Bogie E-Commerce - E-Commerce Design & Consulting

Consulting Regarding Consulting

Sometimes being an E-commerce consultant can be a royal pain in the ass.

I realize it's not digging ditches or anything, but at least if it were, all I would need to have in order to prove my ability would be a shovel and dirt in which to dig it from.

It's funny how the equivalent proof in the art of consulting is 180 degrees more complicated. For instance, I was speaking with (XYZ company) this morning and we were discussing my credentials. After explaining that two of my most powerful recent clients include The United States Postal Service and The Roman Catholic Church, the follow up comment was...

"But I thought you were Jewish."

The gales of laughter coming from me got the representative from (XYZ Company) laughing as well, and we moved on with a great start to our little interview. While some prefer to think that a strictly businesslike demeanor is the only way to gain a client, showing a little human side has always been my preference.

Laughter is the #1 icebreaker of all time. When giving a speech or a presentation, start off with a joke. Tell a funny story. Poke a little fun at yourself. Why can it not be true for a potential client interview?

Good luck... and if you don't have good luck. Feel free to refer me.

Why Bogie E-Commerce?

Because...

We have been creating and improving E-Commerce websites since 1995.

Because...

We make it so easy for you (the client). We handle it all.

Because...

Some of our clients include the United States Postal Service and the Catholic Church. If they trust us, you can too.

Make Your Website Work For You

It's easy to do.

There's nothing to learn.

We handle it all.

Bogie E-Commerce

 

 

What's The Story With Inventory?

When it comes to product inventory... I know what you're thinking. 

Stop it right there. Don't do it. You know what I'm talking about.

You're thinking of putting stuff up for sale that you don't have in stock yet. You're expecting it to come any day now and you figure "Might as well get some early sales in there," right?

You, my friend and e-commerce business owner, are about to fall into a trap that will cost you customers. Oh, it may well come in time for you to get the orders fulfilled, but chances are that there will be a delay, a weather event, and act of God, a shipping error, or worse than them all--a backorder.

And what happens when you can't ship that order that your website promises to go out the same day or within 24 hours? You get a really pissed off customer and they will make sure that everyone knows it. Message boards, twitter feeds, customer feedback & reviews on a multitude of sites can each equal up to another nail in your online coffin.

E-Commerce is not only about selling product. It's about building customer relationships so that they keep on coming back to you as customers. You keep them happy--they spend more money. Do what your business promises and don't play games. Amazing how many owners lose sight of that.

My E-Commerce Site - Why are orders slipping?

Yes, there can be lots of reasons as to why your online orders are slipping.

Yes, many factors can contribute to a stale sales quarter.

Yes, sometimes trends in shopping and the economy can change sales dramatically.

So why are your e-commerce orders slipping?

Probably because you've been lazy.

Okay, okay... stop cursing at me and saying things about my Mother. I KNOW you're doing what you have always done and that you're a hard worker. I understand that you have hired an SEO company to fill your website with enough keywords to rival a Websters Dictionary (I know..."what the hell is a dictonary""). You've also got a kajillion dollars a month going toward Google Adwords as well as Bing, The Find, Shopping.com, Blah, blah, blah...

So why are your orders slipping?

Because you're relying on companies and services who are providing the same services for you, your competition and everyone else instead of keeping ahead of the trends and doing some of the work yourself. In other words, you've been lazy.

All the paid services in the world will not defeat your competition for you. They are not exclusive to you or your industry. They will not take the time to learn your business. They cannot keep your site fresh, relevant and insightful to your industry and/or product line. In other words, they are not you. Stop pretending that they can pull you from the fire and stop trying to compete with Amazon.

You need a fresh approach and a little sweat equity on your side (not to mention a little help from a consultant who has been doing this since 1995. Know anyone? Hmmmm.). Your sweat will slowly begin to turn things around for you. Don't throw good money after bad. Stop enrolling in promises.

Attending the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show

Bogie E-Commerce will be networking at the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show as a kickoff of our specialized focus on the shooting sports.

Yes, of course we will still create e-commerce websites for non-shooting sports companies.

But for those companies within the Shooting Sports industries, we are offering nice discounts on both new e-commerce sites as well as re-launches. Hope to see you at the show!

More posts coming soon. A family emergency has prevented me from posting for a while. All is better now.

BORDERFRAUD! Warning...

In my 10+ years as an internet designer, developer and consultant, I have never seen such a blatant tool for international fraud as I have seen in the company known as Borderlinx. Why? Here's what Borderlinx promotes:

SHOP THE GLOBE!

We make it possible for you to shop your favorite brands from around the world, with delivery to your doorstep, where that may be.

CREATE A VIRTUAL ADDRESS

Get your very own US or UK shipping address then decide whether you want your purchases right away or if you prefer to hold off for up to 30 days. Don't forget to shop with friends! Creating one large package means Big Savings.

Sound's great right? No matter where in the world you are, you can shop online from all the US and UK on-line retailers, they bundle up your stuff and ship it off to you for a nominal shipping cost. You are protected because you don't get charged until they get your stuff for you and you don't pay them shipping until all the stuff is bundled together and sent to you. You win because you get access to American goods and the merchant wins because they get to ship to the entire international market, everyone protected from fraud.

Wrong.

After a LENGTHY conversation with the India-based customer service rep at Borderlinx this morning on behalf of one of my clients, I was informed that, within some colorful protective-sounding language, that there is absolutely NO protection for the merchant at all. Borderlinx exists purely as a conduit for international customers to gain access to three things:

1. A US billing and shipping address that passes AVS and CVVS security screening.
2. A collection point for all orders placed in the USA.
3. Easy international shipping to their location anywhere in the world via DHL.

In other words the three things needed to perpetrate mass, unrestricted FRAUD. 

Oh, Borderlinx has an answer for that. It was (paraphrasing) "If at any time you (the merchant) find that the order was fraud, you can contact us and we will send the order back to you (the merchant)."

My reply? "Well, what if we find that the order was fraudulent AFTER you have already sent the goods to the customer overseas? Does Borderlinx take responsibility for paying the merchant?"

The answer was... "No. At that point the merchant is responsible for dealing directly with the customer."

So what we have here, gentle readers, is a situation where Borderlinx has given millions of potential thieves the tools that they need to easily set up an account, place an order using stolen credit card numbers, and having the stolen merchandise shipped directly to their door weeks before a chargeback has any opportunity to even reach you (the merchant) by mail. And once you receive said chargeback, the position taken by Borderlinx is that it's now YOUR problem (the merchants).

My personal and professional advice for the merchants of e-commerce out there? Stay away until Borderlinx either gets their heads out of the early 1990's or gets their act together and starts protecting merchants whom they are inadvertently assisting in getting ripped off.

Now just to be fair, there ARE companies out there with similar services who DO protect merchants. I will not list them here simply because I would not want to be accused of being on their payroll or anything, but they are out there. Do your research and find out if you are protected against international fraud before using any international shipping company and make them prove it by showing you how they protect you.

E-commerce is good...but sly.

A Little Incentive To Demand Incentives

The noisest chick gets the worm. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. The loud, obnoxious drunk gets tossed from the bar. No matter how you slice it, the fact remains that if you sit there quietly, meekly, waiting to be noticed, most likely you will be looked over. And while this rule can apply to may areas of e-commerce, this one in particular has nothing to do with your current or potential customers...yet.

I am referring to the noble art of begging. You see, most e-commerce businesses are actually resellers of others products. Whether they are gigantic, mega-manufacturing corporations like Proctor & Gamble, or the tiny hut containing one old lady carving wooden voodoo dolls, your suppliers are who keep you supplied with goods to sell on the internet as well as in your brick and mortar store. The begging comes in when said voodoo-doll-maker decides that she is also going to sell her dolls to another reseller...and another...and another...and so on.

Here's where the begging and "squeaky wheel" concept comes in. Of all the sellers of voodoo dolls in the world today, by making noise and begging the manufacturer for anything, ANYTHING else you can give away with said voodoo dolls, you are creating a value-added product offer that the non-annoying resellers cannot offer. By giving you an extra pin with each voodoo doll at no extra charge ("Now with EXTRA stabbing pins!"), you are able to make a better offer, at the same price (or a better price if the "freebie" offered to you is a lower cost) to your end customers, who will suck it up like chocolate in milk.

"That's it? THAT'S the advice you are giving us? Beg our suppliers for free crap or a lower price? Why do I read this blog?"

Because the reality of the situation is that most people (resellers) do NOT make noise. They DO NOT ask for freebies or samples, or extras, or volume pricing, etc... The reality is that they are out there! Manufacturers always have extras. Always have alternatives and contingencies that are just waiting to be taken advantage of. In many cases, all you have to do is ask, so stop being afraid of asking and you never know what edge you can get on your competition. You have nothing to lose and you never know, you just might end up being the voodoo doll mogul that you hoped to be.

 

Forget Loyalty In Any Economy

My question: "So your orders have been suffering? What are your average weekly orders now compared to when orders were good?"

Most common answers: "Well, I have an enormous client base."

"My hits and visits are off the charts."

"I get lots of email."

"Im selling a wide range of products, just not enough of them."

"No one else is selling what/how I am selling."

My usual reply: "That's not what I asked you."

It's a very common e-commerce trap to fall into in thinking that each and every past customer you have sold to will remain loyal to your store/site. Even if you provide the most comprehensive and feature-rich customer service imaginable, you should never forget the fact that your site is NOT their favorite flavor of ice-cream. You are NOT the one that fits them best, and that, chances are, you will NOT be remembered more than a few days after they received their order from you. In other words, run your online busoness with the motto, "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CUSTOMER LOYALTY".

Yes, yes, as with everything, there are exceptions to the rule, but if you start lying to yourself in that customers come back to you just because you are you, then you can break out the shovels for an early business grave.

Internet buyers follow a strict policy of "What have you done for me lately?" and live by this policy thanks to the magic of their keyboard and mouse. Gone are the days where you had a captive audience because your store was in the most popular mall, on the strip, at the center of town, next to the McDonalds, etc... Nope, these days you are floating around in the gassy haze of multiple search results and ponderous ads with the hopes that the occasional word of mouth will work for you. It is too easy to fill a cart and dump it. Insanely simple to open multiple browser windows or tabs and compare you to your competition (and you DO have competition).

Once your site/services and policies are good ("good" being the best you can hope for in an ever-changing internet) you will need to treat every customer as your first. I will spare you the speech about customer service and groveling (see my "Circuis Show" posts for that stuff), but instead remind you that new customers need to be shown who you are and repeat customers need to be constantly reminded, otherwise they will forget and go somewhere else.  You are to ALWAYS be researching. ALWAYS testing. ALWAYS preparing for the next season, holiday, event, or whtever it is that drives customers to your particular corner of the internet. Never stop and never assume that you have done enough. As soon as you do, the customers disappear.

The economy bad? Think that's why orders are suffering? Thats the first step in self-denial. Economy good or bad--there are always people out there with money. Stop sitting back and pretending that you are the only or the ultimate destination for your products or services.

I may be sounding a little preachy (you should hear me at meetings with clients like you) but these points really need to be driven home. Loyalty does not exist when it is easier to be disloyal. The masses take the path of least resistance and best price. Keep this in mind in all your strategy and you will have a fighting chance at winning that customer again.

#1 killer of all failed e-commerce sites? No, not the economy. Nope, not the competition. Uh-uh, not lack of advertising. The answer is...lazy webmastering. If your site is not fresh and current then the customers will leave in droves. Keep your content up to date and your business reflected in your website and you will prosper. An e-commerce consultant like Bogie E-commerce can help.