Thursday, September 23, 2021
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Without Promotion Traffic is Dead
Hi all! If you have an online business like mine you may be noticing it's extremely difficult these days to get consistent good traffic to your site. I've learned that promotion without visibility is pretty pointless. Visibility is key in having your pages or website seen. In order to have regular visitors and customers your store needs to be found in the haystack of websites out there.
Traffic is what is required in order to show and sell products and services. If no one sees your blog posts or store advertising that likely means little or no traffic and likely low or no sales. It takes a lot of promotion to have consistent views and readers turned customers on your posts.
The attention span today is very short and people are generally flipping to the next thing in ten seconds or less. This doesn't leave much time to entice people to stay on your site. That means we have to work pretty hard to get views.
Creating a checklist for promoting each blog or site you want to share can be helpful. It's a good reminder so you don't miss things you want to promote especially if your promoting items or services for a certain season.
Focusing on a couple of strategies rather than getting overwhelmed with too many is a good idea. Quality over quantity. The old adage is still viable, 'less is more'!
Here is a short list of things that can help.
Free online marketing such as Twitter, FB business, LinkedIn, Instagram are a few that come to mind.
Paid online marketing - Google Adwords, paid ads, article writing, etc.
Article Submission sites can help as you can add a description of your business in the bio section. You can add your website or blog link. Using article sites helps generate leads for your business. They can also help to improve your online presence in search engines. Here is a small list of platforms you can submit articles to.
- sites.google.com
- Tumblr.com
- Articleswrap
There are lots of sites you can google to find appropriate places to submit your posts to. Keep promoting your blog posts and articles to increase traffic and grow your business. This is definitely something we have to stay on top of daily. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day!
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Friday, September 10, 2021
People Are Inspiring
Don't you just love hearing inspirational people stories that bring a smile to your face and just make you feel good? I know I do!
Mike McCardell a reporter for CTV News who shares human interest stories about the lives of people who live or once lived in the Vancouver area.
He was interviewing a gentleman recently he called the Soda Man. A 70 year old man that sells soda and water from a cart to passersby on the corner of Commercial Street and Broadway. He sets up his cart filled with sodas in a variety of flavors and cold bottles of water. The man said he does this pretty well all year long even in the colder winter months.
He makes friends with his customers and rarely skips a day of work. He said being there makes him happy and for him is not so much about the money though he makes enough to fill his gas tank, he told Mike. He shared that once he retired he didn't want to just stay home and do nothing. This makes him feel really good he said.
I'm sure he is making others feel good too. People helping people, we need more of this in the world. It shows that it doesn't matter how old you are as you can still make a difference and have a meaningful, fulfilling life. Small things can have big benefits and impacts.
We can learn from inspirational people like the soda man and inspiring stories like his as they can nurture our minds, help us relate to humanity and give us fresh insight into possibilities that are out there. You never know when that simple act of kindness, small gesture or word will bring a blessing, touch someone deeply or be an inspiration for another.
Here is the link to the interview of the Soda Man by Mike McCardell of CTV News. https://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2277822&jwsource=cl
Enjoy!
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Failed Purchases Got You Discouraged From Shopping Online?
Once again you took a chance on buying an item you saw online from an unknown store and you found you were greatly disappointed with what you received! Many people have had this unwanted experience.
With online shopping now being available world wide it is likely that people will run into more challenges finding reputable shops and sites that offer quality apparel and products.
There are certainly fake store fronts and shops offering low budget items. They showcase great looking products online but send you lesser quality items that are poorly made. This can definitely be discouraging and a waste of time and money.
This happened to me once when I ordered from a store I was less familiar with. I purchased a gift for a friend that I had high hopes for and it turned out to be made of very cheap plastic, needless to say I wasn't very impressed and sent it back, though I had to pay return shipping. I was disappointed and it was a big inconvenience.
On that note I want to let you know that Zazzle is a legit E-retailer offering an online platform where people can create or customize products for gifts or to sell. This company started in 1999 and launched their website in 2005. I opened my shop Designs by Shell on Zazzle at the end of 2009.
Zazzle uses cutting edge technology for easy use of designing clothing, paper products, gift items and much more. They have millions of designers, over 150 product makers and millions of customers from around the world.
Zazzle works with many name brands from Disney to Marvel and several more. If Zazzle wasn't a legitimate company they would not be able to sell so many well known brands as they need permission to do so.
Shopping at Zazzle one can expect competitive pricing on products and services that they offer. Zazzle offers quality products and top notch printing. This is a company that you should feel confident purchasing from. Should an issue arise the company attempts to resolve it in a timely manner.
I've purchased calendars, cards, mugs and various other items over the years and have been very pleased with the quality of printing and the items themselves.
I'm working to add new designs at Designs by Shell on a regular basis and would be pleased to have you drop by. You never know what you might find perhaps a gift for someone or something for yourself. Hope you enjoy the shop!
Saturday, September 4, 2021
Flexibility Will Be Necessary
So September is here and the students are heading back to school. For some it will be in person, for other's it may be virtual or for some students it may be a little of both. Even though we are still in the pandemic times I hope the transition goes well for all ages. There will be an adjustment period for everyone as many students now have to wear masks and of course social distance. Flexibility is key for routines that are constantly changing. Staying positive and controlling what you can will help you get through.
