The Future of Email Marketing Looking Good.

According to a new article in Internet Retailer, the volume of email marketing campaigns will begin to rise over the span of the next few years. Email marketing has seen such a surge in the past decade, as consumers are more and more accessible through the web, mobile web, and online social networks. Email marketing in the U.S. is projected to increase at the rate of 11% per year, reaching an estimated $2 billion by the year 2014 according to a recent study done by Forrester Research Inc. This projection also estimates that by 2014 one-third of email marketing campaigns will be geared toward retaining existing customers, which will constitute the largest permission-based email campaigns.

Some of the difficulties facing email marketing are the expanding world of social networks. With the overwhelming positive response online social networks have been receiving, marketing campaigns often struggle to keep up with social inboxes and effective marketing campaigns for both social networks and traditional inboxes. This, of course, comes with the territory of simply keeping up with the ever-changing world of technology. Another challenge comes in the form of relevancy. If email campaigns are not deemed “relevant” they end up in potential customers’ junk folders, which is simply a complete waste of email marketing resources. The idea is not to clutter inboxes and have customers (both existing and potential) actually view your message.

ShopVisible is an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Bing It Back.

Ok, the hype over Bing has been everywhere. News stories, press releases, advertisements, etc… it’s literally everywhere! So what’s the deal? Is Bing the new Google? Or is it just meant to weed out the other “lesser” search engines? Are people really setting their homepages to www.bing.com? These are not exactly easy answers, but what I can do is document my experience with the search engine thusfar.

As soon as you arrive at www.bing.com you can’t help but notice the beautiful high-resolution image as the background. In the aesthetic quality department, I’m going to have to give Bing the nod over Google. Now, most people would say that the look and feel of a search engine page is nominal. But I beg to differ, because as long as the page loads just as quickly, why wouldn’t you want a pretty picture to look at?

Now the functionality of it all, the REAL test of Bing. The only search engine to put Bing up against is logically going to be Google. Now, this is not to say that Google isn’t fantastic (I’m pretty sure I never would have made it through college without it), but there are some great new features with Bing. The ability to see meta content when you hover over the site link (I know, it’s nerdy, but I work in marketing    come on…). Also, some of the login features, like a cashback account for tracking your online purchases are wonderful new incentives! No to meantion some of the cool new Explore tabs and news cubes on the homepage image.

Granted, I haven’t had extensive experience with Bing, but it’s hard not to like what you see. I may not be completely Team Bing quite yet, but maybe the hype isn’t all so bad?

ShopVisible is an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Get Your Name Out There: Brand Creation

Often times it’s difficult to get past really sales-like feeling you get on to some websites and advertisements. The feeling of being pressured into sales situations are a major way to turn off shoppers. Branding your name, product(s), or any part of your business is a great way to get your name and company out there. Ok, so what does “getting your name out there” even mean? You can plaster your company name and logo on billboards, pass out flyers, and tell your friends, and those are all considered getting your name “out there.” You may be out there, but that essentially means nothing if it yields no returns. So then it comes full circle, how can you produce returns without pushing a lot of salesy language? This in turn brings us back to branding. In a recent article in DMNews, email newsletters are discussed as a great branding tool.

The article highlights large businesses such as Bloomingdale’s, The New York Times, and United Airlines who have used successful email newsletters to get their name out there and in the minds of consumers. Bloomingdale’s used a summer travel themed newsletter to promote getting into the season and traveling in style to incorporate their brand into something currently on consumer minds. Branding is not always necessarily concerned with selling a product, but to get the consumer to make an association with their product and e-mail is proving to be a great way for businesses to get that branding message across.

The New York Times also used a travel approach to their newsletter with links leading back to their website. Though the newsletters are not directly a sales pitch for someone to read The New York Times, it’s a way of creating associations and connections to build your brand. In recent years we’ve all seen the social networking explosion and the ability of businesses to help build a brand and give consumers more of a personal spin to what is often seen as a big faceless entity.  Are all these things guaranteed to build your brand? No. But it is a step in getting more organization and visibility to your brand or the brand you hope to create.

ShopVisible is an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

PianoWorks Seeing Great SEO Success

ShopVisible is proud to welcome the newly launched site for PianoWorks! PianoWorks specializes in all related aspects of piano rentals, ownership, restoration, sheet music, accessories, lessons, recitals, performances, and more! With over 25 years of experience, PianoWorks brings their knowledge and expertise to their newly designed site. The features of the sites are also fantastic! Be sure to stop by the latest ShopVisible launched site, PianoWorks, to check out all the cool new features!

In addition to having a great new site, PianoWorks is also experiencing great SEO success since the site launch as well! With over 11 search terms, such as “piano restoration Atlanta,” “Atlanta piano events,” and “piano accessories Atlanta” yielding page 1 Google results, PianoWorks is enjoying great natural search success.

At ShopVisible, we love the new additions to our growing family, and we are so very happy to welcome PianoWorks!

ShopVisible is an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

E-tailing and the Importance of Shipping.

In a recent article by ShopVisible CEO, Sean Cook, highlighted in the Ecommerce Times, the importance of an effective drop-shipping program is explored. Cook points out the importance of, “a well synchronized drop-shipping system that saves time and money.” Just like everything else, this may not be an easy task without the right tools and the burden then falls on your eCommerce solution. The key is “to automate, customize and organize back-end management and customer service operations.” Really being able to tailor your eCommerce solution to your business is such a big deal, especially when it comes to shipping. Do you own your own warehouse? Are your items being shipped from several different locations? Do you plan on your business growing to accomodate for additional warehouses? All this falls into an essential part of your business, and a good amount of it comes down to shipping.

I’ll be the first to admit that the shipping capabilities of the ShopVisible platform are pretty much all over my head, until I got the chance to sit down with my associate and get the answers from our resident SV shipping expert, Dan. ShopVisible integrates with several shipping carriers, as well as a long list of freight carriers as well.  Also, the ShopVisible platform supports printing shipping labels for international shipping, thermal printing, packing slips, and the list goes on…

Let’s be honest, a good shipping program itself can promote your business in so many ways! I know I say this a lot, but I’m a huge online shopper, and when it comes down to buying something off a site where I know I can trust their shipping (or better yet, get free shipping), that’s a great incentive! Make sure to tell your eCommerce solution what YOU need from them to make your business the best it possibly can be. Shipping is a major concern for all e-tailers, so make sure to take the time to list what you need.

ShopVisible in an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Free Payment Processing with Amazon Payments.

We’ve been having a really busy week here at ShopVisible, but something we are most excited about is our platform integration with Amazon Payments method Checkout by Amazon. ShopVisible is one of an exclusive list of major eCommerce solution providers to integrate with Checkout by Amazon!

Amazon Payments is offering a promotion of free payment processing that is good until September 30, 2009 for businesses that accept Checkout by Amazon payments beginning on or after April 29, 2009. Checkout by Amazon is a great new way for customers to feel safe and secure when purchasing from a site, knowing that their Amazon payment information can be saved and they can expect the same level of comfort and ease they are used to when purchasing anything from Amazon.com. The integration with eCommerce solution providers allows for more payments options available to a customer which can allow for your business to grow!

Aside from the many customer benefits Checkout by Amazon provides, it also provides a great deal of back admin support for things such as shipping, tax, and post order management. The integration is meant to be as seamless and simple as possible, so you and your customers can enjoy the benefits!

ShopVisible is an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Ecommerce Basics

Many say that anyone can sell things online, but it’s not quite an easy process to do WELL without a little help. There are a few paths that an online business can take, but it mainly comes down to either a successful or unsuccessful endeavor. A recent NY Times article points out a few essential keys to overcoming competition in the fast-paced eCommerce world. Now, before we jump into this, the underlying premise is to make your online retail experience as similar to face-to-face interaction for a customer (although a lot of times I can do without salespeople breathing down my neck). Companies that want to be successful in online retail have to come up with some out-of-the-box ideas to compensate for those differences between an in-person sale vs. an online sale. This brings us to a few “essentials” in successful online retail/shopping.

1. Help customers find what they need. Ok, so you’re at a slight disadvantage because a salesperson can’t point out the juniors department to customers directly. But wait… say you had your site organized and it guided customers just the way it may in a bricks-and-mortar store. Well, there’s an idea! Make sure customers can easily navigate your site with details and descriptions for just about anything and everything! Bread crumb trails in navigation bars are also a great idea for customers to be able to retrace their steps and find just what they are looking for. Make sure any and all information is accessible for the customer, but let’s face it, you’re building trust with your customer and creating a face for yourself always helps.

2. Don’t keep customers waiting. If I have luke warm feelings about a pair of pants I’m buying in a department store, the never ending line just might be the dealbreaker I’m waiting for to hang those pants back up on the rack and save myself a few bucks. Making a customer wait might be the biggest customer service faux pas in the book. Online retail may not have salespeople in your face, but you are still expected to provide customer service. Many times the pull for online shopping can be the ease and speed, so nothing is more annoying than increased wait times after inputting credit card information or getting error messages.

3. Make it easy for customers to pay. It’s quite simple. The easier you make it for customers to pay, the more willing they will be to purchase your products. Make sure to provide security for your customers as it will continue to build their trust, as well as just being overly important to protect yourself and your customers.

ShopVisible is an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Abandoned Cart Got You Down?

There is nothing more frustrating for e-tailers than cart abandonment. A customer comes so close to committing and purchasing your product, and then it’s all over in the close of a browser. Especially with so many customers now turning to the internet to research products prior to possibly purchasing them in-store, being able to offer competitive (if not just flat out better) deals is more important than ever. I can’t tell you how many times I have been guilty of going on to a website, placing a few items in my cart and then talking myself out of it. Yes, I am a cart abandonment offender… quite possibly even a repeat offender. Though it hurts me to admit this, I have to wonder, what would make me not purchase things I have already placed in my cart?

I think the first thing that comes to mind is after I place all my items in my cart and I have made up my mind about how much I am willing to spend, I notice the shipping costs. Ok, so maybe I had decided to spend roughly $60 on a site, but sometimes (and many times) that additional $8 shipping can be jarring. Offering discounted or free shipping is a great way to convert a sale without a customer GASP from seeing the shipping charges. ShopVisible clients Avindy offers free shipping on all items, Leiberts offers $75 flat rate shipping on all appliances, and Terra Sage Stores is extending a promotional free shipping on over 800 eco-friendly products!

Also, I was walking around the office just the other day when I heard about a new enhancement now available on the ShopVisible platform. Abandoned cart reports are available through the platform, but something cool that has been added is a marketing path for e-tailers to reach those potential customers. The platform can now support sending an e-mail promotion to abandoned cart customers. So, when I leave my cart after talking myself into not spending $60, a wonderful e-mail telling me I can save $10 would really be helpful (and who couldn’t afford to take a deal nowadays?). Letting customers know that their business is valuable to you is a wonderful way to not only reach out to new customers, but retain the ones you already have.

To read more, check out this article from E-Commerce Times.

ShopVisible is an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Happy Earth Day!

It seems like Earth Day is just a little bit bigger this year than in many years past. So, I’m not all that old (a full 23 years of life experience), but I do remember doing little things for Earth Day in school as a kid. But now, being “Earth aware” is no longer just an elementary school one day project, but is it becoming more of a widespread phenomenon. “Green” products are basically everywhere you turn, and huge efforts are being taken to emphasize the importance of saving our planet. In the past few months large Earth conscious campaigns have been launched, such as Earth Hour, a global initiative to turn off lights for a one hour period on March 28. Another initiative that I just loved was one that my friend was telling me about today. His office got the chance to work from home today to offset carbon emissions on Earth Day, which I thought was a new interesting twist on Earth-friendly campaigns.

ShopVisible is proud to host several eco-friendly client sites, such as Ecomeme and Terra Sage Stores. A great Earth Day promotion that Terra Sage Stores is currently running is free shipping through the end of the month, and several discounts on many of their products! Definitely worth checking out to kick off Earth Day or your own personal eco-friendly initiative. Here’s wishing everyone an eco-friendly and happy Earth Day! See what you can do to protect our environment

ShopVisible is an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Social Networking Done Right.

By now most of us are pretty familiar with online social networks. Many of us subscribe to at least one social network site (if not several). When I first started college I joined the Facebook community which only had roughly 25 participating colleges and universities in the United States. Facebook is now open to everyone, not just college students, and has seen tremendous growth over the past 4 years. The same can be said for other sites such as MySpace and Twitter.

So what kinds of growth are social networking sites seeing? In a recent ClickZ article, the number of unique visitors to social networking sites was recorded for February 2008 and 2009. The percent change of unique visitors for many sites over the span of a single year makes it undeniable that social networking is BIG. Facebook enjoyed a 77% increase in unique visitor traffic, while sites like Twitter saw 1,085% increase. Twitter has also been gaining a phenomenal amount of media attention with celebrity “Tweeters,” and most recently a good-humored race for a million Twitter followers between news giant, CNN, and resident funny man, Ashton Kutcher.

Social networking sites are a great way to keep in touch as well as get YOU out there. Many Twitter users also use the site to get their message out there. I mean, the more you put yourself out there, the more people can see what you’re all about Feel free to check out (or follow) ShopVisible on Twitter!

ShopVisible is an eCommerce solution headquartered in Atlanta, GA.