September 1, 2010
Humor sells.
Thank you. That concludes my blog post for today. Please tip your waitress on the way out and drive carefully! OK, I agree. That’s a lame intro. In fact, it’s more than lame, but you get the point, don’t you? You’re still reading my post, so my work here is done.
Humor can be a powerful marketing weapon! In fact, let’s go ahead and upgrade that notion and describe humor as a marketing ninja. We’re all familiar with humor in advertising campaigns. It’s been a staple of print, radio and television advertising for decades. Make your audience laugh and not only will they remember you, they’ll keep coming back for more.
What you need to ask yourself as an online retailer is this: “What am I doing to stand out in a crowded marketplace?” No punchline here — it’s a good question. Let me give you an example. My wife and I recently returned from a summer vacation in a foreign land. One day we went walking along a beach that was crowded with booths and vendors everywhere — a commercial zoo. They were all selling the exact same things — jewelry, woodcarvings, shells, art and clothes. Most of the merchants would step in front of us and start pushing items in our faces. After saying “no thanks” a thousand times, we spotted a man resting under a palm tree with items for sale on a table in front of him. He stood out from all the other sellers because he wasn’t standing out! We headed to his area and I actually bought some earrings for my wife.
Hanging out and waiting for customers to find your business might have worked for that clever merchant, but it’s a luxury you can’t afford. Nobody’s going to just stumble upon your website or auction listing. You need something to catch a customer’s attention — something that separates you from the crowd. Continue reading »
by Wes Lapioli
Account Consultant (SMB)
August 9, 2010
Is buying in bulk right for you?
Somewhere out there on this spinning globe is a person who knows more about the history of retail than anyone else. That person is not me.
Having said that, you should know that I’ve been actively involved in ecommerce for the past eight years, which means I still have something to bring to the table. That undiscovered expert and I would probably agree on topics like supply and demand, the rise of the Industrial Revolution, causes of the Great Depression and how retailing has changed due to current world conditions. But when it comes to a discussion of the best methods of securing inventory, buying in bulk and drop shipping, fisticuffs might ensue. That’s because retailers — big or small, experienced or beginners — have different notions about being effective with inventory.
For the online seller, deciding whether or not to incorporate bulk buying into your enterprise is a decision that shouldn’t be put aside or ignored. There are many great things about bulk buying to consider. The first thing to think about is a word/concept that some people love just a little too much: Control. Bulk buying gives the retailer the control to – Continue reading »
by Wes Lapioli
Account Consultant (SMB)
February 12, 2010
If you’ve ever stepped foot in a fast food joint, you’re intimately familiar with cross selling. Think about it… who among us hasn’t been asked, “Would you like fries with that?”
Recently, when it was time for my wife and I to buy a new washer and dryer, we bought into an offer from a local retailer providing credit with one year of no interest. Long story short, I’m fairly confident that if you went into the store where we made our purchase, you’ll still find bits and pieces of my face, because it was cross sold off!
“You know, Wes, you still have $1,500 credit left. Have you considered insurance for your new appliances? We have a sale on plasma televisions today, as well; would you like to take a look at those while you’re at it?“
If used correctly, cross selling can be a valuable revenue-generating tool for any online business. To get started, think of yourself as a consultant and not a sales person. What additional products, services, or information can you give your customer that will truly help them? The key here: Don’t be pushy; be helpful instead. Continue reading »
by Wes Lapioli
Account Consultant (SMB)
December 3, 2009
Once upon a time, as recently as 7-10 years ago, there was a widely held view that drop shipping was a pedestrian form of retail fulfillment. During drop shipping’s dark ages, more than few drop ship suppliers and retailers were considered unreliable, which ultimately gave drop shipping and the small mom & pop retailers who pursued the model a bad name.
Jump ahead 10 years or so, and because of a variety of factors — including automation, demand, supplier scorecards, and advances in technology, just to name a few — drop shipping is now a widely sought after inventory and fulfillment model for many of today’s large and small retail businesses. Continue reading »
by Wes Lapioli
Account Consultant (SMB)
