One great way to drive traffic to your Vendio site is by utilizing correct search engine optimization (SEO). A lot of people talk about “good SEO” and many times, business owners don’t know what it means, or if they do, they have no way of knowing how to make it “good.”

Good SEO is all about text. Text for being found in search engines. It can’t be any text though – it has to be the RIGHT text. The right text is the text that your customers are using to find similar products to yours. T shirts – or funny T shirts – or comfortable T shirts – those are common but there are ways of narrowing your keywords and phrases down so people can find you. Getting your eCommerce site listed high in search engines such as Google will bring valuable hits to your site. The traffic generated by SEO is normally very targeted, for example if someone searches for the name of your products, and your site come up as the top listing, the user that is going to be visiting your site is likely to be very interested purchasing. And those are the customers we want, right?

Maximize Descriptions

Sometimes the tendency is to be cute and clever in naming your products or categories. This can be a big mistake for search engines. Search engines deploy software robots to search the internet looking for pages, they are normally referred to as Spiders. Spiders love text, the more and more relevant the text on your site is, then higher your chances of getting listed high in search engines. Make sure your product and category descriptions are as in-depth as they can be, but keep in mind that your descriptions are going to be read by people who want to buy the products, so don’t make them full of gibberish just so that there is text for the spiders. Accurate and detailed product descriptions have also been shown to increase the likelihood a customer will make a purchase from your store.

You want to include important keywords or phrases that your customers may search for. There’s a great (FREE) tool from Google where you can input a keyword, and a list of other, similar phrases will come up, giving you great ideas of what everyone is searching for besides what you think. https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Alternative Descriptions and Titles

Including alternative descriptions and titles for the product images is a good idea as well. Believe it or not, spiders can find the alternative image text information and captions, so don’t leave out any opportunity to get in some more keywords! Use the keyword research tool to find what descriptions people are searching for and give you a good idea which descriptions and titles to choose. Don’t forget, the more text, the better!

About our Guest Blogger
Jess Kupferman, Vendio’s Guest Blogger (and winner of our Blogging Contest) is a creative and engaging expert branding specialist, speaker, and gifted social media strategist and designer. Always plugged in to the latest developments and best practices in the industry, Read more about Jess here.

The largest increase is for oversize items, which have an increase from $1.00 Pick & Pack to $6.00 Pick & Pack. Weight handling has been decreased from $.40 per pound to $.37 per pound.

What is oversize you might ask? Oversize is any item that has a volume greater than 5,184 cubic inches (length x width x height). Thus a 2′ cube would be 24 x 24 x 24 or 13,824 and would be considered oversize.

For more information, check out your Amazon Seller Central Dashboard.

The offer is for both eBay Store subscribers and non-eBay Store subscribers. You can list up to 50,000 items (boy, would that clear out a warehouse!). This promotion is in addition to the 50 free listings normally provided. You can use those at another time.

For more details and exclusions.click here

Happy Selling!!

Hey Tweeters! Now that your profile is filled out and you’ve done a search to find some good peeps to follow, I thought we’d get in the game with some tips for getting started. My guess is, you’ve filled out your profile and then left it alone. Am I right?

Not to worry. Most people do that. Most people sign up for Twitter and then never open it again. Or at least, not for a while. But not to worry! We’re going to fix that right now.

First, some vocabulary.
You may have noticed that Twitter sort of has its own language of sorts. There are some shortcuts that Twitter users know in order to read other people’s tweets.

RT – retweet. This means that you are re-stating what another person has said.

@username – this will “tag” or notify the person you’re referring to – so, for example, if you wanted to “retweet” something I’ve said, YOUR tweet would start like this: RT @jesskupferman

#: On Twitter, this is called a hashtag. A hashtag is something you can use the search box for to follow a conversation about something. It’s also a way of tagging YOUR tweets for other people searching for that subject. For example, rather than tweet “Vendio is the best for ecommerce,” you’d write, “Vendio is the best for #ecommerce.” Then, whomever is searching for tweets about ecommerce would see that tweet. Another way of using these is for attending events. Many times people holding networking events will have an associated hashtag, so people can see all the conversation about that event. A great example of this is #SXSW. (or South by Southwest.)

Next, what to tweet.
There are some basic things that MOST Twitter users tweet.
1. Links to interesting articles about their industry that they’ve found on the internet;
2. Links to interesting articles/videos that they themselves have created;
3. Quotes from other people;
4. Replies to other people’s tweets.

It’s not really good Twitter manners to ONLY tweet about the things that you yourself are selling or creating. Good social media etiquette dictates that we are sharing other people’s content, as well as our own. A good ratio to follow is about 40-60% of our own stuff, and the rest from other people or responses. This is a similar rule on Facebook. Think about it: You know that guy at the party that rambles on and on about himself? Don’t be that guy! Social media is like a party – we’re all there, talking and engaging, complimenting and entertaining with our stories. No one likes an attention hog. So be generous with your support of others and you will get it in return, without question.
The best thing to do is jump in and start having conversations or asking and answering questions on Twitter and seeing who responds. This is a good way to build what’s called a “tribe,” or a base of people in your circle of trusted peers and customers. Once you establish yourself as an industry expert, the followers increase and so does the conversation and passing around of your information. It’s sort of magic, but it really works, and the process can be really thrilling! Seeing people start to converse with you, then follow you, then retweet your material, it is very flattering and nice to feel like a part of this new community.

A great way to contribute to Twitter regularly is to make it easy for yourself. Using the Twitter share buttons on blog articles and products, or websites that allow that is a quick and easy way to share something without writing it out or wondering what to say. When you click the button, usually it will have the article title and link – but I think it’s nice to share your opinion of the article, too. So it would look like this: Great article! -> Twitter – What Next by @jesskupferman http://bit.ly.com. (subliminal message intended!)

Another great way to easily share content is by using a blog reader like Google reader. Those types of readers will pull in articles from your favorite blogs and then give you easy share buttons when you see something you find interesting. Almost no thought involved!

In the next Twitter installment, I’ll share some management tips, such as how to schedule posts in advance so you’re not always posting in real time. Until then, let me know below what you think of Twitter so far!

About our Guest Blogger
Jess Kupferman, Vendio’s Guest Blogger (and winner of our Blogging Contest) is a creative and engaging expert branding specialist, speaker, and gifted social media strategist and designer. Always plugged in to the latest developments and best practices in the industry, Read more about Jess here.

• What is EquaShip and How does it work?
• How can EquaShip offer such low shipping rates?
• When should you use EquaShip for your packages?
• Built-in “real” insurance for merchants
• Real savings examples from current merchants
• How EquaShip works for your Vendio Profiles
• How EquaShip works with your Vendio Post Sale

This recorded session answers these questions and much more!! It is a great way for sellers to save a great deal of money on shipping. Enjoy the Video and Happy Selling!

Maybe you’ve signed up for an account, gotten a few followers, had a few convos, and then gotten busy. Maybe you’ve signed up for an account and decided it was totally pointless and never touched it again.

It’s time to polish off those fingertips and try again, people!

I know, I know. You don’t want to. It takes more time. It’s frustrating. You have no idea what anyone’s talking about. I get it! But there’s a really good reason why you NEED to get to it.

Reputation.

People go to your store and they see you have a Twitter account. They click it to follow you. And they see one or more of the following:

1. You don’t have a profile photo or the bio isn’t filled out,
2. You have less than 200 followers, OR
3. You’ve only tweeted about your own products and sales

What this says to people that want to follow you on Twitter is, unfortunately, one or more of the following:

1. You don’t know how to use Twitter properly
2. You don’t care, OR
3. The worst one of all: You’re unpopular.

Now, you and I both know that the above 3 assumptions aren’t true. But your potential customers don’t know that.

So what are you going to do? Panic? Freak out?

No! There’s no need to do that. Just realize that Twitter DOES have it’s merits – that when used correctly, it can make you look very, very credible and even more of a hot commodity. That Twitter, when used consistently, can bring you more customers than you ever thought possible. And that the tool that seemed like a huge time waster could possibly be, believe it or not, leverage for possible partners and joint ventures.

It’s true! Here’s something you can do today to get started.

Make sure your page is fully filled out. Use a personal photo, not a logo for your profile picture. Twitter is about connecting one on one. Fill out your bio with both what your store is about and your interests. Make sure there’s a link to your store. And whatever you do, do NOT update with a tweet that says “Just trying this out” or “Tweeting for the first time” because it makes you look like an amateur. Send a few tweets about your industry, or other things on the internet you’ve been reading. Resourceful stuff.

Do a search. Search in the search box for your product, and the word “online” or “ecommerce.” Searches like “jewelry online” or “online jewelry store” or “online t shirt store” will bring up interesting people and companies – and when you find a few you really like, follow them. Since your profile is fully filled out, they’ll follow you back, most likely. Don’t follow TOO many people – because you don’t want the ratio of people you follow to get too much larger than people who are following YOU. (That also looks sort of bad.)

That’s it – that’s your homework for this week. If you can check out some people in your industry, follow some colleagues, not necessarily ALL customers, you’re on your way. Get some people to talk to – and next week we’ll talk about how to engage a little bit with those people.

About our Guest Blogger
Jess Kupferman, Vendio’s Guest Blogger (and winner of our Blogging Contest) is a creative and engaging expert branding specialist, speaker, and gifted social media strategist and designer. Always plugged in to the latest developments and best practices in the industry, Read more about Jess here

Congratulations goes out to Jessica (who likes to be called Jess) who will now be a frequent blogger for Vendable. To read more about Jess, check out her impressive BIO.

We had a lot of great entries and want to thank all those who entered!

Below is her winning entry (and you can see why we were unanimous in our decision to select Jess as our winner).

The Winning Entry:

Vendio – The New Kid at School
As a “web tech” type gal, I get the opportunity to help clients with a lot of different types of projects. Because of this, I get to experiment with all different types of products. E-commerce is a great example. Many clients come to me with a store already on a platform that they need me to configure. Mostly I’m configuring storefronts, but sometimes I am inputting products as well. And it’s because of this experience that I can advise future clients on which product is right for them.

For example, the Ecwid storefront is very LARGE. The type is large, the photos are large, and the shopping bag icon, etc. are all large. If my clients’ audience is an older crowd, sometimes I recommend that store. Yes, I can change the code on the back end to make it smaller or fit it to any specification, but out of the box, Ecwid is a great solution for them.

Shopify is a very feature-rich solution. They have so many features, in fact, that unless you have worked with it in the past, it can be downright impossible to find what it is you need to do, even for the most tech savvy. (a.k.a ME) Just finding where to change something simple like header color took me 20 minutes for a client. I tend not to recommend this service, and when a client comes to me with a project already in there, I know it’s going to be time-intensive.

WP e-Commerce is a nice solution if clients want a website and store solution all in one. I really only design WordPress sites these days, and I like the idea of clients being able to manage everything all in one spot. The downside there is that if something goes wrong on the server, or within the WordPress site, the store could be wiped…whereas keeping the store separate means you could still get business even if the site itself breaks somehow.

Today I saw a new solution I had never seen before, Vendio. What’s amazing about this solution so far, at least for THIS gal, are the following: they allow you to make a store just based on what’s already on eBay or Amazon; and 2. they allow you to upload your own code to design the site. I’ve never seen a solution with either of those features, and for a designer/digital business consultant, those are both game changers for me. It DOES also allow for sales on Facebook – something I only remember seeing from Ecwid.

Vendio is hiring an e-commerce writer and I think I’d be the perfect person to write about e-commerce for them. Having had experience actually struggling through different issues with Ecwid, WP e-Commerce, Shopify, eBay, CafePress, Zazzle, and more, I can offer a point of view different than the average blogger, because I’m actually in the trenches on a regular basis, trying to configure these products for clients.

My mission, as it is with my business, would be to help readers with honesty and integrity, and hopefully they’ll be able to benefit from my experience and expertise. Because the products are not even half of what needs to be considered when choosing an e-commerce solution that’s right for them.

What type of e-commerce solutions are YOU currently using, and what do you like or dislike about them? Have you heard of Vendio? If so, what do you think? Comment below and let me know!

• What is EquaShip and How does it work?
• How can EquaShip offer such low shipping rates?
• When should you use EquaShip for your packages?
• Built-in “real” insurance for merchants
• Real savings examples from current merchants
• How EquaShip works for your Vendio Profiles
• How EquaShip works with your Vendio Post Sale

This recorded session answers these questions and much more!!

Enjoy !!

We invite you to attend our FREE webinar: How to Save Big on Shipping using EquaShip with Vendio.

If you’re currently using FedEx Home Delivery or UPS ground, then you should absolutely attend this webinar and check out EquaShip. This new “Fourth Carrier” ground delivery option can significantly reduce your shipping costs during the busy holiday season and start your New Year with cost-cutting money saving options that put more money in your pocket.

In this webinar we will cover:

• What is EquaShip and How does it work?
• How can EquaShip offer such low shipping rates?
• When should you use EquaShip for your packages?
• Built-in “real” insurance for merchants
• Real savings examples from current merchants
• How EquaShip works for your Vendio Profiles
• How EquaShip works with your Vendio Post Sale

When: December 1st at 11:00 am (PST)
How: Click Here to Register for the Webinar

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

We hope to see you there!!

• Most organizations have an ingrained mythology around which carrier(s) are the best for shipping parcels. But because there are many differences between carriers, none is “the best” or even the lowest-priced in every scenario.
• Most organizations believe that they have a great discount with UPS or FedEx—usually because their account rep told them so.
• Savvy organizations compare shipping rates with their industry peers, and often learn that their UPS or FedEx discounts are not as good as they can be. Negotiation is king.
• In most organizations there is a complete disconnect between what Operations thinks they are paying for UPS and FedEx shipping, what Accounting actually pays every week, and what Marketing thinks they’re earning or losing on shipping charges to their customers.

Only very large organizations have IT platforms and/or costly shipping consultants to analyze their true costs of shipping. Smaller shippers tend to rely on base rate comparisons, never noticing or even seeing the 20% to 35% in adjustments and accessorial fees on actual billing statements.

If your company ships to residential addresses, UPS/FedEx will add another $2.45 to $2.75 Residential Area Surcharge (RAS). If any of your customers are located in an area that UPS/FedEx consider “rural”—which includes 25% of the US population—expect another $1.85 to $3.00 Delivery Area Surcharge (DAS). In areas that you’d probably consider rural, expect another ding for Extended DAS (and these get super-sized for Alaska, Hawaii and other US territories). Make a tiny mistake on the recipient’s address, or accidentally use UPS/FedEx to send something to a PO Box or APO/FPO address and it’ll cost you another $11 per incident, plus the cost of return shipping if they can’t deliver it.

Everyone knows that UPS/FedEx now add a Fuel Surcharge (FS) to every parcel. But the accessorial fee most likely to go unnoticed—and it can be a massive one—is the so called “dim weight” fee (dimensional surcharge) for bulky but low-density parcels containing things like pillows or lampshades are charged based on dimension, not actual weight. For example, a 12 pound set of bicycle wheels shipped via ground in a 28” x 26” x 13” box is rated as a 58 pound parcel by UPS/FedEx.

UPS and FedEx can apply dozens of accessorial surcharges to your packages. USPS and EquaShip structure their pricing to avoid confounding accessorial fees. For example, neither charges RAS, DAS, Extended DAS, Fuel Surcharge or Address Correction fees. EquaShip doesn’t have any dim weight charges at all (USPS does on Priority Mail).

If you haven’t compared carriers in a while, you might want to do so in January when UPS, FedEx and USPS will all post significant increases (EquaShip is not planning an increase). You’ll generally find that USPS has lower prices than UPS and FedEx for items less than 6 lbs. If you spent less than $150,000 per year with UPS or FedEx, you may find EquaShip has lower prices across all weight classes and parcel dimensions.

The bottom line is when you use USPS or EquaShip you will see all your costs up front. If you use UPS or FedEx, ask your accounting department for invoices and compare your true costs with what you think you’re paying today. Then work with your marketing team to see if you’re charging your customers correctly for shipping, or switch carriers to lower your costs.

Ron Wiener is the CEO of EquaShip™, a new kind of parcel delivery service designed specifically for small and medium-sized business shippers. With transparent “all-in” pricing, EquaShip gives shippers access to great service at prices typically 26% – 77% below FedEx, UPS and DHL Residential Ground retail rates. EquaShip provides fully-integrated track-and-trace, $100 of EquaSurance™ coverage included with every package, and superior customer care, all with no hidden assessorial fees, special software or contracted volume commitments. The Seattle entrepreneur previously founded Earth Class Mail and has been founder/CEO of five other investor-backed technology companies.