Throughout the month of November we will be running our “SMB blog series.” While SMB traditionally refers to “Small/Medium Business,” here at Volusion it has come to mean something else: “Small Made Big.” This month we will be sharing resources, tips, stats, and inspirations to help you turn your small ecommerce endeavor into something greater- something BIG!

You don’t need to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company to have a great looking web design! Here are some examples of Volusion stores with great looking designs to inspire and motivate your own web design dreams:

• AimeeJ



• AndreaLucilleDesigns


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Anyone running an online store knows the story- a potential customer visits your site, browses your products, places one in their cart, and then leaves without buying. The next thing you know, your admin area is littered with more abandoned carts than a super market parking lot, prompting you to ask “What do I do now?”

Don’t Let Them Go!

Recently one of our forum users shared his company’s method for dealing with abandoned carts: “We currently send out emails to all abandoned carts that have an email attached asking if they had a problem and offering options to fix that problem (such as flat rate shipping we do not offer normally). We find at least half the time it’s just a small error and they are eager to place the order. We convert probably 80% of the people we contact.”

Obviously this tactic isn’t going to work if the customer left before entering any personal information, but contacting customers that have abandoned their carts is a great idea if you have the information to be able to do so.

Make the Sale

When you contact the customer offer them an incentive to return and complete their order. (more…)

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Throughout the month of November we will be running our “SMB blog series.” While SMB traditionally refers to “Small/Medium Business,” here at Volusion it has come to mean something else: “Small Made Big.” This month we will be sharing resources, tips, stats, and inspirations to help you turn your small ecommerce endeavor into something greater- something BIG!

Many small business owners view a business plan as a necessary evil in order to get a bank loan, but Online Business Advisor reminds that it is much more than that.

“A business plan is a living document. That simply means that the words you put on paper have to mean something and they must be defensible. Too many people who write business plans are careless or simply do not place enough importance on the meaning and impact of the words they put on paper… Business plans also should be written annually to support and complement your strategic plan. A business plan is not only a funding document, but a very important road map that details how the business will function over the next year.” (more…)

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Throughout the month of November we will be running our “SMB Blog Series.” While SMB traditionally refers to “Small/Medium Business,” here at Volusion it has come to mean something else: “Small Made Big.” This month we will be sharing resources, tips, stats, and inspirations to help you turn your small ecommerce endeavor into something greater- something BIG!

We all know Twitter can be great for advertising your business and connecting with your customers, but what business owners sometimes overlook is the value that Twitter provides them as entrepreneurs. Twitter can help business owners stay on top of industry news and connect with fellow online store owners.

Here are some great hashtags to get your business plugged in on Twitter:

• #smb
• #smallbusiness
• #SMBs
• #entrepreneurs
• #startups
• #ecommerce

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Right now you’re probably shaking with anticipation like a kid on Christmas morning waiting to open his/her presents, but we need to give a little background for new readers.

I See Your “Cyber Monday” and I Raise You One “Green Monday” Most people know that Black Friday is the name given to the day after Thanksgiving, which traditionally marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season for retailers; and that it’s online equivalent (commonly referred to as Cyber Monday) is the following Monday. What most people do not know though is that while Black Friday is traditionally the busiest (and therefore most profitable) shopping day in the retail world, Cyber Monday is not the biggest online shopping day of the holiday season.

The biggest online shopping day of the year had not been given the honor of a snappy moniker until more recently: “Green Monday.” I know what you’re thinking: “Okay great, just tell us when Green Monday will be THIS year!” (more…)

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