VOLUSION Ecommerce
Boot
CAMP
FEEL THE BURN IN 60 MINUTES
Howdy, y’all!
Matt Winn Social Media Manager, Volusion • • • •
Chief Blogger: The Ecommerce Authority Join me on YouTube every Tuesday Aspiring cook, certified nerd Small-town Texan
Who’s with us? You have an offline business, but want to get online
You’re already online, but want to sell more
Today’s training schedule
Number crunches Basic training Ecommerce circuit Cooldown & Q&A
Number Crunches
$279B
US Ecommerce projected to be a $279 Billion industry by 2015 (Forrester)
61%
61% of shoppers begin their research for purchases online (Website Magazine)
53%
By 2014, 53% of total retail sales (online and offline) will be affected by the Web (Forrester)
84%
84% of consumers said they were more likely to check online for reviews prior to making a purchase compared to twelve months ago (Retail Bulletin)
Why you need to shape up! “A company website is just a basic, must-have marketing tool for the 21st Century.� (Entrepreneur) Ecommerce levels the playing field between you and your largest competitors
Selling online provides an opportunity to extend your business across geographies Ecommerce sites allows for heightened customer relationships and referrals
It’s a business
necessity!
Today’s training schedule
Number crunches Basic training Ecommerce circuit Cooldown & Q&A
Basic Training Getting Started in Ecommerce
1) Secure your inventory
4) Select a domain name
2) Decide on a solution
5) Determine how you’ll get paid
3) Build your ecommerce site
6) Protect your store
1) Secure your inventory • Work with something you’re passionate about • Self-created or from a third party • Drop-shipping
• Warehouses • Determine your pricing strategy
2) Decide on a solution • Open Source - built from scratch, total control •
Licensed - some control, uploaded locally
•
Hosted - updates, security, hosting
3) Build your ecommerce site • Start with product and category pages • Move on to information pages to complete the site • Consider design and branding every step of the way
4) Select a domain name • Pick a name that is short and easy to remember • Find a web address that is descriptive of your business • Decide between .com, .net or .biz
5) Determine how you’ll get paid • Use PayPal or Google Checkout at a minimum • Decide on using a personal or business bank account • Research and apply for credit card processing
6) Protect your store • Purchase a SSL certificate •
Learn the signs of fraudulent orders
•
Achieve PCI compliance or certification
Today’s training schedule
Number crunches Basic training Ecommerce circuit Cooldown & Q&A
The Ecommerce Circuit
4 Exercises to Achieve Success 1. Design 2. Marketing
3. Customer Service 4. Social Commerce
Exercise 1: Ecommerce Design Q: Why is site design so important? A: CREDIBILITY
68% 75%
of US online shoppers agree that they will distrust a site that has an unprofessional appearance
a
a
of web users make judgments on the credibility of a company based on its site design
Design Elements Working on core strength Template/Navigation Make it interesting, easy to navigate, branded and include social media links and contact info
Homepage Include call to action features, promos and possibly a slideshow
Category Pages Make it clean and subcategories easy to navigate
KEEP IT SIMPLE, ALWAYS EDIT
Branded
Easy to Navigate
Calls to Action
Social Media
Design Elements Working on core strength Product Pages Have great product photos, good descriptions, alternate views, color swatches, sizes, prices, specs and reviews
Informational Pages
ea
Complete your website and give it personality by adding extras like an about us page, a store locator, contact pages and more
Social Media Design Make sure you have branded yourself across all channels
Exercise 2: Marketing your store Q: Why is marketing especially important for ecommerce? A: CLUTTER
130,859,083 2.4 Billion $32 Billion
Registered domains in the US alone
Internet users around the world
Online advertising spending in the US topped in 2011
Different Types of Internet Marketing It’s all about finding the right mix:
•
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
•
Pay per Click Advertising (PPC)
•
Social Media Marketing
•
Email Marketing
Get started with SEO, now Figure out what keywords to target: • • •
Brainstorm as many ideas as possible Look at what your competitors are doing Pick out which keywords you want to pursue
Turn your findings into action: • • •
Optimize pages and link build for popular keywords Create content geared towards less obvious keywords Focus your SEO efforts in specific parts of your site
SEO has one secret: GOOD CONTENT!
Send out some emails • • • • •
Always ask for email addresses Keep your list up to date Design your emails to match your brand Share important content, coupons, etc. Create a calendar and stick with it
Exercise 3: Delivering Exceptional Customer Service Q: Why is customer service so important to ecommerce? A: RETENTION
7X 85%
Acquiring a new customer can cost 6 to 7 times more than retaining an existing customer (Frederick Reichheld, Bain & Company)
61%
Of Americans report that quality customer service is more important to them in today’s economic environment, and will spend an average 9% more when they believe a company provides excellent service (American Express)
Of customers are willing to pay more than the standard price, if a great customer experience is involved (RightNow)
Work to increase customer retention Customer service is the new marketing Some ideas to help you get started: •
Remember that customer service is unique to your business
•
Find problem areas via customer surveys and CRM analysis
•
Segment your customers, give each a specific carrot
•
Under promise, over deliver
•
Provide special deals to keep customers coming back for more
Exercise 4: Expanding through social commerce Q: Why is social commerce important? A: REACH
55%
High product ratings will increase likelihood of purchase for 55% of consumers. (eConsultancy, July 2010)
93%
Of users believe a brand should have a social media presence (Business in Social Media Study)
79%
For businesses of all sizes, companies that have blogs have 79% more Twitter followers than those that don’t. (HubSpot)
Followers of brands are more likely to purchase (HubSpot) 67% more on Twitter
51% more on Facebook
Grow your social presence Know why people follow your brand: 1. To receive discounts and promotions 2. To show others they like your brand 3. To receive access to exclusive information 4. To get updates and news about the company
Grow your social presence Segment your promoters and detractors Reach out and touch someone
Share good content (again) Sell your products directly through social media
Don’t be afraid to ask •
75% of Facebook users liked a brand because they were directly invited (MarketingProfs)
•
Place your icons everywhere, provide incentives, run contests, be creative!
Today’s training schedule
Number crunches Basic training Ecommerce circuit Cooldown & Q&A
Top 6 Pieces of Humble Advice 1. Be patient and work steadily 2. Don’t overcommit yourself 3. Focus on one area at a time 4. Create smaller, actionable goals 5. Sales won’t happen overnight 6. Focus on your product and your customers
Nutrition Guide • Give us your email address and we’ll send you a copy of this presentation – drop off your business card to make it easy!
Want more? Of course you do! facebook.com/volusion
@volusion
youtube.com/volusion
onlinebusiness.volusion.com
VOLUSION Ecommerce
Boot
CAMP
Cool Down – Q&A