| 7. Organize | | | | helppromote your business for free. When you ship a |
| To a great extent, we've been covering this all along. | | | | product, always includeat least THREE of your |
| But it can't beemphasized enough. Don't make me, the | | | | business cards, one for the recipient to keep andtwo |
| shopper, search high and low onyour site for a statue | | | | to give away. Affiliate programs are a great way to |
| that perfectly matches my wizard logo. Combinethe | | | | get people tosell for you. Don't overlook any option. |
| wizard, sorcery, magical, knights of the roundtable | | | | And when you are running a special, don't forget to |
| productstogether. Think of every way that someone | | | | advertise on sitesthat compile savings information. My |
| like me - or any othershopper - might go looking for | | | | favorite is But there are tons of them. |
| them. And make them easy to find byorganizing. | | | | 11. Utilize Every Contact as a Potential Marketing |
| 8. Monopolize | | | | Contact |
| Many merchants worry that this is a taboo form of | | | | One category of products that I sell is gourmet coffee, |
| marketing. Not atall. | | | | tea, andsnacks. It has absolutally nothing to do with my |
| Would it have been taboo to sell flags on 9/11/01? | | | | primary business, However, it is very successful in |
| Perhaps. But everyday since then they have been | | | | itsown right. gets more hits regularly than |
| selling like hotcakes. And if you offer | | | | Success Promotions. Why? Because I tell everyone |
| American patriotism in the form of products on your | | | | about it. Forexample, every time I get a free cup of |
| gift site, then youneed to monopolize on the new | | | | coffee somewhere, I leave acouple business cards |
| American patriotism. For years merchantshave | | | | and web cards. (see forweb cards) I participate in |
| monopolized on Christmas, Mother's Day, and every | | | | marketing material exchanges through the |
| other gift givingoccasion. Let's face it, Hallmark and | | | | Mom Pack mentioned earlier. When I meet someone |
| American Greetings would go bellyup if this year we all | | | | who sells any type ofhome party product whether it |
| decided to boycot our moms on Mother's Day. | | | | be food/kitchen oriented like TupperWareor |
| So how do you do this? Jog your memory by looking | | | | completely different like PartyLite Candles or House of |
| at everything we'vecovered. Specialization and | | | | Lloyd, I tellthem about my business. It is easy to recruit |
| categorization. Organization. | | | | for and easy to promote. |
| Preplanning. They all come into play. | | | | Almost everyone I know drinks coffee or tea. I give |
| You don't need a crystal ball to see what trends are | | | | away samples. Iinvite neighbors over for gourmet |
| coming along inconsumerism. And if you see them, you | | | | coffee. Everyone I talk to is asuspected buyer or |
| need to monopolize on them if youwant to run a | | | | reseller until they prove themselves otherwise. |
| successful gift sales business. | | | | You should assume the same. |
| Look at what eToys.com, Walmart.com, BlueLight.com, | | | | Wear the clothes that you sell or the jewelry. Drive the |
| etc. did this year. | | | | car that yousell. Drink the coffee that you sell. And be |
| A rather unstable economy kept people from spending | | | | prepared to share themwith anyone who even |
| quite as freely asthey have in years past. Rather than | | | | casually asks. |
| give up all together, merchantsincreased their specials | | | | Along the same lines, encourage your own customers |
| and discounts. And didn't we all buy at leastone thing | | | | to do the same. |
| this past holiday season not because we or our gift | | | | I have purchased many shirts from Sirr Max, |
| recipientneeded it, but rather because it was too | | | | Their positive logoed apparel fits my personality and I |
| inexpensive not to buy? | | | | enjoy sharingtheir messages of hope with anyone |
| 9. Design Your Site Carefully | | | | who takes the time to read myclothing. At least twice |
| This could be an entire article on its own. But let's look | | | | a day, when wearing Sirr Max apparel, someonewill |
| at thegeneral mechanics of a site that would rank high | | | | comment on how much they like my shirt or admire |
| in the search engines. | | | | the message on mytote bag. I'm always prepared to |
| Quality and quantity keywords and meta tags are | | | | give a business card to them. |
| imperative if you wantthe right kind of traffic. Speed of | | | | Ordering from this online giftwear site is easy. But |
| loading and ease of navigation arerequired to get | | | | potentialcustomers have to get to the site to order. So |
| visitors where you want them to end up - the | | | | I help Pamela Jordan of |
| orderpage. Aesthetically pleasing visuals make | | | | Sirr Max by advertising for her every time I wear her |
| shoppers happy and turn theminto buyers. And finally, | | | | clothing. |
| the more payment methods you are able toaccept, | | | | If you sell anything besides underwear, then your |
| the more buyers you will receive. | | | | customers' friends aregoing to eventually see it. Make |
| Invite a friend, preferably an internet newbie, to shop | | | | sure they are prepared to tell theirfriends how they |
| from your site. | | | | can get some too. |
| Perhaps even offer a free gift as the incentive. See | | | | 12. Network |
| how long it takesthem to find what they are looking for | | | | The dreaded "N" word. This has nothing to do with |
| and order it. Do they getfrustrated? Do they smile or | | | | multi levelmarketing. It is all about who you know and |
| frown? Re-think your gift site designaccordingly. | | | | what you know. |
| 10. Market Every Day | | | | When you network, you invariably make potential |
| What no holidays or Sundays off? That's right. You | | | | business/clientcontacts. So do it wholeheartedly. Don't |
| should always beprepared to hand out a business | | | | just join a group like |
| card or zap off an email when you see amarketing | | | | Digital Women or The Network for Women but |
| opportunity. And you can be marketing even when | | | | participate in them. Join theemail lists. Advertise. Donate |
| you aren'tmarketing. Your signature text in your emails | | | | time, products, services, etc. Makeyourself visible |
| should ALWAYS contain alink to your business site. | | | | enough within the group that your networking |
| Every thing you ship should have your URLprinted | | | | isaccomplishing something. The contacts will be |
| everywhere. When you leave a pen at the bank, it | | | | invaluable. And you neveknow who you will meet who |
| should haveyour business contact printed on it. If you | | | | either is just now looking for gifts like yousell or knows |
| stop at a yard sale and seethat someone obviously | | | | someone who is. |
| likes Teddy Bears, you should tell them how toget to | | | | Its a new year and all of is are ready for a fresh, new |
| your Teddy Bear Site. | | | | start. Make aneffort to utilize these suggestions in the |
| What about getting other people to market for you? | | | | way most appropriate for yourbusiness. Sell more gifts |
| Groups like http:/ are all about having other people | | | | by working to sell more gifts. |