Ecommerce Solution: Manage Time with the Simplest Tools

PROS:
Old fashioned doesn't mean inefficient, in fact the simpler may sometimes be better. CONS:
There are a lot of technology capabilities you will miss.

Ecommerce is a complex business. Before anything gets set up, you will have to deal with businesss plans, expenses, managing people, contracts, legalities, and marketing goals. In fact, it can be so complicated to the point that if you intend to make it a home-based business, forget sleep for the first few months. It can be tough, but if you are decisive and passionate, the reward is going to be worth the trouble.

In the middle of chaos, there is no refuge but simplicity. Most entrepreneurs would not be able to live without their PDAs and laptops. If your ecommerce solution is to make things more efficient, the clutter of new technology can be a burden instead of a help. I find that if I simply have a notepad on hand and I can see my goals for the day listed on the paper, I become more "aware". Using gadgets such as PDA can be fun but I would have to deal with charging the battery, looking for lost stylus, adjusting screen resolution when I can't see very well. No kidding, but like Cindy Barrilleaux of Writeyourbest.com, whittling away unnecessary activities with new technology is an excellent way to manage time.

What better ecommerce solution than to have enough time to work on the more important tasks at hand?

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Leonardo da Vinci

Mobile Ecommerce Solution 4: Best Ways to Earn off a Text Message

Who says you should spend on mobile ecommerce to earn colossal profits? Who's watching American Idol here?

I know, it's not your style. Or maybe it is. Whatever your preference is, the American Idol is one of the best examples of mobile ecommerce strategy that borders on awesomely successful to phenomenal. And this ecommerce strategy is not exclusive to the United States or the UK. Entrepreneurs in various countries all over the world have used television and other media to reach people. And the funny thing is, they didn't have to spend for mobile marketing capital.

Instead, they put their stakes on traditional media such as newspaper, radio, and TV to encourage people to send text messages. Partnership with mobile phone service providers earns them profit using this ecommerce strategy.

Obviously, there's still capital involved, but the movement comes from a different source instead of the mobile marketing service. As a merchant, it is your choice whether to follow this (American Idol) advertising style as a practicable ecommerce strategy or stick to the mobile marketing method. Which, in your opinion, makes a fatter wallet?

Shigeru Miyamoto is Nintendo's Wii-nning Secret

To succeed in the videogaming industry, you need only one thing: a desire to create fun. At least, in Shigeru Miyamoto's world, this guiding principle works. Miyamoto has been responsible for Nintendo's universal fame and fortune when he conceptualized the Jump Man in Donkey Kong back in the 1980s. The Jump Man is the character we now love so well -- Mario.

Miyamoto is an admirable character himself for a lot of reasons. He held up production of certain games just because they aren't perfect enough for people to play. He split ways with Nintendo's competitors because he believed playing videogames should bring smiles to people's faces, and that everyone can play them. On the other hand, Microsoft and Sony focused on the more hardcore aspect of videogaming.

If you still have any doubts, here's a fact: the Nintendo Wii outsold the Xbox 360 and PS3 this year and is predicted to keep on selling like hotcakes even way past the holiday season.


Nintendo is an entirely different breed of game manufacturer. Like its celebrated gaming designer, it fires up interest not because of hype, but because it endears itself to people. And what could be more endearing than a Miyamoto quirk? The guy behind Nintendo's success rarely played video games and doesn't drive a BMW. Instead, he rides his bicycle to work.

Nokia: More Than a Phone, But a Futuristic Vision

No one even recalls what GSM phones are anymore. Now everyone's trying to get a hold of 3G phones, which are third-generation wireless services being developed by Nokia as well. But Nokia's success found its roots from the GSM project, which at first seemed impossible for the Finnish telecommunication pioneers to turn into reality. The GSM made a quantum leap in the history of mobile phones. GSM phones, along with other capabilities, allowed users to send SMS, which was a cheaper way to communicate wirelessly. The cheaper the phones got, the more people bought them, and the more units were manufactured.

If the people of Nokia were less visionary (Jorma Ollila was the CEO during that time), they would have given up on the GSM project. But they didn't, despite the disillusionment they have gone through. They were a startup company from nowhere that had to compete with the biggest analog telecom company (Telecom Finland) in the country. Now they are the biggest mobile phone manufacturer and seller in the world. I wouldn't even call it persistence. I would call it faith.

Being visionary also allowed Nokia to see and shape great technology that other telecommunication companies haven't foreseen such as CDMA. This is the basis of today's 3G phones.

Coach Handbags, Babe Ruth, and How Anyone Can Look Rich Without Splurging

The fascinating part about Coach's success story is that Miles and Lillian Cahn, the owners of the family owned leather goods business back in the early 1940s, knew something (or someone) great when they saw it. The business didn't take a real turn until they stitched Bonnie Cashin in their growing business patchwork. Cashin must have smelled the leathery scent of success too. The Cahns were so persistent to have her as their designer that they waited two long years, just time enough for her to finish her ongoing design projects.

That persistence paid off. Now Coach is one of the most successful luxury leather goods store that sold handbags, wallets, briefcases, belts, luggage, and other accessories with the label "affordable" tagged on them. As of today, Coach is eBay's most popular search for Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories category.

Story also has it that the first business owners of Coach luxury leather goods found inspiration from a baseball glove. The makers saw the glove's leather finish has a better earning potential if it can be refined and fabricated as ladies' handbags. Now Coach leather goods have made thousands (millions?) of American fans, probably as many as those who wanted to watch Babe Ruth pitch a ball.

Coach continually makes great waves with online sales. Their secret, (apart from some which I've already divulged here), is that they capitalize on a variety of designs that impress the senses of sight, smell, and touch -- designs that spoke of both luxury, and ironically enough, affordability. Coach also offers a lifetime guarantee and repair of damaged items.

PING: The "Anser" to Your Putting Problems

The word "putt" originated from Scotland. It means to "nudge". Among golfers, putting is nudging the golf ball on the green to roll it into the hole. And when it comes to putting, perhaps no other brand is more popular than PING.

Karsten Solheim nudged his way towards success in the business of golf by creating putters in his garage as a General Electric engineer back in 1959. His inspiration? Frustration. He played golf and didn't like the putters of his time. This has led him to innovate various putters such as the PING 1A, and eventually the answer to his putting dilemma, the "Anser".

The Anser's success was brought about by the fact that it empowered all types of golfers. Solheim's product of mechanical design genius, like Enrico Fermi's calculations, was sketched on the back of record disc, instead of an envelope. It yielded the same mind-boggling results. Solheim's PING putters became so popular that now they are being used by famous golfers all over the world. Solheim eventually got out of the garage and into a factory of his own, the Karsten Manufacturing Company, in 1967.

PingGolf.com is PING's official ecommerce website. In it, you can find more golf products out of Solheim's ingenious beginnings. In it, you can also customize and buy a putter that fits you, just by ticking your options in the Putters category. Wow.

Ecommerce Store Tips in Selling Used Electronics

There's a lot of misconception online about buying/selling used electronic items. In fact, it's a little ironic because a lot of items sold on ecommerce stores such as eBay are secondhand. Many experienced sellers say that it's better to sell new items because buyers have more doubts when buying used ones. What's your opinion?

When it comes to selling electronics, the big issue with used items is the fact that gadgets are upgraded pretty fast. Used electronic devices are phased out in a span of few months and the only people left to buy them are collectors. So if you intend to sell used items in your ecommerce store, make sure that it's only slightly used to almost brand new. You will still get good selling prices and a good market for them.

The best tip to sell more in your ecommerce store is to emphasize the strong points of your electronic products. If you are selling a GPS device or example, it may be slightly used but still with complete controls and a bonus map software.

Is Your Ecommerce Web Site Design Individualistic?

I think the single most important thing that merchants should look into when coming up with a top rate ecommerce web site design is to put themselves in their customers' shoes. I know there may be a hidden artist/individualist in every single one of us, but the businessman facet should balance that streak of individualism.

For example, you may want to come up with unique design that you hope your customers will appreciate. Complexity in ecommerce web site design requires that you use Flash and other programs that may cause lag time. Can your customers afford to wait for a website to load in exchange of a good design that you hope they will appreciate?

Ecommerce web site design isn't also just about the graphical aspect of an online store. Whatever content you put in it matters. Veer away from what your customers think as relevant to what they need, then your traffic will go down. That includes, among other things, written content.

Selling Holiday Humor in eBay

A holiday shopper's ecommerce shopping cart still won't be full without humorous gifts in it. If you're the type who indulges in selling funny novelty items, try setting up your own little gag store in eBay. The more ridiculous your items, the better!

Online, there are infinite possibilities. How you come up with ideas to fill what's missing in your ecommerce shopping cart is up to you.

For example, you can capitalize on people wanting to give gifts but do not have any ideas on what to pick for their loved ones. eBay has pretty much all the crazy items one can put in an ecommerce shopping cart such as fart machines, fake prank toys, magic trick items, decals and license plates with funny messages such as "Beware of the Mad Lawyer", fake lottery ticket jackpots, noisemaker toys, etc. On top of my funny list is the "Paper Money Toilet Tissue Roll for Millionaires". It sure makes the receiver of the gift practically feel like a "High Roller" when taking a dump! (ha-ha).

Reselling Tickets on Ecommerce Web Site - The Accidental Business

A lot of people who like going to events -- concerts, sports, theater, holidays, comedy shows -- sometimes buy more tickets than they need. Others who buy tickets through a ticket brokering ecommerce web site find out soon that they are not able to use the tickets because something unexpected comes up. So inevitably they are forced to sell the tickets to someone else who might be interested.

The question is, how? People who are not into brokering tickets complain of the following:

1. I don't know how to resell tickets
2. I don't have time to haggle with friends or relatives who are likely to buy
3. I don't want to scalp tickets (legally questionable)
4. I don't know how to put up ads in an ecommerce web site

When this is the case, the accidental ticket seller must choose between the least of all the evils. That is, to resell the tickets online. This obviously is a lot better than the other options because not only it saves you time, you can also have the tickets bid for a higher price. Your tickets are advertised 24/7, and you don't have to be a geek to do it.

Anyone who knows how to read can easily resell tickets on eBay or craigslist. If you've experienced some success, you may also try reselling to other events marketplaces such as Ticketmaster, Ticket Web, Stub Hub, or ABC Tickets. Or better yet someday, you can put up your own ticket reselling ecommerce web site yourself!

Should You Invest in a Videogame Ecommerce Solution?

Play N Trade is a good example of an upstart videogame franchiser that prides itself in unique ecommerce solution "try before you buy".

WHO IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?

Your target market is the younger crowd. Videogame products keep on booming as the giant manufacturers Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are continually innovating. The gamut of customer reach is universal. For example, Nintendo gets a big share of the market with the Wii, because the console is designed for the whole family to play.

WHEN SHOULD YOU SELL?

Videogames have recently caught up with many other products being transacted online so now is the best time to sell. Also, with the holiday season ushering in, retailing most sought after videogame titles and consoles may actually send in the big bucks.

WHERE DO YOU SELL?

Sell online, because most gamers are tech-savvy and are part of an online community of enthusiasts also. Franchisers as Play N Trade or Gamestop retailers have brick and mortar stores and warehouses that complement their ecommerce store.

WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE ECOMMERCE SOLUTION?

Play N Trade is a good example of an upstart videogame franchiser that prides itself in unique ecommerce solution "try before you buy". I've seen a lot of businesses work around this philosophy also. In my own opinion, if people are going to drop by in-store to try out products, they will be encouraged to buy. However, it is also a risk taken with care, since if the products are not high quality or the location is not geographically spot-on (remember this is also a brick and mortar franchise), then whether people will buy after they try remains a question.

Sports Ecommerce Stores - Geared up for Christmas?

Sports equipment and apparel are an extremely attractive set of gifts you can give to your loved ones this holiday season. A lot of merchants have already capitalized on the demand by making their ecommerce store more inviting for sports enthusiasts (or gift-givers) to buy. In fact, sports merchants may already have added the latest Nike Sasquatch Sumo2 in their product catalog.

According to eBay, the Nike Sasquatch Sumo2 is the most sought after golfer's item in sports ecommerce store.

eBay also helps golf sellers to put up their merchandise in the site. However, if you are going to sell on eBay, you would have to accept the limitations in aspects such as shipping, payment methods (most preferred is Paypal), and advertising. But you can create good product descriptions and post photos in their ecommerce store/marketplace, since bidders or buyers are more likely to make deals if they see images of what you're selling.

If you're more interested in selling the Nike Sasquatch Sumo2 as a sports retailer with a bigger product catalog, it is better to set up your own ecommerce store instead.

Christmas 2007 - Is Selling the Playstation 3 Your Ecommerce Strategy?

It's amazing that even though the Playstation 3 has been released and sold by Sony in limited packages about a year ago (geared all the same for the 2006 holiday season), demand and sales for the console are still continually up. This is of course good news for gaming retailers. It's a smart ecommerce strategy to sell PS3 consoles or PS3 titles for good profit this Christmas.

Sure enough, even independent sellers can simply put up an auction at eBay and see if anyone is interested to buy. This ecommerce strategy also works for those who wish to trade (or upgrade/downgrade) consoles and game titles for another, such as a PSP or an Xbox 360.

If your business is all about selling electronic gadgets, toys, game titles, and other computer related items online, then banking on the PS3 and PS3 game titles is a surefire way to make money for Christmas 2007. Remember, it takes a long while before next-gen consoles reach plateau on sales. But I doubt that they never, since even vintage consoles get good prices these days. Selling them as an ecommerce strategy this gift-giving season is indeed win-win situation for you.

Building an Ecommerce Site to Sell Barbie Dolls for Christmas

The charm of Barbie dolls never fades. Even at this era, when young girls go to play videogames or roleplay adult acts that they see on TV, Barbie dolls are still in high demand online. Collectible Barbie dolls are great for auction ecommerce sites such as eBay because people can buy, sell, or trade their collectibles for a good profit.

The only fault I find at banking on collectible Barbie dolls online is that sometimes they are only bought or sold in certain territories such as Asia or Europe. Real collectors would go all the way to asking for help from a friend who lives in another continent to be able to buy the dolls. Any chance however, you might spot a good item on an ecommerce site so you should keep looking.

Vintage Barbie dolls are my favorites. Though I don't sell them, I've done a good deal of collection when I was a kid. I didn't put up my own store to auction it though, because I can easily do it on eBay and Amazon. I've seen a lot of good ecommerce sites specializing on trading Barbie dolls also. It doesn't take a genius to build one, but it takes insight to realize that these holiday season, you might just make good money off selling these girly toys online!

How to Deal with Lazy Shoppers

Okay, I know this is little too fussy on my part, but blame the forum people for coming up with this idea. Nothing wrong with taking time to look at your ecommerce shopping cart. In fact, I still believe in the adage "Simplicity in structure is a true masterpiece and is really deceptive because one doesn't see the hard work behind it." If you can exert more effort to make things simple for your store shoppers, then you score plus points from them.

Much has been said about making the ecommerce shopping cart efficient and so many techniques have been devised to make this happen.

The process of filling up credit card details is a good example. Imagine yourself typing in all the numbers and realizing the fields are separated every 3 digits. Or, if you are required to format the date. Or, if you typed in the wrong details and went all the way till the last page before you got a "Ooops, error in xxx field. Please fill up entire form again!" message. These little things may cause annoyance and even ecommerce shopping cart abandonment. Do you have an excuse?

Can Your Ecommerce Store Offer More?

Recent statistics say that more and more (or most) users online are largely the rich and upscale shopper types. They book flights, buy jewelry, or transact their bills through the Internet. An ecommerce store may likely be populated with the rather deep pocketed buyers. I'd say this is practically obvious, since you cannot buy unless you have funds to pay for your goods.

My case is different, however. When I'm out to buy jewelry in the malls, I get frustrated by the fact that jewelry stores close shop rather too early at night. Of course, they do it for security reasons. An ecommerce store selling gems and silver earrings is open 24 hours a day. If you wish to order from the catalog, you have the option to pick it up their landbased store or have it delivered to you.

This is a good example of the shift of purchase from brick and mortar to an ecommerce store. Whether buyers are rich or poor, online purchase offers far more options and availability for everyone. The same goes for travel booking and transacting bills online. Instead of going to the landbased bank, bills can be automatically paid online and funds can be transferred easily.

Eventually discount stores such as Wal-Mart will have to offer more high end versions of products to the richer shoppers while still selling low-priced but quality items to the more frugal.

International Merchant Account - Mo' Options, Mo' Money?

If it weren't for the ability to buy and sell online, would international merchant account providers even exist? I doubt it. Ecommerce merchants are a different breed of sellers for many reasons. They have more options in selling. They have more choices in accepting payments. They are on the forefront of the cutting edge industry and can innovate techniques as much as they can. Above all, they may act as an extension of an already existing brick and mortar store, and thus are able to enhance the consumers' buying experience.

When it comes to expansion, nothing is more beneficial than establishing your business with an international merchant account provider. Without it, it may be impossible to expand your consumer base overseas. Of course there are alternatives but this is the best and most convenient way to do it.

Expanding your consumer base internationally means you would have to create a bigger product catalog, perhaps acquire more ecommerce domains, hire additional customer service staff, or process larger volume of payments. Most international merchant account providers can offer services for any of these needs. All you have to do is research and decide which provider is best for your business.

ECOMMERCE SOLUTION 16 - Can You Really Make Money Having Fun Online?

When you work for money, do you work for fun? Okay, let me put it this way. If your goal is to make money, do you have fun in the process of achieving it? Is it part of your ecommerce strategy to mix business with pleasure?

In the online business industry, there are two types of people. Those who work too hard and forget to play, and those who play too much and forget to work. Which one are you between these two? They say too much of everything isn't always healthy and can get you to the psychiatric ward in no time. And dig this, have you heard of an Internet user in China who actually died after three days of using the Internet nonstop?

If your ecommerce strategy is to earn money online, then get to work and focus on work. If you work to earn money online though, don't take it all dead serious! A lot of merchants get distracted by the entertainment they get in the Internet. But there's a fine line that separates fun and making money. Balance and discipline are the key.

If you're not sure how you're meeting your goals in terms of having fun while going after it, check your hours. Do you spend more time surfing online for games, jokes, and gossip more than working? Do you spend more time getting all geeky than taking a break for outdoors? Create a balance and stick to your schedule. An ecommerce strategy like this is the basis of success, and, well, keeps you sane.

ECOMMERCE SOLUTION 12 - Keep Notes and Stay Alive

Enough said about knowledge being power. The Internet is actually a neural network of gazillions of information, information makers, and information takers that without delving into this aspect of doing honest to goodness research, you will be left in the station when the train starts to chug away. An excellent ecommerce solution is to create space and time where (and when) you can dedicate a part of your online efforts to stocking up on knowledge.

Information doesn't come naturally to most merchants. In fact, some merchants say they're too busy to read or learn anything else outside their business. If you're working as your own boss, spend a day just reading and taking notes, talking to people, listening to seminars, and generally ingesting information relevant to your business. If you have a staff, assign this task to one of them. This ecommerce solution will work miracles on your business.

When I was younger (and until now), I learned the art of keeping notes just enough to remind me of things I encountered, things I might want to do someday, and things that may be useful to my life in the present or in the future. I didn't know this was one hell of a life-changing survival technique. As a consultant for merchants seeking an ecommerce solution, I let them know how learning and note-taking can raise their potential success faster than most merchants in the industry.

How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 4 Should You Spam?

Spamming brings to my mind an ex-business colleague that I met last year. He began his business entirely by spamming. Asked whether he felt guilty of it, he said no. He used major auction and free advertising sites to solicit clients. His ecommerce strategy is to let people know what products and services he is selling while exerting only the minimum effort.

Could this be the perfect model for succeeding in ecommerce? I doubt it. This ecommerce strategy does look efficient -- it saves time and money and does work. People do check their spam folders and sometimes get attracted to deals that merchants offer. But in the long run, if you have built a name for your business online, spamming may become a stigma to your online business.

Imagine getting unwanted e-mails from companies you never heard of. Sure, you may find their product offers great and their services timely. But if you go check out their websites, what do you see? Do you even find a decent "About Us" description or an office address? Do you know the person behind the spam e-mail? My ex-business colleague, despite getting clients, eventually saw the effects of his "smart" ecommerce strategy. Word spread that he was spamming, not fulfilling the agreed services, and hiring semi-skilled employees. Before he got out of the trouble he made, everyone already had the impression that his business was a scam. Don't let it happen to you!


Other articles:

How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 1 Domain Name
How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 2 Web Hosting