How Many Users Are On This Site Right Now?

A friend of mine just told me about this javascript that you can paste into the HTML code of your site, to show how many users are online at any given time:

Quick User Online

This script is very simple to install.

If you’re site is powered by the Shop Kit Plus, you’ll just need to plug the code into your HTML template, wherever you want to the information to appear. I recommend the navigation bar or footer.

If you have a website built in Frontpage, dreamweaver or another HTML Editor, just add this script wherever you want it. You’ll probably want to add it to a header or footer section that will appear on every page of your site.

If you created each page of your site individually, you’ll need to include this code on each page.

Let me know how it works for you!

Where Do Your Customers Find You?

If you don’t know the answer to this question, you need to stop what you’re doing right now and find out.

This information is critical to the success of your business. It’s even more important than having great products, a unique selling proposition (USP) and cash. After all, none of the first things are going to matter if no one can find your website to buy from you.

So that brings us back to the original question: Where do your customers find you?

A survey released this week by iCrossing, called “How America Searches: Consumer Packaged Goods” revealed that a growing number of adult Internet users in the United States are searching for packaged goods online, such as clothing, food and personal care products.

In terms of the frequency of search activity among online adults in the U.S., 39 percent confirmed they have performed a search for CPGs online. This puts CPGs in the same rank as real estate and financial products and services.

And of those 39 percent who use the internet to search for packaged goods, 67 percent use search engines to shop for the products they want or search for information. Sixty-one percent searched retailer sites while 60 percent searched product and company sites.

Twenty-six percent of the searchers go to shopping comparison sites while just 19 percent go to product ratings sites.

What does this mean for the average WAHM product seller?

It means that you need to concentrate your efforts on getting the pages of your site high rankings in the search engines for the keyword phrases that your target market uses to find your products.

Does that mean you can abandon other methods of marketing or advertising, such as word of mouth, or advertising on community forum sites?

Perhaps not. Or maybe so… the correct answer depends on your market. If your target market of handmade jewelry connoisseurs prefers to gather in community forums and is responsive to banner ads on the forum, advertising products made by members, then you should most definitely take advantage of that opportunity. If it ain’t broke…

On the other hand, if your target market is made of women that an article in Entrepreneur.com refers to as “yoga mamas,” this might not be the way to go. Yoga mamas are typically highly educated, health and eco-conscious, affluent and want the best for their kids. They will search high and low, from one end of the Internet to the next for information about products. And when they’re done, they report their findings (and experiences with the product or company) with friends in online forums, chat rooms and weblogs and community sites.

Word-of-mouth marketing is key: The Yoga Mama trusts other moms’ recommendations above anything else, according to the article in Entrepreneur.

The moral of the story?

Research your target market and be where they are. If your target market uses an active and widely known message board to research products, you need to be there with them, both advertising and as an active member, an expert in your field.

If your target market uses weblogs and their related search engines to create their communities and product information networks, you need to get involved. Start your own business weblog.

In any case, do your homework. Let your target market tell you where they want to find you and make sure you are right there with them.

How Will Shop Kit Plus Users Fare With The New SSL Certification Requirements Of IE 7?

New SSL Certificate requirements could harm sales for many small business owners who cannot obtain the proper certification. But will this affect Shop Kit Plus users, whose secure pages are certified by Mals Ecommerce?

I have sent an email to Mal Stewart, owner of Mals Ecommerce, requesting information as to whether or not he plans to comply with the Extended Validation SSL Certificate requirements, as set out by SSL certificate authority leaders and Internet browser providers, who formed the Certification Authority/Browser (CA/Browser) Forum.

The introduction of EV SSL Certificates will tighten the security of Internet transactions as certificate requestors will be subject to a thorough, standardized vetting process which all issuing CAs must adhere to, according to the Certification Authority/Browser (CA/Browser) Forum.

Sounds good? On it’s face yes. According to Kristie T., work at home mom and online branding expert, alerted the WAHM world of a new requirement, that has the potential to bar small business owners from online commerce.

[The certificate will display] a green address bar to indicate that it’s “safe” for people who visit a web site. Microsoft plans to activate this green light feature in a future update of IE 7 expected in late January, according to Kristie.

This is bad for the small business, because this certificate will only be available to large businesses, according to a Yahoo news story.

Businesses that are too small or too new to be verifiable will have their address bars appear in white, instead of green. According to the yahoo story, this could result in buyers opting to purchase from “safer” sites with the green address bar instead.

Mals Ecommerce though, has been in business since 1998, possibly making it verifiable under the new standards. I’ll update you when I know more…

WANTED Web Design joins Watersweb Partnership

WANTED Web Design and Watersweb Solutions LLC joined forces to provide affordable and professional ecommerce services to work at home moms who sell physical products.

Andrea, owner of Wanted Web Design, started her company in May 2006 to help other WAHMs fulfill their desire for a functional and professional looking website at a cost that was easily affordable.

Andrea’s philosophy is: “Never let anything get in the way of the sale,” the ultimate goal of designing websites. Her designs are simple and elegant: Perfect for showcasing your products.

Stop by and take a look at Andrea’s work!

[tags]Wanted Web Design, Watersweb Shops, Shop Kit Plus, ecommerce services, work at home moms, sell physical products online[/tags]

Answers To Your Most Burning Product Photography, Labeling and Shipping Question

I am in the process of interviewing WAHM [tag]product photography[/tag], labeling and shipping experts to find out the answers to your toughest questions. Of course, I need to know what those questions are! LOL When you have a moment, please take a peek at my new site, Presenting Your Products and use the form to ask your questions.

I have talked to many of my clients during the course of setting up their shipping in Mals, and I’ve noticed that often the newer [tag]Work At Home Moms[/tag] are lost among all the choices available. Until now, I haven’t been able to help. But with this information product, I’ll have all the answers you need!

The product will include audio interviews with [tag]WAHM experts[/tag], transcripts, checklists and workbooks.

The questions you ask will help us make this product better for all the WAHMs who need it.

So, got questions? Send them over to us and we’ll let you know when we have answers:

http://www.presentingyourproducts.com/ask.html

Thank you!

[tags]product labeling, product shipping[/tags]

The Watersweb Solutions Philosophy

Watersweb Shops is dedicated to helping small business owners start and run their own businesses. We provide affordable alternatives to high priced web designers and ecommerce services to work at home moms and work at home dads. How can we do this? By providing resources for you, the business owner, to handle much of the setup and day-to-day operations of your site. We provide the [tag]Shop Kit Plus, which provides editing tools that will allow you to easily setup and maintain your sites. The SKP also includes order processing tools that automate the selling process and enables you to process and track orders with ease.

For those of you who are new to the Shop Kit Plus, or new to ecommerce in general, we provide two downloadable manuals that cover just about everything. And for those questions that aren’t answered in the manuals, we have a support forum with several members and thousands of posts that can help. And as an added bonus, we have implemented a Priority Support Ticket system for when you need faster assistance or need to give us details such as usernames or passwords.

If you have an excellent understanding of the Internet and of design languages such as HTML and/or PHP, you will find that our product is highly customizable and our staff is informed and quick to answer support tickets and forum posts.

Unlike many other sites, if you need special customizations to our out-of-the-box product, we offer affordable modifications and services that can be purchased directly on our site. Premium support and services, which are not offered in our very affordable standard packages are also offered as low-cost alternatives to hiring a professional web designer full time or on a monthly contract basis.

If you do wish to hire a professional web designer to setup and maintain a custom site you are welcome to contact us for a quote. Our pricing will be determined on a case by case basis.

We understand that you, as our customers, have made our business what it is today. We are taking every step possible to ensure that each one of you receives the products, information and services that we offer, so you can run a successful online business.

Thank you!

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