When Hershel Yousef launched his first online store www.LightingByLux.com in June of 2008 he had a basic goal: “Offer a level of customer service that’s akin to walking into a store and being waited on rather than being told to take a number and get in line.” That sounds simple enough, but accomplishing that while selling something as competitive as light fixtures would be a daunting task to any ecommerce first timer. However, instead of letting it overwhelm him, Hershel drew on his more than 25 years of experience in the retail lighting business. He explains, “We represent some of the most exclusive names in lighting and offer a broad range of economy fixtures as well. To us, it’s about satisfying the customer not counting beans, the beans will come later.” And the beans certainly have been piling up! Despite only launching about six months ago Lighting by Lux has more than doubled their first year sales projections already.

According to Lighting by Lux, their customers rely heavily on Volusion’s “email a friend” and wish list features when browsing the site, allowing them to get feedback on a particular product from friends and family before making a purchase. These advanced features give customers the confidence they need that they are getting the perfect lighting accessories for their home. Additionally, Hershel notes that using Volusion’s vZoom is also important to their customers so that they can get a realistic look at each lighting fixture.

While the customers like the glitz and glam Lux Lighting can create on their website, Hershel states that the most vital aspects of Volusion’s software to him are the “full featured back-end to the store” and “level of customization and specification even at the product level.” He cites that these technical aspects and ability to call into technical support 24 hours a day are essential for running his business. But a business is more than the nuts and bolts that keep it running. As Hershel explains, “I can’t imagine trying to run an online store by selling products that are unfamiliar to us. If I had to give one piece of advice to those considering e-commerce it would be sell something you know, in the end you’ll have a big advantage over your competitors.” With a solid focus on customer service, retail business savvy, the right tools to make his website work for him, and a passion for the business Lighting by Lux and Hershel Yousef have achieved what online retailers everywhere are looking to accomplish this New Year- phenomenal success.

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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In the last few years Google AdWords has gotten increasingly popular. One of the biggest reasons for this surge in popularity is the wide reach AdWords can help companies achieve. The extensive network of Google-related sites and the lack of a minimum ad spend makes it so that even companies with the most minimal ad budget can advertise online with AdWords and know that their ads can be seen by thousands overnight.

When setting up an ad campaign with Google AdWords one important decision that you will need to make is whether to advertise on the Content Network, the Search Network, or both. Google’s Content Network places ads on sites based on the content of the sites and how well it aligns with your ad. The Search Network places ads on Search Engines where potential customers are looking for information and products.

AdWords Learning Center

Content Network
When an advertiser utilizes the Content Network the ad he/she creates will be placed on sites that have similar themes to the keywords that are chosen for that ad. So for instance say you are using “gourmet coffee beans” as a keyword, using the Content Network your ad will be featured on coffee review sites, sites selling coffee makers, and perhaps coffeehouse blogs. With your ad on these related sites you can choose to pay each time that ad is clicked on, or each time it appears for someone to see. Content Network advertising is mostly used to create brand awareness. The thought behind this style of advertising is that when someone is searching for a coffeemaker and sees your ad they may or may not click on it, but due to the brand loyalty that can developed with a well structured ad, perhaps after they order their coffee maker they will need some coffee beans and go to your site.

Search Network
When an advertiser utilizes the Search Network the ad he/she creates will be placed on Google search engines and when a customer types in a keyword you are using your ad will be pulled up on the right-hand side or top area of the search results page. In the same example from above, when a potential customer goes on Google and types in “gourmet coffee beans” your ad can appear. Customers then click on the ad and are taken to your site where they can find the item or items they are seeking. With the Search Network you only pay each time you ad is clicked, not each time it appears. The benefit to this style of advertising is that you find the consumer at the very moment they intend to purchase “gourmet coffee beans.”

Criticisms
The question of advertising on the Content Network versus the Search Network is a divisive one.

Criticizers of the Content Network say that while it can reach more people the traffic it creates is not qualified in any way. Based on our coffee example, a click on your ad on the Content Network may be a person who, after searching for a coffee maker, is interested in seeing how much the coffee beans will run them if they buy the maker, thereby helping them make a decision on the coffee maker purchase. Or perhaps someone clicks on your ad after seeing that their local coffee house has started offering a new blend and wants to see if you have any customers who reviewed that product so they can decide if it is worth it to go down to the coffee shop and try it.  Additionally, if an internet user is trying to find song lyrics that contain the phrase “coffee beans” or a movie with “coffee” in the title or even a celebrity with the last name “Bean” your ad may appear even though it is of no use to the searcher. While Google offers the ability to filter out sites that you do not think are relevant on the content network, it can tend to get tedious and is a hassle for the more general keywords.

On the other hand, criticizers of the Search Network say that many times consumers go online to search engines to do a lot of research before buying and you could just be throwing your money away if you are paying every time someone comparison shops from site to site looking for low priced gourmet coffee beans.

Picking A Direction
Some advertisers split their budget between the Search Network and the Content Network, whereas others just stick to one approach. When deciding what is best for your business you should decide on the goals you hope to accomplish with your online advertising and then pick your approach from there. Keep in mind that if you try one approach and do not get the results you were hoping for, there is enough flexibility in the AdWords system to change your approach at any time.

More marketing help!

Get a free AdWords coupon from Volusion (limit one per person)

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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While the office spent the week in a shroud of secrecy induced by a five day Secret Santa gift giving extravaganza, our new Christmas tree stood out front in the sign-in area of our office welcoming guests and employees alike. This tree is a radical departure from Volusion’s previous holiday decorating. In our former office there was no organized decorating. We basically decorated our own desks and that was it. However, since we have a nice front room to display a tree in the new office this year we started a new Holiday tradition.

Being from New England originally I was thrilled to see a tree that actually looked like what I remembered from my childhood when my parents and I would go out in knee deep snow, old saw in hand, and cut down our tree every winter. Unlike many of the real trees I have seen for sale down here (that are far too shaggy for my liking) this tree was tall, firm, and beautiful. Imagine my surprise to find out (almost a week after the tree had gone up) that it was in fact an artificial tree! One of my coworkers explained to me that our tree is from Balsam Hill- makers of fine artificial trees. I consider myself a little bit of a Christmas tree expert, and honestly never thought I could like an artificial tree as much as I do the Volusion tree. Perhaps my favorite part of our tree is that I know year after year around the Holidays that same tree will be in the front area of Volusion reminding me of home and my childhood (minus the saw of course). I cannot go home this year to visit my family, but I am home in spirit when I see our Volusion Christmas tree.

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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	Coats for Kids Volusion’s Texas office held a coat drive at the beginning of winter. In total more than 35 coats were collected for children and teenagers that would not have had anything to keep them warm otherwise. The coats were donated to the Junior League of Austin to be distributed throughout the community.
Employee Volunteering Program A new program that was started this year allotted two paid days (or 16 hours total) to each Volusion employee to get out there and make a personal difference in the lives of others by volunteering in their community. Employees were allowed to select a program that they were interested in and take the initiative to go out individually or as a team and make their mark.

Families in Our Community

Last year Volusion adopted 8 families between our two offices in Simi Valley, California and Austin, Texas. This year, partnered with the Christmas Bureau of Austin and Care and Share, a total of 14 families were adopted. Employees were broken up into teams to select needy families in the surrounding communities, call each head of household to get an idea of their needs this Holiday season, shop for each family member, and deliver the gifts to the homes. Volusion contributed gift items ranging from toys to clothing, along with full uncooked Christmas meals. While wrapping and delivering gifts brought joy to all teams, a difficult part of the process was hearing what was needed this year for the children of struggling families. There were requests for under clothes, socks, sweatshirts, sheets, and many other items that we take for granted on a daily basis. Knowing that so many families would have a happy and healthy Holiday season because of our efforts was very rewarding for all of those that participated.

Non-Profits Get Started Online

The “Stores To Change The World” program that Volusion runs on a monthly basis is designed to offer recognized legitimate Non-Profit Organizations (NPO’s) the opportunity to get started online with world class software, hosting, and 24/7 tech support. Each month Volusion sets aside ten Gold Plan stores for deserving NPO’s so that they can accept donations online and sell their products. This year Volusion approved more than 45 new NPO’s, giving them Volusion stores to help continue the good work they are doing in their communities and all over the world.

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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Many businesses these days are feeling the crunch when it comes to their marketing budget, leaving them with two options- spend less or make more with what you have to spend. But what if you could spend less and get more? Search marketing (or Pay Per Click advertising) may be the answer to your recession woes. As Laura Callow explains in her article “Is Search Marketing Recession-Proof?” in the Winter 2008 issue of Search Marketing Standard, search marketing is not recession-proof, but it is definitely recession resistant compared to traditional marketing for the following reasons:

1. Boosts Publicity
   When it comes down to it, people need goods and services. Consumers will never completely stop purchasing, though they may scale back some. Many consumers are turning to the internet because it is fast, easy, and often cheaper than shopping at retail locations. Search marketing will help you to cash in on the increasing popularity of internet shopping.
2. Targeted Traffic
   Unlike running television or radio ads you can target a specific customer when advertising online. You can place internet ads by country, state, or city. You can run ads all day every day or target a specific audience by running ads only when your target audience is usually online. You can change ad text to appeal to certain demographics. You can select the language in which the ad will run. All of these options mean that the money you are spending is more likely to have a better return on investment.
   Targeted Qualified Traffic
   
3. Cost Effective/Easy to Track
   The biggest benefit of search marketing is that Return on Investment (ROI) is easy to track. With a Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign you will always know exactly how much you have spent, and if you use tracking links you will know exactly how effective each ad has been. These major statistics are just the beginning. There are many more reporting programs available for your use when running internet marketing than traditional media marketing (television, radio, movies, newspaper, pamphlets, etc.) Firm statistics are absolutely essential in times when money is tight so you can evaluate exactly what is working and is what is not.
   ROI Tracker

Since search marketing is a financially sound strategy in the midst of the recession more businesses are using it. The businesses that were not using search marketing before are starting to do so and the businesses that were already using search marketing are relying more heavily on it. This new surge in search marketing is changing the face of routine marketing efforts with unprecedented speed. Now is the time to get on board if your business has not done so already!

Available Plans

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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