Review and Refine Prices Periodically: Product prices need to be reviewed often based on a variety of factors, including the costs associated with manufacturing and packaging/shipping the product. If the review leads to a price increase and your customers express their displeasure, present the change in a manner that explains the decision while emphasizing the importance of maintaining the relationship and satisfying their needs. Everyone, including staff members as well as customers, needs to understand why this is being done.

Sell Upgraded Versions of Products: An option that may be appeasing to customers when a price increase occurs is to offer an upgraded version of a product at a higher price. The upgrade can be a small change (offering more color options) or more significant (higher quality materials), but the key is creating the perception that the customer is getting an upgrade to the previous version of the product. Doing this successfully can be an easy way to increase prices.

Sell Product Bundles: If offering product upgrades is not a viable option for your business, an alternative is to combine one or more products and make them available as a single unit in a product bundle. This works best if you introduce a new product as part of the bundle, but it can also be used with an existing product set. The best way to merchandise a product bundle is to show it as an up-sell option on your related product pages.

Offer Value-Added Services: Offering a new service and adding a markup on the service is another way to increase product pricing. The price of the product can remain the same and customers will only pay the additional amount if they opt for the service. Doing this should decrease resistance as you are not actually increasing the product price. Furthermore, if your competitors do not offer value-added services, this could be a differentiator for your store, resulting in an increase in both traffic and profits.

Segment Customers: Segmentation allows you to manage multiple price points for a single product. An increase in price can be limited to a single segment without impacting all of your customers. This can be done using any criteria (for example, shipping distance), and if you mostly sell to other businesses, you can setup business-specific price lists that reflect their contracted price.

Increasing product prices on your eCommerce site can be a risky endeavor. But if done correctly and with the right techniques, this could prove to be a very effective measure in increasing sales and standing out amongst the competition.

While e-mail is typically instant in today’s world, there are many hops an inbound message takes between the sending server and its destination (think of it like a phone call that passes through many switchboards). Along the way, any of the computers that the e-mail passes through can cause delays or accidentally drop data. Thus, e-mail should not be the only mechanism used for tracking inbound orders, especially if you have busy stores.

The solution that we recommend is that someone who manages the online store run a report from the website admin on a reasonable basis (we suggest twice a week) in order to match orders from the site against whatever back-end systems are being run. Doing this will ensure that nothing is slipping through the cracks, and it will allow you to stay proactive in ensuring your customers that all orders are being received and processed in your system.

Busy stores need to be sure that e-mails are not the only way that they are monitoring their orders. This might not be an issue if you only get a handful or orders per month (which we hope is not the case), but stores with a high volume of orders each day should not use e-mail as the only cross check for order processing. Running reports on a weekly (or multiple times a week, as we recommend) is a far more full proof method for ensuring that all orders are being received. Doing this will allow you to spend less time worrying about your software and more time focusing on your business.

Before this process can begin, you first need to know who you used to originally register your website. There are a number of companies who do this; three of the most commonly used are Network Solutions, Bluehost and GoDaddy. Whichever provider you use will have a Whois record with detailed information pertaining to where you have registered your site and where/how it is being hosted. We advise our customers to keep detailed records of all this information, as it will be necessary for a DNS transfer to take place. However, in the event that this did not happen, the information can also be accessed by contacting the original provider or going to their website and entering your domain name (for example: http://who.godaddy.com/whois).

Once you have all of the information that you need, the next step is to change the name service. This can be done by logging on to your account at your current provider and then pointing the server to the desired location (whoever you have set up your new account with will be able to provide this location). If you are also moving a domain, then you’ll point your current domain to the server of whoever will now be hosting your site. To transfer your DNS to UniformMarket, for example, you would enter NS1.UNIFORMMARKET.COM and NS2.UNIFORMMARKET.COM in the DNS Servers.

If you are wanting to move your DNS from another server to ours and need assistance, or if you have any general questions on this topic, please call us at 858-345-1212 or e-mail us at support@uniformmarket.com.

Whether you’re in the process of setting up your uniform eCommerce site or you’re a seasoned online seller, it’s important to be cognizant of the different ways in which fraudulent transactions can occur. This article discusses the different ways that hackers can (and often do) attempt to penetrate your eCommerce site, and the keys to protecting yourself from a potential attack.

One of the main initial measures in preventing fraudulent orders is to be proactive in stopping these attacks before they take place. Much like how banks teach their staff to make eye contact with all visitors (bank robbers often attempt to prevent this from happening in order to minimize future identification), prominently displaying fraud notices in as many areas of the site as possible can often be a major deterrent for hackers. Additionally, it’s important to make all site users aware that they can be tracked, and that violators will be prosecuted.

Needless to say, there will always be hackers who believe they can beat the system. In displaying notices making them aware of the security measures you’ve taken, it’s paramount to have reliable fraud detection software.  Address verification should be performed on all transactions to ensure that the mailing and billing information a customer provides matches what’s listed on their credit card. It’s also important to verify the 3 or 4 digit Card Verification Code (CVV2) to ensure that the individual making the purchase is in possession of the card being used.

When setting up your uniform eCommerce site, there will be an option to not accept orders that come from outside the U.S. (or to block orders from specific countries if you expect to receive international orders). Since a large amount of fraudulent orders come from abroad, it’s often helpful to have a block list in place.

Do your due-diligence. When you receive an online order, take the time to review it carefully and look for signs of fraud. Make sure all of the submitted information matches and makes sense, and keep a lookout for suspicious looking orders. These include large orders (the numbers of items ordered and/or the total cost of the order), orders that don’t match (in terms of size, color, etc.), and uncommon shipping addresses (orders that are to be shipped to an unusual location such as a P.O. Box). You know your business and your customers, so use your best judgement when analyzing online transactions.

At the end of the day, the best way to prevent and detect fraudulent orders is to call or e-mail the customer directly. Often times, hackers will either use the card holder’s actual number or one that is entirely false. A good way to verify that the provided phone number is registered to the billing or shipping address on the order is to do a reverse phone lookup via the White Pages. Speaking directly to the customer should allow you to determine if the order is legitimate, either by them letting you know directly or by the way in which they respond to your questions (an immediate red flag is when the individual is defensive or in a hurry to get off the phone). If you can’t reach them via the phone, send an e-mail to the provided address and either wait for verification or (more full proof) have them provide a phone number to complete the order and then call to confirm.

Square

If you’ve recently patronized your local food truck or other small business, you may have seen Square, a tiny credit card reader that attaches to smartphones and tablets. This technology was developed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who had heard tales of sales lost due to lack of credit card processing abilities, and was compelled to come up with a solution. He introduced Square in 2010, and after a few hiccups, Square is now on its way to revolutionizing the way we shop and do business. In fact, Square recently celebrated reaching 1 million vendors, making it clear that this technology is here to stay.

Square sends its card readers for free, and doesn’t charge users for setting up an account. The company takes a flat fee of 2.75% out of each transaction, more if you need to manually input a credit card number. Funds are deposited into your bank account the next day.

Square would certainly come in handy at a trade show, and judging by some of Square’s newer features, it seems that Square could even completely replace the traditional POS system. Learn more at Square’s website.

PAYware Mobile Enterprise

If you haven’t noticed, there are a lot of payment technologies in the works. There’s Google Wallet, which is an Android app that allows users to pay by waving their phone in front of a contactless payment system. There’s LevelUp, which is a newer app for smartphones that allows users to input their credit card information, and then generate a unique QR code that retailers scan to receive payment. PayPal is in the process of developing a mobile payment processing method, as are countless other companies.

If you want to prepare yourself to accept any type of payment that might come your way, even when you’re on the go, VeriFone offers a solution called the PAYware Mobile Enterprise. The device attaches to iPod touch and iPad 2 tablets, and allows retailers to accept all major (and obscure) payment methods. Using the PAYware Mobile Enterprise, users can swipe their credit cards, accept contactless payments (like from Google Wallet), and scan QR codes (like from LevelUp) and coupons. Learn more by visiting the PAYware Mobile Enterprise site.

Mobile payment processing is in its infancy, but its potential benefits for the trade show crowd are obvious. This is a topic that we’re sure to revisit as new technologies emerge and develop.

1. Get some quality likes. What is a quality like? It’s a like from a user who is actually interested in your content. A quality like comes from someone who will read your status updates, view your photos, and comment on your videos. As I discussed in my last blog post, EdgeRank is determined by how many people interact with your content, so having 500 likes isn’t worth much if those users aren’t interested in your content. How do you get quality likes? Ask your existing customers to like your Facebook Page. Include a like button on your website and in your email newsletters. Put a link to your Facebook Page in your email signature. Another way to get Facebook likes is to have a contest. You can email existing customers and let them know that if they like your Facebook Page, they’ll be entered to win a prize. If they are interested in your products, chances are good that they’ll want to participate in the contest. (Before you run a contest, take a look at Facebook’s guidelines regarding promotions.)
2. Share some quality content that users will comment on, like, or share with others. Again, when users interact with your content (through likes, comments, etc.), this affects your EdgeRank. To keep your content showing up on your users’ News Feeds, you need to keep your users engaged. If you’re just starting out, asking questions is a great way to get your fans to interact with you. People like to talk about themselves and they enjoy sharing their opinions. People also love deals. If you are having a sale, let your Facebook fans know about it, and be sure to include a link for them to click. Photos and videos are also very appealing to people, especially when they’re unique and original. In the example below, SureFire, LLC posted a collection of stunning photographs of people in nature using their SureFire flashlights. The pictures got quite a few comments and likes from SureFire fans.
   
3. Keep the conversation going. If someone posts on your wall or comments on a picture that you shared, respond to them with a comment. Even negative comments that people share contribute to your EdgeRank in a positive way, and they’re an opportunity for you to engage in a dialogue with existing and potential customers.
4. Connect with other companies on Facebook, and establish mutually beneficial relationships with them. If you are a uniform retailer, you can like the Facebook Pages of other companies that you work with, such as uniform manufacturers whose products you sell. When they post great content, you can comment on it or share it with your own followers. That company will most likely appreciate your support, and they may even like your Facebook Page in return. Companies that work together can help promote each other’s content. It’s important to remember, however, that very salesy messages are not going to help you on Facebook in the long run, because your followers are probably not going to respond or interact with that type of content. Be genuine and share great content.
5. Be timely. Relate your content to what’s going on in the world. If there are major thunderstorms going on, maybe that would be a good time to post a video highlighting and demonstrating your waterproof jackets. Holidays are another great way to keep your messages fresh. National Nurses Week happened recently, and many of the scrub companies that I follow on Facebook tied that into their Facebook content.

Give these steps a try, and you’re sure to see improvements in your Facebook Insights. If you are a UniformMarket client and you’d like more help or guidance with your social media efforts, please email me at emily@uniformmarket.com!

First off, why does Facebook need the EdgeRank algorithm? The folks at Facebook know that most of us follow many friends, celebrities, companies, bands, and television shows, and that we can’t always keep up with all of the content that they produce. And even if we could, we don’t always want to. I’m sure you have a friend or two (or fifty) on Facebook who you haven’t spoken to in years. They added you as a friend and you accepted, but neither one of you is genuinely interested in each other’s pictures or status updates. Or a friend asked you to “like” their aunt’s knitting supply company on Facebook, and you obliged, but that was the extent of your support for her. Like Google, Facebook has a vested interest in providing the best possible experience to users, and they want to provide users with content that they find useful, interesting, and relevant. So Facebook tries to determine what users like and what they don’t like so that they keep on using the site. (Although, at this point, is there anything that could keep people from using Facebook? Probably not.)

So that’s where EdgeRank comes in. On Facebook, there are objects and edges. An object is something that someone posts, like a status update, photo, video, or a link. And edges are the ways that others interact with that object, such as likes and comments.

In the example shown, Allways McCafferty’s posted a link to a product page, and that link is considered an object. I liked the link and commented on it, and the like and the comment are considered edges. Facebook judges the value of each edge using three criteria:

• Time: How long ago the edge occurred. Facebook has found that users prefer fresh content, so a newer edge will be ranked higher than an older one.
• Type: Certain edges are more valuable than others. For example, a comment is more valuable than a like.
• User: Facebook measures the affinity between users to determine how valuable certain edges are. For example, if I frequently look at Allways McCafferty’s photos, click on their links, and like their status updates, Facebook will recognize that I have an affinity for Allways McCafferty’s, and will show me more of their content. If I am Facebook friends with someone but never look at their profile or interact with them, Facebook will recognize that I have a low affinity for them.

So, each edge is given a rank, and an object’s rank is the sum of the rank of its edges. So a status update is only as good as the comments it receives. And those comments are only as good as the people posting them. What does that mean for your company and your social media efforts? Stay tuned! In my next blog post, I’ll be discussing News Feed optimization.

A Facebook Page is not the same as a Facebook profile, and a Facebook profile cannot become a Facebook Page. Facebook profiles are to be used only by individuals. Using a Facebook profile for a company violates the Facebook terms of service, and if Facebook sees that you’re using a profile for a company, it will shut down that profile, and you will lose the friends/fans associated with that profile.

Even if you manage to use a profile for your company without getting caught or shut down, you’re missing out on the benefits of having a Facebook Page. One of the biggest benefits of having a Facebook Page is that people can “like” your Page. If you’re using a Facebook profile for your company, people cannot “like” your company. They can only add it as a friend, which many people will find unsettling. See, when two people are friends on Facebook, they can view each other’s personal information and photos, and this is not typically the kind of relationship that people want to have with a company. When an individual likes a company’s Page, on the other hand, that company cannot view that individual’s personal information or photos. If you’re using a Facebook profile for your company, you run the risk of creating mistrust among would-be fans.

If you use a Facebook profile for your company, you also miss out on likes from other companies. See, company Pages cannot add people as friends. They can only like other company Pages. When companies like each other on Facebook, they can help promote each other’s content. Why would you want to pass up that opportunity?
Another benefit of Facebook Pages is that they provide companies with valuable analytics, referred to as Insights within Facebook. These Insights include important information such as:

• How many people like your Page
• How those people interact with your Page (views, clicks, comments, etc.)
• Demographic information about the people who like your Page
• How these facts and figures change over time

A Facebook profile doesn’t provide any of this information. Of course, if you have a Facebook profile, you can see how many friends you have, but you don’t have any idea of how many people are actually looking at the content that you’re putting on Facebook.

You know that “like” button on companies’ websites? Do you want one for your website? You need a Facebook Page for that.

Finally, Facebook profiles have a 5,000-friend limit. There are no limits on likes for Facebook Pages. Perhaps you’ll never get anywhere close to 5,000 likes anyways, but why take that risk?

Hopefully it’s clear that you need a Facebook Page for your business. When you are ready to set up a Facebook Page, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php. You’ll need to have a personal Facebook account in order to set up a Page. If you don’t have one already, you’ll have to set one up. After the Page is set up, you’ll be able to assign other administrators, and they’ll need Facebook accounts too.

Unfortunately, there’s no good way to convert a Facebook profile into a Facebook Page. If you are making the switch, you’ll have to reach out to your profile’s friends and politely ask them to like your new Page. Once you’ve done this, you’ll want to promptly delete your old Facebook profile. If you don’t, you run the risk of confusing and frustrating your would-be fans.

Does that help? Do you have any questions or issues? Email me at emily@uniformmarket.com. I’d love to hear from you! If you’re interested in learning more about UniformMarket, please visit our website.

I like to keep this blog pretty positive, but when it comes to email marketing, there are a lot of no-nos. So bear with me and don’t beat yourself up if you’re guilty of one or all of these email marketing don’ts:

DON’T:

• Don’t send people email without their permission. It’s not a good way to start a relationship. Have an email sign-up box on your website, or let customers who purchase from your online store know that they’ll be receiving emails from you. If you are a UniformMarket client, we do this for you. When customers check out, their email addresses are added to a subscriber list in the UniformMarket Post Office.
• Don’t buy lists of email addresses. The people on the list did not give you permission to email them.
• Don’t send an email every day or even every week unless you have a really good reason. But you don’t want to send too few emails either, because you’ll fall off your customers’ radar. Twice a month is appropriate for our clients.
• Don’t write bad subject lines. Write subject lines that are straightforward and not too salesy. What is your email about? Let your customers know in a few clear, concise words.
• Don’t spend a ton of money on email marketing. If you’re a UniformMarket client, don’t spend any money on email marketing! The UniformMarket Post Office is available for you to use. The UniformMarket Post Office contains a space for you to create and preview email newsletters, and it also provides information about email newsletter performance, including delivery rate, open rate, and clicks.
• Don’t ignore the numbers. Take a look at how your emails are doing. Which subject lines are resulting in greater open rates? Which emails are causing people to unsubscribe? The UniformMarket Post Office allows you to compare your email newsletters side-by-side so that you can make improvements and adjustments accordingly.
• Don’t send ugly emails. You don’t need to be a graphic artist to send nice emails, but if you’re not skilled in design, just keep it clean and simple. Don’t go crazy with fonts or colors. For inspiration, look at the emails you get from big companies. They usually don’t contain Comic Sans or neon colors.
• Don’t forget why you’re emailing your customers. How do you want your customers to respond to your email? Do you want them to buy the featured products? Do you want them to click on the link to your blog? Do you want them to like you on Facebook? If you don’t know what you want them to do, they won’t know what to do. You have to tell them. This is called a call to action. It should be front and center.

First, we identified the issue that some of our clients were having, and I’m going to show you how to avoid that issue. Secondly, we developed a way for you to set up a data feed that will automatically update itself, meaning that you can set up your data feed once and then let Google do the rest. Today, I’m going to walk you through the setup process. But before I begin, let me first say that I’m so happy that our clients are reading the blog and providing feedback! Keep it coming!

How to set up your data feed

Forget what I said in my last data feeds blog post, because you no longer need to download the .csv file of your store’s products. In fact, you no longer need to download or upload anything. Let’s just start fresh. This time with pictures!

First, sign into the Google Merchant Center. Click on “data feeds“.

Then click on “new test data feed“. It’s very important to do a test run before you upload the real thing. If there are any errors in the test data feed, it’s much easier to fix them before you upload the real data feed. Once you’ve had a successful test data feed, you can follow these same instructions for the real thing.

Now, give your data feed a name. It doesn’t really matter what you call it. Nobody’s going to see the name but you. You do, however, need to end it with .xml.

Now you’ll be taken back to the main page. Find the data feed that you just made and click “create“.

Now you need to schedule the data feed upload and tell Google the URL of the feed. You can schedule it to be retrieved daily, weekly, or monthly. If you are a UniformMarket client, the feed URL is going to be your store’s URL followed by datafeed.xml. So for pretend UniformMarket client www.supercooluniforms.com, the data feed URL would be http://www.supercooluniforms.com/datafeed.xml.

Then click “schedule“. Now, you’ll be brought back to the main page, you’ll look for your data feed, and you’ll click “edit“. This is important!

You’re going to see this page:

Select “yes” under “Use Quoted Fields“! If you do not select “yes”, your data feed will not work!

Once your data feed is up and running, you’ll be able to monitor it on your dashboard. You can data about performance (clicks and impressions) and data quality (errors and issues).

And then you can look for your products in Google product search!

And that’s all! Now, Google will automatically upload your data feed at the time that you’ve scheduled. I hope that this is clear and not too complicated. Please let me know if you encounter any issues! I look forward to seeing your products in Google product search!