So we’ve talked before about the stigma that The Borg has created and how people are either hesitant to believe human contact now or they’re absolutely starving for it and can’t get enough of it.
But what does that mean to you, the business owner? The shop keeper?
Well, that depends.
We’ve come to realize, as we get a bit more seasoned in this industry, the positive aspects of a direct line of communication far outweigh the negatives. And, frankly, even the negative aspects provide us valuable learning tools and way to improve ourselves.
I ran across a great step-by-step today from ChaseSagum.com that helps you set-up a blog inside your Magento store. Now a blog and a store may be two different things in the mind of the average shop owner, but in reality? If you can stand the upkeep, it’s a GREAT enhancement.
I’ll show you what I’m talking about: go take a look at Superhero designs. Simple, clean, and direct, their site gives you two options: you can quickly access the Store and view the merchandise, or you can take a look at the behind-the-scenes goings-on in the Blog. And the best part of it .. your customers, who are NATURALLY thrilled with your product, can add your blog to their feed reader. And most feed readers today? Allow you to share links with your friends.
Let’s say that Superhero Designs decides that they’re prototyping a new piece of jewelry. They can put up some photos of designs in the blog, talk about how they came up with the new concept, and maybe even sponsor a giveaway. Customers who have subscribed to their RSS feed find out that day about the new piece. They share it with other friends, through Twitter or Google Reader or Facebook, and BAM! .. within a week of the blog post, Superhero Designs could conceivably have a new design on backorder before they’ve even got a prototype out.
I did mention the upkeep earlier, and that’s the ONLY consideration that may make you take pause before jumping in. It’s incredibly easy to let a blog sit stale because you don’t have an essay-long post drafted out yet. But that doesn’t have to .. and really, shouldn’t be .. the case. Your readers aren’t necessarily expecting a book every time you post; just a little reminder that you’re still there and you care that they’re reading will suffice.
And before you jump to any conclusions, Superhero Designs has no affiliation with us. I know about them because their blog was shared through a link in a feed reader, and I clicked through and fell in love with their jewelry. I’m living proof that a blog can lead to a sale.
So don’t be scared to have a voice. In most cases, it’s much quieter than you imagine out there, and it doesn’t take a yell to get noticed.
Let’s be honest, no matter how much we love the software (and we DO!) we are always hesitant to recommend an upgrade to the latest version of Magento for at least two to three weeks after it’s been released. Frankly, that’s our general recommendation for ANY software upgrade after the release of a new version. “Why”, you may ask?
Imagine you are a software developer. You are in a room with a few other developers, testing your NEW software version repeatedly. You test it in a few different browsers, maybe a few different machines, and everything looks great to you and your coworkers. You decide it’s ready and voila! Your latest software version is released.
The next day, “John Doe” decides to upgrade his software (your oh so fantastic new version!). “John Doe” sits down at his desk, takes a sip of his morning coffee and begins the upgrade process. After about 15 minutes, John does a spit-take. Why? Because spit-takes are generally the most compelling display of “surprise”. And because John stumbled across…. A BUG!
Like any new upgrade, sometimes bugs just aren’t discovered until the latest version has been out awhile. It takes several attempts in several environments with different variables to identify any inadequacies. Other people (like our buddy, “John Doe”) have attempted the upgrade, found a “glitch”, and subsequently contact the software development team. Then the software developers take a second look, and develop a solution or “work around”.
By waiting a few weeks to conduct your upgrade, you afford yourself the luxury of letting the “John Doe’s” of the world discover any bugs that may exist in the latest version while you get to sit coolly back and reap the benefits of their findings. When we put it that way, why WOULDN’T you wait to upgrade?
Of course, there may be circumstances where your site NEEDS the latest version. In which case, where do you turn?
SimpleHelix of course! SimpleHelix has been working with Magento hosting as of early 2007, and while upgrade “bugs” are as new to us as they are to you, we’re ALWAYS ready to help sort them out. SimpleHelix offers a Magento Upgrade service for a $50.00 fee. In this process we:
First, create a “sandbox” or a test bed in which we do a “dry run” of the upgrade to make sure that everything goes without a hitch.
Then we create a backup of your live site.
Next, we upgrade the live site using the knowledge we gained in the “sandbox” scenario.
If for any reason the upgrade of the “live site” is at all “weird” or “buggy’, we simply revert to the backup we created before the upgrade began.
When we’re confident we’ve isolated the issue, we repeat the process and upgrade the site.
TahDah! Magento Upgrade complete!
If you feel that you need to upgrade at this time, simply open a ticket with our Tech Support Team, and we’ll happily get the ball rolling for you. Though, as per our scope of support, our advice is generally to give the latest version a little bit of time so that “John Doe” can do his thing.
You believe in your product. You have a fantastic looking site. You are confident that both statements are true because you get steady, consistent traffic to your site. But what do your sales look like?
There’s “the rub”. How DOES one bridge the gap between web traffic and sales. As the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water…..” but how on earth how do you make your clients drink? err….. “buy”?
I found this article on the Wall Street Journal online. The basic idea: be proactive with your sales. Much like a physical “brick and mortar” store front, you’ll find greater returns by proactively recruiting sales. Granted, there is a fine line between a helpful “Can I get a fitting room started for you” and the persistent “Can I help you? You look like you have questions. Do you have questions? Let me answer your questions…”
How does one implement a proactive sales approach for an online store front? One way suggested by the article is to install a “click to call” feature on your website. When the client clicks the link, he or she is asked to enter a phone number. After submitting this information, the client then receives a phone call from sales staff. This provides a proactive and most importantly, unobtrusive, solution to creating a more proactive sales approach.
However, if you’re a smaller business that is still in the beginning phases, purchasing the software and implementing the call back system (can you say LONG DISTANCE?) may not be cost effective for your online store yet. A good compromise would be to install an “online chat”. This would allow you to initiate an online discussion with customers as they browse your products to answer any questions or concerns the client may have. There are numerous free online chat software providers, making this a significantly more cost effective way to implement a more proactive approach to your sales strategy.
**HINT** A great way to maximize the effectiveness of the online chat feature is to have a promotional code ready for clients who either initiate an online chat, or respond to an online chat that is initiated by a sales representative. By initiating the chat with a discount to offer your client, you come from a place of “helping” or “giving”, rather than a place of “BUY MY PRODUCT” which can be too aggressive for some potential buyers.
You can also utilize your live chat feature to inform clients about any “free samples”, “trial periods”, or other “try before you buy” offerings. This gives the client a “nothing to lose” scenario, removing the fear that the potential buyer may be investing in something that won’t work or something that he or she won’t care for. Of course, you and I know that because you have a solid product, the potential buyer will be so impressed that he or she will likely tell friends and family about it. Thus, you’ve created a string of “word of mouth” referrals!
These are just some tips we’ve found in conducting our own marketing research. Now, SimpleHelix Asks YOU: How do YOU turn YOUR web traffic into sales?
It happens more times than I care to recount. I answer a support call to hear a frustrated business owner on the other end of the line, desperate and distraught because the site is broken and no one knows how to fix it. Unfortunately, the web developer initially hired to create the site is M.I.A.
There are so many fantastic web developers out there. Unfortunately, there are some not-so-great developers out there as well. As a business owner, how are you to discern a good web development practice from a not so great one (or NSG’s as I like to call them)?
As per usual, I found a pretty comprehensive article on entreprenuer.com. This article pinpoints five questions you’ll want to ask any web developer you are considering signing on with. Some highlights from this article include:
What web standards are utilized? – This includes asking whether “clean codes” are used, such as CSS, XHTML, and ECMA scripts.
Do they design with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind? – Granted, web design does not always play a large role in SEO strategy, but it can contribute to the strategies you may choose when your site is “live”. Asking your developer about his or her standpoint on this subject will help you gauge whether or not the developer will be a good fit for your needs.
Do they design with growth in mind – Your site (hopefully) will grow. Is this developer prepared to equip your site with technology that will allow you to grow in terms of functionality?
How is their work tested – Is the site tested in several browsers? Or just one? And what real environment testing is conducted before the site construction is considered complete?
How are support requests handled – If something should “break”, or require adjusting, are you able to contact the developer for assistance? How much assistance can be provided, under what circumstances, and if there are any additional fees involved for requesting assistance, are also things you’ll want to consider asking
If you’re considering a specific platform (such as Magento), you’ll want to also consider looking for developers who work exclusively with that platform. These developers will be well versed in the most recent versions of the software and it’s capabilities. Likely, they will regularly attend events such as the upcoming “Best Practices for Magento Development” webinar.
SimpleHelix asks YOU:
Web Developers: What are some ways that your practice sets itself apart from NSG developers? What do you advise Business Owners to be cautious of?
Business Owners: What are some things that you have learned when searching for a new web developer?
Whether you’re waiting in line at Starbucks, your bank, or maybe even the DMV, you see people with their faces buried in various electronic devices: iPhones, BlackBerry(s), the new Droid…. you name it. What on earth are they doing?
It’s a safe bet that most of these people are right in the midst of a Facebook Status update, or updating their Twitter account (a.k.a. “Tweeting”).
It seems that our culture is always connected to these social media sites, every minute of the day– regardless of where we are. Keeping in tune with the current social media trend, many businesses have also hopped on the social media bandwagon, as it is viewed as the “cheapest”, fastest way to get your brand name and information out there in the social media realm.
But how much is too much? Particularly on Twitter, one innocent “Where do I find….” tweet will cause an onslaught of replies from merchants peddling their wares and overwhelming the unsuspecting “Tweet-er”. So where is the line drawn?
We found a great article on entreprenuer.com (you can read it here) outlining some really helpful ideas to creating a successful social media marketing campaign. However, our favorite story of an effective social media campaign is told by our SimpleHelix President, as relayed to him by a speaker at a recent webhosting conference event.
The speaker had just arrived in the airport and collected his bags only to find the car service he had scheduled to take him from the airport to the event was nowhere to be found. He called the car service and got no response. Out of sheer frustration, he then tweeted something to the effect of “Car service M.I.A. Stuck at airport in….”.
In a matter of seconds, he received an “@” reply to his Tweet from another car service in the area letting him know they could have a car there in ten minutes. Not only was he so thrilled by the response, but ALSO the timely arrival of the car, that he then Tweeted about the car service, singing their praises!
What happened in this case is that one very attentive car service gained a new client, and also a referral that was received by hundreds of potential clients who follow that person on Twitter, all from one Tweet!
That particular car service is just one example, but other larger companies are just as active in their social media campaigns. You’ve probably heard of Best Buy’s “Twelp Force” and if you’ve griped on Twitter about your cable service, we’ll bet you’ve received a very timely response and eventual resolution from your cable provider as a result. In addition to marketing tools, more and more large name companies are using social media to listen to their client base and make changes accordingly.
That being said, social media campaigns can be very challenging for a small business to pull off. As outlined in this article from businessweek.com, social media campaigns are labor intensive, as they must be monitored constantly by a human being in order to be successful. Many small businesses may not have the time or resources to fully commit to a social media campaign. And really, a social media campaign without fresh information, “tweets”, “status updates”, or unanswered comments is on a crash course for disaster.
After all, that customer checking Facebook on their iPhone at the car wash may see that you didn’t respond to that last comment, leaving that customer (and any of the countless others also checking Facebook) with the impression that customer care is not a priority. Just as Facebook and Twitter can be effective tools for listening to your clients, they can also work against you if proper attention is not given to these social media tools.
Taking all of this into account, SimpleHelix asks YOU:
How do YOU integrate social media into your internet marketing campaigns? What are some key points you’ve learned during these campaigns? Also, have you seen a significant increase in sales or customer satisfaction since beginning your social media campaigns?
**UPDATE** After we posted this blog, SimpleHelix “Tweeted” the new blog post and title. That “Tweet” was “Re-Tweeted” nearly 20 times by marketing firms specializing in Social Media (of course!). So, even that isolated incident was a great example of how Social Media can be a powerful tool for your business. Just remember, the reason it is such a powerful tool is the fact that these sites do not require a fee to join. However, social media sites do require a human being to monitor all activity. In order to keep these tools cost effective, I’d avoid spending any money on custom development of your Facebook or Twitter page until you start seeing some return on the initial b-flat social media campaign attempts. Let us know how YOUR social media campaigns are fairing.
Tags:blog, communication, integrating blog, Magento, superhero designs 
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