eCommerce blogs provide an incredibly effective, online extension of your brand.  Blogs can also increase online sales, aid in customer service,grow brand recognition, and develop meaningful relationships if handled well.  There are no stamps to buy, no cold calls to make, and you will be connecting with people that are ready and willing to listen to what you have to say in a casual, interactive atmosphere.  Now that you are curious about blogs and whether one might be a good fit for your company, take a few minutes to contemplate the following questions. 

Who should blog?  The candidate (blogger) does not need to be an established writer, but should be someone who is knowledgeable and able to convey your brand's message in a relatable voice.  Appoint one point person to make sure that the editorial calendar is adhered to, although several people could share in creating the content.  Choose individuals that can provide at least two (2) hours every two (2) weeks to write a thoughtful, well researched article.  There is another option, which is to hire a 'ghost blogger' (a copywriter to post on your company's behalf) to help fill the gap.  It is most desirable if the ghost blogger has a knowledge base of the industry or topic at hand. 

What should I blog about?  Take advantage of an interested audience by focusing on industry events, offering opinions, and sharing research on emerging technologies.  In order to relay trends and news worthy information, read industry publications, subscribe to RSS feeds for inspiration, then relay the researched information in an informative, interesting way.  Provide content that will help the audience perform their job functions, and this will keep them returning for insight and guidance, furthering your company's image as a trusted and reliable source.

When do I have to post content to my eCommerce blog?  Quality over quantity is the most important thing to keep in the back of your mind for your eCommerce blog.  In the beginning, frequency is more important to establish relationships and momentum.  I recommend developing an editorial calendar to avoid lack luster posts and maintain consistency so that posts will build on one another.

Where do I promote my eCommerce blog posts?  There are three (3) areas I suggest looking at to promote your eCommerce blog, depending on how much time is available.  Do not get overwhelmed by the sheer number of sites!  Not all will be a good fit.  Take a few minutes to scope out the community, to see if there are competitors participating (not a bad thing), and to where your potential audience hangs out.  The objective is to become active and add value to each network.  Then carry your relationships from network to network.  What I mean by that is, once you become social on Twitter, for instance, ask your friends if they prefer digg, or StumbleUpon and ask for their user id's so you can link up there too.   

Here are the three areas to consider:

1. Forums - Become active and focus your efforts on one forum until you become established, and form relationships.  From that same forum choose a few users with blogs.  Visit those blogs regularly, subscribe to their RSS feeds and become active on their sites.  Read their posts, write thoughtful comments and hopefully they will return the favor by visiting your eCommerce blog. 
2. Social Bookmarking Sites -  Review the Top 20 Social Bookmarking Sites from eBizMBA to find the best one for you. 
3. Social Networking Sites - By now you have heard all heard the buzz about Twitter, and Facebook, but there are many options.  Here is a great list of the Top Twenty Five Social Networking Sites provided by Social Media Optimization to peruse. 

Why should I blog?  Three quick and simple reasons as to why you should blog:

1. Blogs are an affordable platform to share your opinions, industry news, and establish your expertise on a particular subject or field. 
2. Blogs also foster meaningful, long term relationships by engaging community interaction.  Dialogue will begin to emerge from cultivating comments and sharing opinions freely.   
3. Blog posts can serve as a company bulletin board, alerting team members to various topics of interest and keeping the group connected.

By now it should seem clear that almost any type of eCommerce site could benefit from a blog, and I hope that you do take advantage of blogging as a tool to reach your target audience.  If you are interested in learning how eCommerce Web Development could benefit your company please contact Web Shop Manager today.

Building on what we discussed previously in "5 Important Questions to Ask Before Starting an eCommerce Blog" I would like to offer some suggestions for developing news worthy blog topics for your eCommerce site.

The most important thing to consider when formulating your eCommerce blog posts is your audience.  Ask yourself who am I writing this for?  It should be the same people that visit your eCommerce website to make purchases.  Not everyone that stops by your eCommerce site is an expert, so don’t alienate anyone.  Speak with a clear, easy to understand voice, and keep it concise.  I know it’s hard to believe, but people don’t want to hear ramblings about your kid’s lemonade stand, they just want the facts about the products or services you offer.

Grab a pen and paper and begin to brainstorm about possible topics.  You certainly don’t need a glamorous product to come up with resonating blog topics.  Whether you sell products, or services there are people in need of the information you can provide.  This will establish you as the calm in the storm, the voice of reason, but don’t get a big head now.  From those topics you can spider web out your ideas to include more subject areas and then put them into a logical order so you can link back to previous posts (please see example of link in first paragraph – clever aren’t I?), allowing your audience to read through easily as each eCommerce blog post builds.

Here are a few ways to generate topics for your eCommerce blog:

• Customer feedback/ questions:  If several people ask the same questions over and over, you should address it formally in a post.  There are many people that simply won’t raise their hand to ask.  A great example of utilizing this technique is Laptop Parts Expert’s blog, where Jeremy uses customer calls to formulate responses via blog posts.  He takes questions from consumers and turns the responses into short and sweet blog posts that are easy to read, and understand. If you want to know what your audience wants, ask them. Use the eCommerce feature Interactive Survey module available to you through Web Shop Manager^TM.
• Nuggets of Knowledge: Think about the things you have learned that have furthered your understanding or enjoyment of a product.  For instance, imagine that you are an antique dealer and recently obtained a painting from an 18^th century American artist.  People that visit your eCommerce site would love to know a bit more about the artist’s life and circumstances surrounding the painting which would potentially increase your chances of selling that piece.  You know what you are selling, and it is your job to communicate your knowledge with your customers so they can make wise purchases. 
• Products Defined: Perhaps if people knew how a certain product or service benefits them, they would be more inclined to purchase it.  See for instance Web Shop Manager’s blog post "List Hundreds of Products, Organize Thousands of Items, Import Millions of Parts".  A post like this helps potential customers clearly understand how they could benefit from using Web Shop Manager’s eCommerce Modules.
• Industry Trends: Keep tabs on what is happening in your industry by subscribing to RSS feeds of trade organizations, and by setting up Google Alerts to deliver news worthy information.  By reading articles from others you will find valuable inspiration to spur ideas of your own, and generate current, insightful articles. 

In closing, let’s review: when posting an entry, above all else keep your audience in mind.  The minute you lose focus, they will too.  If you own an auto parts store, don’t review a local restaurant.  Become the expert and share your knowledge.  People will return to you for your sage wisdom over and over, and when the time is right they will purchase from you, the trusted source. 

Next month we will explore methods to drive traffic to your eCommerce blogs, including an attention grabbing title structure.  Until then, happy blogging!

Click here for more of the “Developing an eCommerce Blog” series to further your brand identity and grow readership.

Emily Dunn, Brown Bag Agency

Before you begin thinking of a strategy for eCommerce blog post promotion you must first think of a riveting title to get your audience searching, thinking, moving, and of course buying more products.  There are many ways to create an attention grabbing title, here are (4) of my favorites:

1. Ask a question – This is a great tactic for engaging an audience.  Provide an answer to the question in your post and then ask for comments that will add value, and perhaps a few ideas you hadn’t thought of yet.  Here is an example from the previous post in the series “Developing an eCommerce Blog” entitled "How do I Develop Innovative Content for my eCommerce Blog? "  Form the question in terms of what someone may type into a search engine as a keyword search.
2. List – If you take a look at the title "5 Important Questions to Ask before Starting an eCommerce Blog" you will see that a list exhibits your thoughts in an organized, succinct, and manageable way.  If the title were “Starting an eCommerce Blog” the reader might think the post was all encompassing and may pass it up because of time constraints. 
3. Use searchable phrases – If the terms you use are different than what people are looking for, you could be missing the boat.  Take a look at Google’s Insights for Search tool, which should be incredibly helpful when looking for searchable phrases to inspire a post title.  For instance, when writing this post I noticed that “eCommerce Website” was trending higher than “eCommerce Site”. 
4. Say what you need to say - Perhaps John Mayer was on to something.  A blog post title is no place to be short and sweet.  Take for instance,  "List Hundreds of Products, Organize Thousands of Items, Import Millions of Parts". The title could have been something like “Products, Items, and Parts” which wouldn’t have been as effective or attention grabbing.  Sometimes an adjective can go a long way to get your point across and engage a reader. 

Now that you have an informative, engaging title it is time for creative blog promotion.  It is not necessary; in fact, it wouldn’t be a good thing to use all of the following ideas for every single post.  It may seem cumbersome at first but once you get in the flow of things it will become second nature.  I promise!  Here are (8) eCommerce blog post promotion ideas to get you thinking:

1. Bookmarking sites - sites like StumbleUpon, digg, or delicious are a small sampling of the bookmarking sites available for eCommerce website blog promotion.  I find it beneficial to link up with users on sites like Twitter to take those contacts over to a social bookmarking site.  Then you can bookmark each others posts and see the visits increase. 
2. Social media sites – It should seem pretty obvious to share a link with your followers on sites like Twitter when you have a new post.  Do keep in mind that only about 1 in 10 posts should be a shameless promotion of your site.  However, sites like LinkedIn allow you the chance to add your post to the “news” section of the groups you are a member of.  This can be an incredible place to post valuable material to a targeted audience.  Do not post to every group, every time.
3. Forums/ participation on other blogs – There are forums for everything now.  There are also blogs for just about every collection or hobby too.  Seek out related forums or blogs to the items you sell and on occasion leave an insightful comment that brings the viewer back to a specific post on your site.  Never leave a link to your home page, leave a link to a related article that helps further your insightful comment.
4. Send a link to bloggers for a possible link back - If done correctly this tactic can be very effective.  Let’s say you find a site that has a related article to something you have written about.  Your article may expand on what they were saying, or offer another opinion, etc.  Send a thoughtful email to the website owner and provide a link to the specific article you have in mind for them.  If they like the post or believe their audience will gain something from reading it they may link back to it.  Don’t expect hand outs, but if you get one, fabulous!  You may also want to provide a few link backs for other people and they may return the favor. Web Shop Manager™'s resources/links module is an easy way to list other websites or blogs as a resource for your eCommerce site visitors.
5. Interlinking in ones website – The content on your site will naturally build upon itself, and it will make sense to hyperlink to previous posts, and relevant pages on your eCommerce site.  This will keep visitors on your site longer, and make their visit a meaningful one.  Also, consider going back to old posts and linking them to relevant newer posts you have written. 
6. Photo submission sites – Photography is a great way to get the attention of browsers.  Sites like Craftgawker.com, and flickr can be used to upload great photos of your wares and drive traffic back to your site. Web Shop Manager has a Photo Gallery Module to help reel in the buyers hook, line, and sinker.
7. Newsletters – Use newsletters to feed your subscribers with great content that provides insight and will lead them back to your site and eCommerce store.  Link to specific items in your store and talk about the benefits, or perhaps a widget vs. acme widget style piece.  See “How do I Develop Innovative Content for my eCommerce Blog” for greater detail on developing content.
8. Feedburner and other blog syndication sites – These basically work like a syndicated TV show and will help you get exposure for all your hard work!

There are certainly more options for blog promotion that haven’t been included in this list.  What are some of your favorites? 

In the next blog post we will cover some ideas to monetize your eCommerce blog now that you have traffic and momentum building. 

Click here for more of the “Developing an eCommerce Blog” series to further your brand identity and grow readership.

Emily Dunn, Brown Bag Agency

The ultimate goal of an eCommerce blog is to make money.  It may be a simple goal of paying your eCommerce hosting fees or perhaps you have grander visions in mind.  Whatever the goals are for your eCommerce site you will need to get consistent traffic in order to make any of the following revenue generating suggestions profitable. 

In order to drive traffic to your site I suggest you take a look at a previous post in the series “Developing an eCommerce Blog” entitled "How to Title an eCommerce Website Blog Post and Promote it too!".

Now let’s explore a few options for monetizing your eCommerce website blog:

SELL PRODUCTS ONLINE

• Sell Your Own - WSM’s eCommerce Modules makes it easy to post your own product and make money online.  The new 1-step checkout system should make it even easier to convert ‘lookey-loos’ into paying customers. 
• Create Branded Items - You can create products with your own logo or designs to sell using sites like Zazzle, or Café Press to further your brands reach with promotional items.  Both sites use your designs, and when a customer orders an item they print the item and drop ship for you.  You can create a separate site, if the look doesn’t suit your current site, or integrate it directly into your existing offering. 
• Affiliate Sales – The apparel and fashion website designed by WSM, Bcat Threads is a great example of combining several designers into one site.  This not only makes the site look full of unique products, but allows the individual designers great exposure to a larger audience. 

AD NETWORKS

• Pay per Click (PPC) – This means that you, the host, only get paid when an ad is clicked.  There are many ad networks that work this way and several include: Google Adsense, Chitika, and Commission Junction.
• Pay by Impressions (CPM) – (stands for cost per thousand) – These networks pay you for each 1000 page views rather than actual clicks.  The cost is usually $1 or so per 1000 page views.  Consider these services as examples of this method: Tribal Fusion, and ValueClick Media.

DIRECT AD SALES

• Individual Vendors - If you are interested in vendors buying ad space on your site, prepare a media sheet with analytical data including how many visitors, page views, average time on site, etc, so they can see the value in their advertising dollars.  You should make it clear on your homepage that you are happy to entertain more ads. 
• Trading Spaces - Consider trading ad space with another complimentary but not competitive site which can attract other companies to buy direct ad sales or at least generate more traffic.  This will benefit sales of your products and earnings from ad networks affiliation. 

Which ever method(s) you explore for your particular tastes and efforts I encourage you to read the fine print and don’t commit until you’ve explored a substantial amount of opportunities.

Next month I’ll explore attracting and "retaining loyal RSS subscribers", and how to keep them happy and commenting members of your community.

Emily Dunn

Brown Bag Agency

It is a well known fact that in business it is easier to keep customers than it is to find new ones.  The same goes for subscribers to an eCommerce site.  It is worth a bit of work to gain and keep loyal followers rather than spending copious amounts of time looking for one hit wonders.  It is crucial that you engage them by giving them the fresh content that they expect from you, their trusted source for information.  For a little help developing content for your eCommerce blog, you may want to refer to the series “Developing an eCommerce Blog” specifically "How do I Develop Innovative Content for my eCommerce Blog?".

There are two main ways to keep your newest content in front of many sets of eyes.  First, there is the newsletter.  There are advantages to newsletters, you can control content and make it specific for your audience by including an introduction, point them toward some other links/resources, provide updates etc.  Then there is RSS, RSS most commonly is referred to as “Really Simple Syndication” which means people choose to subscribe to your eCommerce blog articles.  They will automatically be notified when you have new content from the feed reader of their choosing.  They will receive your eCommerce blog post as is without additional content.  Both the newletter, and RSS are available through Web Shop Manager’s content modules.

How do you get users to sign up for a newsletter or RSS feed?

• Free Report – Upon registering for your newsletter or RSS offer your subscribers a report that is well written and in a different context would be worth paying for.  They gain insight into your knowledge base, and you gain loyal readership.
• Contests – In general people love free stuff and are willing to sign up for something if there is the chance they’ll win something.  The offer should be something that they would find of value, and is related to your brand or service. 
• Repetition – You will find that people are more apt to do something if they are asked more than once.  Try adding a link to the bottom of your eCommerce blog post asking for them to sign up, and make it abundantly clear that you have a newsletter available.  Note how Atlanta Antique Gallery, developed by Web Design Solutions, asks you to sign up for the newsletter easily with just an email address right in the middle of their home page. 

Now that you have your faithful flock, how do you get them to interact?

• Thoughtful Posts - Be honest, interesting, and personable (not spammy) in your posts.  Providing meaningful content is the best way to gain returning visitors.  Also, respond to blog post comments that people make.  Engage them in further discussion, and use those comments as inspiration for new blog posts. 
• Love is a Two-Way Street – If you want others to comment and interact on your blog, be sure to pay the comment love forward.  Focus on a small group of people that you particularly think would add value to your blog.  Interact with them by visiting their website/blog and commenting, sign up for their newsletter, ask questions, etc.
• Connect via Social Networking Sites – Find out where else your target audience ‘hangs out’ online.  Join them on facebook, twitter, or bookmarking sites.  Forming genuine relationships is the best way to gather a loyal following.

Whether you ask your audience to sign up for your eCommerce newsletter or RSS feed, do interact with them by providing fresh content, and a friendly place for them to voice their opinions.  Each interaction places you in front of your prospective customers before they need your service, ensuring that they turn to you first when they do.  Blogs serve as an informal way to create a forum like feeling, and have greater control over the direction of the conversation.

The next post will discuss how to use Social Media as a platform to drive traffic and keep the conversation going.  In the meantime be sure to sign up for Web Shop Manager’s RSS feed. 

Emily Dunn

Brown Bag Agency

Social media seems to be a term that is on everyone’s lips lately, but is it just hype or a viable channel for marketing and relationship building?  The answer is…both.  There are aspects of social media (this does not just mean Twitter) that connect real people, and in turn connect those real people to your product or services.

It is important to know the various types of social media available to you and how to use them effectively.  Try incorporating some of these technologies in your 2010 marketing plan to deepen your relationships that you have been building through your eCommerce blog.  If you are still wondering how to obtain an active user base I would like to suggest you take a look at “How to Cultivate and Retain an Active User Base for your eCommerce Blog”, which is part of a larger series on Developing an eCommerce Blog.

Before heading blindly into the wilds of social media, define your goals, such as driving traffic to your site, or gaining fans for giveaways, all of which can lead to increased online sales. Having a clear motive will help direct your social media plan of action.

Here is just a sampling of popular social media platforms along with some suggestions for use as they relate to eCommerce blogs. 

Twitter -You are limited to 140 characters including punctuation, spacing, and links to get your message across.  Use every character purposely and keep in mind you are representing your eCommerce company with every word you choose.  Only plug your eCommerce company, or a new blog post about every 10 tweets. 

• Real Conversations – find a group you want to connect with, and who are potential evangelists for your service or product, interact with them, retweet (basically a forward for Twitter), and genuinely take interest in what they’re up to, and who they are.
• Trade Links for Stumbles – if one of the people you follow posts an interesting tweet or link to a blog post use StumbleUpon to review it.  Let the person you follow know and hopefully they will return the favor.  This will drive traffic to your eCommerce site from StumbleUpon.
• Connect with Common Interest Groups – Find people by utilizing the search feature (searches in real time) to form a group that is personal just for your brand.  For instance, if you sell Bronco parts search Broncos and see who is tweeting.

Facebook - Yeah, your grandma, aunts, cousins are all using it to stay in touch and although the updates can be annoying there are Facebook Profile/Fan pages that are not only free, but further a brands image by allowing ‘fans’ and a place to post relative content without clogging up your site, or wasting bandwidth.  They also allow a platform for brand personality through YouTube clips, photo albums or RSS feeds.  This is probably the most automated social media option represented here.

• Be Consistent – It doesn’t matter if people choose to look at your invite to a trunk show on your Facebook Profile/Fan Page or your website, but the information must be the same.  Use the same logos, maps, etc to maintain a consistent image.
• Link Love – Use your eCommerce site to link to your Facebook page, and use your Facebook page to link back to your site.
• Keep it Fresh – Link your blog RSS directly to your Facebook Page so that it consistently stays fresh with no additional maintenance. 

LinkedIn - Use LinkedIn as your gateway to find other professionals that can use your knowledge and expertise.

• Join Groups/ Start Groups – These can be professional groups, alumni, etc and upload blog posts you have written that correlate to the interest group for greater exposure.
• Update your Status – Be sure to update your status line at least once a week to remain in front of your contacts, and draw more people to your blog.

These are only three options to consider in a sea of ever evolving mediums.  The best way to stay afloat is to set aside a specific amount of time, say 30 minutes a day, and give it a 30 day trial period to see if it is a good fit for your product and reaching your customers.  If it isn’t a good fit (or enjoyable), discontinue use and look to another avenue. 

Next month I will be sharing some advanced tricks and treats that I have discovered about blogging and share them with you.  If you haven’t signed up for Web Shop Manager’s RSS feed be sure to do so. 

Emily Dunn

Brown Bag Agency

We’ve covered a lot of ground in the last 6 posts in our series “Developing an eCommerce Blog”.  Now seems to be the perfect time to provide 5 tips that will help take your eCommerce blog to the next level.  So here they are in no particular order:

1. Use Coupons to Capture Holiday Shoppers – You know you love clicking and clipping coupons, and now there is a study to prove that everyone else does too.  Harris Interactive recently released a Consumer Coupon Behavior study that found:

“30% of online adults will not make a purchase at an online store if they can’t find a coupon for that store”

“22% of online adults will go to a different store to make that purchase”

Use this to your advantage and post special discounts to coupon sites like:

• Retail Me Not
• Coupons.com

If you would like more ideas on monetizing your eCommerce blog, please refer to a previous post in this series entitled "3 Areas to Consider when Monetizing your eCommerce Blog"

2. Use contests to grow readership, and ignite some buzz – Use contests and giveaways to start a commenting and site visit frenzy.  This is the perfect way to not only feature your products but to get your name out there.  Write an insightful post, ask a question and randomly select a commenter to receive a prize.  It doesn’t have to be a huge item, we as human beings just like free stuff. 

Or, ask visitors to sign up for your RSS feed, and shoot you an email letting you know.  They could then be entered for a chance to win something.  Think of using the Interactive Survey in a module in a similar way to gain insightful information and names for a drawing.

This tactic can also be used to grow your Twitter followers.  For instance, you could give your 100^th follower a $25 gift certificate for your store. 

3. Always be human – Remember, photos not logos make you seem like a real human. This is especially true for Twitter accounts.  Be you (real human) blogging for the company.  Also, be sure to take advantage of Web Shop Manager’s Live Chat Module.  Having a personality is a good thing.  Use your own unique spin and writing style to create deeper relationships through your chats.     

4. Exchange Links with Other Bloggers - If you want someone to notice you, reference them or their company in a eCommerce blog post and then email the link to the post that mentions them.  Use restraint when reaching out, and make sure the content you are offering adds something of value.  Make sure the link you send is to relevant eCommerceblog post and not just a link to your homepage.Or, include them in a "blog roll" by using the resources/ links module.    

The best way to get noticed is to frequent interesting sites, and leave thoughtful comments.  Eventually, they will return the favor. 

5. Be the expert – Take your area of expertise and run with it.  No one could know more about your niche, so use that knowledge not only to sell your products or services, but to put you at the forefront of your category.  Use your eCommerce blog as a platform to convey your enthusiasm to earn credibility and watch your sales increase. 

I encourage you to challenge yourself to take your eCommerce site to the next level now that you have the fundamentals down.  Just don’t drive yourself batty trying them all at once.  Have any of these worked for you in the past?  Please leave your success stories below with a link to your blog (opportunity here for a shameless plug-take it!).   

Next month we’ll explore how to evaluate your online effectiveness.  After all, if you don’t know how your site is doing, how can you improve?  If you are looking for a real treat, make sure you sign up for Web Shop Manager’s RSS feed.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Emily Dunn, Brown Bag Agency

How can you know where you are going when you don’t know where you are starting from?  There are many great (free) tools to use when evaluating and benchmarking the effectiveness of your website and eCommerce blog.  Then, you can take that information to develop the direction of your blog and website.

Not knowing how you are doing is a detriment to the work you have already done.  Please consider the following tools when evaluating your site:

1. Websitegrader.com- This site offers a myriad of helpful information including glaring omissions, competition comparisons, and Google Page Rank (PR).  PR is important because it is Google’s way of determining where your site will appear on the search page.  This number is determined by a number of things including search engine optimization (SEO) and the quality and quantity of inbound links (aka backlinks).  Thankfully, WSM http://webshopmanager.com/ has built in SEO optimization tools that will help with your relevance. 

2. Google Analytics- Google Analytics is a traffic analysis tool that allows you to measure statistics including top landing pages, top keywords used to find your site, and top content on your eCommerce blog.  Use this in conjunction with Web Shop Manager’s built in customer statistics feature.  If you find that a specific keyword is resulting in high traffic levels, use that idea to spin off a blog post series.  For more ideas on how to generate content read "How do I Develop Innovative Content for my eCommerce Blog?". 

3. Alexa.com – Use Alexa.com to see which company is the most popular in your category, or check out your competitors reach, pageviews, top key words, and the demographics of site visitors.  You can use these stats to your advantage and improve your market share.  Knowledge is your friend when it comes to your competition. 

Use these tools on a regular basis to evaluate your efforts in a similar way that you run sales reports.  Finding weaknesses and areas you can improve will be a huge asset to your traffic levels and will result in more conversions. 

Next month I’ll be exploring Social Media Optimization and how to make every move count including things you aren’t doing but should. 

Emily Dunn

Brown Bag Agency

We all know there should be 26 hours in the day.  Could that be a Christmas gift?  No? Yeah, that’s what I thought.  We only have so much time in a day to dedicate to each task.  The best solution is to make every move we make and every eCommerce blog post we write worth it.  By focusing your available time and efforts you can increase your ROI significantly.

You wouldn’t buy a new Ferrari and then leave it out in the winter would you?!  No, you would take the time to nurture your investment.  Here are some ideas for making the most of your eCommerce presence.   

1. Go Local – Claim your location and add photos, business hours, and as much pertinent information as you can.

• Head to getlisted.org to check your current status. 

• Claim your business: Google’s Local Business Page, Yahoo!, Bing, Yellowpages.com, Yelp, and hotfrog: all of which are FREE. 

2. Revisit your copy – Better Content = more traffic = more conversions = More Money!

• Whether it’s PPC (pay per click ad campaigns) or site pages, visit and refine your pages, being sure to utilize keyword research.  This will keep the content fresh and you are certain to find a few glaring typos you didn’t see the first time around.    

• Mega important to take advantage of Meta Descriptions, and Meta Keywords.  Web Shop Manager’s Content Management System (CMS) makes it incredibly easy to input this information.  You could have this done for all your site pages in a morning’s work.

3. Leverage your Web Presence – Want a group of participating, link sharing, interactive people that understand your brand and don’t mind promoting it?  If you are interested in more information on this subject, be sure to read "How to Cultivate and Retain an Active User Base for your eCommerce Blog".

• Start with a core group of people you enjoy interacting with, start reading their blog, and leave thoughtful comments.  Find them on Twitter, StumbleUpon where ever you both are, and connect. 

4. If you post it they will come… - This isn’t true!  Sure organic traffic is bound to happen from keyword rich eCommerce blog posts.  But don’t leave it all up to Google!  They are busy!  Do your own promoting.  Use every social network you have to cross promote.

• LinkedIn – Update your status bar with a link to your newest eCommerce blog post article.  If you belong to groups, find the ones that would benefit from your post and add a link to their news feed.

• Facebook Fan Page – Set up your page so it automatically updates with your RSS feed.  Of course this can be done manually too.

• Twitter – Tweet a shortened link to your newest blog post.  Use Hashtags (#) to specify keywords if they don’t appear in your tweet else where.  This will help people that use the search feature find you.  For instance:

“Great deals on outdoor equipment! #kayaks #canoes #camping"

Oh, and do use invitations for people to connect with you, frequently, in your email signatures, business cards, print collateral, etc.  With that being said you should connect with Web Shop Manager if you haven’t done so already:

Emily Dunn, Brown Bag Agency

We may begin to see the sun peaking through the recession clouds, but we are not of its shadow quite yet.  However, the quickest companies to rebound will be those that are willing to invest in the technologies that allow them to increase market share.  And where has the market turned?  The Internet.    

“When the recovery fully takes hold, the growth will be driven by the web, and retailers that want to survive and grow need to fish where the fish are. eCommerce Merchants with worn-out old systems won’t be the ones getting the business online. The ones that will are making a sound investment in better e-commerce technology now.” Kasey Lobaugh, retail analyst and principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP

Solutions for a Newbie or an eCommerce Veteran

As business owners we need to ask ourselves what our customers want and need.  Listening to our market, Web Design Solutions developed an ideal solution, Web Shop Manager™ (WSM™).

Recently, an article was published in Internet Retailer entitled “Internet Retailer Survey: E-retailers are ready to buy new technology, and they have long shopping lists.”  Reading this article reminded us just how big the need is for an all-encompassing eCommerce platform.  We provide many of the mentioned features in the article as part of our standard product offering, and we couple all of that with custom eCommerce web design. 

Built in response to our clients ever evolving needs, WSM™ offers a feature packed arsenal including – but not limited to:

Automatic SEO - WSM™ optimizes every page of content for you by generating your Google XML sitemap, URL list and robots.txt file every night. 

Target Marketing - Using customer statistics gathered by WSM™’s Content Management System (CMS), site owners can pinpoint exactly what customers are interested in, in order to develop highly targeted marketing campaigns.  Imagine knowing exactly which customers would be most likely to take advantage of an offer and exclusively providing them with an enticing coupon code. 

Robust Content Management System - The WSM™ CMS is every bit as powerful as it is easy to use.  From first time eCommerce site owners to veterans, there is something for everyone.  There are a myriad of eCommerce features, but here are just a few that are included in your WSM™ site: 

• Resources and Links
• Dealer Locator
• Event Calendar
• FAQ Pages
• Photo Gallery
• Blog/ News
• User-Generated Content  
• Customer Ratings and Reviews

WSM™ for an Ever Evolving Marketplace

Web design and eCommerce platforms have come a long way from their inception years ago.  Web Design Solutions/ Web Shop Manager™ are continually adding more eCommerce features and modules to provide flexible technology for our discerning clients.

eCommerce platforms may vary in size and prices, but as far as we are concerned WSM™ provides the best answer for those that require customized web design with an incredible CMS.  

The best Integrated Content Management System just got better...

Over the last six months Web Shop Manager^TM (WSM) has received some serious improvements. We believe that you will find that our Content Management System (eCommerce CMS) is the most comprehensive, easy to use CMS out there. We are continuously working on adding more features, and fine tuning WSM to help our clients run their shopping carts more efficiently, and to make more money.

Order Management for eCommerce Stores

Order processing and shipping are major component of an eCommerce website's effectiveness. In a continuing effort to help our eCommerce thrive, we spend a considerable amount of time listening to our clients, and responding to their comments and suggestions. Just one example is how we have streamlined the eCommerce order processing function even more. Now you will find that when 'Will Call' is selected as the shipping method for your local customers, tax is added and the cost of shipping is eliminated.

For those shopping cart items that must be shipped via LTL or truck freight, business owners can choose their own custom message to convey how those special circumstances will be handled. This eliminates customer confusion, and will ensure them that they will be contacted, and by whom.

Within the integrated basic shipping configuration you can specify which areas of the world you are willing to ship to, including the choice to ship to the continental US only.

Using the WSM FAQ module you can create a clean looking, content filled, question and answer style page for all your checkout and shipping policies. Effective use of these pages will help minimize customer confusion, customer service inquiries, and can be easily accessed throughout the checkout process.

eCommerce business owners have more control than ever over order processing. They can capture payments or issue refunds for an entire charge from within WSM using Authorize.net. In addition, for special circumstances, charges can be applied to more than one credit card, or, when adjustments need to be made to the order after the checkout process, products can be added, or deleted from the order with a push of a button.

Customer Management for eCommerce Shopping Carts

Insight into your customers buying habits, including first and last products purchased, can be incredibly helpful when you are organizing up-sell/ cross-sell product promotions, and in developing targeted marketing campaigns. Using the CSV Data Import/Export, customer statistics, orders, and inquiries can be easily exported for further examination.

From your CMS dashboard you can now have the ability to not only see a list of inquiries, but to mark them with their appropriate status. The status column will help you to see at a glance what action needs to be taken next.

Our new custom form builder allows business owners to create their own inquiry forms to meet their specific business needs. Each submitted inquiry automatically generates an email, which can be sent to any email address, and can include cc and bcc email addresses.

Email order notifications are more detailed than ever with the inclusion of Product Option information. These product options may include size, color, finish, etc. to ensure that any mistakes within the order can be amended quickly.

Catalog & Product Management for eCommerce

Take advantage of the brand new, advanced Year Make Model Attribute System. Attributes can be utilized in any instance where selecting the correct part or product is critical. They are used heavily in the automotive aftermarket industry to help site visitors find the correct part for their vehicle by first selecting the item they are interested in, and then specifying the year, make, and model for the search query. When the information has been entered to their satisfaction they will click 'shop' and will be redirected to a dedicated landing page for the products that match their search.

The customer entered search criteria selected will be remembered throughout their shopping session even if the customer clicks away from the landing page. This will reduce customer frustration, and will allow your customer to easily modify their search criteria, or easily clear it and continue shopping.

From a business owner's perspective, the attribute system is easy to manage. With one action you can add a range of years for a specific product. In addition, if brand or manufacturer implements a price increase, business owners have the ability to issue a mass price change for that brand or manufacturer.

eCommerce Site & Feature Management

Our e-commerce CMS modules were designed to be multi-functional and an alternative to labor intensive web development. Our CMS modules are not only easy to customize, but are now even more feature packed, including a field for topic descriptions in modules where topics are assigned. The Resources/ Links module has been updated with the inclusion of assigned topics, and the ability to upload files, and images.

Helping to keep WSM organized we have developed expanding/collapsing folders within the content management system which operate very much like they do in your desktop keeping content neatly bundled for quicker navigation.

On the occasion that you need to delete a file, blog post or image, utilize the new 'quick delete' icon. Another time saving feature is the Multi-Image Uploader. This fabulous CMS feature is now available in the product section of the eCommerce CMS. Putting multiple images to good use, the product image view allows images to be swapped without the need for a slide show.

eCommerce SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Over the last 6 months we have increased the opportunities for eCommerce business owners to combine their SEO efforts with our automated SEO. We have made SEO improvement to Categories & Brands by including an extended description field for you to load up with search engine optimized copy.

Part of a good SEO strategy is to use Blog/News articles to further your efforts and optimize your site with relevant content enriched with even more keywords and phrases. Because of this, WSM has added customized SEO fields. Your eCommerce blog isn't the only thing to benefit from these additions, now your content pages can be assigned topics for categorization, and SEO flexibility.

WSM your eCommerce Solution

If you are currently using the WSM Content Management System you know how powerful, and intuitive it is to use. If you have yet to experience its power, and flexibility we encourage you to take a look at a few of our satisfied customers in our eCommerce Portfolio.

Our goal is to provide amazing eCommerce sites with customized hosting solutions that matches your goals, and budget. Contact WSM today to find out how we can become your e-Commerce partner for the life of your current project, and the next one.

eCommerce Competitor Analysis Report

A marketing plan should be an integral part of your eCommerce business’ strategy.  There are many ways to start thinking about a marketing plan however; there are two very different schools of thought.  The first is to make decisions based on instinct, while being influenced as little as possible by outside sources.  Do not look at eCommerce competitors, and shoot from the hip. 

The second looks at eCommerce competitors with an analytical eye, breaking down campaigns, and messages to determine where there is room for improvement.  In my experience the most effective way to determine a course of action is by looking at where others have gone, and then making the best decision based on a significant amount of research.

Look for Opportunities

In order to maintain our status as the most comprehensive Web Design Solution, part of our premium eCommerce Web Design Package includes a Competitive Marketing Analysis.  The Competitive Marketing Analysis will assist in providing information about your current or under construction website, amongst a group of peers.  We will also look for any buzz happening currently about your company or brand online, and help you determine where it would make sense to maintain online profiles.  In other words, help to specify where your time and efforts will be the most effective online. 

The first portion of the report will examine Customer Experience, or how your customers are led through the site, and how that effects conversion.  After all, the point of eCommerce is to make money.  Any measure that you can take to increase online sales will be worth looking at further.

In addition, WSM will examine Search Engine Optimization SEO including organic and pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns.  We will include information regarding Meta data and how to use it properly, as well as a glimpse at what your competitors are doing in terms of PPC campaigns.

The third component of the Competitive Marketing Analysis will include a Social Media assessment.  This portion will take into account your current profiles, if any exist, as well as recommendations for profiles including approximate time requirements to help budget appropriately.  You can also expect some tips and tricks, and great examples of jobs well done to learn from.

Looking at what others have done in terms of Customer Experience, SEO, and Social Media will reduce the learning curve and provide relevant examples of what is working well, and what can be improved upon.  This report will provide you with a road map, and a tremendous amount of information to help with your online marketing efforts.

How do you Define Goals if you don’t Know Where you are Starting From?

Without establishing a baseline there will be no way to understand where you should go from here in terms of Internet Marketing.  By assessing your current online presence, and that of a peer group, you will gain a solid understanding of how to help make your company more successful online.  This 20+ page report is an invaluable resource to help solidify your online presence.  This report will help you combine the phenomenal eCommerce features that WSM has with some examples of use that will take your eCommerce business to the next level in no time.

Over the years we have learned what differentiates successful businesses online.  Using that knowledge base we design websites to our client’s specifications making suggestions along the way.  If you need fantastic eCommerce web design & development to set apart your company or brand, look no further for the boutique style web design firm that will take your goals and help them become a reality.  Take the next step and complete our free webdesign quote form, or request a free website analysis to have a small taste of what you can come to expect from an eCommerce partner like WSM.

Easy to Update Website Slideshow

Creating a slideshow for your eCommerce site pages, or home page is incredibly simple using Web Shop Manager™ (WSM) as your content management system (eCommerce CMS). Photo slideshows can be used in a variety of ways to get the attention of site visitors and emphasize special features of the eCommerce site.

For instance, a photo slide show can be used to showcase a new product, or a popular one.  A slideshow located above the fold (shown without a site visitor having to scroll down on the page) is a great way to help people quickly identify what makes your products or services unique.

In addition, contests or special promotions including a coupon code could be highlighted in a slide and then hyperlinked to a site page or eCommerce blog post for more information and details.

Furthermore, if you offer free shipping, or quantity discounts be sure to mention them in the slideshow in order to increase adoption from your customers. Slides could also be made for the seasons and simply hidden when not in use.

As an eCommerce merchant it is your job to explain to your customers as quickly and clearly as possible what makes you different from the competition and why they should chose to work with you. Photo slideshows can help creatively and graphically explain the differentiating facts and put you one step in front of the competition. While helping your customers gain insight into why they should buy from you, slideshow titles can also be SEO optimized to help get found in search engines and bring even more relevant traffic to your eCommerce website.

Creating Slideshows for your eCommerce Site

In order to help our clients be as successful as possible with their eCommerce endeavors WSM is committed to providing tools that are simple, easy, and effective.  Time is finite and the learning process should be short and sweet.  Putting you in complete control of your eCommerce website is something that we take pride in, and make a high priority.  Adding slideshows to your eCommerce website can be a fun, interactive way to engage site visitors and help lead them toward conversion.

Utilizing WSM to its full extent is empowering and once you start to get a feel for how to create slideshows there will be no stopping you!

Creating your Photo Album & Preparing Graphics for your Photo Slideshow

The Photo Gallery Module included with WSM allows you to create photo albums that can be displayed on dedicated site pages, or embedded within content or on the homepage in the form of a slideshow.

To begin to create your slideshow highlight Modules, Click Photo Gallery from your WSM dashboard.

To add a new album, click the Add Album button.

The Add Album screen is discussed in detail below. After you create your album you can return, make changes, and add photos. It is not necessary to have all of your photos ready to upload before you create your album.

Each numbered item is discussed below.

1.Title – This is the name for your album. This name should describe where your album is used and

for what purpose i.e. Home Page Slide Show. Optimize the title for search engines to help get found in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

2. Description – Use the description for additional information about the album. Use this field for reference notes for coworkers.

3. Priority – Priority sets the order the album is displayed in the gallery. Higher priority albums are

placed before items with a lower priority.

4. Parent –This is similar to creating folders and sub folders on your computer. This is useful if have several slide shows such as holiday, or special promotions. If this is the case, you may want to create an album named Slide Shows and add sub albums for each individual show.

5. Template – Several site page templates may have been created for you by the WSM web design team.  If so, you can specify which template is to be used with this drop down.

6. Hidden – Slide shows are special albums used in conjunction with a program on your site (which

the WSM staff will setup for you). If you do not plan to use this album for any other purpose than

Slide Shows with Web Shop Manager, you should select Yes.

7. Add Album – Once you have provided the required information click the Add Album button to

create and save your album. You can always edit the album later if you need to make changes.

Organizing Graphics in your Photo Album

There are many great photo editing tools available to you.  If budget is a concern, try using free tools such as, Sumo Paint, or gimp.  Sumo Paint, and gimp are intuitive and can help you to easily crop, resize, or enhance photos to include in your slide show.  It is important to have slides that share the same dimensions to eliminate skewing, or distortion.  The easiest way to find out what size of graphic you need is to look at an existing slide created by WSM.  If you are using Mozilla Firefox, simply right click, and click on ‘view image info’.  Pixel dimensions will be displayed in a dialogue screen.  If you are in Internet Explorer, right click, and click on ‘properties’ to view pixel dimensions.

Custom photography would be fantastic to include in your slideshow, however if this is not an option for you, take a look at royalty free photo sites like istockphoto.com. Professional looking photos can help differentiate your site from your competitors and will help convey your message graphically. In some cases this can mean the difference in reaching your target market, or missing them completely. 

Adding Photos to your Homepage Slideshow

Once you have made the appropriate changes to your photos, upload them to the slideshow album already created. Here is a brief overview of the buttons available in the Photo Gallery. They are located to the left of each album name.

This icon will allow you to edit the information you entered when you first created the album.

This icon will display sub-albums, if any, that are assigned to this album.

Use this icon to access the photos you have already uploaded to the album and to add photos.

This icon will display the album as a web page. You will not display the album to your viewers in this format.

You can add photos two different ways, individually or multiple files at the same time. Both are available from the same Add Photo screen.

To add photos, as mentioned above, click the   icon.

Adding the Slideshow to your Homepage

In addition to preparing your photos, and then your photo albums for the slideshow there is one more item that needs to be in place for the photo slideshow to be completely functional. This component is called a Widget. The Widget will include parameters that control how the slide show is displayed to your customers.

After reviewing this section if you need assistance with setting up the widget, please contact the WSM support staff.

First, what is a Widget?

Widgets are small programs that make an application or service perform in a specific way. They allow users to access applications without  in-depth knowledge of what is happening behind the scenes. You will need to place a small piece of widget Code for your album to function as a slide show. The slide show can function with a few basic settings. The only code you need to change is the ID and the height of your images, see example below. The ID identifies which photo album you want to use for this slide show. You also need the parameter for slideshow. The parameter is what tells the widget to display the album as a slide show.

To determine the ID for the photo album from within your eCommerce dashboard, highlight Modules and click Photo Gallery. Look in the ID column for the album you created and note the ID number.

To add the widget code to your Site Page, highlight the code below, press Ctrl C to copy, while editing the predetermined Site Page, place your cursor where you would like the slideshow to appear on the front end, then press Ctrl V to paste. Delete the 123 ID and type the ID number for the photo album you have created for the slideshow.

{{ widget name='widget_cycle' gallery='true' id='123' show_prev='false' show_next='false' cycle_controls_top='true' instance='_1' imgsize='F' width='737' height='279' cycle_timeout='8000' cycle_speed='200' cycle_fx='fade' }}

Additional Modifications to your Website Slideshow

You can add additional parameters to your code to change the way your slide show functions and appears. Each setting is described below.

Required Parameters:

gallery: determines that the gallery module is to be used for this widget.
Required value: gallery='true'

instance: recommended to use only if there are one or more instances of the widget that need to be styled differently. It adds a unique div id value to the <ul> tag
Values: numeric or alpha
Example: instance='_myslideshow'

limit: must set a limit on the number of images that get loaded to the slideshow. Max recommended is 5
Values: numeric
Default: unlimited
Example: limit=5

Control the animation and pagination of the slideshow:

cycle_fx: this controls the transition animation between slides. Most of the effects listed here will work: http://malsup.com/jquery/cycle/browser.html for list of effects
Default: fade
Example: fx='slideX'

cycle_timeout: Time between the fades in milliseconds
values: milliseconds
Default Value: 3000 - which equates to 3 seconds
Example timeout = '2000'

cycle_speed:  Fadingspeed
Values: in milliseconds
Default Value: 1000
Example: speed = 2500 - which equates to 2.5 seconds

height: Height of the containing element
Values: Any css-height-value such as px, em, % - recommend doing px value
Default Value:120px - which equals the default thumbnail height
Example: height = '315px'

Pagination Controls:

cycle_pager: determines to show pagination controls
Default: true
Example: cycle_pager='false' - will remove pagination controls

show_prev - used to hide previous button
Default Value: True
Example show_prev='false'

show_next - used to hide previous button
Default Value: True
Example: show_next='false'

cycle_controls_top: move pagination controls to the top. Controls are defaulted to show under the slideshow of images.
Default Value: false
Example: cycle_controls_top='true'

cycle_pager_thumb: pagination links can be the thumbnails of the images
Default Value: false
Example: cycle_pager_thumb='true'
Related parameter:
img_thumb - size of the thumbnail.
Values: T=thumbnail, M=medium, F=fulsize
Default=T
Example: img_thumb='M'

cycle_pager_name: pagination links can be the Name of the image
Default Value: false
Example: cycle_pager_name='true'

cycle_skin_overlay: pagination controls are overlayed on top of theslideshow. Only the Prev and Next links are present.
Default: false
Example: cycle_skin_overlay='true'

Control Link of the images:

The default setting is to use the URL places in the URL field when creating the album image. But you have other options as needed.

link_image: link to the photo view in the album
Default: false
Example: link_image='true'

lytebox: open up the image in a lytebox popup
Default: false
Example: lytebox='true'

Other Parameters:

show_info: show the description of the image
Default: false
Example: show_info='true'

Increase Conversions with Photo Slideshows

Photo Slideshows have been used by eCommerce industry leaders to effectively promote products, and increase sales. Create your own professional looking website slideshow in a matter of minutes with WSM!

If you are looking for a Content Management System & eCommerce Web Design Company to take your business concept and help transform it into a selling machine, contact Web Shop Manager today. We take care of the details so you can concentrate on your e-business.

Have you seen WSM in action yet?  Take a moment to sign up for your own LIVE demonstration.

eCommerce Product Management just got Easier

Managing 10s, 100s, or 1000s of products from one intuitive dashboard has always been what Web Shop Manager™ (WSM) has offered to our clients.  From that simple idea, we continue to improve WSM (eCommerce CMS) based on client, and staff feedback and suggestions. Listening to those recent suggestions we have added a simpler product update feature that will save time, and just makes good sense.

The new eCommerce CMS enhancements come in the form of quick product edits. Previously to edit any portion of a product listing you would navigate to the product, click edit, change the appropriate data field, and save your changes. Well this works great if you want to change the cross-sell/up sell feature or modify product options. Although, if you simply want to change a product name, or update the sale price, you can do that right from the product list!

Easily Manage eCommerce Product Listings

In order to make it easier for our eCommerce clients to make more money instead of spending their free time updating products, our product listing screen has been enhanced for our existing eCommerce clients. This should look familiar:

However, you may notice that fields can be edited right from the Product listing page! Here is the scoop on what can be edited from this page:

1. Name- This is the product name displayed to the customers in the eCommerce product catalog.

2. Tax- If the item is subject to tax, the tax check must appear.

3. Price- The normal price of the item.

4. Sale- If set; this will override the price field when a customer purchases this item. The sale price will be displayed in addition to the normal price in product listings.

5. Stock ID- This is a custom stock identification number displayed to the customer.

6. Dealer ID- This is the identification number given to the product by the manufacturer.

7. Avail.- If the availability is set to Sold or Out of Stock, customers will not be able to purchase this item or add it to their cart. If the availability is set to Inventory, the display of the add to cart button is calculated based on the remaining inventory (8.). If the remaining inventory is (0), then customers will not be able to purchase this item.

8. Inv.- Current number of items in stock.

9. Hide- Toggle between hidden and unhidden. Hidden items are not displayed in the E-Commerce catalog.

Simply hover over the item you wish to change, click, and make your edits!  There is no need to save from this screen. WSM will automatically save those product updates for you and they will be reflected automatically on the frontend for your customers.

In addition, from the Category List you can click on Priority to type in the desired value:

Did you ever think organizing your eCommerce product catalog could be this fun?

Product Management Tools

When you need the right tools to get the job done, make sure you talk to eCommerce industry experts, WSM. We have you covered from tiered pricing levels, custom eCommerce Web Design, and Website Development!  Whether you are looking to break into eCommerce or are already established we’re confident we can find a solution to match your needs with WSM.  Contact WSM to speak with one of our eCommerce expert staff, or click to get a free web design quote, and begin exploring your options. We would be thrilled to provide your company with the same level of service & support that so many of our existing clients have enjoyed for years. Then you can start planning what you will do with all your free time!

The Best eCommerce Catalog & Product Pages

Web Shop Manager™ (WSM) has released version 3.3.3 with some exciting changes to the Catalog and Product page views. You may have already noticed some subtle differences around your eCommerce website. The recent enhancements include:

Enhanced Catalog Layout

A new option has been added to the System>Configuration>Catalog tab. When “Enhanced Catalog Layout” is enabled, additional information regarding Categories and Products will be displayed. This additional information may include product descriptions, product availability, product condition and an “Add to Cart” button for each product listed. Here is an example of Enhanced Catalog Layout being enabled:

On Category and Brand pages where products are listed, you will notice that customers have the ability to sort products, and to toggle between list and grid view. These view preferences will be remembered as they continue to shop your eCommerce website. This has been implemented on all eCommerce sites and requires no further action to take advantage of this.  When Enhanced Catalog Layout is disabled (default setting) only Category and Product names are displayed.  Same example as above but with the default setting:

A New Look for Product Pages

 You may also notice some subtle differences on Product Pages. Option Set boxes (when applicable) have a slightly new look.  The remainder of the product listing including the extra details should look very familiar to you.

While the new look of Option Sets will affect all of our eCommerce clients, the addition of Product Page Views found on the dashboard under System>Configuration>Catalog will not.  Product Page View allows you to select different display options for your product pages. “Tabbed” will format the additional information in a horizontal view; this is not the default view (see the image above for an example of the default). NOTE: This setting may conflict with your eCommerce website’s Style Sheet. A consultation with a WSM employee is recommended before use of this setting.  The default view will not look any different than what you are used to. The Tabbed view however will look similar to this:

Additional Features of Web Shop Manager – v 3.3.3

Connect with external programs with Custom Order Exports chose from (4) different order exports; (1) XML, (3) CSV. Click to learn more about custom order exports.

From the order administration screen take a look at the new Sales Tax Feature. Use the calculator tool to add sales tax on products and/or shipping.

Free shipping can be specified for individual products rather than eCommerce site wide. Find it in the Shipping & Handling portion of the Product pages.

Specifying warehouses for each product is available for Dealers. If you’re a Dealer you can add Warehouses under the System tab and assign products to them. For products assigned to each warehouse, shipping will be calculated from the Warehouse address versus the address given in the configuration tab.

Increase or decrease the UPS and FedEx rates given to your customers by amount or percentage. This affects both negotiated and non-negotiated rates. These changes can be set under Configuration – Shipping & Handling tab.

Best eCommerce Content Management System. Period.

When our eCommerce customers give us feedback on how we can help to make their lives easier, or make them more money we listen. If you are currently a WSM customer please let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding the recent changes and their affects on your site. And please keep the suggestions and feedback coming.

On the other hand, if you have yet to experience WSM and the incredible eCommerce features that are available right out of the box, we suggest taking a moment to contact WSM today to figure out how you can get all of your eCommerce needs (web hosting, website design, and web development) taken care of under one roof.

Product Options with Inventory Management

Web Shop Manager™ (WSM) is introducing a new Inventory Management system that works in conjunction with Product Options that our eCommerce clients are already familiar with. Product Options with Inventory can be used for Inventory Management when there are 10 red-small t-shirts, and 12 red-mediums. Assigning inventory levels to these configurations will ensure that your customer will not be able to order more than you have on hand.  In addition, you can use this system to assign specific SKUs to configurations.  For instance if red-small has its own SKU you can assign that only to that particular configuration, in a sense creating a brand new item.

Process for Activating Inventory Management with Option Sets

Please notify a WSM team member if this seems like something your eCommerce website could benefit from. This feature will need to be enabled for you. Once this has been enabled the steps to proceed are as follows.

Create Global or Local Option Sets

The procedure to create Option Sets with Inventory is very similar to creating Option Sets in general.  The procedure and more details can be found on the Product Options page.  Remember to use Global Options wherever possible to help save time and to help keep your eCommerce Product Options organized. For instance, if small – medium – large are used for more than one item it makes sense to add that as a global option. 

On Option Sets that are to be used in conjunction with Inventory Management, check Yes next to Inventory. Please see the image below for an example:

Assign Options Sets with Inventory to Products

The next step is to assign the corresponding Option Sets to the product.

Navigate to the product you wish to assign Option Sets with Inventory too and follow the steps below:

1. Scroll to the Options & Attributes section of the Product Page
2. Add a Local Option Set if applicable, and/or select the Global Option sets that correspond to this product
3. Save Changes

Edit the product with Option Sets assigned, and follow these steps:

1. Scroll to the Inventory section of the Product Page
2. Click Open Inventory Config, where you will see the following screen with numbered items discussed below:

1. Availability – Availability can be changed to a number of settings including Available, Out of Stock, Sold. Each selection will modify the way the product appears on the frontend of your eCommerce site. Leaving the setting to Available is the recommended selection if using Option Sets with Inventory.
2. Remaining Inventory – Should be used in conjunction with the Inventory availability setting. This number indicates the number of products available and site visitors will not be able to purchase more than this number.
3. Availability Remarks – This field gives a description about the main products availability. Good for letting customers know any special instructions about the availability such as, lead times.
4. Condition – Identifies whether a product is newly manufactured, used, or used with refurbishing.
5. Option Sets with Inventory – Each Option Set with Inventory that has been assigned to this product will display here as a drop down. You must choose one item from each drop down and then click:
6. Create Configuration – Click Create Configuration once your selection is finished from each of the Option Sets dropdowns.
7. Create All Configurations – Clicking this button will automatically generate each combination possible. Ie white – small, white – medium, white – large etc.

Assign Inventory to Configurations

Each Configuration can be edited in the fields that are numbered and explained below:

1. Delete – Clicking this button will instantly remove the configuration. Once deleted, it will no longer be visible on the backend or frontend of your eCommerce site.
2. Name – The Name is generated from the Option Set Name field. However, this can be edited on this screen if you prefer that the combination of the (2) Option Sets have a unique identifier.
3. SKU – This is automatically generated from the WSM Item number and portions of the Option Set Name fields. However, this can be edited to a unique SKU if you wish.
4. Inventory – This number dictates the amount of products available for each configuration. In this example there is (1) item available in each configuration. If a customer tries to select more than the available amount on the frontend they will receive an error message.

Save your Configurations once you are satisfied.

Customer View of Options with Inventory Management

Your eCommerce customers will see something that appears like all other Option Sets on your site blending seamlessly.

Best Inventory Management Software

Managing eCommerce Products and Inventory has never been easier. Our customers can take something that was already familiar to them and now use it for Product Inventory Management.  Our modular eCommerce Content Management System (eCommerce CMS) makes it easy to take existing eCommerce features and use them in new ways.  We are thrilled to offer this new eCommerce enhancement to our existing clients, and hope this may alleviate pain for those that have yet to discover how WSM can help them.

Contact WSM today to find out how we have helped 100s of others and how we can help your eCommerce aspirations become a reality.  Just one warning: if you are looking to pull a number and get a cookie cutter experience, we are not the right fit for you. However, if you are looking for personalized attention and a devoted team of web designers, website developers, and eCommerce support staff, you may have just found your new home.

What is Google PR and why should I care?

In a nutshell PageRank, often referred to as Google PR, is Google’s way of determining the “importance” of a web page by looking at what pages are linking to it, or the quantity of backlinks.  PageRank is defined by a scale of 0 to 10 with 10 being the highest possible score. Google PageRank determines the position of your eCommerce website on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS). PageRank is based on a complicated algorithm, with importance weighted on backlinks.  

From Google “in general, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by increasing the number of high-quality sites that link to their pages.”

Building links with high quality, relevant websites is where you should concentrate. Yes, this is time consuming but so is updating your fantasy football league and you find plenty of time to do that!

Be sure to stick to best practice guidelines when partaking in link building activities. Just like all things you do online, make them genuine and sincere or they aren’t best practices. If the line begins to blur, or Google thinks that you are asking for links, you may be penalized. Think of it as building relationships versus just simply building backlinks. Here is a roundup of some of our favorite ways to build relevant backlinks online:

Directories & Bookmarking

You shouldn’t have to pay for your friends and you don’t need to pay to be added to directories either. There are many great directories and bookmarking sites out there which will be happy to include your url and company listing. Take some time to search for industry specific directories that may not be listed here.

Business Listing Directories

List your website in all the business or search directories like Google’s Places, Yahoo!, Bing, Yellowpages.com, Yelp, and Hot Frog. Be sure to add as much pertinent information as possible to these listing for both potential customers and search engines.

Encourage customers to leave reviews on directories for word of mouth marketing, and content value. In addition to fantastic content, these reviews can be used for keyword research.  Remember, it is what your customers would think to query, not what you, industry leader would use.

Search Directories

Add your listing to search directories where topics are organized by categories, a few of which include; DMOZ, Yahoo Directory, Squidoo, and Google Directory.

Social Bookmarking Sites

Social Bookmarking sites encourage linking to articles and websites that their users find interesting. Typically they are given tags and descriptions.

Establish a profile, with a link to your eCommerce website, and then encourage your faithful flock to bookmark your posts to find later on, and of course give you another link. Some popular Social Bookmarking sites include digg, delicious, and StumbleUpon. Each one of those Book Marking sites may be more or less popular for use in your industry. Ask your colleagues where they keep their bookmarks, or search for your peer group within the bookmarking sites to see which is the most widely used.

Social Media

Develop profiles on social networking sites like; Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. Providing valuable content is the most effective way to get the attention of readers and grow the amount of traffic to your eCommerce site. Use these profiles to promote blog posts, eCommerce products, and site pages. The larger the following the greater the chances for the buzz to generate incoming links for your eCommerce website.

Article Syndication Sites

Google Feedburner, ezinearticles and other blog syndication sites work like a syndicated TV show and will help you get exposure for all your hard work. Leverage a larger network than you would have with your own mailing list for instance. Once you have done the dutiful deed of writing fabulous content make sure to maximize your reach.  These submission sites will provide a link back to your eCommerce website in addition to helping grow your readership.

Online Reference Sites/ Industry Specific Sites

Each industry will have its own industry specific sites which may link to interesting content. Submit your work for consideration, and add your url to online reference sites like Wikipedia.

Write Content Worth Linking To

Writing content of value for your target audience is ultimately the trump card in link building. Interesting, helpful blog posts, and content pages that answer common questions, review products, and examine industry issues will become invaluable to your potential clientele. From within this content actively look for ways to link to other areas of your own eCommerce site using keywords or phrases as the “anchor text” (text used for the hyperlink) to help build relevancy within your own site. Well researched, thoughtful content may be used as reference material for other websites and will only further your relevancy and status as an industry leader.

Fresh and Re-Fresh Content

Update content often. Review stats and figures and what was the 2009 industry outlook can easily become the 2011 industry snapshot. Staying relevant with current trends will draw the attraction of potential customers and search engines alike.

Add URL to Collateral

If your url is not recognizable and everywhere, you will not get noticed. Add your url wherever you might add your phone number, or email address. Your well designed, easy to navigate eCommerce website is a reflection of the level of service your company will provide, so put your best foot forward on everything you do.  Get in front of people, over and over again. The more they see your website the likely hood that they will link to it will increase.

Give Away Information

Want your content to spread faster than a wildfire? Give it away for free. Ask only for a mention in exchange for the use of photos, content, stats and figures.

Blog Search Engines

Have a blog? Include your blog in blog search engines including; Technorati, Google Blog Search, and Ask.com Bloglines.

Cross Promote Collaborate with colleagues on co-authored blog posts in order to leverage both networks. Encourage respected “guest bloggers” to write blog post on your site about topics they are experts on.  Your audience will benefit from their knowledge, and the “guest bloggers” network is more likely to become familiar with your website. Similarly, you may suggest to a complimentary website, or blog that you would like to write a blog post for them regarding a specific topic that you are an expert on, hyperlinking your signature back to your website. 

Shopping Data Feeds

Find targeted leads for your eCommerce sites as well as increasing the number of backlinks. There are many comparison shopping sites, some work like PPC advertising, while there are several free sites that you should be aware of; Google Product Search, bing Shopping, and thefind.

Leave Comments

Well written blog posts are begging for a comment. Many blog posts have a field for your url when you sign in to leave a comment. Leave a url for future generations and a backlink to your website!

Use SEO Keywords and Phrases Whenever Possible

Use keywords and phrases selected to correlate with your target market to create titles, and content. Leave no opportunity for powerful keyword phrases unturned!

If you enjoyed these tips to increasing your Google PR, please be sure to sign up for the WSM RSS feed. We don’t want you to miss a thing!

Looking for an eCommerce design company that wants you to succeed and make money as much as you do?  Look no further than WSM for all your online hosting, web development, and website design needs.  Contact WSM today to see how we can help your eCommerce company thrive online.

ADP Lightspeed and Web Shop Manager™ eCommerce Data Integration

ADP Lightspeed is an Order Inventory management and processing system. Used to take orders and monitor physical inventory. From www.adplightspeed.com “ADP Lightspeed dealer software products help dealers maximize: parts inventory control, business processes, sales management control, service management control, rental management, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and dealer profitability.”

ADP Lightspeed is not the first third party software provider that Web Shop Manager™ (WSM) has integrated with.  WSM integrates with QuickBooks using the QuickBooks web connector, Shipworks, Authorize.net payment gateway, and can automatically import product data from database such as DCI-Catalog Rack for the Automotive Aftermarket industry. WSM’s ability to interface with third party software is what helps to make it the most comprehensive eCommerce Content Management System.  With WSM we have the ability to help our clients make more money more efficiently.  One way is with eCommerce developments like ADP Lightspeed data integration.

Inventory Management Software and eCommerce Content Management System

Real time data integration with ADP Lightspeed means that our customers can process orders, manage content and products from the WSM CMS and the following data is automatically imported to ADP Lightspeed:

1. New orders made on WSM
2. Customer information, order details, etc for the new orders
3. The ability to update Order Status' from ADP Lightspeed (canceled, backordered, complete, etc)
4. Brand Information for mapping in Lightspeed
5. Sales tax selections within WSM System>Configuration
6. Enhanced product information from the customer’s selection

Enhanced product data importing from WSM to ADP Lightspeed meant that combinations of product options, for instance red-small t-shirts or medium small t-shirts, would need their own specific SKUs and inventory management controls within WSM. WSM answered this challenge with Product Options with Inventory Management the WSM inventory management software. Within each product in WSM, product option configurations can be assigned essentially creating sub-products. This eCommerce feature enables products listed within WSM to map with ADP Lightspeed.

Comprehensive Powersport Dealer eCommerce Solutions

Because WSM is a proprietary eCommerce CMS, we can adapt and make changes as necessary to accommodate the challenging needs of our eCommerce customers. We can now offer ADP Lightspeed data integration to our Powersport Dealer clients to help them be as successful as possible. 

When it is time to start looking for a customized eCommerce solution for your company be sure to request your one-on-one CMS demonstration. We pride ourselves on the fact that you have constant contact to real human’s when you need it most.  If we are able to help you design the eCommerce website of your dreams we certainly will.  Contact WSM today for more information about how you can start moving towards the eCommerce partnership your company deserves. 

eBridge Software and Web Design Solutions Form Partnership to Offer Web Shop Manager eCommerce Integration to Over 40 Accounting/ERP Systems

This partnership allows Web Shop Manager merchants to integrate web sales orders, update inventory and shipping details automatically to over 40 major Accounting/ERP packages.

BURLINGTON, Ontario [June, 2011] – Web Design Solutions, Inc., a leading eCommerce software provider and eBridge Connections, a world leading provider of accounting software integration solutions, announced today their partnership aimed at providing ERP software integration to Web Shop Manager merchants. As the number of retailers deploying online stores continues to rise, many merchant platforms fail to offer an effective way to integrate sales data into accounting packages. As a result, resources are unnecessarily devoted to the manual keying of data during order processing. This partnership will provide Web Shop Manager merchants with an integrated online solution, facilitating a streamlined business processes and eliminate the need for costly custom solutions, resulting in a fast ROI for the merchant and savings in both time and labor.

With hundreds of happy customers and counting, Web Design Solutions’ highest priority continues to be customer experience with fanatical in-house design, development and support from real humans. “We aren’t a template website factor, at Web Design Solutions we produce one of a kind personalized designs for each of our clients. Our mission is to ensure your online store not only survives, but thrives in this tough economy through innovative eCommerce website design techniques and eCommerce strategies based on solid creative foundations.” Dana Nevins, Founder/CEO Web Design Solutions, Inc.

The eBridge integration platform currently supports connectors for 40+ of the world’s most popular accounting packages, including products from Microsoft, SAP, Sage and Intuit. “Providing an easy to use, SaaS-based platform merchants can plug into is our vision moving forward,” said Colin Brown, CEO of eBridge Connections “The ability to connect the accounting package or ERP to a merchant’s eCommerce store unattended, will significantly reduce errors and allow the merchant to direct their attention to other business needs.”

About eBridge

eBridge Software delivers powerful SaaS-based accounting integration that connects and automates vital business processes. The universal solution supports an ever-growing list of 40 accounting and ERP systems including Microsoft Dynamics, Sage, SAP, Intuit, and many more. With connections to more than 20 popular eCommerce carts, thousands of EDI trading partners and leading CRM platforms, eBridge Connections has become the integration platform of choice for businesses worldwide.”

40 Accounting Packages | 1000’s of Connections | Millions of Documents

About Web Design Solutions and Web Shop Manager

Located in sunny San Diego, CA, Web Design Solutions is specialized in the creation of Content Driven eCommerce Websites using their revolutionary SaaS-based eCommerce Content Management System, Web Shop Manager. Web Shop Manager is breaking new ground combining intuitive content creation tools and powerful conversion boosting marketing such as live chat, an integrated blog, enterprise level guided navigation systems, and a true 1-step fully optimized AJAX checkout to reduce bounce/abandonment rates.

For more information contact:
Sales & Business Development
Web Shop Manager
Tel: 619.663.9306
E-mail: sales@webdesignsolutions.com

Content Driven eCommerce - Create and Manage Search Engine Optimized eCommerce Content

Lifestyle brands and enthusiasts alike come to us at Web Shop Manager (WSM) because they are passionate about what they do and need a vehicle to translate that passion to fellow enthusiasts. Their dream may be to turn that ‘hobby’ that keeps them up all night into a legitimate revenue stream. It is one thing to have a phenomenal eCommerce website designed for conversions, for fellow enthusiasts, but it is also incredibly important to articulate that passion in a way that helps the consumer make the decision to trust your brand.

Whether you are in the Automotive Aftermarket, Action Sports Retail, Travel and Adventure, Pet and Animal, or Powersports industry it is important to not only sell products that you feel passionately about in a beautiful branded package, but you will need to back that up with substance/content too.

Why would I focus on content for my eCommerce site? Shouldn’t I be concerned about conversions instead?

It is less about being concerned about content versus conversions. It is the marriage of the two that is most successful. Great content will help increase desirable conversions.

Content creation can help to differentiate yourself amongst your competition. Customers of Lifestyle brands are not impressed by giant warehouses or broker drop shipping arrangements. They want to buy from fellow enthusiasts that share their pastime. It is important to differentiate your brand from the big warehouses and big giant conglomerates which may or may not have a human that answers the phone. The case is different with your vision; you are a real human with years of hands on product experience, and ideas how you would handle it all differently if you only had the platform to do it. Those site visitors will never know what makes you different unless you tell them.

Content creation will help improve your organic search results.  Search Engine Optimized content will help boost your Google Page Rank helping you to ride up the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) organically!  Google would much rather have eCommerce websites pay for AdWords. However, with WSMs Automated SEO the more SEO friendly content, the more Google will have to index. Write something of value for both humans and search engines.

Content creation can help create an eCommerce website that will bring the same visitors back time and time again. Typically when looking for a new product to purchase it is unlikely that you will walk into a store and make a purchase the very first time you go in. You might notice what they have, take mental stock, and leave to continue your comparison shopping. However, let’s say that store offers free classes in an area that interests you, weekly newsletters that let you know about events in your area, and weekly in store specials, interaction with knowledgeable staff, you will be more apt to remember that store, and come back when you do want to make a purchase. This is NOT unlike the eCommerce customer experience. Create a “sticky” eCommerce website with valuable, interesting, and SEO friendly content which will allow you to become the store of choice with the time for purchase arises.

eCommerce Features for Creating SEO Friendly Content

When examining why shopping cart abandonment occurs there are a multitude of factors that can play a part and consumer confidence is certainly a notable one. The addition of content to your eCommerce site can help boost confidence while reducing the barriers that inhibit conversion. Utilize FAQ Pages to answer all the questions that might keep someone from ordering from you. When a customer calls in with a question, add it to your FAQ Page to help reduce call volume and lead site visitors to conversion 24 x 7. 

The Photo Gallery can be used to show gear being used in the field and then each image or content in the description could by hyperlinked to the product itself. Using real installation shots does wonders for relating to enthusiasts. It is one thing to see a shiny new truck accessory glimmering in a catalog, but is entirely different than seeing it installed on your dream truck.

Utilizing the News/Blog feature of WSM is one of my favorite areas to create SEO optimized content including Meta tags, and the ability to create a library of articles that are of special interest to your target market. From there you can link to additional site pages, do a top 10 list of gear for newbies, or experts, link to the products, or embed YouTube videos from your YouTube channel. Do not forget to blog about products that you not only sell but have used yourself. Why did you like it? Who would you recommend it to? Create a product review of your own products and establish yourself as an expert in your niche.

Resources and Links works similarly to FAQs, however in this case you can create pages of local, regional, or state specific resources for your enthusiasts. For example, related websites with descriptions of what can be found there can be helpful to have all in one concise location for your target market. This will keep them coming back to your site time and time again for you, their number one resource. Not to mention all those wonderful SEO descriptions using keywords and phrases you could use.

An eCommerce Site that is Constantly Being Added to is a Happy, Healthy eCommerce Site

Content creation is something that happens over time. Take a minute to look at your About page that you wrote when your eCommerce store was first launched two years ago. I bet there are a number of things you would like to write differently now. I bet there are also new site pages, blog posts, and FAQ pages that could be hyperlinked to from the About page that would help your customers keep moving around your site rather than bouncing off to a competitor.

As you spend time on marketing, allow for time to be spent on content that has already been created. Evaluate already written content for invaluable inspiration to keep moving forward with content creation

WSM is an eCommerce solution for enthusiasts. We work day and night to translate your enthusiasm into a successful eCommerce website that draws traffic in and increases sales. WSM is committed to walking each enthusiast through the web design, and development phase, answering any questions you may have as we go along. Becoming an eCommerce partner is our top priority because creating eCommerce websites that sell to enthusiasts better than any other eCommerce  company out there is what keeps us up all night.

If you would like help being set up for success, and having open dialogue with an eCommerce web design firm that has your best interest in mind, please schedule your free demonstration today.