By Arie Shpanya in at 4:19 am 05/13/10
Get This Widget
(In no particular order…)
We at imOnline love reading eCommerce blogs, because we love learning as much as we can about all things related to eCommerce. We have gained a lot of valuable knowledge and experience from many of these sites, so we think it’s a fitting tribute to give thanks and list the top 10 eCommerce blogs we can’t live without. We recommend checking them out, if you haven’t already.
1. ECOMMERCE TIMES: This blog is jam-packed with information, and is updated up-to-the-minute. The articles are well written and informative, without losing the point. It simple user-interface make this a blog worth reading at least once a day.
2. EXCITING COMMERCE: Founded in 2005, this blog is very informative and interesting. Each article provides a wealth of information and is a must read for businessmen and laymen alike. Offers postings in German and English.
3. THE BIG COMMERCE BLOG: This blog has it all – articles, video, podcasts – and teaches you how to build up your eCommerce company with effective tips, tricks and tutorials. If you’re serious about learning how to improve your eCommerce business, this blog is a must-read.
4. ECOMMERCE LAW: Although this blog isn’t for everyone, I think it’s a really well-written and informative blog that should be read frequently. Spearheaded by Jonathan Frieden, the blog describes important court cases and laws underlying and/or affecting many eCommerce businesses.
5. THE 9-HOUR WORK WEEK: This blog is great, especially for entrepreneurs. Founded by Addy Kho, The blog features video and postings filled with practical, must-know information. Every post is well-written, to the point and brimming with sharp insight.
6. SELL IT! ON THE WEB: I like this blog because it offers practical solutions to practical problems. I recommend this blog to everyone because it breaks down information in a very smart and effective way. Read it daily.
7. COMPARISON SHOPPING ENGINE STRATEGIES: Although this blog is limited in scope and mainly deals with comparison shopping engine strategies, it is still a must-read. The information is presented in bite-size servings and is quite useful. Maybe not for everyone, but definitely worth a read. Also feature useful instructional videos.
8. RETAIL ECOMMERCE: This blog is simply great. The layout is very user-friendly, and the content is top-notch. Every article is worth a read, many are in-depth and written in several parts. The information is relevant and up-to-date, so I recommend a daily visit.
9. VIDEORETAILER.ORG: Another blog with a limited scope, but it is a good one nevertheless. Articles discuss how to incorporate videos into your eCommerce business and features many success stories. Great layout too
10. PRACTICAL ECOMMERCE: Personally, I love the layout of this blog. Although I don’t read it every day, I find the articles I do read to be a real treasure trove of information. This blog also offers great podcasts.
Ok, there’s our list. If you have any question and/or comments, please drop us a line. Happy blogging!
Get This Widget
By Arie Shpanya in at 2:13 am 01/11/10
Everyday I hear the same problem arise for small and mid-size businesses: “I have a good site and a good product, but simply don’t have enough traffic coming in.”
There are many ways to bring traffic to your site, but the number one thing you need to improve is your SEO. Ideally, you want to appear on the first (or second) page of Google/Yahoo/Bing when people search for certain term relating to your product (Health Products, martial arts supplies, ID badges, etc.). To do this you need improve your current ranking, which, unfortunately, may be pretty much non-existent.
A good way to do this is by having a great number of backlinks – links to your site that are on related sites (blogs, forums, affiliates). Simply put, every link to your site on the Internet helps your ranking.
Also, most products could really benefit from eBay and Amazon sales. Those are two huge marketplaces that can generate a lot of profits for you.
Finally, I suggest becoming familiar with and using these tools, which are all free:
Google Ad Planner
Google insight
Google Trends
Also, I recommend Google Analytics and Quantcast (free version) in order to learn more about your users, their demographics and their habits.
Basically, you need to significantly increase your Internet presence. I’ll tell you straight out that it’s a time-consuming, costly job because there are many channels to focus on (PPC, CSE, Affiliates, Marketplace, M-Commerce, etc.). However, the good news is that there are e-commerce marketing companies that offer an all-in-one service. imOnline can handle every aspect of your integration on a performance-based pricing model with a proven track record of success.
Obviously, I can’t cover all the tools and tracks of the trade since it’s complex and dynamic, but I hope this crash course helps.
By Arie Shpanya in
eBay at 3:08 am 01/02/10
eBay recently sent a message to some of its US sellers offering 75% off insertion fee rates. The promotion runs from December 30 until January 3rd – so, if you are among the selected sellers, hurry up!
Apparently, the promotion is limited to particular sellers only. In order to see if you qualify, you need to verify an email on the eBay message center. Only 30% of imOnline’s clients were offered the promotion rate. Strangely, some users that registered as private sellers received the promotion.
eBay has chosen to pursue a strategy that is different than usually – it is only granting discounts to a limited number of sellers.
Here is a quick summary of the promotional rates:
Keep in mind that the promotion ends on Jan 3rd. This could be a great opportunity if you’re one of the chosen sellers.
imOnline strategy suggestions:
1. Check to see if you’re one of the eligible sellers (Notice the promotion for qualifying sellers only).
2. List 4 time more than your usual auction listings.
3. Gain maximum exposure: % of inventory that you usually sell in auction. We recommend best selling items.
Lets take the following example: if a seller that sells on average $750 and has 1000 items in inventory – which he lists on Fixed Price 30 days format – we recommend listing 100 items in the auction style during the promotion (we estimate that the seller normally lists only about 5% of eBay inventory in auction format due to the pricing).
Standard strategy
30 Dec- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings]
31 Dec- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings]
1 Jan- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings]
2 Jan- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings]
3 Jan- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings]
Total: 500 listings in auction format. Total cost = $500 (instead of $2000)
Aggressive strategy
30 Dec- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings] + [10% of inv] * [10 Days listings]
31 Dec- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings] + [10% of inv] * [10 Days listings]
1 Jan- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings] + [10% of inv] * [10 Days listings]
2 Jan- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings] + [10% of inv] * [10 Days listings]
3 Jan- [10% of inv] * [7 Days listings]+ [10% of inv] * [10 Days listings]
Total: 100 listings in auction format.Total cost = $1000 (instead of $4000)
If you need any further clarification, feel free to post your comment here, or just shoot us an email and one of our eCommerce experts will answer any questions you may have.
Cheers
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