Tips for Ecommerce

February 20, 2019 • Dale Traxler

Many online retailers don’t focus on selling. An online store is a digital sales agent. It must interpret a buyer’s needs, pitch relevant products, and close the deal — much ...
Conversion
Should Merchants Consider Voice Commerce (Yet)?

January 17, 2019 • Dale Traxler

Shopping is too complicated to conduct by voice, at least thus far. Does this mean voice shopping is a low priority? Absolutely not. It’s an opportunity that manufacturers and retailers should be investing in right now.
Business
6 Ways to Differentiate Your Online Store

March 29, 2017 • Dale Traxler

Why would a shopper buy from your online store? Do you offer unique products? Are your prices lower than Amazon and other competitors? Is your store more fun to shop ...
Business
10 Ingredients for Ecommerce Success

February 8, 2017 • Dale Traxler

There is no fast track to success in ecommerce, or any other type of business. I owned and operated a successful ecommerce company for 10 years. We sold that business, and ...
Business
For Success in Ecommerce, Figure Out the ‘What?’

December 13, 2016 • Dale Traxler

Last month, in “For Success in Ecommerce, Answer ‘Why?’,” I explored reasons for launching an ecommerce business. Understanding the “Why,” “What,” and “How” is critical to succeeding in any type ...
Business
For Success in Ecommerce, Answer ‘Why?’

October 31, 2016 • Dale Traxler

Since you are reading this on Practical Ecommerce, you presumably run an ecommerce business or are thinking about it. The purpose of this article is to ask you “Why?” That ...
B2B
B2B Ecommerce Success Starts in the Boardroom

May 18, 2015 • Dale Traxler

Business-to-business ecommerce revenue in the U.S., at $780 billion in 2015, is roughly twice the size of B2C, according to Forrester Research. But that amount represents less than 10 percent ...
B2B
4 Keys to B2B Ecommerce Success

October 1, 2014 • Dale Traxler

Online B2B revenues in the U.S. are rapidly growing, to $1 billion per year according to published reports. The reasons for this growth are twofold. First, more manufacturers and distributors are ...
B2B
B2B Ecommerce: Overcoming Conflict with Sales Teams

August 19, 2014 • Dale Traxler

When online retail took off roughly 10 years ago, many manufacturers and distributors were resistant about opening an online store. There were many reasons for this then, and now, including ...
Business
12 Keys to a World-class Ecommerce Company

July 28, 2014 • Dale Traxler

What makes any company stand out from the crowd? Is it the products? Customer service? Profitability? Growth? Something else? Many observers would answer all of the above and likely add other ...
B2B
How B2B Distributors Compete with AmazonSupply

July 9, 2014 • Dale Traxler

In “Distributors Beware of AmazonSupply.com?,” my previous article, I suggested that wholesale distributors recognize the threat presented by Amazon in the B2B marketplace and find ways to compete. This article ...
Business
Distributors Beware of AmazonSupply.com?

June 24, 2014 • Dale Traxler

As B-to-B online revenues approach $1 trillion per year, there are still many wholesale distributors who are hesitant to aggressively sell their products online. I frequently ask executives in the distribution ...
Marketing & Advertising
Local Businesses Migrating to Ecommerce

June 9, 2014 • Dale Traxler

Local businesses with brick-and-mortar stores have not been early adopters of ecommerce. But, with the proliferation of mobile devices and with changes in how consumers research and buy products, most ...
Business
Brand Manufacturers All In for Ecommerce

May 27, 2014 • Dale Traxler

I attended the “IRCE Focus: Brands & B2B” conference in New York last week. There were many presentations that covered both B-to-B and direct-to-consumer ecommerce strategies that are being used ...
Business
Driving B-to-B Ecommerce with Personas

May 19, 2014 • Dale Traxler

In “Ecommerce Key for Manufacturers and Distributors,” I addressed some of the challenges that manufacturers and distributors face as they grow their ecommerce operations. In this article, I’ll explore the ...
B2B
Ecommerce Key for Manufacturers and Distributors

May 5, 2014 • Dale Traxler

Many B-to-B companies are still not aggressively pursuing ecommerce. Most have an online presence — in fact, an extensive one. They likely have a corporate site, an online product catalog,
Marketing & Advertising
Ecommerce Marketing vs. Shopper Annoyance

April 14, 2014 • Dale Traxler

As an online merchant, you have an enormous number of marketing tactics and tools available to convince shoppers to purchase your products. Here are some of them. Personalization. Rules based on ...
Conversion
20 Tools, Tactics to Improve Online Merchandising

April 8, 2014 • Dale Traxler

I look at a lot of online stores in the context of my profession. I shop online and am involved with many companies as they plan a new or upgraded ...
Business
B-to-B Ecommerce: How to Implement, Improve

March 26, 2014 • Dale Traxler

The number of mid-size manufacturers and distributors implementing initial ecommerce projects is rapidly increasing. Manufacturers are utilizing ecommerce to reach new markets, bring products to market more quickly, and protect ...
Marketing & Advertising
Searching ‘iPad Mini Retina’ on Google, Comparison Engines

March 19, 2014 • Dale Traxler

In “Evaluating Site Search on Target, Walmart, and Amazon,” I reviewed site search for the three retailers using the term “ipad mini retina.” I went directly to those sites as ...
Marketing & Advertising
B-to-B: 7 Reasons to Invest in Social Media

March 11, 2014 • Dale Traxler

Should manufacturers and distributors that sell primarily to other businesses invest in social media? Today most businesses utilize Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. But, many lack a strategy for ...
Business
12 Key Job Roles for B-to-B Ecommerce Success

March 3, 2014 • Dale Traxler

One of the biggest challenges that brand manufacturers and distributors face with their B-to-B ecommerce operations is hiring the right team. B-to-B companies need to identify required job roles, and ...