Page 278 – Practical Ecommerce

Category

Business
Internet Businesses: Pioneers Still Get Arrows in Their Backs

December 1, 2005 • John W. Dozier, Jr.

When I started my first ecommerce company in February 1994 all of my friends thought I was crazy to leave a successful law practice and pursue my vision of the future…the ability to conduct financial transactions in “cyberspace”. There were less than 1,000 websites online worldwide and ...
Marketing & Advertising
Google AdWords: 3 Ways to Improve Your ROI

December 1, 2005 • Mat Greenfield

We manage a number of Google AdWord accounts for our clients, and I almost always find the same problems when we take over a new account. So “from the trenches”, here are 3 key principles that will help you have a prosperous new year with your Google AdWords. Split Test Your Ads Googl...
Business
A Master Over Disaster

November 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

Amid the rubble and the heartache caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita were the lost dreams of many a business owner. More than likely, those people affected worst along the Gulf Coast were too concerned for and with their families to consider entrepreneurial ventures. Get my family. ...
Business
Hiring a Sales Tax Technology Provider

November 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

Single Solution Sales tax compliance software must perform multiple operations. It must first determine the relevant jurisdiction and rules, and then calculate taxes in real time. It must then compile the data, complete and file the tax return and remit the proceeds. Make certain your ...
Social Media
Blogs Are One Way to Get Consumers

November 1, 2005 • Paul Chaney

Are you “stuck on style?” If so, you may already be a fan of online retailer’s blog, Flypaper. Those three words describe the audience Bluefly, a discount women’s apparel e-tailer, is attempting to attract via the blog: women who care about fashionable clothing but who do not want to pa...
Keyword Research
Keyword Sleuthing: Locate the Right Word

November 1, 2005 • Stephan Spencer

Effective SEO starts with keyword research. Chasing after the wrong keywords is a waste, costing time and effort. The "right" keywords are the ones that are not only relevant to your business, but are al...
Conversion
The Best ‘Net Secrets – November 2005

November 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

Trick-or-treaters come and go, but a sweet tooth demands satisfaction year round. These sites handily prove that the Internet can satisfy a sugar craving in ways never dreamt of by your local candy store. http://www.hometownfavorites.com Big city life may offer superior access to fash...
Platforms & Apps
Stephanie Leffler, CEO of MonsterCommerce

November 1, 2005 • Michael A. Cox

Stephanie Leffler says anybody who thinks a successful ecommerce business is about putting up a website in five minutes and counting the money in their pajamas is in for a rude awakening. To her, ecommerce is a real business that requires every bit the investment of time, energy and mon...
Business
Creating Your First Banner Ad in Photoshop

November 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

Overview As an ecommerce entrepreneur there is no particular reason that you would know what a GIF or a JPEG file is. In fact, it may be that the only tech smarts you have is that you hired someone to build and manage your website for you. However, many entrepreneurs are very hands on,...
Conversion
Understanding Online Advertising Terms

November 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

In a meeting with a national online advertising vendor the other day, I was amused when I noticed one of our top salesmen sleeping at our conference table. And, by sleeping, I don’t mean that this gentleman nodded off and required a quick nudge. I mean he was out, sawing logs....
Business
Displaying Special Characters Using HTML

November 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

Overview As a business owner, being able to publish your content to the web represents an incredible distribution opportunity. The evolution of web publishing has allowed for nearly any printed materials to be distributed online, often times for a fraction of the expense. One of the c...
Code
An Introduction to CSS: Part 1

November 1, 2005 • Brian Getting

Cascading Style Sheets allow designers to create HTML that is structured in a search-engine-friendly way and appealing to users.
Code
An Introduction to XML

November 1, 2005 • Brian Getting

Extensible Markup Language — XML — is a system of tags that identify discreet units of information for processing. XML was created to allow documents to be used on the web.
Business
TheFruitCompany.com: From Farmers to eCommerce Entrepreneurs

November 1, 2005 • Michael A. Cox

Scott and Addison Webster grew up on a fruit farm in the beautiful Hood River Valley of Oregon. The farm was a family operation started by their grandfather Roy and his partner Murray Albertson in 1942. Roy and his son Wayne m...
Conversion
Customer Service Focus – November 2005

November 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

You probably can’t make every customer happy, so here are some tips on customer-dispute resolution and making a bad situation a little bit better. Communication is King. The most frustrating aspect of dealing with online retailers is lack of communication, especially if you have a pr...
Business
Nastygrams: Don’t Let a Legal Letter Ruin Your Day

November 1, 2005 • John W. Dozier, Jr.

It is a beautiful fall day as the early morning sun and fresh breeze cascade through your office window, an open invitation to an afternoon of golf. Then, the morning mail arrives, bringing with it a “cease and desist letter,” and you know upon reading this threat of a lawsuit that your...
Conversion
Calls-to-Action

November 1, 2005 • Mat Greenfield

If you’ve ever taken a marketing class, or read a marketing book that deals with any level of ‘direct response’ marketing, then you’ve come across the phrase ‘call to action’. It’s the idea that in order to make marketing or advertising effective, you must tell your audience what step y...
Customer Service
Your Policies Are Only as Good as What’s Posted

November 1, 2005 • Pamela Hazelton

Since the holiday shopping season is upon us, now’s the time to double-check store policies. Besides privacy, security and shipping, policies are what decide what happens when there is a problem with an order. So many stores neglect these important requirements, then struggle to make th...
Business
GoDaddy’s Bob Parsons: We’re Only Seeing the Tip of the Iceberg

October 5, 2005 • Michael A. Cox

Bob Parsons takes risks, not something your average CPA tends to do easily. But then Parsons isn’t your average CPA, although he has a degree in accounting and worked as one for several companies.
Platforms & Apps
Blog Platforms: Choose One that Fits Your Need

October 1, 2005 • Paul Chaney

You have bitten the bullet and decided to add a blog to your ecommerce site and make it a part of your marketing mix. You made the strategic decision of why you want to blog, determined what your core message will be and the audience you wish to target. Now, you have to make some tactic...
Conversion
Email Marketing: Cultivating a Successful List

October 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

Many old-school marketers built mailing lists like your favorite aunt would make spaghetti: Cook a ton of it, and throw it against the wall to see what sticks. If any does, you know the pasta’s done. In much the same way, before email marketing developed some semblance of sophisticatio...
Marketing & Advertising
Search Engine Indexing with Sitemaps

October 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

One of the most common problems ecommerce websites have with rankings is that portions of their websites are not included in the search engines. The cause can be any of a variety of reasons that range from complicated URL strings to slow server response or lack of a proper internal link...
Design & Development
Understanding Common Web Error Messages

October 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

Over the years in the interactive marketing business, any consultant worth his or her salt has faced the dilemma of assisting a company whose primary issue is that its “Web site broke.” No more information than that. “It broke.” Many a parent can identify with this description as it p...
Design & Development
Securing an SSL Certificate

October 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

Overview How do you know that I am who I say I am? Likewise, how do I know you are who you say you are? And, if we can’t catapult past this initial, basic level of trust – how will we ever be able to conduct business together? In the Web world, it’s done with an SSL certificate. SSL ...
Business
Alternative Medicine Network Flourishes

October 1, 2005 • Michael A. Cox

A lot of the great products we know and love today were born out of personal need of the inventor. Karsten Solheim, the father of PING golf clubs had troubles putting so he invented a putter (and then some golf clubs) that revolutionized the golf world. James Spangler, a janitor workin...
Design & Dev Tools
Hosting Companies: Top 10 Questions to Ask

October 1, 2005 • Pamela Hazelton

I field many phone calls in any given day. And never does a day pass where I don’t get a call about someone having trouble with their host. Sometimes I have to bite my tongue, and many would be shocked at some of the stories I’ve heard. I think it’s time to just start referring people ...
Conversion
Web Marketing: Hitting the Target

October 1, 2005 • Mat Greenfield

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to try my hand at archery during a Boy Scout camp. It’s actually quite hard to hit the target, (and for me virtually impossible to hit the bulls-eye). However, it occurred to me that some of the instructions I was given, were quite similar to some ...
Business
Customer Service Focus – October 2005

October 1, 2005 • PEC Staff

Your goal as an e-tailer should be to amaze customers with an unusually high level of service. Consider these customer service tips to improve your ecommerce business. More Than One Method of Communication. Make sure your site offers more than one method of communication. Most sites ...
Business
Star Crossed Productions Finds Niche

September 1, 2005 • Michael A. Cox

Kathy Smith is 46 years old. She started out as a high school teacher. “Some days it was like walking into a battle zone.” Then she was in the printing business. “Pressure cooker every day.” Then, in November 2002, she launched Star Crossed Productions at scp-inc.biz. “Rocket ride.” W...
Conversion
Autoresponders: Follow-up for Success

September 1, 2005 • Mat Greenfield

Something that I often suggest is that companies give something away on their website. I believe that this is essential even for websites that are primarily ecommerce in nature. The reason is to provide a low-commitment next step, for potential customers that aren’t quite ready to buy. ...