Liar, Liar – How Web Hosts Stretch The Truth (Part 1)

Posted on August 17, 2010, 7:03 am, by Rob Mangiafico and received 3 Comments ».

I’m amazed at how far some large name web hosts will go in their advertising and marketing on their websites. It seems the word “truth” is not in their vocabulary. In this multi-part series, we’ll take a look at a few areas where hosts take too many liberties IMNSHO (In My Not So Humble Opinion).

Here are some things I’ve seen recently in the “Green” realm that reallllly sttttretch the truth.

100 % Green Hosting (Gone with the wind)

I was transferring a ShopSite ® ecommerce website last week from another web host, and when I went to the host’s website to log into the control panel, I noticed this statement on their home page:

Powered by 100% Wind Energy

Wow! Knowing how much power it takes to run a datacenter (think small town), I really wanted to see the thousands of windmills they must have, and the constant hurricane that would be needed to generate that much power (ok, slight exaggeration, but it’s still a lot).

As I dug deeper into their fine print, I found out that they simply purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). I’m not knocking REC purchases, which are generally a good thing.

I’m pointing out that they purposely mislead people into thinking they are using these windmills directly to power their servers. Not to mention there is no auditing / accountability to show they are actually purchasing enough RECs to offset their electrical usage for an entire datacenter plus offices.

Don’t Forget Solar Panels!

Another web host likes to have people assume they use solar power for 100% of their electrical needs. They never actually state this (just a few photos of solar panels on their roof), but they would need thousands of panels (and possibly much more) to fully power a datacenter and their offices.

However, the pictures and statement of “green, responsible, solar powered hosting” lead you to believe they’re off the grid and living with the Jolly Green Giant.

LexiConn – Powered by 100% Nuclear Power???

This would be like us saying that since the power plant that provides electricity to the cities our servers are located in is a nuclear power plant, let’s tell everyone we’re 100% nuclear powered. We can even put a sign on top of the building in the picture of the power plant with our name on it.

Ridiculous?… yes.
In line with some hosts’ marketing tactics?… unfortunately, yes again.

We’re proud to state that our servers are in datacenters that have dual power sources – Traditional electricity from the power company (with proper safeguards and redundancies) and backup diesel generator systems.

Our clients might be shocked to hear that this summer alone our servers ran on diesel generator power for many hours due to storms and various power outages. All of this with *zero* downtime!

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Speaking of downtime (or uptime) – We’ll cover that “truth” in part 2 of this series.

photo credit
windmill photo credit

New Google Product Search Requirements

Posted on August 12, 2010, 6:37 am, by Rob Mangiafico and received 1 Comment ».

Google recently sent an email to all merchants using Google Product Search that contained the following:

Starting in late August 2010, we are making some changes to how your products in the Electronics, Books, and Media categories may appear on Google Product Search. In order to provide as much information as possible to our users, we need your help in matching your products to our “product pages” where users are able to view useful data such as product specifications or reviews. If you are submitting products in the above categories for the US version of Google Product Search, please start including unique product identifiers, such as MPN, Brand, UPC or ISBN. We will make similar changes to Product Search in the UK and Germany at a later date.

These attributes will not be required for your feed to process correctly, however, to avoid seeing a drop in traffic from Product Search, we urge you to start including these unique identifiers as soon as possible. You can find unique product identifier information on Product Search product pages, under the “technical specifications” section for Electronics items, the “Tracks” or “Details” section for Media, and the “Overview” section for books.

For more details, including what specific identifiers you should include for each category of item, please see our Help Center at http://www.google.com/support/merchants/bin/answer.py?answer=160161

What does this mean?

If you sell products that are books, electronics, or media, Google is now *strongly* encouraging merchants to include that product’s unique identifier (ISBN for books, MPN for media, UPC/Brand for electronics, etc…).

Although your feed will not fail, your products will likely be ranked below products in these categories that include these unique tags.

How to include these items in ShopSite?

If you are using ShopSite as your e-commerce software, here are a few things you can do to include these identifiers for products that fall under this new requirement:

1. Setting the extra field name to match the Google attribute (i.e. upc, mpn, or isbn)

Preferences -> Extra Fields
for example:
Extra Product field 3: upc
Extra product field 4: isbn

Extra Product Field Config (click image to enlarge)

2. Putting the appropriate codes for each product in the matching extra product field

Products -> Edit Product Info

Enter Unique Codes (click image to enlarge)

3. Sending these extra fields to google:

Merchandising -> Google Search -> Configure

Enable sending unique codes (click image to enlarge)

Note: The “brand” is actually set for each product under “Edit Product Info” so you do not need an extra product field for brand.

Brand is a default field

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That’s all that is needed to include these new unique identifiers for products that are books, electronics, or media.

5 Things We Can Learn From Google Wave’s Demise

Posted on August 10, 2010, 7:06 am, by Rob Mangiafico and received 4 Comments ».

Recently Google announced that Google Wave would be discontinued at the end of the year. This was sad news for myself and thousands of other people that found this software application to be quite useful. We can, however, take away a few lessons about launching a new product or service…

What was Google Wave?

If you never had the chance to use Google Wave, it was a new offering by Google that was mainly aimed at a new way for communication and collaboration. Google made it easy to work with a group of people (on a wave), where it was point and click to add text, audio, video, links, etc… all in real time. Anyone in the wave could update information, create wavelets (side-projects), see typing as it was occurring, or even play back the development of the wave from start to finish.

I personally used it a number of times to work on complicated LexiConn projects, and found it to be very helpful in working with multiple people on a project. It made group tasks more manageable, and allowed everyone to see what was happening in real time. Jim Connolly also found Wave to be useful, and was dismayed at its end.

Crash!

Why did Google kill it?

In their announcement, Google stated that the adoption of the product was not up to the level they expected. Despite a loyal base, they did not get the millions of people they wanted to use the product heavily.

In fact, when they first launched Wave, Google made bold predictions about it replacing email and being the new standard for internet based communication. Bold indeed!

What can we learn?

Here are five things we can take away from how Google Wave ended…

1. Customers have to understand it

Even if you have the best product ever created, if people do not understand it or see the value, it will not be successful. Google Wave was shrouded in secrecy in its infancy. The Google Wave video was long and disjointed. The docs were not clear.

Although the potential was there for Wave to be a killer app, confusion and mis-understanding limited its broad appeal. If you are introducing a new product or service that is not widely recognized, you have to go to great lengths to make sure your marketing explains the clear benefits and uses of your product.

2. Marketing to your audience is key

Google Wave appealed to die-hard tech geeks, and Google catered to them. But they wanted Wave to be adopted by the general public! They were targeting the wrong audience.

Assuming you know who your target market is for your new product, make sure your message is getting to them. Use the right avenues and places where your target market hangs out. And tailor the message so it makes sense to them (see #1 above).

3. Your passion is not always everyone else’s passion

Google loved Google Wave. Its developers were head over heels in love with it. Google had grand plans for it. They saw so many possibilities. Unfortunately, the public did not share this love affair. Google’s energy level was not enough to propel Wave to the top.

Often times we think that what we like and love must be what others like. Although this can be true, this “passion” can often blind us when it comes time to figure out what our customers actually want. You have to step outside of your little world, see things from your customers’ eyes, and gauge whether the product or service will have the appeal you expect.

4. Hard work and passion are not enough

Google worked hard on Wave. They had devoted developers, and spent considerable time and money developing it. Although this level of work and energy is needed for super successful products, you cannot rely on that alone. It seems Google did just that.

Once the sweat and tears have been poured in, you have to market the product effectively. You have to adapt and adjust the product based on customer feedback. And you have to define the problem customers are having, and tailor your product to be the solution they desire. Then the hard work will pay off!

Bottom line – You must have clear direction and goals, but you must be flexible to adjust them to wow your customers.

5. Don’t be afraid to fail

Although Google Wave will end this year, Google stuck their neck out, created something quite revolutionary, and gained a whole tool-chest full of new applications. Sure, Wave did not succeed as a whole, but Google is already using the pieces of Wave in other applications. They learned what people liked about Wave, and will put that knowledge to good use.

Trying something new can be quite scary. Failing with your new product or service can be quite painful. But if you look closely, analyze the data, and see what you can get out of it, these “failures” can lead to better results down the road. Or be the piece to the puzzle you’ve been missing on a different project altogether.

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Did you try Google Wave? What did you think? What else can we take away from the life and death of Wave?

photo credit

Your Contact Us Page – Get It Right!

Posted on August 5, 2010, 7:31 am, by Rob Mangiafico and received 3 Comments ».

Just about every website has some form of a “contact us” page. They can range from a simple email address, a web form, or full blown contact details. Many times they are lacking crucial information that customers and potential customers require in order to make a purchase, ask a question, or obtain customer service.

Here are a few tips to make your contact us page as good as it can be…

Make it obvious to find

Your “Contact Us” link should be clearly displayed at the top and/or bottom of all of your pages, especially the home page. Don’t force visitors to hunt for a way to get in touch. Make it easy.

Don’t be like Facebook, that tries to avoid actual interaction at all costs:

How do you contact Facebook? You don't!

Bonus: Integrate your email address and/or phone number into your page header/footer if it works for your design and layout.

Offer minimalist web based form

You cannot assume everyone on your website has a full blown email program right at their disposal to send you an email. Maybe they’re surfing on their cell phone, or on a public computer. Offer a web based form as an alternate means of getting in touch.

The key to this form is to only ask for the most essential information that is required to contact your company. Avoid asking for too much personal information, or extraneous questions. Often times name, subject, and a textbox for their questions is all that is really needed.

If you’re a small business, this is where you can beat the pants off of the big girls and boys – You are easily reachable, whereas they are not. Do not make it hard for customers to contact you using the medium they desire.

If you offer phone support…

  • List both a toll-free and regular phone number if applicable
    People outside of the country may not be able to use a toll-free number. List your regular number as an alternative.
  • List days and times it’s available
    Do not expect your customers to be mind readers, or to work and sleep at the same time as your phone support. Make sure you clearly list the days and times when phone support is available.
  • List the time zone!
    On the internet, time doesn’t mean anything. You have to list the timezone when your phone support hours are valid.

Bonus Tip 1: List both Eastern (ET) and Western (PT) timezones so your customers do not have to do “complex” math to match up your time with theirs.

Bonus Tip 2: Use javascript or a link to a timezone conversion tool so a customer can instantly translate your timezone into their local time. I know I love these handy tools. (During the World Cup, the FIFA website had the time conversion option on some pages, which was great. Some pages that displayed matches only listed a local time, which had my head swimming when trying to figure out when I could actually watch a game.)

Text and links please

If you list your email address on the Contact Us page, do so using two methods:
1. Your email address is a link that when clicked can open up an email program.
2. A plain text copy of your email address so users can easily copy/paste the address into an email program.

As many ways as possible

If you actively use Twitter, Facebook, Instant messenger programs, etc… and they are valid ways to interact with your company, then put those contact methods on this page as well! Don’t limit the ways your company interacts with its customer base on your contact us page.

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What other tips and ideas do you have for an effective Contact Us page? Please share in the comments below.

photo credit

7 Ways You Can Connect With Your Customers Via Email

Posted on August 3, 2010, 6:58 am, by Rob Mangiafico and received 1 Comment ».

If you read the latest blogs and ecommerce industry articles, you would think that with just social media and mobile commerce, you could conquer the world when it comes to selling products and services online. Although social media and m-commerce are all the rage right now, email is still king when it comes to getting people to purchase items from your online store.

Here are 7 ways to engage your customers via email:

1. Email receipt after purchasing

This is often your first direct correspondence with a customer. The email receipt is much more than a formality. It’s a great way to introduce your customer service department, clearly display your contact information, as well as provide the customer with a way to track their order.

Make sure this email is clear, easy to read, and contains only that information that is related to their order, tracking their order, modifying their order, etc…

2. Email when an item ships or the status of the order changes

This will usually be your second direct correspondence with the customer. The email should be to the point, contain the necessary information about the status of the order, when they can expect it, and link to the web tracking system.

You can include a bit of promotion or specials near the bottom of the email, but you want this correspondence to be short and sweet. The customer is looking for the details about their order, so make it ultra-simple to find them.

3. Email asking the customer to review the product(s) they purchased

Assuming you do offer customer reviews of products (and if you don’t, you should start ASAP), sending a follow-up email asking the client to leave a review of the products they ordered is a great way to engage your customer base, and boost your SEO and product information on your website. A few do’s and dont’s:

  • DO include a direct link to the product review for each product they purchased.
  • DO make it easy for the customer to see which products they ordered.
  • DON’T be shy to ask them to submit a review. The worst they can do is not leave a review.
  • DO thank them for their time and consideration if they choose to submit a review.

4. Sign-up for email newsletter

Having an email newsletter is a close second to having a website. This newsletter must respect the privacy of your customers. You must also make it easy for them to sign-up. This means including a checkbox (not checked by default) on your checkout page where the customer can opt-in to receive your emails.

*** Important *** Here is where many ecommerce merchants get this wrong. The checkbox on checkout often says something along the lines of…

Join our list

Subscribe to the newsletter

Add me to your mailing list

Those generic statements don’t make me want to sign-up.

Be specific with what the list entails, as well as a few benefits. Some simple examples:

  • Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter to receive the latest promotions and just released products!
  • Join our e-club and get the first look at our newest gadgets and gifts!
  • Join our customer appreciation list and receive coupons with savings over $200!

Huh? How are you supposed to type that?

Don’t forget to have a convenient sign-up form on your website. Only ask for the bare minimum, and don’t make it too hard to sign-up with crazy image captcha pictures they have to type in. I’d recommend making it opt-in confirmed – that is, they have to click a confirm link in an email to finalize their subscription.

5. Email subscription option on your blog

I won’t go into all the reasons you need to have a blog for your ecommerce website. I’ll just assume you have one. Make sure you make it simple for someone to subscribe to your blog via email. Many people do not know what an “RSS feed” is, but they do know what email is.

Offer a sign-up box on every page of your blog so a reader can receive an email each time a new post is made. This empowers your blog to be front and center for your customers when it’s updated.

Oh, and do not forget to offer your newsletter sign-up as well. It goes hand-in-hand with your blog.

6. Facebook page (sneaky social media / email combo)

I know I said email was king, but that does not mean ignore social media altogether. The great thing about Facebook is comments and requests generate *an email* to the facebook user. It’s often these emails from Facebook that get people to log into Facebook in the first place!

So setup your company Facebook page, advertise it on your site, in your emails, etc… and keep the page updated. If a customer leaves a comment, respond/reply and you’ll grab their undivided “email” attention in no time.

7. Twitter (ooooh, another social media tie-in)

Just as with Facebook, Twitter is a great way to tie-in email and social media. Your customer follows you on Twitter. When you follow them back, *bang*, they receive an email letting them know this. It gets you in front of their eyes and on their mind when they check email.

Have something that is actually important and relevant to a customer? You can send them a direct message via Twitter that will generate an email. Don’t abuse this service, as a direct message can be viewed as intrusive, especially if you send them frequently.

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Those are just a few ways you can interact with your customers via email. What else would YOU add to the list?

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