Using WordPress To Develop Shopping Sites
October 25, 2010 by admin
Filed under E-commerce
It wasn’t too long ago that blogs and online shopping websites were completely different things. But the WordPress blogging software that drives a lot of of the blogs in the world is now being pressed into service as an overall content management system, so it’s rapidly turning into a wonderful option for creating online shopping sites.
The reason WordPress is becoming so shopping-friendly is that many plugin developers have created WP shopping cart plugins that extend the functionality of the famous blogging software. On one end of the spectrum, there are no-charge plugins that simply interface with PayPal to offer basic store performance at no charge to the site owner, apart from PayPal’s per-transaction fee. (These plugins normally also work with additional transaction processors, but at that point some money is needed.) These free plugins may or may not have other attributes, such as the ability to drag and drop items into a shopping bag icon, which puts them inside the shopping cart, or social media features integration.
The level of e-commerce features obviously increase when you spend for a plugin. Functionality varies a lot depending on the plugin or additional modules bought, but here are just some of the functions offered:
- Transaction notification via e-mail
- Bulk e-mail
- HTML capability for all system messaging and bulk e-mail distribution
- Automatic password assignment
- Expiring digital downloads that can be configured in multiple ways
- Databasing client info
- Automatic customer sign-up for affiliate programs
- Integration with buying comparison web sites, {such as|like} Google Base and Shopping.com
- MP3 audio players that let customers listen to audio downloads before they buy
- Integration with shipping companies, like Fedex
- Post-cancellation access for buyers to digital goods they previously paid for
- User forums and other community benefits
As you can see from this list of functionality, more costly plugins can create a rich buying experience for buyers and ease of use for the store owner. But these added benefits come at a price, other than just the fee you incur for the plugin. There’s commonly a steep learning curve to be certain you use the plugin to its full possibities. It’s well worth it, but you have to be prepared for the amount of work it requires.
And needless to say, once you develop the website you must get people there. Many people underestimate how vital this is. You could always use AdWords or other types of ads and just spend money for your visitors. Or, if you’re up to it and have either the money or the time and skills, you can invest in organic SEO. You could also take advantage of the power of general networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook. Some of this interaction can be automated, working with tools such as social bookmarking services and Twitter software. But be aware, you have to implement these tools as a means to genuinely connect with potential customers and educate them about your product; and not in a way which will seem spammy. If you’ve got excellent products and definitely want to connect with folks, however, automation can genuinely be your friend. In reality, the more you take advantage of all that today’s technology has to offer, like plugins, software and automation services, the more success you will have in the Web shopping space.
The Power of Online Social Networking for Internet Marketing
January 27, 2010 by admin
Filed under Internet Marketing
Sites that feature online social networks and online social bookmarking are incredibly popular these days. It can be a little tricky, however, when it comes to knowing which to choose. That’s why so many Internet users find reviews of these type of sites so helpful. When reading these reviews, though, you might be surprised at how much variation there is in people’s opinions. Some might defend their particular choices tooth and claw. That might be because they were ignorant of the options, so all their time was taken up with one site before they knew what was happening. Some people defend their choice without even knowing the differences business networking, social bookmarking sites and online social networking sites that are primarily there for fun. Even some avid social media users don’t know that there are also social media platforms, like Capazoo, that use small amounts of money per click to pay for people to use and promote their sites.
Many people aren’t aware of the distinction between social networks because the features and uses overlap. Sites such as MySpace can be used just for fun or for serious business networking, or both! There are thousands upon thousands of user-driven free social networking communities, such as Book Market, which specialize in focused interests. These type of online social networking sites are significant because they’re created by users and focus on distinct interests. And speaking of niches, book readers now have plenty of places to hang out online. Social networks that feature book reviews, like Booksconnect, cater to bookworms everywhere. An innovative variant of online social networking is online social bookmarking, which has become a standard for people who work and play on the Web. Sites that feature social bookmarking, such as del.icio.us, allow logged-in users to save their online bookmarks for free. Social bookmarking sites also are a great help to Web searchers, because keyword tagging is allowed Keyword tagging also makes social bookmarking sites of great interest to online marketers, because they can get backlinks for their Web properties. The individual links aren’t that meaningful but when you add them all together, they become influential in search engine rankings. And with sites such as Digg, if a URL is posted on one of these bookmarking sites that has good pagerank, it can often achieve high search engine rankings if the keywords were researched and the listing was entered correctly.
Confusing the issue even more are sites like Mixx, which allow social networking and social bookmarking. They are quite useful for bookmarking URLs but they also provide a tremendous platform for online social networking and marketing. You can make a lot of friends on these sites and as a bonus, material placed on them oftentimes ranks well in Google. This makes these type of sites genuine gold to Internet marketers.