The rate, at which people are turning to the internet to purchase items from weekly groceries to jewellery, including anything in between, is on the increase. Statistics are showing that online shopping is currently increasing in value tremendously, even over a year. In particular statistics on Christmas shopping show online sales to have made a huge jump in value compared to the Christmas’s of a year or two ago.
This is a positive cycle for those retailers who have embraced online retail in addition to offline retail. It leads to a greater the range of products that are available online, the greater the number of people who will use the internet to purchase products. This then contributes to increased choice as other retailers provide an online offering.
The major question is, will online retail as a whole ever become more important than offline retail. This is unlikely since there are some products that are unsuitable for complete migration from offline to online. There are a few industries in which the transition is possible due to the nature of the products being provided. The best option for everyone is a mixture of online and offline for all industries.
This allows everyone to do things the way they prefer rather than forcing the consumer to do something in a way they don’t want to do it in. An example of the changing of online and offline retail is the sale of drugs like Viagra. These drugs have always been available in pharmacies since they require a prescription. Recently, they have become more easily obtainable on the internet from a variety of different sites.
The ease with which Viagra and its alternates, herbal Viagra and generic Viagra, can be purchased online makes the choice of where to buy the product very simple in most people’s minds. The problem with buying medication or drugs over the internet is that you have no guarantee of their authenticity or their effectiveness. This can leave you in a position where you have paid for Viagra, but what you get is something very inferior.
Problems of that sort have had a large impact on the trust with which the internet as a whole is regarded, as well as the chance that a person will shop online again. To combat the increased online sales of Viagra, and therefore the falling offline sales of Viagra, there has been a move to make offline sales as easy as online sales. This then diminishes the attraction of online sales of Viagra for some people.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
5 Features of an Online Sales Job Site
Web 2.0 has been refreshing. Everything is more precise and defined on the internet. Gone are the days when the internet was limited to a few million people around the world. Today it has literally invaded our lives. So if you are looking for jobs, then you know the best place to look for it. Yes, you got it right. The internet has several sales job sites that can find you the right job within minutes. The best part about it is that it’s easy and free.
Here are 5 reasons why you need an online sales job site in your career.
* It will project your resume for sales jobs to hundreds of employers. Yes, everyday hundreds of employers browse through online job sites and the opportunities that await you are boundless.
* It will tell you how many times your resume has been viewed and by whom. This gives you an idea about which employers are interested in hiring you.
* It has millions of online sales jobs listed. All that you need to do is search. You can customize your search according to your preferences. If you prefer sales jobs in a particular geographical location or you have salary preferences, it can all be streamlined in the search.
* Most websites will give you free tips on improving your CV. Using these tips, you will not only be able to improve your CV but also be able to update it any time you wish to.
* Lastly, there are no charges involved. It’s all free of cost. So you have nothing to lose. But a whole new life to gain. So stop procrastinating and log on to an online sales job site now.
Here are 5 reasons why you need an online sales job site in your career.
* It will project your resume for sales jobs to hundreds of employers. Yes, everyday hundreds of employers browse through online job sites and the opportunities that await you are boundless.
* It will tell you how many times your resume has been viewed and by whom. This gives you an idea about which employers are interested in hiring you.
* It has millions of online sales jobs listed. All that you need to do is search. You can customize your search according to your preferences. If you prefer sales jobs in a particular geographical location or you have salary preferences, it can all be streamlined in the search.
* Most websites will give you free tips on improving your CV. Using these tips, you will not only be able to improve your CV but also be able to update it any time you wish to.
* Lastly, there are no charges involved. It’s all free of cost. So you have nothing to lose. But a whole new life to gain. So stop procrastinating and log on to an online sales job site now.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Improving Online Sales
There are a great deal of websites that promote or sell many different types of products and services. Some more successful than others. Here are a few reasons why.
Your web pages need to be easily downloaded. Make sure that your pictures and pages download quickly. People will not wait for slow downloading pages. This will drive away potential sales. Also, make sure that the pages are easy to navigate. Make it simple for people to surf your website.
The pictures on your site need to be clear and a true representation of your product. Remember, people can't touch or try your product so, how good it looks will make a big impact on your sales.
Of course, price is important to you level of sales. Make sure you are charging a fair price for what your industry warrants. A great way to increase online sales is to offer incentive packages. Buy 4 get 1 free. Buy 2 get 1 at 50% off. People love a bargain. They drive up sales and increase your average sale.
One of the most important tools that you can use to increase online sales is testimonials. If you do not have them, get them. Ask your customers for feedback. Nothing boosts sales like other customers telling potential customers how good your product is, or what a great experience they had using your website. Think about how many times that you have purchased or tried something because someone told you how good it was. Now, imagine that same thing on your website.
Use these steps and your online sales should increase.
Your web pages need to be easily downloaded. Make sure that your pictures and pages download quickly. People will not wait for slow downloading pages. This will drive away potential sales. Also, make sure that the pages are easy to navigate. Make it simple for people to surf your website.
The pictures on your site need to be clear and a true representation of your product. Remember, people can't touch or try your product so, how good it looks will make a big impact on your sales.
Of course, price is important to you level of sales. Make sure you are charging a fair price for what your industry warrants. A great way to increase online sales is to offer incentive packages. Buy 4 get 1 free. Buy 2 get 1 at 50% off. People love a bargain. They drive up sales and increase your average sale.
One of the most important tools that you can use to increase online sales is testimonials. If you do not have them, get them. Ask your customers for feedback. Nothing boosts sales like other customers telling potential customers how good your product is, or what a great experience they had using your website. Think about how many times that you have purchased or tried something because someone told you how good it was. Now, imagine that same thing on your website.
Use these steps and your online sales should increase.
Marketing and Sales Online
Online Marketing and Sales courses can resolve issues for students who need to work while earning a degree that will improve opportunities for success and advancement while on the job. And specializations in Marketing and Sales help improve a company's bottom line, triggering astute companies to encourage employees to further their education in Marketing and Sales degree programs by offering to assist with tuition reimbursement.
Online Marketing and Sales Schools offer courses in communication, critical thinking, and problem solving to improve students' Marketing and Sales skills. A concentration in Marketing and Sales degree studies offer courses to develop strong principles and present current technologies applicable to today's high-tech business environment. Courses in e-commerce, consumer behavior, and market research may be offered in concentrated studies that can prepare students for opportunities in marketing research, new product development, advertising, sales, retailing, marketing, and distribution.
Online Marketing and Sales Schools offer technology-based programs for preparation to meet demands of today's businesses and industries. Online Marketing and Sales degree programs instill basic business principles and practice. Case studies, Internet projects, team projects, and simulated exercises in computer applications and systems integration may all be presented through Online Marketing and Sales programs.
Strong sales skills are crucial, and experts in Marketing and Sales can earn significant salaries and commissions, even in periods of down markets. Strong skills in Marketing and Sales give a competitive advantage, and professionals in the field are powerful influences in consumer selection of goods and services. Skilled and experienced salespeople and marketing managers are in demand, and these jobs are expected to grow rapidly in the foreseeable future.
Online Marketing and Sales students are provided with comprehensive e-learning experiences that permit mastery of subject matter. Online Marketing and Sales degree programs are accessible 24 hours a day, making it easy to study at home through Online Marketing and Sales courses.
Online Marketing and Sales Schools offer courses in communication, critical thinking, and problem solving to improve students' Marketing and Sales skills. A concentration in Marketing and Sales degree studies offer courses to develop strong principles and present current technologies applicable to today's high-tech business environment. Courses in e-commerce, consumer behavior, and market research may be offered in concentrated studies that can prepare students for opportunities in marketing research, new product development, advertising, sales, retailing, marketing, and distribution.
Online Marketing and Sales Schools offer technology-based programs for preparation to meet demands of today's businesses and industries. Online Marketing and Sales degree programs instill basic business principles and practice. Case studies, Internet projects, team projects, and simulated exercises in computer applications and systems integration may all be presented through Online Marketing and Sales programs.
Strong sales skills are crucial, and experts in Marketing and Sales can earn significant salaries and commissions, even in periods of down markets. Strong skills in Marketing and Sales give a competitive advantage, and professionals in the field are powerful influences in consumer selection of goods and services. Skilled and experienced salespeople and marketing managers are in demand, and these jobs are expected to grow rapidly in the foreseeable future.
Online Marketing and Sales students are provided with comprehensive e-learning experiences that permit mastery of subject matter. Online Marketing and Sales degree programs are accessible 24 hours a day, making it easy to study at home through Online Marketing and Sales courses.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Sales Resumes
The ever-increasing competition in the employment sector has resulted in a product that can help job seekers. A sales resume can be considered to be the initial step in a sales presentation that sells a candidate as an employee to a potential employer.
One of the major defects that a sales resume can have is a lack of focus. The primary step to successful employment is defining a sales industry or career type that candidates want to pursue. College career centers, online evaluation tests, and even friends and family can give candidates an insight as to how they can switch their strengths and aspirations into a specific career goal. There are different skills that are required for specific sales-related careers, and a resume must reveal the keywords and conceptions utilized by that industry.
While writing a sales resume, it is very important for candidates to emphasize their sales achievements, awards, and every significant professional experience. The key to writing a successful sales resume is for candidates to make the readers believe in their individuality, professionalism, and ability to handle their job well.
A large number of sales resumes list sales accomplishments in professional experience and are written in a short, staccato manner with strong action verbs and exclusive details of one's professional personality.
There are free sales sample resumes that can serve as a guide in this process, and they can be obtained online. Some consultation agencies charge a fee for their assistance in creating a sales resume. However, the Internet is considered to be the most reliable source for finding sample sales resumes.
Even for those who are experts in the sales field, sample sales resume can be a very useful tool. With the help of a sample sales resume, candidates can learn that their ability for selling needs to be further developed so that they can compete among many other sales-oriented people. Sample sales resumes will help candidates make a resume that will sell their exceptionally ideal candidacy to the hiring authority. Sales professionals very frequently seek the help of professional resume writers to ensure such precision and accuracy.
One of the major defects that a sales resume can have is a lack of focus. The primary step to successful employment is defining a sales industry or career type that candidates want to pursue. College career centers, online evaluation tests, and even friends and family can give candidates an insight as to how they can switch their strengths and aspirations into a specific career goal. There are different skills that are required for specific sales-related careers, and a resume must reveal the keywords and conceptions utilized by that industry.
While writing a sales resume, it is very important for candidates to emphasize their sales achievements, awards, and every significant professional experience. The key to writing a successful sales resume is for candidates to make the readers believe in their individuality, professionalism, and ability to handle their job well.
A large number of sales resumes list sales accomplishments in professional experience and are written in a short, staccato manner with strong action verbs and exclusive details of one's professional personality.
There are free sales sample resumes that can serve as a guide in this process, and they can be obtained online. Some consultation agencies charge a fee for their assistance in creating a sales resume. However, the Internet is considered to be the most reliable source for finding sample sales resumes.
Even for those who are experts in the sales field, sample sales resume can be a very useful tool. With the help of a sample sales resume, candidates can learn that their ability for selling needs to be further developed so that they can compete among many other sales-oriented people. Sample sales resumes will help candidates make a resume that will sell their exceptionally ideal candidacy to the hiring authority. Sales professionals very frequently seek the help of professional resume writers to ensure such precision and accuracy.
Marketing and Sales Online
Online Marketing and Sales courses can resolve issues for students who need to work while earning a degree that will improve opportunities for success and advancement while on the job. And specializations in Marketing and Sales help improve a company's bottom line, triggering astute companies to encourage employees to further their education in Marketing and Sales degree programs by offering to assist with tuition reimbursement.
Online Marketing and Sales Schools offer courses in communication, critical thinking, and problem solving to improve students' Marketing and Sales skills. A concentration in Marketing and Sales degree studies offer courses to develop strong principles and present current technologies applicable to today's high-tech business environment. Courses in e-commerce, consumer behavior, and market research may be offered in concentrated studies that can prepare students for opportunities in marketing research, new product development, advertising, sales, retailing, marketing, and distribution.
Online Marketing and Sales Schools offer technology-based programs for preparation to meet demands of today's businesses and industries. Online Marketing and Sales degree programs instill basic business principles and practice. Case studies, Internet projects, team projects, and simulated exercises in computer applications and systems integration may all be presented through Online Marketing and Sales programs.
Strong sales skills are crucial, and experts in Marketing and Sales can earn significant salaries and commissions, even in periods of down markets. Strong skills in Marketing and Sales give a competitive advantage, and professionals in the field are powerful influences in consumer selection of goods and services. Skilled and experienced salespeople and marketing managers are in demand, and these jobs are expected to grow rapidly in the foreseeable future.
Online Marketing and Sales students are provided with comprehensive e-learning experiences that permit mastery of subject matter. Online Marketing and Sales degree programs are accessible 24 hours a day, making it easy to study at home through Online Marketing and Sales courses.
Online Marketing and Sales Schools offer courses in communication, critical thinking, and problem solving to improve students' Marketing and Sales skills. A concentration in Marketing and Sales degree studies offer courses to develop strong principles and present current technologies applicable to today's high-tech business environment. Courses in e-commerce, consumer behavior, and market research may be offered in concentrated studies that can prepare students for opportunities in marketing research, new product development, advertising, sales, retailing, marketing, and distribution.
Online Marketing and Sales Schools offer technology-based programs for preparation to meet demands of today's businesses and industries. Online Marketing and Sales degree programs instill basic business principles and practice. Case studies, Internet projects, team projects, and simulated exercises in computer applications and systems integration may all be presented through Online Marketing and Sales programs.
Strong sales skills are crucial, and experts in Marketing and Sales can earn significant salaries and commissions, even in periods of down markets. Strong skills in Marketing and Sales give a competitive advantage, and professionals in the field are powerful influences in consumer selection of goods and services. Skilled and experienced salespeople and marketing managers are in demand, and these jobs are expected to grow rapidly in the foreseeable future.
Online Marketing and Sales students are provided with comprehensive e-learning experiences that permit mastery of subject matter. Online Marketing and Sales degree programs are accessible 24 hours a day, making it easy to study at home through Online Marketing and Sales courses.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Improve Your Online Sales Lead Tracking
Many businesses have now started to take a closer look into how the online world may be able to get them more customers. Apart from building up a website that showcases products and/or services a certain business may offer, there is still more work to be done. Yes, having an online presence may be able to help a business. But generating sales leads for products and services may be required to improve one's chances of building a customer base.
Finding ways to generate sales leads has been one of the most important aspects of any marketing strategy. The same way may still go for a strategy being employed online. In order to get to more people that can become future customers, the World Wide Web has a number of different options that this can be done.
As the Internet and the many technologies that it employs become advanced and make the online experience even more exciting for the ordinary individual, the work of the online marketer to gain sales leads just became more attractive. There are now many ways in which online marketers can make use of in order to help get more and more sales leads through the Internet. Here are just some of them:
Online Social Networks
The popularity of online social networks such as Myspace and Friendster has suddenly made many online marketers smile. More and more people have made use of such networks in order to meet up with other people and make friends from all over the world. It has become a great way for people to build up their own network of friends or belong to a certain community that cater to similar tastes and interests. So why can't it be used for selling too?
These online social networks can be a great way to generate business leads. The very fact that such social networks depend on connections with other people would be enough to interest online marketers. Getting in touch with one person on this social network may also be able to allow connections with other people, theoretically speaking. And that alone may allow businesses a niche where they may be able to introduce their products or services and possibly be able to generate sales leads.
Virtual Tradeshows
Just like in tradeshows and exhibits, the Internet may have built upon the same idea on trying to promote business online. Virtual tradeshows have enabled many businesses to more effectively introduce products or services to a segment of online visitors who may be looking towards the same direction, so to say. Just like its real world counterpart, virtual tradeshows aim to bring buyers and sellers together online. And because everything is done through the Internet, it may cost a fraction of organizing a real tradeshow and yet be able to reach out to a greater amount of people.
In the case of marketers, such virtual tradeshows also become another valuable areas to explore to build sales leads. Virtual tradeshows offer marketers a means to reach out to a more targeted audience and therefore may be more successful in building a customer base from sales leads generated in this way.
Finding ways to generate sales leads has been one of the most important aspects of any marketing strategy. The same way may still go for a strategy being employed online. In order to get to more people that can become future customers, the World Wide Web has a number of different options that this can be done.
As the Internet and the many technologies that it employs become advanced and make the online experience even more exciting for the ordinary individual, the work of the online marketer to gain sales leads just became more attractive. There are now many ways in which online marketers can make use of in order to help get more and more sales leads through the Internet. Here are just some of them:
Online Social Networks
The popularity of online social networks such as Myspace and Friendster has suddenly made many online marketers smile. More and more people have made use of such networks in order to meet up with other people and make friends from all over the world. It has become a great way for people to build up their own network of friends or belong to a certain community that cater to similar tastes and interests. So why can't it be used for selling too?
These online social networks can be a great way to generate business leads. The very fact that such social networks depend on connections with other people would be enough to interest online marketers. Getting in touch with one person on this social network may also be able to allow connections with other people, theoretically speaking. And that alone may allow businesses a niche where they may be able to introduce their products or services and possibly be able to generate sales leads.
Virtual Tradeshows
Just like in tradeshows and exhibits, the Internet may have built upon the same idea on trying to promote business online. Virtual tradeshows have enabled many businesses to more effectively introduce products or services to a segment of online visitors who may be looking towards the same direction, so to say. Just like its real world counterpart, virtual tradeshows aim to bring buyers and sellers together online. And because everything is done through the Internet, it may cost a fraction of organizing a real tradeshow and yet be able to reach out to a greater amount of people.
In the case of marketers, such virtual tradeshows also become another valuable areas to explore to build sales leads. Virtual tradeshows offer marketers a means to reach out to a more targeted audience and therefore may be more successful in building a customer base from sales leads generated in this way.
Generating Sales Leads, Increasing Web Traffic and Maximizing Online Sales
It used to be that when you needed to search for a local plumber or a pet food store, you would turn to the phone company's Yellow Pages. If you needed to buy a new TV set or a kitchen table, you'd reach for the newspaper, go into your local electronics store and choose from whatever limited selection they had.
The Internet changes everything.
The world as we knew it circa 1993 is no more. Today we live in a world that thrives on information and communication, shopping and social networking.
On the Web, people are constantly searching. There is so much information out there that you need help finding what you are looking for. And the companies that knew how integral search would be to life online became known as Google and Yahoo.
Being right there when the customer is searching for you or your product practically guarantees you'll increase your sales volume significantly.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising: You could do it yourself, but why would you want to?
Mastering Google Adwords and other Pay-Per-Click (PPC) programs requires endless hours of testing and tracking, bidding and budgeting, research and analysis. Knowing how to manage your PPC campaign while constantly staying on top of it requires a great deal of time and experience, patience and persistence.
The PPC market is extremely competitive, and keywords fetch as much as $30 per click! "Who would pay $30 a click?" you ask yourself as you ponder the viability of getting into this ruthlessly competitive environment.
Well, people do. And they make a lot of money despite the high cost of their clicks. Because it's not in the number of clicks you get or in the dollar amount that you bid.
The key to your success in Pay-Per-Click marketing and advertising is achieving a maximum Return On Investment (ROI.)
That means you have to find the right balance between keyword bids, search-engine ranking and clicks. Do you really want to sit around for hours every day, monitoring the game as your competitors try to outsmart each other?
The Internet changes everything.
The world as we knew it circa 1993 is no more. Today we live in a world that thrives on information and communication, shopping and social networking.
On the Web, people are constantly searching. There is so much information out there that you need help finding what you are looking for. And the companies that knew how integral search would be to life online became known as Google and Yahoo.
Being right there when the customer is searching for you or your product practically guarantees you'll increase your sales volume significantly.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising: You could do it yourself, but why would you want to?
Mastering Google Adwords and other Pay-Per-Click (PPC) programs requires endless hours of testing and tracking, bidding and budgeting, research and analysis. Knowing how to manage your PPC campaign while constantly staying on top of it requires a great deal of time and experience, patience and persistence.
The PPC market is extremely competitive, and keywords fetch as much as $30 per click! "Who would pay $30 a click?" you ask yourself as you ponder the viability of getting into this ruthlessly competitive environment.
Well, people do. And they make a lot of money despite the high cost of their clicks. Because it's not in the number of clicks you get or in the dollar amount that you bid.
The key to your success in Pay-Per-Click marketing and advertising is achieving a maximum Return On Investment (ROI.)
That means you have to find the right balance between keyword bids, search-engine ranking and clicks. Do you really want to sit around for hours every day, monitoring the game as your competitors try to outsmart each other?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sell Your Product Online
In today's business world, if you're not selling your product online, you're losing sales. If you have a product, make money online by selling online. There are simple ways to make money online.
Make sure your site is professional and easily navigable if you want to make money online. If you have a lot of product, a search feature is a necessity in order for you to make money online. If you have only one or two products, you can use a payment method such as PayPal to make money online. However, if you showcase more product in order to make money online, you'll want to open a merchant account to handle credit card payments. Some merchant accounts will also offer free features, all helping you to make money online. To keep from violating credit card rules, make sure that for Internet sales, you have an Internet account.
Consider paying affiliates to help you make money online. Affiliates are online "word of mouth" referrals and can increase the amount of money you make online. They link to your site from theirs, and all of their traffic becomes your traffic, increasing the likelihood of making money online. When it comes to making money online, affiliate marketing is a no-lose for the merchant, because commission is paid only on sales.
Consider making money online by selling your product through an eBay storefront. Bidding on items has become a hot way to make money online. Having your own storefront ensures that buyers can find you easily because your product is in one place. Through your storefront, you can make reports, track traffic and sales, and receive advertising through eBay. You can try a storefront for 30 days free, making it an attractive offer to make money online.
Make sure your site is professional and easily navigable if you want to make money online. If you have a lot of product, a search feature is a necessity in order for you to make money online. If you have only one or two products, you can use a payment method such as PayPal to make money online. However, if you showcase more product in order to make money online, you'll want to open a merchant account to handle credit card payments. Some merchant accounts will also offer free features, all helping you to make money online. To keep from violating credit card rules, make sure that for Internet sales, you have an Internet account.
Consider paying affiliates to help you make money online. Affiliates are online "word of mouth" referrals and can increase the amount of money you make online. They link to your site from theirs, and all of their traffic becomes your traffic, increasing the likelihood of making money online. When it comes to making money online, affiliate marketing is a no-lose for the merchant, because commission is paid only on sales.
Consider making money online by selling your product through an eBay storefront. Bidding on items has become a hot way to make money online. Having your own storefront ensures that buyers can find you easily because your product is in one place. Through your storefront, you can make reports, track traffic and sales, and receive advertising through eBay. You can try a storefront for 30 days free, making it an attractive offer to make money online.
How To Get Guaranteed Online Sales
What is the most important element in getting guaranteed online sales? How can you get guaranteed online sales? What is the secret to getting guaranteed online sales?
Guaranteed online sales involve two main elements. First, you need someone to actually visit your website. Then, they need to be so enticed by the sales copy of your website that they purchase your product. This is how you get guaranteed online sales.
You can achieve guaranteed online sales by figuring out a way to get traffic to your site and writing enticing sales copy. You could use pay per click search engines, e-mail marketing, Google Adwords, or a number of other methods to get the traffic to your site.
Once you get the traffic you will want to have already written great sales copy so that your new traffic will purchase your product and create sales for you. This is probably the most important part of your entire internet marketing and earning an online income. Without good sales copy you will never get the sales you should get.
The secret to getting guaranteed online sales is to write your sales copy so that your visitors have to buy your product. You have to entice them by pointing out the benefits and how the product is going to increase their wealth, solve a problem they have, or fix something for them. You want them to have a feeling like they need this product and they cannot go on without it.
So as long as you can create traffic to your website and you have great sales copy on your website you will get guaranteed online sales. This is not a hard thing to master, but will take some practice.
Guaranteed online sales involve two main elements. First, you need someone to actually visit your website. Then, they need to be so enticed by the sales copy of your website that they purchase your product. This is how you get guaranteed online sales.
You can achieve guaranteed online sales by figuring out a way to get traffic to your site and writing enticing sales copy. You could use pay per click search engines, e-mail marketing, Google Adwords, or a number of other methods to get the traffic to your site.
Once you get the traffic you will want to have already written great sales copy so that your new traffic will purchase your product and create sales for you. This is probably the most important part of your entire internet marketing and earning an online income. Without good sales copy you will never get the sales you should get.
The secret to getting guaranteed online sales is to write your sales copy so that your visitors have to buy your product. You have to entice them by pointing out the benefits and how the product is going to increase their wealth, solve a problem they have, or fix something for them. You want them to have a feeling like they need this product and they cannot go on without it.
So as long as you can create traffic to your website and you have great sales copy on your website you will get guaranteed online sales. This is not a hard thing to master, but will take some practice.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Lost Photo Recovered
Living in a very small village people over here are not tech-savvy but the rapid growth of technology and demand from the various sector of people it become necessary to learn such necessary skill for small business man. So my uncle running a photo studio realizing this changed his studio to digital one. Have just little knowledge of computer system, knows only to click, store and print the photo. He does not have a slightest idea of backing up the data, in his case the photograph of his valuable customer. He doesn't face any problem for almost 6 month and his business grew with leaps and bound.
One dread full evening because of the power surge his computer shut down abruptly and does not boot up again. Technician told him that because of power surge some of the file system got corrupted, no repair of the system can be done, only re-installing of the operating system can make the system work again. And re-installing of the operating systems means wiping out all the data from the hard drive. Data loss at this situation can bring the business to brink. Realizing the grave situation he called me for the rescue operation. I made him comfortable, and said I will get back his data.
Data recovery is not a major issue now-a-days with lots of Data recovery software available online which can recover the data from dead hard drive. Deleted data is not lost for ever just maddeningly misplaced; recovery is only one mouse click away. Searching on Google gave me the idea, a file and Partition recovery utility which recovers data from formatted hard drive or loss occurs due to any of situations like software malfunction, viruses, file/directory deletion or even sabotage. It also helps to recover the data from inaccessible hard drive.
Download the demo version of the software to analyze. What I got that software is fully automated. It identifies the drive and locates all partition on the inaccessible drive and presents them in a list. It examines the remains of file structure (Boot Sector, FAT copies, Root directory) and the data area of the inaccessible drive and works the best path out to recover the files and directories. It presents all recoverable files and directories in a tree structure. We can select our data files and directories and move the data to a safe location. Stellar Phoenix scans and displays all the physical drives it finds.I selected the physical disk from which I have to recover my data. Stellar Phoenix presents with two options either search for logical drives in the selected disk or use drive information that is stored in the partition table. I Used partition table information option to recover deleted or lost folders & files. While Stellar Phoenix is scanning the selected the logical drive it displays the search results found in the left side panel and creates a tree structure. There I see all my file and fold have lost. Scanning took almost 3 hours, but has given the good result.
One dread full evening because of the power surge his computer shut down abruptly and does not boot up again. Technician told him that because of power surge some of the file system got corrupted, no repair of the system can be done, only re-installing of the operating system can make the system work again. And re-installing of the operating systems means wiping out all the data from the hard drive. Data loss at this situation can bring the business to brink. Realizing the grave situation he called me for the rescue operation. I made him comfortable, and said I will get back his data.
Data recovery is not a major issue now-a-days with lots of Data recovery software available online which can recover the data from dead hard drive. Deleted data is not lost for ever just maddeningly misplaced; recovery is only one mouse click away. Searching on Google gave me the idea, a file and Partition recovery utility which recovers data from formatted hard drive or loss occurs due to any of situations like software malfunction, viruses, file/directory deletion or even sabotage. It also helps to recover the data from inaccessible hard drive.
Download the demo version of the software to analyze. What I got that software is fully automated. It identifies the drive and locates all partition on the inaccessible drive and presents them in a list. It examines the remains of file structure (Boot Sector, FAT copies, Root directory) and the data area of the inaccessible drive and works the best path out to recover the files and directories. It presents all recoverable files and directories in a tree structure. We can select our data files and directories and move the data to a safe location. Stellar Phoenix scans and displays all the physical drives it finds.I selected the physical disk from which I have to recover my data. Stellar Phoenix presents with two options either search for logical drives in the selected disk or use drive information that is stored in the partition table. I Used partition table information option to recover deleted or lost folders & files. While Stellar Phoenix is scanning the selected the logical drive it displays the search results found in the left side panel and creates a tree structure. There I see all my file and fold have lost. Scanning took almost 3 hours, but has given the good result.
Windows Registry Scan - Top 5 Reasons Why You Need To Do It Now
Performing a Windows registry scan is beneficial for your PC in many ways.
What is the Windows registry?
The Windows registry is a big database that contains information about all the hardware and software installed on your PC.
As applications are installed and un-installed, and your system changes, the registry becomes more and more bloated. The bloat comes from applications that don't clean up their registry entries, spyware, etc.
This bloat is bad for you and your PC because it slows your PC down and can even damage your PC.
Here are the top five reasons to run a regular Windows registry scan on your pc:
1. Increase speed
As the days go by, your PC gradually gets slower and slower, as you changes settings, install applications and through general use. If you find your PC is slower than when you bought it, it is time to start doing regular registry scans.
2. PC Freezes
The more you registry bloats up, the more your PC will stop responding for no apparent reason.
3. Blue Screen Of Death
If you've ever waited ages for your PC to start up, only to be confronted with a blue screen covered with jibberish, then cleaning your Windows registry should be the next step you take.
4. Trouble Starting Your PC
Trouble getting started and into Windows usually indicates some sort of registry trouble. Download a complimentary test registry scan and see if anything needs to be fixed.
5. Sanity
If you've ever been sitting in front of the PC waiting for it to do something while the hard disk whirs away, accomplishing nothing, then you need to clean your registry. Turn your PC from a dog into a road-runner and protect your sanity.
What is the Windows registry?
The Windows registry is a big database that contains information about all the hardware and software installed on your PC.
As applications are installed and un-installed, and your system changes, the registry becomes more and more bloated. The bloat comes from applications that don't clean up their registry entries, spyware, etc.
This bloat is bad for you and your PC because it slows your PC down and can even damage your PC.
Here are the top five reasons to run a regular Windows registry scan on your pc:
1. Increase speed
As the days go by, your PC gradually gets slower and slower, as you changes settings, install applications and through general use. If you find your PC is slower than when you bought it, it is time to start doing regular registry scans.
2. PC Freezes
The more you registry bloats up, the more your PC will stop responding for no apparent reason.
3. Blue Screen Of Death
If you've ever waited ages for your PC to start up, only to be confronted with a blue screen covered with jibberish, then cleaning your Windows registry should be the next step you take.
4. Trouble Starting Your PC
Trouble getting started and into Windows usually indicates some sort of registry trouble. Download a complimentary test registry scan and see if anything needs to be fixed.
5. Sanity
If you've ever been sitting in front of the PC waiting for it to do something while the hard disk whirs away, accomplishing nothing, then you need to clean your registry. Turn your PC from a dog into a road-runner and protect your sanity.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Post Your Sales Job Resume - Sales Recruiters are Looking For You Online
The sales and marketing industry is growing at the rate of leaps and bounds. If you have always dreamt of a job related to sales, then now you can find it with ease. Thanks to the internet and the ever growing demand for sales jobs, now there are several online sales job sites that recruit people for sales jobs.
It is easy to post your resume and within minutes you will be contacted by potential employers who are looking for you. No matter what kind of a sales executive you are, one with loads of experience or one willing to start a fresh career in sales, you can find the job on online sales websites.
Sales recruiters frequently visit these websites looking for employees to recruit. So once you post your resume, it will instantly be shown to potential recruiters. You will also get to know which all sales job recruiters have looked at your resume.
Statistics prove that an online sales website has more chances of landing you a sales job than any other mode has. Most sales job websites also list sales job by state. So you can simply choose the sales job by selecting your state.
So if you are living in Alabama, all that you do is click on Alabama state sales jobs and you will get a list of all the sales jobs in Alabama. Besides these the online sales jobs also feature medical sales recruiters and other kinds of recruiters looking for sales jobs.
It is easy to post your resume and within minutes you will be contacted by potential employers who are looking for you. No matter what kind of a sales executive you are, one with loads of experience or one willing to start a fresh career in sales, you can find the job on online sales websites.
Sales recruiters frequently visit these websites looking for employees to recruit. So once you post your resume, it will instantly be shown to potential recruiters. You will also get to know which all sales job recruiters have looked at your resume.
Statistics prove that an online sales website has more chances of landing you a sales job than any other mode has. Most sales job websites also list sales job by state. So you can simply choose the sales job by selecting your state.
So if you are living in Alabama, all that you do is click on Alabama state sales jobs and you will get a list of all the sales jobs in Alabama. Besides these the online sales jobs also feature medical sales recruiters and other kinds of recruiters looking for sales jobs.
How To Get Guaranteed Online Sales
What is the most important element in getting guaranteed online sales? How can you get guaranteed online sales? What is the secret to getting guaranteed online sales?
Guaranteed online sales involve two main elements. First, you need someone to actually visit your website. Then, they need to be so enticed by the sales copy of your website that they purchase your product. This is how you get guaranteed online sales.
You can achieve guaranteed online sales by figuring out a way to get traffic to your site and writing enticing sales copy. You could use pay per click search engines, e-mail marketing, Google Adwords, or a number of other methods to get the traffic to your site.
Once you get the traffic you will want to have already written great sales copy so that your new traffic will purchase your product and create sales for you. This is probably the most important part of your entire internet marketing and earning an online income. Without good sales copy you will never get the sales you should get.
The secret to getting guaranteed online sales is to write your sales copy so that your visitors have to buy your product. You have to entice them by pointing out the benefits and how the product is going to increase their wealth, solve a problem they have, or fix something for them. You want them to have a feeling like they need this product and they cannot go on without it.
So as long as you can create traffic to your website and you have great sales copy on your website you will get guaranteed online sales. This is not a hard thing to master, but will take some practice.
Guaranteed online sales involve two main elements. First, you need someone to actually visit your website. Then, they need to be so enticed by the sales copy of your website that they purchase your product. This is how you get guaranteed online sales.
You can achieve guaranteed online sales by figuring out a way to get traffic to your site and writing enticing sales copy. You could use pay per click search engines, e-mail marketing, Google Adwords, or a number of other methods to get the traffic to your site.
Once you get the traffic you will want to have already written great sales copy so that your new traffic will purchase your product and create sales for you. This is probably the most important part of your entire internet marketing and earning an online income. Without good sales copy you will never get the sales you should get.
The secret to getting guaranteed online sales is to write your sales copy so that your visitors have to buy your product. You have to entice them by pointing out the benefits and how the product is going to increase their wealth, solve a problem they have, or fix something for them. You want them to have a feeling like they need this product and they cannot go on without it.
So as long as you can create traffic to your website and you have great sales copy on your website you will get guaranteed online sales. This is not a hard thing to master, but will take some practice.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Selling a business online
If it gets to that stage where you need to sell your business you have to make sure you do it in the correct way to ensure you get the most money possible. There are plenty of places where you can advertise your company in order to get as much exposure as you can, the internet is becoming a popular place as more and more people are beginning to use it on a daily basis.
First off you have to decide how much you would be willing to accept for the company, make sure you have the relevant details such as revenue/profit, traffic (internet business) and any other information you think strengthens your sales pitch. This is vital as everyone will want to see proof of what you are claiming before they offer any money for it. It's advised that you get a professional help when it comes to valuing your business as they know what to look for and can make a fair judgement of how much it could sell for, you would hate to accept an offer lower then what it's worth without knowing.
Once you have the price in place you need to put together a sales description giving all the necessary good points and tell people why they should buy it. If you own an online business make sure you include screenshots of traffic stats, earnings and any good ranking keywords in the major search engines.
If you are advertising this online it would be better to go for a place that you have to pay a small fee to advertise your company, this means it will eliminate any time wasters from the very beginning making it easier to find a real buyer who is generally interested. There are many sites that will allow you to auction off your company, this can be good as people get into bidding wars and do what ever it takes to win!
Also make sure that you advertise it offline to get more exposure as not everyone has access to the internet and you could miss out on a buyer by not including it in the local papers, magazines or other places where they advertise businesses for sale.
First off you have to decide how much you would be willing to accept for the company, make sure you have the relevant details such as revenue/profit, traffic (internet business) and any other information you think strengthens your sales pitch. This is vital as everyone will want to see proof of what you are claiming before they offer any money for it. It's advised that you get a professional help when it comes to valuing your business as they know what to look for and can make a fair judgement of how much it could sell for, you would hate to accept an offer lower then what it's worth without knowing.
Once you have the price in place you need to put together a sales description giving all the necessary good points and tell people why they should buy it. If you own an online business make sure you include screenshots of traffic stats, earnings and any good ranking keywords in the major search engines.
If you are advertising this online it would be better to go for a place that you have to pay a small fee to advertise your company, this means it will eliminate any time wasters from the very beginning making it easier to find a real buyer who is generally interested. There are many sites that will allow you to auction off your company, this can be good as people get into bidding wars and do what ever it takes to win!
Also make sure that you advertise it offline to get more exposure as not everyone has access to the internet and you could miss out on a buyer by not including it in the local papers, magazines or other places where they advertise businesses for sale.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Promotional Products See Growth In Online Sales
Ever increasing numbers of promotional products companies have begun to use the internet as a shop window for promoting and selling their products. This enables them to offer cheaper prices and quicker lead times, as well as meeting customers' demands for convenience and immediate gratification. The best promotional products websites take customers step by step through the entire sourcing and selection process.
This trend was confirmed by PPAI's latest survey* which found that online sales of promotional products in the US have continued to grow slowly but steadily, increasing from $1.6 billion in 2003 to $2.7 billion in 2006. (Online sales are defined as those that result from orders placed through a website or online store.) What is equally interesting to note is that this rise was reflected across the board, irrespective of the size of firm.
The Internet is set to become an increasingly important factor in distributor sales due to the fact that a large proportion of promotional products buyers now belong to Generation Y, which encompasses anyone born after 1982. This generation is most at ease when establishing and developing relationships - both on a professional and personal level - online rather than face to face.
Although Internet marketing is finally gaining pace amongst promotional products distributors, the industry as a whole still depends primarily on personal selling which remains the major sales channel. However, what we are likely to see happening more often is a complementary blending of channels, with the Internet used for business transactions and the sales force employed to provide consultation services for promotional products.
This trend was confirmed by PPAI's latest survey* which found that online sales of promotional products in the US have continued to grow slowly but steadily, increasing from $1.6 billion in 2003 to $2.7 billion in 2006. (Online sales are defined as those that result from orders placed through a website or online store.) What is equally interesting to note is that this rise was reflected across the board, irrespective of the size of firm.
The Internet is set to become an increasingly important factor in distributor sales due to the fact that a large proportion of promotional products buyers now belong to Generation Y, which encompasses anyone born after 1982. This generation is most at ease when establishing and developing relationships - both on a professional and personal level - online rather than face to face.
Although Internet marketing is finally gaining pace amongst promotional products distributors, the industry as a whole still depends primarily on personal selling which remains the major sales channel. However, what we are likely to see happening more often is a complementary blending of channels, with the Internet used for business transactions and the sales force employed to provide consultation services for promotional products.
Narrow Your Niche And Explode Your Online Sales
In the online business world, less is definitely more and that couldn’t be truer than when it comes to online retail businesses. The number one mistake internet business owners make is that they try to sell everything under the sun, on one single website. They may have a site that sells pet carriers, lawn furniture, and fishing equipment. This is not good. A lot of times the online retailer will try to run their business like the big box retailers. After all it seems to be working well for the big box retailer to sell hundreds of different products, shouldn’t it work for me? The answer is a resounding, no! This method simply does not work on the web.
For a successful online business, you want to narrow your offerings down to reach a targeted niche market. Such as....gifts for golfers, gifts for fisherman, gifts for left-handed people, well you get the idea. Unfortunately, there are many out there that will have you believe you need hundreds if not thousands of products to sell on your website or in online auctions, if you want to make any money. This is simply false. Actually, a site with a tight niche selling a handful of products can do quite well, in a lot of cases exceptionally well.
Why do you want narrow to your offerings down to a particular market? Because it is easier to market to one specific group than it is to try and market to several groups at once.
I am going to share a secret with you…contrary to popular belief it is not the product that is most critical, it is the market you are trying to reach that is most important. Many online business owners make the blunder of saying, “I need to find a hot product to sell online to make a lot of money.” What they don’t understand is that it is not the product they need to find, but the market of people they need to find first and then find a product to sell to that group of people.
Let me ask you a few questions, do you know who you are trying to market to? Do you know the best ways to reach this particular market? If you don’t know the answers to these two questions then you may need to go back to the drawing board. Finding a product to sell online is not what makes an internet business successful, it is the individual person’s ability to find a market to promote the product to, that is the secret to a successful business. Narrow your niche, focus on a particular market. By narrowing your niche and focuses on one particular market you will be able to reach your audience easier which translates into customers and making more money online. At the end of the day running an online business is not so much about selling a particular product but reaching a particular market to sell your product to. Remember that.
For a successful online business, you want to narrow your offerings down to reach a targeted niche market. Such as....gifts for golfers, gifts for fisherman, gifts for left-handed people, well you get the idea. Unfortunately, there are many out there that will have you believe you need hundreds if not thousands of products to sell on your website or in online auctions, if you want to make any money. This is simply false. Actually, a site with a tight niche selling a handful of products can do quite well, in a lot of cases exceptionally well.
Why do you want narrow to your offerings down to a particular market? Because it is easier to market to one specific group than it is to try and market to several groups at once.
I am going to share a secret with you…contrary to popular belief it is not the product that is most critical, it is the market you are trying to reach that is most important. Many online business owners make the blunder of saying, “I need to find a hot product to sell online to make a lot of money.” What they don’t understand is that it is not the product they need to find, but the market of people they need to find first and then find a product to sell to that group of people.
Let me ask you a few questions, do you know who you are trying to market to? Do you know the best ways to reach this particular market? If you don’t know the answers to these two questions then you may need to go back to the drawing board. Finding a product to sell online is not what makes an internet business successful, it is the individual person’s ability to find a market to promote the product to, that is the secret to a successful business. Narrow your niche, focus on a particular market. By narrowing your niche and focuses on one particular market you will be able to reach your audience easier which translates into customers and making more money online. At the end of the day running an online business is not so much about selling a particular product but reaching a particular market to sell your product to. Remember that.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Why Your Condo Hotel Sales Agent Cannot Discuss Rental Income
At no point in the sales process of a condo hotel may the sales agent representing the developer discuss any aspect of rental income. In fact, not a single piece of information provided in connection with a condo hotel sale may emphasizes the economic or tax benefits of the rental program. This has proven to be a point of major frustration for many potential purchasers.
The laws are very clear. A developer will get into massive trouble with SEC securities laws if he promotes the "investment" nature of a condo hotel. And any sales agent who discusses a condo hotel as an investment will lose their license and will no longer be able to practice real estate.
In fact, the only statement that a sales agent can provide to a prospective purchaser is a generic statement to the effect that "ownership may include the opportunity to place your condominium in a rental arrangement."
If a condo hotel is sold as an investment and the developer wants to tout the benefits of the rental program, then the property must be registered with the SEC and every other appropriate securities regulatory agency in the United States.
So, why not sell condo hotels as a security and avoid the headaches and restrictions that developers and sales agents currently deal with? Most developers consider securities compliance as being too expensive, far too time consuming, and poorly suited to the practice of selling real estate. Additionally, they would be forced to only sell their property through registered securities brokers and salespersons. Making the matter even more difficult from a sales and marketing standpoint, the developer would be prohibited from public solicitation of customers. Additionally, any misstatements or omissions of relevant information can equate to a securities fraud.
The irony in all of this is that by forcing developers to avoid security status, the potential buyer is deprived of rental projections and occupancy rates needed to help get an understanding for potential cash flow. This makes it infinitely more difficult for the buyer to make a fully informed buying decision. It also tempts aggressive salespeople to provide the information on the side, which if ever discovered, would turn the entire real estate transaction into an illegal offering of a security and criminal penalties would follow.
Fortunately for the prospective purchaser, there is a way to get more information before they commit to such an important purchase. Many condo hotels will refer the more serious buyers to their rental management division. The rental management staff can provide potential purchasers with the rental history of comparable properties. The information obtained is often more than enough for the prospective buyer to gain enough understanding of where the property might perform from a cash flow stand point.
The laws are very clear. A developer will get into massive trouble with SEC securities laws if he promotes the "investment" nature of a condo hotel. And any sales agent who discusses a condo hotel as an investment will lose their license and will no longer be able to practice real estate.
In fact, the only statement that a sales agent can provide to a prospective purchaser is a generic statement to the effect that "ownership may include the opportunity to place your condominium in a rental arrangement."
If a condo hotel is sold as an investment and the developer wants to tout the benefits of the rental program, then the property must be registered with the SEC and every other appropriate securities regulatory agency in the United States.
So, why not sell condo hotels as a security and avoid the headaches and restrictions that developers and sales agents currently deal with? Most developers consider securities compliance as being too expensive, far too time consuming, and poorly suited to the practice of selling real estate. Additionally, they would be forced to only sell their property through registered securities brokers and salespersons. Making the matter even more difficult from a sales and marketing standpoint, the developer would be prohibited from public solicitation of customers. Additionally, any misstatements or omissions of relevant information can equate to a securities fraud.
The irony in all of this is that by forcing developers to avoid security status, the potential buyer is deprived of rental projections and occupancy rates needed to help get an understanding for potential cash flow. This makes it infinitely more difficult for the buyer to make a fully informed buying decision. It also tempts aggressive salespeople to provide the information on the side, which if ever discovered, would turn the entire real estate transaction into an illegal offering of a security and criminal penalties would follow.
Fortunately for the prospective purchaser, there is a way to get more information before they commit to such an important purchase. Many condo hotels will refer the more serious buyers to their rental management division. The rental management staff can provide potential purchasers with the rental history of comparable properties. The information obtained is often more than enough for the prospective buyer to gain enough understanding of where the property might perform from a cash flow stand point.
Sales Letter Writing - A Simple Step-by-Step Guide for Creating a Money Making Sales Pitch
Despite the variety of new marketing methods available today, the sales letter remains one of the most effective means of delivering a powerful selling message. A well-written sales letter is simple, personal, easy-to-read, and effective.
While sales letters are something of an art form, you can write an effective sales letter by following a simple, step-by-step formula:
* Consider using a headline or “Johnson Box.” Not every sales letter will have these elements, but they are ideal for telegraphing your offer or a clear benefit statement. Just remember that they make your letter look less personal and more like advertising.
* Use an appropriate salutation. Personalization is best when you can do it. Otherwise, use a salutation that connects with the reader as closely as possible. “Dear Friend” is safe but general. “Dear Cat Lover” is more targeted and specific. If you’re mailing to a business audience, use the occupational or professional title.
* Make your first sentence short and attention-grabbing. Don’t waste time with a long windup before your pitch. Involve the reader immediately. Make a startling statement. Start an interesting story. Hit an emotional hot button. Or just state the offer and get to the point. This last approach is often the best tactic and offers the least room for error. Then the sentences that follow can expand on this first sentence to pull the reader into the body copy.
* Present your offer on page one. If you don’t give your offer in the headline or first sentence, you should put it somewhere early in the sales letter text. The better your offer, the earlier you should mention it. Be clear and specific about what your reader will get by responding.
* Make the body of the sales letter work hard. Once you’ve grabbed your reader’s attention and generated interest in your offer, follow immediately with benefits, details, word pictures, testimonials, and proofs to eliminate doubt.
* End the first page in the middle of a sentence. Whether it’s curiosity or an urge for closure, cutting a sentence in two at the bottom of a page helps encourage the reader to turn the page, finish the sentence, and keep reading. You can also use this technique on successive pages.
* Keep your copy on track. You’re not writing a novel, but your main idea should be a thread that weaves through the whole letter. At minimum, present your theme on page one and end on a similar note on the last page.
* Call for action. Quickly restate the main points of your offer and ask for the response you want clearly and directly. Restate information on involvement devices, motivators, incentives, etc. Restate the big benefit.
* Make response easy and clear. How should the reader respond? Give your toll-free number. Explain the ordering process one-two-three.
* Guarantee your offer. Assure the reader that there is no risk. State your guarantee in strong terms. This should directly follow your call to action.
* Stress urgency. Why should the reader respond now? Is it a limited-time offer? Are supplies limited? Are prices going up soon? Give a logical, sensible, and honest reason why this is the best time to respond. And be clear about what will happen if the reader does not respond. Mention the lost opportunity or the consequences.
* End the sales letter when you’re finished. Just as your letter shouldn’t have a long windup at the beginning, it shouldn’t prattle on at the end. End a letter as bluntly as it began. Often this is a quick restatement of your instructions for responding or a simple “thank you.”
* Have the right person sign your letter. Your sales letter should be signed by the highest-authority person available or by someone relevant to the reader. Ideally, the signature should be in blue ink. (Hint: Consider how the signature looks. Does it suggest confidence and believability, or is it shaky and uncertain?)
* Use your P.S. effectively. The postscript is one of the most-read parts of a sales letter. It should present an important message, a prime benefit, a restatement of the offer, a reminder of the deadline, a sweetener, or whatever you feel is most effective in this prime spot. Some call the P.S. a headline at the end of the letter. Ideally, it should be short, about one to three lines.
While sales letters are something of an art form, you can write an effective sales letter by following a simple, step-by-step formula:
* Consider using a headline or “Johnson Box.” Not every sales letter will have these elements, but they are ideal for telegraphing your offer or a clear benefit statement. Just remember that they make your letter look less personal and more like advertising.
* Use an appropriate salutation. Personalization is best when you can do it. Otherwise, use a salutation that connects with the reader as closely as possible. “Dear Friend” is safe but general. “Dear Cat Lover” is more targeted and specific. If you’re mailing to a business audience, use the occupational or professional title.
* Make your first sentence short and attention-grabbing. Don’t waste time with a long windup before your pitch. Involve the reader immediately. Make a startling statement. Start an interesting story. Hit an emotional hot button. Or just state the offer and get to the point. This last approach is often the best tactic and offers the least room for error. Then the sentences that follow can expand on this first sentence to pull the reader into the body copy.
* Present your offer on page one. If you don’t give your offer in the headline or first sentence, you should put it somewhere early in the sales letter text. The better your offer, the earlier you should mention it. Be clear and specific about what your reader will get by responding.
* Make the body of the sales letter work hard. Once you’ve grabbed your reader’s attention and generated interest in your offer, follow immediately with benefits, details, word pictures, testimonials, and proofs to eliminate doubt.
* End the first page in the middle of a sentence. Whether it’s curiosity or an urge for closure, cutting a sentence in two at the bottom of a page helps encourage the reader to turn the page, finish the sentence, and keep reading. You can also use this technique on successive pages.
* Keep your copy on track. You’re not writing a novel, but your main idea should be a thread that weaves through the whole letter. At minimum, present your theme on page one and end on a similar note on the last page.
* Call for action. Quickly restate the main points of your offer and ask for the response you want clearly and directly. Restate information on involvement devices, motivators, incentives, etc. Restate the big benefit.
* Make response easy and clear. How should the reader respond? Give your toll-free number. Explain the ordering process one-two-three.
* Guarantee your offer. Assure the reader that there is no risk. State your guarantee in strong terms. This should directly follow your call to action.
* Stress urgency. Why should the reader respond now? Is it a limited-time offer? Are supplies limited? Are prices going up soon? Give a logical, sensible, and honest reason why this is the best time to respond. And be clear about what will happen if the reader does not respond. Mention the lost opportunity or the consequences.
* End the sales letter when you’re finished. Just as your letter shouldn’t have a long windup at the beginning, it shouldn’t prattle on at the end. End a letter as bluntly as it began. Often this is a quick restatement of your instructions for responding or a simple “thank you.”
* Have the right person sign your letter. Your sales letter should be signed by the highest-authority person available or by someone relevant to the reader. Ideally, the signature should be in blue ink. (Hint: Consider how the signature looks. Does it suggest confidence and believability, or is it shaky and uncertain?)
* Use your P.S. effectively. The postscript is one of the most-read parts of a sales letter. It should present an important message, a prime benefit, a restatement of the offer, a reminder of the deadline, a sweetener, or whatever you feel is most effective in this prime spot. Some call the P.S. a headline at the end of the letter. Ideally, it should be short, about one to three lines.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Online Sales Strategies Inc. Signs an Area Development Agreement for Atlanta
Online Sales Strategies mission is to become a leading provider of all necessary resources to successfully manage and operate online sales and software related businesses. Online Sales Strategies Inc. makes auctioning online easy for individuals and businesses. Online Outpost franchise locations offer an easy and convenient way to sell items online. The concept is a store where customers can take advantage of a service and turn unwanted items into cash. Online Outpost stores handle the entire selling process whether it is one or many items, a small piece of jewelry, electronics, vehicles or even real estate. The software package offered to franchisees allows stores to manage all aspects of the business from customer management, listing, auction templates, image hosting, shipping and reporting all from one interface and has been certified as an eBay compatible application.
Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this document, as well as some statements in periodic press releases and some oral statements of Online Sales Strategies, Inc. officials, are "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act). Forward-Looking statements include statements which are predictive in nature, which depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, which include words such as "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "expects," and similar expressions. In addition, any statements concerning future financial performance (including future revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, and possible future Online Sales Strategies, Inc. actions, which may be provided by management, are also forward-looking statements as defined by the Act. Forward-Looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and to vary significantly from reporting period to reporting period. Although management believes that the assumptions will, in fact, prove to be correct or that actual future results will not be different from the expectations expressed in this report. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and Online Sales Strategies, Inc. has no specific intention to update these statements.
Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this document, as well as some statements in periodic press releases and some oral statements of Online Sales Strategies, Inc. officials, are "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act). Forward-Looking statements include statements which are predictive in nature, which depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, which include words such as "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "expects," and similar expressions. In addition, any statements concerning future financial performance (including future revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, and possible future Online Sales Strategies, Inc. actions, which may be provided by management, are also forward-looking statements as defined by the Act. Forward-Looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and to vary significantly from reporting period to reporting period. Although management believes that the assumptions will, in fact, prove to be correct or that actual future results will not be different from the expectations expressed in this report. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and Online Sales Strategies, Inc. has no specific intention to update these statements.
Online CRM Software helps organize data
Springville, Utah-A national sales-tracking software company announced the introduction of new features to their product package. InsideSales.com, a provider of on-demand sales and customer management software with built-in telephony tools, will now be providing advanced field customization options for its clients.
Called dynamic custom fields, this capability allows customers to individually customize their text and numeric fields to fit with the needs of the company.
CEO Dave Elkington said, "The dynamic custom fields allow customers to change or add any type of field into any object in our system to make it specific to their company. If a construction company needs to record building dimensions, they can add a field to do that. If a shipping company needs to record an order date, they can add a field to do that. We have no way to foresee every need all our customers will have. The dynamic custom fields let our customers adapt the system to fit their needs."
Other dynamic fields include text fields, email fields, date and time calendar fields, whole number fields, real number fields, currency fields and fields that will calculate a mathematical result. They also offer drop-down single and multi-select filters to help customers organize their data.
One of InsideSales.com's customers spoke about the effectiveness of the dynamic custom fields.
Chad Rawlings of Whisper Creek said, "Each company has its own unique needs, so having the ability to customize your own fields is huge. I came to InsideSales.com and told them what I wanted with the custom fields. They were so efficient at recognizing our needs and implementing the system for us timely and efficiently. The dynamic custom fields have greatly increased our productivity."
About InsideSales.com and Sales Team Automation, LLC.
InsideSales.com is a provider of advanced on-demand applications and services that help businesses better communicate with their customers, partners and employees. InsideSales.com's solution provides integrated sales force automation (SFA) with built-in telephony tools that dramatically increase sales numbers. They also address automation needs in the areas of customer service, support, marketing automation, order management and analytics to help companies meet the challenges of effective sales communication.
Sales Team Automation, LLC is the company behind InsideSales.com and offers a unique value proposition to small and mid-sized organizations looking to enhance the effectiveness of their sales initiatives. Sales Team Automation offers custom web programming solutions as well as other web-based applications.
Called dynamic custom fields, this capability allows customers to individually customize their text and numeric fields to fit with the needs of the company.
CEO Dave Elkington said, "The dynamic custom fields allow customers to change or add any type of field into any object in our system to make it specific to their company. If a construction company needs to record building dimensions, they can add a field to do that. If a shipping company needs to record an order date, they can add a field to do that. We have no way to foresee every need all our customers will have. The dynamic custom fields let our customers adapt the system to fit their needs."
Other dynamic fields include text fields, email fields, date and time calendar fields, whole number fields, real number fields, currency fields and fields that will calculate a mathematical result. They also offer drop-down single and multi-select filters to help customers organize their data.
One of InsideSales.com's customers spoke about the effectiveness of the dynamic custom fields.
Chad Rawlings of Whisper Creek said, "Each company has its own unique needs, so having the ability to customize your own fields is huge. I came to InsideSales.com and told them what I wanted with the custom fields. They were so efficient at recognizing our needs and implementing the system for us timely and efficiently. The dynamic custom fields have greatly increased our productivity."
About InsideSales.com and Sales Team Automation, LLC.
InsideSales.com is a provider of advanced on-demand applications and services that help businesses better communicate with their customers, partners and employees. InsideSales.com's solution provides integrated sales force automation (SFA) with built-in telephony tools that dramatically increase sales numbers. They also address automation needs in the areas of customer service, support, marketing automation, order management and analytics to help companies meet the challenges of effective sales communication.
Sales Team Automation, LLC is the company behind InsideSales.com and offers a unique value proposition to small and mid-sized organizations looking to enhance the effectiveness of their sales initiatives. Sales Team Automation offers custom web programming solutions as well as other web-based applications.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Relation between clicks and bricks is silver lining to ho-hum holiday sales - online efforts of retailers
NATIONWIDE DSNRT REPORT -- Continued growth of online sales may have been one of this past holiday season's bright spots, but subtle e-commerce developments of another sort were actually more significant.
During November and December, it became apparent efforts by bricks-and-mortar retailers to more tightly integrate their online efforts with conventional store operations were being effective. In doing so, they have moved closer to fulfilling the potential of the highly touted bricks-and-clicks business model.
"It is clear that bricks-and-mortar retailers are committed to having an online presence that is integrated with their physical presence in a meaningful way," said Russell Jones, a vp in the retail practice of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young.
Several striking examples from the past holiday season involved Target, Wal-Mart, Sears and Circult City. In the category of most extensive use of a conventional advertising medium to promote a creative e-commerce initiative, the award would have to go to Target. The company devoted four pages of a 32-page circular that ran in Thanks-giving Day newspapers. The insert extended from the circular and across the top Target in-quired "Can't wait to save? Go to target.com."
Twenty-one items were featured, and to create a sense of urgency, the prices were good only on Thanksgiving. As an added bonus, if the order was for more than $50 and paid for with a Target Visa shipping was free.
Wal-Mart devoted less real estate in its Thanks-giving weekend circular to online retailing, but the featured promotion illustrates the integration point just as effectively Wal-Mart appealed to the insecurity 01 potential jewelry buyers with this headline across the bottom third of a page: "Learn how to buy a diamond at Walmart.com" that encouraged them to visit the site's jewelry learning center.
Sears and Circuit City took a different approach. Both offered online customers the option of picking up merchandise at stores. On Nov. 28, Sears announced a service that allowed customers to see whether items purchased online were in stock at a local store. They could pick up the merchandise at the store. According to Sears, "In many cases, the product may be picked up the same day as ordered."
The benefits of tighter integration are becoming apparent in the volume of people visiting the Web sites of conventional retailers. During November, seven of the top 15 e-commerce sites identified by Nielsen/NetRatings were operated by conventional retailers, including Toys "R" Us, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Sears, Target and JCPenney.
On Dec. 11, Circuit City, announced an arrangement with Amazon.com, allowing consumer electronics items offered on Amazon to be picked up and returned to its stores.
"Steady traffic to many bricks-and-mortar sites indicates consumers are researching online with the intent of buying in the actual stores, highlighting the need for retailers to integrate their online and offline operations," said Jupiter Media Metrix research analyst Jared Blank.
Integration is only part of the story, though. The online efforts of bricks-and-mortar retailers have also improved considerably. "We've seen huge improvements in the way Web sites work, and these improvements have made it much faster, easier and more fun to shop online," said Mary Humphrey, director of e-commerce at AOL. "Online shopping is becoming more mainstream, and one of the key reasons is the timesaving convenience. You have the ability to find anything you want without the hassle of parking lots and lines."
The mainstream nature of online retailing was illustrated by a survey commissioned by the International Mass Retail Association in early December. The survey of 1,000 people found 627 people had Internet access, and 54% of them used it as a tool to find product information. Their second most prevalent use, mentioned by 39% of respondents, was to see if a store carried a specific item. Buying products was mentioned by 38% of those surveyed.
Despite the improved Web sites, tighter integration and consumers overall happiness with purchasing online, online sales growth has begun to slow from prior-year levels. Goldman Sachs analyst Anthony Noto's estimate for full-year 2001 online sales of $32.2 billion represents a 20% to 25% increase from 2000, when sales increased 68% from 1999.
"Our survey indicates consumers are only marginally shifting spending online," Noto said. "Respondents indicate their planned holiday budget allocation of online spending for 2001 would only be modestly changed in favor of shopping online, compared to 2000."
Those surveyed by Goldman Sachs indicated 14.8% of their holiday budget would be spent online, as compared with 12.4% last year. An even larger percentage of next year's holiday budgets likely will be spent online, especially if bricks-and-mortar retailers continue to improve online offerings and make them an integral part of their overall merchandising, marketing and operations strategies.
During November and December, it became apparent efforts by bricks-and-mortar retailers to more tightly integrate their online efforts with conventional store operations were being effective. In doing so, they have moved closer to fulfilling the potential of the highly touted bricks-and-clicks business model.
"It is clear that bricks-and-mortar retailers are committed to having an online presence that is integrated with their physical presence in a meaningful way," said Russell Jones, a vp in the retail practice of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young.
Several striking examples from the past holiday season involved Target, Wal-Mart, Sears and Circult City. In the category of most extensive use of a conventional advertising medium to promote a creative e-commerce initiative, the award would have to go to Target. The company devoted four pages of a 32-page circular that ran in Thanks-giving Day newspapers. The insert extended from the circular and across the top Target in-quired "Can't wait to save? Go to target.com."
Twenty-one items were featured, and to create a sense of urgency, the prices were good only on Thanksgiving. As an added bonus, if the order was for more than $50 and paid for with a Target Visa shipping was free.
Wal-Mart devoted less real estate in its Thanks-giving weekend circular to online retailing, but the featured promotion illustrates the integration point just as effectively Wal-Mart appealed to the insecurity 01 potential jewelry buyers with this headline across the bottom third of a page: "Learn how to buy a diamond at Walmart.com" that encouraged them to visit the site's jewelry learning center.
Sears and Circuit City took a different approach. Both offered online customers the option of picking up merchandise at stores. On Nov. 28, Sears announced a service that allowed customers to see whether items purchased online were in stock at a local store. They could pick up the merchandise at the store. According to Sears, "In many cases, the product may be picked up the same day as ordered."
The benefits of tighter integration are becoming apparent in the volume of people visiting the Web sites of conventional retailers. During November, seven of the top 15 e-commerce sites identified by Nielsen/NetRatings were operated by conventional retailers, including Toys "R" Us, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Sears, Target and JCPenney.
On Dec. 11, Circuit City, announced an arrangement with Amazon.com, allowing consumer electronics items offered on Amazon to be picked up and returned to its stores.
"Steady traffic to many bricks-and-mortar sites indicates consumers are researching online with the intent of buying in the actual stores, highlighting the need for retailers to integrate their online and offline operations," said Jupiter Media Metrix research analyst Jared Blank.
Integration is only part of the story, though. The online efforts of bricks-and-mortar retailers have also improved considerably. "We've seen huge improvements in the way Web sites work, and these improvements have made it much faster, easier and more fun to shop online," said Mary Humphrey, director of e-commerce at AOL. "Online shopping is becoming more mainstream, and one of the key reasons is the timesaving convenience. You have the ability to find anything you want without the hassle of parking lots and lines."
The mainstream nature of online retailing was illustrated by a survey commissioned by the International Mass Retail Association in early December. The survey of 1,000 people found 627 people had Internet access, and 54% of them used it as a tool to find product information. Their second most prevalent use, mentioned by 39% of respondents, was to see if a store carried a specific item. Buying products was mentioned by 38% of those surveyed.
Despite the improved Web sites, tighter integration and consumers overall happiness with purchasing online, online sales growth has begun to slow from prior-year levels. Goldman Sachs analyst Anthony Noto's estimate for full-year 2001 online sales of $32.2 billion represents a 20% to 25% increase from 2000, when sales increased 68% from 1999.
"Our survey indicates consumers are only marginally shifting spending online," Noto said. "Respondents indicate their planned holiday budget allocation of online spending for 2001 would only be modestly changed in favor of shopping online, compared to 2000."
Those surveyed by Goldman Sachs indicated 14.8% of their holiday budget would be spent online, as compared with 12.4% last year. An even larger percentage of next year's holiday budgets likely will be spent online, especially if bricks-and-mortar retailers continue to improve online offerings and make them an integral part of their overall merchandising, marketing and operations strategies.
Don't sell Print against the WEB: It's imperative that ad sales reps talk about the total customer experience, not the strengths of print versus onlin
I'm sorry Josh, we're cutting our print ad budget in half and putting our money into our Web site." I only had to hear that a few times before my "Web phobia" hit an all-time high. The challenge was how to respond when clients told me that their Web expenses were coming out of the same marketing communications budget as their ads. The knee-jerk overreaction was to start selling against the Web--but this is a huge mistake. The Web is far more than banner ads. And if your Web discussions with clients focus on contrasting the merits of banner versus print ads, you will miss a huge opportunity to sell more space. There are ways to approach this challenge that prove that print advertising is more valuable in today's economy, not less. When I stated using this new approach, I had to adjust my thinking and behavior in four ways:
1 Bring up the Web on Every Call You Make
I know many space reps who take an "Ignore it and it will go away" attitude. They ask, "Why bring up a potential competitor?" The answer is that your customers are dying to talk about the Web. It's new, interesting and confusing--and there are no definitive answers to anything. If you can talk intelligently about the Web, you will have your customers' undivided attention. Most clients would rather talk about how the Web is transforming, or not affecting, their business, than talk about print advertising. Gain access to this level of discussion, and you will be far more persuasive when the topic shifts to print advertising.
2 Start Talking About the Total customer Interface
Ten years ago, I described print advertising as a slice of the overall marketing communications pie. Other slices included direct mail, trade shows, TV and radio advertising, and so on. My job was to lay out the communication options and advocate the importance of print ads over the others. Today, viewing the Web as just another slice of the pie competing for your ad dollars is a mistake, because the Web's impact on a client's business typically goes far beyond marketing communications. While the Web may be a vehicle for exposure, it can also function as its own sales channel (e-commerce), a way to distribute collateral material, a customer service vehicle, a way to offer technical help, a dealer/distributor replacement, a way to offer contests and warranties to customers, a research tool, a way to offer product customization, a tool for customer relationship management, and a tool in building customer loyalty.
Consequently, while today's marketing discussions go beyond marketing communications, they are still all about the total customer interface. Become part of these discussions, and you will be in a position to recommend print advertising as a way to help augment these other programs. Today I never talk about how print advertising fits into the "marketing mix." I talk about how it fits into the "total customer interface."
3 Explain the new uses of print advertising
The top uses of print advertising just 10 years ago were to generate sales leads, introduce new products, create exposure and build a brand. These four topics were the main areas of discussions with clients. Today, the Web has replaced magazines as a lead-generation tool. So-called bingo card responses are plummeting as readers realize that a quick hop onto the Web can give them instant access to information that would have taken weeks to acquire via bingo cards.
In addition, the whole concept of what a new product is and how it affects company's sales is being revisited by most marketing directors. The new thinking is that new products and new product features are not the magnet they once were. New technology and advanced manufacturing techniques have empowered manufacturers to bring products to market much more quickly and duplicate any advantageous feature a competitor may offer.
For example, one professional lens manufacturer told me that he was once able to achieve four to six years of competitive advantage any time his company added a new feature. Now he sadly reports that that advantage is down to six months. In a world where unique product features don't stay unique for long, selling the overall promise of the company, the brand, has become the new mantra of marketers.
The Web has accelerated this. If you've tried to buy anything on the Web, the good news is that you have tremendous options. For marketers, that's also bad news because suddenly, if your brand or company name is not in the minds of your prospects, it's likely that they will do their buying on someone else's Web site.
What this means for you is what you already know: Print advertising, unlike electronic media, is a brand builder's dream. It has a physical presence that makes the message more tangible. In addition, since your message is physically bonded to the exposure vehicle, it creates an affiliation of quality that helps the branding process.
4 Help Them Find The Money
While using the Web creates expense, it is also a big money saver. Your job is to help your clients realize the savings and help them budget those savings into growing print advertising.
1 Bring up the Web on Every Call You Make
I know many space reps who take an "Ignore it and it will go away" attitude. They ask, "Why bring up a potential competitor?" The answer is that your customers are dying to talk about the Web. It's new, interesting and confusing--and there are no definitive answers to anything. If you can talk intelligently about the Web, you will have your customers' undivided attention. Most clients would rather talk about how the Web is transforming, or not affecting, their business, than talk about print advertising. Gain access to this level of discussion, and you will be far more persuasive when the topic shifts to print advertising.
2 Start Talking About the Total customer Interface
Ten years ago, I described print advertising as a slice of the overall marketing communications pie. Other slices included direct mail, trade shows, TV and radio advertising, and so on. My job was to lay out the communication options and advocate the importance of print ads over the others. Today, viewing the Web as just another slice of the pie competing for your ad dollars is a mistake, because the Web's impact on a client's business typically goes far beyond marketing communications. While the Web may be a vehicle for exposure, it can also function as its own sales channel (e-commerce), a way to distribute collateral material, a customer service vehicle, a way to offer technical help, a dealer/distributor replacement, a way to offer contests and warranties to customers, a research tool, a way to offer product customization, a tool for customer relationship management, and a tool in building customer loyalty.
Consequently, while today's marketing discussions go beyond marketing communications, they are still all about the total customer interface. Become part of these discussions, and you will be in a position to recommend print advertising as a way to help augment these other programs. Today I never talk about how print advertising fits into the "marketing mix." I talk about how it fits into the "total customer interface."
3 Explain the new uses of print advertising
The top uses of print advertising just 10 years ago were to generate sales leads, introduce new products, create exposure and build a brand. These four topics were the main areas of discussions with clients. Today, the Web has replaced magazines as a lead-generation tool. So-called bingo card responses are plummeting as readers realize that a quick hop onto the Web can give them instant access to information that would have taken weeks to acquire via bingo cards.
In addition, the whole concept of what a new product is and how it affects company's sales is being revisited by most marketing directors. The new thinking is that new products and new product features are not the magnet they once were. New technology and advanced manufacturing techniques have empowered manufacturers to bring products to market much more quickly and duplicate any advantageous feature a competitor may offer.
For example, one professional lens manufacturer told me that he was once able to achieve four to six years of competitive advantage any time his company added a new feature. Now he sadly reports that that advantage is down to six months. In a world where unique product features don't stay unique for long, selling the overall promise of the company, the brand, has become the new mantra of marketers.
The Web has accelerated this. If you've tried to buy anything on the Web, the good news is that you have tremendous options. For marketers, that's also bad news because suddenly, if your brand or company name is not in the minds of your prospects, it's likely that they will do their buying on someone else's Web site.
What this means for you is what you already know: Print advertising, unlike electronic media, is a brand builder's dream. It has a physical presence that makes the message more tangible. In addition, since your message is physically bonded to the exposure vehicle, it creates an affiliation of quality that helps the branding process.
4 Help Them Find The Money
While using the Web creates expense, it is also a big money saver. Your job is to help your clients realize the savings and help them budget those savings into growing print advertising.
Friday, October 5, 2007
UK online retail sales fall for second month in a row claims IMRG - Interactive Media in Retail Group
The industry body for global e-retailing Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) has found that online retail sales in the UK have fallen for a second consecutive month.
Online sales fell 4.4% from January 2002 to February 2002, bringing the total amount spent online in February to GBP397m. The decline was reportedly not as severe as the previous one of 17% from December 2001 to January 2002, however.
February 2002 sales figure were 85.4% higher than in February 2001, down from the 133% increase reported during the second half of 2001.
Online sales fell 4.4% from January 2002 to February 2002, bringing the total amount spent online in February to GBP397m. The decline was reportedly not as severe as the previous one of 17% from December 2001 to January 2002, however.
February 2002 sales figure were 85.4% higher than in February 2001, down from the 133% increase reported during the second half of 2001.
Behind the music: a music site's uploading tool cranks up the sales volume to get things rocking and rolling
DAVE STACK traded a dotcom gig for the music biz when he opened an online music marketplace, Music Stack (www.musicstack.com), and tuned up the buying and selling technology behind the music.
MusicStack is a collection of record stores, all competing on price and selection, offering both new and used music. "Worrying about fresh inventory is not a problem," says Stack of his $5 million business. An uploading function updates site selections in real time and allows the site's 3,000 sellers to manage their own wares.
"The sheer volume of items on the site makes me different," adds the 34-year-old programmer. With 15 million items, including CDs, vinyl, Mini-Discs and 8-tracks, Stack's storefront eclipses retail giants Amazon.com and eBay.
The site runs itself while Stack tweaks the back-end tools from home base--an extra space in his Cleveland home. There, Stack watches sales soar to the tune of 1,000 items each day. Gone are the days of building inventory by personally visiting record shops. Says Stack, "Now sellers find me."
MusicStack is a collection of record stores, all competing on price and selection, offering both new and used music. "Worrying about fresh inventory is not a problem," says Stack of his $5 million business. An uploading function updates site selections in real time and allows the site's 3,000 sellers to manage their own wares.
"The sheer volume of items on the site makes me different," adds the 34-year-old programmer. With 15 million items, including CDs, vinyl, Mini-Discs and 8-tracks, Stack's storefront eclipses retail giants Amazon.com and eBay.
The site runs itself while Stack tweaks the back-end tools from home base--an extra space in his Cleveland home. There, Stack watches sales soar to the tune of 1,000 items each day. Gone are the days of building inventory by personally visiting record shops. Says Stack, "Now sellers find me."
Online Retail Sales Continue to Rise
Sluggish economy or not, online retail sales continue to surge upward, according to the latest data from BizRate.com.
Average order size is slightly down though, from $145 to $142.
ComScore Networks reported a similar increase, tallying last week's online shopping at $1.5 billion, up 41 percent from the same week last year. "Black Monday," the Monday after Thanksgiving, saw a 49 percent increase year-to-year, to $380 million.
For last week, the home and garden category saw the biggest year-to-year increase, up 114 percent. Online sales of computer hardware however were flat year to year.
Average order size is slightly down though, from $145 to $142.
ComScore Networks reported a similar increase, tallying last week's online shopping at $1.5 billion, up 41 percent from the same week last year. "Black Monday," the Monday after Thanksgiving, saw a 49 percent increase year-to-year, to $380 million.
For last week, the home and garden category saw the biggest year-to-year increase, up 114 percent. Online sales of computer hardware however were flat year to year.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Online recognition: Like other HR functions, employee recognition programs move online with fewer administrative headaches, lower costs - Agenda: Awar
That's when Wilhelm contracted with a vendor to provide the company with an online program. Now, the company hands in a list of people eligible for service awards at the beginning of the year, and the vendor handles the rest.
But isn't L'Oreal USA paying a premium for such service? "It's actually less expensive than the paper program when you factor in the zero amount of time anyone here spends administering this," Wilhelm explains. "The lost work time was really the hidden cost in the old program."
As more HR functions go online, there's an increased interest in bringing awards programs online, says Bill Termini, national sales manager for Hinda Incentives Inc. in Chicago, a longtime industry vendor that began offering web-based awards programs in 1999.
Online awards systems can be connected with HR management systems, payroll systems or the company's enterprise resource planning system, says Kevin Jorgensen, president and CEO of Beyond Work Inc., a provider of incentive and recognition programs based in San Jose, Calif.
The ease and convenient access for employees is what prompted Southern Company, a Fortune 500 energy producer in the Southeast, to move its program online.
"When we moved the benefits enrollment process onto the web we saw immediate interest. In one year, online participation went from 26 percent to 82 percent," says Tripp Cagle, HR communications manager. "Based on that, we knew employees would be interested in an online awards program."
Mercury Interactive Corp., a software company in Sunnyvale, Calif., reaped financial rewards from its online incentives program. Amit Ronen, vice president of field technical operations, wanted to motivate field staff who maintain and troubleshoot computer systems.
"We asked them to voluntarily lot notes about opportunities they saw when on assignment, but the program was so-so. I thought that if we could create an incentive program we'd generate more interest," he explains.
For example, the field staff should look for holes in existing client systems and be alert to hear about weaknesses from client staff. Such situations could provide sales opportunities. The company implemented an online program in which field staff receive points for such leads and even more points for leads that generated business.
"The administration of this would have been way too much if the program wasn't online," Ronen says. "A $7,000 investment has generated more than $600,000 in new business."
Tracking Data
Dana Hubbard, a compensation analyst with Southern Company, says the online system has simplified administration of awards for the company's 26,000 employees.
"We can see what's being redeemed; so we know what's appealing to employees and can keep the program meaningful," she says.
PacifiCare Health Systems Inc., in Santa Ana, Calif., made the move to an online program for its 9,500 employees in June 1999 after an IRS audit turned up discrepancies.
"Each business unit had its own awards, nothing was centralized and it was a nightmare to keep track of," explains Tonia Rockwell-Koren, a senior compensation analyst.
Now that the online program automatically deducts taxes and keeps records for PacifiCare, Rockwell-Koren says, "I don't know how we ever managed the other way."
Online programs also give managers easy access to data and the flexibility to adjust information. "You can capture data easily and keep information current," says Michelle Smith, vice president of strategic sales for Bravanta Inc., an online awards program provider in San Francisco. "As priorities change, so too can programs. They can be altered with a click of the mouse."
With the data centralized in online systems, HR also can improve the effectiveness of the awards program and demonstrate that the program is making a difference.
For example, say you're running a safety program. HR can pull data to show a direct correlation between reduced accidents and incentives. In addition, the computer can run comparisons to highlight differences in accident costs before and after implementing the safety program. Then, those figures can be compared to program costs. The online program calculates these statistics, so no one has to spend weeks tallying and tracking information.
"Online programs prove what we already knew instinctively, that incentive programs motivate people and have an effect on the bottom line," says Smith. "An online system enables HR to keep data on ROI that generates board-level interest."
But isn't L'Oreal USA paying a premium for such service? "It's actually less expensive than the paper program when you factor in the zero amount of time anyone here spends administering this," Wilhelm explains. "The lost work time was really the hidden cost in the old program."
As more HR functions go online, there's an increased interest in bringing awards programs online, says Bill Termini, national sales manager for Hinda Incentives Inc. in Chicago, a longtime industry vendor that began offering web-based awards programs in 1999.
Online awards systems can be connected with HR management systems, payroll systems or the company's enterprise resource planning system, says Kevin Jorgensen, president and CEO of Beyond Work Inc., a provider of incentive and recognition programs based in San Jose, Calif.
The ease and convenient access for employees is what prompted Southern Company, a Fortune 500 energy producer in the Southeast, to move its program online.
"When we moved the benefits enrollment process onto the web we saw immediate interest. In one year, online participation went from 26 percent to 82 percent," says Tripp Cagle, HR communications manager. "Based on that, we knew employees would be interested in an online awards program."
Mercury Interactive Corp., a software company in Sunnyvale, Calif., reaped financial rewards from its online incentives program. Amit Ronen, vice president of field technical operations, wanted to motivate field staff who maintain and troubleshoot computer systems.
"We asked them to voluntarily lot notes about opportunities they saw when on assignment, but the program was so-so. I thought that if we could create an incentive program we'd generate more interest," he explains.
For example, the field staff should look for holes in existing client systems and be alert to hear about weaknesses from client staff. Such situations could provide sales opportunities. The company implemented an online program in which field staff receive points for such leads and even more points for leads that generated business.
"The administration of this would have been way too much if the program wasn't online," Ronen says. "A $7,000 investment has generated more than $600,000 in new business."
Tracking Data
Dana Hubbard, a compensation analyst with Southern Company, says the online system has simplified administration of awards for the company's 26,000 employees.
"We can see what's being redeemed; so we know what's appealing to employees and can keep the program meaningful," she says.
PacifiCare Health Systems Inc., in Santa Ana, Calif., made the move to an online program for its 9,500 employees in June 1999 after an IRS audit turned up discrepancies.
"Each business unit had its own awards, nothing was centralized and it was a nightmare to keep track of," explains Tonia Rockwell-Koren, a senior compensation analyst.
Now that the online program automatically deducts taxes and keeps records for PacifiCare, Rockwell-Koren says, "I don't know how we ever managed the other way."
Online programs also give managers easy access to data and the flexibility to adjust information. "You can capture data easily and keep information current," says Michelle Smith, vice president of strategic sales for Bravanta Inc., an online awards program provider in San Francisco. "As priorities change, so too can programs. They can be altered with a click of the mouse."
With the data centralized in online systems, HR also can improve the effectiveness of the awards program and demonstrate that the program is making a difference.
For example, say you're running a safety program. HR can pull data to show a direct correlation between reduced accidents and incentives. In addition, the computer can run comparisons to highlight differences in accident costs before and after implementing the safety program. Then, those figures can be compared to program costs. The online program calculates these statistics, so no one has to spend weeks tallying and tracking information.
"Online programs prove what we already knew instinctively, that incentive programs motivate people and have an effect on the bottom line," says Smith. "An online system enables HR to keep data on ROI that generates board-level interest."
Monday, October 1, 2007
Managing Risks in Multiple Online Auctions: An Options Approach*
ABSTRACT
The scenario of established business sellers utilizing online auction markets to reach consumers and sell new products is becoming increasingly common. We propose a class of risk management tools, loosely based on the concept of financial options that can be employed by such sellers. While conceptually similar to options in financial markets, we empirically demonstrate that option instruments within auction markets cannot be developed employing similar methodologies, because the fundamental tenets of extant option pricing models do not hold within online auction markets. We provide a framework to analyze the value proposition of options to potential sellers, option-holder behavior implications on auction processes, and seller strategies to write and price options that maximize potential revenues. We then develop an approach that enables a seller to assess the demand for options under different option price and volume scenarios. We compare option prices derived from our approach with those derived from the Black-Scholes model (Black & Scholes, 1973) and discuss the implications of the price differences. Experiments based on actual auction data suggest that options can provide significant benefits under a variety of option-holder behavioral patterns.
The scenario of established business sellers utilizing online auction markets to reach consumers and sell new products is becoming increasingly common. We propose a class of risk management tools, loosely based on the concept of financial options that can be employed by such sellers. While conceptually similar to options in financial markets, we empirically demonstrate that option instruments within auction markets cannot be developed employing similar methodologies, because the fundamental tenets of extant option pricing models do not hold within online auction markets. We provide a framework to analyze the value proposition of options to potential sellers, option-holder behavior implications on auction processes, and seller strategies to write and price options that maximize potential revenues. We then develop an approach that enables a seller to assess the demand for options under different option price and volume scenarios. We compare option prices derived from our approach with those derived from the Black-Scholes model (Black & Scholes, 1973) and discuss the implications of the price differences. Experiments based on actual auction data suggest that options can provide significant benefits under a variety of option-holder behavioral patterns.
Online shopping receives seasonal boost - Actinic Software - Brief Article
An investigation from provider of PC-based e-commerce technology, Actinic Software Ltd, has revealed that many UK online stores had a seasonal boost in year-on-year growth.
In comparison to the average of 66% increase in year-on-year online sale, traditional high-street stores are reported to have experienced a flat Christmas.
Actinic asked for flash sales figures over the Christmas period from its retailers who had been trading online for more than a year.
Examples of online stores with year-on-year growth are Anything Left-Handed, with a 125% increase and The Gentleman's Shop, with a 121% growth.
In comparison to the average of 66% increase in year-on-year online sale, traditional high-street stores are reported to have experienced a flat Christmas.
Actinic asked for flash sales figures over the Christmas period from its retailers who had been trading online for more than a year.
Examples of online stores with year-on-year growth are Anything Left-Handed, with a 125% increase and The Gentleman's Shop, with a 121% growth.
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