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E-Commerce & Streaming Media: A Marriage that Works

In the heavily populated world of E-Commerce, what determines whose site will be successful and whose won’t?

Is it the layout and design of the basic site? No. We all know of sites where no expense was spared on design and the company still failed to produce a commercial success.

Is it the product offering? No. We all know of sites where the product offering was more than adequate, the pricing competitive, and service was acceptable, yet success was elusive.

Is it a traffic problem? No. We read letters everyday in forums and discussion groups from those whose sites generate a lot of traffic, but sales volume is only marginal.

What determines success is the ability to stand out in a crowded field! What determines success is making your site different from your competitors. What determines success is the way in which you present your offering so visitors will want to stay at your site and buy from you.

Purchasing decisions are not simple ones. It doesn’t matter if you’re targeting consumers or business buyers. People seek ways to make their buying decisions easier. It is up to you to:

Learn what your customer wants

Highlight the features and benefits that appeal to the customer.

Present your product in a way that differentiates you from your competition and utilizes your product knowledge.

How do you accomplish this in a meaningful way that doesn’t drain your marketing budget? Utilize streaming media to capture your audience’s attention and to focus on the aspects of your product that will generate a sale.

Let’s use an Internet store that specializes in southwestern pottery as a hypothetical example. We’ll go on the assumption that the store has an attractive website with good navigation and a secure shopping cart system. The return policy is clearly stated, and there is specific contact information. On the site is a nicely laid out catalogue with good product descriptions, small, fast loading graphics (which can be enlarged for a closer inspection) and a well-designed price list. The products are grouped by type (urns, bowls, vases etc.) so that a visitor can browse easily. A perfect Internet shopping experience, right?

The answer is only a qualified “yes” because this store is no different than several hundred others selling the same merchandise.

What can this store owner do to make shopping at his site exciting, fun, and memorable?

Use a short audio to introduce southwestern pottery to the visitor. What are its’ special characteristics? Why is it different than pottery produced in other regions?

Show visitors where the pottery originates with a slide show. Use pictures of the artisan’s studio and the area that surrounds it. Coordinate the slides with a script that describes the geography and how it contributed to the style of pottery shown.

Interview several of the artisans on videotape. Let them tell your visitors about themselves and their work.

Have a pottery collector talk about the use of color as it relates to southwestern pottery.

Do a video as a cross promotion with a local interior designer. Describe and show how to best use southwestern pottery as part of a complete decorating scheme.

Use video to show the actual creation of some of your better pieces. Take your visitors inside the artist’s studio for an “up close” look.

You might even be able to generate revenue with some of your original programming. Sell commercial spots within the presentation to other merchants who offer products that are complementary to yours. (This can be as simple as inserting a graphic.) Work with these same merchants to promote local events that highlight the products of your area. Your local Chamber of Commerce might even want to purchase a spot in one of your streaming presentations.

For an E-commerce site with affiliates, use streaming media to help your member sites. Put together a slide show that gives participating members a chance to briefly highlight their own sites for a small fee. Use two to three graphics from each member and have relevant text from each member scroll by as their store appears in the show. Not only do you recoup some of your production costs from the advertising, but you also get your sales commission when member sales increase!

Streaming media should not be used arbitrarily, however. Unless your material is relevant to your visitors and adds perceived value to their purchase, don’t waste your time or theirs. When designing your streaming media presentation, ask yourself what it will accomplish that your current content doesn’t. Will it complement your existing material? Will it be utilized to enhance your offering? Will it provide additional incentive to make your visitor buy?

If you can answer yes to those questions, streaming media should be a strong candidate for your marketing dollars. Use streaming media technology wisely, and it will go a long way to making your E-commerce site stand out in a very crowded field.

Ronni Rhodes is the owner of WBC Imaging, an Internet company that specializes in web site enhancement utilizing streaming media technology. With her husband, Don, a digital media engineer, they work with companies to incorporate streaming as part of successful and meaningful sales and marketing programs.

Please direct all questions and comments to:
Ronni@wbcimaging.com
520-742-5780
http://www.wbcimaging.com

A Vital Guide To Purchasing The Best Netbook Computers

With various changes coming about in technology almost every day, not many have proved more convenient and necessary than the launch of the netbook. The size of netbook computers is the foremost feature that makes them so vital to the common buyer or enterprise. Where laptops are fairly large to go adequately on most people’s laps, netbooks offers the perfect size & portability. Possibly the best instance to display this would be on either a train, or airplane, whilst going to, or from your destination. In these instances, a netbook is without a doubt the more fitting hardware to buy, repeatedly being half the size of a typical laptop computer.

However, the size of these netbook computers brings to light a number of concerns when it comes to their screen resolution. With such a very small size, comes a small screen, so you may well want to make sure you get a specific product that has a suitable contrast ratio, & high resolution rate. This will save you from numerous head pains when trying to view a presentation or a video clip. Making sure you get the highest contrast ratio for your price range is really straightforward, mainly because there are a number of sites that compares each netbook models against their rivals. This can provide more insight when looking for a netbook. Find a large assortment of technology products such as; netbooks, sony laptops and lcd televisions from leading brands online.

This reviewing of netbook computer models is also necessary in maximizing the quality of the hardware in the machine, & the total amount of money that you want to spend. Hard drive space, wireless capability and the price tag are a few main points that you should make sure you consider when procuring a netbook computer. With such an assortment of companies selling netbooks this year, there are various different special offers around that you can discover just by carrying out ample homework before purchasing. Making sure you get the best hardware currently available for your cash is imperative, especially in this economy. Why not take the first steps towards upgrading your mobile computing experience. Purchase a netbook & enter the world of convenience & portability that netbook computers deliver.

A Crucial Guide To Acquiring Furniture

Whether it’s tables, chairs or cabinets if you are looking to get brand new furniture it is dreadfully critical that you take a good amount of time to assess all the choices currently on the market. You do not want to be disappointed with your purchase at a later date.

There are numerous points to look at when obtaining furniture for your flat. Here is a quick guide that should assist you throughout the purchase process.

Space and Size: Obviously, the first thing you ought to dwell on when getting any type of furniture is the amount of space the specific piece will take up in your accommodation. Various individuals recommend producing a rough template out of paper in order for you to get some kind of idea of the real space required; whereas other individuals use 3D computer software to make a virtual diagram of their home. Whatever method you opt for the size of the product needs to be taken into account.

Materials of the Product: Furniture comes in numerous different materials such as leather, glass, acrylic or even wood. Each material has different plus and minus points. Therefore, it is very important that you scrutinise each material before you buy your furniture.

Delivery: Taking delivery of your newly bought furniture can without doubt be exhilarating; be that as it may, you must ensure that you select the right delivery option available. Loads of products are “Available to order”, meaning that these items may take considerably longer than you would normally expect. Whilst, a small number of retail companies provide express delivery which means that products can be sent within 14 days, or even sooner in some cases. Find a varied selection of home products including; furniture, venetian blinds and wall clocks from leading brands online.

Price: The cost of the piece of furniture is unquestionably going to be a crucial factor not only when it comes to procuring furniture but also for other consumer goods such as laptops. Furniture prices are dependant on a number of things such as the brand of the item, the specific type of the item and what it is constructed from. For example, a dinning table is without doubt going to be considerably more pricey than that of a pillow whereas a Blanco light will cost tremendously more than a light from a supermarket.

By bearing in mind all these points prior to you acquiring your new furniture, there is no question at all that you will get a product that meets your demands properly.

A Useful Guide To Acquiring The Best London Theatre Package Offers Currently Around

In order to find the best London theatre deals, you need to check all the benefits contained in the deal & make sure that the terms & conditions are fine.

Perhaps the best way in which to discover theatre offers is to use the Web. Online you can find sites specialising in the booking of London theatre breaks merely by using search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing, or alternatively through Internet directories like that of DMOZ & Yahoo. Find the best theatre breaks London online.

These specific theatre sites will by and large let you to search for packages based on specific criteria like the theatre show you want to look at, the date, the time of the show, check-in date, quantity of nights, room types, & travel options. The search engine will display all the theatre deals on sale that meet your requests together with price information.

On a whole the size of the concession will increase with the quantity of people that you include in the theatre package, as this allows the theatre business offering the package to reduce more whilst still resulting in a healthy profit. This means that when you incorporate train travel in your package you will receive a much better savings deal.

Constantly check to see if the organisation or website offers to beat the prices of all its competitors. Without doubt this is a good way of ensuring that you are receiving the best price from the numerous London theatre packages on sale. You have to ensure though that what you are comparing is equal in regards of benefits when assessing theatre packages. For instance, only check hotel & theatre show offers that include the same shows, venues, and hotels, with the precise options applied. For example, one theatre show package may come with a buffet breakfast, whilst another may include a continental dinner, at the same hotel. Different London theatre deals may well appear very alike while in truth one offers a liberal termination policy whilst the other does not.

It is also useful to verify that the theatre deals are financially protected. In view of the fact that service can be different from one deal to another, it’s an excellent idea to look for testimonials or to get a number of reviews from prior theatre customers. Also confirm that the call centres deliver an excellent service and if theatre goers needs are adequately met for the duration of their break. With a little bit of effort you should be capable of getting the best theatre & hotel package.

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