Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi guys and gals,

I`m writing a proposal for a prospect for his startup e-commerce store.
He`s planning to sell toys and collectibles only and I`m looking for ways to
create a marketing plan that goes beyond PPC and SEO.

Here are my ideas so far:

Launch with an effective design & content
* Highlight new / most popular products
* Easy-to-use shopping cart
* Friendly check-out page
* Information on shipping, privacy statement, etc
* SEO-optimised design

Build traffic
* Write and post (lots) link bait on the blog
* Participate in relevant collector`s forums
* Note which pages are causing speed bumps in conversions

Improve customer satisfaction
* Run surveys on shopping experience
* Tweak website and add new features based on feedback

Some questions:
* What tactics can I use to increase word-of-mouth referrals?
* Would an email marketing campaign be useful? How?

Thanks, appreciate any advice you can give me. Cheers.

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David Wang
Chief WordPress Wrangler @ ClickWP

Okay some steps I would advise:

1. Open an Ebay shop and list some of your most popular items. More imprtantly, include your URL in About Me page. You`ll be surprised to see the traffic from there.And it`ll all be very targeted traffic. Also participate in Ebay groups, you can include URL in every post signature. So, some more backlinks.
2. I hope you are using `Tell a Friend` code. Its a sin not to. Its a great viral marketing tool. You have to include this in EVERY email signature you send to your sutomers.
3. Some great product marketing sources are: quidco.com and hotukdeals.com. BUt they both for UK market. CHeck them out and look for similar sites in your market.
4. About email-marketing, first thing is to build your list. Every customer that buys from you should be on that list and you should try to get as many recommendations from present customers as possble. Bribe them, pay them or reward them , whatever it takes.

Hi Hersh, that`s great advice! I`ve not had much experience with eBay but I`ll
be sure to check it out.

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David Wang
Chief WordPress Wrangler @ ClickWP

I think that offering a service to a client that you are not well-versed in is a disservice to the client. Offering, say ... a ZenCart store when you normally do osCommerce is not a big deal. Offering to write their marketing strategy based on a bunch of tactics when you don`t have a solid knowledge of marketing strategy in the first place can be potentially dangerous and damaging.

I don`t mean to pick on you - I just see this a lot in web design and it`s a huge pet peeve to me. A bad marketing campaign is worse than no marketing campaign, so if you`re not sure you should be educating yourself or teaming up with someone else do you can learn.

There is a wealth of information in books, online, etc about marketing, marketing strategy, and marketing tactics. I`m not talking about the internet marketer`s version of writing articles about spamming forums ... I`m talking about true marketing strategy, tried and true methods that have been translated into the web.

Start with some of the great people on this list:
Viral Garden`s Top 25 Marketing Blogs
A lot of them have great info on their sites and/or write some really good books on it.

Hi NIkole,

I think I agree with you. But may Blgjunkie/David is a web designer and offered to help out his client in developing a DIY store launch marketing plan. If thats the case, I have no problem with him brainstorming ideas.

Otherwise, the client should be reffered to a pro.

Hi Nikole,

I agree with you too! I see where you`re coming from and I`m with you on
your point too. I don`t want to be those people you described.

I may not have lots of experience but have read lots and lots of blogs and
even bought books on marketing to arm myself with the best knowledge
that I can. As an aspiring online marketing consultant and entrepreneur, I
need to start somewhere don`t I?

I`m wet behind the ears and I know it. That`s why I`m here at the
StartupNation forums seeking advice from entrepreneurs and consultants
who have been down the path before me. This community is really great
and Hersh and you have already given me more tactics I can use.

Thanks!

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David Wang
Chief WordPress Wrangler @ ClickWP

BlogJunkie,

Don`t listen to anyone who wants to attempt to put you down for trying!  What are you supposed to do when you are meeting with a client and ask you to do A,B,C,D& E and you only know how to do A,B & C?  I guess according to some folks you should tell them, nah I can`t do it becuase I don`t know how.  Tha`s BS  AS a business owner ans salesman you tell them yup I can do it,  Go back  regroup and try to figure out how you can do it.  If you can do it then outsource it!

This forum is supposed to be one where we help each other out! So keep the questions coming, don`t be afraid to aks questions becuase of a few bad apples.




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Arsenal Marketing
WEB 2.0 Internet Marketing for Business
http://www.arsenalmarketing.com
Joe@arsenalmarketing.com

Reach a larger audience!
Start blogging today!
Using WEB 2.0 strategies & techniques!

Hi JoeJustin, thanks for the encouragement! Don`t worry, haven`t met any
bad apples in the forums yet. Thanks Hersh, Nikole and Joe for weighing in.

FYI I submitted the proposal to my prospect and I`m meeting him later today
to discuss further. Cheers!

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--
David Wang
Chief WordPress Wrangler @ ClickWP

I wish you the best of luck!

-------------------------

Arsenal Marketing
WEB 2.0 Internet Marketing for Business
http://www.arsenalmarketing.com
Joe@arsenalmarketing.com

Reach a larger audience!
Start blogging today!
Using WEB 2.0 strategies & techniques!

I don`t really see much about content in the project, and if it`s going to be an e-commerce site, content (and layout) are going to be fundamental.

What type of content, in what organization, with what kinds of changes, in what time frames? Who will write that content, and will there be such things as article-writing marketing and others of the latest tricks and techniques?