ecommerce
Category Archives:ecommerce
What your online business can learn from the High Street
It seems that these days pretty much any business can (and does) sell online after all it isnt that difficult and can be fairly straight forward the key is actually getting sales through the new online sales tool and this requires a real focussed approach and a really key understanding of the markets you are targeting, so these are 3 keys points that the high street has simply failed to address as highlighted by the recent high profile failures of HMV and Jessops.
Customer Service needs to be amazing
If want to look at simply amazing customer service you need look no further than Amazon who have led the way with their Customer First Attitude, at GleaveMedia we know from experience that they want you to be delighted, a parcel gets lost – no problem another will be sent, the product damaged – no problem send it back for a full refund. A customer service attitude that puts ‘me’ the customer first is always going to be a winner.
On the high street a retailer that follows a similar philosophy is John Lewis that goes so far as to give (off its own back) a 2 year warranty and 90 days software support on all laptops – how is that for having faith in the products you sell?
Dont forget your Brand
Order from Harrods and sure your delivery doesnt come in a green Harrods branded truck, it does come in a Harrods branded box though – no shame in that arriving at your house is it? This branding stands for something and even though you may never have been inside a Harrods store they still want you to have that Harrods experience.
On the high street Apple are a great example, when you buy an Apple computer the box is an integral part of the product – it identifies as to who you are and that as you walk down the high street back to your car it marks you out – an Apple user, spot the stares everyone knows what you have inside that box!
What is the latest trend?
Don’t fall into the we’ve always done it this way trap, having said that you don’t need to lead from the front and don’t forget that previous massively strong retailers like HMV lost their way and have perished in this ultra competitive world through not seeing how the market has changed. HMV in particular didn’t significantly promote gadgets or new technology, just seemingly wanting to stick to DVD’s and CD’s. The end of the typewriter should be a clear example to any growing business, there is nothing wrong with a typewriter, technology simply moved on – even though the BBC still gives us 5 reasons to still use one, we refrain!
So there you go our three key points the high street has simply failed to address, no doubt 2013 will see more high street failures and relaunches – maybe even some more big names? One thing is certain, setting up an online sales facility is relatively simple, its getting it running right and understanding what your customers actually want and then ensuring your business provides that. With web design and Digital Marketing Solutions by GleaveMedia you can be assured that we have the skills and experience to help your business win online, so please get in touch we’d love to help you.
Getting your ecommerce site ready for Christmas
As we head into the busiest quarter for most ecommerce sites, you as a site owner you need to ask yourself some really pertinent questions as there is simply no point in sending traffic to a less-than-optimised website or product listing. So before you do anything else then take a good look at your website and product listings and ask yourself the following question: Would I buy from this site?
You need to be hard and honest and this is where an experienced outside team can help, asking such things like;
is your design professional enough for your business image?
do your product pages look dated?
does the copy need updating, are you actually selling each and every product?
What about your photos, if they were taken on a mobile phone – this is not good enough these days.
Does your site have any additional costs that you aren’t honest and open about?
Do you have a significant drop off at checkout?
If the answer is yes to any of these direct questions your site will be loosing business, maybe more than you are actually winning so why not take the opportunity now to get your site working as it should. Don’t forget these days this can include simply collecting data on a brochure download or getting new likes on your Facebook page.
The simple truth is that you need to make it easy for any potential (and returning) customer to do business with you, if you don’t they may go elsewhere.
Gleave Media are experienced ecommerce consultants and can help get your business plans sorted in time for Christmas and beyond, please get in touch here…
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How to start selling on eBay
Ebay was launched way back in 1999 and is the UK’s largest online marketplace, here you can buy and sell everything from sofas to jewellery, from cars to pest control products and everything in-between. Yet we still find businesses who aren’t taking advantage of the global audience of hundreds of millions of potential buyers. Put simply with access to a massive global market you are sure to find a buyer for your products.
So the question has to be, how do you start selling on eBay and set your business up to maximise the potential from this great online sales tool???
Well you need to answer a few questions beforehand, these include
Why eBay? Have you got a product that people will actually buy at a price you are prepared to sell – don’t just take it for granted that eBay is a path to riches, it isn’t.
Do you know all the rules and regulations you need to be aware of and how you can manage and integrate this into your business? – this is where we can help.
Managing your business eBay account and keeping everything correct so the business on ebay can grow and prosper is very important, have you or a member of your staff got the time and experience to do this? – again we can help train and support your business through this tricky phase.
Finally a most importantly have your sorted out the shipping and dispatch so you can exceed your customers expectations?
[cm_ajax_subscribe id=3]GleaveMedia have worked with a considerable number of businesses to both launch themselves on eBay and enhance the profile they have to make the most out of it. We also run numerous invitation only eBay seminars If you want to find out more then please get in touch and/or add your details to our newsletter list below.
eBay Business Training Course in Devon
We are big believers in the power of eBay to deliver great results to pretty much all online businesses and we have worked with numerous customers to get them featured and selling worldwide on this fabulous ecommerce solution.
“Gleave Media has helped us learn, understand and launch a successful new side of the business.”
Now for the first time we are offering a public eBay course where we will introduce the power of eBay is expanding your businesses online sales reach in an incredibly cost effective way.
At this 2 hour seminar you will learn how you can
– find new customers for your existing business
– provide a platform to launch a new business or diversify
– help you boost sales, increase profits
– help optimise your online market
All bookings are being handled by eventbrite (you can book using the form below)…if you have any specific questions or maybe way to talk more about specific ebay requirements then please contact us direct.
Previous courses of ours have focused on Social Media and a great review of the engaging style and content of your trainer Alistair Gleave comes from the video review below.
Why your business should be selling using an eBay shop
eBay is a tool that pretty much every SME can and should be making use of, we know of no other ecommerce outlet that can match its reach and sales potential. Couple this with the actual cost for taking your business onto ebay and you have a winning combination.
eBay was launched in the UK in October 1999 and unsurprisingly this is the UK’s largest online marketplace
[cm_ajax_subscribe id=3]GleaveMedia run numerous eBay seminars and have worked with a considerable number of businesses to both launch on eBay and enhance the profile they have to make the most out of it. If you want to find out more then please get in touch and add your details to our newsletter list below.
*source ebay http://pages.ebay.co.uk/aboutebay/thecompany/companyoverview.html
eBay thoughts and predictions for 2012
So 2012 promises to be a great one for eBay if your business sells online then the chances are eBay should be a part of this strategy.
So our top five predictions for 2012 are;
1 – Top Rated Status
This is going to be even more important to have, you don’t necessarily need this UNLESS you want to power your sales forward. There is no doubt that Top Rated Status when achieved adds alot to your sales channel on eBay.
2 – Named Label Stores
We think eBay will continue to get more named label stores onto the site, they succeeded with Debenhams a while back and more will follow of that we are sure.
http://www.alistairgleave.co.uk/2009/10/debenhams-outlet-on-ebay-and-amazon/
3 – Second Hand
We have heard enough news reports about how people are cutting back and buying less, so why not offer them second hand, maybe you have new product that has been returned. You cant sell this as new BUT eBay gives a great market to sell as one owner?
4 – Amazon
I know this post is about eBay but you need to consider Amazon, it is getting more and more popular and you need to seriously consider this as a new sales channel.
and finally 5 – don’t forget mobile
Continued growth in mobile means you just cant forget how important catering for this market is – on ebay you cant do much about this, ebay makes the site mobile ready, just think about how you could bring it into your strategy.
So their you go our five predictions on eBay for 2012, if you business needs help with its ebay selling then why not get in touch now to see how we can really make a difference?
ebay Christmas Shop buying with a QR Code
So did you ever think it would happen, a 100% online retailer opens a bricks and mortar store? Well it has happened for a mere 5 days ebay has ventured onto a street just off London’s busiest – Oxford Street for a short run ‘pop up’ store. In ebay’s words for those that cant face the hassle of Oxford Street, they can just pop in during those busy 5 days…
The ebay shop is stocked with around 350 ebay bestsellers, everything from £12 bottles of SJP perfume to more expensive things like flatscreen TV’s and digital camers all bought with your smart phone.
Of course we’ve had in recent times traditional retail brands such as Debenhams really embrace online retailing, so maybe we shouldnt be surprised on this role reversal, after all no matter the amount that people spend online – the high street is still where the majority of people are at and the they still like to touch and feel before they buy.
Groupon Vouchers are they good or bad for business?
Daily Deals from Groupon we love it, every day you get an email promoting that deal of the day as well as a few others that ‘may’ be of interest to you, these are from local businesses in your area and generally have huge savings of 50%+.
So popular is Groupon that is has been floated on the stock exchange and is worth around $10 billion, it literally is THAT popular.
The principal idea behind the site is that Groupon delivers lots of new customer to local businesses, in return the local business offers a substantial discount to Groupon subscribers. Everyone is a winner, the business gets lots of new customers, the customers get a great discount and Groupon takes a % of the sale.
If you are thinking of moving your business offers onto Groupon beware as there’s an issue with this type of customer and that is to do with the quality of the customer the local business gets. The deal is so great that the customer is just buying the price NOT the service, for example an Oven clean that normally is £99 on Groupon is £29 a massive saving, but how likely are you to return to that business and pay full price next time?
Just this week a massive ‘issue’ has been highlighted when this Bakers offers were too successful – read the article from the Daily Mail here.
Also something that is often overlooked is the upsell potential, a week or so ago the national Groupon was Premier League tickets to Fulham vs Bolton for just £15 (684 people purchased this) all the add ons that go with football, program, burger, coffee etc will all be at full price AND Fulham will have the data to market future offers to
So does your business have the opportunity to upsell or add value offer everything at ridiculously cheap prices…and you get ridiculously cheap customers.
Think about that the next time you want to go ‘as cheap as possible’!
Who will ONLY buy if you offer the absolute lowest price.
For honest Internet Consultancy and development, speak to the team that has been around the internet since 1999, you can contact us here.
Safe Online Shopping for Christmas
In the run up to Christmas , this is the busiest time for ecommerce retailers as we all like to shop and browse from home or work (on break time !) Indeed Cyber Monday, the day when ecommerce sites are predicted to be the busiest is this year on Monday 28th November.
I often come across some people who are worried about providing their personal information online in particular credit card details. So if you are concerned I have 6 top tips to help you stay safe online;
What is the site Name?
We would always check the website spelling and the URL, quite often scam sites will use a URL which is very similar to the actual brand/business you want.
Are there any site reviews?
This is one we love, why not Google the company name and see what comes up, you can guarantee unless it is a new business someone somewhere will have had something to say about the business, good or bad.
What is the contact address?
If a site doesn’t have an actual postal address on it, and I don’t mean a PO Box don’t use them – simple, for me if they want my address but won’t give me theirs I ask myself what are they trying to hide?
Look for the Padlock or secure way of paying
When you come to pay for your items, check that the website has a secure way of paying either on the site or by third party – PayPal, SagePay etc…. When you complete the form with your details the web address should change to be ‘https://’ – the S signifies its secure, and you should have a padlock symbol.
Use your head when paying
If you order is over £100 then pay by Credit Card simply because you are protected by section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (1974) and this give you as the consumer significant protection if there is a problem. If the order is under £100 then use Visa so again in the unlikely event of a problem you can use the Visa chargeback plan.
Keep the Receipt
When you have paid, keep the proof – setup a separate folder in your email for the confirmation of order emails
Follow these tips and they should help you avoid the scammer and shop happily and safely online.
When you have paid, keep the proof – setup a separate folder in your email for the confirmation of order emails.
Follow these tips and I don’t think you will go far wrong, don’t forget though the golden rule – if an offer sounds too good to be true it probably is!!!
