the Two-Way Street of Influencer MarketingA continuous stream of developments makes running an e-commerce business more and more palatable, with opportunities for fine-tuning, diving into a niche, and expanding your reach in the galaxy of online sales. One of the newest arrives courtesy of Shopify, a premier, multi-faceted platform designed to cater to mid- and low-volume sellers whose dreams are much bigger. Shopify offers integration through a subscription-based app, delivering a grand suite of tools to design a website, process payments, track inventory, and source products, among other offerings. Along comes a nouveau offshoot called “Shopify Collabs,” and its name somewhat gives away its purpose. The ability for smaller online merchants to expand their reach by collaborating and building connections that once took several years to achieve is intriguing, and in the influencer era, it’s even more promising. Collabs connects creators with merchants and tosses in a new way to make money for both. From the creator’s perspective, this real-time matching adds a head start with far less effort required. They may peruse brands and choose those that look appealing, ultimately striking up a promotions partnership by playing up products on social media sites. A proprietary Shopify tool records sales generated by creators, who then receive a pre-negotiated incentive reward. The inherent benefits fall equally to both parties, as creators beef up their existing influencer statuses with a streamlined way to profit, and sellers gain a new method of essentially free, targeted marketing and advertising. Shopify emphasizes the gem of passive discovery, meaning there is no effort required on the part of sellers. Creators/influencers drive their own search for products to pitch by using plug-ins to zero in on a worthy choice that fits their brand. It’s a time-saver for them, and an energized source of fuel for vendors whose focus is mainly on the daily business of selling. Rather than hit-and-miss attempts to attract attention from someone who will introduce your store and products to large swaths of potential customers, Collabs allows those who are most likely to sing your praises to reach out first and initiate an agreement. Building a relationship with as much closeness as both parties desire, it could generate a surprising revenue jump. Here are other functions and perks associated with using Shopify’s Collabs:
Shopify Collabs is not yet fully in gear, but most features are up and running, so hop on and begin testing a new version of a growing trend in selling products on the vast online market. Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash
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Part 2: The Disadvantages and Limitations of Shopify |
Wondering why Shopify might not be right for your online store? In the first part of this series, The Advantages of Using Shopify, we covered the pluses. Now, let’s talk more about the minuses. Shopify is not without its disadvantages and even limitations. You may find that there’s a better solution out there for your business. Let’s get started. |
Shopify takes a cut.
Yep, that’s right. Shopify works off commission. Except, you’re the one setting up the online store and advertising the products. When you spend countless hours promoting and creating an online business, you would hope to pay a one-and-done monthly payment for Shopify to help with the transactional services. But that’s not the case.
Shopify charges a credit card rate, which varies depending on the monthly plan you choose. If you choose Shopify, be sure to account for those commission cuts into your overall business overhead expenses.
Shopify’s help desk becomes less helpful.
As a new customer of Shopify, you might be met with quality support. They want to help you get your business up and running (so they reap commission and continue to see your monthly payment plan).
However, after some time, you’ll be met with less premium support. While they can’t help guide you through it all, it can be frustrating. Have a payment or app glitch? It’s blamed on “app incompatibility.” And instead of support staff helping you through the problem, they might direct you toward self-help articles. So just be aware: They will not hand-hold you through the entire process.
Shopify charges a transaction fee for 3rd-party payment gateways.
You need an encrypted payment gateway service, which Paypal offers freely with Shopify Payments. However, should you choose to go with a third-party payment provider such as PayPal, you will be charged additional transaction fees. These can range from 0.5% to 2%, depending on the Shopify plan you choose.
Shopify analytics cost extra.
Professional reporting and analytics will cost you extra. So if you want to know anything about your buyers, you will need to invest in a more expensive plan like the Shopify or Advanced plan. For any focused businesses, this is a crucial part of marketing. The Basic plan offers basic simple details, so acquiring the professional report is a must. And that means you will need to upgrade your plan.
Shopify lacks multi-level product categories.
When creating an online shop, it must be easy for shoppers to find products. And keeping a well-organized collection of goods is one of the best ways to do so. When building a shop, it’s wise to add the product type, vendor and other tags within WordPress so items come up in a search result.
However, when you’re unsure what kind of decor or product you’re searching for, Shopify doesn’t offer an easy-to-follow map or other deep hierarchies within its system. Grouping items into collections and displaying them as categories is the best organization you get.
For example, this means you can’t do something as simple as organize specific furniture types like so:
Seating > Dining Chairs > Counter Height Stools
Instead, you’re limited to:
Seating > Dining Chairs
Shopify limits items to 3 variations.
One downside to Shopify is that you are limited as to how many product variations you can offer. For example, if you have a sofa that comes in more than three fabric choice options, you might have to get creative or invest and install an extra app to achieve this.
Shopify has an expensive full point of sale option.
If your business needs a POS system, it’s going to cost you. While many businesses can get away with solely an online shop, many brick and mortar stores and small retailers use tablets, credit card readers, and more mobile charging devices when making sales.
For a full point-of-sale system, you will need to invest in the Shopify POS Pro and all the hardware that goes along with it.
When Shopify is the Wrong ChoiceShopify isn’t always the best choice to create the optimal online shopping experience. Nor is it the best choice for your business.
Here are a few reasons why you should skip Shopify:
Your site needs more customization and design.
Shopify themes are well-designed but might require lots of expensive app integrations and additional tools to get it exactly how you want. If this sounds like you, you might want to check out another platform like WordPress and hire a developer to get it just right.
A hosted platform locks you in.
Shopify is a hosted platform, which makes it easy to have everything all in one place. But should you ever decide to move your products to another hosted platform, carrying over the storefront design, copy and product descriptions, and more will take serious effort. You pretty much are back to square one, recreating a store from the ground up.
We hope this two-part guide helps you decide if Shopify is right for you. If not, check out some of these Shopify alternatives.
Part 1: Why Shopify Is Popular -- Advantages and Features
Shopify is an ecommerce platform designed to help businesses create a webstore where they can sell their products. Compared to other hosted platforms such as WooCommerce and Magento, Shopify has gained popularity for its easy setup and intuitive user-friendly design. However, just because Shopify is a quality platform and a name you hear often, doesn’t mean it is right for your business. That’s what we’re here to talk about. In this two-part series, we reveal the good and the bad around Shopify so you can make the choice for yourself. |
So what makes Shopify so popular? Here are some of the advantages and features that e-commerce businesses love.
Shopify offers secure data encryption.
As a business, protecting your customer’s personal and financial data is imperative. To do so, an online shop needs an SSL certificate and PCI encryption, ensuring a safe checkout. In addition, Shopify comes with the Stripe gateway payment for security.
Shopify makes creating an online shop super easy.
Shopify provides a user-friendly platform, which makes setting up online shops a breeze. This is a real advantage for those not technically inclined, who don’t have time to waste building an e-commerce business. You can create a site within the interface and hit the ground running.
Shopify stores are mobile responsive.
In today’s age, with everyone glued to mobile devices, it’s crucial to have an online store that is mobile responsive. Without a mobile responsive ecommerce site, a potential buyer may get frustrated trying to order and leave. Shopify offers clean and fluid stores for those mobile shoppers to buy your products from home or on the go.
Shopify comes with a variety of built-in tools and integration.
By showcasing sale items, presenting coupons, and offering inventory control, Shopify makes it easy to customize. A plethora of built-in tools and integration features makes online sales go through smoothly with less hassle.
For example, features like abandoned cart recovery remind visitors who wander away that they still have items in a cart. And these built-in tools come in handy to help boost sales.
Shopify offers many attractive themes and designs.
When building a webstore, you will find a variety of aesthetically-pleasing themes and designs in which to choose – all for free! It makes it a painless setup without having to hire a professional site builder. It also means that they are ready to go, allowing a store to go live in a matter of hours or days. Sadly, if you want a Premium theme, it will cost extra. Still, there are many free beautiful and stylish themes to choose from.
Shopify comes with solid Search Engine Optimization.
Each theme is built with fast-loading, clean code that enhances search engine optimization, pushing your site higher in the ranks of Google. This built-in backend feature, along with other tools like Google ad landing pages and PPC social ads, can really capture your audience and make more sales.
As you can see, Shopify offers a ton of advantages for e-commerce businesses and online stores. There’s a lot to love. However, in the next part of this series, we dive into the nitty-gritty of the downsides and why it might not be the best choice for your online shop.
While it has always been essential to establish and maintain a sound refund policy, it is now mired in complications brought about by residual obstacles directly related to that pandemic. The epic rise in online purchasing has its downside: consumers not accustomed to buying sight-unseen may experience more dissatisfaction and wish to send merchandise back.
On the flip side, not offering a workable return policy will impact sales. Web Retailer reports that ecommerce vendors whose customer base is made up of at least 40 percent of repeat buyers realize about 50 percent more sales. This is an intuitive example of consumer behavior, and if buyers know they may easily return and/or exchange merchandise seamlessly, they are far more likely to become regulars.
By the Numbers
We’ll rip off the Band-aid with a number that may be shocking. Ecommerce returns for the holiday season of 2020, the first of the official pandemic era, reached $101 billion. That includes costs associated with processing returns. Notably this reflects a consumption pattern that was new to a good number of buyers, so it should not be interpreted as a repeating phenomenon.
Overall, returns represent 15 to 20 percent of all transactions among ecommerce operations. It may climb higher, but count on a reasonably consistent one-in-five products finding their way back to you. Clearly larger and heavier items hurt the most with respect to cost, thanks to the disproportionate hike in shipping bulky and weighty items. You should be already tracking your return rate, but breaking that down into categories of merchandise, including size and unique shipping costs, is important.
If you don’t offer free shipping on returns, your business could suffer. Experts gauge a negative attitude among potential customers who have to choose between a seller that grants free shipping and those that don’t. This is where you must do a critical evaluation of the ability to absorb the cost of liberal refund policies. Will it reduce your profitability to an unsustainable level and make doing business a moot point? Or will you explore options for shoring up the general sales strategies that can reduce returns in the first place.
Keep in mind that though presenting yourself as a hassle-free, generous seller with easy return policies may increase business, it may also trap you into a situation where shoppers overuse the benefit and take advantage. Hopefully these will be statistically insignificant. That said, taking a see-how-it-goes approach by experimenting with changing policies may paint you in a negative light among consumers who value consistency.
You may be aware that local and state laws require merchants to refund damaged and defective merchandise, so keeping that in mind is a critical element in considering how returns factor in to your policy. For a forward-thinking primer on how to start on a sound, workable refund policy, visit BigCommerce. Being pro-active and prepared could just save your business.
Inbound and Outbound Marketing: What Are They? Inbound and outbound are two distinct marketing techniques used to attract consumers to a site. One marketing strategy is all about bringing consumers “in” while the other is about sending information about your brand “out.” Technically, they should both bring in consumers, but they do so in very different ways.
What is inbound marketing?
Content for one. By giving out free educational material, like case studies, infographics, podcasts and more, through a website and social media outlets and ads, consumers become aware of your services and goods. In turn, this generates leads, and if the consumers like what you’re offering, they will come to your website and eventually make a purchase. Simply maintaining a website with good search engine optimization (SEO) can also drive a site higher on a search engine results page where it’s more likely to be seen.
What is outbound marketing?
Outbound marketing often takes more time, sometimes with little results. But they’re still worth exploring. Think of outbound marketing as the traditional marketing strategies: Television and radio ads, banners (billboards, magazines or online pop-ups) and even the old-fashioned cold call by sales team members (although, now CRM software and automation go a long way to help).
Benefit #1: Inbound marketing offers an easy way for brands and businesses to target and connect with their audience. After creating a solid content strategy using social media, blog content and climbing your way up the SERP through quality SEO, your brand will grab the attention of the ideal consumers (instead of having to hunt for them). Create a follower on Insta, and you can reach them immediately.
Benefit #2: Attracting customers doesn’t mean annoying them. Instead of being intrusive with tons of calls, emails, and in-your-face reminders, there’s a trust factor. If they love a brand – and more importantly, the knowledge, expertise and style you provide – they’ll provide contact details and follow your social handle. It’s like the phrase, “If you build it, they will come.” Create excellent content, products, and educational tidbits, and the consumer will be drawn to your brand.
Drawbacks
Drawback #1: Inbound marketing still takes time to create. While it’s not as long as producing a TV or radio commercial, there’s still a ton of effort involved. Keeping followers engaged (and not just growing your follower count) takes more drawn-out lead generations. Again, it’s all about building that trust, which requires lots of content creation.
Drawback #2: Follow-ups and follow-throughs are more difficult for inbound marketing. Since it’s all about using lead generation tools and calls to action (CTAs) throughout your content, it’s at the consumer’s will to hit “Buy” or “Sign Up.” In turn, this means that you have less control over the desired outcome. Ultimately, it’s up to you to entice them enough to become a subscriber and patron of your brand to lead to sales.
Outbound Marketing: Benefits and DrawbacksBenefits
Benefit #1: Outbound marketing reaches customers immediately! Once a customer gives over their contact info, a brand can use email marketing or even advert flyers to alert them of upcoming sales, which encourages interest to take advantage and shop. In the same vein, the right kind of outbound marketing has a broader reach, as opposed to honing in on target demographics, and grabs the attention of even more potential customers.
Benefit #2: Outbound marketing is more direct. It tells consumers exactly what you’re selling and how they can buy it or achieve it. While this seems counterintuitive, it has a major advantage: A higher ROI. In other words, your brand can disregard the customers who may not be all that interested in what you’re selling, so you can turn your focus on the consumers who are, in fact, interested.
Drawbacks
Drawback #1: One of the main benefits of outbound marketing is a double-edged sword. On one hand, a brand can be direct. On the other, that approach can turn off a lot of consumers, as they may see it as invasive and, eventually, even annoying. The leads are not as organic as inbound marketing, and customers can be easily turned off by the more direct “salesy” approach.
Drawback #2: Another conundrum at hand: Since outbound marketing tends to have a broader reach, tailoring content and ads to a target demographic is pretty limited. Marketing to your ideal consumer is hard to do without metrics like click-through rates (CTS), bounce rates and website traffic rate.
As you can see, both inbound marketing and outbound marketing have their pros and cons. Which marketing technique you choose may come down to your brand and type of business. However, inbound marketing is a softer approach, which pleases a lot of consumers. Inbound marketing also seems to be the more modern version of a marketing strategy, especially with the help of new-age technology and the handheld devices like phones and tablets that never leave our side.
It’s imperative to grab your audience’s attention and make sales, but how do you know what will captivate them and keep them coming back? Luckily, businesses have an easy way to learn precisely what their customer base wants with lead generation tools. Whether your business prefers to capture leads through social media, chatbots or opt-ins – or all of the above! – here are some lead generation tools to put on your radar. |
ActiveCampaign offers tons of automated features you can rely on, from email automation to live chat. It’s a wonderful all-in-one lead generation tool to improve your marketing and capture customers and consumers. Use it to build a landing page that entices an email sign up or simply use it as a live chat to answer questions and help consumers to feel confident about buying your product. Perfect for both sales and marketing, ActiveCampaign is perfect for startups who want to hit the ground running and need an all-encompassing lead generation tool. Luckily, it’s user-friendly too!
Getsitecontrol
Getsitecontrol may not have a plethora of automation tools like ActiveCampaign, but they do have a variety of widgets like forms, popups and an extensive collection of templates to get you started. Create a targeted email opt-in popup to capture emails and customers. You can even create a split test popup to determine which is more effective for your consumer base. This lead generation tool is a very easy-to-use on-page lead generation tool that can begin to capture emails that lead to loyal customers and more.
JivoChat
Connect to your customers right on site with JivoChat, a live chat-based lead generation tool. JivoChat is a pretty handy tool for businesses that want to target existing traffic. You can use it to offer a way for customers to directly connect and chat with a representative and get the live support that they need. When a customer is hesitant or has questions about a product, warranty or more, a quick chat may be all they need to gain their trust and confidence and turn them into a long-term paying customer. Non-distracting and accessible, add a JivoChat chat window into the sidebar of a website just like that!
Hubspot Sales Hub
Hubspot is a fantastic all-around CRM software tool that offers a wide range of services from marketing, sales, and customer service. The Hubspot Sales Hub, in particular, provides lead generation tools that take advantage of the data, integrating it directly within the platform. The Hubspot Sales Hub allows companies to set up automated email sequences and sales processes to hunt down leads and close more deals. Lead scoring, conversion routing and sale forecasting tools are just some of the advanced features you can expect with this handy-dandy lead generation tool. While this fancy Hubspot tool is intended for teams, it’s also offered in a free CRM tool version for individual salespeople and smaller companies looking to bootstrap their business.
Albacross
Albacross is a wonderful lead generation tool to help you analyze and hone in on your ideal buyers. This way, you can tailor marketing activities along the buyer journey, which leads to greater conversions. Albacross not only identifies potential leads in real-time and monitors their site navigation habits, but also gathers data on their demographic so you can create better messaging that attracts them. This powerful lead generation tool is fully GDPR compliant with global regulations and offers firmographic, behavioral, and technographic data points so you can target your audience to a tee.
Leadpages
If you are looking for attractive and useful landing page lead generation tools, Leadpages has tons to offer. Leadpages can help you design beautifully optimized landing pages with simple templates and a drag and drop builder. Landing pages aside, it also offers ways to integrate popups, alert bars and much, much more so that you can up the ante on your lead conversions. A/B testing helps you understand what landing page is working and an analytics dashboard guides you through the process with real-time conversion tips.
OptinMonster
Last but not least, OptinMonster makes a great lead generation tool. After a quick user-friendly setup using one of their 97+ customizable templates from popups to floating bars and full screen overlays, you can bring A/B testing to eliminate the guesswork and hone in on your target audience. OptinMonster offers some proprietary software such as Exit Intent® technology, which can personalize campaigns based on visitor behavior and OnSite Retargeting® and personalization that tailors an offer to a specific audience like new or returning visitors. Enterprise-level page targeting is also another feature that can come in useful to segment leads.
For ecommerce merchants attempting to salvage a steady revenue stream, inflation is a bump in the road that seems to be worsening by the day. Finding that workable balance between meeting your obligations and realizing a decent profit, and avoid the Big Bleed that happens when skyrocketing cost-of-living issues hamper customer choice, can be daunting.
And it’s not in your imagination, nor is it a small point. From year to year March 2021 to March 2022, prices overall rose 10 percent globally. A gargantuan figure.
There are some workarounds you might try, and each is specific to a different industry, product mix, and business size. Candidly, the last thing most merchants want to do is raise prices. That may or may not be an option, but read on for some alternatives.
The obvious first steps:
- Negotiate with your sources/vendors; or consider less spendy inventory.
- Bundle items, combining similar products that work together and come closer to reflecting a lower wholesale cost.
- Retain your best-selling products while sneaking in some lower-cost items, hoping to capitalize on loyal consumer history. This likely will require a careful examination of sales patterns.
- Attach unavoidable price increases with incentives, such as a discount on future purchases or a bonus item thrown in.
The less obvious next steps:
- Look extra closely at productivity. You may discover areas to be cut, temporarily minimized, or reworked altogether.
- Discontinue generous offerings such as free shipping, while still keeping delivery below your cost.
- Consider in-house marketing and communications to ax out all external ad costs.
- Shift your product line dramatically if you think it could work for you. This requires a back-to-basics evaluation of what is do-able for you and tolerable to your client base.
Other possibilities may yield a surprisingly exuberant response from clients, including addressing the inflation issue head on with frank yet humorous language making mention of current conditions. Remember that they affect virtually all merchants, so you won’t need to create a tailored mea culpa. As you educate your customers on world and national geopolitical factors, supply chain crises, and other elements of changing commerce, they may invest more trust in you than they previously showed.
Above all, be honest. Don’t promise a quick return to affordability, but resist an open-ended, gloomy forecast. Assure them that you are not capitalizing on a phenomenon and attempting to line your pockets. Tell them you hope to keep them in the buying family and will adjust your pricing as it becomes feasible.
Options for Installment Payments
Online shopping is as easy as the click of a button. And “buy now, pay later” programs (BNPL) have become a popular way to make an online purchase, especially with the increase in online shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021 alone, BNPL programs reached $100 billion in sales. |
It’s easy to see why this convenient option works for so many, especially in times of financial difficulty. BNPL apps and programs allow consumers to purchase a product upfront, making it a more affordable option as they pay in monthly installments instead. But before you go using just any BNPL option, take a closer look at their advantages and what each has to offer.
Online installment payment plans have a few pros and cons to consider. Here are some things to think about.
BNPL Pros
Easy Interest-Free Installment Plans
Most BNPL services offer an installment plan (four payments, typically) that can be paid off without interest – so long as you pay on time! This makes it a great option when you need to spread out your finances.
Links to Debit and Credit Cards
Many BNPL apps link to your already-existing debit and credit cards. With a soft credit check, a BNPL loan doesn’t affect a credit score. Instead, it simply offers consumers like students and those still building their credit to learn how to budget and better manage their personal finances.
Increases Orders and Purchases
When consumers feel confident with an easy-to-use loan without interest, they’re more tempted to make larger purchases and to spend more in a shop. That means that having a BNPL option on your online shop is a major advantage to your business. Furthermore, it also keeps consumers coming back time and time again.
BNPL Cons
Minimum Spending Requirements
Installment payments have a purpose – to help stretch out payments for more significant purchases. In other words, many BNPL options have a minimum spending requirement. For example, Klarna is $35.
Late Payment Fees
Interest-free installment plans are great – if you remember to pay them! But if you don't, many BNPL programs charge late payment fees. Of course, at the end of the day,, you’ll be paying more for the product purchased.
Many Do Not Help Build Credit
While there are BNPL apps that do help build credit with a hard credit score, many simply do not. Take a closer look at the app details and whether they are required to report to the credit bureaus and you will have your answer. For example, Splitit and Sezzle have no impact – good or bad – on your credit score.
#5 Consumer Favorite Options for Installment PaymentsLet’s break down some popular BNPL installment payment options.
#1 Affirm
Affirm allows customers and buyers to make a purchase and skip the late fees. However, Affirm does charge interest, which it breaks down up front. Still, an underpayment or no payment at all can harm credit scores. All in all, this loan system makes Affirm a fantastic option for larger purchases, allowing up to a 12-month payment plan. Interest rates on loans range anywhere from 0 - 30% and are dependent on several variables like if you have prior payment history, the standing of your current Affirm account and more.
#2 Afterpay
Afterpay offers payments split into four installments over six weeks. With a 0% interest rate, it’s a great BNPL option for those who are diligent and pay on time. Afterpay also allows late payments with a 10-day grace period. Beyond this time, a late fee is charged, based on the amount of the original purchase but never more than 25%.
#3 Klarna
Klarna’s terms, rates and fees tend to vary by merchant. However, customers can expect something like 4 installment plans spanning 6 weeks with no fees. Plus, Klarna allows users to pay 30 days after the purchase. Besides these limits, Klarna can charge up to a $35 late fee each month, but it’s relative to the item purchased, and $10 per month is the norm.
#4 PayPal ‘Pay in 4’
Many people use PayPal for online purchases, so they recently launched a new ‘Pay in 4’ program to meet the demand. The PayPal ‘Pay in 4’ allows consumers to make purchases without being charged interest, which is wonderful. However, they do charge a late payment fee. It’s also important to know that they run a soft credit check, which essentially means it doesn’t affect credit scores.
#5 Sezzle
Once approved with a soft credit check, Sezzle requests 25% upfront and allows you to pay (with a linked debit or credit card) over four installments in six weeks without interest. Late payments are $10, but it can be waived easily if you catch it within 48 hours. Sezzle also offers long-term loan financing through Ally. However, this method does require a hard credit check.
In just two short years – between 2019 and 2021 - online spending skyrocketed by 50.5%. Ecommerce sales now account for over 13 percent of total retail sales in the U.S., and this number is projected to grow to an impressive 22% by 2025.
As online sales continue to surge, opportunities for ecommerce business owners are at an all-time high. But as more and more consumers turn to their laptops and smart phones to make purchases, more and more businesses are responding to the trend by taking their offerings online – which means more competition for you.
In a crowded digital marketplace, traditional sales strategies like paid advertising and social media are no longer enough. These days, it’s all about creating value for customers with original content that educates, informs, or entertains.
Content marketing is one of the most effective ways to generate leads, engage potential buyers, and make your brand stand out from the rest. But keep in mind that it’s not just about crafting creative content – you’ll also need a solid marketing strategy to back it up. These three tips can help you leverage the power of content marketing to take your ecommerce brand to the next level. |
- Focus on helping, not selling. The best content provides useful information that helps people improve their lives. Knowing your audience is just the first step - you also need to understand exactly how your brand fits into their lives. Think about the problems your business solves and the needs your products fulfill, then use those solutions and needs as inspiration to develop valuable content. Infographics, tutorials, and how-to guides are a great place to start!
- Keep SEO in mind. Content marketing is the perfect way to use SEO to your advantage. Using the right keywords not only drives traffic to your website – it also creates a golden opportunity to connect with customers through content. Consider the questions your audience is asking when they do an online search, then create detailed content – such as blog posts and articles - that give them the answers they seek. Be sure to use plenty of SEO-friendly keywords to make your content easy for your audience to find.
- Make it shareable. Don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth! While it’s certainly important to promote your own content, it’s even more effective when others promote it for you. Focus on the trending topics your audience is talking about to make fresh, relevant content that will inspire them to share. And don’t forget to include social media sharing buttons so your content can be easily shared across platforms.
Developing an ecommerce content marketing strategy may take time, but taking the time to get it right is well worth the effort. If you keep these ideas in mind as you create and promote your content, you’ll be on your way to building a loyal customer base and a powerful brand presence.
SMART technology dates back to the late 1980s, when all tech was in a veritable explosion of growth and experimentation. Patented as DViT (Digital Vision Touch) technology, it represents “self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology.” So the term itself is self-fulfilling, with roots that are – like most nouveau concepts coming out of the Silicon Valley – acronym-driven.
Cell phones were early adapters, facilitating operations based on apps or voice instruction. Our shared friend Alexa, Amazon’s SMART tech contribution, stands ready to answer questions to the best of her ability. But how can SMART technology make your life easier? How about turning on lights in a dark room based on a voice command? Turning off your oven without being near the kitchen?
It seems futuristic, but it’s not exactly superfluous. Imagine entering a dark house and having to navigate around furnishings to manually turn on lights. That reality for many has transitioned into obsolescence in the era of SMART technology. In the vein of television remotes, SMART operations that kickstart lighting fixtures and a host of other essential living components are the wave of the future and an integral part of the present.
SMART lighting harnesses an LED concept to emit light through a process that may be TMI (too much information) for the lay reader. Let’s just say it’s a handshake between like-minded digital waves, and it accomplishes tasks such as turning on, dimming, and turning off lighting. It can make ultra-contemporary fixtures and lamps change lighting color, or adjust brightness based on the time of day. Versions are automated, while others kick in with voice commands or instructions given through a cell phone app.
The Ins and Outs
SMART technology ventures outdoors as well. Check out this sleek SMART garden wall light, an upscale addition to covered patios. Or make a splash with this high-end, artistic indoor SMART ceiling light. But though SMART technology conjures up visions of decadence, it’s also a mainstay in simpler, more traditional light sources such as this floor lamp.
The key is not in the external structural design, but rather the engine that drives lighting. This relatively inexpensive wall-plug SMART outlet serves a number of functions necessary for products using Apple products, Alexa-enabled devices, Siri voice commands, and even Google Assistant. For a more fancy model, try this SMART outlet USB-enabled wall plug Wi-Fi socket using voice control to effect wireless operation from distant locations.
Increasingly, furniture manufacturers and even appliance makers are finding ways to incorporate SMART technology within, for example, sectional sofas, allowing for device-charging, light control, and even media operation.
An important consideration is the age of your electrical wiring system, naturally. Older structures would need updating to be compatible. But if you’re contemplating a remodel, or building a new home or office building, you should put SMART technology at the top of your list of must-haves.
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