SILKFAIR Blog

With all the online social networks of the day, it is easier than ever to get your online store brand name out into the public eye. The variety of servers and databases provide a wide network of potential clients. These social networks are a separate database that is not controlled by you. They offer many abilities that should be utilized, but it is important to remember not to put all your eggs in one basket. As your own independent online store, you should take advantage of every option the internet can offer. Therefore, it makes sense to build your own database as well and promote yourself even further out into the world with your own networks.

The use of your own database gives you an array of options. You can focus on yourself and your brand or product without compromise. By being in control of your own database, you can network with your clients as you see fit. There are no dangers of being reported or flagged for your content. This confirms your security within your own site. Since you are your own customer service, you can promote yourself throughout your network and control what your customers see and how they use your site. You may carry any info you need to, and your limitations are boundless. You can express whatever your brand or product requires input on, and focus primarily on spreading the word about your business.

With your own personal database, you can network with your clients directly, and utilize software that keeps them easily in touch so that you can offer them your services. Although the social networks have so much to offer, your own database is at your disposal to help you manage your clients. You can offer security and safety for any information within your site, to offer a secure location for your customers and yourself. On your own network, it will be easier to navigate, and deliver your product or service to those in need.
Keep in mind that your own database is also a gateway to the rest of the world. Through it, you can adjust your setup to navigate to other sites. This helps your customers find you more easily, and know where you are in the future. While your database still utilizes the internet and its tools, it is still unique to you and is protected by you and your business. There are no threats of an outside force removing your database from the internet because it is only you that can do that. With your own database, you have the power to say what goes on with your network.

With all the options out there, it is getting easier to reach the public’s recognition. Take advantage of what the electronic media can offer to an online shop owner. Be ready for the future, by building yourself a stable platform for your online store. By combining the abilities of social media and your own database, you can be ready for the future, and ready to deliver your brand to the rest of the world.  Couple that with Silkfair’s strong store designs and marketing efforts on your behalf , and your poised to win!

With communication technology advancing as fast as it has, it is now easier than ever to share your ideas, products, and services. The social media networks available such as “Facebook” and “Twitter” allow us to reach a wider audience that was previously difficult to achieve. Subjects and events that were “liked” or “shared” helped generate more revenue for their products and services. People on these sites were able to spread the word about new products they offered, and allow people to be more aware of them. It also helps that sites like these allow people to discuss and share info about your product.

You can take advantage of sharing your products on your personal Facebook page. When your friends see your products and “like” your status update, it then becomes visible on the News Feed of their friends and family members.   The opportunity for spreading the popularity of your product is as easy as a sharing something about your product on your Facebook page. “Word-of-Mouth” marketing is stronger than ever now. People are able to post comments and or recommendations about your products and services. If one person sends your information to his friends and at least two of his friends send tags- the effect then gains momentum.

The most convenient thing about socially sharing your products is that it reaches people and business that you would never reach on your own. The internet’s social connections allow us to communicate with people that we may never have met before its creation. We have the ability to make new contacts and share ideas with other businesses. It is now easy to achieve viral marketing – which means to spread your message to a wide audience quickly.  

From Silkfair, your customers and prospects just need to click on the “Share This” button on the rights side of every product page and not only are your items shared through the social platforms – they are also seen by search engines as popular items increasing the ability for people to find your.  If you are selling handbags, then it would be vital that your site come up on a search list for people searching for “handbags”.  “Tags” are probably the most useful tool. They are device’s that utilize the information that the users actually label your site as. Because it is the people and customers that are searching the internet, it is an extremely helpful tool. By allowing other sites and users to “tag”, “like” or “share,” it is the people themselves that solicit for your product. These devices are readily available to you on Silkfair and by taking advantage of them, you can take your products and services across to a great amount and diversity of people and to anyone that wants what you have to offer yet may not know that you exist.

Customer service has always been an important part of a business. This is a way to measure how customers feel about business products and services. It is a way of ensuring that customers are happy about what they invested in. Through customer service and from customer feedbacks, businesses get an idea of what the customers want so they can improve their products and services.

On a recent survey done by the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer, customers are found to value businesses that provide great customer service. Any customer would want answers about a product or service that they purchased anytime they want to. What is interesting in the survey result is that people care more about customer service now than last year; the numbers went up by almost 60%.

The rise of social media use gave businesses a chance to reach out to their customers through these mediums. Other than call centers, businesses now have twitter and facebook accounts where they can hear all kinds of customer concerns. It may work, but in spite of the increased amount of social media interaction among businesses and consumers, it is still found that customers still want to speak on the phone with a representative to attend to their concerns.

So what is the use of social media tools when customers still want to talk to representatives on the phone? It is found that social media is used to spread a customer’s experience, and because it is via web, it quickly gets around. That goes for the good and the bad.

This is quite a setback for businesses when a bad experience goes around to a network of people, but unlike spreading it via word of mouth, businesses can monitor customer feedback via social media. This is an opportunity for businesses to hear customers concerns and quickly work on a solution.

Twitter is a place where I have encountered businesses interacting with their customers. I decided to follow a local airline for updates on seat sales and travel promos. I cannot help but notice that complaints and commendations are thrown around their page. Then I noticed bookings and re-bookings being done via their account. It was quite an experience having seen that someone has manned the account to respond to customers during business hours.

Do you provide a way for people to reach you about your store? Do you answer messages?  Post on Twitter or Facebook in a way that your customers or prospects see that you’re readily available?

Regardless of how you make your sales, having good product descriptions is very important. It’s definitely a must for online sales so customers who don’t get to see the product in person have a better idea of what they’re buying, but it’s just as important when selling face-to-face. After all, your customers aren’t going to just quietly look around and make a purchase; they’ll most likely ask you some questions.

Product dimensions

Depending on your product, you may need to provide multiple size or dimension descriptions. For instance, with a beaded necklace, you will need to list the shape and size of the beads as well as the length of the necklace. If it comes with a pendant or charm, its size has to be noted, too. Here’s another example. If you’re selling a chair, be sure to list its overall dimensions, the height of the back, and the length of the legs. Also consider if you have to convert your measurements to the metric system or vice versa.

Product weight

Weight probably isn’t too important for products such as clothes, accessories, or other items that weigh fewer than 10 pounds, unless your courier charges by the pound. However, shipping costs aside, you should inform your customers about the weight of heavier products so they’ll know if where they plan to place the item will support it. In addition, they would also want to know how heavy items are to gauge if they can carry them or move them around, or if they will have to hire someone to do that for them. If the elderly or handicapped are among your target market, this is essential in your product descriptions.

Materials used

Provide accurate descriptions of the raw materials used in your products. What may seem obvious to you isn’t always obvious to your buyer. Keep in mind that you may also have to abide by Federal Trade Commission rules – for example, you can’t list a product as silver unless it’s sterling silver.

Price

For online sales, make sure the shipping and handling charges are clear and easy to understand.

WOW Factor

How do you put more wow into your descriptions?  Answer that question – what’s in it for me?  What can this product do to help my life and make it easier? So you might add – “perfect gift for newlyweds that will help organize it all” to “great for a home based business owner so purchasing it can be written off”.  You connect the dots while also listening to your current customers and seeing how they have used your product and pass that along!