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Don’t forget once your e-commerce business Web site to let people know about it

When you get your e-commerce Web site put together, it is important that you let people know about it. Marketing your e-commerce business Web site is an important part of making sure that you get customers to buy your products and services. You can let people know about your Web site by putting your Web address on everything:

• Invoices
• Print and TV ads
• Business cards
• Letterhead
• Email signature
• Discussion board signature
• Novelty advertising items (pens, mugs, etc.)

See Also

• Better E-commerce Business
  Marketing your e-commerce Web site

Don’t lose visitors to slow-loading pages

On average, visitors to an e-commerce Web site become annoyed with slow-loading pages after about 8 seconds. The longer your e-commerce business Web site takes to load, the more likely you are to lose customers. Net Mechanic offers a cool tool to test your download time, as well as tools to compress your jpeg images into gif images that take up less space, are just as high-quality, and load faster.

See Also

• E-commerce Business Tools
  Build a better e-commerce Web site

Your e-commerce business needs to show progress

When it comes to e-commerce business tips, one of the best is to change things up a little bit on your e-commerce Web site. Regular updates should be made to your e-commerce Web site, making it an interesting place to visit. This does not mean that you have to completely overhaul your e-commerce business Web site every couple in months (in fact, you shouldn’t), but it does mean that you need to include updated information, articles and products, as well as special promotions. If you have a picture on your home page, change that every so often to give your e-commerce Web site a fresh look.

Adding a blog to your e-commerce business Web site

One of the best ways to keep your e-commerce Web site updated and fresh is to start a business blog. This will ensure that your site is recognized as regularly updated by search engines, and it will give your customers something to look forward to. A tip of the day, interesting how-to advice and news can draw people to your Web site to read your business blog. Publish your business blog on an RSS feed and enjoy an even wider reach.

See Also

• E-commerce Business Tips
  Ideas for your e-commerce Web site

Do you need help with your e-commerce business?

When you reach a measure of success, it becomes time to hire employees to help you with your e-commerce business. Whether it is help with e-commerce Web site design, writing content or actually selling products or providing customer service, it is important that you find the right people to help you. After all, these are people that can help your e-commerce business continue its success.

Hiring contractors and freelancers

Instead of hiring on-site employees, many e-commerce business owners contract out their business functions. There are many operations with regard to an e-commerce Web site that do not require on-site employees. It is often easier and cheaper to hire freelancers to work remotely than to provide space and benefits for them at your business location.

See Also

• New E-commerce Employees
  Expanding your e-commerce business

The Holiday Season is right around the corner (speaking of retail, of course)

It may seem a little obscene to start thinking about getting your e-commerce Web site ready for the Holidays already, but it isn’t. Think about the things you can offer customers during the Holiday Season, extras that can get you a few more dollars out of each customer. And, planning now means that you can get Web design and code issues out of the way so that when your customers are seriously looking for Holiday gifts from your e-commerce business, you can provide helpful and attractive services for them. Here are some things you should consider offering on your e-commerce Web site for the Holidays:

• Holiday timeline and special shipping options to “get it there on time.”
• Programmed gift finders to help customers scour your e-commerce Web site for the perfect gift.
• A special homepage to have up for the Holiday Season.
• Gift cards and certificates.
• Offering gift wrap services (and card with personal message).

See Also

• E-commerce Business Ideas
  Good ideas for your e-commerce Web site

Pictures can help your e-commerce Web site

People like to see what they are buying. They also like to look at other pictures. If you have a picture of yourself, you can make your e-commerce Web site more interesting. And you can increase the likelihood of customers buying a product by including product photos. However, here are some things to keep in mind when including photos on your e-commerce Web site:

1. Don’t make the photos too big. It will take to long for them to download.
2. Keep accompanying descriptions and captions short and use keywords.
3. Remember to use image tagging.
4. If you use pictures of people, make sure that you have their permission to use the photo to promote your e-commerce business.

See Also

• E-commerce Business Tools
  Build a better e-commerce Web site

Your e-commerce business needs a professional face

When it comes to any successful business venture, it is important to have a professional image. Even an e-commerce business needs a professional image. When you meet with clients, do so in professional attire so that you can show how professional you are. Of course, it should be attire appropriate for the meeting (a golf outing should not include a suit). However, even if you aren’t in a business suit, looking professional means being neat and clean, and making sure that your clothing looks clean and taken care of.

Even your online face needs to look professional. Make sure that your e-commerce Web site is easy to navigate and professional looking. You want to come across as a professional who knows what he or she is doing. Not some "ordinary Joe" who hasn’t a clue.

See Also

• E-commerce Business
  Tips for your e-commerce Web site

Reaching more people through new media

One of the best ways to draw more people to your e-commerce Web site is to make sure that you are using an integrated approach to new media. Podcast marketing, RSS distribution, blogging technology and other forms of Internet advertising are all good ways to help you get more visibility for your e-commerce Web site. Using an RSS feed to help you distribute special promotions and news, as well as taking advantage of audio and video podcasting, can help you grow your e-commerce business. All of these things, especially when properly tagged, can contribute to better search engine rankings and more Web site traffic.

See Also

• Using New Media for Your E-commerce Business
  Drawing more people to your e-commerce Web site

Using business blogging to help you increase the effectiveness of your e-commerce Web site

A business blog can be a great e-commerce marketing tool that can draw people to your e-commerce Web site, and then keep them coming back. A blog (which is a combination of the words Web log) has mostly been thought of as a way for conspiracy theorists and celebrity watchers to broadcast their thoughts to the world. However, business blogging is rapidly becoming an important online marketing tool for any e-commerce business. Here are some of the benefits of a business blog:

• Traffic can be driven to your e-commerce Web site with help from a business blog.
• Promote your products and services, or unveil new ones, easily.
• Blogs with message boards allow interaction with your customers, making you seem more human and accessible.
• Provide targeted information for your desired audience.
• Build credibility and establish yourself as an expert.

See Also

• E-commerce Marketing Tools
  Drawing people to your e-commerce Web site

SEO is important for your e-commerce business

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important aspect of a successful e-commerce business. Making sure that your e-commerce Web site is optimized for the search engines will improve your rankings and draw more traffic to your Web site. Because 90 percent of Internet users take advantage of at least on of the major search engines when looking for something, it is very important that you make sure that the search engine can easily find you. Using keywords, submitting your e-commerce Web site for indexation, using link exchanges with other Web sites, tagging and putting your articles and blogs on an RSS feed are all ways to boost your search engine rankings.

See Also

• Better Search Engine Rankings
  E-commerce business tips

Simple navigation is key to a more effective e-commerce Web site

It is important that your e-commerce Web site have a simple Web design and easy navigation. An e-commerce Web site that has a great many bells and whistles are actually not as great as they look. They can take a long time to download, which discourages some customers, and they can be tricky to navigate. If your e-commerce Web site has a simple, yet attractive, design, it will do more for your e-commerce business than a hundred “cool” features. Customers want a Web site where they can find what they are looking for, easily order and pay for it, and then leave. They want to be able to find contact information and customer support. And they want to find it without too much hunting. You can make a more effective e-commerce Web site by keeping it simple and easy to navigate.

See Also

• A More Effective E-commerce Web Site
  E-commerce business help

A successful e-commerce business is one that has a consumer point of view

If you want a more successful e-commerce business, it is important to have a consumer point of view. In order to give consumers want they want in terms of product, e-commerce Web design and service, it is important to stop and consider your target market. Think of what would be easiest for the customer, and what he or she would like.

Getting a customer perspective for your e-commerce business

Sometimes it is a good idea to take a step back from your e-commerce Web site and let some others take a look at it. Invite people who you know (and who will be honest with you) to look at the e-commerce Web design and the product display. Have them navigate through pages and look at screen shots. Find out if the products are something they want, and how they find the overall experience. Then you can make necessary adjustments based on their suggestions.

See Also

• E-commerce Tools
  Building a better e-commerce business

Web content is king on the Internet

When it comes to your e-commerce Web site, good Web copy is essential. Web content is one of the most important e-commerce marketing tools online, and it is essential that you write good, useful Web copy that is full of keywords. The copy should be easy to read, make sense, and be broken down so that it is easy to scan. And there should be plenty of keywords so that search engines will pick up on your e-commerce Web site. Learning to write good Web content, or hiring someone to do it for you, is an important part of a successful e-commerce business.

See Also

• Help for Your E-commerce Business
  Tips for a better e-commerce Web site

An RSS feed can help you better deliver messages for your e-commerce business

When it comes to making sure that your e-commerce business message makes it "out there," RSS technology can help. RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication, and it really is. You can securely distribute special promotions and offers, news and good advice using RSS delivery. And it works securely and you do not have to worry about becoming a victim of the spam folder. So, consider sending information via RSS feed. You will improve your search engine rankings and draw more people to your e-commerce Web site.

See Also

• E-commerce Business Help
  Drawing more people to your e-commerce Web site

Offering online coupons for your e-commerce business

Your e-commerce business can benefit from online coupons. They are simple to produce, and fairly inexpensive to offer. Online specials at your e-commerce Web site also fall into this category. However, you need to make sure that your customers have access to your online coupons, and that they are easy to find and use.

Where to advertise online coupons for your e-commerce business

Many newspapers have online editions in which customers can get online coupons. Additionally, it is possible to find local online coupon Web sites on which to advertise. There are also national online coupon locators that list coupons by locality. If you want to reach a larger audience, you can list your online coupons on a national Web site.

See Also

• Using Online Coupons
  E-commerce business ideas and tips

Being available via phone can help customers feel better about your customer service

There are few things in life as annoying as having a customer service question and being unable to find a phone number for customer support. Instead, you send an email and hope that you get an answer in time. Besides, there are few things more conducive to keeping e-commerce customers than being able to provide a real person for customers to explain their problems to.

Even if you have an e-commerce Web site, make sure that there is a clearly marked “Contact Us” or “Customer Service” section that provides a phone number and hours available by phone. Many people who make purchases through e-commerce businesses are still somewhat leery of the lack of the personal touch in Internet dealings. You can set your e-commerce business apart by offering the option for customers to call in if they have questions.

See Also

• E-commerce Tools and Tips
  Help for your e-commerce business

Your e-commerce should be selling to other businesses

B2B e-commerce marketing can be a great way for you to improve the customer base for your e-commerce business. Many people starting up think only of consumers, but there are businesses out there that might be able to use your products and services, depending on what sort of e-commerce business you have. B2B marketing can be especially helpful for e-commerce business owners that:

• Offer writing services
• Provide graphic design services
• Sell office supplies (especially at a discount)
• Design custom stationary
• Offer Web design and maintenance services
• Cater events

See Also

• E-commerce Business Ideas
  Expanding your e-commerce business

Images are good e-commerce business tools

People like to look at what they are buying. If you sell various products on your e-commerce Web site, including images of them can help you better connect with customers and make more e-commerce sales. Posting pictures and product descriptions can help customers decide on buying from you, since they know what the product looks like and what it does. You can make it even more interesting by offering thumbnail images that they can click on to see another view of your e-commerce product.

See Also

• E-commerce Tools
  Business tools to grow your e-commerce sales

E-commerce marketing by email message

If you send an electronic newsletter or email message as part of your marketing, the subject line of your message needs to be attention grabbing. It should identify the message, of course (no one wants to be confused with junk email), but it should also be interesting. "Monthly newsletter from so and so" is a rather boring subject line, and it doesn’t pique the interest in your e-commerce business email. However, if your put something like "This month: 5 free publicity ideas" you will grab attention.

Try to put your entire newsletter into the electronic newsletter, and include a link to your e-commerce Web site. Make it easy for the prospect to read, and then make it simple for him or her to link to your Web site.

See Also

• E-commerce Tools and Tips
  Learn more about e-commerce marketing

Hiding your e-commerce email address from spam-bots

Spam-bots are these nasty automated programs that troll the Internet looking for email addresses. If you have your email address on your e-commerce Web site in plain sight, these spam-bots can pick up your e-commerce email address, add it to a list, and fill your inbox with annoying junk email. And this can be a problem for a variety of reasons:

• Your email program has only limited space. You don’t want your e-commerce business customers bounced out because the storage on your e-commerce Web site email program is maxed out.
• With so much junk in your email box, it can be difficult to pick out the legitimate emails. This means a customer’s email could get accidentally erased, or that it could take you too long to get back to him or her.
• Junk email is a consuming waste of time, cutting into your productivity as you work on your e-commerce business affairs.

Here is a helpful Web site that can show you how to make your e-commerce email address visible to your customers, but coded so that spam-bots don’t recognize it.

See Also

• E-commerce Tips
  Better online marketing