Blog

Spruce Up Your Website for Spring Sales

San Diego Media, Inc. — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:16:34 +0000

With warm weather just around the corner now is a great time to spruce up your online store with a little Spring-cleaning. Here are some ideas to get you started on now so you’re ready to roll come Spring.

Fresh content

While you’re in your site cleaning up old information, tidying up your admin and deleting outdated content be sure to think about adding something new. Do you have all the latest social media channel logos? Maybe it’s time you gave Google+ a go or added social icons to all your product pages. Did you receive some great customer feedback over the holidays? Consider creating a new page dedicated to testimonials. MaxEXP makes setting this up a breeze plus it’s a great way to show off your accomplishments and add credibility. Whatever your approach, trying new tactics is a fresh idea.

Make your design blossom

Did you leave Christmas decorations hanging up? Check your site and be sure to remove any references to the holidays so you can start decorating for Spring. This time of year is the best opportunity for some vibrant new design work. Has your homepage become cluttered? Do you templates need a makeover? We have lots of ideas to help you spruce up your sight and make for a better user experience. Plus, you want to start thinking about the big spring holidays – mother’s day, father’s day, graduation, Easter – and start planning your graphics and promotions accordingly.

Easy, Breezy Discounts

Looking to make room for new products or remove some of the clutter? The MaxEXP Discounts tool is an easy way to create promotional campaigns and programs that reward customers for their engagement and purchasing habits. Plus, the MaxEXP Discounts tool is 100% coupon-free and doesn’t require the consumers to remember any codes, click any links or take any action outside of their normal purchasing habits.

Looking to sprout some new marketing campaigns this Spring? Combine the MaxEXP Discounts tools with social media campaigns (Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc.), throw in MaxEXP auto-emails and watch the ROI grow.

Prune your content

Maybe you went a little keyword overboard this winter and have a few too many layers. Review your keywords and evaluate which ones are the most important and adjust your product content accordingly. Peal off some of the layers and keep your content simple. If you’re adding keyword content for content sake you’re not doing your customers any favors. Plus, Google doesn’t care about your keywords like it used to so tighten up your copy and create content that is meaningful to your customers.

You may also want to update your testimonials page or about us page with any news from the past year. This will help with SEO and keep your content fresh.

Submit your site

Now that the dust has been swept away be sure to resubmit your site to the appropriate search engines. Here are direct links to help you get started:

Our team of e-Commerce experts are here to help you with the heavy lifting so that your Spring-cleaning goes smoothly. Call us today to find out how you can add new features to your site this year that are aimed at helping your online store grow.

Build on Your Holiday Success in 2012

San Diego Media, Inc. — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:32:31 +0000

Now that the holidays are over, and the decorations are down, it's time to set your sights on building off your seasonal success. Traffic volume and email lists have likely grown, and it's up to you to keep them coming back for more.

We've got some great ideas that are targeted to help you build and maintain your customer relations.

Follow-Up / Review Emails:

A great way to get customer feedback, and build loyalty at the same time, is to ask them to review the products they bought. A week or two after the purchase follow up with a request to review the item. You should consider some type of incentive like discounts or free shipping for writing a review. MaxEXP's new Ratings and Reviews feature puts customer feedback at the forefront.

Recommender Feature:

MaxEXP is loaded with different ways to recommend your products based on customers' purchases or products they browsed. For example, when a customer makes a purchase, recommended products can be added to their confirmation email. You should also display recommended products on the shopping cart page.

Product Lifecycle Emails:

Do your products have accessories or could be part of a kit? MaxEXP allows you to design an email to help you stay in touch with customers who bought a particular product and offer a discount - or free shipping - on those product accessories or complementary items.

Newsletter:

Stay in touch with your customers that want to hear from you. MaxEXP provided several hands-on or hand-off ways of sending relevant, compelling and consistent newsletters and/or emails.

Overstock Sale:

Got overstocked products from the holidays? Have a sale on those products and offer free shipping for orders over a specified amount. This way you're clearing out excess inventory and also incentivizing the customer to make additional purchases.

Declare Your Own Holiday:

Between now and the next big shopping season are the expected holiday sales. Why not do something unexpected? Throw a sale that is uniquely you! Whether you tie it into an event or just pick a day, have a sale for your customers for no other reason than to show your appreciation.

Call today to learn about more ways MaxEXP can help you keep your holiday momentum.

Don’t Count Out January - Benefit from Your Post-Holiday Shoppers

San Diego Media, Inc. — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:48:46 +0000

The holidays may be gone but the shopping is not over yet! Consumers that do a majority of their shopping after Christmas has doubled over the last year. Many of them are armed with gift certificates, are looking for a little something for themselves, are stocking up for next year or are buying for the next big holiday.

Don’t underestimate these January shoppers. Based on January 2011 Mastercard Spending Pulse™ reports, the 2-3 weeks after Christmas saw higher eCommerce sales than Black Friday 2010! Be sure to take advantage of this increased activity by extending your campaigns or having a January sale. If you’ve invested in Search and/or Video advertising you’ll definitely want to keep them running for another week or two. According to comScore, Americans conducted 18.6 billion total core search queries in January 2011 with Google Sites ranked first carrying 65.6 percent of searches conducted.

MaxEXP makes it easy to cater to these very active shoppers and makes the most of the post-holiday traffic…all without having to wait in line.

Google Analytics in Real-Time

San Diego Media, Inc. — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:05:33 +0000

Have you checked out Google Analytics new Real-Time reporting yet? Currently still in BETA release, this development could prove to be platform’s biggest update in the history of the product.

Real-Time provides a current view of activity on your site using the metrics the tool has used for years. Watch the effect of your media campaigns on number of visitors, page views, traffic sources and more – as it is happening!

Smart, Secure Online Holiday Shopping

San Diego Media, Inc. — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:45:06 +0000

As the holidays approach, many people will take to their computers to shop for online deals and the best gifts. As more consumers look to cyber stores for the holidays it is more important than ever to make sure you don’t leave yourself vulnerable to cybercrimes.

Millions of online shoppers will be entering their personal information during this time of year. This busy season is when cybercriminals strike and do what they can to fraudulently obtain your personal identification and financial details. To ensure you don’t fall victim to any of their tricks, here are a few precautions you should take:

Only Shop Secure Websites
Look for trust marks that ensure your privacy and the security of the site. Most reputable brands invest in the security of their site via these trust marks to protect users and their own reputation. Be sure to click the seals/trust marks to verify it is real and up to date. Check that the provider requires the site to pass a daily scan and read the fine print.   

Check for Encryption
If you look in the address window of your browser you will want to see a lock in front of your URL. This lets you know the site uses encryption to scramble your data. You’ll also want to make sure the address starts with https: rather than just http:. This is another indication of a secure site and the basic security you should expect when shopping online.

Consider Using 3rd Party Payment Gateways
Services like PayPal and Google Checkout allow you to set up an account with a credit card, user name and password. This allows you to checkout faster, safer and more conveniently on sites that have these payment options. Plus, all your personal information is secure in one location further eliminating the possibility of fraudulent activity.  

Check the Privacy Policy
Some sites may collect your information with the intent to share it with their partner network. This could mean being added to several emails lists and your inbox filling up with junk mail. Be sure you don’t have to share your info in order to purchase or, at the very least, that you can opt-out at any time.

MaxEXP clients don’t have to worry about Grinches stealing their holiday cheer. All MaxEXP client sites are protected with McAfee Secure Shopping. McAfee’s Total Protection for Secure Business delivers strong security to help businesses weather the storm this holiday season and safeguard their future.

Consumer Search Engines are Key for the Holidays

San Diego Media, Inc. — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:47:56 +0000

As we approach the busiest online shopping season it is imperative that you are doing all you can to bolster shopping engine search results for your products. Savvy online shoppers look to consumer shopping engines like Google, Amazon, Bing, Shopzilla and Shopping.com – to name a few – to determine what products are right for them. Customers are inclined to use shopping engines so that they may view and browse many products at once, as well as compare them against one another in different merchant sites.

MaxEXP is integrated with SingleFeed...

MaxEXP is integrated with SingleFeed as our DFO (data feed optimization) solution and is ready to help you get started. You don’t have to worry about data formatting, how to create a feed, managing multiple feeds, finding the resources or expertise to implement – MaxEXP partnered with SingleFeed who does it all for you! Because SingleFeed supports 24 strategic shopping engines, you are primed for some heavy-hitting DFO. Plus, you will save valuable time because SingleFeed analyzes your data, DFO, product categorization, feed submission, provides analytics and a web knowledge base / ticketing support system, documentation and video tools. You will also receive notifications about upcoming shopping engine requirements changes so you don’t miss a beat.

Are your products ready to be found on all the popular shopping engines? Start building your data feed now for maximum results. MaxEXP is ready to make sure you receive all the benefits – just in time for the holidays!

MaxEXP Announces New Enhancements and Feature

San Diego Media, Inc. — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 23:32:07 +0000

Enhanced Ratings & Reviews

Word of mouth has always been deemed as the most powerful form of advertising. Today it still holds true the only difference is how much easier it is to spread the word. From Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social sources, the ability to comment on products is more prevalent than ever. One form in particular has established itself as the highly trusted consumer-generated media of choice for leading online retailers and e-commerce sites - customer Ratings & Reviews. Focused on extracting both immediate and long-term ROI from their marketing efforts, retailers realize that most of their potential customers base their buying decisions on Ratings & Reviews left by other consumers. It has been proven that buyers are more likely to trust a stranger’s word over a brand’s word and make decisions based on overall ratings by consumers.

San Diego Media is excited to present our enhanced Ratings & Reviews tool built specifically for the MaxEXP® eCommerce platform. We have been gathering data on the level of engagement our previous Ratings & Reviews tools had allowing us to measure consumer interaction, MaxEXP customer feedback and industry trends. These findings were key in developing our new Ratings & Reviews tools. We are now offering this enhanced tool to our clients so they may benefit from the conversations consumers are having about their products and the interactions with other consumers.

Key Benefits:

Expert Reviews - Brands have an opportunity to chime in on a product providing customers an expert review of a product.
Consumer Comments - Consumers can now engage in a dialogue furthering the value and richness of each rating and review.
Multi-Rating System - Consumers are allowed to rate products on multiple dimensions furthering the benefit Ratings & Reviews will have with assisting customers and helping them find the right product choice.
Management and control over all reviews and comments on reviews

Coupon-Free Discounts Feature

Just in time for the holiday season San Diego Media is proud to announce the new MaxEXP® eCommerce platform Discounts functionality. This new tool allows for quick and easy setup of promotional, incentivized campaigns and programs that reward customers for their engagement and purchasing habits. The MaxEXP Discounts tools are coupon-free and do not require the consumers to remember any codes, click any links or take any action outside of their normal purchasing habits.

When you combine the MaxEXP Discounts tools with social media campaigns (Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc.) and throw in MaxEXP Auto-Response and Mass Marketing emails you have a powerful one-two punch marketing effect that creates an end-to-end opportunity and makes the most of the upcoming holiday season. Discounts are great for year-round promotions, driving traffic and increasing overall ROI.

Key Benefits:

Coupon-Free - No pesky code to remember or copy pasting to be done. Consumers are free to focus on the products and marketing engagements created by the brand.
Easy Setup - Create Discounts quickly and easily in our new 4-step process.
Product Controlled - Create discounts for an entire category or brand. Discounts may also be created at the product level.

Contact San Diego Media today to learn more and these exciting new additions!

Thank you, Steve Jobs, for Teaching Us to "Think Different."

San Diego Media, Inc. — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:59:06 +0000

A true visionary of our times, Steve Jobs has left behind his view of the world and gave us the ability to "think different." Many of us learned of Steve Jobs passing on October 5, 2011 through a device he was responsible for creating. His talent, determination and innate understanding of technology - on an almost supernatural level - will be missed, but never forgotten. Thanks for leading the way Steve.

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes...the ones who see things differently — they're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. ...You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. ...They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." —Steve Jobs

Ten Ideas to Make the Most of Your Holiday Shoppers

San Diego Media, Inc. — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:49:28 +0000

Ten Ideas to Make the Most of Your Holiday Shoppers

We hope our "Ten Ideas to Make the Most of Your Holiday Shoppers" have got you thinking about your holiday marketing strategy and ready for holiday traffic. This week we present our final installment in the series to help you make the most of the busiest online shopping season.

Idea #10: "Gift Ideas" Landing Page...

Sometimes your customers don’t know exactly what to get for the people on their shopping list, they just know it’s something from your site! Help them take the guess work out by offering a "Gift Ideas" landing page that displays your best sellers, recommendations, gift packages or other products you’re sure will make an excellent gift.

Idea #9: Offer a Gift for Orders Over a Certain Amount...

Incentivize your customers by offering a gift for orders over a certain amount. Check your orders from the 2010 holiday season to figure out your average order price. Then add ten percent to that number and offer a gift to shoppers who spend that much or more per order during your special holiday promotion.

Free shipping is a sure bet, or you could offer a product you may have an abundance of with orders over a certain amount - as long as it would be attractive to your customers.

Idea #8: Double Up on Your Holiday Emails...

There will be lots of emails floating around right before Thanksgiving so to ensure yours doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, double up on your email sends. Right before Thanksgiving send a promotional email about the specials and/or sales you’ll be having. Then send a second email a few days later once your promotion has begun. You could also create a sense of urgency by letting your customers know the sale is only good for a limited time. Follow up emails will help get your message in front your customers so they don’t miss out on your Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals!

Idea #7: Prep for Successful Seasonal Email Marketing...

More and more consumers are shopping online for the holiday each year. This trend makes the importance of email as a marketing tool even more significant. Check out these four recommendations to ensure maximum success and a campaign that delivers.

Dust Off Your List: Work with you email provider to move inactive subscribers and those who have not opened your email in 3 months to a separate list. This way you have an A-list to work from of active users.

Distribution Lists: Another great way to prep your email list for the holidays is to segment your customers into specific groups. By getting to know your customers based on their recently viewed and recently purchased items you can better understand what products they are likely to find appealing. This way you can target your customers with special offers and/or discounts on products they are most likely to buy.

Subject Lines: Subject lines are often overlooked yet they are the difference between a good open rate and an underwhelming one. It’s best to stick to one main idea and to avoid words that trigger spam filters like free, win, gift and sign-up. It’s also highly recommended to run an A/B test on 2 subject lines. Send out both to a small list and see if one gets a better open rate and find your winner.

Strike Early: Holiday marketing seems to start earlier and earlier each year. Consider an email campaign in late October with special offers. For example, start the hype by offering a “pre-holiday” sale with an added incentive for those who pre-register. This way your message is getting our early and you have time to add more customers to your list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Idea #6: Have a Holiday Clearance Sale...

While a Holiday "Loss Leader" Clearance Sale is not a new idea, it is a solid strategy that works well online. A "Loss Leader" is usually a product that customers purchase frequently, thus they are aware of its usual price and recognize when a price is a bargain. Plus, customers who take advantage of a great deal often purchase additional items as well, especially when they will be paying for shipping anyway.

"Loss Leader" pricing is also great to help move overstocked products, create brand "buzz" for having low prices on quality items and attract repeat business.

Idea #5: Go Viral with Your Cyber Monday Specials...

Capitalize on your surge in traffic on Cyber Monday by encouraging customer viral marketing. In your promotional emails - and on the landing pages for your Cyber Monday special offers - include a "Forward to a Friend" link and/or our MaxEXP® "share tool" that allows users to post to their favorite social sites. This will enable your customers to instantly share your special deals with their friends, family and like-minded people.

The MaxEXP eCommerce platform is ready to help you grow your business on Cyber Monday, as well as throughout the year! Contact us to learn more about MaxEXP’s powerful marketing tools, all geared toward building strong, one-to-one relationships with your customers.

Idea #4: Offer "Gift" Coupons as Incentives instead of Discounts…

Instead of using discounts to increase sales, try offering a "gift" coupon worth a determined amount off to be used during a future visit. This method is likely to cost you less than a discount, and it will be very attractive to your regular repeat shoppers - plus it will bring them back to make additional online purchases.

The MaxEXP® eCommerce platform is ready to set up this incentive for your customers. A few days after their initial purchase, MaxEXP will send a follow-up email that includes a determined amount off their next order, redeemable via their personal "gift" coupon code. Take advantage of MaxEXP's powerful marketing tools to build strong, one-to-one relationships with your customers and offer them an incentive to keep them coming back.

Idea #3: Create "Gift Packages" by Bundling a Product with Appropriate Accessories...

A great way to increase sales is to offer package deals on products. Recommending product accessories as a package deal creates greater perceived value in the eyes of the buyer, increases your sales volume, and delivers a great gift to the recipient. You can offer specials on accessories or simply get them in front of your customers while they browse your products.

MaxEXP® eCommerce platform makes "gift packages" easy. You're in total control of what accessories you’d like to promote, as well as any additional promotions geared toward buying accessories. Take advantage of MaxEXP’s flexible merchandizing to create the perfect product bundles and special offers for your holiday shoppers.

Idea #2: Make Cyber Monday into Cyber Week…

High sales volume on Cyber Monday is great, but high sales volume every day for the entire week is even better! Extend your special Cyber Monday offers throughout the entire week instead of just one day. This allows time for your customers to spread the word virally and bring more traffic to your site.

MaxEXP^®is equipped with a number of functions that will help you take advantage of this traffic. Our social media tools and integrations are built in and ready to help spread the word about your special offers.

Idea #1: Take advantage of your heavy Cyber Monday traffic

Offer an incentive to your customers to return to your site and make an additional purchase. Reward customers by sending out follow-up emails, with special discount codes or a free shipping offers, to anyone who makes a purchase on your website on Cyber Monday.

The MaxEXP^®eCommerce platform makes this easy! Take advantage of MaxEXP’s automated email marketing to send your customers personalized, content-driven messages containing product recommendations and special offers. These messages are timely and relevant, plus they are proven revenue builders. Best of all, they are fully automated, being triggered by your customers transactions and interactions on your website.

Learn how MaxEXP can give your business the competitive edge. Contact San Diego Media today.

The Not-So-Secret Life of QR Codes

San Diego Media, Inc. — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:49:54 +0000

By now you’ve most likely heard about or encountered a QR Code. You know, those bar code looking squares that appear on different types of marketing like print, email, environmental and even apparel. But just exactly how do they work and, more importantly, what is the right way for marketers to use them?

Created by Japanese company Denso-Wave to keep inventory, these QR (quick release) codes are becoming a new and unique way to engage consumers. Using a smartphone app available on devices like the iPhone, Android or Blackberry, consumers scan the QR code to access images, websites and text. QR codes bridge the offline to online gap faster than a URL and increase the “time to goal” from consumers to what businesses what to tell them.

QR codes are being used in new and creative ways every day, however following some basic best practices can be the difference better a successful campaign or project and one that doesn’t raise the bar.

Keep it Simple
The more complicated the QR code, the harder it will be for smartphones to ready it. QR codes can be printed in many different sizes, so best practice would be to add only the info that is absolutely necessary. For example, if your URL is long, shorten it with a bit.ly.

Have a Call to Action
Sure some people might be compelled, or mildly curious enough, to scan your QR code. But chances are your QR code will likely go unnoticed unless consumers are driven to take action and intrigued enough to whip out their phone. Put your message near the QR code letting them know why they should want to scan it or what’s in it for them.

Link to Something Constant
Let’s say you’ve decided to be super hip and put a QR code on your business card. That code links to your contact info, home page or bio. Be sure a month or two down the road you don’t decide to remove that URL or change the content all together. People hold on to your business card for a long time, therefore the QR code functionality should stick around just as long.

Track Your Efforts
QR codes can be easily set up to be tracked and, although you’ll be able to measure how many people scanned your QR code, that isn’t a true measure of its success. If you create a destination that is noteworthy, people are likely to pass it along to their social networks. Remember, people only share things they deem remarkable.

Mobile Friendly Destinations
Your QR code may be the sparkly object that catches a consumer’s eye however it is merely the gateway to the real content. And since you know a smartphone will be the key that unlocks it, it is extremely important that your destination is mobile-friendly.

Be Imaginative
Don’t do a QR code for the sake of doing one. This will not go over well with the consumer and will leave a negative impression with them about your business. Be sure there is a point. This is your opportunity to show consumers something new and exciting, a sneak peek at a product or unreleased video. Not only will the consumer be more likely to share the content but they will also be more likely to engage with you in the future. Plus, you’ll tap into their strong bond with their smartphone, making your content part of that relationship.

Whether or not QR codes are here to stay or a passing fad, utilizing them correctly is the only way to be sure they will enhance your business, engage consumers and set you apart from the pack.