Major retailers like Kohl’s, JC Penney’s, Bath and Body Works and Macy’s are all currently having Presidents’ Day Sales. As tempting as it can be to use Honest Abe and George Washington’s endorsements to hock t-shirts, body spray, or electronics, it can prove quite difficult to avoid getting lost in the messages that tell us there is no

better way to celebrate our finest presidents’ birthdays than to spend lots of money.

How do you make sure that your efforts to capitalize on events and holidays actually stand out? Rohit Bhargava, the Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy and Marketing at Ogilvy Public Relations and writer for the Influential Marketing Blog, recommends using “peripheral marketing”. Peripheral marketing does not capitalize specifically on an event. Rather, it focuses on being “peripheral” to the event that all other marketers aim to dominate. For example, rather than being just another beer among many beers advertising during the Super Bowl, Miller High Life focused on the time after the Super Bowl. This particular ad, which pokes fun at the ad spots that aired during the game, did not cost $10.4 million (the cost of a two minute spot during the big game). It became quite an effective viral video though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEtBKJ6J1Kc

Plenty of marketers pushed snacks and party goods before the Super Bowl. Others paid millions to be seen as the cleverest during the Super Bowl. Miller appeals to our need to rate all of these ads after the Super Bowl. Everybody does it so we can all appreciate the ad. Miller just paid pennies on the dollar and came out with a much better ad than most of the others (the lizards with Naomi Campbell comes to mind) by using a clever idea at the right time.

Did you rate the Super Bowl ads? Will your customers be rating celebrity Oscar dresses? Are they ramping up for Spring Break soon? Using peripheral marketing will save money and ensure your business is set apart from the herd.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com

Technorati Tags: Peripheral Marketing, Event Marketing, Super Bowl Ads, Holiday Marketing, Holiday Ecommerce, Oscar Ecommerce, Spring Break Ecommerce, Niche Marketing, Longtail Marketing, Ecommerce Marketing Tips, Ecommerce, Online Store Marketing, Effective Advertising, Shopping Cart Software, Online Store Builder, Online Marketing, Viral Videos, Volusion

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If someone is new to your online store, they do not truly know if you are a mom and pop operation to trust or some scammer in a far off country. For this reason, it is important to use your website to tell a story. Giving your audience an opportunity to get to know you will help them decide if you are worthy of their business.

One such online store belongs to Soup Peddler David Ansel. Ansel makes homemade soup, dinners and desserts and delivers his tasty concoctions to businesses and individuals in the Austin area. So how do you spin soup to be fun? Ansel has an entire category dedicated to the Peddler story, including his cooking ventures as a young child, the spicy menudo-induced dream that lead to his idea to become the Soup Peddler, and his travels across the globe in pursuit of incredible food. Instead of simply having customers, Soup Peddler regulars are called “Soupies” and are welcome to rate each soup on Ansel’s “soup-o-meter.” How good are Ansel’s goodies? “One Soupie liked it [his mulligatawny soup] so much, she married the Soup Peddler…”

What is your story? Finding it can mean the difference can take your store from simply being an online warehouse to a way to express a passion for your business.

For more on the Soup Peddler, read Brian Massey’s article on David Ansel in the Bootstrap Austin blog.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com

*photo courtesy of austin360.com.

Technorati Tags: soup peddler, david ansel, online store narrative, web design narrative, writing about us page, about us page, volusion

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No matter how many sales reps you get, those salespeople will never be able to close as many sales as a good website. They cannot be as accessible or offer as much information in as little time as a well executed online store.This being said, your homepage acts as your display window and the front door to your online store. Here are three cues to consider that were taken from A List Apart, one of the most referred to design sites on the web:

1.) Answer the question, “What is this place?” It is important to show new users what it is you are all about. Usability studies show that when users do not understand a website or application, they tend to blame themselves as the idiot rather than the designer or the developer. Should your visitors be made to feel like idiots because you have not made it clear to them what the purpose of your website is? A List Apart’s writer Derek Powazek has a summary of this process. “Don’t be afraid to use good old fashioned text to say: ‘This is who we are, and this is what we’re about.’ Then link to a more verbose about page or tour. That way, the people who need that help have a place to go to find it. And make sure the text you use is excited and positive—and makes the reader feel important.”

2.) Don’t get in the repeat visitors’ way. You can get so carried away in attracting new customers that your existing customers cannot just enter your site and find exactly what they need.

3.) Show what’s new. This is the easy part, since new products appeal to both new and existing customers. Don’t be afraid to tell your customer exactly where to go to see your latest additions to your site.

Being mindful of these three important factors ensures that all your visitors will feel welcome and ready to buy upon entering your store.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com

Technorati Tags: homepage design, homepage tips, ecommerce homepage, online store homepage, design online store, a list apart, ecommerce design, design to sell, design conversion, design usability, volusion

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Imagine you are strolling through the mall and stop to look at your favorite department store’s window. Instead of seeing the usually up and coming trends displayed or a sign that marks an annual sale, you see a barrage of everything that the store sells, from furniture to mens, childrens, and womens clothes, to shoes and accessories. Every bit of space in the window is cluttered with some product or another in an effort to ensure that every passerby knows everything that is offered in that store.

Your homepage acts as the shop window for your website. It gets people in the door. If you cannot find the pair of slacks you want in the display window, you do not assume it is not there. You shouldn’t assume your customers will leave your site if they can’t find what they want immediately.Here are some tips for choosing what to put on your homepage:

1.) Include a one to two sentence pitch of what you are all about. Customers have limited attention spans. They don’t have time to scan all of your products, but they will stick around if they know what your angle is.

2.) Include a homepage graphic with either key or new products, or even a link to a sales page. You don’t have time to waste the expensive real estate on your home page. Rather than including a large seasonal graphic or a picture unrelated to your products, make sure your graphic appeals to its audience and lets them know what you have to offer.

3.) Do not ask your customers to do to much too early. Are you asking customers to watch a video as well as click to view all of your inventory and make a call to a salesperson? You would not ask someone to do this in real life, and you shouldn’t do this with your website. Prioritize the top two things you want customers to focus on when first entering your site and stick with those.

4.) Take design cues from the best. Internet Retailer picked their Hot 100 Retail Websites based on progressive design and ease of use. Pick out your favorites and infuse some of their cues with your own style and story.

So sort through the clutter of your homepage and use it to entice people to enter your site. The value of your products and services should do the rest.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com

Technorati Tags: Ecommerce Conversion, Web 2.0 Design, Ecommerce Design, Homepage Design, Online Store Design, Ecommerce Usability, Ecommerce Homepage, Online Store Homepage, Apple Design, Volusion

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The NCAA basketball season is in full swing, and Marquette is ranked #16 and is battling for the top spot in the Big East. How do Marquette fans help show their support for the mens’ basketball team as well as other Marquette athletes? They purchase gear from Marquette’s official online store run by Julie Mikolajewski.

Marquette’s switch to Volusion was not prompted by accident. It was prompted by absolute need. When the Men’s Basketball Team appeared in the 2003 NCAA Final Four, their online store was flooded with 2200 orders from late March to early April. From 2001 to 2002, the store saw a total of 1955 orders. “The Spirit Shop was not able to keep up with the sudden demand for Marquette merchandise. As a result, customer service and satisfaction suffered,” says Julie. In December 2005, Marquette decided to let their contract with an open source developer expire and began to look elsewhere.

Julie took her time in finding the right software for the Marquette store. “In Spring of 2006 I started to research for shopping cart software that will automate the entire web business. We needed to be completely integrated from processing and charging orders to inventory management and marketing and shipping. I looked at what other colleges and universities were using. That is when I found Volusion. Volusion gave us a secure and reliable solution to our ecommerce needs. I started with a trial store, and found to be extremely user friendly. I knew right there that this would be the best way to achieve our ecommerce goals. We signed up with Volusion in the summer of 2006, and it has been great ever since. I am not a web designer, but I am able to make a professional website that has received many compliments from our customers. It’s just that easy!”

Marquette’s method for getting traffic and sales is a bit different than the average online store. “Our business is also tied in closely to how our Men’s Basketball team is doing. Whenever the team has a big win, we always see a spike in sales. During a winning streak, business can rival the Christmas season.”

Julie offers sound advice for merchants starting off. “Really pay attention to feedback from your customers. You can come up with some really great ideas for new merchandise to offer on your site.”

#16 ranked Marquette will be traveling to South Bend to take on #21 Notre Dame on Saturday, February 9th at 11:00 CST.  Check out Marquette’s 2007-2008 schedule and  support the team by purchasing a Marquette jersey, the only Converse jersey in NCAA basketball.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com

Technorati Tags: Volusion, Marquette Store, Julie Mikolajewski, Marquette Basketball, Sell Sporting Goods Online, Sell Online, Ecommerce Software, Shopping Cart Software, Online Storefront

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