10 Things You Will Forget to Check Before Launching Your Online Store

By on May 21, 2013 in Guest Articles, Technology

ID 100154306 300x150 10 Things You Will Forget to Check Before Launching Your Online StoreGuest Article

The day has come. You have spent hundreds of hours designing, configuring and even coding your professional, highly functional online store. Firstly congratulations and do yourself a favor and pat yourself on the back, this is a real accomplishment. At this stage you probably can’t wait to introduce your masterpiece to everyone you possibly can, but hold back and go through the list below of the 10 things you probably forgot to check before releasing your baby into the world.

1. Contact forms and emails

Now that you are ready to sell products online with cash exchanging “hands” it is critical for your long term success that you provide quick and easy ways for your customers to contact you. The most common way is through a contact form or email address which is displayed on the site.

Before you launch your site, make sure that your contact forms are working and directing the messages to the correct email addresses. Send yourself a few test messages and emails to verify that the forms are working and your dedicated sales and support email addresses are working.

2. Favicon

Forgetting to include a favicon on your site is most definitely the least important item in this list but one of the most common things which are forgotten by website owners.

Your favicon is part of your branding and helps visitors that have multiple tabs open to easily find your site. Return visitors will get familiar with the icon and associate it with the general way you do business. Take the 3 minutes it takes to upload a favicon to your site.

3. Stock Levels

Most ecommerce platforms allow you to set the stock amount for your products. Make sure before you launch your store that these numbers are accurate so that products don’t disappear because they are “out of stock” which will cost you dearly.

4. Basic SEO

Once your store is live, Google and other search engines will sooner or later come across it and crawl your entire site. You want the search engines to crawl your site so they can index your pages. If your pages do not contain the basic SEO tags (Title and Description) and your images do not contain alt tags then you will be doing yourself an injustice.

Search engines still account for a large percentage of traffic and it is critical for driving traffic that your pages are optimized for the search engines.

Make sure you include unique Title and Description tags to all your pages and that all your images have alt tags.

5. Phone numbers

If you have decided to provide visitors with a direct phone number to your business, then make sure that the number is working and if necessary, redirected to whoever is responsible for taking the calls. Make sure you include the international dialing code so overseas based customers and visitors can dial you successfully.

6. Extensions/Modules

If you are using any extensions or modules for added functionality, then make sure you test each one to see that the expected functionality is experienced from a visitor’s perspective. If you experience any issues, you may have to post a question on the forum thread related to the extension/module and wait for an answer. This can be very frustrating, but it is important to launch your store when everything is ready, especially important aspects of the user experience.

7. All your links

Don’t you hate clicking on a link which takes you to a page that doesn’t exist? Believe me, your visitors will hate it just as much. Make sure you go through your entire site with a fine tooth comb and check every link, both internal and external. Don’t forget to check your social share buttons to make sure they are linking to the correct social profiles and all the other links in your footer.

8. Google Analytics

Being able to analyze a wide range of statistics about your visitors is critical for making correct marketing and product related decisions. The best free tool available to online store owners is Google Analytics.

Make sure you open a free account and implement the Google Analytics javascript code on all of your pages.

Google’s real-time view is very handy to test if Google is tracking your site. After you implement the code on all your pages, visit your site and wait to see if you appear in the real-time stats in Google Analytics.

9. Social and sharing buttons

Leveraging social networks and our innate desire to communicate and share is a very powerful way to not only grow the amount of traffic you get to your store, but also to convert visitors to fans and grow your own online following.

Don’t forget to implement large share and social buttons throughout your site to drive referral traffic.

The standard location is in the footer but the header is usually a better location because it gets more exposure.  Provide share buttons near each of your products so visitors that like your products can share them with their friends and family.

10. Payments

After months of hard work getting the store ready it is almost time to launch. The final check that most people forget is testing your payment options.

Visit your site as a visitor and make test purchases using the different payment options you are providing. Make sure that each payment goes through successfully and that all confirmation emails are sent. If there are any problems then make sure to talk to your payment providers (Paypal, Neteller etc) and your credit card company.

Preventing interested buyers from making payments is the most detrimental thing you can do to your business.

I would love to grow this list, so if you have any other things which do not appear in this list then please let me know in the comments section below.

Justin Butlion 300x300 10 Things You Will Forget to Check Before Launching Your Online StoreAbout the Author: Justin Butlion is the Content and Social Marketing Manager of Yotpo. Justin loves to blog about e-commerce, online marketing, web development, and entrepreneurship.

“Digital World In Data Center Room” courtesy of watcharakun / www.freedigitalphotos.net

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8 Best Resources to Grow Your Small Business

By on May 20, 2013 in Grow Your Business, How to Start

As a small business owner, the deck is stacked against you. Most businesses fail after the first five years, and even if you do hang in there, the chances of you becoming the next Facebook are really not very likely. 95 percent of all small businesses in the world never gross over 1 million in revenue, nor do many of them revolutionize their industry, net a profit, or change the way people do something. But even in the face of all of that, now is still a great time to start a business. The world is still waiting on a better mousetrap. Technology has made it so much easier to do business and run your company from anywhere. The challenge is that your competition can do it too, and the competition, in many cases, is global and not local. Getting your new start-up off to a great start is essential to building a profitable and sustainable small business.

There are lots of places to get good information on running a successful business. Many entrepreneurs have come through the struggle of building their businesses, and many are happy to prepare you for your entrepreneurial journey. I have gathered the 8 best start–up resources to help you to launch your small business.

SCORE 300x108 8 Best Resources to Grow Your Small BusinessSCORE is a nonprofit organization that provides expert business counseling to small business owners. SCORE’s Web site provides on-line counseling, and offers great e-mail newsletters. What I like best about their newsletter program is, it allows you to select which level of information that you want. From operations, to financing and expansion plans SCORE has a vast database of experts to assist your small business.
youre the boss 300x83 8 Best Resources to Grow Your Small BusinessYou’re The Boss Blog, New York Times offers an insider’s perspective on small-business ownership. It gives business owners a place where they can compare notes, ask questions, get advice, and learn from one another’s mistakes. By the way, I write for this publication as a regular contributor on social media and small business, but I read this blog long before I started writing for it.
huffington post small business 300x24 8 Best Resources to Grow Your Small BusinessHuffington Post Small Business America includes blogs, news, and community conversations about Small Business in America. A great example of the quality content on this site is the article by Faisal Hoque Growing a Small Business with 5 Essential Principles http://huff.to/17JdrFv
msnbizonmain 300x100 8 Best Resources to Grow Your Small BusinessBusiness on Main is an online destination for small-business leaders and entrepreneurs who are looking for information to take their companies to the next level. I especially like their engaging original videos, featuring business stories that will inform and inspire you on the path to success
Small Business Trends 8 Best Resources to Grow Your Small BusinessFounded in 2003, Small Business Trends is an award-winning online publication for small business owners, entrepreneurs and the people who interact with them. It is one of the most popular independent small business publications on the web.
8 Best Resources to Grow Your Small Business Inc. is a great magazine and an even better website. They say they offer everything you need to start and grow your small business now.
Entrepreneur 8 Best Resources to Grow Your Small BusinessEntrepreneur Magazine provides business ideas and trends on start-up, finance, marketing and franchising tools and tips and they have a great website, too. You can also read about the latest news, expert advice, and growth strategies for small business owners.
theselfemployed 8 Best Resources to Grow Your Small BusinessThe Self Employed is a website created by Steve Strauss, small business columnist for USA Today and bestselling author of the Small Business Bible.  It provides lots of great advice for solopreneurs in particular, on start-up, finding clients, insurance and tax issues.

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How to Build a Powerful Small Business Brand Online and Offline

By on May 16, 2013 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat, Social Media

SMALL BIZ CHAT LOGO 20121 300x123 How to Build a Powerful Small Business Brand Online and OfflineEvery week I conduct interviews with experts on #SmallBizChat. In honor of my 200th episode of my Twitter talk show, the tables have been turned and my co-host Amanda Miller Littlejohn, decided that my fans might want to hear from me. #Smallbizchat takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my interview on branding and social media marketing. Don’t forget to grab a copy of my latest ebook How to Become a Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online and join my #Smallbizchat group on LinkedIn to get even more information on building a strong business brand online.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: What is the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when it comes to branding their business?

Melinda Emerson: The biggest problem small business owners have is they market their brand too broadly.  If everyone can use your product or service, no one will. Don’t be generic with your small business; be specific in your branding. Your message must speak to your target customer. Your brand should say what you and your business are all about. I’m @SmallBizLady and my mission is to end small business failure.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: Can a business be marketed effectively without a strong brand?

Melinda Emerson: I do not think a small business stands a chance without a strong brand. Keep in mind your brand is everything you do. How you dress, who answers your phone, are you always late. Your brand is also your website, which is your welcome mat into your small business. You must make sure it’s tight and helpful.  Check out a recent article I wrote for the New York Times on having a strong website.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: What steps should entrepreneurs take to identify and define their brand?

Melinda Emerson:  First, they need to define their target customer. Then, they need to carve out a specific niche and secret sauce to stand out. The niche can be geographical, product specific, or it can be based on a segment of your target customer. If your target is audience is women, drill it down because that is not specific enough. It can be tween girls, young adults, single moms, professional women, soccer moms or baby-boomers. Just pick one and become the czar or czarina of that niche.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: I’ve heard you talk before about how important business cards are to a brand, Can you elaborate on your philosophy?

Melinda Emerson: Social media is great, but business cards are still important. Small business owners should invest in a real logo. Word art or clip art or those dreadful free business cards you can get from a template will not cut it.  Your brand should also be at least two colors and use quality paper to print them on.  A cheap looking business card will kill your credibility.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: Can a small business be effective in social media without a strong brand?

Melinda Emerson: It’s even harder to distinguish yourself in social media with a weak brand because there is so much noise online.  No one will pay any attention to a “me too” brand. You must distinguish yourself online and offline. How you conduct yourself in social media makes a brand statement. Is it clear who your customers are from your tweets? Well, it should be very clear.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: How should your brand influence your content strategy for social media marketing?

Melinda Emerson:  Once you have a defined target customer you need to focus in on that customer’s pain. People are moved to buy when they have pain. As you think about the content you want to develop, you should start with a list of your customer pain points.  If your brand speaks to your solution for solving the pain, you will have customers for life – if you can deliver service based on your brand promise.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: What are the signs of a well-defined brand?

Melinda Emerson:  When you become top of mind to anyone who needs what you do, your brand is well defined.  When you get prospect calls and they already have decided they want to hire you, and all you are discussing is their budget and your availability, your brand is well defined. When you stop needing to explain what you do or what your logo “really” stands for, your brand is well defined.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: How does branding relate to the broader marketing strategy of a business?

Melinda Emerson:  Marketing starts with a well-defined brand. You must know who you want to speak to first, then you develop your sales goals.  Now you know I tell my readers to only focus on 30 day sales goals, which will help you focus on weekly sales goals.  Once you have your weekly sales goal, you design your marketing tactics to meet your weekly goal.  How many calls, emails, tweets, handwritten notes, and networking events do you need to attend each week to reach your sales goals.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: How important is it that a marketing strategy be tied to measurable results?

Melinda Emerson:  If a marketing tactic is not measurable, it’s useless. But keep in mind that you must have a realistic goal for what you want to achieve. When you start using social media, it’s not going to start raining money in your business immediately. It took me 18 months of daily tweets to get noticed and respected.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: What are the marketing tools that should be in every entrepreneur’s tool kit?

Melinda Emerson: 1) Create a helpful website. 2) Develop a fantastic free giveaway to build an email marketing list. Some affordable email marketing services are @mailchimp, @constantcontact, and @aweber. 3) Update your LinkedIn profile to speak to your target customer, you are not looking for a job. Especially – secure recommendations from customers like the ones you are trying to pursue. 4) Focus on only one social media site! Too many small business owners are killing themselves trying to do too many social media sites. Claim your profile on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube but spend your time where your best target customers hang out online.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: How can social media add to the effectiveness of a small business sales strategy?

Melinda Emerson: The #1 thing social media marketing can do for a small business owner is drive traffic to your small business website. That said, social media doesn’t deliver results overnight. You must use the HELP Mantra consistently for 18 to 24 months to start seeing results. HELP stands for Help others, Engage people, Listen first, and Promote yourself with care. That last one is really tricky because it’s the one people really do not understand. Do not start selling too quickly before you have a relationship. Just be helpful and position yourself as a resource and your best target customer will beat a path to your door.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: What are the top 3 priorities for entreprenuers who want to build a social media brand?

Melinda Emerson: 1) Develop some specific goals for your social media marketing campaign. 2) Know your best 5 keywords that people use in search engines to get information about your product or service 3) Conduct a listening campaign to figure out where your best target customer hangs out online and then join the conversation.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s how to participate in : http://bit.ly/S797e

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is America’s #1 small business expert. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. She writes a weekly column on social media for The New York Times. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts  Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works and the ebook: How To Become A Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online.

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