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There ain’t no cure for the summertime retail blues….or is there? Historically, retailers dread the
summer as far as sales are concerned. Some even close shop for long periods of time. I remember
one brick and mortar store that closed the entire summer. People just don’t want to go out
in the sweltering heat.
One might think that would be an advantage to the online retailer and in many ways it is, if he/she
wants it to be. People are still people and we are creatures of habit so we tend to sock away extra
funds to start buying in September through early December for holiday gifts.
There are ways an online retailer can help him or herself as well as clients by keeping up with
trends.
One might have to live on Mars to know that the economy is suffering; and, even then chances are
the news has saturated other planets. Face it folks, it’s rough.
But people still will buy gifts and collectibles. What can a retailer do to fill that void. My stores
decided to drop most of its items that retail for over $25 and focus more on items that run from
the $.99 to $15 range. Yes we still cater to those who prefer the more expensive gifts, but our
cartoon postcards, buttons, magnets, and basic tees are shipped worldwide daily. The economy
has affected everyone everywhere, but, if the retailer listens to what the customer wants, the
customer will buy.
With millions of online retail stores on the Internet, how does one become a squeaky wheel? There
are lots of ways to do so. I am doing one now by writing an article. But one can’t just write an
article and “they will come”. The article has to offer at least a few pieces of information of value to
both the retailer and client.
Many simply focus on Twitter, “talk” to “friends” and feel that does the trick. Same with facebook.
Both couldn’t be further from the truth. Backlinks are what drives people to ones site, and they
can,in fact be found on Twitter and facebook, if the member places them there, but also in articles
and article directories, blogs and blog directories, social bookmarking sites, pinging their blogs,
and a multitude of other proven techniques that put the social marketer head and heals above the
basic Twitterer or facebook fanatic. I am not putting down those social networks. I use them
and do so successfully. I have just come to know they are not “magic” and if one puts all his/her
eggs in their baskets, they end up branding Twitter and Facebook more than they do themselves.
Some still use ppc (pay per click) advertising such as Google Adwords, MSN Search etc. They
can be very effective, and I used to use them, but with all the free opportunities to use backlinks
to ones shop, and even more specifically to a particular product, and even a place for keyword
tags, I see paid ads as becoming somewhat outdated. I could be wrong; but I’d prefer to write an
article or a blog with a backlink. It is free, and is another expense I don’t have (advertising) giving
me yet another reason to keep the prices lower to the end buyer.
If the idea of article marketing, tweaking or even changing your sites keywords and metatags,
pinging, twitter blasts, twitter scheduled regular tweets, facebook management, blog and web
upkeep boggles the mind, it is not only a good idea, it is mandatory to find a professional
affordable web promotion firm.
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Rick London is a cartoonist, writer, designer, and online retailer. He founded Londons Times Cartoons in 1997. It has been the #1 Google ranked offbeat cartoon since 2005 and MSN #1 ranked since 2008. London founded the world’s only famous love quote shoes, ShoesThatAmuse.com in 2007 which has been featured in USA Today and worldwide on the AP Wire. He owns numerous online shops featuring his #1 cartoon on funny tees, cards, mugs etc such as RickLondonCollection.com. London owns the premiere SEO marketing firm with his wife Lee Hiller-London which offers affordable web promotion and design, Pen and Ink, Inc. He is a native of the Ms. Gulf Coast and donates a percentage of each sale to Gulf Wildlife and other animal causes.
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