From eCommerce
Why You Should Switch from Facebook to Google Plus: A Review of Rebekah Radice’s Article
I have a confession. I am one of those typical social media users who has been unduly wary of Google+. After using Facebook for a solid decade, since around the time Myspace was widely abandoned, I have become very comfortable with it. Part of that stems from the duration of my usage, and part of it stems from the fact that virtually every single person I know also uses Facebook.
My social media presence is obviously not limited to Facebook—I have joined Twitter and Instagram and Pinterest over the years—but I have been hesitant to really get into Google+.
Why? Simply put, because Google+ seems like another Facebook, except a more difficult version that not nearly as many people use. Also, I’ve fallen into that old rut of inertia where I would rather stay with something comfortable and defunct than make the switch to something unfamiliar and less ubiquitous.
Reading Rebekah Radice’s recent comparison of Google+ versus Facebook knocked me out of my rut. Her ultimate conclusion that Google+ is not only better, but is the future of social media marketing for eCommerce, made me reconsider my social media complaisance and start reworking my Google+ profile and circles. I will outline a few of her more salient points here, but her article is worth reading in its entirety.
One of Ms. Radice’s main points of contention with Facebook is that the platform no longer allows users to shape their own experience and decide which content they will view. “Liking” a page does not mean that you will see that page’s posts. In order to make sure that a lot of people see your posts (even your own followers) you now have to pay to “boost” your posts to increase their reach. Pages with several hundred “likes” will often only have an organic reach in the single digits for their posts. Starting with an organic reach that small makes it nearly impossible to get organic sharing of your content. Which is exactly what Facebook wants: for you to have to pay to get your content in front of its users.
Not so with Google+. Google+ will put your content in front of anyone in your circles and will let them decide what they want to view by determining who they place in which circles. The platform is similar to Twitter in that if someone decides they want to see your content as it is posted, they will see it because Google+ will not suppress it.
Though Radice notes some issues with Google+ (a more difficult interface that is less user-friendly, fewer people and more tech-savvy people using it, etc.) the benefits of having a community of online marketers who want to share your content and are actually seeing your content (instead of having your posts suppressed by Facebook) outweigh all the potential negatives.
Another obvious benefit is that Google+ is still a completely free platform, so it will be a more cost effective option for marketing your content as well.
While Facebook has many valid uses, and I’m still using it regularly for interaction with my friends and family, the savvy eCommerce businessman or woman would do well to take a page out of Rebekah Radice’s book and transition to a social media strategy that incorporates at least as much Google+ promotion as Facebook promotion (and probably more).
Here’s hoping that in a few years Facebook will go the way of MySpace and the primary social network will be one that allows users to create their own experience, view content without suppression, and organically share that content without having to pay for it—a more useful social network that looks a lot like Google+.
Other posts by Harper Roark:
A Fresh Look At Using Story for Branding: A Review of Chase Reeves’ Podcast on Fizzle.co
7 Tips To Effectively Manage Remote Workers
Technology allows people to communicate easier than ever before so a lot of companies are allowing certain employees to work from home. Currently 2.3% of the US workforce is remote and that number is growing every year. When you don’t see employees in an office every day it presents new problems and new solutions. Below you’ll find some useful tips for managing remote employees.
1. Hire The Right Person. Hire people for the quality of work they can produce not based on their resume. In my experience, some people are better qualified for remote work than others. I highly recommend a slow hire process, or a test run before making a commitment to hire. Test potential employees on all areas of their job and most of all on their ability to problem solve, and communicate effectively.
6 Things Entrepreneurs Are Doing Wrong (And They Don’t Even Know It) By Striker Evans
1. Providing facts instead of a “vision.” When you’re negotiating, or trying to make a sale, facts will only take you so far. “We have a money back offer! We offer 24/7 support!” These are just facts and they’ll limit your potential. Give the other side the real information, give them what their life could look like with your product or service.
2. Not having a decent defense for your cost or fees. If you’re providing something valuable you’d better have a good reason as to why you’re charging a certain amount. You’re worth it, convince the other guy, and tie it to your vision.
3. Every moment is a moment wasted. Any time that you spend with any potential clients could be time spend negotiating to some extent. This doesn’t mean that you should hard sell your t-shirt business to your father-in-law during Sunday brunch but you could sell him a vision during brunch. After-all, that waitress wouldn’t be calling him “Grandpa” if he was wearing a more modern, outfit, similar to what your brand offers.
4. Waiting. If you’re waiting for good things to happen to your business, you’ll be waiting a long time. Take initiative, get in there, and drive your team.
5. Taking employees for granted. A company is only as good as their employees. If you value your employees, show them, and listen to their suggestions. You’d be surprised by how many employees of today are multi-million entrepreneurs tomorrow.
6. Don’t put all of your ducks in one basket. Or eggs. How does that go again? The point is this: Don’t put all of your marketing efforts into FB and Twitter. Many entrepreneurs put all of their hope in social media stuff, they SPAM the world with their stuff, and they are disappointed with the poor results. The best way to run a business account is the same way you’d run a personal account. You wouldn’t SPAM your friends so don’t SPAM potential clients. Make friends, care what others are saying and doing, and post things of value without trying to push your products constantly. Bam! Winning.
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How To Use Twitter (If You’re Over Sixteen And Struggling Like The Rest Of Us)
If you’re a normal person who surpassed your teenage years at least a while ago chances are you kind of suck at Twitter. Twitter is probably one of the easiest and somehow the most complicated social media tools to master. It’s kind of amazing when you hear stories of people like Syed Balkhi who has nearly 500,000 followers under his list25 username. Impressive? Yes. Luckily for all of you eCommerce store owners out there he’s willing to share his strategy, or what he calls his “formula.” It seems simple enough. He writes that Curating+Automation+Personal Interaction=Success. Seems easy enough, right? If you want to give it a shot: Get The Full Article Here.
eCommerce Options And Lifestyle Brands
We’re all accustomed to shopping online. We do the research, we compare and cross-examine, ask friends on FB or Twitter, because our possibilities are nearly endless. With so many options out there it’s not a surprise that eCommerce sites are honing in and getting more and more specific. We’re seeing thousands of Made-In-America lifestyle brands as a result. Brands can now appeal to an array of ultra-specific lifestyles-hipster, athletic, nerdy, rugged, avid fans of butterflies. You name it, it’s out there. Since these niche products tend to operate on a smaller scale they tend to have limited distribution but a more customized appeal. If you manufacture your own products or have the ability to do it, it’s a great time to take advantage of the huge growth potential. Click Here For The Full Article
Trust Guard Partners with 4-Tell to Increase Conversion for Ecommerce Retailers
Bringing Enterprise-level Tools to All eCommerce Retailers
Personalized product recommendations company 4-Tell has announced today that they will be partnering with website security and verification company, Trust Guard.
4-Tell says it plans to use the partnership to increase conversion for their clients, eCommerce retailers of all sizes. 4-Tell provides 1-to-1 personalization through product recommendations across all channels, including on eCommerce sites and in email. By bubbling up content of interest to shoppers, they boost revenue by 15% or greater on average.
Trust Guard boosts revenue by strengthening customer-client relationships with third-party-verification and website security products. Recent case studies report that Trust Guard’s presence on an eCommerce website boosts sales conversion significantly.
Co-Founder and CEO, Ken Levy is enthusiastic about the partnership, saying, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Trust Guard because the union is projected to increase revenue for retailers. Boosting conversion is our #1 priority and dovetails in with Trust Guard’s objectives as well. We’re both fast, user-friendly and cost-effective. This partnership delivers more value for all of our customers.”
The partnership will provide 4-Tell and Trust Guard’s customers with the opportunity to utilize the tools of both companies for a heavily discounted price of 50% off the first month for 4-Tell’s Boost° Recommendations to all Trust Guard and Shopper Approved Merchants and Free PCI, and up to 70% off Trust Guard’s Certification Seal to 4-Tell’s customers.
“We are very excited about our partnership with 4-Tell as they share our passion for making the most of hard earned traffic.” Says, CMO, Cresta Pillsbury, Trust Guard. We are confident that this partnership will be an excellent fit, adding a great deal of value to all parties involved”.
About Trust Guard:
Trust Guard is a Website Security company with over 15 years of online sales and marketing experience. Trust Guard offers PCI Compliant Security Scanning that checks for over 45,400 vulnerabilities hackers might use to compromise websites. In addition to Website Security, Trust Guard also specializes in Privacy, and Business Verification Seals that build customer trust and loyalty, increase online sales, and improve website credibility.
When online consumers see a Trust Guard Seal, they know that the website has been scanned and verified by a reliable, trustworthy third-party. Our seals come with a certificate that is displayed when consumers click on the seal, instantly verifying the website’s credentials without leaving the site, giving them the confidence and the peace of mind to complete their purchase.
About 4-Tell:
4-Tell increases sales by 15% or greater with 1-to-1 personalization through product recommendations which bubble up items your shoppers are likely to purchase. With self-optimizing algorithms and a retailer-controlled dashboard, Boost® Recommendations become increasingly personalized with each click a shopper makes. Their Boost® Recommendations Engine provides automated personalized recommendations that work seamlessly across all channels – web, email, mobile, CRM and in-store. More than 150 merchants use 4-Tell’s Boost® products, including Columbia Sportswear, Lukie Games, Ace Tool and exOfficio.
Developers Toolbox: Adding Rich Snippets
Programmers are always looking for ways to improve site rankings. By developing ways to share data across multiple platforms in different languages programmers are able to greatly improve data sharing. They can do this by giving search engine spider as much information as possible about a web page, site indexing is more accurate. By adding micro-data to product pages rich snippets are enabled on search engine results pages. These not only give users a snapshot of your products, but they can even increase click-through rates by 20-30%. For more information on rich snippets check out this article on Adding Rich Snippets.
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Three Simple Steps To Grow Your Online Store
Growing your online store doesn’t have to be a stressful process. In fact, it can be far easier than you think. You need to dedicate at least one year to building it up, you have to be open-minded and adaptable, and you need to validate your products. If you’re consistent and dedicated you can achieve great results. Launching an online store can be a stressful and time-consuming endeavor but with a little knowledge and this great article 3 Ecommerce Pros Share Tips For How To Grow Your Store you’ll be good to go.
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Life Hack: Work Smarter Not Harder
Image From Cluttershop.com
By following common sense and a multitude of research we can manage our Ecommerce business’ better which will allow us to be more productive, less stressed, and actually do less “work.” Multitasking is actually a large culprit in poorly conducted work, more stress, and getting less done. Meditating can help open your mind which allows you to focus. Personalize your work space and you’ll feel the stress melt away as you’re surrounded by comfort and warm fuzzy feelings while you pound away at the keyboard all day. This is a great article: The Science Of Working Smarter
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Epic eCommerce 